Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 • Cooler and cloudy. Thursday morning could be a wintry commute. Tune in to a local forecast today!

Today’s Memo:

• Roughly 160 members of the Oklahoma National Guard will head, voluntarily, to Washington, D.C., at President Trump’s request.

• This weekend’s college football coaching carousel didn’t involve the Oklahoma Sooners, but it sure brought back memories.

• Oklahoma asks SCOTUS if it considers a tax dispute involving a Muscogee Nation citizen, they also reconsider the landmark McGirt case.

By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY – About 160 members of the Oklahoma National Guard will deploy to secure Washington, D.C.

A send-off ceremony was held Monday at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Mustang for members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s Task Force Thunder participating in the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission. The guard will deploy over the coming days.

The mission will last about 90 days.

“Our Guardsmen routinely answer the call to serve and support their community, state and nation,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, adjutant general for Oklahoma. “As with many state-side support missions, this mission is voluntary, and I am so proud of each and every one of our Guardsmen as they continue to step forward.”

Gov. Kevin Stitt authorized members to participate.

His office said Tuesday that the deployment is funded by the federal government, but did not provide a cost.

Sarah Corley, a Stitt spokeswoman, said the mission is part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing request for support from the states to “protect the federal enclave of D.C.”

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By Ryan Welton & Jeremy Cook, Oklahoma Memo
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The college football coaching carousel is spinning again — and in the latest Bedlam Buds, the conversation inevitably circles back to Lincoln Riley’s abrupt departure from Oklahoma in 2021. We revisit why that exit still stings for Sooners fans, how it differs from other high-profile moves, and what it says about trust, transparency, and modern college football coaching.

Watch or listen to the conversation, below:

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:

• Sooners stay at No. 8 in College Football Playoff rankings (USA Today)

• 'Might be total madness': OU faces possibility of hosting playoff game on same day as graduation (KOCO)

• Oklahoma County's new jail cost soars to $835 million, more than 3 times amount approved by voters (KOCO)

• GRADES ARE IN: A deeper look at the 2025 state report card (2 News Oklahoma)

• Ravia Public Schools moves toward annexation due to funding shortfall (KXII)

• OAK developers claim Penn Square Mall owners blocked stores, restaurants (The Oklahoman)*

• Oklahoma asks SCOTUS to ignore Muscogee citizen tax dispute or 'revisit McGirt' ruling (KOSU)

• As data centers draw public scrutiny, Tulsa journalists investigate cryptocurrency mining (KOSU)

• Norman City Council purchases Griffin Hospital land for permanent homeless shelter (OPMX)

• Tulsa educator, political activist Bruce Niemi dies at 76 (Tulsa Flyer)

• Major changes are coming to Medicare. Tulsa experts urge seniors to check their plans. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Tulsa developers could breathe new life — and housing — into historic Crutchfield neighborhood (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Guide to holiday festivals, parades and other Christmas events around Tulsa (Tulsa World)*

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