Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 • Sunny. Low to mid-50s.
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Today’s Memo:
ACA subsidies face a federal deadline, and journalist/podcaster Grant Hermes warns rural Oklahomans could be hit hardest if Congress doesn’t act.
Become a model. Congressional candidate John Croisant says the way to cool political division is rare but straightforward — model respect in public, criticize policies instead of people, and actually hold open forums where voters can ask tough questions.
The AI economy is taking shape, and Saxum’s Hart Brown says Oklahoma has a narrow window to position itself for the next wave of AI investment.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE:
ACA subsidies could expire — Grant Hermes explains what it might mean for rural Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY — Journalist and national podcaster Grant Hermes says a federal deadline on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy extensions is nearing, and it’s likely rural communities to feel the most significant impact if the subsidies aren’t renewed.
Hermes said the subsidies help keep ACA plans affordable for many people outside major cities, and that the ripple effect could hit rural hospitals that already operate on thin margins. He cited survey findings he attributed to the Kaiser Family Foundation suggesting that many ACA enrollees would seek cheaper plans with less coverage — and that some could drop coverage entirely if prices rise.
Watch the video on YouTube, and like and subscribe. If you listen to the podcast, please leave us a 5-star review. It helps folks find the podcast more easily.
FAQs
ACA subsidy extensions could expire soon; Hermes says rural communities and rural hospitals may be hit hardest.
Hermes cites KFF survey findings: many ACA enrollees may downgrade coverage or go uninsured if premiums rise.
Congress tracks: Senate HSA-focused bills (expected to fail) + House discharge petition push to force a subsidy-extension vote.
Rural hospital strain: closures/cuts increase travel time for care; maternity wards often cut first, raising risks for expectant mothers.
Note: This conversation was recorded Thursday, Dec. 11.
Congressional candidate John Croisant calls for less division, more problem-solving
Democratic congressional candidate John Croisant says political leadership should focus less on tribal conflict and more on solving real problems — starting with health care costs, transparency in government, and restoring trust across institutions.
In a wide-ranging conversation on the Oklahoma Memo podcast, Croisant argued that political divisiveness is often performative and disconnected from how lawmakers actually work behind the scenes. He said effective leadership requires modeling respect, separating policy disagreements from personal attacks, and listening closely to constituents before crafting legislation.
Croisant also criticized the influence of big money in politics, calling for reforms to campaign finance rules, restrictions on lawmakers trading stocks, and stronger congressional oversight of executive power. He said Congress must reclaim its role as a co-equal branch of government by engaging in bipartisan negotiation rather than defaulting to blame and gridlock.
On health care, Croisant said rising costs — both inside and outside the Affordable Care Act — demand urgent bipartisan solutions, arguing that allowing subsidies to expire without a replacement would harm families across urban and rural communities alike.
Watch the full conversation above from the Oklahoma Memo YouTube channel. This conversation is also an audio-only podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. If you watch on YouTube, please like and subscribe — and if you listen to the podcast, please leave Oklahoma Memo a 5-star review to help get our work discovered by more people.
The AI economy is taking shape. Can Oklahoma keep up? Conversation with Hart Brown
Oklahoma is well-positioned to benefit from the next wave of artificial intelligence growth — but the window to act is narrow.
That’s the central takeaway from a new Oklahoma Memo podcast with Hart Brown, president of AI and transformation at Saxum, who says AI investment is still in early innings nationally, even after more than $1 trillion in infrastructure spending in the U.S. this year alone.
Brown argues AI is not a single tool or app moment, but a full business transformation that will involve hundreds or thousands of AI systems embedded across organizations, fundamentally reshaping how work gets done.
Watch the full conversation below from the Oklahoma Memo YouTube channel. This conversation is also an audio-only podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. If you watch on YouTube, please like and subscribe — and if you listen to the podcast, please leave Oklahoma Memo a 5-star review to help get our work discovered by more people.
Quick national links:
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Trump expected to sign executive order to reclassify marijuana as soon as Monday, source tells CNBC; pot stocks surge (CNBC)
Fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore charged with home invasion, stalking (ABC News)
Trump, Clinton seen in new batch of Epstein photos released by House Democrats (CBS News)
House GOP unveils health care plan, with vote on track for next week (CBS News)
"Children Will Die" Because Of Dept. of Ed's New Policy w/ Zero Abuse Project CEO, Jeff Dion (Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes)
Trump sued by preservation group over $300m White House ballroom project (The Guardian)
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:
• Coweta residents share data center concerns with state lawmakers, but city leaders and developers skip meeting (Tulsa Flyer)
• After week of legal confusion, judge suspends Coal County sheriff (NonDoc)
• BLMOKC leader T. Sheri Dickerson indicted for $3.15 million alleged fraud (NonDoc)
• Oklahoma independents can still vote on minimum wage hike during June primary (Oklahoma Voice)
• OU professors request explanation for graduate assistant’s suspension (News 9)
• Oklahoma’s ban on Chinese-owned farmland made an exception for Smithfield Foods (Investigate Midwest)
• 300K Oklahomans face major spike in health insurance premiums. What does it mean for you? (Tulsa Flyer)
• Oklahoma’s data center boom is about to hit the grid — and your power bill (The Frontier)
• Stitt calls out Trump administration over cuts to wind energy projects (Oklahoma Watch)
• Oklahoma Democratic Party primaries closed to independents following ‘miscommunication’ (Oklahoma Voice)
• Federal benefit cuts push Oklahoma families into eviction crisis (Oklahoma Watch)
• As psychiatric crisis team faces funding shortfall, woman credits COPES with recovery: ‘You kept me alive’ (Public Radio Tulsa)
• ‘Life-changing health care’: After contentious lease decision, renovated McAlester cancer center reopens (NonDoc)
• 'I believe he's innocent': Daniel Holtzclaw's family fights for his freedom 10 years post-conviction (KOCO)
• Panel awards millions for Oklahoma turnpike projects (Oklahoma Voice)
• Oklahoma Republican lawmakers ask attorney general to investigate COVID-19 response, protocols (KGOU)
• Little known state law leaves millions on the table for Oklahoma schools (Tulsa Flyer)
• Oklahoma AG announces $5M settlement with CVS Caremark for prescription reimbursement (Oklahoma Voice)
• Special election set for Oklahoma City House seat (Oklahoma Voice)
• Sources: Chamber behind survey measuring support for Oklahoma County jail tax (KFOR)
• OKC stadium budget nearly triples since MAPS 4 vote (Oklahoma City Free Press)
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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.
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