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)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ 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.