Friday, April 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1849, future associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court William Rufus Day was born in Ravenna.

🏀 The Cleveland Cavaliers open their NBA playoff run Saturday with Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors. Read more about the Cavs’ first-round series in today’s Top Stories.

If you're planning a trip this summer, you need to hear this: Jet fuel prices have nearly doubled since February, and airlines are passing every penny along to you, through higher fares, fewer flights, and hidden fees. On today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown explains how the war in Iran is affecting travel costs across the board. Plus insight on what airlines aren't telling you and what experts say you should do now to protect your summer plans. Tune in here!

👟 And in Business, read about a popular shoe company’s shocking decision to pivot into a completely different industry.

Today’s sponsor, American PowerGen, is stepping up to meet the massive energy demands of the AI boom with ambitious power projects designed to keep the grid, and innovation, running.

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.

Cavs Host Raptors in First-Round Series

After securing the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors in a best-of-seven series.

Cleveland is built around four core players: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Since Harden arrived in a February trade, however, the group has logged just 92 minutes on the court together.

Toronto won all three regular-season meetings with Cleveland, though those games came in the season’s first month and featured Cavaliers lineups that looked far different.

Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Raptors tips off at 1 p.m. Saturday and will air on Prime Video. Cleveland enters as an 8.5-point favorite. The full NBA postseason bracket is available here.

ODOT: Late Mergers Are in the Right

Though many drivers find it frustrating, the Ohio Department of Transportation said motorists who wait until the last moment to move from a closing lane are actually merging correctly.

In a 2024 Facebook post, ODOT encouraged motorists to use the "zipper merge" just before the lane ends, saying it can reduce congestion by 40%.

The post drew hundreds of comments, with many users arguing drivers are too “inconsiderate” for zipper merges to work smoothly.

ODOT’s message comes as the department plans to spend a record $3.4 billion on nearly 1,000 road construction projects statewide in 2026.

Ohio Destinations Earn Honors in Midwest Awards

Several Ohio towns and businesses earned recognition in Midwest Living’s Best of the Midwest Awards 2026, including The Junto in Franklinton, which was named the region’s Hotel of the Year.

The Fidelity Hotel in Cleveland, Hotel Celare in Cincinnati, and the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland were also recognized in two other hotel categories, while The Cliffs at Hocking Hills was named one of the Midwest’s most unique getaways.

Cincinnati was named one of nine Midwestern cities of the year, while Granville ranked among the 12 top small towns. Put-in-Bay was also recognized in the 10 Midwest Lake Escapes category.

Food and drink honorees included Rhonemus Cellars, a winery and restaurant in Lancaster, and A Tavola, a pizza shop in Madeira. All award categories can be found here.

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The AI Bottleneck is No Longer Chips, It’s Electricity

The biggest names in tech are converging on Texas, as Oracle, Google, Amazon, and Meta all build massive AI data centers.

They’re not alone either. In 2026, 140 will break ground in Texas alone. But this need for massive amounts of always-on power creates major strain on the grid.

American PowerGen is ready. Led by a team with $5B+ worth of previous power project acquisitions, they specialize in getting these difficult projects off the ground, fast.

This year, they’ll break ground on a project set to supply enough energy to power 3M homes. By 2028, they plan to scale capacity 3X+.

They’ve already turned down multiple acquisition offers. Don’t wait to join. Share in American PowerGen’s growth as an early-stage investor today to unlock guaranteed bonus stock.

➤ Statewide: Officials launched a school attendance dashboard to track chronic absences, defined as missing at least 10% of the school year, as more than 25% of Ohio students were chronically absent last year. (More)

➤ Also statewide: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose returned to the Buckeye State after being activated for duty with the Ohio National Guard in March and deployed overseas. (More)

➤ Columbus: The Ohio State University said it reached settlements with 13 more victims of sexual abuse by former university physician Richard Strauss. (More)

➤ Logan County: Winds up to 80 mph damaged the Benjamin Logan Local Schools campus, tearing roofs, toppling light poles, and overturning a school bus. (More)

➤ Pioneer: Fifteen of the Pioneer Fire Department’s 16 members resigned on Wednesday, days after Mayor Edward Kidston accused them of bluffing in a dispute over a demoted assistant fire chief. (More)

➤ OSU coach Ryan Day said Saturday’s spring game will feature a full-contact intersquad scrimmage after recent games featured a more limited format. (More)

➤ A Cedarville women's basketball player is suing a doctor at Kettering Health's Hand and Orthopedic Center in Washington Township, alleging he operated on the wrong knee. (More)

➤ The Columbus Blue Jackets signed coach Rick Bowness to a contract extension through next season after Bowness led the team to a 21-11-5 record in 37 games since joining in January. (More)

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➤ Allbirds, a shoe company co-created by a University of Cincinnati graduate, announced a shocking pivot into the artificial intelligence industry under the name NewBird AI. (More)

➤ A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill requiring “addictive” social media platforms to display warning labels after a ruling found Meta and Google liable for harming children. (More)

➤ Hundreds of Ohio business owners are rushing to remove merchandise from Painted Tree boutiques after the company announced an immediate shutdown. (More)

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Is Houston the New Silicon Valley?

Big Tech was once fueled by Silicon Valley’s innovation. The next phase? It’ll run on infrastructure, with Houston its new capital.
Apple. Google. OpenAI. Amazon. Meta. They’re all building massive AI operations in Texas, part of 440+ new data centers planned for the state.

But getting new electricity online to power them takes years. Enter American PowerGen. Led by experienced energy developers with $5B worth of project acquisitions to buyers like Blackstone, they’re experts.

In fact, they’ve already received multiple acquisition offers from institutional buyers for their current project, which will supply enough energy to power 3M homes.

But American PowerGen isn’t interested in making institutional investors richer. They’re inviting you to become a shareholder and own a piece of this infrastructure boom today.

➤ Lyme disease cases in Ohio surged from 40 in 2010 to more than 2,800 last year as warmer temperatures, rising humidity, and expanding forests have created ideal conditions for ticks. (More)

➤ Ohio’s spring turkey season opens this weekend, with youth hunting in the south zone starting on Saturday and additional hunting periods scheduled statewide through May. (See Dates)

➤ Kipper the wallaby, who escaped and hopped through Dayton streets last week, died unexpectedly on Tuesday. (More)

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Who will win the Cavaliers-Raptors first-round playoff series?

Yesterday's Results:

Have you ever traded on a prediction market such as Kalshi or Polymarket?

No: 68%
Yes: 32%

Ravenna native Bill Bower flew in which famous World War II mission?

Show me the answer

This is a paid advertisement for American Power Gen Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.americanpowergen.com/
This offering involves promissory notes and is conducted under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). Investments in this offering are speculative and involve significant risks, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please review the full offering documents, including risk factors, before investing. Investments are subject to the limitations and requirements of Reg CF
This offering involves promissory notes and is conducted under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). Investments in this offering are speculative and involve significant risks, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please review the full offering documents, including risk factors, before investing. Investments are subject to the limitations and requirements of Reg CF

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