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“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The Thursday Flyover Replay : More Home Refinances, Less Drinking, and a Lightning Fireball.
Presented by Russell Sherrard.
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Our Hosts are Christopher and Jenny.
THE FLYOVER REPLAY.
We are also a Podcast, if you want to listen there instead. Plus current and all previous episodes. Go to https://www.podbean.com/ and search for The Thursday Flyover Replay. Choose episode you want to listen to.
Thursday, August 14, 2025.
Good Morning! On this day in 1945, five days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender, marking the end of World War II and leading to widespread celebrations across the United States.
America’s happy hour is losing its buzz as fewer than 55% of adults now say they drink, the lowest in nearly a century. See why in our story below.
We hope you enjoyed reading today’s Flyover. Let us know how we’re doing by replying to Russell Sherrard at russellsherrard@reagan.com.
The sponsors keep the tanks full around here. Be sure to check out today’s sponsors.
TAKEOFF.
Trump: Cease-Fire is Goal of Putin Meeting.
Trump and Putin will meet Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, marking Putin’s first U.S. visit in nearly a decade and the first with a U.S. president since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump told European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his top goal is securing a cease-fire, with no final deal made without Ukraine’s involvement.
Zelensky and allies rejected Putin’s push to recognize Russian control of occupied territories, urging tougher sanctions instead.
Trump warned of “very severe consequences” if Putin refuses to halt the war, but left those measures undefined.
Home Refinancing Jumps 23% as Owners Cash Out.
Mortgage applications climbed nearly 11% last week, driven by a 23% spike in refinancing, especially adjustable-rate loans.
With sales lagging while home prices rise, cash-out refinancing hit a three-year high in the spring, averaging $94,000 in equity withdrawn.
National housing inventory in July rose nearly 25% from last year, with Nevada, Maryland, and North Carolina leading double-digit gains. Homes are taking longer to sell, giving buyers more choices, but affordability remains tight.
Alcohol Consumption Hits Historic Low.
Fewer than 55% of U.S. adults now say they drink alcohol, the lowest share in Gallup’s 86 years of tracking.
The decline, steeper among women, Republicans, and young adults, comes as a record 53% believe even moderate drinking is bad for health.
Regular drinkers themselves are cutting back, with weekly averages at a 29-year low of 2.8 drinks. The shift follows mounting research rejecting earlier claims that small amounts of alcohol could be heart-healthy.
After a word from one of our sponsors Jenny will be Narrating the last half of the news.
And Now, A word From one of Our Sponsors.
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Thanks Christopher.
Now, back to the News.
POLITICS.
A federal judge ordered the federal government to partially restore science funding cut from UCLA after the Trump administration suspended $584 million in federal grants from the school.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a judge to jail former congressman Beto O’Rourke, saying O’Rourke violated a court order by fundraising to support dozens of state Democratic lawmakers who left the state to avoid voting on a redistricting plan.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s lead over GOP candidate Rep. Elise Stefanik has shrunk considerably, according to a new poll, down to a 14-point lead from the 23-point advantage Hochul held in June.
More Americans say they trust the federal government now than they did a year ago, a new survey shows, with 33% expressing faith in the government, a 10-point jump from 2024.
SPORTS
The Milwaukee Brewers, a baseball team with few stars and a low payroll, extended their winning streak to 12 games Wednesday, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-5. The team leads its division by eight games.
University of Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer denied that he had gambled on college football games despite his Venmo transaction titled “sports gambling (UCLA vs USC)” going viral.
Louisiana-born pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.29 meters (roughly 20.6 feet) on Tuesday, setting a new world mark and surpassing his previous best.
LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is being sued for allegedly leveraging his fame to sabotage a real estate development project on Hawaii’s Big Island.
The University of Kansas received a $300 million athletics gift from donor David Booth. The gift is believed to be one of the biggest in college sports history.
FINANCE.
Big Stock Move: Cava stock fell nearly 17% Wednesday after the fast-casual chain posted disappointing results in its second-quarter earnings report.
Amazon is adding same-day delivery of perishable foods, including milk, meat, and fruit, putting it in competition with online delivery services such as Walmart+ and Instacart.
AI startup Perplexity made an unsolicited offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion, higher than Perplexity’s own $18 billion market valuation.
The U.S. national debt hit a record $37 trillion on Friday, less than eight months after passing the $36 trillion threshold for the first time in November.
SCIENCE AND TECH.
Some ChatGPT users are upset over the latest update to the chatbot, saying it feels like they lost a trusted loved one as the new model lacks the “personality” of the previous version.
A Bill Gates-backed biotech startup launched the world’s first butter made entirely from carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen, potentially eliminating the need for traditional agriculture or animal farming.
Scientists used an AI-developed hydrogel adhesive to attach a rubber duck to a seaside rock, replicating the water-resistant bonding of geckos and mussels, and withstanding salt water and waves.
THE ROTATOR.
THROWBACK THURSDAY.
Here’s a list of the most popular slang words from each year going back to 1926, showing what folks were saying the year you were born—whether it was “snazzy,” “boffo,” or just plain “duh.”
A new photo retrospective traces the evolution of air travel from the first passenger flight in 1908 to today’s high-tech cabins and luxury lounges.
A man used a 46-year-old Disney World ticket with no expiration date to enter the park, and staff honored it by issuing him a valid pass at the gate. The original $8 ticket saved him over $150.
ET CETERA.
President Trump announced the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees on Wednesday, naming country star George Strait, actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford, singer Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band KISS. Trump said he’ll host the 48th annual Honors ceremony in December.
A polar bear was filmed swimming among beluga whales in the Arctic, with the whales keeping their distance in the open water. Polar bears do hunt belugas, but the fast, agile whales are difficult prey.
Dash cam video from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, shows lightning striking electrical equipment along a motorway, bringing down power lines and sparking a large fireball.
Daily Quote.
“There will be consequences.”
— President Trump, warning Russia of potential punishment if it doesn’t agree to end the war in Ukraine ahead of Friday’s summit with Vladimir Putin
Inspirational Verse of the Day.
Proverbs Chapter 3 Verse 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: KJV
And thats the news for today. Thanks for listening.
And Now, a word from our sponsor, Social Media Book Promotion on X (Twitter)
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