The story was broken by Politico right about dinner time Sunday: Senate reaches a deal on ending the shutdown. We saw a version of this before, a proposition by Sen. Chuck Schumer on Friday that went nowhere. Lawmakers worked the weekend, and a tentative agreement was reached in the Senate.

The first person I reach out to when stories like this break is my friend Grant Hermes of the “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes” podcast and Substack. He does a fantastic job of breaking down how these situations work — and I wanted to share that with you.

There were a couple of votes on Sunday night. One was to stop debate (a procedure called cloture), followed by a vote to pass the bill. This was a bill already passed by the House; however, the Senate added to it, meaning it will need to go back to the House for final approval before heading to the president for his signature.

The Senate needs 60 votes. Tonight’s breaking news was that they’ve got the 60 — although as of late Sunday night, there was word that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) might hold things up over an issue with hemp and his state.

The House only needs a majority, 218 YEAs. There are 219 Republicans.

Easy, right? Maybe not.

Grant explained that a handful of Republicans in the House might oppose the agreement, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia).

So, not a done deal necessarily — but there’s another complication: How to get back to Washington, D.C. They’ve been home for the last 40 days, and travel across the country is chaotic right now. The House would need to get back to D.C. to vote.

I’ll be following this story for Oklahoma's involvement and reaction, so be sure to follow me on all my socials—but I strongly recommend you follow Grant Hermes on YouTube and Substack (and wherever you listen to podcasts) for national coverage.

**

By Jacob Fischler, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to read the story.
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Following a late Friday emergency ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Trump administration has instructed states that authorized full November nutrition assistance benefits to return a portion, another unprecedented reversal for a program that helps 42 million people afford groceries.

A Saturday memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service said states should fund 65% of benefits for users of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, often called food stamps. 

Those that had authorized full payments in line with earlier administration guidance should “immediately undo” that action, according to the memo.

“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” the memo said. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025. Please advise the appropriate FNS Regional Office representative of steps taken to correct any actions taken that do not comply with this memorandum.”

President Donald Trump and top administration officials have said they cannot pay full SNAP benefits during the government shutdown that began Oct. 1 and instead, under court orders, are using a contingency fund to make partial payments.

Click here to finish the story.

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By Ryan Welton, Oklahoma Memo
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Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA) has quietly become one of the state’s most adaptable public-school options — a tuition-free, fully accredited K-12 program that serves more than 4,300 students statewide.

Founded in 2011 by a small group of parents looking for new learning options, OVCA operates under authorization from the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. Head of Schools Audra Plummer told Oklahoma Memo that every teacher is Oklahoma-certified, every course meets state standards, and students still participate in traditional activities such as 4-H, FFA, and in-person social events — including the annual “Winter Blast” at ice rinks in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The school draws families from all 77 counties, including military households that move frequently, elite athletes who travel for tournaments, and students seeking smaller, more flexible learning environments. OVCA is even NCAA-approved, giving college-bound athletes the academic credentials they need.

Each student is paired with a community family advisor — a staff member who lives in the region and stays with the family year after year. Those advisors coordinate local meetups, check in after severe weather, and connect families with resources.

Beyond academics, the school’s counselors and social-work team support students through small-group sessions, mental-health check-ins, and customized career-planning. Graduates have gone on to careers in nursing, oil and gas, and technology, while others continue in career-tech programs across the state.

Enrollment at OVCA is open statewide at ovca.k12.com. The school is free for all Oklahoma residents.

You can watch this conversation above on YouTube or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts. If you do listen, I’d be quite grateful for your 5-star review of the Oklahoma Memo podcast. It helps it to be discovered.

And if you’d ever like to be on the podcast, message me here.

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

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

• Isolation, illness and guns: Why more older Oklahomans are dying by suicide (Oklahoma Watch)

• Judge declines to issue monetary sanctions against Oklahoma agency (Oklahoma Voice)

• Federal judge affirms Tulsa prosecutor's right to charge non-Muscogee citizens on reservation (KOSU)

• Disposal well linked to Caddo County saltwater leak said to have killed cattle, wildlife (KGOU)

• Tulsa’s seniors face tough decisions after losing SNAP benefits. Here’s one way to help. (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Habitat for Humanity rushes to repair new homes ransacked before Tulsa families can move in (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma state Rep. Forrest Bennett to resign as he takes AFL-CIO position (KOCO)

• 25-foot law enforcement buffer: What Oklahomans need to know about new law (Tulsa World)

• Fort Gibson family desperate to find driver of hit-and-run that killed daughter (2 News Oklahoma)

• Death of former Oklahoma corrections officer under investigation as homicide (KXII)

• Oklahoma City pastor arrested in response to wife’s alleged sexual assault by store employee (News 9)

• I-35 north of OKC shut down much of Sunday after a tanker spills 7,000 gallons of fuel (KFOR)

• Bridge over Kaw Dam set to close at noon on Nov. 7 (Kay News Cow)

• Former speakers William Lowe, Lucian Tiger III win runoffs to return to Muscogee National Council (NonDoc)

• Reba McEntire, Kitt Wakeley among Grammy nominees (KOSU)

• ‘Voces y Versos’ brings bilingual Tulsan artists together (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Staff picks: The Flyer’s favorite places to grab a pizza pie in Tulsa (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma high school football playoffs schedule (Sports Illustrated)

• SGA scores 35 in 114-100 Thunder win over Memphis (AP)

Chilly but sunny. Definite hoodie day! Warmer rest of week.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 51°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 47°

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