The downside to talking with Grant Hermes of the “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes” podcast every Friday morning is that we don’t get the benefit of the Friday news dump — or in this case, the shocking news that happened Friday night.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) announced her resignation from Congress, effective Jan. 5, 2026, sending shockwaves through the Capitol and especially the MAGA universe.

Also, we recorded our podcast on Friday afternoon before a press conference with President Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in what could best be described as the world’s weirdest buddy movie. The president (to his credit) was extraordinarily gracious, treating Mamdani like a grandson, while Mamdani was super on-message about anything that would help NYC residents live better lives.

New York City is a place the president loves very much, going so far as to say that he wishes he could have been mayor.

But those stories don’t mean that Grant and I didn’t have plenty of interesting material to work with. We did. It started with this week’s vote on the Epstein files, and then we talked about an odd decision from Democrats in Congress to record a PSA reminding those in the military that they don’t have to obey illegal orders. Trump was not amused, implying that they should be executed for their video.

We discussed what will be the biggest buzzword of the 2026 elections: “affordability.”

And we closed with some thoughts on ACA subsidies, with many pundits leaning toward an eventual extension.

Enjoy the conversation!

Please subscribe to Grant’s work here:
🎧 Subscribe to “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes”: https://www.youtube.com/@mimsnewspod
📰 Subscribe to Grant’s Substack:
https://mimsnewspod.substack.com/

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
Subscribe to the YouTube channel

A new multi-state poll suggests that Oklahoma lawmakers may be misreading their voters. The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), working with Cygnal Research, surveyed residents in four conservative states — Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kansas — about whether states should eliminate vaccine mandates.

The results weren’t close.

Across all four states, including Oklahoma, voters opposed ending vaccine requirements by margins approaching two-to-one, with even stronger support for mandates affecting children entering public school. In an interview with the Oklahoma Memo Podcast, CFIF Senior Vice President Timothy Lee said the findings run counter to assumptions often made during political debates.

The survey also tested views on accessibility, asking whether vaccines should be easier to obtain through insurance coverage and local pharmacies. Support for that level of access reached 89%.

Lee said the data matters as states consider following Florida’s recent decision to eliminate all vaccine mandates.

CFIF, founded in 1998, typically focuses on constitutional rights, intellectual property issues, and regulatory matters. Vaccine research is not a core focus, but Lee said this moment called for more clarity about what voters actually think.

Some of the findings may surprise people who associate skepticism of vaccine mandates with conservative politics. Lee said attitudes toward science became polarized during the pandemic, but long-term polling still shows strong support for children’s vaccines, even among voters right of center.

The full poll and methodology are available through CFIF. Lee encouraged Oklahomans to review the data directly or send questions about the survey.

If you watch the video on YouTube, please subscribe to the channel. If you listen on your podcast platform of choice, please follow ‘Oklahoma Memo’ and leave us a 5-star review to help our content be heard by others.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Instead of the top reads of the day like we do on Monday through Friday, this is a collection of the top reads of the week:

• Oklahoma voters could eliminate property taxes (Oklahoma Voice)

• New report reveals urgent behavioral health care needs in Oklahoma City (KOSU)

• Appeals court considers Oklahoma school bathroom law (Oklahoma Voice)

• Can Oklahoma communities make data centers less of a nuisance? (KOSU)

• From the U.S.-Mexico border to Oklahoma’s backroads: Why deep reporting matters (The Frontier)

• Oklahoma high school football playoff scores (Touchdown Friday Night)

• Lawmakers, AG challenge insurance commissioner’s competitive market claims (Oklahoma Watch)

• Oklahoma reduces severe birthing complications, lags behind nationally in maternal, infant deaths (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma Supreme Court hears arguments on initiative petition bill (Oklahoma Watch)

• Stray dogs are keeping north Tulsa kids out of school. A ‘walking school bus’ is trying to help. (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Panel revotes on raises for Oklahoma statewide officials (Oklahoma Voice)

• Case of mistaken identity or Panhandle ‘family justice’? Woman’s arrest highlights systemic concerns (Oklahoma Watch)

• Watonga confronts economic need and ethical unease over housing ICE detainees (The Frontier)

• Oklahoma won’t adopt social studies textbooks with academic standards on hold (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma utility regulators deny OG&E's request to hike up customer rates to fund construction (StateImpact Oklahoma)

Hoodie weather Saturday, and rain chances go up Sunday.

🌡️ Saturday’s high in OKC 59°
🌡️ Saturday’s high in Tulsa 58°

The AI economy is booming, and smart entrepreneurs are already profiting. Subscribe to Mindstream and get instant access to 200+ proven strategies to monetize AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and more. From content creation to automation services, discover actionable ways to build your AI-powered income. No coding required, just practical strategies that work.

Subscribe to Get Your Free Guide

If you’re interested in partnering with Oklahoma Memo, reach out to me at [email protected]. We have ad spaces available in this newsletter, on social media and in our podcasts.

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily local news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Strengthen your community.

‘Oklahoma Memo’ is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.

Message me anytime at [email protected].