Sunday, August 23, 2026

MAGA PAC Targets Midterms, Smart Car Becomes Pizzeria, and Remember Infomercials?

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1861, Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow was placed under house arrest in Washington by Allan Pinkerton after intelligence from her network aided the Southern victory at Bull Run.

If you ever found yourself transfixed by a high-energy late-night TV infomercial, you might be surprised to learn that the format hasn't disappeared entirely. As we find out in Whatever Happened To…, the long-form ads have found a new platform.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counted down the 10 renovations homeowners regret most. Seventy-four percent of homeowners who renovated in the last five years wish they'd done something differently, and the most regretted upgrades aren't what you'd expect. Ayla broke down where these projects go wrong and shared simple tricks that could save you from making the same mistakes. So before you pick up a paintbrush or a sledgehammer, find out whether your dream upgrade is one homeowners wish they could undo. And if you've already survived a remodel, see if your biggest regret made the list. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, InvestorPlace, is sharing new research on emerging AI, robotics, and technology companies that analysts believe could represent some of the market’s next major investment opportunities.

Trump Ready to Spend Super PAC Cash

President Trump on Friday announced that he is prepared to spend “a lot” of money from his MAGA Inc. super PAC to support GOP candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.

Trump said, “I will tell you it’s about $850 million. I’ll be spending a lot of that money for—and my own money—but I’ll be spending a lot of that money for candidates that I think are good, Republican candidates.”

The super PAC did not spend on any candidates in June or July, but Trump said the money would be sent “very soon.”

Also on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she will return to work for MAGA, Inc., where she served as a spokesperson before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign. She plans to leave her White House role by the end of August.

Wildfires Expose Threat of Buried Bombs

Wildfires burning across Europe have exposed rusty bombs and mines left from World War I and II, with heat-triggered blasts reported in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Outside Bordeaux, a massive blaze uncovered a cache of World War II-era shells near Le Porge. Several detonated during the fire, and one punched through the wall of an evacuated house.

Fires have scorched more than 500,000 hectares this season, exceeding 2025's record pace and keeping bomb-disposal teams working alongside firefighters.

List: Favorite M&Ms by State

Caramel M&Ms edged out plain M&Ms as the most popular flavor of the beloved candy in a survey based on Internet searches.

Caramel, available since 2017, was the top choice in 12 states, one more than the original variety.

Peanut M&Ms won six states, including four in the South: Texas, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Georgia.

Among the brand’s many flavors, 13 varieties ranked No. 1 in at least one state, including caramel cold brew in Oregon, pretzel in South Dakota, and peanut butter cinnamon roll in New Hampshire.

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Elon's New Currency (BUY NOW)

It's bigger than SpaceX… xAI… or anything Tesla is working on. And it could launch a $480 trillion disruption, thanks to a massive rollout that's already begun all over America. Because Elon's new move targets the biggest market of them all… He's now launching a CURRENCY system. Here's exactly what to buy to profit.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ A brief tariff pause ended with the U.S. and Canada locked in a new trade fight. (Hear More)

➤ A father’s decision left his young son stranded thousands of feet up Mount Fuji. (Listen Now)

➤ The night sky is set to deliver a lunar show that will not be matched until 2028. (Podcast Available)

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➤ Most of us could use a few more healthy habits, but they don't have to be complicated. Quince has a wellness product that's become part of many of our daily routines. We think it's worth checking out if you're looking to make small improvements that add up over time. (More)

➤ A federal appeals court granted the NCAA a stay, temporarily blocking fifth-year eligibility for athletes entering college in 2022-23 after four straight seasons, except those covered by separate orders. (More)

➤ Cooper Thissen, a 12-year-old from Iowa, struck out 15 and homered for the only run as Iowa beat California 1-0 in a combined no-hitter on Friday at the Little League World Series. (See Highlights)

➤ The Professional Women's Hockey League said the Montreal Victoire's replica Walter Cup went missing in transit, forcing forward Dara Greig to postpone her scheduled day with the trophy in Lethbridge, Alberta. (More)

➤ Running back Nick Chubb announced his retirement Friday after eight NFL seasons, ending a four-time Pro Bowl career with the Browns and Texans that produced 7,349 rushing yards. (More)

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➤ Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy… But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous "blue zone" there eat each morning that… So, what's the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▼	NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	26,180.46	-2.26%
▼	SPX S&P 500	7,674.37	-1.49%
▼	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	53,277.01	-0.90%
▲	BTC Bitcoin	$78,335.19	24.70%
▲	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,624.10	5.22%
▲	SILVER Per Ounce	$69.47	5.95%
▲	OIL West Texas Intermediate Crude	$87.06	5.49%

Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil are traded 24 hours a day.

➤ The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 517.80 points on Friday but finished the week down 0.9% for back-to-back weekly losses. (More)

➤ The Department of Justice secured a $400 million settlement with TikTok and parent company ByteDance over compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. (More)

➤ Apple Inc. will cut about 200 jobs across the Siri digital assistant and the Vision Pro headset teams in an effort to focus on new devices and artificial intelligence. (More)

Today's Rotator section is brought to you by:

Ladies and gentlemen, here are our most-clicked stories of the week:

➤ Some of America's most popular design trends turn out to be the renovations homeowners regret most, and 74% of recent remodelers wish they'd done something differently. So which upgrades do homeowners wish they could undo, and is your dream renovation one of them? (Podcast Available)

➤ A Swiss developer is carving private vaults beneath 100 meters of Alpine rock for the super-rich to protect luxury cars, gold, fine wine, and artwork during global uncertainty. (See Vaults)

➤ Rescue pug Jinny Lu won the 2026 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, which celebrates unconventional canine beauty and promotes pet adoption by showcasing the qualities that make every dog unique. (See Pug)

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15X Bigger Than SpaceX: Elon's New Launch

While the rest of the market goes crazy for "the mother of all IPOs," a new Elon Musk innovation is quietly being rolled out nationwide. It's been 27 years in the making, and it could have a radical impact on how millions of people manage their money… and even collect Social Security. Here's everything you need to know.

➤ Former Kansas Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, a Republican, died at 94 after becoming the first woman elected to the Senate without following a spouse into office. She served three terms. (More)

➤ The U.S. is preparing sanctions targeting Iran’s oil smuggling, cash transfers, front companies, and ship registries despite Tehran’s president claiming victory and calling for an end to the war. (More)

➤ A Texas judge denied convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial despite claims an agreement between attorneys prevented his testimony. Anthony received 35 years for fatally stabbing another student at a 2025 track meet. (More)

➤ Pentagon officials moved on Friday to fire Stars and Stripes’ publisher, editor in chief, and Middle East reporter, citing insubordination over interviews they gave CBS News. (More)

➤ Dolly Parton reassured fans after missing a scheduled Dollywood appearance, saying she is recovering from health problems she neglected while caring for her late husband and remains under doctor-ordered travel restrictions. (More)

➤ A New York City chef turned a bright green Smart car into Pizza Pod, a two-oven mobile pizzeria serving handcrafted pies for $16 to $20 at pop-ups and events. (More)

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➤ Easy water hack for bladder control. US Army researchers decoded a shockingly easy water trick with two ingredients that can improve muscle strength by 36%, improve bladder health by 58%, and give you control back…All by targeting the true cause of bladder problems. > Try this simple Army-discovered water trick to help strengthen your bladder and reduce constant nagging.

Whatever happened to TV Infomercials?

If you ever found yourself wide awake at 2 a.m., mesmerized by a man slicing tomatoes paper-thin while shouting "But wait, there's more!" then you already know about the golden age of TV infomercials. And odds are, the man doing the slicing was Ron Popeil.

Popeil essentially invented the format. He started hawking kitchen gadgets at 16 on Chicago's Maxwell Street, then took his pitch to television in 1959 with the Chop-O-Matic. His company, Ronco, became a household name, and when the FCC relaxed its rules on program-length commercials in 1984, the floodgates opened.

Suddenly, every insomniac in America was a captive audience for the Veg-O-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman, the Flowbee, and Popeil's masterpiece—the Showtime Rotisserie, which moved over a billion dollars in sales on the strength of four unforgettable words: "Set it and forget it."

Other pitchmen followed. Billy Mays brought his thundering "Hi, Billy Mays here!" to OxiClean. Kevin Trudeau sold millions of diet books before a federal judge sent him to prison for fraud. The format became so iconic that SNL parodied it repeatedly, starting with Dan Aykroyd's legendary Bass-O-Matic sketch in 1976.

Then the audience vanished. Streaming killed the graveyard slot. Mays died in 2009 at 50. Popeil followed in 2021 at 86. Ronco filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated in 2018.

But the infomercial didn't really die—it just moved. Today's version is TikTok Shop, where energetic creators demo products live with a buy button baked right in. The platform is projected to top $20 billion in U.S. sales this year, and one creator with fewer than 40,000 followers pulled in nearly $2 million in a single month.

The TikTok Shop DNA is pure Popeil: charismatic personality, live demo, manufactured urgency, impulse buy. He just would've needed a shorter pitch.

Did you ever buy a Ronco product? Or another product advertised on an infomercial? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.

New York Mets fans at Citi Field spotted a raccoon reaching through a hole in the stands, foraging for discarded food.

Which classic infomercial product would you most want today?

Yesterday's Results:

Do you own your home outright?

Yes, free and clear: 59%
Not yet: 23%
I'll never pay it off: 9%
Renting, happily: 4%
Renting, not by choice: 3%
Other: 2%

Daily Quote

"Now I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I have had a few little health issues. And sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated. So I guess if your doctor tells you you ain’t traveling this week, you ain’t traveling this week."

— Dolly Parton, explaining her canceled Dollywood appearance.

Today's Trivia

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Cincinnati Open, Bleday’s Cycle, and a Bicentennial Barn

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1937, Army aviators in Dayton completed the world’s first fully automatic airplane landing while flying a Fokker C-14 from Wright Field to Patterson Field.

🎓 Three Ohio universities landed among the nation's top 25 "party schools," including one Buckeye State school just outside the top 10. See which schools made the list in Et Cetera.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counted down the 10 renovations homeowners regret most. 74% of homeowners who renovated in the last five years wish they'd done something differently, and the most regretted upgrades aren't what you'd expect. Ayla broke down where these projects go wrong and shared simple tricks that could save you from making the same mistakes. So before you pick up a paintbrush or a sledgehammer, find out whether your dream upgrade is one homeowners wish they could undo. And if you've already survived a remodel, see if your biggest regret made the list. Tune in here!

Today's edition is brought to you by Cacao Bliss. Try their delicious heart-healthy hot cocoa superfood drink.

Cincinnati Open Finals Set

The Cincinnati Open will crown its singles champions today, with Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula meeting for the women’s title and fellow American Frances Tiafoe facing France’s Arthur Fils for the men’s championship.

Gauff, the 2023 Cincinnati champion, beat Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1, while Pegula defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. It’s the first all-American Cincinnati Open women’s final since 1970.

On the men’s side, Tiafoe beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-3, while Fils topped Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4.

A $260 million overhaul has transformed the Cincinnati Open’s Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason from what one top player called the tour's "worst" facility into one of its most praised venues.

The site has doubled in size, from about 20 acres to more than 40 acres, and the number of outdoor courts increased from 21 to 31. The renovation also added a new stadium and a 56,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Kroger Settlement Opens Claims

Pharmacy customers of Cincinnati-based Kroger who used insurance to pay all or part of a prescription between Dec. 9, 2018, and Aug. 23, 2026, may qualify for a share of a proposed $17 million class-action settlement.

The lawsuit alleges Kroger failed to account for discounted Kroger Savings Club rates when reporting "usual and customary" prescription prices, causing some insured customers to pay more for generic drugs.

Kroger denies wrongdoing, but agreed to settle without admitting liability. Claims are due Dec. 21, and requests for exclusion are due Oct. 22.

A fairness hearing is set for Jan. 11, 2027, in Columbus. No estimate has been announced for individual payments.

Historic Barn Anchors New Park

Delaware County held a grand opening celebration for McCammon Creek Park and its restored Bicentennial Barn in Orange Township after a years-long effort to preserve the property and create a community gathering place.

The 248-acre park includes woods, streams, prairies, and hiking trails. The barn, built around 1900, displays one of Ohio's 88 Bicentennial logos created for the state's 200th birthday in 2003.

The barn was dismantled and rebuilt while preserving 98% of its original siding and timber. The $4.68 million renovation was funded with state money and private donations.

The restored facility features an event hall available to rent, and public tours start in September.

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Longevity breakfast dessert enjoyed by Blue Zone Costa Ricans helps them live to 100?

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous "blue zone" there eat each morning that…

✅ Keeps them lean even into their 70s, 80s, and 90s…
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes, and maintains healthy insulin sensitivity…
✅ Keeps their blood pressure at normal healthy levels…
✅ Keeps their hearts and arteries strong and clean well into old age, with a striking lack of heart disease in their population…
✅ Even helps them have 7x more Centenarians than Japanese people…

So what's the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

Click below to discover Costa Rica's Blue Zone secret:

>> Eat this Costa Rican longevity "dessert" for breakfast.

P.S. Here's the crazy part - while Costa Ricans are living longer with this morning ritual, Americans trying it are losing 7 lbs in a couple weeks as a "side effect." Not a bad bonus, right?

➤ Middletown: Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said at Friday’s Cleveland-Cliffs event in Middletown that he plans to serve only one additional Senate term before leaving Washington, saying, “What happens in Washington, D.C. is not the real world.” (More)

➤ Cincinnati: Vice President JD Vance served cheese coneys and beer at Price Hill Chili after the Cleveland-Cliffs event in Middletown and appeared with Republican congressional candidate Eric Conroy. (See Photo)

➤ Buckeye Lake: Interstate 70 reopened early Saturday after flooding near Buckeye Lake. The South Fork Licking River crested at 882.8 feet Friday, just below its 2020 record. (More)

➤ Columbus: A southwest Columbus Walmart was evacuated Saturday after a bomb threat. Fire officials described the threat as having “low credibility,” and a bomb unit sweep found nothing. (More)

➤ Butler County: Officials allege that VOA Country Music Festival organizers repeatedly paid bills late, missed public safety deadlines, and failed to generate sufficient economic benefit. (More)

➤ Athens: Ohio University faculty union leaders have accused administrators of delaying negotiations over the union's first contract. The university denies intentional delays and says negotiators have met more than 25 times since August 2025. (More)

➤ Toledo: A fire damaged the former Mount Vernon Elementary School Friday evening. No injuries were reported, and the blaze remains under investigation. (More)

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➤ Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday hit for the cycle, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs in Saturday’s 11-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was the Reds’ first cycle since Elly De La Cruz in 2023. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Ohio State football named Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Austin Siereveld, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Payton Pierce, and Jaylen McClain its 2026 captains. Inniss will wear the Block O jersey. (See Captains)

➤ Former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb retired after eight NFL seasons, including seven with Cleveland. His 6,843 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns both rank third in franchise history. (More)

➤ Hamilton West Side stayed alive at the Little League World Series with a combined no-hitter, routing Massachusetts 10-0 in Saturday's elimination game. The Ohio team faces Boerne, Texas, at 3 p.m. Monday on ESPN. (More)

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➤ Could Chocolate Help Support Your GLP-1 Levels? One particular form of chocolate is getting attention for its potential effect on GLP-1, a hormone involved in appetite and metabolism. While some people turn to expensive injections, others are exploring this surprisingly simple approach. Could your favorite treat hold the key? Discover the #1 chocolate for supporting metabolism and GLP-1 >>

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3 foods that are loading your body with microplastics

According to Dr. Rick Cohen - a renowned Duke University MD - these 3 "micro-plastic foods" are secretly poisoning Americans…

Because they’re packed with tiny pieces of plastic that can raise your risk of a heart attack, build up inside your brain and damage organs in your body. These "3 foods" are some of America's favorite seafood, a common vegetable and something you sprinkle EVERY day on your meals.

Avoid these 3 "micro-plastic foods at all costs

➤ Miami University ranked No. 11, the University of Dayton No. 23, and The Ohio State University No. 25 on a new ranking of the nation's top 25 college party schools. (See Rankings)

➤ A penny farthing bicycle race will debut in Plain City on Sept. 10, sending riders around a 0.9-mile downtown loop for as many laps as they can complete in one hour. (See Details)

➤ Ohio State's upgraded BuckID system now supports tap access and mobile wallets, allowing eligible users to store the student ID on phones and watches. (More)

➤ Lake County author Jennifer Boresz Engelking is bringing lesser-known Northeast Ohio history to readers through books and public events, including a new book about Euclid's Our Lady of Lourdes National Shrine. (See Schedule)

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➤ Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy. But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” that Costa Ricans in the famous "blue zone" there eat each morning. So, what's the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?