Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 • Partly cloudy and very cold. Mid-to-upper 20s. ⛅

Warmer Sunday. Highs will range from mid-40s to low-50s.

View from your phone: Did you take a scenic Oklahoma shot, a photo you’d like everybody else to see? Message them as attachments to [email protected], and include location and photo credit.

By Ari Fife, The Frontier
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Oklahoma legislators have introduced dozens of bills on immigration for this legislative session, including proposals that would require law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, mandate enhanced citizenship verification by employers and restrict foreign land ownership. 

The 2026 legislative session starts Monday. Here’s a rundown of the notable measures. 

Click here for the full story.

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:

• Gov. Stitt suggests Medicaid cuts to curb health care costs (KFOR)

• Immigration enforcement protest in downtown Tulsa (Tulsa World)*

• Tulsa business owners standing in solidarity with national protest against ICE (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma County jail acknowledges first death of 2026 in delayed report (The Oklahoman)*

• Rhetoric heats up in the Oklahoma Senate following accusations of drunken lawmakers (Oklahoma Voice)

• Slain Logan County mother’s adopted son reportedly admits to killing her with hammer (KOCO)

• Preliminary hearing for Muskogee parents, grandma after 11-year-old gave birth (2 News Oklahoma)

• 200K+ Oklahomans sign petition to vote on opening the state’s primary elections (Tulsa Flyer)

• Gov. Stitt wants to revamp welfare programs. Some Oklahoma advocates are worried (KGOU)

• OSU Center for Health Sciences, Saint Francis finalize trauma care agreement (Tulsa World)*

• Potential measles exposure reported at Norman bar (KOCO)

• Oklahoma AG office seeks new staff to expand reach of opioid settlement funds (KOSU)

• OU athletic department reports losses of $43.7 million in 2025 fiscal year. Here's why. (The Oklahoman)*

• Man sentenced in fatal shooting on the street in Bartlesville (Tulsa World)*

• Suspect dead due to bomb explosion after police chase in Garvin County (News 9)

• City of Frederick dismisses Police Chief Neely (KSWO)

• Lawmakers to consider several bills focusing on Indigenous communities in Oklahoma (KOSU)

• Lawsuit argues AG opinion on tribal wildlife management is not legally binding (KOSU)

• Black Wall Street Rally nominated for USA Today 10 Best award, bringing national attention to Greenwood (News On 6)

• Food on the Move helps nearly 300 families with groceries after winter shutdowns (Tulsa Flyer)

By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo

Retired Air Force colonel and fighter pilot Jeff Pixley is running as a Democrat for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District — and says he got in because he believes the country is drifting toward a dangerous concentration of power.

Pixley told me his catalyst moment came after he read news that senior U.S. military leadership had been fired. He described it as a “personal crossroads,” saying what he had been teaching his cadets suddenly felt “in question.”

I got the chance to ask Jeff about a wide variety of topics, from foreign policy to the economy — and along the way, I learned something about how our military operates in times like these.

Watch the video, and if you’re interested in learning more about Jeff, visit his campaign website at pixleyforcongress.com.

A proposed ICE processing facility in southwest Oklahoma City is no longer moving forward after public opposition at a lengthy City Council meeting, with city leaders saying the out-of-state property owners of a warehouse near 2800 S. Council Road have ended talks with the Department of Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease.

The episode with Grant Hermes, the host of the “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes” podcast, Substack and YouTube channel, comes as ICE and DHS face growing scrutiny nationwide, including protests over enforcement tactics and renewed debate over what local governments are required to do — with observers noting cities typically cannot block federal action outright but are not required to actively cooperate with administrative enforcement.

In Washington, immigration policy is colliding with a looming budget deadline and DHS funding negotiations, including proposals tied to transparency and limits on administrative warrants, while political tension has also surfaced around election administration after reported activity in Fulton County, Georgia.

The conversation also previewed potential 2026 fallout, including pressure on incumbents to hold town halls as voter frustration rises and immigration enforcement becomes a sharper political issue.

Watch the video, and then go sign up for Grant’s Substack and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

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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