This week, Ryan Welton and Grant Hermes return after a brief break to unpack one of the busiest news weeks of the summer.

The conversation begins with President Trump's appearance at the NBA Finals in New York, including the reaction from Knicks fans and the growing intersection of sports and politics. From there, Ryan and Grant discuss the upcoming UFC event at the White House and what it says about the administration's approach to public spectacle.

They also examine the politics surrounding the World Cup, immigration concerns affecting international athletes and officials, and why sports have always been intertwined with larger political movements.

Other topics include:

• Trump's appearance at Madison Square Garden
• Celebrity culture and NBA fandom
• UFC's White House event and the Freedom 250 celebration
• World Cup politics and immigration concerns
• Protests over a luxury development project in Albania
• The latest developments involving Iran and U.S. military actions
• Oklahoma's 2026 governor's race and Republican primary dynamics
• Cyndi Munson and the Democratic field
• California politics and celebrity candidates
• A new social-news platform called SaySo

The Oklahoma Memo Podcast features weekly conversations between Oklahoma Memo founder Ryan Welton and journalist Grant Hermes, host of Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes.

You can find Grant's work at mimsnewspod.substack.com or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mimsnewspod

And you can sign up for Oklahoma Memo at OklahomaMemo.com/subscribe