IT'S THE BEST HARD HITTING DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON TELEVISION.

FRONT LINE TUESDAYS AT 9 P.M.

THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER RING IN ANOTHER YEAR OF NBA BASKETBALL IN OKC.

I'M TOTALLY EXCITED.

I COULD BARELY SLEEP.

JUST FROM BEING EXCITED ABOUT COMING TO THE GAME TONIGHT, IT'S A GREAT CITY.

I MEAN, LOOK AROUND.

IT'S PERFECT DAY.

PERFECT TEAM.

HERE WE ARE.

AND IN LESS THAN A THOUSAND DAYS, THE SUMMER OLYMPICS WILL BE HERE TO EXCITEMENT.

THE PASSION WON'T JUST BE IN THIS STADIUM, BUT IT'LL BE IN THE ENTIRE STATE AND THE REGION.

BECAUSE FOREVERMORE, OKLAHOMA CITY WILL BE AN OLYMPIC CITY.

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT OKLAHOMA'S SKY HIGH HOME INSURANCE RATES?

WE'RE SEEING PAYMENTS TO INSURANCE THAT'S HIGHER THAN TAX PAYMENTS, HIGHER THAN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS.

THAT'S WE'VE GOT TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS.

UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REVAMPING THEIR BUDGET REQUEST.

I THINK AN EDUCATION THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS, THE X'S AND THE O'S.

NEW RULES.

AS THE NUMBER OF FOOD TRUCKS CONTINUES TO MULTIPLY IN OKLAHOMA, IT WAS REALLY TOUGH FOR US TO MOVE AROUND THE STATE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO GET A NEW PERMIT EVERYWHERE WE WENT.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS A SPECIAL THUNDER THEMED LUNCH FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN OKC.

NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

HELLO EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

I'M RICH LINS.

SHE'S A BEAUTY ISN'T SHE.

THE THUNDER'S CHAMPIONSHIP RING FEATURING 800 DIAMONDS AND OTHER GEMSTONES, INCLUDING 46 BLUE SAPPHIRES.

THE DEFENDING NBA CHAMPS RECEIVING THEIR TITLE TREASURE PRIOR TO TIPOFF OF THEIR SEASON OPENER AGAINST THE HOUSTON ROCKETS.

COURTSIDE SEATS GOING FOR $1,000 OR MORE ON TUESDAY NIGHT.

EACH RING HAS THE PLAYER'S NAME ON IT, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A SMALLER RING INSIDE OF THE BIG RING.

AMAZING.

AND SO WAS THE GAME, THE CHAMPS BEATING KEVIN DURANT OF THE ROCKETS IN DOUBLE OVERTIME 125 TO 124.

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY.

MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON IN LAW.

THEY PROVIDED ME A TRIP TO COME HERE TO SEE THE GAME.

A SURPRISE.

I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE COMING HERE, BUT I'M I WAS SURPRISED SO I AM SO EXCITED.

I'M A OKLAHOMA CITY FAN.

EVEN THOUGH I MOVED.

I'M IN SEATTLE, BUT I'M A FAN OF OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER.

WE WERE AT THE PARADE.

THE PARADE WAS AWESOME WITH ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE PUBLICITY.

IT'S A GREAT CITY.

I MEAN, LOOK AROUND.

IT'S A PERFECT DAY.

PERFECT TEAM.

HERE WE ARE.

WHEN WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, IT JUST BROUGHT THE CITY TOGETHER AND IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE AT THE PARADE.

SO I THINK THAT THE LOVE THAT WE, THAT THE CITY HAS FOR THE THUNDER IS GOING TO BRING US TOGETHER MORE.

AND WHAT A START OF THE SEASON IT'S BEEN.

THE THUNDER ARE UNDEFEATED AFTER WINNING BOTH OF THEIR GAMES IN DOUBLE OVERTIME, WITH SHEA GILGEOUS ALEXANDER SCORING A CAREER HIGH 55 POINTS AGAINST INDIANA ON THURSDAY NIGHT.

AND WE CAN EXPECT THE SAME KIND OF EXCITEMENT WHEN LA 28 ARRIVES IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN JUST UNDER 1000 DAYS FROM NOW.

THAT'S WHEN OLYMPIANS AND PARALYMPIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL GATHER TO COMPETE FOR GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE, AND SOFTBALL AND WHITEWATER CANOEING.

THIS WEEK, CITY LEADERS GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE COUNTDOWN AND OUR NOMAC WAS THERE.

AND HE JOINS US NOW.

NOAH RICH.

THE 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS WILL BE THE FIFTH TIME THE U.S.

WILL HOST THE GAMES, AND WITH SEVEN EVENTS SLATED TO TAKE PLACE HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OFFICIALS SAY THIS WILL BE AN HISTORIC DAY FOR THE CITY AND THE STATE.

THINK OF ALL THE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, SOME OF THE GREATEST CITIES THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

AND OF ALL THESE CITIES, OKLAHOMA CITY IS THE ONE THAT HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

THIS IS A DEFINING MOMENT FOR OUR CITY, AND IT WILL BE AN EXPERIENCE WE WILL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.

WITH THE EARLY FALL WIND BLOWING THROUGH THE DIAMOND AT DEVON PARK, OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR DAVID HOLT WELCOMED LEADERS FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE BEHIND THE 2028 OLYMPIC GAMES, MARKING 1000 DAYS UNTIL OKC JOINS THE SHORT LIST OF CITIES TO HOLD OLYMPIC EVENTS.

THE 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS WILL BE HOSTED PRIMARILY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, SAVE FOR TWO SPORTS SOFTBALL AND CANOE SLALOM, SET TO TAKE PLACE IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

WE HAVE EARNED THIS MOMENT BY INVESTING IN OURSELVES.

AND BY THE WAY, JUST LAST TUESDAY, OUR VOTERS ONCE AGAIN OVERWHELMINGLY COMMITTED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THIS SOFTBALL VENUE AND THE WHITEWATER VENUE TO KEEP THEM CURRENT FOR THIS EVENT AND MANY OTHERS.

THE TOTAL OF SEVEN EVENTS WILL BE HELD AT RIVER SPORTS WHITEWATER CENTER AND AT THE WORLD RENOWNED DEVIN SOFTBALL PARK.

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CASEY WASSERMAN LAUDED THE FACILITIES AS ESSENTIAL TO LA 28.

IN THE END, THE OLYMPIC GAMES ARE ABOUT GIVING THESE ATHLETES THE GREATEST VENUES TO HAVE THEIR GREATEST EXPERIENCE.

AND WITH YOUR WHITEWATER FACILITY AND WITH THIS, THE SINGLE BEST SOFTBALL STADIUM ON EARTH.

WE ARE DOING THAT WITH OKLAHOMA AS OUR PARTNERS.

CANOE SLALOM WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 14TH THROUGH THE 22ND, AND SOFTBALL FROM THE 22ND THROUGH THE 29TH.

THE EXCITEMENT, THE PASSION WON'T JUST BE IN THIS STADIUM, BUT IT WILL BE IN THE ENTIRE STATE AND THE REGION BECAUSE FOREVERMORE, OKLAHOMA CITY WILL BE AN OLYMPIC CITY.

YOU'LL HAVE THE RINGS.

YOU'LL HAVE AN OLYMPIC FLAME, AS WE TALKED ABOUT.

AND THAT IS A SPECIAL CLUB TO JOIN.

AND I CAN'T WAIT TO BE HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU.

ALONGSIDE THE HISTORICAL IMPACT, MAYOR HOLT EXPRESSED THAT HOSTING SPORTS IN A MIDWESTERN METRO LIKE OKC OPENS UP THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT PORTION OF THE COUNTRY.

THE PLACEMENT OF THESE EVENTS IN OKLAHOMA CITY ALSO DRAMATICALLY EXPANDS THE DIRECT IMPACT OF THE 2028 GAMES, AND ENSURES THAT THESE GAMES WILL BE EXPERIENCED AS A LOCAL EVENT FOR TENS OF MILLIONS MORE AMERICANS.

OKLAHOMA TOUCHES SIX STATES AND THE COMBINED POPULATION OF OKLAHOMA AND THOSE SIX STATES IS 55 MILLION PEOPLE, WHICH REPRESENTS NEARLY 1 IN 5 AMERICANS.

AND IF YOU CONSIDER THAT CALIFORNIA'S POPULATION IS 41 MILLION, PLACING THESE EVENTS HERE MORE THAN DOUBLES THE DIRECT REACH OF THE 2028 OLYMPICS.

THE EVENT ALSO WELCOMED THREE OLYMPIANS LIVING IN OKLAHOMA, LIKE MICHELLE MOULTRIE, A MEMBER OF OKC'S PROFESSIONAL SOFTBALL TEAM, THE OKLAHOMA CITY SPARK AND 2020 SILVER MEDALIST IN OLYMPIC SOFTBALL.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AN UNBELIEVABLE ENERGY.

JUST GOING TO HAVE THAT LIKE THAT HOME, HOME GAME FEEL.

ANYTIME YOU HAVE THE CROWD BEHIND YOU, ANYTIME YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY IN THE STANDS, YOUR FRIENDS IN THE STANDS, IT'S VERY ACCESSIBLE FOR FOR FANS AND THEIR AND FOR ATHLETES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL MOMENT AND TWO TIME GOLD MEDALIST IN GYMNASTICS, BART CONNER PAINTS THIS PERIOD AS AN EPIC FOR OKLAHOMA CITY SPORTS.

I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND I STILL THINK TO MYSELF, CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT WE'RE GOING TO EVEN HAVE AN NBA TEAM, LET ALONE THE NBA CHAMPIONS?

AND THEN, OH, WE'RE GOING TO HOST AN, YOU KNOW, SEVEN EVENTS FROM THE OLYMPICS ARE GOING TO BE HERE.

SO ALL OF THIS IS KIND OF MIND BOGGLING.

BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE COMMUNITY.

THE CITY LEADERSHIP.

ALSO AT THE EVENT, ROMANIAN OLYMPIC GYMNAST NADIA COMANECI, WHO HAS FIVE GOLD MEDALS, THREE SILVER AND ONE BRONZE AND WAS AWARDED THE FIRST PERFECT TEN IN OLYMPICS HISTORY.

WHAT AN AMAZING THING FOR OKLAHOMA CITY TO TO BE AN OLYMPIC CITY, BECAUSE NOW, ONCE YOU'RE AN OLYMPIC CITY, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE RINGS.

AND THAT'S AN AMAZING LEGACY.

ON SATURDAY, THE THREE ATHLETES ALSO KICKED OFF ANOTHER EVENT CELEBRATING 1000 DAYS OUT.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE SMILING.

THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS THAT WANT TO SEE BIG SMILES, WHERE THEY SPOKE TO GRADE SCHOOLERS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES, AND HOW THE DETERMINATION SHAPED THEM INTO THE PEOPLE THEY ARE TODAY.

ALL OF OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY CHANGED BY OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE OLYMPICS.

WE LEARNED DEDICATION, WE LEARNED RESILIENCE.

WE LEARNED HOW TO WORK HARD.

WE WORK ON A TEAM.

WE LEARNED HOW TO BE DISAPPOINTED AND GET BACK UP AND KEEP GOING.

THEY ADMINISTERED THE OLYMPIC OATH.

RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE PROMISE TO TAKE PART.

WE PROMISE TO TAKE PART IN THIS DAY OF SPORT GAMES, SPORT GAMES, RESPECTING AND ABIDING BY THE RULES.

AND IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY, SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY, INCLUSION, INCLUSION AND EQUALITY.

EQUALITY AND THE KIDS PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS SPORTING COMPETITIONS AND IN THE YELLOW GROUP WILL BE RIGHT HERE FOR SOCCER.

WE HAD A LOT OF FUN JUST TO TO TO BRING THE VIBE FOR THE KIDS TO KNOW THAT THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING HERE.

BART AND NADIA ARE MARRIED, AND TO THEM, WORKING WITH YOUNG ATHLETES IS NOTHING NEW.

YEAH, WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 30 YEARS AND WE RUN A GYMNASTICS ACADEMY DOWN IN NORMAN CALLED BART CONNER GYMNASTICS.

TO CAP OFF MAYOR HOLT'S SPEECH MONDAY, HE AWARDED KEYS TO THE CITY TO THE EXECUTIVES OF LA 28.

IT IS MY HONOR, ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA CITY, TO PUBLICLY PRESENT THESE KEYS TO CASEY WASSERMAN, RONALD HOOVER AND JOHN HARPER.

THERE MAY BE NO ONE ELSE ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS MORE WELCOME TO RETURN THAN THE THREE OF YOU.

AND WITH THESE, YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE THE KEY HERE.

HAVING THE THUNDER HERE AND HAVING SO MUCH EXPERIENCE OF ORGANIZING SUCH AN AMAZING COMPETITIONS.

AND THE PEOPLE LOVE SPORTS IN OKLAHOMA.

AND TO BRING THE OLYMPICS HERE IS ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING.

GET READY, GET EXCITED.

THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING TO OKLAHOMA.

THANK YOU.

YEAH.

THE LAST TIME THE US HOSTED THE OLYMPICS WAS BACK IN 1996.

NOW, AFTER 30 YEARS, OKLAHOMA CITY WILL PLAY A HUGE PART IN WELCOMING THE GAMES BACK TO THE STATES.

RICH.

VERY EXCITING STUFF.

THANK YOU NOAH.

WELL, WHILE THE MARKET FOR ORGAN TRANSPLANTS ISN'T CONSIDERED A TRADITIONAL INDUSTRY, THE LAWS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND CERTAINLY APPLY, WITH FAR FEWER ORGANS AVAILABLE THAN ARE NEEDED TO MEET THE DEMAND.

NOW, THIS LEADS TO ALL SORTS OF DIFFICULT ETHICAL AND LEGAL QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS.

HOW IS THE PROCESS HANDLED HERE IN OKLAHOMA?

THAT'S THE TOPIC OF OUR UPCOMING IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION WITH MODERATOR CASSIE MUDD AND HER PANEL OF GUESTS.

HERE'S A PREVIEW.

WE ALSO ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE RECIPIENTS.

SO OUR WAITLISTS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER BECAUSE WE ARE DOING TRANSPLANTS IN PATIENTS.

WE DID NOT ACCEPT THEM AS RECIPIENTS BEFORE.

SO SO THAT GAP IS IS THERE AND IT'S NOT CLOSING.

THERE ARE ROUGHLY 800 PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA WAITING FOR A TRANSPLANT OF SOME TYPE.

NATIONALLY, THE NUMBER IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 110,000.

WE HAVE A VERY HIGH DONATION RATE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, BUT IT COULD BE HIGHER.

AND SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE MAKE THE DECISION TO BE A DONOR REGISTER TO BE A DONOR.

IT'S REALLY POSSIBLE TO LEAD A NORMAL LIFE AFTER DONATING A KIDNEY.

AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OTHERWISE HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS CAN BE ACCEPTABLE CANDIDATES FOR KIDNEY DONATION.

AND OF COURSE, THE REST OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST, WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW STATE SUPERINTENDENT AND A NEW REVAMPED STATE SCHOOL BOARD AND A GOVERNOR APPOINTED TURNAROUND TEAM OFFERING THEIR INPUT, YOU CAN EXPECT THAT THE BUDGET PROPOSAL PUT FORTH BY FORMER SUPERINTENDENT RYAN WALTERS WILL BE SET ASIDE, AND A NEW BUDGET PROPOSED.

EDUCATION REPORTER TAYLOR JACKSON JOINS US NOW TO TELL US IF THAT HAPPENED AT THURSDAY'S MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD.

TAYLOR RICH, THERE WAS MUCH TO COVER THIS WEEK DURING THE REGULAR MEETING, AND AS EXPECTED, THE BUDGET WAS A TOP PRIORITY.

THE BOARD ALSO REVIEWED NUMEROUS ACCREDITATION AND TEACHER CERTIFICATION CASES.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

WE APPRECIATE WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE.

THIS WEEK, THE OKLAHOMA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED A $4 MILLION BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027.

THE BUDGET INCLUDES 11.9 MILLION FOR LITERACY AND 42 MILLION FOR TEACHER RECRUITMENT.

TWO THINGS PHIL SAYS HE WILL FOCUS ON DURING HIS TIME AS SUPERINTENDENT.

I THINK IN EDUCATION THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS, THE X'S AND THE O'S, AND THAT STARTS WITH LITERACY AT THE AT THE EARLIEST LEVEL.

AND TO TEACH THAT WELL, WE HAVE TO HAVE GREAT TEACHERS.

AND IT'S NO SECRET THAT WE'VE STRUGGLED TO RETAIN TEACHERS AND RECRUIT TEACHERS.

SO WE HAVE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TEACHERS TO TEACH LITERACY.

SO IT'S THEY'RE BOTH NEEDED.

ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET IS SIMILAR TO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 PLAN, THERE IS A $23 MILLION INCREASE FOR FLEXIBLE BENEFIT ALLOWANCE TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASING INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR EDUCATORS.

IMAGINE MATH AND IMAGINE READING WILL GET $1 MILLION EACH.

38,000 WILL GO TOWARDS AG IN THE CLASSROOM AND 500,000 FOR GREAT EXPECTATIONS.

WE FELT LIKE THOSE ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AND JUST GIVING IT THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT FOR RIGHT NOW SOUNDS ODD, BUT MY FOCUS IS ON THE FY 28 BUDGET, SO FINDING OUT WHAT IS WORKING WELL NOW AND THEN PARLAYING THAT INTO A FUTURE BUDGET WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS PROCESS BEHIND THAT.

SO WE DID AS MUCH RESEARCH AS WE COULD AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD, AND WE FELT LIKE THOSE WERE APPROPRIATE ITEMS TO ASK FOR.

THOSE FOUR LINE ITEMS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WAS PRESENTED DURING SEPTEMBER'S REGULAR MEETING.

BOARD MEMBERS SAY THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO VIEW THE MATERIAL, LEADING TO THE BUDGET REQUEST NOT BEING APPROVED BEFORE IT WAS DUE TO THE LEGISLATURE.

ON OCTOBER 1ST, JUST BEFORE THE VOTE, BOARD MEMBER CHRIS HAHN SUGGESTED A WAY FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD TO BETTER COMPREHEND LARGE BUDGETS GOING FORWARD.

CLEARLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A $4 BILLION BUDGET.

THEN YOU THROW IN ANOTHER BILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I DON'T THINK WE SPEND ENOUGH TIME LOOKING AT AND UNDERSTANDING THIS.

I WOULD LIKE TO FOR CONSIDERATION AND MAYBE DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING, TO CONSIDER CREATING A COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD TO BE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE SPENDING HAPPENS.

THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT SEEMED OPEN TO THE IDEA.

I THINK IT'S FAIR FOR THEM TO HAVE QUESTIONS.

$5 BILLION FLOW THROUGH HERE, AND THEY'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BUDGET.

SO I THINK I CAN SAFELY SAY WE WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF TRAINING FOR ALL OF US, WHETHER WE FORM A COMMITTEE OR NOT.

WE'LL HAVE TO WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

BUT ALL THOSE IDEAS ARE ON THE TABLE SO EVERYBODY CAN FEEL FULLY INFORMED ABOUT THESE, THESE BIG DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING.

SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

LATER ON, THE BOARD DECLINED TO ISSUE ACCREDITATION WARNINGS TO 14 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

BOARD MEMBER BECKY CARSON SAYS SHE COULDN'T VOTE ON THE MATTER IN GOOD CONSCIENCE BECAUSE OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE AWARE OF.

I CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIENCE VOTE FOR AN APPROVAL FOR THESE WARNINGS BECAUSE OF INFORMATION THAT THESE ITEMS MAY HAVE BEEN ALTERED AT SOME POINT IN THE IN NOW OR IN THE FUTURE OR NOT FUTURE IN THE PAST.

AND SO UNDER THE FORMER LEADERSHIP, AFTER A TWO HOUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE BOARD VOTED TO REMOVE THREE SPERRY EDUCATORS FROM SUSPENSION.

I MOVED TO ISSUE A FORMAL REPRIMAND AND IMPOSE A PROBATIONARY PERIOD OF 24 MONTHS, AS WILL BE REFLECTED IN AN ORDER TO BE ENTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

THE EDUCATORS WERE PUT ON SUSPENSION EARLIER THIS YEAR AFTER AN INCIDENT THAT LED TO THREE STUDENTS BEING CHARGED WITH RAPE.

YES.

YES.

NO.

FIRE.

YES.

CHANGES COULD SOON BE MADE TO WALTERS.

CONTROVERSIAL SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS.

THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT SAYS HE PLANS TO REVIEW ALL THE MATERIAL AND DETERMINE IF THEY ARE BEST FOR OKLAHOMA STUDENTS TO LEARN.

CURRENTLY, THE SUPREME COURT HAS PUT A STAY ON THE STANDARDS THAT WERE PASSED.

SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR THE STATE TO BE CONTINUED SO WE CAN RESTART THE PROCESS TO ALLOW FOR INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE BOARD AND ULTIMATELY THE LEGISLATURE IS HOW WE HOW WE FORESEE THAT COMING.

SO THIS WILL GIVE US TIME TO DO THAT.

THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET REQUEST WILL NOW GO TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR REVIEW.

LAWMAKERS WILL MAKE THEIR DECISION DURING THE SECOND SESSION, WHICH WILL START IN FEBRUARY.

RICH TAYLOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE AJ PITMAN IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT FULFILLING HER PART OF A SETTLEMENT WITH THE OKLAHOMA ETHICS COMMISSION, WHICH IS ALSO FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE OKLAHOMA CITY DEMOCRAT.

PITMAN AND THE ETHICS COMMISSION HAD WORKED OUT AN EARLIER AGREEMENT FOR HER TO PAY BACK CAMPAIGN FUNDS THAT WERE ALLEGEDLY MISSPENT.

INVESTIGATORS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE SEARCHED PITMAN'S CAPITAL OFFICE LAST WEEK.

NOW, ON FRIDAY, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE KYLE HERBERT REMOVED PITMAN FROM ALL OF HER COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, RELEASING A STATEMENT THAT READ IN PART, I HAVE TAKEN THE MINORITY CAUCUS'S RECOMMENDATION AND HAVE REMOVED REPRESENTATIVE PITMAN FROM ALL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, IN ADDITION TO HER PREVIOUS REMOVAL FROM THE STATE TRIBAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, SENATE MINORITY LEADER CINDY MUNSON ALSO RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING, IN PART, REGARDLESS OF PARTY OR ELECTED POSITION, NOT NONE OF US ARE ABOVE THE LAW.

AS THIS INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, I ENCOURAGE REPRESENTATIVE PITMAN TO COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

OKLAHOMA HOMEOWNERS ARE SUBJECT TO SOME OF THE HIGHEST INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN THE COUNTRY, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL GARDNER DRUMMOND, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, IS DEMANDING INSURANCE COMMISSIONER GLEN MULREADY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

JASON DOYLE JOINS US NOW.

JASON, WE ALL LOVE LOWER RATES, BUT THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE THAT?

RICH THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS COMPLEX.

SOME BELIEVE LAWMAKERS NEED TO FIND A WAY TO REGULATE THE INDUSTRY BETTER, WHILE SOME FEEL FORTIFYING OUR HOMES AGAINST OKLAHOMA WEATHER IS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.

ARE YOU GOING TO GET WHAT YOU NEED IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS, OR IF A BAD WEATHER HAPPENS?

SENATOR JULIA KURT ASKING THE QUESTION MANY OF US WILL HAVE IF WE FILE A CLAIM ON OUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.

THE OTHER QUESTION MANY OF US ARE ASKING RIGHT NOW, WHY ARE MY INSURANCE PREMIUMS SO HIGH?

KURT AND OTHER LAWMAKERS PUT TOGETHER TWO INTERIM STUDIES TO FIND THAT OUT.

AND HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM REALLY IS BASED AROUND CONSTITUENTS CALLING ME AND THEIR HOME INSURANCE PRICES JUST GOING UP AND UP AND UP AND JUST PEOPLE BEING OVERWHELMED BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASES 50, 75, 100% OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A SILLY THING TO SAY, BUT THE MAJOR THING THAT CAUSES THE INCREASE IN RATES IS CLAIMS.

NOW, WHAT GENERATES CLAIMS AND THAT COMES FROM WEATHER, AND WE GET MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE OF BAD WEATHER HERE IN OKLAHOMA.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT OUR WIND AND HAIL RISK THAT WE HAVE HERE, OKLAHOMA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER GLEN MULREADY SAYS.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OKLAHOMA HAS SEEN LOTS OF DAMAGING WEATHER EVENTS.

LAST YEAR, WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF TORNADOES RECORD.

IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA.

WE HAD 152 TORNADOES LAST YEAR, SO WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE THIS SPRING.

WE SAW A PERIL THAT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE, AND THAT WAS WILDFIRES THAT WE HAD IN MID-MARCH IN STILLWATER AND MANNFORD AND ELSEWHERE.

AND THAT WAS ALSO WITH A BUNCH OF WIND CLAIMS AS WELL.

PEOPLE BRING UP THE WEATHER.

ABSOLUTELY.

BUT THERE'S OTHER STATES THAT HAVE MUCH MORE CATASTROPHIC WEATHER.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE OKLAHOMA'S TORNADOES ONLY HIT A FEW HOMES OR MIGHT ONLY HIT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO THERE'S THE RISK, BUT IT'S NOT WIDESPREAD RISK LIKE A HURRICANE RISK OR THAT KIND OF THING, SHE SAYS.

THERE ISN'T AN EASY WAY TO FIND ANSWERS RIGHT NOW.

BASICALLY, OUR INSURANCE COMMISSIONER PRESENTED IT AS THE THAT THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE LOSING MONEY IN OUR STATE.

BUT ALL THE DATA I'VE SEEN IS THAT THEY'RE MAKING A HANDY PROFIT.

OVERALL, WE'VE HAD MAYBE TIGHTER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

MORETTI SAYS THOSE PROFITS ALSO INCLUDE OTHER INSURANCE OFFERINGS OUTSIDE OF HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.

WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY HOMEOWNERS.

INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE NOT MAKING MONEY.

THERE'S NOT A MATTER OF NOT MAKING WHAT THEY WERE THE LAST THREE YEAR AVERAGE.

YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR HOMEOWNERS COMPANIES AND THEIR THE LOSS RATIO, AND THAT IS PREMIUMS PAID IN AND CLAIMS AND EXPENSES PAID OUT IS 110%.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY ARE PAYING OUT $110 FOR EVERY $100 THEY BROUGHT IN.

EVEN OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL DRUMMOND IS VOICING HIS CONCERN.

IN A STERN LETTER TO COMMISSIONER MULREADY, DRUMMOND SAYS IN PART, ACCORDING TO RECENT REPORTS, OKLAHOMANS ARE CURRENTLY PAYING, ON AVERAGE, THE HIGHEST HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN THE COUNTRY.

THE UNCONSCIONABLY HIGH INSURANCE PREMIUMS CITED IN A RECENT OKLAHOMA WATCH ARTICLE, CAUSED MY OFFICE GRAVE CONCERN THAT THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA IS NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECTING ITS CONSUMERS.

OKLAHOMANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THESE UNWARRANTED COSTS.

HE CALLED FOR MULREADY TO WORK WITH HIS OFFICE TO FIND WAYS TO BRING THOSE COSTS DOWN.

MULREADY SAYS IT'S NOT JUST OKLAHOMA SEEING PRICE INCREASES AS FAR AS THE HOMEOWNERS MARKET IN OKLAHOMA.

WE HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET HERE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPANIES WILLING TO DO BUSINESS IN OKLAHOMA, WHICH IS A BLESSING.

YOU KNOW, THE PRICING AND THE PRICE INCREASES THAT WE ARE SEEING AND THAT EVERY STATE IS SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS IS NOT SUCH A BLESSING THAT COMPETITIVE MARKET MEANS THAT OKLAHOMANS HAVE A CHOICE IN COVERAGE.

WE HAVE OVER 100 COMPANIES LICENSED TO WRITE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IN OKLAHOMA, AND WE HAVE OVER 50 THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND HAVE EFFECTIVE POLICIES IN EFFECT TODAY.

WHILE HOME INSURANCE MAY NOT BE PROFITABLE IN OKLAHOMA, IT IS STILL COSTING HOMEOWNERS MORE THAN IN RECENT YEARS.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I RECEIVED MY HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE RENEWAL POLICY AND NOTICED AN ALARMING INCREASE IN THE COST FROM $350 PER MONTH.

MY MY PREMIUM WAS GOING UP TO ALMOST $500 A MONTH.

WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE PRICED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE OF THIS.

WE SEE SENIORS ON FIXED INCOME WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENT.

WE'RE SEEING PAYMENTS TO INSURANCE THAT'S HIGHER THAN TAX PAYMENTS, HIGHER THAN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS.

THAT'S WE'VE GOT TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS.

AARP CONFIRMS THAT OLDER OKLAHOMANS ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE HOME INSURANCE RATES, CERTAINLY WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OLDER, THEY'RE ON FIXED INCOMES.

AND SO THAT HITS THE POCKETBOOK.

AND SO WITH HIGHER LEVEL OF INSURANCE RATES, THAT BECOMES A CHALLENGE FOR OLDER OKLAHOMANS.

MCGILL SUGGESTS THAT SENIORS DO TALK WITH THEIR AGENTS TO SEE IF THERE ARE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE.

THAT MEANS BEING A HOME BODY COULD PAY OFF.

ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT OLDER ADULTS IS THAT SOME HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, BECAUSE OLDER ADULTS ARE AT HOME MORE OFTEN, MAY LOWER THEIR INSURANCE RATES BECAUSE THEY'RE HOME MORE OFTEN.

TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, ASK ABOUT OTHER DISCOUNTS TO.

THERE ARE OTHER DISCOUNTS, AS WE WOULD CALL THEM, THAT INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS ASK ABOUT.

AND THOSE ARE DISCOUNT OPTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT BE VETERANS AND THINGS OF THOSE SORTS.

AND SO DISCOUNTS ARE ALSO AN OPTION THAT PEOPLE MIGHT ASK ABOUT AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO LOWER THOSE RATES.

MULREADY AGREES.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR COVERAGE.

I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO TALK TO THEIR AGENT.

AM I TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE DISCOUNTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE?

DO I HAVE CERTAIN TYPE OF ALARMS?

THERE ARE SOME COMPANIES THAT ARE GIVING DISCOUNTS FOR WATER DETECTION.

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IS NOT A FREE MARKET BECAUSE REALLY WE'RE MANDATED TO GET THAT INSURANCE.

IF WE HAVE A MORTGAGE, OUR IT'S IN OUR STATE'S BEST INTEREST FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE INSURANCE IF THERE'S A DISASTER.

AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY A FREE MARKET.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF BARRIERS TO IT BEING A FREE MARKET.

AND TO TRULY SEEING COMPETITION LOWER THE PRICES.

SHE WANTS TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT'S FAIR TO CONSUMERS AND NOT OVERREGULATE THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

THERE'S GOT TO BE A REASONABLE FACTOR WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME SCRUTINY OF RATES AND SOME SCRUTINY OF CLAIMS AND PAYMENT ON CLAIMS, WITHOUT IT BECOMING AN OVERLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENT.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER MULREADY ALSO SUGGESTS THAT MAKING HOMES MORE RESILIENT WILL BRING THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS DOWN IN THE LONG RUN.

AND SINCE HIS DEPARTMENT BEGAN A PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP FORTIFY ROOFS, THOSE HOMEOWNERS HAVE SEEN AN AVERAGE SAVINGS OF $700 A YEAR ON THEIR PREMIUMS.

AND IN BUSINESS NEWS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ISN'T THE ONLY HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL DEMANDING ACTION.

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT HAS FILED A MOTION IN FEDERAL COURT TO SPEED UP THE RESOLUTION OF A HIGH PROFILE LAWSUIT, FIRST FILED IN 2005.

THAT STORY TOPS THIS WEEK'S STATEWIDE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT HAS FILED AN ENTRY OF APPEARANCE IN THE YEARS LONG FEDERAL LAWSUIT BY THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA AGAINST TYSON FOODS.

IN THE FILING WITH THE U.S.

DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA, HE'S REQUESTING THAT A DECISION BE REACHED QUICKLY TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY FOR OKLAHOMANS, LANDOWNERS AND EMPLOYERS.

THIS SUMMER, THE STATE FILED A PROPOSED FINAL JUDGMENT AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CASE.

TYSON OPPOSES THAT SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL, AND THE CASE HAS BEEN STUCK IN LIMBO SINCE.

THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T BELIEVE EITHER SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL PRESENTS AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION AND WANTS THE COURT TO DETERMINE THE PATH FORWARD, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS PROPOSED IMPORTING BEEF FROM ARGENTINA TO HELP LOWER PRICES HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND AROUND THE NATION.

HOWEVER, AMERICAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS COOPERATIVE IN OKLAHOMA DOESN'T LIKE THAT IDEA.

AFR COOPERATIVE OFFICIALS RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART, THIS MOVE COULD WEAKEN THE CATTLE MARKET, REDUCE RANCHER CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY, AND RESULT IN AN EVEN SMALLER U.S.

CATTLE HERD.

OKLAHOMA CITY BASED BANCFIRST CORPORATION REPORTS THIRD QUARTER PROFITS INCREASED TO $62.7 MILLION COMPARED TO THE 2024 THIRD QUARTER NET INCOME OF $58.9 MILLION.

INTEREST INCOME IS ON THE RISE FOR THE BANKING COMPANY, TOTALING $125.6 MILLION FOR THE QUARTER ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH.

TOTAL ASSETS FOR BANCFIRST ALSO INCREASED TO $14.2 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF 643.8 MILLION.

EVEN AS THE REST OF THE NATION IS SEEING THEIR GAS PRICES APPROACH $3 A GALLON, OKLAHOMA DRIVERS ARE SEEING THEIR FILL UP COSTS DROP EVEN LOWER, ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A'S FUEL PRICE MONITOR, THE AVERAGE GALLON OF REGULAR UNLEADED IS NOW 264 A GALLON.

IN OKLAHOMA.

A MONTH AGO, THAT AVERAGE WAS 268 A GALLON, AND A YEAR AGO IT WAS 277 A GALLON.

THE CURRENT NATIONAL AVERAGE IS $3.07.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

JASON.

THANKS.

THE FOOD TRUCK FREEDOM ACT TAKES EFFECT ON NOVEMBER 1ST.

STEVE SHAW REPORTS ON HOW THE NEW LAW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS SETTING UP SHOP ON OKLAHOMA STREETS.

AND HOW ARE WE DOING THIS MORNING?

WE'RE DOING ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD.

CUTTING, CHOPPING AND CARAMELIZING IS A SKILL YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE TO WORK FOR JP'S CHEESESTEAKS TO GET READY TO CRACK ICE.

YEAH.

ARE WE READY?

EIGHT YEARS AGO, JULIUS PRUITT BOUGHT AN OLD FEDEX DELIVERY TRUCK AND SPENT TWO YEARS TURNING IT INTO A JP'S CHEESESTEAK FOOD TRUCK.

YES, SIR.

A WHOLE LOT OF HARD WORK, A LOT OF EARLY MORNINGS, A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS, A LOT OF PREPPING, A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND A LOT OF LEARNING, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY.

THIS WEEK, JP AND 17 OTHER FOOD TRUCKS SET UP FOR OKLAHOMA CITY'S INAUGURAL CURBSIDE CULTURE FOOD TRUCK TAKEOVER ACROSS THE STREET FROM CURB PARK IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY.

FOOD TRUCKS HAVE COME FROM A LONG WAYS.

PEOPLE WHO HAD BRICK AND MORTAR RESTAURANTS AND CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO START A BRICK AND MORTAR RESTAURANT.

I BELIEVE FOOD TRUCKS ARE THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED IF YOU WANT TO GET IN INDUSTRY.

AND SOMETIMES THE FOOD TRUCKS ARE SO POPULAR, YOU GET A BRICK AND MORTAR DOWN THE ROAD.

ON NOVEMBER 1ST, A NEW STATE LAW CALLED THE FOOD TRUCK FREEDOM ACT TAKES EFFECT.

SUPPORTERS SAY IT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE FOOD TRUCKS WILL BE ABLE TO WORK ANYWHERE IN THE STATE WITH JUST ONE PERMIT.

NEXT UP.

BRANDON RANDOLPH OPERATES CONEHEADS FOOD TRUCK.

HE SELLS FRIED FLOUR TORTILLAS FILLED WITH SPICY CHICKEN, ERO MEAT, GROUND BEEF OR STEAK.

HE THINKS THE FOOD TRUCK FREEDOM ACT WILL HELP THE LITTLE GUY.

I THINK IT WAS FAIR BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY TOUGH FOR US TO MOVE AROUND THE STATE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO GET A NEW PERMIT EVERYWHERE WE WENT, AND IT WAS A HASSLE, ESPECIALLY FOR A SMALLER TRUCK LIKE MYSELF.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE OTHER NEWER TRUCKS THAT ARE BARELY SURVIVING WITH ALL THE FEES AND PERMITS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET.

LAST NIGHT WE WERE IN VERNON, TEXAS FOR THE BACON FESTIVAL.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO, YOU KNOW, 40 TO 50 EVENTS A MONTH.

AND IT'S A DIFFERENT SPOT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

MARK BURCHELL OPERATES PSYCHO TACO FOOD TRUCKS.

HE'S GOT THREE OF THEM.

THEY TRAVEL ALL OVER THE STATE.

AND IT'S NEVER A DULL MOMENT.

WELL, RECYCLE TACO, WE FEATURE SLOW ROASTED MEATS, AND IF YOU GET SUPER TONS OF FLAVOR IN ALL OF OUR FOOD.

SO YOU GOT A SLOW ROASTED PORK, A 40 HOUR, 48 HOUR MARINATED CHICKEN, SLOW ROASTED ASADA, 14 INGREDIENT TACO BEEF.

SO LOTS OF GREAT STUFF.

WHO CAME UP WITH THE NAME PSYCHO TACO?

YOU'RE LOOKING AT A. BATTELLE SAYS HE'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE NEW FOOD TRUCK LAW, AND HE'LL SAVE HIS OPINION ABOUT IT FOR NOW.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS A VERY TOUGH MARKET IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THE FOOD TRUCK INDUSTRY, THE EXPENSES ARE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN A BRICK AND MORTAR.

SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START.

YOU KNOW, THE GOAL, I THINK, FOR MOST FOOD TRUCKS IS TO START AS A FOOD TRUCK WITH LESS EXPENSES AND THEN SEE IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU CAN TAKE INTO THE RESTAURANT FIELD.

APOLLO WOODS IS A DUNCAN NATIVE, AND HE'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BIGGER THAN FOOD FOUNDATION.

THEY AND EMBARK OF OKLAHOMA CITY CO-SPONSORED THIS WEEK'S CURBSIDE CULTURE EVENT, CURBSIDE CULTURE.

THIS IS OUR PILOT INITIATIVE.

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO EXPOSE ANY GAPS OR OR MAKE SOMEONE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CLOSE THE GAP IN COMMUNICATION.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE MORE FOOD OPERATORS ACROSS OUR CITY.

ZACH CRAIG IS PRESIDENT OF VISIT OKC.

I THINK IT'S EXCITING.

I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE GET EXCITED ABOUT AGAIN IS DRAWING AWARENESS AND INTEREST FOR VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE IS THEIR FOOD CULTURE AND THE DIVERSITY OF FOOD CULTURE.

SO FOOD TRUCKS ACTUALLY ARE A GREAT MECHANISM TO SHOWCASE THAT DIVERSITY.

AND NOW IT'S TIME TO RAISE THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER FOR OKLAHOMA CITY.

CRAIG SAYS.

THE ASCENSION OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER IS GREAT FOR FOOD TRUCKS.

AS DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY.

SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN IN JUST DIFFERENT LIFE CYCLES OF THE YEAR, LET'S SAY THE NBA FINALS, LET'S SAY THE WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, LET'S SAY AN INCREDIBLE FESTIVAL OR CONCERT, PERHAPS IN A DIFFERENT WARD OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN SECTOR.

YOU NEED TO MEET THAT DEMAND WITH FOOD TRUCKS.

YOU WANT FRIES AND DRINK WITH THAT, PLEASE.

OKAY.

LOOK AT THE NAME LEE.

LEE?

YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

LEE.

WHAT IS IT?

IT'S NOT FREE TODAY.

NO, NOT TODAY MAN.

LEE RABIN WORKS AS A BARBER IN DOWNTOWN OKC.

I THINK THEY'RE AMAZING.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WORK SOMEWHERE DOWNTOWN AND YOU ONLY HAVE LIMITED OPTIONS OR YOU'RE TIRED OF THE OPTIONS.

YOU HAVE FOOD TRUCKS PULL UP AND GIVE YOU ANOTHER GOOD OPTION FOR THE DAY.

SO I'M EXCITED THEY'RE HERE.

AALIYAH MILES IS A TATUMS NATIVE WHO WORKS NEAR DOWNTOWN.

SHE ZIPPED OVER TO KERR PARK ON MONDAY WHEN SHE HEARD THERE WAS CHEESESTEAK.

IT'S FAST, IT'S QUICK, AND IT'S NOT FAST FOOD.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE HEALTHIER.

SO AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY BY DOING IT LIKE I LOVE IT.

IT FEELS GOOD TO DO THAT.

YOU'RE HELPING THESE GUYS OUT.

IT IS.

THAT'S WHY I HAD TO I MADE LIKE A 15 MINUTE DRIVE TO COME DOWN HERE.

SO OF COURSE ALWAYS.

OVER AT GUTHRIE GREEN IN DOWNTOWN TULSA.

FOOD TRUCKS LINE UP HERE EVERY WEDNESDAY IN THE SPRING AND IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT HAVING FOOD TRUCKS COME DOWN HERE?

IT JUST TRYING THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT FOODS HERE IN TULSA AND EVERYTHING.

IT'S JUST REAL CONVENIENT AND EVERYTHING COME DOWN, YOU KNOW, FOR TEN MINUTES AND GRAB SOME FOOD.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD TO GET DOWN HERE AT GUTHRIE GREEN?

THIS RIGHT HERE, IT'S THE BEST.

SO YEAH, THEY JUST GET THE CHICKEN SANDWICH.

CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A GOOD CHICKEN SANDWICH.

STEVE SHAW, THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL QUESTIONS INVOLVING ORGAN TRANSPLANT SURGERIES IN OKLAHOMA?

AND WHAT IS OUR STATE DOING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DONORS TO MEET THE DEMAND OF PATIENTS?

THAT'S THE TOPIC OF THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD AND HER PANEL OF GUESTS, CASSIDY RICH.

JOINING US FOR THIS DISCUSSION IS DOCTOR NARENDRA REDDY BAITULLAH, THE SECTION CHIEF OF TRANSPLANT SURGERY AT OU HEALTH.

WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY DOCTOR VIVEK KOHLI, THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR OF TRANSPLANT, AND HE'S ALSO THE SECTION CHIEF OF ABDOMINAL DIVISION AT INTEGRIS HEALTH.

AND FINALLY, WE'RE JOINED BY JEFFREY ORLOWSKI, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF LIFESHARE OF OKLAHOMA.

DOCTOR, TO START, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF ORGAN TRANSPLANTS HERE IN OKLAHOMA?

AND ARE WE SEEING MORE PROCEDURES, MORE OR LESS DONORS, AND JUST LAY IT OUT FOR US?

I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OKLAHOMA STATE IN GENERAL SAW AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRANSPLANTS.

PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT MORE ENGAGEMENT AND.

ACCESS THAT WAS INCREASED.

PEOPLE WITH NO MEANS HAD NO ACCESS FOR SPECIALIST CARE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.

I THINK THAT HAS CHANGED A LOT.

BREAKING DOWN THOSE BARRIERS PROVIDED A CHANCE FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT IS INCREASING EQUITY AND ACCESS.

YOU BROUGHT UP A LOT OF REALLY GREAT POINTS THAT I WANT TO GET INTO HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT JEFFREY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT PIECE SPECIFICALLY WHAT HAPPENED FIVE YEARS AGO.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

SO WITH THE INCREASES IN DONATION, REALLY STARTED ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WHAT WE'VE SEEN THAT'S ACCELERATED THAT GROWTH IS SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS US TO BETTER PRESERVE ORGANS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE.

WHERE IN THE PAST, MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN USABLE.

AND THEN I THINK SECONDARILY, THERE IS JUST A GROWING UNDERSTANDING THAT NO ONE'S TOO OLD TO BE A DONOR AND THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME HEALTH ISSUES CAN STILL BE DONORS.

AND SO A LOT OF PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A DONOR IN SOME WAY.

I LIKE HOW YOU SAID THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE A DONOR.

SO WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO WE NEED?

I ALSO WANT TO GET INTO THIS.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE STARTED DOCTOR COLEY, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU COULD LIVE WITH JUST ONE KIDNEY.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN DO WELL WITH JUST HAVING A PIECE OF YOUR LIVER TAKEN.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

SO LIVING DONOR IS A BIG ASPECT OF TRANSPLANTATION.

WE HAVE A VERY GOOD SYSTEM OF ORGAN DONATION FOLLOWING FOLLOWING DECLARATION OF DEATH.

AND THAT IS THE BIGGER CONTRIBUTOR TO ORGAN DONATION PROCESS.

AND I THINK IN THE COMING YEARS, WE REALLY NEED TO BUILD MORE AND MORE ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF LIVING DONORS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PATIENTS WHO NEED KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS, AND ALSO FOR SOME PATIENTS THAT NEED LIVER TRANSPLANTS.

YEAH.

WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR THOSE PEOPLE AFTERWARDS AFTER THEY DONATE?

WHAT DOES LIFE LOOK LIKE FOR THEM?

IT'S REALLY POSSIBLE TO LEAD A NORMAL LIFE AFTER DONATING A KIDNEY.

AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OTHERWISE HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS CAN BE ACCEPTABLE CANDIDATES FOR KIDNEY DONATION.

MOST OF THIS DONATION TAKES PLACE BETWEEN FRIENDS, RELATIVES, PEOPLE THAT KNOW EACH OTHER.

SOME OF THIS HAPPENS ALTRUISTICALLY, WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST DONATING OUT OF THEIR OWN GOODWILL INTO THE SOCIETY.

AND THEN THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER WAYS TO PROMOTE THIS, WHERE PEOPLE MAY NOT MATCH BY THEIR BLOOD GROUPS WITHIN THEIR FAMILY, WHERE YOU CAN DO A PAID DONATION, EXCHANGE OF ORGANS BETWEEN A LIST OF PATIENTS THAT EXIST ON YOUR WAIT LIST.

THAT THAT YOU HAVE INCOMPATIBLE FAMILY, DONORS OR FRIENDS, BUT YOU CAN PAIR THEM WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.

AND THIS EXISTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITHIN OUR TRANSPLANT CENTER.

AND IT ALSO EXISTS AT A NATIONAL LEVEL WHERE WE CAN COOPERATE WITH OTHER TRANSPLANT CENTERS.

AND INTEGRIS HAS PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL WAYS TO PROMOTE THAT OVER THE YEARS.

YEAH, DOCTOR.

BAITULLAH, MORE THAN 85% OF TRANSPLANTS THIS YEAR HAVE COME FROM DECEASED DONORS.

WHILE THE NUMBER OF LIVING DONORS IS DROPPING DOWN.

WHY ARE WE SEEING LESS AND LESS PEOPLE BECOMING LIVING DONORS DECEASED?

DONOR TRANSPLANT IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF TRANSPLANT ORGANS IN THE UNITED STATES.

LIVING DONOR HAS A ROLE, ESPECIALLY IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, WHERE THE WAIT LISTS ARE SO LONG THAT PATIENTS WAIT.

IN SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, THEY MAY WAIT UP TO 8 TO 10 YEARS TO GET A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT.

SO THE ONLY WAY TO CUT SHORT THAT WAIT TIME, BECAUSE THERE'S A DEMAND AND SUPPLY ISSUE, MORE DEMAND, LESS SUPPLY, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS, AS WE IMPROVE OUR TECHNOLOGY TO RECRUIT MORE AND MORE DONORS, WE ALSO ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE RECIPIENTS.

SO OUR WAITLISTS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER BECAUSE WE ARE DOING TRANSPLANTS IN PATIENTS.

WE DID NOT ACCEPT THEM AS RECIPIENTS BEFORE.

SO SO THAT GAP IS IS THERE AND IT'S NOT CLOSING.

SO LIVING DONOR PLAYS A VERY BIG ROLE IN THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, WHERE IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT THE OPERATION IS SAFE, THE LIVING DONORS CAN FUNCTION AND LIVE A FULL LIFE AFTER DONATION.

SO THAT THAT IS A REASON WHY THERE IS A NEED AND INCREASED AWARENESS FOR ALTRUISTIC DONORS TO COME FORWARD.

NEED FOR THE RECIPIENT'S AVAILABILITY OF DONORS, AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANS, BOTH CONSIDERING THE DONOR SAFETY AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS FOR THE RECIPIENT.

SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

SO SAY TEN PEOPLE.

AND I WANT TO BRING YOU IN ON THIS, JEFFREY.

TEN PEOPLE NEED THIS ONE KIDNEY.

HOW DO WE DECIDE WHO GETS IT.

SO THERE IS A SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE COMMUNITY OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST ALMOST 40 YEARS.

NOW, THE TRANSPLANT AND DONATION COMMUNITY TO HELP PRIORITIZE PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING.

PART OF IT IS HOW FAR THE RECIPIENT IS FROM THE DONOR.

PART OF IT IS HOW GOOD OF A MATCH THEY ARE BIOLOGICALLY TO THE DONOR.

SO WE DO SOME TESTING OF THE PERSON'S.

IT'S CALLED THEIR HLA TYPE, BUT IT'S IT'S A CELLULAR IDENTIFIER THAT TELLS YOUR BODY THIS TISSUE IS YOURS OR IT'S NOT.

AND SO THEY CAN THOSE CAN BE MATCHED.

IMPROVEMENTS IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSION HAVE MINIMIZED THE IMPACT OF THAT BUT NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATED IT.

SO THE THE MATCH OF THE PATIENT AND THEN ALSO JUST THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGAN.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, A PERSON WHO NEEDS A KIDNEY, THAT IS A LARGE PERSON IDEALLY WOULD HAVE AN ORGAN THAT COMES FROM A LARGE PERSON AS WELL, JUST SO THAT IT'S THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ORGAN.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS GET FACTORED TOGETHER, ALONG WITH THE ACUITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING IN KIDNEYS.

THERE'S REALLY NOT AN ACUITY SCALE, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, WITH HEART TRANSPLANT OR LIVER TRANSPLANT, THERE'S A MEDICAL URGENCY CALCULATION AS WELL THAT SAYS THIS PERSON IS AT INCREASED RISK OF DYING ON THE WAITING LIST WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

THIS PERSON IS NOT AS AT GREATER RISK OF DYING, AND THEY CAN AFFORD TO WAIT LONGER, AND THAT ALL GETS PROCESSED THROUGH AN AGREED UPON SYSTEM AND PROVIDES US WITH WHAT'S CALLED A MANTRA.

AND THAT MATCHES THE RECIPIENT'S TO THE INDIVIDUAL DONOR.

EVERY DONOR'S LIST IS GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT DEPENDING UPON WHERE THEY ARE OR WHAT BLOOD TYPE THEY ARE, HOW OLD THEY ARE, AND THE MOMENT IN TIME AS TO WHO IS THE SICKEST THAT'S WAITING FOR A TRANSPLANT.

ALL THOSE THINGS WILL SHAPE THE WAITING LIST FOR AN INDIVIDUAL ORGAN.

WE DO THAT THROUGH A NATIONAL COMPUTER, AND WE DO THAT ON EVERY SINGLE DONOR.

AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE DONATION PROCESS.

DOCTOR PETULA, I WANTED TO SEE WHAT ABOUT HERE IN OKLAHOMA?

WHAT IS THE WAITING LIST LOOK LIKE HERE IN OKLAHOMA, AND WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED?

WELL, AS JEFF MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, IT IS DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT ORGANS.

TIME IS WHAT WE USE FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS.

SO THE LONGER PATIENTS ARE WAITING ON THE DIALYSIS, THE HIGHER THE PRIORITY FOR LIVER.

IT'S BASED ON THE DISEASE SEVERITY.

SO SO THE WAIT TIME FOR EACH ORGAN IS THEREFORE VARIABLE.

BUT ON AN AVERAGE FOR A KIDNEY IT IS ABOUT 4 TO 5 YEARS ON THE ON THE WAIT LIST FOR A DECEASED DONOR TRANSPLANTATION.

AGAIN, SEVERAL FACTORS DO PLAY A ROLE ON THAT GEOGRAPHY NUMBER OF DONORS.

SO SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THE WAIT TIME MAY BE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER, BUT SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THE WAIT TIMES ARE EVEN LONGER.

AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S 8 TO 10 YEARS FOR A LIVER TRANSPLANT.

AS IT GOES BY THE NEED AND MEDICAL SEVERITY.

WE HAVE A SCORING SYSTEM CALLED A MELD SCORE, SO PEOPLE WILL BE LISTED BASED ON THE SCORE.

WITH A MELD SCORE IS HIGHER, MEANS THAT RISK OF DYING IS HIGHER WITHOUT A TRANSPLANT, SO THEY GET PRIORITY FOR EACH ORGAN THAT COMES OUT ON THE MATCH RUN.

PEOPLE WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WILL RECEIVE THAT.

SO WHICH MEANS THAT PATIENTS WITH A LOWER MELD SCORE MAY WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

SO THAT IS UNPREDICTABLE.

THERE MAY BE TIMES WHERE THEY WAIT FOR 1 TO 2 YEARS TO GET A LIVER TRANSPLANT, BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT BEFORE MY GRANDMA PASSED AWAY, SHE NEEDED A LIVER TRANSPLANT.

AND SO THAT NEED WAS VERY HIGH.

THERE'S ALSO A PIECE OF IT IN THIS IS ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE SURGERY AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

SO THAT IS A RECIPIENT SELECTION PROCESS.

SO THEY WILL NOT BE MAKING UP TO THE LIST.

IF THEY ARE NOT CANDIDATES THAT WILL BE TOLERATING THE SURGERY AND WILL BE RECEIVING THE BENEFIT OF TRANSPLANT.

SO IT'S ALWAYS A MATTER OF WEIGHING THE RISKS AND BENEFITS.

IF THE RISKS OF TRANSPLANT SURGERY ARE HIGHER THAN THE BENEFITS, THEN THOSE PATIENTS WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE LIST.

SO THERE'S A VERY RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS.

EVERY PATIENT WILL BE UNDERTAKING A NUMBER OF TESTS TO ASSESS THOSE, NOT ONLY JUST MEDICAL FACTORS.

WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NON-MEDICAL FACTORS SUCH AS SOCIAL SUPPORT, THEIR FINANCIAL STATUS.

AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS IT TAKES A LOT OF SUPPORT AND FINANCES TO TAKE CARE OF THESE ORGANS.

THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT PROCESS.

SO WE'RE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME HERE, BUT I WANTED TO GET FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC, DOCTOR COLEY LEADS OFF THE THE THE THE ALLOCATION SYSTEM THAT WE THAT JEFF SO SO MUCH ELABORATED ON HAS BEEN DYNAMICALLY CHANGING OVER THE YEARS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE KIDNEY ALLOCATION SYSTEM CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN 2014.

THE LIVER ALLOCATION SYSTEM OR THE MELD SCORE THE DOCTOR SPOKE ABOUT HAS BEEN EVOLVING RATHER QUICKLY OVER THE YEARS.

NOW WE HAVE A MELD 3.0, SO IT HAS EVOLVED OVER THE TIME TO ALLOCATE ORGANS TO THE SICKEST OF THE SICK LIVER PATIENTS.

AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE WE HAVE A VERY OPEN ACCESS FOR PATIENTS.

SO IT'S NOT ONLY ACCESSIBILITY TO ORGANS, BUT ACCESS TO PATIENTS FOR GETTING ONTO THE TRANSPLANT WAITLIST AND GETTING TRANSPLANTED AND SHORTENING THEIR TIME AND WAIT PERIODS.

SO WORKING ON LIVING DONORS FOR KIDNEY IS A HUGE ASPECT OF OUR PROGRAM.

WE'RE ENSURING THAT WE GET UP TO MORE THAN 20 TO 25, 30% OF OUR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS ARE GOING TO BE DONE AS LIVING DONORS.

WE ALL WORK UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE NAZI ZUHDI TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE, WHICH DOCTOR ZUHDI ESTABLISHED WAY BACK WHEN HE STARTED OFF WITH HEART TRANSPLANTS AND LUNG TRANSPLANTS IN OKLAHOMA YEARS AGO.

YEAH.

EXCELLENT, JEFFREY.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

WELL, I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS WE'D WANT TO LEAVE THE VIEWERS WITH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ORGAN DONATION, FIRST OF ALL, IS VERY EASY FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO BE A DONOR AND TO JOIN THE DONOR REGISTRY IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

THEY CAN DO THAT.

WHEN THEY GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE.

THEY CAN DO IT ONLINE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.

THEY CAN DO IT THROUGH THE APPLE IPHONE HEALTH APP.

THEY CAN DO IT THROUGH THE THE APP ON ANDROID, THE HEALTH APP ON ANDROID.

YOU CAN GET IT.

YOU CAN JOIN THE REGISTRY WHEN YOU GO TO GET A HUNTING OR A FISHING LICENSE.

SO IT'S VERY EASY TO INDICATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE A DONOR.

AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT INDICATION, THE QUESTION COMES TO YOUR FAMILY AT THE SINGLE WORST TIME POSSIBLE TO HAVE THAT PARTICULAR DISCUSSION.

SO A FAMILY THAT'S IN GRIEF AND HAS FOUND OUT, USUALLY QUITE UNPREDICTABLY, THAT SOMEONE HAS PASSED, IS FACED WITH A DECISION IN THAT REGISTRY, CAN REALLY EASE IT FOR THEIR FOR THE FAMILY.

SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT.

THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THAT IS, IS IF I HAVE THE LITTLE RED HEART ON MY DRIVER'S LICENSE OR I'M ON THE REGISTRY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TRY AND SAVE MY LIFE.

THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD THAT I'VE HEARD.

THAT'S NOT THAT'S THAT'S NOT TRUE.

AND THAT'S WHY AN ORGANIZATION LIKE LIFESHARE EXISTS IS TO SEPARATE THE DONATION PROCESS FROM THE CARE OF AN INJURED PATIENT OR A SICK PATIENT HOSPITAL.

THE HOSPITAL DECIDES TO ACTIVATE A CONTACT TO LIFESHARE WHEN THEY HAVE REACHED AN UNDERSTANDING THEM AND THE FAMILY THAT THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO WITH THIS CARE OF THIS PATIENT, THAT THIS PATIENT IS GOING TO DIE, THAT CARE IS GOING TO BE WITHDRAWN, WHATEVER THAT DECISION POINT IS.

AND THEN THEY HAVE US COME AND TALK TO THE FAMILY ABOUT THE DONATION PROCESS.

AND SO WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN ACCESS THAT INFORMATION, AND WE CAN'T ACCESS IT UNTIL WE KNOW THAT THE PERSON HAS ACTUALLY BEEN REFERRED AS POTENTIALLY BEING A DONOR.

SO WE WOULD LEAVE PEOPLE AS THEY'RE THEY'RE ROUGHLY 800 PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA WAITING FOR A TRANSPLANT OF SOME TYPE.

NATIONALLY, THE NUMBER IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 110,000.

WE HAVE A VERY HIGH DONATION RATE IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, BUT IT COULD BE HIGHER.

AND SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE MAKE THE DECISION TO BE A DONOR REGISTER TO BE A DONOR, AND BE SURE AND TELL YOUR FAMILY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SURPRISED WHEN SOMEONE COMES AND SAYS THEY'RE ON THE REGISTRY.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR PETULA.

FINAL THOUGHTS.

SO YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM THE VIEWERS THAT IN TERMS OF THE VOLUMES OF TRANSPLANT AND THE COMPLEXITY OF TRANSPLANTS, WE'VE MADE A HUGE PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

UHEALTH HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN THE LIVER TRANSPLANT VOLUME.

ALONG WITH THAT, NOT JUST WITH NUMBERS, BUT WE MADE EFFORTS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO PATIENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO RECEIVE THIS SPECIALIST CARE.

AND I THINK THERE IS ROOM TO GROW, ROOM TO IMPROVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF EVIDENCE COMING UP AND FOR FOR TRANSPLANT SOCIETIES, YOU KNOW, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A VERY RIGID SELECTION PROCESS IN HISTORICALLY.

SO THAT CULTURE IS CHANGING.

AND I EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE EVEN FURTHER TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR ECONOMIC STATUS IS.

EXCELLENT.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

WELL, WHEN YOU'RE A MILE HIGH, I GUESS YOU TEND TO COME UP WITH SOME GOOFY IDEAS LIKE THIS ONE.

IMAGINE RUNNING A MARATHON 26.2 MILES AND STOPPING TO EAT ALONG THE WAY.

NOW MAKE THAT 31 MILES AND THE FOOD YOU'RE STOPPING TO EAT IS SPICY FAST FOOD ONLY IN DENVER.

I GUESS WE TAKE YOU THERE NOW IN THIS EDITION OF THE NATIONAL VIEW, COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS.

NEXT PERSON, COME ON UP.

GO.

I WAS WORKING AS A COVID NURSE, AND I GOT REALLY BURNED OUT, AND I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY WAY TO TO PROCESS THINGS.

SO I JUST STARTED RUNNING AND IT STARTED WITH ONE MILE EVERY DAY.

LET ME JUST GET OUT THE HOUSE.

AND NOW HERE I AM IN DENVER, GONNA RUN THE TACO BELL 50 K. I THINK THE HARDEST PART IS GOING TO BE THE FOOD AND THE DIRECTIONS.

I HOPE I HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH STOMACH TO SURVIVE GRAM FOR A SECOND LIKE YOU'RE DOING.

THAT'S GREAT.

NICE.

THERE YOU GO.

PUNCH THAT CEILING.

SIX.

AWESOME.

KEEP DRIVING THAT ELBOW.

THERE YOU GO.

I STARTED RUNNING 14 YEARS AGO, AND THAT'S WHEN I HAD JUST STARTED LOSING VISION.

THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT I FELT LIKE I COULDN'T DO.

PICKING OUT CLOTHES THAT MATCHED LIKE SUCH SIMPLE THINGS BECOME SO DAUNTING.

BUT RUNNING DOESN'T NEED VISION.

YOU CAN QUICKLY FIND A FRIEND THAT WILL BE WILLING TO RUN WITH YOU, AND IT'S SUPER FREEING.

AND SO THAT'S LITERALLY WAS MY PIVOT, BEING ABLE TO RUN MARATHONS.

THAT TOOK ME BACK TO UNDERSTAND THAT I COULD STILL DO ANYTHING I WANTED TO.

SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN RUNNING HALF MARATHONS AND MARATHONS, BUT TACO BELL IS MY VERY FIRST ULTRA.

GO GET IT.

WE HAD A COUPLE GUYS, DAN ZLOTNIKOV AND MIKE OLIVA.

DAN WAS TRAINING FOR HIS FIRST 50 MILER AND MIKE WAS A SEASONED ULTRA RUNNER AND THEY WERE OUT DOING A LONG RUN.

MIKE STOPPED INTO A TACO BELL, USE THE BATHROOM AND BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM THEY SAID, THAT'D BE KIND OF FUNNY.

MAYBE WE SHOULD LIKE, EAT TACO BELL ON OUR LONG RUNS.

INSTEAD OF EATING AT THESE FARMERS MARKETS, WE WENT AND WE STARTED IT.

I'VE DEVELOPED AN IRON STOMACH, BUT THAT WASN'T TRUE.

IN YEAR NUMBER ONE, ONE OF MY BUDDIES KIDS WAS HAVING HIS BAR MITZVAH, AND I WENT THERE WITH MY DAUGHTER, AND I ENDED UP IN THE RESTROOM FOR TWO HOURS DURING THE ENTIRE BAR MITZVAH.

I DO RUN LIKE SUPER LONG DISTANCE RACES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED THERE WAS, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO EAT REAL FOOD.

SO THE WAY I FIRST TRAINED MYSELF TO EAT REAL FOOD WAS I WOULD COOK A PAN OF LASAGNA, TRY TO EAT LIKE HALF THE PAN, AND THEN GO OUT AND RUN UNTIL I PUKED.

MOVE THE CHAIN.

TO DIFFERENTIATE.

WHEN YOU'RE EXERCISING, YOUR BLOOD FLOW IS GOING TO YOUR MUSCLES, RIGHT?

IT'S NOT GOING TO GO TO YOUR GI TRACT AS MUCH.

SO THIS FOOD IS GOING TO SIT IN THERE LONGER AND JUST KIND OF SIT THERE.

AND THAT AGAIN COULD PRECIPITATE SOME ISSUES WITH WITH GI DISTRESS.

I'M NOT GOING TO WALK AROUND AND SAY EVERYBODY SHOULD DO THIS, BUT I'D SAY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO DO IT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME, ENJOY IT AND UNDERSTAND, LIKE, YEAH, DON'T DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVERY WEEK OR EVERY MONTH, PROBABLY OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, RACE FEES HAVE REALLY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.

FOR INSTANCE, THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON IS OVER $300.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE RACE FREE.

THERE'S NO PROFITEERING, AND WE WANT IT TO BE ACCESSIBLE, AT LEAST FISCALLY, TO EVERYBODY AND ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WHO WANT TO PLAY.

YEAH.

IT'S RAN THE BERLIN MARATHON TWO WEEKS AGO.

I'M RIGHT NOW FEELING QUITE A BIT HARDER.

I WAS GETTING SOME STOMACH CRAMPS, SO A COUPLE OF MILES AGO.

FIRST, INITIAL BITES ARE PRETTY TERRIBLE.

AND THEN AFTER YOU KIND OF CALM DOWN, HEART RATE COMES DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

IT DOES.

IT'S NOT AS BAD.

OF COURSE, IT'S NOT THE IDEAL FUEL THAT WE WOULD WANT FOR AN ATHLETE DOING THIS KIND OF RACE.

BUT IT'S REALLY INTERESTING WHAT THE BODY CAN DO WHEN YOU RUN AND YOU RUN LONG DISTANCE ULTRAMARATHONS, YOU INEVITABLY HAVE HIGHS AND YOU HAVE LOWS.

THROW IN TEN TACO BELL STOPS.

YOU'RE GUARANTEED A LOAD.

WHEN YOU SUFFER TOGETHER, YOU BOND TOGETHER.

AND INEVITABLY IN TACO BELL, THAT'S WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING.

PEOPLE END UP WITH A ROUGHED UP STOMACH OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, AND THERE'S ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER FELLOW RUNNERS, AND THERE ARE JUST TREMENDOUS BONDS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS RACE.

I HOPE THAT SOMETHING AS SILLY AS THE TACO BELL ULTRAMARATHON CAN BE A STATEMENT FOR ALL OF US AS HUMANITY.

EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE DIFFERENT IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS, WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A REALLY GOOD TIME.

OKAY, ON THE SUBJECT OF UNUSUAL MEALS, SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY DISTRICT WERE TREATED TO A SPECIAL THUNDER THEMED LUNCH TO CELEBRATE THE TEAM'S SEASON OPENER ON TUESDAY.

IN KEEPING WITH THE THUNDER COLORS, THERE WERE STAR SHAPED NUGGETS, BLUE AND ORANGE FRUIT, AND SWEET POTATO FRIES.

THE CAFETERIA AT EUGENE FIELD ELEMENTARY WAS ALSO DECKED OUT IN A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

YEAH, IT IS FUN.

IT IS NUTRITIOUS.

IT MEETS ALL OF THE USDA GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE, AND THEN WE AMP IT UP WITH A LITTLE BIT OF SCHOOL SPIRIT AROUND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER.

EVERYBODY RAISED THEIR HANDS.

THE COUNT OF 312, THREE THUNDER.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES INTO BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY MIGHT NOT GET TO RIGHT HERE SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE EXCITED FOR TODAY.

AND AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT KIDS CAN'T LEARN ON EMPTY TUMMIES.

SO THIS PROVIDES THEM THAT NUTRITION SO THAT THEY CAN FUEL THEIR MINDS TO BE PREPARED FOR THE CLASSROOMS.

SEVERAL OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIAS ACROSS THE DISTRICT TOOK PART IN THE THUNDER THEMED LUNCH ON TUESDAY.

ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, WE KNOW WHO THE EARLY FRONT RUNNERS ARE IN THE REPUBLICAN RACE FOR GOVERNOR NEXT YEAR.

BUT COMPETING POLLSTERS HAVE DIFFERENT CANDIDATES IN THE LEAD.

THE LATEST ON THE RACE TO REPLACE KEVIN STITT FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOU THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK AT THE BONES MUSEUM IN OKLAHOMA CITY, PUT TOGETHER FOR US BY JASON STEWART.

NOW REMEMBER, YOU CAN ACCESS ADDITIONAL NEWS CONTENT BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE, WETA-TV.

AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WATCH ANY OF THE REPORTS IN THIS NEWSCAST, AGAIN, THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL BY MONDAY EVENING.

FOR ALL OF US WHO PLAY A ROLE IN PUTTING THIS NEWSCAST ON THE AIR EACH WEEK, I'M RICH LENZ.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

ALL OUR TIMES HAVE COME.

EASY, BUT NOW THEY'RE GONE.

SEASONS DON'T FEAR THE REAPER.

NOR DO THE WIND, THE SUN OR THE RAIN.

WE CAN BE LIKE THEY ARE.

COME ON BABY, DON'T FEAR THE REAPER.

BABY TAKE MY HAND.

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO FLY.

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER, BABY I'M YOUR MAN.

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA.

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA.

TIME IS DONE.

HERE.

BUT NOW THEY'RE GONE.

ROMEO AND JULIET ARE TOGETHER IN ETERNITY.

ROMEO AND JULIET.

40,000 MEN AND WOMEN EVERY DAY.

THE LANDSCAPE IN TEXAS IS CHANGING ALL OVER THE STATE.

LEAVING AND WALKING AWAY ISN'T ON THE TABLE.

SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE.