Saturday, July 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1895, George Kelly Barnes, famously known as the Prohibition-era gangster "Machine Gun Kelly," was born in Memphis.

Have you ever heard of a farm stay? According to USA Today, farm stays offer a way to slow down and reconnect with the land by offering visitors a taste of rural life. While farm stays are gaining popularity across the country, see which two Tennessee farm properties made a recent Readers’ Choice top 10 list in Et Cetera.

For years, spotting an email scam felt easy. Bad grammar, a fake logo, an obvious ask, and you'd catch it. But the emails that drained nearly $21 billion from Americans last year didn't look sloppy at all. They looked like they came from your bank, your pharmacy, even your own family, and adults over 60 lost the most of anyone. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Amy breaks down five quick inbox moves that clean up your clutter and quietly lock scammers out. Which one are the con artists counting on you never learning? Tune in here to learn more!

Today's sponsor is Immersed, offering investors the opportunity to get in early on an extended reality company developing next-generation productivity software and XR hardware before its planned public listing.

Canola Acreage Expands as Farmers Diversify

Tennessee canola acreage rose from about 4,000 acres in 2025 to an estimated 6,000-8,000 in 2026, as row crop producers facing high input costs and volatile markets look to diversify, according to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

The cool-season oilseed offers an alternative to winter wheat, opening new international markets and revenue opportunities. Planted in fall, it blooms in April and is harvested by early June. The collected seed is approximately 40% oil, used in cooking products, animal feed, renewable fuels, and more.

UT Researchers and Extension specialists say the crop could provide growers with another profitable rotation option while also offering soil health benefits as a winter cover crop. U.S. farmers currently grow more than 2.5 million acres of canola, and interest in Tennessee is growing as producers evaluate how the crop fits into local production systems.

Researchers are studying aphid and white mold management, recommending scouting and rotation with wheat. A tour on canola production will be held at the 34th Milan No-Till Field Day on Thursday, July 23 at 10 and 11 a.m. at the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan.

Complaint Filed in Halted Execution

Nearly two months after the scheduled execution of Tony Carruthers was called off, the sister of the Tennessee death row inmate filed a complaint with the state Department of Health against a doctor involved in his halted May 21 execution.

The Wednesday filing says Carruthers suffered excruciating pain as the IV team spent over an hour seeking a backup line, and the family believes he suffered a stroke.

It accuses Dr. Mark Fowler of ethics violations, including participating in an execution and injecting lidocaine without checking for allergies. Fowler declined to comment; an outside anesthesiologist questioned the stroke claim.

Gov. Bill Lee halted the execution, granting a one-year reprieve. Carruthers, convicted of a 1994 triple murder, maintains his innocence.

Tax-Free Weekend Set for Back-to-School Shopping

Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 31, and runs through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, ahead of the new school year.

Clothing and school supplies priced at $100 or less per item qualify, along with computers, both in stores and online. Computers carry a $1,500 threshold.

Exclusions include clothing over $100, jewelry, handbags, and sports equipment. Purchases must be for personal use, not business, officials said.

With classes resuming in a couple of weeks, families are encouraged to use the weekend to stock up.

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This Private Company Is Up 4,000% Already

How do you follow 4,000% valuation growth? By preparing for what’s next. That’s what Immersed did, reserving the Nasdaq ticker $IMRS. But the real opportunity for investors is now, before public markets.

Why? Immersed changed the game in extended reality (XR), developing the Meta Quest store’s most popular productivity app. 1.5M people, including Fortune 500 teams, already use it up to 60 hours a week.

But that’s not all. Immersed’s soon-to-be-released XR headset has 2M more pixels than Apple’s Vision Pro for 70% less money. No wonder they’re projecting $71M in first-year sales.

And with partnerships in place with Google and Samsung, investors are taking advantage of this limited-time chance before its next stage of growth.

Executives and founders from Intel, Meta, and Reddit invested. Don’t miss your chance to join them before the July 30 deadline.

➤ Statewide: Tennessee's Jimmy's Law took effect July 1, increasing penalties for drivers who leave the scene of fatal crashes by raising the offense to a Class D felony and requiring minimum prison terms. (More)

➤ Anderson County: Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark reported Anderson County crime fell 51% since 2007, with reported offenses declining 6.4% in 2025 as law enforcement also improved case clearance rates. (More)

➤ Johnson City: Results from a public survey on proposed data center regulations were released by the city, with about 86% of nearly 6,000 respondents expressing strong concerns, particularly about noise and proximity to homes. (More)

➤ Brownsville: Residents are helping shape downtown revitalization efforts through Tennessee Main Street, a new initiative focused on economic growth, community input, and future development plans. (More)

➤ McMinnville: Authorities arrested 26 people during Operation Freedom Revoked, a months-long multiagency effort targeting illegal distribution of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and prescription medications in Warren County. (More)

➤ Alcoa: McGhee Tyson Airport will soon have a new daily flight with United Airlines set to begin nonstop service to Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 24, expanding East Tennessee access to the New York region. The new flights are expected to boost Tennessee tourism by connecting the Northeast to the state’s national parks, attractions, sporting events, and outdoor destinations. (More)

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➤ Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during the Sept. 13 home opener. Johnson revealed this month that he has been diagnosed with ALS. (More)

➤ The University of Tennessee’s grounds crew is installing fresh sod at Neyland Stadium ahead of the Volunteers’ 2026 home opener, following an offseason in which the venue hosted a Savannah Bananas baseball game. (See Photos)

➤ Memphis Athletics selected Accent Jewelers, a longtime local jewelry buyer, as the official jeweler and gold buyer of the Memphis Tigers. (More)

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

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➤ Two identical twin sisters. Same DNA. Yet one appeared years younger than the other. What Harvard scientists discovered next led them to a little-known "facelift protein" that researchers now believe may play an important role in how our skin ages. See the fascinating discovery here.

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Google, Microsoft, & Meta Partnered With This XR Startup

The world’s leading tech giants have all partnered with Immersed, an XR startup chasing a $250B+ opportunity in remote work.

Immersed combines the world's most-used remote work XR software ($127B by 2030)1, AR/VR hardware ($100B+ by 2026)2, and AI productivity tools ($36B)3 into one productive, collaborative virtual office. Its valuation has grown 4,000% to date.

Over 1.5M professionals, including Fortune 500 teams, already use Immersed. The company is now scaling mass production of Visor, a productivity-designed headset with 75,000+ people on the waitlist, representing $71M in projected first-year sales.

Executives from Intel, Meta, and Reddit have invested, and Immersed has already reserved the Nasdaq ticker $IMRS. You can become an early-stage shareholder before the July 30 deadline.

1Source: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ai-productivity-tools-market-23074
2Source: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ai-productivity-tools-market-report
3Source: https://www.giiresearch.com/report/grvi1512062-ai-productivity-tools-market-size-share-trends.html

This is a paid advertisement for Immersed Regulation A+ offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.immersed.com/

➤ Two Tennessee farms were named to USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice list highlighting the nation's best farm stays. Blackberry Farm in Walland came in at No. 8 and Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin landed at the No. 5 spot. Each farm stay property is considered for its cozy accommodations, authentic agricultural experiences, scenic settings, welcoming hosts, and delicious farm-fresh food. (More)

➤ Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett unveiled a commemorative America 250 “I Voted” sticker for 2026 elections, with the design set to be available at polling places statewide during voting. (See Sticker)

➤ LaVergne High School teachers revived the agriculture program by launching a student-run doggy daycare, giving students hands-on animal care experience while increasing interest in agricultural and veterinary careers. (More)

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➤ Most People Blame the Wrong Thing for Easy Bruising "I must just be clumsy." "It's my age." "It's probably my medication." If you've ever caught yourself thinking one of these after another bruise seemed to appear out of nowhere, you're not alone. But health experts say many people dismiss easy bruising as a normal part of aging when it may actually be one of the first visible signs your body is trying to tell you something. Click here to discover the 7 warning signs experts say are worth paying attention to—and why so many people overlook them until much later. 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, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The emails draining billions from Americans no longer look fake, and these habits stop nearly all of them. (Hear Tips)

➤ Researchers have found a way to smuggle a drug past the brain's toughest barrier and into glioblastoma tumors. (Hear Details)

➤ Federal officials have linked lettuce served at this fast food chain's locations to a multistate parasite outbreak that has hospitalized dozens. (Podcast Available)