This is the first episode of Oklahoma Memo, a podcast dedicated to Oklahoma news. If you're unfamiliar with the Oklahoma Memo, it's a newsletter published daily at 7 a.m. You can subscribe to it at OklahomaMemo.com.

📝 Top stories:

✅ Trump plan to close key weather labs draws ire of Rep. Tom Cole

The Trump administration is proposing the shutdown of the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, which is responsible for major radar forecasting breakthroughs.

Oklahoma Watch’s Em Luetkemeyer reports this move would threaten more than 900 local jobs and critical severe weather research.

Rep. Tom Cole is pushing back, calling the lab a “national asset.”

Read more at Oklahoma Watch

✅ Oklahoma state park restaurants closed after financial dispute

The Oklahoma Voice’s Barbara Hoberock reports that The Lookout Kitchen restaurants at several state parks have closed.

The vendor reportedly owes the state $254,943 and hasn’t provided required financial assurances.

Closures impact Beavers Bend, Lake Murray, Roman Nose, and more.

Read more at Oklahoma Voice

🗞 The Oklahoma Rundown:

Highlights from around the state’s top outlets:

Tragedy in OKC: man arrested after death of 3-year-old (KFOR)

Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be NBA 2K26 cover star (KOCO)

Oklahoma’s Rylie Jeffries joins Big Brother 27 cast (The Oklahoman)

Severe flooding hits Sallisaw (KTUL)

Bojangles expanding to OKC (The Oklahoman)

Muscogee Nation marks Sovereignty Day on McGirt anniversary (Mvskoke Media)

Lawsuit could make part of Will Rogers Turnpike free (Tulsa World)

Medicaid & SNAP cuts could impact thousands (The Oklahoma Eagle)

…and much more.

❤️ Special note:

Remembering Michael Dean — longtime Sooner football broadcaster and former Griffin Media colleague. A true gentleman who loved to talk OU hoops under Billy Tubbs. Boomer Sooner.

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Donate to Oklahoma Watch

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Have a great Wednesday — halfway to the weekend!