AGP Executive Report

Public Safety Tech Funding: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond awarded $18M in sheriff grants to all 77 counties, with funds usable for training, technology, equipment, and capital needs—aimed at strengthening rural departments. Medical Research: OSU/OMRF scientist Scott Plafker won a two-year, $470,000 NIH grant to test whether diet-linked gut compounds (indoles) can protect vision in multiple sclerosis by targeting optic neuritis. Healthcare Access: New federal data shows ACA enrollment fell sharply after enhanced subsidies expired; Oklahoma lost nearly one-third of enrollees, highlighting affordability pressure. STEM & Workforce: Claremore student Violet Rocha earned a national SkillsUSA medal in nail care, underscoring career-tech pathways. Defense Manufacturing: Kratos expanded its Oklahoma City campus with 100,000+ sq. ft. to boost production of jet-powered drone systems like Valkyrie and Firejet. Wildfire Ops Tech: HEN Technologies promoted TITAN™ ELITE, adding real-time water-flow and pump data to improve wildland suppression decisions.

Immigration & Families: An Oklahoma Highway Patrol crash response shows the real-life stakes after ICE deportations, as a college student translates for her father and pleads for insurance help. Energy Costs: PSO’s interim electric rate hike starts July 1, adding about $11/month for typical residential customers while a longer rate case is still pending. AI & Power Demand: Data center backlash is spreading, with states weighing moratoriums and Oklahoma among those considering pauses on new hyperscale projects. Space & STEM Community: The Astronomy Club of Tulsa is raising funds to modernize its public observatory ahead of its 90th anniversary. Health Care & Proton Therapy: A Geneva Navy veteran’s proton cancer treatment fight highlights how insurer process disputes can delay care—then reverse after outside pressure. Addiction Research: Ibogaine is back in the spotlight as federal efforts accelerate psychedelic treatment research, including early U.S. trials. Public Safety Tech: Adair County EMS is developing a Community Paramedicine program to improve rural access after a hospital closure. Lithium Industry: Galvanic Energy names Brett Rabe senior VP of Major Projects to lead lithium extraction and refining facility design and operations. Tech in Everyday Life: America’s 250th time capsule includes an iPhone 17 Pro Max, aiming to preserve a snapshot of 2026 for 2276.

Cherokee Language Education: The Cherokee Nation approved legislation to bring full tribal oversight of the Cherokee Immersion School, shifting it from an Oklahoma public charter to an independent Cherokee Nation institution starting this summer. Defense Tech Testing: U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground is running developmental tests on a low-profile CROWS variant to integrate remote weapon systems into the M109A7 Paladin and M992A3 vehicles, focusing on improved cameras and firing while moving. AI Infrastructure: Meta says it will spend over $600B on U.S. infrastructure by 2028, with major funding aimed at AI data centers and a new “Meta Compute” push for selling excess capacity. Sports Tech Trial: The NBA will test a “one free throw rule” in summer league and trial a connected basketball with an embedded sensor to collect officiating-related data. Public Health & Safety: Doctors warn child drownings are rising, emphasizing that seconds matter for rescue and resuscitation. Rural EMS Planning: Adair County EMS is developing a Community Paramedicine program to improve healthcare access after a hospital closure, supported by OSU’s Center for Health Sciences. Oklahoma Tech & Drones: Oklahoma City emergency responders are expanding a drone program to support critical operations.

Oklahoma Public Safety Tech: Oklahoma City emergency responders are expanding a drone program to get aerial eyes on scenes in about 30 seconds, helping police and fire coordinate faster for crashes, missing people, and water rescues. Rural Health Access: Adair County EMS is developing a Community Paramedicine program with OSU Center for Health Sciences support, aiming to reduce ambulance strain and improve care for people after hospital discharge and those with chronic needs. STEM Workforce & Industry: Galvanic Energy named Brett Rabe senior vice president of Major Projects, tasking him with designing and building lithium extraction and refining facilities. AI Infrastructure: Meta says it will invest over $600B in U.S. infrastructure by 2028, with major spending focused on AI data centers. Sports Tech Trial: The NBA will test a “one free throw rule” and a connected basketball sensor in summer league games. Child Safety: Doctors warn drowning deaths among children are rising, stressing that seconds matter for rescue and resuscitation. Climate & Agriculture Risk: A report warns the U.S. Plains could face a “mini-Dust Bowl” scenario if drought and a strong El Niño line up. Higher Ed STEM Pipeline: Oklahoma TSA members won awards at the National TSA Conference.

Emergency Tech in OKC: Oklahoma City police and fire are expanding a drone program so dispatchers can get aerial views fast for crashes, missing people, rescues, and fires—cutting through traffic and streetlight limits. Aerospace Modernization: The U.S. Air Force’s new T-7A Red Hawk trainer is moving toward a software-defined, upgradeable future as it replaces the aging T-38. AI & Power for the Next Wave: Crusoe AI is reportedly in talks to raise about $3B at a ~$30B valuation, underscoring how data-center power and capacity are becoming the key bottlenecks for AI growth. Weather & Safety: Forecasters warn of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and damaging winds across much of the U.S. over the Fourth of July weekend, including Oklahoma. Public Health Reminder: Doctors say child drowning deaths are rising, with “seconds matter” guidance for families near pools and water. STEM Education Spotlight: Oklahoma City-area students and researchers continue to rack up wins and recognition, including an optics scholarship for a Montana State doctoral student—another sign of STEM momentum. Holiday Science: Here’s why fireworks paint the sky—different elements create different colors.

Public Safety Tech: Oklahoma City emergency responders are expanding a drone program so police and fire can get “eyes on scene” in about 30 seconds—faster than dispatching vehicles and not slowed by traffic or streetlights. Aerospace & Travel: The FAA moved to scrap the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flights, aiming to cut some routes like LA–NY from ~6 hours to ~3 by replacing the old restriction with new noise limits. AI Infrastructure & Energy: Denver-based Crusoe AI is reportedly in talks to raise about $3B at a ~$30B valuation, underscoring the push to treat power and compute capacity as the key bottleneck for AI data centers. Oklahoma Agriculture & Plant Health: OSU’s Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Lab is helping producers across all 77 counties by identifying new pathogens and diagnosing issues like root rot to protect yields. STEM Education & Research: A Montana State doctoral student won a Women in Optics scholarship from SPIE, highlighting Oklahoma-area engineering strength in optics and photonics. Trade & Industry: Oklahoma launched a Taiwan Regional Trade Office to boost investment and partnerships in energy, defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing.

Public Safety Tech: Oklahoma City emergency responders are expanding a drone program so police and fire can get “eyes on scene” in about 30 seconds after a 911 call, using thermal cameras and avoiding traffic delays. Energy & Policy: A federal antitrust lawsuit alleges gas giants used AI pricing software to keep prices high, raising fresh questions about how algorithms affect the cost of living. Oklahoma Innovation & Agriculture: OSU’s Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Lab is helping producers across all 77 counties by identifying new pathogens and diagnosing issues like root rot to protect yields. STEM Recognition: Oklahoma TSA students brought home multiple awards at the National TSA Conference, including national championships and Gold Achievement Awards. Trade & Industry: Oklahoma launched a Taiwan Regional Trade Office to boost investment and trade, highlighting energy, defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Holiday Science: A quick explainer breaks down why fireworks produce different sky colors based on elements like barium, sodium, strontium, copper, and titanium. Local Weather Watch: Officials are monitoring severe storm chances and high winds for Fourth of July events, with updates planned as conditions change.

Oklahoma STEM in action: Students from the Oklahoma Technology Student Association brought home major wins at the National TSA Conference in Washington, D.C., including eight national championships and 21 Gold Achievement Awards, with 66 Oklahoma teams placing in the top 10. Local infrastructure & engineering: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority says design work on the proposed 19-mile South Extension Turnpike is moving ahead of schedule, even as some homeowners and businesses along the route raise concerns about impacts and communication. Public safety communications: Woodward County is exploring a cellular-based radio system with FirstNet to reduce dead zones for deputies and improve coverage. Healthcare tech in the region: St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Enid added advanced cardiovascular procedures and imaging, including Impella, to its cardiac catheterization capabilities. Health risk update: New CDC research suggests far more adults may be exposed to the tick-borne cause of alpha-gal syndrome than previously thought, with about 24% showing antibodies in five lone-star-tick states. Banking rebrand: Southern Bancorp plans to change its name to Uplift Bank, expanding its community-development mission across multiple states including Oklahoma.

Public Safety Tech: Woodward County is weighing a cellular-based FirstNet radio system to cut dead zones and improve sheriff and jail communications. Healthcare Policy: States warn a new federal “medically frail” definition could strip Medicaid coverage from many sick and disabled enrollees. Local Health Care Tech: St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Enid added advanced cardiovascular procedures and imaging, including an Impella heart pump, to its catheterization lab. Infectious Disease: CDC research suggests far more adults may already have been exposed to alpha-gal, raising the risk of red-meat allergy from lone star ticks. Energy Costs: PSO customers face a temporary July rate increase averaging about $11/month while a final Oklahoma Corporation Commission review plays out. Agriculture & Inputs: Trump paused some phosphate fertilizer duties from Morocco to ease prices, but Oklahoma farmers may not see relief immediately due to locked-in supply. STEM & Research in Oklahoma: OSU opened the Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center to expand turf research, training, and environmentally friendly pest management. Education/Infrastructure: Lamont seeks bids for a Water SCADA upgrade (GR26-1).

Energy & Data Centers: Oklahoma’s Corporation Commission could soon consider a new electricity rate built just for large-load users (think data centers and AI sites over 75 megawatts), after a new state law requires separate pricing so households and smaller businesses don’t get stuck with the bill. STEM Infrastructure: Rogers State University is moving ahead with a $35M Robson Center for Science and Technology, slated for completion in fall 2027, to house cybersecurity, robotics, chemical engineering, and biology labs. Health & Research: A new study links obesity to a distinct molecular pathway that may help early breast lesions progress to invasive cancer, with researchers including the University of Oklahoma Health Campus. Public Health Policy: Medicaid coverage for routine care at Planned Parenthood is set to resume in states after a GOP ban ends, shifting the decision back to individual states. Space-Work Safety: A new National Academies report flags cosmic radiation as an occupational hazard for flight crews, especially on higher-altitude and high-latitude routes. Environment & Courts: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s East-West Connector faces a federal lawsuit over environmental review and permitting concerns.

FAA & Aviation Safety: A new National Academies report urges the FAA to treat cosmic radiation exposure as an occupational hazard for flight crews, citing cancer risk concerns and noting other countries already require monitoring and limits. Advanced Air Mobility in Oklahoma: The FAA is moving ahead with new air taxi research infrastructure in Oklahoma City, including an eVTOL test range and an advanced air mobility research facility. Supersonic Flight Rules: The FAA plans to replace the 1973 ban on civilian supersonic flights over U.S. land with noise-based standards, aiming to finalize rules by mid-2027 and potentially enabling quieter supersonic travel. Insurance & Storm Claims: Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond filed a new lawsuit against State Farm alleging a coordinated scheme to deny or underpay hail and wind damage claims, including an internal “Hail Focus Initiative.” Tribal Housing Grants: Five Oklahoma tribal entities received $1.6 million in Native American Housing Initiatives grants to support down payment help, rehab, planning, and technology upgrades. Agronomy & Livestock Research: OSU highlighted wheat trial lessons from a tough year and discussed bovine congestive heart failure’s growing impact on feedlots. Connectivity Investment: Sparklight invested $11M to expand fiber network capacity in Ada, Ardmore, Sulphur and surrounding areas. Public Safety Weather: Oklahoma’s July 4 weekend brings dangerous heat, with forecasts near 101°F and heat indexes over 105 in the OKC area.

FAA Supersonic Rules: The FAA is moving to replace the 1973 ban on civilian supersonic flights over U.S. land with a new noise-based standard, aiming to finalize rules by mid-2027—potentially enabling quieter commercial supersonic travel. AI in Courts: A new study says AI-related filing mistakes in U.S. courts are accelerating fast, with more fabricated or wrong legal citations showing up as lawyers and self-represented litigants use generative AI. Energy & Rates: PSO announced a temporary rate increase effective July 1, citing infrastructure and smart grid investments; the change could add about $11 a month for customers. Local Tech & Privacy: OKC City Council is set to consider renewing an automated license plate reader contract, as privacy advocates push back on surveillance concerns. Education & Health Tech: OSU Medicine’s virtual care program is expanding in rural Oklahoma schools, connecting students to distant clinicians for faster, on-site testing decisions. STEM in Schools: Tulsa Public Schools highlighted STEM through drone presentations at a Career Tech banquet, while Oklahoma libraries are running hands-on 3D-printed “Build Your Own Dino” classes. Industry Watch: Inola paused zoning approvals for a proposed $4B aluminum smelter after resident concerns about emissions and impacts on local farms and livestock.

Transportation Tech: Texas and Oklahoma launched a real-time traffic data-sharing system linking traffic cameras, crash reports, stalled vehicles, hazards, speeds, lane closures, work zones, travel times, and even environmental sensors—aimed at faster incident response and clearer driver info. Aerospace Policy: The FAA moved to replace the decades-old ban on overland supersonic flight with a noise-based certification approach, targeting rule completion by mid-2027. STEM in Oklahoma: Science Museum Oklahoma opened “Expedition Dinosaur: Into the Deep,” bringing animatronic dinosaurs and hands-on paleontology activities through Labor Day. Education Leadership: Oklahoma Education Secretary Dan Hamlin is set to become dean of UT Austin’s College of Education, a major shift for Oklahoma’s education policy bench. Agriculture & Research: OSU Agriculture celebrated the new Lionel K. Bentley Turfgrass Center, expanding turfgrass research, teaching, and eco-friendly pest management work. Public Health Watch: The FDA announced a recall of Oribae Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo due to microbial contamination, with distribution reported across Oklahoma and many other states.

Advanced Air Mobility in OKC: The FAA is expanding its Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center with the $8.3M V-PAR eVTOL testing site, aiming to help integrate electric air taxis into the national airspace system (construction targeted to finish by summer 2027). OSU Wheat Research: Oklahoma State University published 2026 wheat variety trial harvest results and rolled out a new Wheat Phenotyping Cart to speed up field measurements for growers. Smoking and Heart Disease Mechanism: Researchers at the University of Oklahoma identified an immune pathway that helps explain how cigarette smoke drives inflammation and accelerates plaque buildup in arteries. Local Industry Decision: Inola City Council considered a six-month moratorium on construction in its Industrial Heavy District that could delay a proposed $4B aluminum smelter. Health Policy Watch: Arkansas begins SNAP restrictions July 1, limiting purchases of soda, candy, and low-juice drinks—joining other states including Oklahoma. AI in Politics: Oklahoma election campaigns are expected to lean more on AI ads after the June primary, raising transparency and free-speech questions.

College Sports Policy: A bipartisan Senate bill to set national standards for college athletes’ compensation cleared a key committee hurdle, but major conference opposition could still block it from becoming law. Agriculture Research: OSU released 2026 wheat variety trial harvest results and highlighted a new Wheat Phenotyping Cart to speed field measurements, aiming to help growers pick varieties that handle drought and warm winters. Water & Industry Tech: Select Water Solutions and ISE Chemicals partnered on produced-water iodine recovery, targeting commissioning in 2027 and scaling toward thousands of tonnes per year by 2030. Transportation Data Systems: TxDOT and ODOT launched a real-time, system-to-system data-sharing agreement to improve traffic operations, traveler info, and emergency response along Texas-Oklahoma corridors. Public Health & Environment: A report warns fireworks and drought conditions are raising wildfire risk, with July 4th historically driving spikes in human-caused fires. STEM in the Field: Kansas State University flagged tar spot as a growing corn disease concern after wet, cool spring conditions helped it spread. Oklahoma Education Support: Oklahoma’s DRS named Sterling Zearley interim executive director, emphasizing disability training and workforce re-entry programs.

Air Mobility in Oklahoma: The FAA broke ground on an eVTOL Vertical Procedures and Analysis Range (V-PAR) in Oklahoma City, a step toward integrating air taxis into the national airspace and supporting safer routes for passenger travel and medical deliveries. AI in Education: New Oklahoma education laws take effect July 1, including the Oklahoma Responsible Technology in Schools Act, which sets guardrails for classroom AI with oversight for teachers and parents plus changes to statewide testing and teacher pipeline efforts. Critical Minerals Tech: Iondrive won a letter of support from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce that could unlock up to $15M in performance-based incentives for its rare-earth processing and recycling module using its IONSolv technology. STEM + Youth Policy: Oklahoma’s child welfare director launched an advisory board for youth with foster-care experience, aiming to shape placements and improve how services work on the ground. Climate + Hazards Research: A new study warns a warmer world could mean bigger, more damaging hail, raising costs and stressing the need for better resilience planning. Water + Infrastructure Pressure: Reporting highlights how data centers are raising water concerns across the Great Plains, with proposed sites near major aquifers like the Ogallala. Public Health + Environment: Oklahoma’s raw milk access expansion is in the spotlight as national illness reports continue to raise questions about unpasteurized dairy risks.