Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 • Sunny but cooler. Upper 40s to mid 50s. ☀️
Now booking 2026 newsletter sponsors.
One sponsor per month. Your logo, link, and message appear here daily.
Inquiries: [email protected]
In today’s Memo:
Medical parole bottleneck: Oklahoma’s attorney general says only the DOC director can refer prisoners for medical parole — a ruling that comes as referrals have collapsed and the prison population continues to age. (Oklahoma Watch)
Did the U.S. bomb Venezuela? Journalist Grant Hermes breaks down a murky claim from Donald Trump, what’s been confirmed, and why the moment is triggering Iraq War alarm bells. (Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes)
TOP STORY:
Attorney General: Only the DOC director can refer prisoners for medical parole
Two prisoners chat near a garden at the John H. Lilley Correctional Center in Boley on Aug. 8, 2025. (PHOTO by Keaton Ross/Oklahoma Watch)
By Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch
Click here to support their newsroom.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board can’t sidestep the Department of Corrections in determining medical parole eligibility, the attorney general’s office decided last month.
The Parole Board voted 4-0 in October to request an attorney general’s opinion on the matter, asking whether its executive director had the statutory authority to place an inmate on the medical parole docket at a request made by any party. The request followed litigation filed by James Havens, a terminally ill Oklahoma prisoner who alleges the Department of Corrections did not adequately advance his medical parole application as his health deteriorated.
State law stipulates that the Department of Corrections director has the authority to recommend medical parole. But as the number of medical parole referrals plummeted, the Board says it received several requests to adopt an expansive view of medical parole and take docketing requests from additional parties.
“The state’s exposure to litigation will increase as long as the question remains outstanding, and the status quo unquestioned,” former Pardon and Parole Board Executive Director Tom Bates, who retired last month, wrote to Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
Just 12 prisoners have been referred to a medical parole docket since the Legislature modified the statute in 2021, with half of them ultimately securing release. In 2020 alone, a dozen prisoners were granted medical parole.
Meanwhile, the state’s aging prison population has doubled since 2009.
Make It Make Sense: Did the United States bomb Venezuela or not?
By Grant Hermes
Click to visit Grant’s Substack
National journalist and podcaster Grant Hermes of the “Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes“ podcast does a deep dive this week into an apparent attack on Venezuela.
President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement the week of Christmas; the US had attacked a Venezuelan port with a drone strike. But no one has been able to prove it definitively, leaving Americans wondering, are we at war or not?
Grant explains what we might know about the alleged airstrike, what we definitely know about the 30th strike on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea, and why this military campaign from the Trump Administration is setting off Iraq War alarm bells.
Quick national links:
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Trump says if Iran "kills peaceful protesters," the U.S. will "come to their rescue" (CBS News)
Trump pushes back amid scrutiny over his health (MS.NOW)
Swiss ski resort bar fire started by sparklers, investigators say, as desperate families wait for news of dead, missing (CBS News)
FBI says it thwarted potential New Year's terror attack 'directly inspired' by ISIS (ABC News)
Jan. 6 pipe bomb suspect ordered to remain detained until trial (ABC News)
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named Sports Illustrated's 2025 Sportsperson of the Year (KOCO)
• Antlers High School band takes home top honors from Liberty Bowl (KXII)
• Complaints of open records violations increased with launch of Oklahoma AG’s compliance portal (Oklahoma Voice)
• Sooner State Party hosting petition event in Midwest City (Midwest City Beacon)
• 'There's still some unknowns': Stores, customers prepare for SNAP restrictions on sweets (2 News Oklahoma)
• Thousands sign petition calling for transparency over OU instructor's firing (The Oklahoman)*
• Business owners heartbroken after fiery crash into Oklahoma City store kills 2 people (KOCO)
• BancFirst seeks foreclosure, receiver, on major Edmond TIF project (The Oklahoman)*
• 18-year-old Bryan County suspect at large after shooting leaves juvenile victim critically injured (KFOR)
• Court date set for BLM OKC director fraud and laundering case (News 9)
• Rick Silanskas accused of AI filings in American Heartland Theme Park case (NonDoc)
• Holiday Replay: Inside Oklahoma’s multimillion dollar STEM investment (Tulsa Flyer)
• Tulsa World's profiles of People to Watch in 2026 (Tulsa World)*
Oklahoma Memo’s Mission
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.
✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
✅ Strengthen your community.
‘Oklahoma Memo’ is on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is also a YouTube channel — and it’s all growing day by day.
Message me anytime at [email protected].