Paul Monies
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pmonies.bsky.social
Paul Monies
@pmonies.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.5K following 560 posts
“Bluesky ain’t real life.” 🤷‍♂️ Native Scotsman. Honorary Texan and Okie. Reporting without fear or favor. #FOI Send me news tips: [email protected].
https://oklahomawatch.org/author/paulmonies/
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pmonies.bsky.social
Just today, the 1792 Exchange said it gave its inaugural Guardian Award to Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ.
8/
SPRINGBORO, OH – Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ has been named the recipient of the inaugural 1792 Exchange Guardian Award. This new award is presented to a statesman who demonstrates courageous leadership in challenging corporate politicization and upholding fiduciary duty over activism. Treasurer Russ embodies that mission, treating the people’s money like the people’s money and not as a vehicle to advance ideological agendas. Treasurer Russ is being honored for his strong, principled oversight of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), a $2 billion fund, where he has taken meaningful action to ensure corporations remain focused on business performance—not divisive political or social agendas. Under his leadership, TSET has engaged companies directly, urging them to exit ideological activism and prioritize the long-term financial interests of beneficiaries. Additionally, Treasurer Russ played a key role in Oklahoma’s decision to partner with Innovest, a General Investment Consultant that emphasizes business fundamentals and fiduciary responsibility over ESG- or DEI-driven activism. Treasurer Russ’s work sets a national standard for how state leaders can protect taxpayers, strengthen financial stewardship, and defend freedom in the marketplace. Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ holds an award from the 1792 Exchange, a nonprofit whose mission is to "preserve freedom by steering public companies back to neutral on ideological issues."
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Gameday!
#MIZ
A handsome gentleman is depicted wearing a yellow Mizzou t-shirt and brandishing a tiger tail.
November 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
The Elian Gonzalez case *dominated* early 24-7 cable news for months in Clinton's second term. What shocked the nation a quarter-century ago is now routine.

www.pulitzer.org/winners/alan...

FWIW, the agents in the Gonzalez case were acting on a judicial warrant.
www.justice.gov/archive/opa/...
Pulitzer Prize winner Alan Diaz for spot photography in 2001. Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez and Donato Dalrymple, one of the two men who rescued the boy from the sea, in a bedroom closet as federal agents enter the Little Havana home of Elian's relatives. (Alan Diaz, April 22, 2000)
November 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
USDA's contingency plan, now offline, said there was contingency funds available for SNAP benefits in the event of a shutdown.
web.archive.org/web/20251008...
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): OMB’s General Counsel provided a letter to USDA on May 23, 2025 stating that there is a bona fide need to obligate benefits for October – the first month of the fiscal year – during or prior to the month of September, thereby guaranteeing that benefit funds are available for program operations even in the event of a government shutdown at the beginning of a fiscal year. In addition, Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown. These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year. To fulfill this Congressional intent, it is necessary that a limited number of FNS employees be excepted from furlough to support program operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, program policy and operations, financial management, and stakeholder communications.
October 27, 2025 at 1:52 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Benny gives off major Caesar Flickerman vibes.
Caesar Flickerman is the host for the Hunger Games, responsible for interviewing tributes the night before the competition begins.
October 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Reminds me of the time when the #kpop kids bought all the tickets to Trump's Tulsa rally back in 2020.
Via Patrick Semansky / AP. A dejected guy walks in the dark.
October 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
🧐
An iteration of the webpage for the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction dated Oct. 1, 2025. It reads: "Coming Soon."
October 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Just another Saturday on Truth Social and Twitter.
A Truth Social post by Trump threatening the city of Chicago. An exchange on X between JD Vance and political commentator Brian Krassenstein on the legality of US strikes against alleged cartel members in international waters.
September 6, 2025 at 5:48 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Here's the last web pages if you successfully "complete" the Prager teacher qualification test. 🙄

www.prageru.com/teacher-qual...

#oklaed #okgov #okleg
Screenshot of donation splash page after successfully completing the Prager “U” teacher qualification test. Screenshot of donation splash page after successfully completing the Prager “U” teacher qualification test.
August 30, 2025 at 12:35 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Reminder.
1/x
FWIW, it's OK to tell fascists to fuck the fuck off.
August 26, 2025 at 3:57 AM
pmonies.bsky.social
A Monster Munch crisp packet from the U.K.
August 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Not to be killjoy, but Google gets a bunch of incentives from the Oklahoma ad valorem manufacturing exemption. 🤷‍♂️
www.oklahoman.com/story/busine...
Link to report:
oklahoma.gov/content/dam/...
A screenshot showing how much Google has claimed from the Oklahoma property tax exemption. A pie chart showing the proportion of types of facilities eligible for the Oklahoma incentive for property tax exemptions.
August 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Should I tell you half of this fundraising total is a personal loan from the candidate? My next story looks at the issue of candidate campaign loans. #okgov #okleg
A Tweet from Oklahoma GOP gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei purporting to show his fundraising prowess. The Tweet reads: "First fundraising quarter: Over $500,000." It does not mention that $250,000 of that total comes from a personal loan to his campaign.
August 3, 2025 at 5:05 AM
pmonies.bsky.social
I think the cat has missed me working from home. 😂 #WFH
A tabby cat is sprawled out next to a mouse and mouse pad.
August 1, 2025 at 8:58 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Old enough to remember all this. Every administration thinks they have the best and brightest people in the room. History is the ultimate judge.
Image of book cover to the 2006 book “Hubris” by Michael Isikoff and David Corn. It depicts Condeleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.
June 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Tearing it up downtown. #OKC
June 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Just going to leave this here. This guy lost a race for city council in 2018 and still hasn't recovered from the fact that people yelled at him online.

christopherrufo.com/p/trump-shou...
Christopher Rufo: "At the same time, as we saw demonstrated in Portland, Oregon, during the George Floyd riots, the agencies should dispatch unmarked vans to follow key agitators and snatch them from the streets while the media are not looking."
June 10, 2025 at 3:17 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Sunday morning news shows love them some Oklahoma GOP senators.
Screenshot of June 8, 2025, exchange on Meet the Press between host Kristin Welker and US Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma: WELKER: The Constitution does say that all persons in the US are entitled to due process. It doesn't make a decision about citizenship. LANKFORD: Literally reading to them the statute and saying 'this is what you violated' does count as due process depending on how they entered into the country (Via NBC NEWS) Screenshot of June 8, 2025, exchange on CNN’s State of the Union between host Dana Bash and US Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma: MARKWAYNE MULLIN: You can't find where we are reducing coverage for anybody BASH: If this passes the way it does, I would be interested to talk to you about what happens to the rural hospitals in your state MULLIN: It will pass
June 8, 2025 at 2:54 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, takes cover as Jan. 6 “tourists” try to break into the House chamber. Twitter post from U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, on June 5, 2025. “I learned a long time ago when I was fighting to stay out of other people's fights. We're moving forward to get the most MAGA bill possible for the American people. Results.”
June 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
pmonies.bsky.social
Wow.
“Mistakes were made,” seems to be the mantra for these DOGE boys.
Sahil Lavingia, the programmer enlisted by DOGE, which was then run by Elon Musk, acknowledged flaws in the code. “I think that mistakes were made,” said Lavingia, who worked at DOGE for nearly two months. “I’m sure mistakes were made. Mistakes are always made. I would never recommend someone run my code and do what it says. It’s like that ‘Office’ episode where Steve Carell drives into the lake because Google Maps says drive into the lake. Do not drive into the lake.” Though Lavingia has talked about his time at DOGE previously, this is the first time his work has been examined in detail and the first time he’s publicly explained his process, down to specific lines of code.
June 6, 2025 at 10:33 AM
pmonies.bsky.social
#YNWA
🏆
Fucking Liverpool!
May 25, 2025 at 5:27 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Oklahoma followed right behind Texas in signing on to this “invasion” legal theory on immigration.
In 2021 and 2022, Cucinelli, with Vought's help, mounted press conferences and privately urged Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to proclaim that their states were being invaded. After Arizona's then-attorney general, Mark Brnovich, released a legal opinion in February 2022 proclaiming violent cartels had "actually invaded" and opened the door for Ducey to deploy the state's National Guard, Vought bragged to his audience that he and Cuccinelli had personally provided draft language for the opinion. In a previous email to ProPublica, Brnovich acknowledged speaking to Cuccinelli but said his opinion was "drafted and written by hard working attorneys (including myself) in our office."
May 23, 2025 at 10:30 AM
pmonies.bsky.social
OK Public Employees:
"Employees are not expendable commodities to be leveraged during budget shortfalls. These are dedicated individuals who provide crucial services to our communities and treating them as mere bargaining chips is not only disrespectful but also incredibly short-sighted."
It's disheartening to hear about the situation at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health where the financial fiasco is now affecting our state employees payroll. These employees take care of a vulnerable population that must continue. State employees are not expendable commodities to be leveraged during budget shortfalls. These are dedicated individuals who provide crucial services to our communities, and treating them as mere bargaining chips is not only disrespectful but also incredibly short-sighted. Balancing the budget by squeezing the workforce , delaying investment their well-being, fair compensation, and adequate staffing – is a lazy approach, plain and simple. It demonstrates a lack of creative problem-solving and a failure to recognize the long-term consequences. When we underfund and undervalue our state employees, particularly those in critical sectors like mental health and other high hazard positions, we risk burnout, high turnover, and ultimately, a decline in the quality of services provided to Oklahomans who need them most. Prioritizing state employees isn't just a matter of fairness; it's a strategic investment in the state's future. A supported and valued workforce is a more effective and stable workforce. Oklahoma needs to move away from this damaging cycle and start treating its dedicated public servants as the invaluable assets they truly are. #FinancialFiasco #getinvolved #Paycheck #stateworkers #FairCompensation
May 2, 2025 at 6:15 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Also, me tracking a Stitt press conference when we had a #chemtrail guy ask the last question.
Chem trail.
April 29, 2025 at 5:49 PM
pmonies.bsky.social
Good job, Elon! You're the fiercest sheriff!
A child's Sheriff badge, befitting the Chief Twit, Elon Musk.
April 29, 2025 at 1:25 AM