Saturday, April 18, 2026 • Rain clears out. Much cooler (mid-60s) and sunny. ☀️

By J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
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State Farm is as State Farm does.

With cases accusing Oklahoma’s largest writer of homeowners insurance of bad faith on roof claims continuing to accumulate, and with two separate portions of Hursh v. State Farm, the case that has come to represent all of them, scurrying up the appellate ladder to await final judgment from the nine justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, it may be tempting to conclude that the State Farm roof claim saga has reached maximum audacity.

Then they went after a judge.

Retired U.S. Administrative Law Judge James R. Linehan, reflecting on a twist in his own State Farm story from the tidy den of his Edmond home, expressed befuddlement at a piece of correspondence he received from a State Farm claims specialist in December 2024.

“As a judge, I thought, ‘What the hell? Did they just say what I thought they said?’” Linehan said.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court is now weighing what to do with the infamous State Farm documents, and on April 27, the justices will gather to hear oral arguments on whether to permit Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s intervention in the Hursh case to continue.

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Bloomberg's Marcus Ashworth wrote plainly recently: "No more reliable safe havens."

After all, the S&P fell over 7% from the February peak. Bonds, even with less risk, are barely keeping pace with inflation.

So-called "diversified" portfolios have gotten hit from multiple directions.

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

• INTEGRIS Health plans clinic closures across Oklahoma citing $130M funding loss (News 9)

• With appropriations done, lawmakers move toward possible early adjournment (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Medicaid expansion improved access to opioid addiction treatment in Oklahoma, study says (KOSU)

• Oklahoma program to prevent abortions struggled with spending. Lawmakers want to give it more money. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Republican rift at the State Capitol after outspoken Freedom Caucus (KFOR)

• Former Broken Arrow officer pleads no contest in dog pepper spraying case (News On 6)

• Man killed in high-speed chase from Bixby to Broken Arrow identified (News On 6)

• Pilot injured after plane crashes in Ardmore (KXII)

• Mother and son injured in Roff hatchet attack (KTEN)

• Muskogee residents complain of dangerously late tornado siren (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Latino leaders, luminaries inducted into Oklahoma Hispanic Hall of Fame (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Oklahoma diver talks Artemis II splashdown: ‘Humbling to be a part of something so momentous’ (The Oklahoman)*

• TULSA ON TOUR: Grant program helps musicians cover travel expenses (2 News Oklahoma)

• OKC Beautiful’s Earth Fest returns to Scissortail Park on Saturday (KOCO)

• Guthrie Green has a stacked calendar of events this spring. Here’s what you can expect. (Tulsa Flyer)

• 5 ways to spend your weekend in Tulsa April 17-19 (Tulsa Flyer)

This week’s conversation with Grant Hermes centered on one theme: power. From the Trump-Vatican clash to multiple allegations against members of Congress, the throughline is how influence can protect bad behavior — sometimes in plain sight. In some cases, Grant noted, it was considered an “open secret” on Capitol Hill.

That includes Oklahoma, where former state Democratic Party chair John Waldron is now facing new allegations after an earlier AI-related controversy. The bigger takeaway isn’t partisan — it’s structural: systems that reward power often struggle to hold it accountable.

At the same time, global tensions are creeping into everyday life. Oil prices dropped after Iran partially reopened the Strait of Hormuz, but gas prices likely won’t follow right away — a reminder that what happens abroad still hits home.

There’s always an impact on Oklahoma.

A daily briefing connecting Oklahomans to the state’s best journalism — and original content from Oklahoma Memo. Got a news tip? Somebody I need to interview? Message me at [email protected].

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