Oklahoma Memo

Oklahoma Memo

By Ryan WeltonSportsNewsDaily News
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Oklahoma Memo episodes

  • Oklahoma News Update: December 19, 2025

    Football night in Oklahoma! As the Sooners gear up to take on Alabama, Ryan Welton breaks down the biggest state and national headlines heading into the weekend — from the partial release of the Epstein files to a developing State Farm lawsuit led by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

    In this episode:

    1. DOJ releases portions of the Epstein files — and why some remain sealed (via Politico).

    2. AG Drummond vs. State Farm — and the implications of Oklahoma’s RICO laws (Oklahoma Watch, J.C. Holman).

    3. Drummond’s latest legal opinion puts him at odds with Governor Kevin Stitt over tribal sovereignty and wildlife law (KOSU, Graycen Wheeler).

    4. Tragic plane crash claims the life of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family.

    5. President Trump’s new executive order reclassifying marijuana as Schedule III — what it means for Oklahoma.

    6. TikTok’s U.S. sale reportedly finalized — major American investors now involved.

    7. Remembering two Deer Creek High School students killed in a tragic crash.

    8. Local stories you might’ve missed: AI regulation debates, Guardian 2.0 returns, neighborhood disputes, and the weekend rundown in Tulsa.

      9. Subscribe & Support: Stay informed, local, and connected. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter at OklahomaMemo.com/subscribe 🎧 Follow Oklahoma Memo wherever you get your podcasts.

      14 min
    9. Oklahoma news | Wildfire danger, OMES announcement & ICE help from local law enforcement

      Ryan Welton brings you Thursday’s Oklahoma Memo — your fast, local rundown of the stories shaping the state. Today’s top headlines:

      1. Wildfire risk across Oklahoma as winds hit 50 mph and humidity dips to 6%.

      2. Leadership shuffle at the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) — Mark Wood steps in as the new director, following several quick transitions.

      3. ICE and Oklahoma jails: KOSU reports that local facilities now account for roughly half of the state’s immigration arrests.

      4. Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols shares his housing and 2026 goals in a story from The Oklahoma Eagle.

      5. Mental health care privatization? Oklahoma Voice reports that the state is exploring turning over four behavioral centers to private providers.

      6. Small businesses hurting: Some report a 40% drop in sales during the holiday season, according to KJRH.

        7. Read today’s newsletter: https://oklahomamemo.com/p/stitt-appoints-new-omes-director-to-lead-core-state-functions

        Follow Oklahoma Memo:

        1. 💌 Newsletter: oklahomamemo.com

        14 min
      7. Sooners take down previously undefeated Cowboys in Bedlam hoops, 85-76 | Bedlam Buds

        Real Bedlam finally showed up on the hardwood.

        Oklahoma knocked off undefeated Oklahoma State, 85–76, at Paycom Center in a physical, high-energy Bedlam basketball matchup that lived up to the rivalry. Ryan (Boomer Sooner) and Jeremy (Go Pokes, loyal and true) break down how the game unfolded, why timely shooting decided the outcome, and what it says about both teams moving forward.

        The guys dive into coaching adjustments, key individual performances, rebounding disparities, and how Porter Moser’s system showed up when it mattered most. From Nigel Pack’s control of the offense to Oklahoma State’s struggles from distance — and the impact of an in-game injury — this episode covers the why behind the final score, not just the score itself.

        They also zoom out to the bigger picture: what this result means for tournament résumés, life in brutal basketball conferences, and why Bedlam Buds needs its own rivalry tradition (yes, a Bedlam Chain is officially proposed).

        And because it’s Bedlam Buds, it all ends with loyalty, laughs, and a very firm recommendation to never fight a kangaroo.

        Final Score

        Oklahoma 85, Oklahoma State 76

        Key Topics

        • How OU’s timely three-point shooting flipped the game

        • Why ball movement and defense fueled the Sooners’ offense

        • Oklahoma State’s missed opportunities and shooting struggles

        • Coaching chess match: Porter Moser vs. OSU staff

        • Rebounding edge that quietly mattered

        • Injury impact and depth questions for the Cowboys

        • What both teams need to do next to build tournament résumés

        • The birth of the Bedlam Chain tradition

        • Preview of both teams facing UMKC next

          • 👍 Like, subscribe, and follow Bedlam Buds for more rivalry breakdowns — win, lose, or draw.

          17 min
        • Less fighting, more listening: a conversation with Congressional District 1 candidate John Croisant

          In this episode of the Oklahoma Memo Podcast, Ryan Welton sits down with congressional candidate John Croisant for a candid discussion about political division, health care costs, and what effective representation should look like in today’s Congress.

          Croissant shares his perspective on why politics has become increasingly combative, how lawmakers can model respectful disagreement, and why listening to constituents must come before party loyalty. The conversation also explores the growing influence of money in politics, the need for campaign finance reform, and why Congress must reassert its constitutional role in overseeing executive power.

          The episode touches on health care affordability, the future of ACA subsidies, transparency in media, and the importance of public forums where voters can ask tough questions directly.

          Topics include:

          • Political divisiveness and leadership tone

          • Health care costs and bipartisan solutions

          • Campaign finance reform and stock trading by lawmakers

          • Congressional oversight and checks and balances

          • Transparency, trust, and civic engagement

            • Subscribe to Oklahoma Memo for daily local news and weekly smart conversations that go deeper than the headlines.

            38 min
          • Rural hospitals, residents could be hit hardest if ACA subsidies go away | with Grant Hermes

            Grant Hermes — journalist and host of Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes — joins the Oklahoma Memo Podcast to explain what he says is a rapidly approaching deadline for Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions.

            In this episode:

            • Why Hermes says rural communities could be hit hardest

            • The connection between ACA affordability and rural hospital stability

            • What Hermes says the Senate and House are attempting this week

            • Why maternity services are often the first to disappear in struggling rural systems

            • The political stakes heading into 2026 if affordability worsens

              • More from Grant Hermes:

              Search Substack for “MIMS News Pod” (MIMS News Pod is one word)

              https://mimsnewspod.substack.com/

              Subscribe to Oklahoma Memo:

              oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

              If you can, leave a 5-star review for this podcast — it helps people discover the show.

              45 min
            • OU’s playoff path: Why the bracket sets up better than you'd think | Bedlam Buds

              Oklahoma is in the College Football Playoff at No. 8, and Ryan and Jeremy think the bracket gets “wacky” immediately after that.

              Bedlam Buds break down how Duke’s ACC title result rippled through the field, why Tulane–Ole Miss is a compelling rematch, and why Miami–Texas A&M could be the sneaky first-round game. Then they dig into the main controversy: they argue the committee got the top four right, but the back end wrong — and that BYU was the team that got left out, not Notre Dame.

              The segment closes with OU-Alabama thoughts, bracket-path talk, and early Final Four guesses.

              If you enjoy the podcast, leave us a 5-star review to help others to discover Bedlam Buds!

              20 min
            • How & why AI can reshape the Oklahoma economy, a conversation with Saxum's Hart Brown

              Is Oklahoma ready for the AI economy?

              In this episode of the Oklahoma Memo Podcast, Ryan Welton talks with Hart Brown, president of AI and transformation at Saxum, about where artificial intelligence truly stands — and what Oklahoma needs to do next.

              Topics include:

              • Why AI is not a single app, but a system-wide business shift

              • How Oklahoma’s energy, geography, and infrastructure create opportunity

              • The role data centers and companies like Google play in local communities

              • Why AI education must focus on supervision and judgment — not blind trust

              • What automation could mean for how we work and live by 2030

                • This episode cuts through fear and hype to explain what AI means for Oklahoma — now and in the years ahead.

                35 min
              • First impressions of Eric Morris in Stillwater as OSU coach | Bedlam Buds

                Oklahoma State officially introduced Eric Morris as its new head football coach, and Bedlam Buds has thoughts.

                In this episode, Ryan (Boomer Sooner) and Jeremy (Go Pokes) react to Morris’ debut in Stillwater — from his nervous but honest tone on the podium to his admission that he’s winless in Boone Pickens Stadium and intends to change that. We look at what his arrival means for OSU’s identity, the transfer portal and the quarterback room.

                With roughly 20 Cowboys out of eligibility and only a small signing class locked in, Ryan and Jeremy argue that this offseason will be all about portal strategy. They talk through the possibility of North Texas star Drew “Mestemaker” following Morris to Stillwater, why keeping current QBs matters and how real competition could reset the entire offense.

                Finally, the guys react to the reported 1,100-fan turnout for Morris’ intro, what it says about Cowboy Nation’s appetite for a reboot and why, after back-to-back winless league seasons, there’s real optimism that OSU can climb quickly if the staff nails this first offseason.

                Episode highlights:

                • Eric Morris’ introductory presser: nervous, genuine and grounded

                • Why his 0–6 record in Boone Pickens could fuel the turnaround

                • OSU’s roster math: small signing class, big portal need

                • What a portal miss vs. portal hit looks like for 2025

                • The Drew “Mestermaker” question and why QB competition is crucial

                • Why 1,100 fans at a Monday intro matters for buy-in

                • How a few impact players could take OSU from rock bottom to dangerous

                • Long-term dream: Bedlam revived someday as a playoff game

                  • If you enjoy the show, follow Bedlam Buds in your favorite podcast app and drop a 5-star review so more OU and OSU fans can find us.

                  14 min
                • OU’s Fulnecky firestorm, academic freedom and war-crime allegations against Pete Hegseth (with Grant Hermes)

                  This week, Ryan Welton is joined again by journalist Grant Hermes, host of Make It Make Sense, for a wide-ranging conversation about two stories that could reshape higher education and U.S. military policy.

                  First, they break down the Samantha Fulnecky grading controversy at the University of Oklahoma: who she is, what the assignment was actually about, why her essay failed basic academic standards, and how the dispute jumped from the classroom to the governor, state superintendent, OU president and national conservative groups. Grant and Ryan talk about:

                  • Why this case is tailor-made for organizations like Turning Point USA and Moms for Liberty

                  • The danger of treating students as “customers” and professors as service providers

                  • How this could become a test case around academic freedom and free speech on campus

                  • Why conservative and liberal professors alike have a stake in defending academic rigor

                    • Then they turn to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and reporting that he gave a verbal “kill them all” order after a U.S. strike on suspected drug boats left survivors clinging to wreckage in the Caribbean. Grant explains:

                    • What we actually know about the Caribbean boat strikes so far

                    • How the Pentagon’s Law of War manual and the Geneva Conventions apply to shipwrecked non-combatants

                    • Why military lawyers and former JAGs say this could amount to a war crime or even murder

                    • Hegseth’s long record of defending accused and convicted war criminals

                    • What congressional investigations are looking at — and why this might end with a high-profile resignation

                      • The episode wraps with Grant’s new civics newsletter, “Things You Forgot from Civics Class,” which revisits the basics we all half-remember from school: war powers, the branches of government, the budget process and more — taught with zero shame and maximum clarity.

                      Links

                      Subscribe to Oklahoma Memo (daily Oklahoma news recap): https://www.oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

                      • Support Oklahoma Memo on Patreon (for deeper Substack pieces like Ryan’s column on the Fulnecky case): https://www.patreon.com/c/OklahomaMemo

                      • Follow Grant Hermes / Make It Make Sense: https://www.youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod

                      • Substack & podcast: search “MIMS pod” or “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes”

                      • Newsletter: “Things You Forgot from Civics Class” (Mondays) LINK: https://mimsnewspod.substack.com/p/welcome-to-things-you-forgot-from

                        • About the show

                        Oklahoma Memo is your daily curated news recap for Oklahoma — plus weekly deeper dives with smart journalists like Grant Hermes to help you “make it make sense” on the biggest state and national stories. New conversations drop weekly and run in the Saturday edition of the newsletter.

                        50 min
                      • How Oklahoma went from 17th to 50th in education — and what works

                        Oklahoma’s education system didn’t decline overnight — and fixing it won’t be simple.

                        In this episode of Oklahoma Memo, Ryan Welton talks with John Croisant — former teacher, Tulsa Public Schools board member, and congressional candidate for Oklahoma’s 1st District — about how underinvestment, staffing shortages and politically driven policy decisions pushed Oklahoma from 17th to 50th in national education rankings.

                        Topics include:

                        • Why teacher shortages and large class sizes matter

                        • How education funding actually affects student outcomes

                        • The limits of teacher pay raises without additional staff and support

                        • School choice, private school tax credits and their unintended consequences

                        • Why reading proficiency and career readiness are the real benchmarks

                        • The federal government’s role in accountability and special education funding

                        • What a coordinated, outcomes-driven education strategy could look like

                          • Croisant argues that improving education isn’t about ideology — it’s about focusing resources on what works and holding leaders accountable.

                          🎧 Subscribe for more Oklahoma-focused conversations

                          📬 Sign up for the daily newsletter: https://oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

                          36 min

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