State Treasurer Updates List Of 'Blacklisted' Financial Companies
State Treasurer Todd Russ is paring down a so-called blacklist of financial companies the state is NOT supposed to do business with.
Oklahoma will still decline to work with financial heavy hitters like BlackRock, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase.
But Russ’s headline-grabbing blacklist has been whittled down from 13 to six.
Russ has said the financial firms were found to be “boycotting” oil and gas companies or did not respond to requests by the state to clarify their positions on fossil fuel corporations.
State pension fund leaders and legal experts say there are millions of dollars in state investments that could be affected by the blacklist.
Federal Rail Administration Eyes Potential Passenger Routes In Oklahoma
A federal study on how to expand America’s passenger rail system sees several potential routes in Oklahoma.
Congress created Amtrak in 1971 to provide passenger rail service between the nation’s biggest cities. Its rail network has shrunk over the ensuing fifty years, leaving Oklahoma with only one passenger rail route: from OKC to Fort Worth.
Now, the federal government is considering restoring and enhancing the country’s passenger rail availability.
Using money from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Rail Administration conducted a study on where to put future passenger rail routes and released its findings last month.
Lines connecting Oklahoma City with Tulsa and Wichita made the study’s short list of potential future routes. So did connections from Tulsa to Kansas City, St. Louis and Fort Worth.
The public can submit comments on that list before routes are selected and finalized early next year.
OKC Wants Feedback On Bike, Trail Plan
Oklahoma City is asking residents and trail users to provide feedback on a comprehensive bike and pedestrian plan.
The City’s Comprehensive plan is called BikeWalk OKC. It was originally adopted by the city in 2018 - and has already resulted in new sidewalks, bike lanes and trails.
Now, the city is asking residents to submit their comments on a 137-page draft plan already available on the city’s website.
The plan is broken down into four chapters - an introduction, bicycle and trail planning, pedestrian planning and implementation.
Some of the possible changes to the plan include adding new sidewalks in ten more neighborhoods, proposing new trails to connect more areas to downtown and upgrading bike facilities.
The city is taking public comment on the BikeWalkOKC plan through Sept. 15.
Farmer’s Almanac Forecasts Stormy Winter In Oklahoma
The Farmer’s Almanac this year is predicting unseasonably cold and stormy conditions across Oklahoma this winter.
The 207-year old-Farmer’s Almanac predicts winter storms at the beginning of December and a couple of major storms impacting the state in January and February.
The annual periodical bases its forecast two years in advance using a formula that considers sunspots, lunar tides, the positions of other orbiting planets in our solar system and other factors.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, precipitation is predicted to be near-normal December 2023 to January 2024.
Between January and March, the center predicts above normal precipitation.
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