Friday, May 8, 2026

Rubio Meets Pope Leo, China Warns Influencer Plot, Ultramarathon Runner Dies

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Today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast with Ayla Brown has a few stories you won’t find in today’s emailed edition, only in the podcast episode, because not everything fits in an inbox.

Here's a sneak peek of what we're diving into in today's Podcast Extra section:

➤ Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, reportedly discussing “pressing international issues.” (Hear Details)

➤ China is saying that foreign forces are secretly paying influencers to convince young people to stop working hard. (Hear Episode)

➤ A runner has died while competing in a 250-mile ultramarathon across Arizona. (Listen Now)

Hit play and get the full scoop.

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Yost Resigns, Sinkhole Repairs, and Stressful Offramps

Friday, May 8, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1945, The Cleveland Press published one of the most iconic newspaper editions marking Victory in Europe Day. The front page featured a page-sized red-and-blue “V” over the headline, “Allies Proclaim Victory in Europe.”

⚓️ Yesterday, you read about the USS Cleveland, which is set to arrive in Ohio tomorrow on Lake Erie ahead of next week’s commissioning. If you plan to see the ship, please send us your photos! We’d love to feature one in The Ohio Flyover next week.

⚾️ Also, if you’ve never seen a vintage baseball game, you’re in luck. The Ohio Village Muffins and Lady Diamonds will face the Capitol Cannons on the West Lawn of the Ohio Statehouse next week. Read more about the event in Sports.

Say goodbye to backbreaking scrubbing and tangled cords. Today's sponsor, the HydroX5 Cordless Pressure Washer, delivers powerful, hassle-free cleaning that makes spring refreshes faster, easier, and oddly satisfying.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

AG Yost Resigns

Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Attorney General Dave Yost will resign from office June 7, a surprise move months before his term expires. Yost can’t seek reelection because of term limits.

Yost is set to become vice president of strategic research at Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group that has won 18 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court in the past 15 years.

Yost previously sought the Republican nomination for governor but dropped out after the Ohio Republican Party made an early endorsement of Vivek Ramaswamy.

DeWine will have to appoint an interim replacement just months before the election. Republican Keith Faber, the current state auditor, ran uncontested in the Republican primary for attorney general. He’ll face Democrat John Kulewicz in the general election.

Hospitals Receive New Safety Grades

Twenty-nine Ohio hospitals earned A grades for safety in The Leapfrog Group’s spring 2026 Hospital Safety Grade report. You can find each Ohio hospital’s grade here.

According to Leapfrog, hospitals were assigned A-F grades “based on their ability to protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections.”

Four Cleveland Clinic hospitals and four University Hospitals locations earned A grades, though UH’s main campus dropped from an A to a B, and the Cleveland Clinic’s main campus received a C.

Kettering Health’s main campus and four other Kettering hospitals received A grades. No OhioHealth hospitals received a grade, a designation Leapfrog says applies to systems that didn’t participate in the 2024 or 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

Brent Spence Project Enters Key Phase

Gov. Mike DeWine is scheduled to join Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, in Cincinnati today for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Brent Spence Bridge corridor project.

The ceremony marks the start of a key phase of the project that will add a companion bridge next to the Brent Spence Bridge.

The $4.05 billion project is expected to be completed in 2031 and will include a double-decker companion bridge, two approaches, and restriping of the existing Brent Spence Bridge.

Long-term closures will start on May 20, affecting I-71 and I-75 traffic. More information is available on the project website.

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➤ Statewide: Voter turnout in this year’s primary election rose slightly from the past two midterm cycles, with 22.6% of registered voters casting ballots, compared with 20.8% in 2022 and 21% in 2018. (More)

➤ Richland County: Voters upheld a ban on wind and solar power that had been imposed by the county’s three Republican commissioners. (More)

➤ Reading: Police Chief Bryan Edens was placed on administrative leave pending an unspecified internal investigation, and Lt. Daniel Flottemesch was named interim chief. (More)

➤ Cleveland: Crews expect to repair a sinkhole that opened in March at West 3rd Street and West St. Clair Avenue before the Cleveland Marathon weekend begins on May 16. (Watch Video)

➤ Cincinnati: Roads and sidewalks around Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati-area home will be closed this weekend, with law enforcement setting up three checkpoints. (Details)

➤ Sandusky: The city plans to open the first of five new roundabouts today at Cleveland Road and Cedar Point Drive, and will reopen Cedar Point’s main entrance one day before the park’s opening day. (More)

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➤ The Cleveland Browns reportedly could target former University of Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby in the NFL supplemental draft after he took leave from Texas Tech because of a gambling addiction. (More)

➤ Alabama will keep its home-and-home football series with Ohio State in 2027 and 2028, sending the Crimson Tide to Columbus before the Buckeyes travel to Tuscaloosa the following year. (More)

➤ The Ohio Village Muffins and Lady Diamonds will face the Capitol Cannons on Tuesday at the Ohio Statehouse in a vintage baseball game featuring 1860s rules and an 1864 cannon blast. (Details)

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➤ JetBlue will restart service at John Glenn Columbus International Airport this fall after an 18-year absence, offering flights from Columbus to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. (More)

➤ Meijer opened a new 159,000-square-foot supercenter on the site of the former Geauga Lake amusement park in Aurora. (More)

➤ Breeze Airways has resumed nonstop service from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to San Diego and San Francisco. (More)

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➤ SpaceX is expected to go public in June, but most investors won’t get direct IPO access. That’s why the Trading Tips Research Team created a free report highlighting seven publicly traded space stocks positioned to benefit from a potential $1.5 trillion SpaceX valuation. Discover the companies with real revenue, catalysts, and upside potential before the IPO.

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➤ Cincinnati’s I-75 Exit 16 to I-275 ranked as Ohio’s most stressful off-ramp in a new study, with Cleveland, Columbus, and Akron ramps rounding out the top four. (See List)

➤ Heritage is asking residents to share their favorite local historic buildings as part of an effort to celebrate the past and encourage reinvestment across the state. (Details)

➤ An ingredient shortage forced Ohio-based Roosters to temporarily change its signature ranch dressing, but the company assured customers the original recipe will return. (More)

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Have you ever watched a vintage baseball game?

Yesterday's Results:

What’s your favorite flower?

Roses: 19%
Hydrangeas: 13%
Tulips: 12%
Sunflowers: 12%
Other: 12%
Carnations: 11%
Daisies: 11%
Lilies: 10%

Which Ohio village is home to the state’s oldest bowstring bridge?

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New Veterans Cemetery, Clarence Thomas, and River Club Closes

Friday, May 8, 2026

Good Morning! On May 8, 1886, the first Coca-Cola was sold at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta.

This week marks Small Business Week, and the owner of Goat Kick Coffee in Evans discusses her business strategy and the importance of community support here.

Another small business, Hummingbird Flowers in Hampton, shows how it’s handling the Mother’s Day flower rush. Share your favorite flowers in today’s Poll.

Say goodbye to back-breaking scrubbing and tangled cords. Today's sponsor, the HydroX5 Cordless Pressure Washer delivers powerful, hassle-free cleaning that makes spring refreshes faster, easier, and oddly satisfying.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Veterans Cemetery Plans Advance

The Augusta area's first veterans cemetery is moving closer to becoming a reality, with plans advancing for a long-awaited final resting place for the region's military heroes.

If construction begins before the end of 2026, an 18-month build timeline puts a summer 2028 opening within reach. The cemetery will sit on state-owned land near Gracewood.

Earlier this year, the project reached a funding milestone by securing a federal grant through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The first phase will cover roughly 50 acres and include an entrance, administration building, burial sections, and maintenance facilities. More than 100 additional acres have been identified for future expansion.

FBI Keeps Ballots

A federal judge ruled that the FBI can keep the 2020 election ballots seized from Fulton County, rejecting the county’s bid to have the materials returned.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee found Fulton County failed to show that any FBI affidavit or actions in the case were deficient as a result of any "callous disregard" by agents.

The FBI search targeted the county’s elections hub in Union City on Jan. 28, with agents hauling away 656 boxes of documents from a warehouse. The Justice Department says it’s investigating “irregularities” during the 2020 presidential election.

Town Loses Entire Police Force

A Whitfield County town woke up Wednesday to find its police department dissolved by Mayor Ron Shinnick, who posted a sign at the station declaring the department closed.

In response, the town council scheduled a special meeting for today to formally request Shinnick's removal as mayor and the reinstatement of the department.

Whitfield County Sheriff Darren Pierce announced his office would assume all policing responsibilities in the interim, with no disruption to emergency response times.

The firings followed a months-long dispute over the mayor's wife and former town clerk, Pam Shinnick, who allegedly retained access to town systems and payrolls despite her termination for allegedly causing a hostile work environment.

Police officers filed formal complaints about her conduct. Former police Sgt. Jeremy May called Friday's mass firing "a personal vendetta."

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➤ Pin Point: Native son Clarence Thomas on Thursday became the second-longest serving U.S. Supreme Court justice in history, having served for more than 34 years. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Gov. Brian Kemp faces pressure to suspend Georgia's congressional primary as fellow Republicans push for a redrawing of House district maps. (More)

➤ State: The state Department of Public Health is monitoring two residents who returned from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak. Both show no signs of illness. (More)

➤ North Georgia: Storms dropped 2 to 3 inches of rain across the region overnight Wednesday, helping ease dry conditions. (More)

➤ South Georgia: Storms rolled through the region on Thursday, bringing damaging winds to some areas. (More)

➤ Columbus: A Sinaloa cartel member was sentenced to prison as part of Operation Sweet Silence, a federal investigation yielding 30 convictions and the seizure of $20 million in drugs in the area. (More)

➤ Augusta: The city broke ground on the Village at Riverwatch Trailhead and Pedestrian Bridge on the Augusta Canal, to include a kayak launch, fishing areas, and walking trails. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Braves dropped their series finale against Seattle this week, their first series loss of the 2026 season. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons learned who they will play in 2026, giving new head coach Kevin Stefanski a clearer picture of his inaugural season. A detailed schedule is set for release later this month. (More)

➤ ESPN ranked Georgia football No. 4 nationally in its offseason power rankings, pointing to a talented recruiting class and the third-most returning production in the SEC. (More)

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➤ The Chattahoochee River Club private dining restaurant in Columbus closed after 34 years, citing a decline in membership support, economic challenges, and an aging infrastructure. (More)

➤ Albany-area leaders are pushing for more investment in hospitality and visitor infrastructure, citing a study that found tourism generates more than $300 million for the Dougherty County economy. (More)

➤ Delta Air Lines will eliminate free snacks and beverages on flights under 350 miles starting May 19, affecting many on short trips in Georgia and elsewhere. (More)

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➤ National Day of Prayer services filled venues across the state on Thursday, including in Macon. (More)

➤ The city of Morven's annual Peach Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 16, featuring a parade, vendors, entertainment, and a kids' corner. (More)

➤ Graduation ceremonies for undergraduates at the University of Georgia will take place today at Sanford Stadium. Graduate student ceremonies took place on Thursday. (More)

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