U.S.TOP STORY

Oklahoma families face record heat and an electricity crisis

Oklahoma's summer tied Texas for the hottest on record, and the regional grid hit a record peak demand of 57.9 gigawatts on July 27.

On air: Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock on Weekend Edition
Published 8:10 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock on this story, from Weekend Edition at 8:10 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The New York Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Oklahoma City — Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The New York Times: “Oklahoma Families Faced the Hottest Summer Ever and an Electricity Crisis”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 8:10 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock.
Topics: Oklahoma.
BBN covered this story before: Houston outlasts Oklahoma State after most high-stakes home game in… (October 18).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The New York TimesOklahoma Families Faced the Hottest Summer Ever and an Electricity Crisis

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorA record summer and an electricity crunch this morning for Oklahoma families, who are trying to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running, according to The New York Times.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOklahoma tied Texas for the hottest summer in U.S. history, and some southwest cities had twenty-six straight days of a hundred degrees.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat's nearly a month of free sunshine!
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorFree is a strong word, Chip.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNPR reports the state lets utilities cut power in summer as long as the heat index is under one hundred and one degrees.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the rule is that you may lose your air conditioning, but only on the days you barely need it.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorI'd call that a comfort threshold, and I'm sure there's a pamphlet.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd one utility cuts power at more than five times the national rate, according to the Energy Department.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat's a real commitment to a quiet evening in.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorIt's reliability with a very flexible definition. Brock, what's the heat index out there this morning, and are our lights staying on?

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