Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 • Cool, sunny and low 50s. ☀️

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In today’s Memo:

• Choctaw Nation named FAA drone test site: The Choctaw Nation will host one of just two new national Federal Aviation Administration unmanned aircraft testing sites, positioning Oklahoma at the center of the Trump administration’s push to expand drone use — including flights beyond visual line of sight.

• Minneapolis ICE shooting, explained: Journalist Grant Hermes joins Ryan to break down what video evidence shows in the fatal shooting of Renee Good, the legal hurdles ahead, and why the case is resonating nationally.

• NFL playoff picks are in: Bedlam Buds returns with Wild Card weekend predictions, debating experience vs. momentum, and which teams are built to survive January football.

By Janelle Stecklein, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to support their newsroom.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Choctaw Nation will be home to one of the country’s two new testing sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the Federal Aviation Administration announced.

The sites, which were awarded to the Oklahoma tribe and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, are the first two testing grounds for drones and other unmanned aircraft created in nearly a decade, according to the FAA.

In a statement Friday, James Grimsley, the Choctaw Nation’s executive director of Advanced Technology Initiatives, said the “designation is a meaningful step” for both the tribe and the future of aviation in Oklahoma.

The test site program is designed to evaluate the safety, operations and navigation systems of public and civil drone technologies prior to their use in national airspace, he said.

The Choctaw Nation said that the designation “comes at a critical time” as the FAA moves to create new rules that allows drones to be flown beyond line of sight, or where operators can’t see them, which will expand their commercial and public safety uses.

“Drone technology is already changing how services are delivered and how critical infrastructure is inspected, monitored and protected,” Grimsley said. “The next chapter is about proving what works safely at scale, and our role as a test site is to generate the data, operational insights and best practices that help make that possible.” 

In a separate statement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the new test sites will help gather critical data so “we can safely unleash innovation in our skies.”

The FAA said Duffy unveiled a proposed Beyond Visual Line of Sight rule to expand drone usage in August.

“From delivering lifesaving medicine to surveying pipelines, drones are already reshaping industries and changing how people and products interact,” Duffy said in a statement. “It’s our job to make sure the United States safely leads the way with this exciting technology – not China. We’ve added these new test sites to help us gather critical data and test new systems so we can safely unleash innovation in our skies.”

Click here to read the story on the Oklahoma Voice website.

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By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo

Usually, I try to steer my conversations with journalist Grant Hermes back to Oklahoma, hoping to tie anything happening nationally to the impact on our lives here.

There was no such angle this week.

Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed by a federal ICE agent on the streets of Minneapolis. That agent, identified as Johnathan Ross, claims Good was using her vehicle as a weapon — but the video evidence showed otherwise.

I asked Grant (host of “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes”) about the odds of the agent being prosecuted and what that would mean for our already divided country. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked him about the United States’ involvement in Venezuela and which country might be next. Greenland? Colombia?

If you watch the interview, please consider subscribing to the Oklahoma Memo channel on YouTube. If you listen to it on podcast, please leave us a 5-star review. That helps the content be discovered more easily in the algorithm.

Where to find Grant’s work:
• Substack
• YouTube

By Ryan Welton & Jeremy Cook, Bedlam Buds

The NFL playoffs are here — and Bedlam Buds is back with a full Wild Card breakdown.

Ryan and Jeremy dig into every matchup, debating experience versus momentum, coaching edges, weather games, and which teams feel dangerous right now — even if Vegas disagrees.

Quick picks:

What do you think? Message me anytime: [email protected].

🎧 Full conversation available on YouTube and podcast.

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

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

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• 'He’s got to be somewhere': Chickasha community holds vigil for missing 12-year-old Ryan Davis (KOCO)

• Hundreds of Tulsans stand outside senator’s office to protest ICE killing of Renee Good (Tulsa Flyer)

• Activists call for Oklahoma County jail to boot ICE, trustees respond (The Oklahoman)*

• Islamic Society of Tulsa showcases community services, plans for Broken Arrow expansion (News On 6)

• Oklahoma governor to renew push for uncapping private school spending (Oklahoma Voice)

• National Weather Service confirms 5 tornadoes in Oklahoma (KOSU)

• Bird flu detected in Eastern Oklahoma backyard flock (KOSU)

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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