Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1913, Pogo creator Walt Kelly was born. The popular comic strip was set in the Okefenokee Swamp and satirized politics with Southern charm.

New state editions alert: We're launching The Michigan Flyover and The Pennsylvania Flyover on Sept. 1! If you call one of these great states home (or just want to stay informed on them), click on the links and sign up. We'll see you in a week!

Flying over the Atlantic Sunday night, passengers on a red-eye to Rome felt the plane suddenly drop. Then the captain came over the intercom and said one of the engines had "blown out." Inside the cabin, some passengers prayed while others screamed, fearing this flight might be their last. What happened next, and during the long night that followed, is a story no other outlet is covering. In a first-of-its-kind exclusive for The Flyover Podcast, Ayla spoke directly with a passenger who lived through it all, including one moment nobody saw coming. Tune in here!

Later today, our partner Fisher Investments is sharing seven habits high net worth investors use once their portfolios reach $1 million, including a few that may be surprisingly easy to overlook.

Today’s sponsor, Splash Spotless Cleaning Products, is here to upgrade your cleaning routine with a hands-free foam toilet cleaner that tackles stains and odors without scrubbing. Just pour, let it foam, and flush for a fresh, sparkling bathroom.

Governor's Race Deadlocked

A poll shows the race for governor is essentially tied with 10 weeks left until Election Day.

Republican Rick Jackson drew 46.3% support and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms 46.2%, with 8% undecided, according to the InsiderAdvantage survey of 800 likely voters taken Aug. 16-17.

Affordability, health care, and the candidates' personal stories dominated weekend campaigning.

On health care, Bottoms pushed Medicaid expansion in Decatur on Friday, and Jackson pitched price transparency and rural access at a Saturday stop with term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp in Buford.

Data Center Uncertainty Spreads

Lowndes County commissioners will meet today to weigh a temporary moratorium on data centers, joining a wave of local governments hitting pause.

The proposal would cover unincorporated areas around Valdosta and give local leaders time to write rules before new projects proceed.

Similar freezes are in place in DeKalb, Rockdale, and Cherokee counties and the city of Milton. This month, Cobb extended its moratorium, and Cherokee added 180 days to its pause.

Other communities are embracing data centers, including Effingham County, which OpenAI has selected for an estimated $20 billion center.

Little League Visit Thrills Braves

Before the Atlanta Braves won Sunday night, the team spent the day in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, signing autographs and riding shuttle buses with Little League World Series players.

"It was fantastic. It's a great experience, and I'm happy for all these kids playing this game," Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies said.

Brewer Hicklen and Brent Suter rode the cardboard mudslide at the minor league complex. Albies watched the Little League team from his home island of Curaçao play South Korea.

At night, Atlanta beat Milwaukee 4-2 at 2,300-seat Bowman Field in a matchup of division leaders. Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Truist Park to begin a three-game series.

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➤ Hiawassee: Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson resigned Monday and pleaded no contest to battery and violating his oath related to an alleged physical confrontation with a local police officer in December 2024. Henderson was given 10 years' probation and a $1,000 fine. (More)

➤ North Augusta: A triathlon coach training in the Savannah River fought off an alligator who bit him on the arm by jamming a thumb into its eye. The coach received several stitches at an Augusta hospital. (More)

➤ Metro Atlanta: Democrats Everton Blair and Marcye Scott meet today in a runoff to temporarily fill the 13th Congressional District seat formerly held by Scott's father, the late U.S. Rep. David Scott. Neither is running for the full term that begins in January. (More)

➤ Statewide: A June U.S. Justice Department memo signals the federal government will stop enforcing the Olmstead ruling, which originated in Georgia and shaped disability care in the state since 1999. (More)

➤ Albany: A man who pocketed $30 dropped on the floor of a Walmart returned the cash after the money's owner pressed police to act and officers publicly posted a photo of the suspect, a move that went viral on social media. The money's owner later declined to pursue charges. (More)

➤ Grovetown: A special election was canceled after Gary Jones qualified unopposed for mayor, returning him to the office he left earlier this year for an unsuccessful run at Columbia County Commission chair. (More)

➤ Atlanta: A homeowner watched as the live feed from their home video security system showed an alleged copper thief trying to get into the crawl space. Responding police said they caught the suspect in the act. (More)

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➤ Atlanta Braves' stock is up 34% this year to a record high, but Wall Street short sellers are increasingly betting against the team, citing a possible future MLB labor dispute. The Braves are the only publicly traded baseball team in the U.S. (More)

➤ Georgia Southern named Max Johnson its starting quarterback. Johnson, the son of Super Bowl champion Brad Johnson, has played at LSU, Texas A&M, and North Carolina. (More)

➤ Atlanta United signed Swiss striker Breel Embolo. The 29-year-old striker has tallied 100 goals and 66 assists while playing in the top divisions in Switzerland, Germany, and France. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | U.S. Open | WNBA | Little League World Series

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➤ Coffee vs Hot Cacao vs Green Tea: Which of these hot drinks was proven in a study to boost stem cells by 220% in 30 days? Billionaires drop 6 figures on stem cell therapy, but this hot drink costs 50 cents a day and boosts anti-aging stem cells improving heart health, blood pressure, and longevity.

➤ The state's average gas price climbed 2 cents to $3.81 a gallon over the past week, up 92 cents from a year earlier, as continued conflict in the Middle East pressures global oil markets. (More)

➤ A thrift store owner in Thomson relocated his childhood-inspired shop to a space three times larger than the original, more than a decade after first launching the business. (More)

➤ State Rep. Dewey McClain, D-Gwinnett County, plans to revive his House Bill 1071 heat protection measure for outdoor workers next session. (More)

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➤ The National Infantry Museum in Columbus will rededicate its Global War on Terrorism Memorial on Sept. 12 and add 29 more names to the monument. (More)

➤ The Power-Jackson Cabin in Cobb County, believed to date to before 1840, will undergo a roughly $340,000 restoration. (More)

➤ Weather forecasters in the Augusta area say the potentially strong El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean could reshape fall and winter weather patterns in the region. (More)

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