Monday, September 14, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1886, Memphis inventor George Kerr Anderson received a U.S. patent for an improved typewriter ink ribbon. His design used contrasting ink near the ribbon’s end to warn typists that it was time to reverse the feed.

📣 Major Announcement: We are launching Flyover Focus, a new video series that spotlights a single topic and covers its impact on your life. Some weeks that means a Top 10 list, and other weeks a chance to dig deeper into a subject making headlines, where we strip away bias and stick to the facts. Look for short informational videos every Monday.

We're starting with what may be the biggest story in the world, artificial intelligence. Is AI coming for your job? Why is AI showing up in your electric bill? Who decided a building full of computers belongs down the road from your house? And is anyone actually in charge of any of this? The answers are messier than either side wants to admit, and they reach further into your daily life than you'd expect. (Tune in here)

Later today, you’ll get an email from our partner, Fisher Investments, with seven principles that high net worth investors use to help keep their retirement strategy working as one cohesive plan.

Today’s sponsor, Miso Robotics, is bringing NVIDIA-powered AI into restaurant kitchens with its Flippy Fry Station while attracting more than $133 million from investors betting on the future of food automation.

Waymo Rides Launch on Lyft in Nashville

Lyft riders in central Nashville can now be matched with fully autonomous Waymo vehicles. Nashville is the first market where the driverless vehicles are available through both the Lyft and Waymo apps.

Waymo began offering Nashville rides through its own app in April. The Lyft integration covers eligible trips beginning and ending within a service area that includes Downtown and Broadway, North Nashville and Germantown, East Nashville, Midtown, and South Nashville.

Riders matched with a Waymo will not pay an additional fee and may decline the vehicle or opt out of autonomous rides entirely. Availability is expected to expand gradually over the coming weeks.

Lyft subsidiary Flexdrive will handle charging, cleaning, and maintenance for the Nashville fleet. The company plans to open an 80,000-square-foot depot near the airport in October and says the operation is bringing more than 70 full-time jobs to the city this year.

Oak Ridge AI Guides Microscopes to Tiny Targets

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system that helps atomic force microscopes identify important nanoscale structures and decide where to look more closely.

Called SimuScan, the system creates realistic synthetic microscope images to train AI models, reducing the need for scientists to spend days or weeks manually labeling experimental data. It then analyzes an initial scan, ranks potential targets, and directs the microscope toward areas most likely to contain useful information.

Researchers tested the approach on fabricated nanostructures, DNA assemblies, and bacterial cells. They said SimuScan could make advanced microscopy faster, more consistent, and better suited for studies involving thousands of similar objects.

The open-access research was published earlier this year in Nature Communications. Scientists remain responsible for establishing the research goals and determining when enough data have been collected.

UT Researchers Win Quantum, AI Grants

Two University of Tennessee, Knoxville, researchers have received nearly $1.2 million in National Science Foundation CAREER awards for projects involving superconducting electronics and community-focused artificial intelligence.

Ahmedullah Aziz will receive $550,000 over five years to develop faster, more energy-efficient superconducting circuits. The technology could support high-performance computing and provide control, processing, and memory functions for quantum computers operating at extremely low temperatures.

Sai Swaminathan received more than $638,000 to develop low-cost, palm-sized AI devices that users can train to address local needs. Equipped with a small computer, a camera or microphone, and simple controls, the devices will work without internet access.

Swaminathan’s team has begun collaborating with organizations across Appalachian Tennessee on potential applications involving food security, water quality, and care for older adults. Researchers must first determine how to fit AI models onto devices with extremely limited memory and processing power.

Flying together with our sponsor

Why Robotics Investors Keep Going Back to This NVIDIA Collaborator

Most investors write one check and wait. Miso Robotics keeps pulling them back.

With $133M+ raised to date across 44K+ investments, Miso has built something rare: a base of true believers who return round after round. And with today’s new progress at Miso and the U.S. IPO market seemingly heating up, it's easy to see why many are investing ahead of Miso’s share price change Thursday night.

Miso’s AI-powered Flippy Fry Station restaurant kitchen robot is now NVIDIA-powered, Ecolab-backed, and targeting 100K+ U.S. fast food locations in a $1T market. And the company just made two major asset acquisitions in 2026, including from a once-SoftBank-backed robotics pioneer, growing its IP portfolio 10X overnight to 300+.

As one investor put it: "This is my 4th investment in Miso. Progress seems to be moving exponentially now."

Another: "Truly believe that this technology will expand into all fast food restaurants worldwide. Steady growth and frequent communication kept me coming back.”

This is your chance to join these forward-thinkers. Just don’t wait. Invest in Miso Robotics at $5.48/share before Thursday’s share price change.

➤ Blount and Sevier counties: Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close portions of Little River Road from 7 a.m. to noon ET Sept. 15 and 17 for maintenance. Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms, and Cades Cove will remain accessible, though detours may increase travel times. (More)

➤ Alcoa: McGhee Tyson Airport warned travelers of longer security lines Sunday while crews repaired equipment at the security checkpoint. The airport said wait times were improving by midafternoon. (More)

➤ Nashville: Nine people accused of belonging to a gang that targets downtown visitors are under a temporary court injunction barring them from the entertainment district. Police allege that the group gained access to victims’ phones and used payment apps to transfer money from their accounts. (More)

➤ Murfreesboro: Police reopened an investigation after video showed a Wendy’s manager tying a neurodivergent employee to kitchen equipment with garbage bags. The restaurant’s franchisee said the manager was fired over the incident. (More)

➤ Tullahoma: Three people face charges ranging from second-degree murder to child abuse and neglect following a December incident in which a grandfather and his 3-month-old granddaughter died during a dog attack. (More)

➤ Cordova: A Shelby County grand jury indicted three Kid University employees on charges including aggravated child neglect and criminally negligent homicide in the death of 6-year-old Winter Jones. The child died after being left inside a daycare bus for at least six hours in August. (More)

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➤ The Tennessee Titans fell 23-10 to the New York Jets yesterday in their season opener. Starting quarterback Cam Ward struggled, passing for just 140 yards. (More)

➤ However, the team had to postpone legendary running back Chris Johnson’s Ring of Honor enshrinement—which was originally scheduled for yesterday—because he was unable to travel to Nashville for the game. (More)

➤ Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel stressed how “disappointed” he was in the team’s number of penalties in their 45-24 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | NFL | MLB | NASCAR | F1 | Soccer | FIBA

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Flyover Focus takes a deeper look at the topics that matter—click the link to watch this week’s full episode.

➤ What is AI actually changing right now, and is anyone in charge of what happens next?

AI is rapidly changing how Americans work, how businesses hire, and even what gets built in our own backyards. Our inaugural episode of Flyover Focus has the facts, from the predictions the biggest names in AI have already walked back, to what the data actually shows about who's losing work and who isn't, to why Washington and Europe are heading in opposite directions on this. (Watch Now)

➤ Chattanooga opened its largest universally accessible playground Saturday at Heritage Park. The more than $2 million Harvesting Inclusive Play project features equipment and spaces designed for children and caregivers of all abilities. (More)

➤ Brennan Investment Group broke ground on a 210,000-square-foot distribution facility in Whites Creek that could accommodate as many as five tenants. (More)

➤ Carroll County Electric and Silicon Ranch dedicated the 6.5-megawatt Trezevant Solar Farm, which can generate enough electricity to power nearly 1,000 homes. (More)

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[ACT FAST] This Robotics Stock’s Price Changes Thursday

Fresh off two major product acquisitions, including from a once-SoftBank-backed robotics pioneer, Miso Robotics' share price will change Thursday.

From those acquisitions alone, Miso added new customers like Jersey Mike’s, Cinnabon, and Auntie Anne’s and grew its patent portfolio 10X overnight.

And that’s not all Miso’s done this year. In addition to major restaurant chains, Miso’s robots are now being deployed on college campuses and even an NBA arena.

Everyday people like you who don’t want to miss the robot boom have already invested more than 44,000 times to date. Industry powerhouse Ecolab even invested too.

Hurry to join them before Miso’s price changes from $5.48/share Thursday night.

This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com

➤ Seven East Tennessee properties, including four county courthouses, the Riggs House, Dunlap Mercantile, and the Holland Higgins Homestead, are among 11 nominations the State Review Board will consider Friday. (More)

➤ The Hot Wheels Stunt Show will bring 15 full-size vehicles, drifting, and a 45-foot-tall loop to Knoxville next year on Feb. 6 and 7 as part of its first U.S. tour. (More)

➤ Bee Fest returned to Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park on Saturday with a Honeybee 5K, live bees, birds of prey, local honey, crafts, and beekeeping demonstrations. (More)

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