Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Best Children’s Hospitals, Guy Fieri’s Tequila, and Mutts with a Mission

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1999, Hurricane Floyd’s rains swelled the Blackwater River until it burst into downtown Franklin, submerging Main Street and ruining most of the city’s businesses in the worst flood Franklin had ever seen.

Washington, D.C., and Virginia hospitals made a new “best” list, just as a shortage of nurses continues in rural Virginia. Learn more in Top Stories.

Millions of Americans may have prediabetes and not even know it. Your body sends warning signs years before prediabetes shows up, and doctors say most people miss them completely. Researchers point to five key findings that change how we think about the condition, including one small change that could slash your risk by more than half. Join Ayla on The Flyover Podcast to hear what your body may be trying to tell you. Tune in here!

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D.C., VA Children’s Hospitals Make ‘Best’ List

Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., landed on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll for the 10th straight year, one of just 11 hospitals nationwide to make the 2026-27 list.

The rankings, now in their 20th year, evaluated nearly 200 hospitals across 11 pediatric specialties. Children’s National Hospital ranked in all 11 and remains the highest-ranked children’s hospital in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Three Virginia hospitals made the national specialty lists. UVA Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville led the Commonwealth with nine ranked specialties, followed by Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU with six and Inova L.J. Murphy Children's in Falls Church with one.

Children’s National Hospital earned top-10 national marks in six fields, including cancer and neurology, and tied Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for the top spot in the Mid-Atlantic.

Rural Virginia Needs 5,000 Nurses

Employers in Southwest and Southside Virginia advertised more than 5,000 open registered nurse jobs in a single week, according to a new state health workforce report.

The report is the first in a planned quarterly series from George Mason University’s Center for Health Workforce, which tracks healthcare job ads across Virginia’s nine GO Virginia economic regions. It took a snapshot during the first week of September.

Nurses topped the list, but there’s also demand for nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and social service aides across the region, along with radiologic technologists and physical therapists.

Dr. Bill Hazel, a former state health secretary who now leads the nonprofit funding the research, said the goal is to steer training dollars where the jobs are.

Senators Target Reagan Nat’l Airport Crowding

Virginia’s U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, introduced a bill last week to cap arrivals and cut flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport, a year-and-a-half after a deadly midair collision near the Arlington hub.

Their DCA Air Safety Act would limit the airport to 28 arriving planes per hour—down from the 36 in place when an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk collided over the Potomac on Jan. 29, 2025, killing 67.

The bill would also spread out takeoffs and landings, and eliminate 30 flight slots over five years, including some long-haul flights added under a 2024 law. Several near-misses have occurred near the airport since the crash.

Kaine said any reform package that ignores the airport’s overcrowding is “dangerously insufficient.”

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➤ Newport News: On Monday, a witness testified at the murder trial of Carlos Johnson Jr., 46, that Johnson directed him to drive victim Keir Johnson’s car across the James River Bridge the day the 34-year-old mother and her 8-month-old daughter, Chloe, vanished in 2017. (More)

➤ Henrico County’s school system is limiting student screen time, joining a growing pushback against classroom technology. A petition supporting the effort has gathered thousands of signatures. (More)

➤ Mechanicsville: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri will sign bottles of his Santo tequila and meet fans at the Virginia ABC headquarters at 7450 Freight Way on Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. The brand is a collaboration with rocker Sammy Hagar. (More)

➤ Roanoke County: Tyler K. Jones, 29, of West Virginia was sentenced to 13 years for a 2022 shooting on I-81 in Roanoke County, where he fired multiple rounds at a pickup after it merged into his lane, seriously wounding the driver. (More)

➤ James City County: Speed cameras are now actively ticketing drivers in I-64 work zones after police shifted from warnings to enforcement, citing motorists caught speeding past posted construction zone signs. (More)

➤ Hopewell’s city council voted to convert the 1928 Beacon Theatre from an LLC to a nonprofit, expand its board from four to 14 members, and exempt it from property taxes as the Tri-Cities music venue nears its 100th anniversary. (More)

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➤ Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin appeared in a campaign video for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Ovechkin has long been one of Putin’s most prominent supporters in professional sports. (More)

➤ Public records from UVA reveal the ACC has been quietly lobbying Senate offices on the Protect College Sports Act, a bill that would set federal rules for college athlete pay. The records show the league coordinated on gambling enforcement, realignment, and the bill’s language. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech tight end Luke Reynolds and defensive end Mylachi Williams earned ACC weekly honors after the Hokies’ 44-21 win over Old Dominion. Reynolds caught eight passes for 108 yards and two scores. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | NCWVB

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➤ Dominion Energy and NextEra pledged new benefits to win state approval that include four years of $10 monthly residential bill credits—funded partly by shifting credits away from large data centers—plus 600 new Virginia jobs. Regulators begin hearings in November. (More)

➤ A Northern Virginia developer is exploring building three or four data centers on a 236-acre former coal mine near Cleveland in Russell County, with power potentially coming from Appalachian Power’s nearby Clinch River Plant. Preliminary engineering is underway. (More)

➤ Virginia Commonwealth University’s board approved $182 million in construction contracts for two projects: a nearly 1,000-bed residence hall opening in fall 2028, and a new School of Dentistry building set for 2030. (More)

➤ Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jordan Foley’s veteran business incubator, founded in 2020 after a Naval Academy classmate died by suicide, has grown to nine food trucks as the Robert Irvine Foundation's official truck program. (More)

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➤ Mutts with a Mission, a Virginia Beach nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans and first responders, is recruiting volunteer “puppy raisers” to house and socialize dogs during their first months before formal training begins. (More)

➤ A tailless baby opossum will become an educational ambassador at the Roanoke-area Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center after her siblings chewed off part of her tail, leaving her unable to survive in the wild. The public can bid on naming rights at the center’s annual gala. (Watch Video)

➤ Virginia has an estimated 460 trees for every resident, ranking 30th nationally, well behind neighboring West Virginia, which has 1,674, but ahead of North Carolina and Maryland. Alaska tops the list with 43,401 per person, while California trails with 20. (See Map)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Doctors say prediabetes can show warning signs years before a diagnosis, and most people miss them completely. (Five Findings)

➤ The Anthropic and Nvidia CEOs took the same stage hours apart and collided over whether AI is moving too fast. (Hear Story)

➤ Prosecutors have shifted course in the case against Rob Reiner's son, Nick, accused of murdering his parents. (Hear Details)

How do you feel about speed cameras?

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you attended a boxing match?

No: 45%
Not gonna happen: 32%
Yes: 19%
Not yet: 4%

Which airline made the first official landing at the newly opened National Airport—now named the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport—after the airlines drew straws for the honor?

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Final Hours, More Rural Hospital Aid, and Key Voting Dates

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1779, French and American forces began the Siege of Savannah to retake the city from the British.

Today’s sponsor is Aerless Vacuum Travel Bags, helping fall travelers pack bulky sweaters, jackets, and layers while saving up to 60% of valuable luggage space.

Children's Hospital Earns High Marks

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta ranked among the nation's best pediatric hospitals in U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 list.

The 20th annual rankings, released Tuesday, named 90 hospitals as top performers nationwide and placed 11 on the honor roll.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta was the only children's hospital in Georgia ranked in the top 50 and the top pediatric hospital in the Southeast, with national rankings across multiple specialties.

The system manages more than 1 million patient visits annually across three hospitals.

Humphreys Denied Clemency

The state parole board denied death row inmate Stacey Humphreys' clemency request Tuesday, clearing the way for his execution at 7 p.m. today at the state prison in Jackson.

Humphreys is also pursuing other legal avenues, including a reduced sentence under the Georgia Survivor Justice Act, which allows sentence leniency where childhood abuse or family violence contributed to a crime.

Humphreys, 53, was convicted in the 2003 murders of Cobb County real estate agents Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21. He was scheduled to die in December, but his execution was paused due to legal filings.

Georgia has executed 77 people since 1983. Humphreys would be the first person put to death in the state since March 2024.

Singer Blames Ban on His Views

Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium is reportedly among the NFL venues refusing to let rapper Macklemore perform on Ed Sheeran's U.S. stadium tour.

Macklemore pointed the finger at Robert Kraft, saying the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium opposes and seeks to silence his views on Palestine and Israeli policy.

Kraft confirmed he banned Macklemore from his venue following comments the singer and songwriter made onstage at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Kraft accused Macklemore of antisemitic rhetoric, a charge the artist rejected.

Macklemore claims stadium owners gave Sheeran an ultimatum to drop him from the lineup or cancel the shows. Sheeran's Loop Tour scheduled stops include Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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➤ Augusta: A federal program will send nearly $1 million to shore up five rural hospitals across the CSRA. (More)

➤ Lake Hartwell: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' restriction on Lake Hartwell water levels could last a decade as engineers address a safety concern at a Clemson-area saddle dike. (More)

➤ Jonesboro: The city council voted unanimously to censure Mayor Donya Sartor over concerns about city spending and an employee grievance. (More)

➤ Statewide: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved more than $43 million for Georgia to help homeless veterans. (More)

➤ Dunwoody: A video shows a MARTA bus driver fell asleep before crashing into trees on Sept. 7, injuring three people, authorities said. (Watch)

➤ Monroe: Walton County's seven mayors shared growth and progress updates at the annual State of the Cities forum. (More)

➤ Atlanta: Mayor Andre Dickens plans citywide surveillance standards after a police audit flagged about 80 potentially unauthorized Flock license plate reader searches among more than 115,000 inquiries. (More)

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➤ Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand will miss the rest of the season with a torn quad suffered in Sunday's game. (More)

➤ A shareholder of Atlanta Braves Holdings called for the team's board to explore a sale, citing the booming market for sports franchises and a looming MLB labor fight. (More)

➤ Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was ranked the second-best power forward in the NBA by HoopsHype, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. (More)

➤ Georgia Southern football looks to build on its hard-fought loss to Clemson, with coach Clay Helton preparing the Eagles for a road test at Jacksonville State. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer

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➤ Mexican budget airline Volaris will begin flying from Hartsfield-Jackson on Oct. 2, with one-way fares starting at $55 to Guadalajara in October and $186 to Mexico City in December. (More)

➤ Georgia Power won approval for 1,137 megawatts of new solar power purchase agreements covering seven utility-scale projects. (More)

➤ The high school Skills Challenge Series will return this year to Rome and other cities, showcasing the skills and talents of students learning construction trades. (More)

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➤ The League of Women Voters of Georgia breaks down the three ways to vote this fall and the key dates for each method. (More)

➤ Zoo Atlanta mourned the death of Machi, a 50-year-old gorilla, while announcing that another gorilla, Lulu, is pregnant. (More)

➤ A lottery player in Augusta claimed a $1 million scratch-off ticket prize on Friday, and another Augusta player won $297,933 the same day. (More)

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