Saturday, June 13, 2026

Government Secrets, Extreme Weather, and a Washington Mystery

Good Morning!

Today's podcast sponsor, KneNest Pillow, is designed to provide ergonomic support and pressure relief while you sleep, helping you wake up feeling more rested, comfortable, and ready for the day ahea

Today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast with Amy Hess 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:

➤ The Pentagon released its third batch of UFO files as a new poll shows 8 in 10 Americans believe the government is hiding what it knows. (Hear More)

➤ Tornadoes tore through the Midwest as record heat scorches both coasts, with severe storms threatening 66 million people. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal authorities are investigating giant "8647" markings that appeared on the National Mall, days before America's 250th anniversary events. (Podcast Available)

Hit play and get the full scoop.

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FBI Raids Voting Group, HS Baseball, and 3 Great World Cup Bars

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2016, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving kept the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season alive with a 112-97 Game 5 win over Golden State, becoming the first pair of teammates to each score at least 40 points in an NBA Finals game.

The Pentagon just dropped its third batch of UFO files, and this time, we’re not just going to report what was in the folder, but instead move to the real question: Is there intelligent life out there? We’ll give you the strongest arguments on both sides, and then reveal what your fellow Americans actually believe. Tune into our Podcast as Amy breaks down where the debate stands on intelligent life beyond earth. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor, EnergyX, is helping meet surging lithium demand from AI, EVs, and battery technology with patented extraction tech, major industry backing, and an early-stage investment opportunity before its July 16 deadline.

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.

FBI Raids Ohio Voter Registration Group

Federal agents raided the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a voter registration nonprofit, at its Cleveland offices and other locations across the state earlier this week.

More than 100 FBI agents questioned employees and seized laptops and other electronic devices in raids covering Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Youngstown, board member Prentiss Haney said. Agents also visited staff members' homes.

The investigation is centered on the group's voter registration efforts, according to people familiar with the matter. Haney called the operation "a full-on assault," saying agents followed staff to school and work.

The group, founded in 2007, accused the Justice Department of intimidation. Congresswoman Shontel Brown called the raids "alarming." The FBI has not publicly explained the scope of the investigation.

Senate Bans Sex Offenders From Schools

The Ohio Senate voted 33-0 this week to pass SB 422, a bill that would ban registered sex offenders from entering school property across the state.

The bill now heads to the Ohio House. Supporters argued SB 422 fills a gap in Ohio's existing sex offender restrictions, which already limit where offenders can live and work but had not explicitly barred them from school grounds.

Backers called SB 422 a common-sense child safety measure, and the unanimous support in the chamber underscored broad backing for keeping registered offenders away from Ohio's students.

The vote comes as the Ohio Supreme Court weighs the legal definition of "place of employment" after a registered sex offender was arrested in 2023 for working at a kids' summer camp through a janitorial service and not reporting it to authorities.

St. Xavier Take First Baseball Title Since 2003

St. Xavier won its first baseball state championship since 2003 on Friday night, beating Greater Catholic League-South rival Bishop Moeller 4-2 in the Division I state final in Akron.

The Bombers (27-5) struck first on a Jackson Sherrard RBI double and pushed ahead 3-0 before Moeller cut it to 3-2, but Braden Bricking's seventh-inning sacrifice fly provided the winning cushion.

The win was St. X's third over Moeller in four meetings this season and just the program's second baseball state title ever, the first since topping Milford in 2003.

Moeller (25-7) finishes as state runner-up in its first championship-game appearance since winning the 2023 title. Greater Cincinnati got another shot at a crown Friday night, with Badin (28-3) facing Columbus Bishop Watterson for the Division III title.

AI's 80,000-Ton Battery Problem

As AI infrastructure explodes, so does lithium demand. Google's AI data centers currently use 100M+ lithium-ion cells for reliable, always-on power.

The problem? Big Tech’s race to build massive new data center capacity has Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80k-ton lithium shortage this year.

Few companies are better positioned to benefit than EnergyX. Their patented tech produces up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster than evaporation ponds.

Beyond the tech, they have rights to ~150,000 acres of lithium-rich land across North and South America, and they’ve just announced plans for their second lithium production plant in America. Now, they hold rights to up to 13M tons of lithium across North and South America.

Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Statewide: Ohio lawmakers approved $350 million in one-time property tax credits for roughly 710,000 qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners. Each eligible household is expected to receive about $500 starting January 2027, funded by the state's $1.5 billion budget surplus. (More)

➤ Toledo: A suspect was arrested Thursday in connection with the Old West End Festival mass shooting that wounded 12 people last weekend. Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, faces 11 counts of felonious assault while another suspect remains at large. (More)

➤ Statewide: Ohio consumer spending is softening under the pressure of rising gasoline prices, with retail and discretionary categories showing the sharpest strain. Analysts warn gas costs could continue climbing. (More)

➤ Columbus: Ohio lawmakers passed a bipartisan Medicaid fraud crackdown during their final session before summer recess, strengthening enforcement against fraudulent billing and provider misconduct. (More)

➤ Statewide: Ohio lawmakers passed Senate Bill 276, which would require public schools to teach students the "success sequence"—graduating high school, getting a job, and marrying before having children, in that order—as a graduation requirement for grades 6-12. (More)

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➤ Three Ohio bars earned spots on a national list of the best places to watch the FIFA World Cup: City Tavern in Columbus, The Pitch in Cincinnati, and The Old Angle Tavern in Cleveland. (See List)

➤ Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith rank among the betting favorites for the Heisman Trophy entering this fall’s college football season. (See Favorites)

➤ Ohio sports betting is surging to new highs as the FIFA World Cup and NBA Finals drive statewide wagering activity to record levels this month. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | NCAA World Series | WNBA | Golf

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor.

EnergyX acquired the rights to 35k gross acres of lithium-rich land right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than usual methods.

Now they’re preparing to drill and unlock America’s next major lithium supply. General Motors and 50k+ everyday people already invested. Invest in EnergyX before their July 16 investment deadline.

➤ Buckeye Country Superfest transforms Ohio Stadium into a country music destination today, with Tyler Childers and the Red Clay Strays headlining the annual Horseshoe takeover. (More)

➤ Parade the Circle returns to Cleveland's Wade Oval Saturday for its 34th year in the Cleveland Museum of Art's beloved free celebration of art, culture, and community. (More)

➤ Columbus Arts Festival headlines a stacked June weekend downtown, with 614Day, World Cup watch parties, and Picnic with the Pops all converging June 12–14. (More)

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Are you planning to attend Buckeye Country Superfest today?

Yesterday's Results:

Would you want to go to space?

No way: 51%
Maybe: 25%
Definitely: 24%

Who was the only Ohioan to hold the top office in all three branches of state government?

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South Georgia Wildfires Contained, New Trader Joe's, and Frannie the Giraffe

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1955, Leah Ward Sears, who served as chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 2005 to 2009, was born in Heidelberg, Germany.

An iconic Olympic structure in Atlanta will be heading to a new home within the city. Learn more in Top Stories.

The Pentagon just dropped its third batch of UFO files, and this time, we’re not just going to report what was in the folder, but instead move to the real question: Is there intelligent life out there? We’ll give you the strongest arguments on both sides, and then reveal what your fellow Americans actually believe. Tune in to The Flyover Podcast as Amy breaks down where the debate stands on intelligent life beyond earth. Tune in here!

Don’t feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

South Georgia Wildfires 100% Contained

The Georgia Forestry Commission says the Pineland Road and Highway 82 wildfires in South Georgia are now fully contained.

The two wildfires, which destroyed a record number of homes, burned more than 50,000 acres combined and cost Georgia over $35 million in containment and response efforts.

A disaster relief program is offering housing-related financial assistance to residents of 91 designated counties who were affected by the wildfires, with applications due by midnight July 15.

With the containment of the wildfires, forestry officials are warning residents to remain alert as 30 wildfires across the state burned more than 281 acres between June 3 and June 10.

Atlanta’s Olympic Cauldron To Be Moved

Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic Cauldron is set to be relocated from its current site in Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park.

Georgia State University is partnering with Olympic leaders Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young to move the structure.

The move will only rehome the cauldron, while the 120-foot flame tower and the Olympic rings bridge will remain in place and eventually be enhanced.

No timeline for the relocation has been announced.

Student Awarded Over $17 Million in Scholarships

Patrick Pruitt, a recent graduate from Woodland High School in Henry County, has been accepted to 264 colleges and offered more than $17 million in scholarships, an amount officials believe could be a national record.

Even though Pruitt’s 1200 SAT score made him qualified for free tuition at any public college or university in the state, he decided to attend Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he received a scholarship package worth about $260,000.

Pruitt applied to 270 colleges and universities; he was rejected from only six.

“He’s very self-driven, self-motivated, resilient,” said Pruitt’s mother, Alicia Brantley. “After all this is said and done, he can see the fruits of his labor, and that’s a beautiful experience to witness.”

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AI's 80,000-Ton Battery Problem

As AI infrastructure explodes, so does lithium demand. Google's AI data centers currently use 100M+ lithium-ion cells for reliable, always-on power.

The problem? Big Tech’s race to build massive new data center capacity has Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80k-ton lithium shortage this year.

Few companies are better positioned to benefit than EnergyX. Their patented tech produces up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster than evaporation ponds.

Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Tybee Island: The island has recorded 27 sea turtle nests this season as of Wednesday, already surpassing last year's total of 19. (More)

➤ Baldwin County: The school district broke ground on a new Oak Hill Middle School athletic complex earlier this week that will include upgraded fields, facilities, seating, and parking, with completion expected this fall. (More)

➤ Johns Creek: The city’s first Trader Joe’s opened on Thursday at Medley Boulevard. Over 30 new employees were hired at the 9,240-square-foot location. (More)

➤ Lavonia: Downtown is set to receive $500,000 for streetscape enhancements, including intersection realignments, extended sidewalks, and upgraded crosswalks. (More)

➤ Crisp County: Nine people were displaced due to a late-night house fire on US Highway 280 East; no injuries were reported, and the cause is being investigated. (More)

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➤ Georgia baseball opens College World Series play tonight against Texas in Omaha. The Bulldogs are making their first trip to the CWS since 2008 and bring a lineup led by Golden Spikes Award finalist Daniel Jackson, who’s hitting .396 with 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases. (More)

➤ Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said this week the city is "ready to welcome the world" ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which brings its first match to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday. The city plans to deploy its entire police force for the monthlong event. (More)

➤ The Falcons acquired offensive tackle Wanya Morris from the Kansas City Chiefs for a swap of late-round 2027 draft picks. Morris, a 2023 third-round pick, adds tackle depth after the retirement of starter Kaleb McGary. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | NCAA World Series | WNBA | Golf

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor.

EnergyX acquired the rights to 35k gross acres of lithium-rich land right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than usual methods.

➤ Atlanta is the cheapest U.S. host city for attending a 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage match, with an estimated average cost of $1,642 per fan, according to an analysis by LendingTree. (More)

➤ The Georgia Safari Conservation Park in Madison has welcomed Frannie, an 18-month-old, 1,000-pound reticulated giraffe from the Global Wildlife Center in Louisiana. (More)

➤ A 25-foot century plant blooming for the first time in over two decades is drawing crowds to a Savannah woman's rose garden. (More)

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