It’s Christmas Eve in Oklahoma — with temperatures pushing the upper 70s and a news cycle that refuses to slow down.

In today’s episode of Oklahoma Memo, Ryan Welton walks through the most important stories from across the state, including:

1. An in-depth investigation into immigrants being held without bail in Oklahoma ICE facilities
2. How local jails are increasingly tied into federal deportation efforts
3. A practical list of Tulsa restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
4. A Festivus-themed episode of Bedlam Buds airing some long-simmering grievances
5. New national reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein and the Department of Justice
6. A federal civil lawsuit connected to the Jesse Butler sexual assault case in Stillwater
7. Graduate students at the University of Oklahoma condemning the removal of an instructor in a grading dispute

Oklahoma Memo is a daily local news recap designed to keep you informed — quickly.

⭐ If you enjoy the show, please leave a 5-star review. It helps others find it.

Festivus is here — and Ryan and Jeremy are airing their grievances.

In this special holiday edition of Bedlam Buds, the guys channel Frank Costanza and unload on everything that drives them crazy this time of year (and all year long).

From sports spoilers and bad drivers to daylight saving time, grammar policing, loud eaters, and people who refuse to let others enjoy things — nothing is safe.

This episode is funny, honest, slightly unhinged, and extremely relatable.

In this episode:

1. Why spoiling games ruins the entire sports experience
2. ESPN crawls, notifications, and the on-demand sports world
3. The truth about daylight saving time
4. Driving too slow is just as dangerous as speeding
5. Grammar “Nazis” vs. people who actually know how to write
6. Misophonia and loud eaters
7. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum
8. NASCAR as a science experiment
9. Why concerts start too late for adults

🎧 If you enjoy the episode, please leave a 5-star review — it helps others find the show.

Festivus is here — and Ryan and Jeremy are airing their grievances.

In this special holiday edition of Bedlam Buds, the guys channel Frank Costanza and unload on everything that drives them crazy this time of year (and all year long).

From sports spoilers and bad drivers to daylight saving time, grammar policing, loud eaters, and people who refuse to let others enjoy things — nothing is safe.

This episode is funny, honest, slightly unhinged, and extremely relatable.

In this episode:

1. Why spoiling games ruins the entire sports experience
2. ESPN crawls, notifications, and the on-demand sports world
3. The truth about daylight-saving time
4. Driving too slow is just as dangerous as speeding
5. Grammar “Nazis” vs. people who actually know how to write
6. Misophonia and loud eaters
7. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum
8. NASCAR as a science experiment
9. Why concerts start too late for adults

🎧 If you enjoy the episode, please leave a 5-star review — it helps others find the show.

Oklahoma feels like spring — but the politics are getting hot as we head toward 2026.

In today’s Oklahoma Memo podcast, Ryan walks through the stories shaping conversations across the state:

1. Fire danger concerns as temperatures approach record highs
2. Why the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus fears open primaries — and what that means for moderates
3. A proposal inspired by Mississippi’s dramatic literacy turnaround
4. A deep-dive conversation with investigative reporter J.C. Hallman on allegations against State Farm and why they matter to Oklahoma homeowners

📬 Subscribe to the daily Oklahoma Memo newsletter: https://oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

⭐ Five-star reviews help this get get found by other listeners. Thank YOU for listening.

An Oklahoma insurance dispute has evolved into a high-stakes legal and political fight.

Ryan Welton is joined by J.C. Hallman of Oklahoma Watch to walk through his reporting on State Farm, including allegations that the company systematically reduced or denied hail damage claims.

The conversation covers:

1. How the investigation began
2. What the documents suggest — and why access matters
3. Why Oklahoma’s attorney general is now involved
4. The role of civil racketeering claims
5. How similar cases have played out in other states
6. Why this story could take years to fully resolve

Hallman also shares how he approaches investigative reporting, how journalists find “the angle,” and why some of the most consequential stories are the hardest to pursue.

This episode of Oklahoma Memo looks ahead to what may be the most consequential week before Christmas — both for Oklahoma’s weather and its finances.

Inside this episode:

• Why near-80° December temperatures raise wildfire concerns statewide

• The key takeaways from Oklahoma’s latest revenue forecast

• Gov. Kevin Stitt’s push for flat agency budgets despite rising costs

• How the end of food assistance led to eviction filings within days

• A preview of national political developments worth watching

Plus, a rundown of local reporting worth your time — from housing insecurity to military pay raises and standout Oklahoma schools.

Subscribe to Oklahoma Memo at oklahomamemo.com/subscribe

Late-breaking developments reshaped this week’s in-person Oklahoma Memo conversation between Ryan Welton and Grant Hermes, host of Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes.

After their Friday discussion wrapped, a partial release of the Epstein files revealed that the full disclosure ordered by law has still not occurred — raising fresh questions about transparency and accountability.

The conversation also dives into a major Vanity Fair profile by Chris Whipple, based on 11 months of interviews with Susie Wiles. What does her account reveal about how Donald Trump governs — and how he sees the presidency?

Ryan and Grant also analyze the president’s mid-week address, a speech that was unusually fast-paced and loud. It was as if he didn't want to be there, giving that address. From there, they turn to a busy Thursday: the renaming of the Kennedy Center, the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, and the civic foundations behind birthright citizenship — a topic Grant recently explored in depth.

Topics Covered

1. Partial release of Epstein files — and what’s still missing
2. What Susie Wiles’ words reveal about Trump’s leadership style
3. Reading presidential speeches beyond the transcript
4. Marijuana rescheduling and symbolic vs. substantive policy
5. The civics of birthright citizenship, revisited

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1. Follow Grant: @MIMSnewspod
2. Read his Substack: https://mimsnewspod.substack.com/
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Oklahoma jumped out to a 17–0 lead. Alabama adjusted. The Sooners never recovered.

In this emergency episode of Bedlam Buds, Ryan and Jeremy react to Oklahoma’s 34–24 loss to Alabama and break down what changed after the opening quarter.

Topics include:

• How Alabama flipped the game after a slow start

• Oklahoma’s failure to force turnovers

• Offensive struggles after scripted drives ended

• Special teams mistakes and missed chances

• Quarterback play and the NIL-era offseason questions ahead

• What this loss means for Brent Venables moving forward

• Alabama’s outlook in the next round of the playoff

A season recap, a reality check, and a look at what comes next.

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.

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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.

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

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