Friday, July 17, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1917, pioneering stand-up comedian and frequent Bob Hope co-star Phyllis Diller was born in Lima.

🧥 In today’s Et Cetera section, read how followers of a local sneaker shop tracked down and confronted an alleged shoplifter, leading to the return of the stolen merchandise.

Today's sponsor is Miso Robotics, offering investors the opportunity to get in early on an AI-powered restaurant automation company before it goes public.

Ohio Drone Maker Completes First Missile Test

A prototype of an unmanned fighter drone—the same type now in production at a new factory south of Columbus—has completed the Air Force’s first live-fire test of a collaborative combat aircraft.

During the test over California’s Mojave Desert, the semiautonomous YFQ-44A Fury fired an inert air-to-air missile at a simulated target. A human operator retained control of the weapon throughout the test.

Production began this spring at Anduril’s Arsenal-1 plant in Pickaway County. The company expects the facility to employ 250 workers by year’s end and has said it could support as many as 4,000 jobs over the next decade.

The drone is designed to fly alongside crewed fighters, including the F-35. Rival manufacturer General Atomics is scheduled to test-fire its competing aircraft this fall.

Couple Accused of Fraud Believed To Be in Africa

A former Powell couple accused of defrauding Ohio’s Medicaid program of $9.3 million is believed to have left the U.S. for Africa.

Attorney General Andy Wilson said Roberta Acheampong, 39, and her husband, Godfred Owusu-Sekyere, 46, are believed to be living in Kenya or Ghana and could face extradition. A Franklin County grand jury indicted the couple this week on 12 felony counts.

Investigators said the couple operated a behavioral health clinic that billed Medicaid for services that were never provided. They allegedly exploited refugees seeking resettlement assistance, forged documents, and stole the identities of translation and transportation workers to submit fraudulent claims.

Authorities said bank records showed the allegedly stolen Medicaid funds were funneled through multiple accounts to finance real estate purchases and a Porsche.

In separate cases, 10 other Ohio Medicaid providers were indicted this week and accused of stealing a combined $563,860 from the taxpayer-funded program.

Ohio Tourism Reaches Record High

Ohio welcomed a record 245 million visitors in 2025, generating nearly $58 billion for the state’s economy, tourism officials announced.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel pointed to the figures as evidence of the attractions available throughout the state. Ohio’s tourism industry now supports more than 447,000 jobs.

Overnight visitors spend approximately three times more than day-trippers, according to the state. Officials said new flights from carriers such as JetBlue, Southwest, and Air Canada are opening Ohio to additional markets. Visitation has increased every year since 2021.

Officials also announced a marketing partnership with the Greater Columbus Convention Center designed to encourage its more than 1 million annual guests to visit destinations across Ohio.

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Big Money Gets In Pre-IPO in AI

AI stocks now make up about 45% of the S&P 500. But, in AI, the smart money increasingly moves sooner because the biggest breakout gains often happen when investors get in before companies go public. In fact, last year, a whopping 67% of private-stage investments were in AI companies, up from 9% in 2022.

And yet, those opportunities are almost always reserved for the 1%.

Restaurant robotics pioneer Miso Robotics isn’t, and 40K everyday folks like you have already joined big money players like industry powerhouse Ecolab as investors.

Miso’s Flippy Fry Station AI robot has logged 200K+ hours in kitchens across the $1T fast-food industry. Its tech is used by big-name customers like White Castle, Jersey Mike’s, Cinnabon, and more. And Miso just acquired ~300 patents from Zume Pizza, a food robotics pioneer that raised $450 million.

Flippy alone represents a $4B/year revenue opportunity in the US. Become an early-stage shareholder in Miso today. Hurry to earn bonus shares.

➤ Statewide: Democrat Sherrod Brown outraised Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted for the fourth consecutive quarter, collecting $17.1 million compared with Husted’s $7.7 million ahead of the Nov. 3 special election. (More)

➤ Also Statewide: An air quality alert will remain in effect across Ohio through today as smoke from more than 830 Canadian wildfires drifts over the state. Health officials are urging older adults and people with respiratory conditions to limit their time outdoors. (More)

➤ Sunbury: The city council placed a resident-backed charter amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot that would ban large data centers following opposition to a proposed $2 billion Amazon campus. (More)

➤ Ironton: A city council member is proposing an ordinance that would prohibit Ironton from contracting with mass-surveillance camera companies such as Flock, citing privacy concerns. (See Details)

➤ Central Ohio: Two men accused of planning a drone-and-sniper attack on a White House UFC event, including 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Danville, pleaded not guilty in federal court. (More)

➤ Clarksville: The village’s former mayor and his ex-wife face felony charges alleging they pocketed utility payments after auditors found that $70,000 never reached village accounts. (More)

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➤ Cincinnati Reds All-Star right-hander Chase Burns agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract that runs through 2033 and contains no club options. The 23-year-old is 11-1 with 118 strikeouts through 18 starts this season. (More)

➤ Myles Garrett, the former Cleveland Browns star, won two ESPYs, including Best Record-Breaking Performance for the single-season record of 23 sacks he set with Cleveland in 2025. (See Details)

➤ Cleveland’s incoming WNBA franchise named KeyBank its first founding partner ahead of the team’s 2028 debut at Rocket Arena. The partnership will sponsor a fan membership platform and game-day features, including the High-Five Tunnel. (More)

➤ Matt Ponatoski, a Moeller graduate, reported to the University of Kentucky to begin his college football career but hasn’t ruled out signing with the Cincinnati Reds after the team drafted him. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: The Open | MLB | WNBA

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➤ Schwebel Baking Co., the 120-year-old Youngstown bread maker, has ended efforts to sell the company and begun winding down operations. (More)

➤ Power costs across Ohio are expected to remain high after a regional grid auction again reached its price cap of $325 per megawatt-day for 2028-29. Officials attributed the result to surging demand from new data centers. (See Details)

➤ A Toledo bar can reopen after a state appeals court ruled that the city improperly extended a post-shooting closure beyond the one-year legal limit. The owner said the prolonged shutdown cost 26 employees their jobs. (More)

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“Cobots” Are Transforming This $1T Market

They’re not replacing humans; they’re working with them. That’s the promise of “cobots,” or collaborative robots.

In a robotics market NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang called “one of the largest industries ever,” the cobot segment is projected to grow 15X by 2035.

And Miso Robotics is proving its value in the $1T fast-food industry.

Their Flippy fry station AI robot boosts restaurant profits up to 4X, already logging 200K hours in live kitchens alongside human employees for brands like White Castle.

Flippy carries $4B/year in U.S. revenue potential on its own. And that's just one piece of Miso’s platform.

Big-name brands like Jersey Mike’s and Cinnabon just became customers. Industry powerhouse Ecolab already invested. Join them as an early-stage shareholder in Miso today. Hurry for bonus shares.

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

➤ The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline the 2027 Columbus Air Show at Rickenbacker International Airport from July 9-11, marking their third Ohio appearance in five years. (See Details)

➤ Cincinnati-based Skyline Chili and Akron’s Swensons Drive-In made USA Today’s fan-voted ranking of America’s 10 best regional fast-food chains. (See Ranking)

➤ A sneaker shop in Columbus’ Short North turned to social media after surveillance footage captured a man allegedly stealing a pink jacket. Local followers spotted him downtown, helping the store recover the jacket within six hours. (More)

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➤ 7 Hidden Signs Your Body Is Crying Out for Magnesium. Think your anxiety, muscle tension, and irregular heartbeat are just part of getting older? Think again. Groundbreaking research reveals how a single mineral deficiency could be behind dozens of common complaints after 50. Even more intriguing? Many of the medications commonly prescribed to older adults might be making this deficiency worse. Before you accept another prescription, there's something crucial you need to know about magnesium. (Learn more)

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ President Trump's longtime teleprompter operator is accused of using inside knowledge of the president's speeches to win $100,000 in bets. (Hear Details)

➤ Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth is now mandating annual testosterone screening for service members over 30 years old across the entire military. (Hear Episode)

➤ The Trump administration is moving to fence off a historic public square beside the White House, escalating a broader security overhaul. (Listen Now)