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The Thursday Flyover Replay : Defense Cuts, Asteroid Risk, and Skiing Next to Lava.
Presented by Russell Sherrard.
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Our Hosts are Christopher and Jenny.
THE FLYOVER REPLAY.
Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Good Morning! On this day in 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds.
Sicily’s famous Mount Etna erupted recently, which is fitting since its name means “I burn.” Skiers took advantage of the opportunity to ski near the lava flows.
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.
Major Cuts Ordered in Defense Spending.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered senior military officials to draft a five-year budget plan cutting defense spending by 8% annually, according to an unreleased memo, calling for proposals by Feb. 24.
Hegseth directed officials to assess needs based on a “wartime tempo” and eliminate spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, as well as climate change studies.
Overall, an 8% annual cut over the next five years could reduce military spending by nearly $300 billion.
The memo also outlined 17 categories that the Trump administration classified as exempt. Those categories included operations at the southern U.S. border, modernization of nuclear weapons and missile defense, and acquisition of submarines, one-way attack drones, and other munitions.
Trump Limits Independent Federal Agencies.
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday expanding White House oversight of independent federal agencies, including the FTC, FCC, SEC, and the Federal Reserve’s bank supervision role.
The order applies to the Fed’s regulatory functions, such as its oversight of big banks, requiring alignment with administration priorities, but explicitly excludes its rate-setting role and other monetary policy decisions.
The order, titled Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies, requires these agencies to submit draft regulations, performance standards, and budgets for White House review to better align their actions with administration goals.
Trump framed the move as necessary for accountability, but critics warn it could undermine the agencies’ independence and faces likely legal challenges.
Ford F-150 Dethroned as U.S. Top Seller.
Toyota’s RAV4 surpassed the Ford F-150 as America’s best-selling vehicle in 2024, ending 42 years of dominance for the iconic Ford pickup truck.
Consumer data revealed that F-150 sales dropped by 5% to 460,915 units in 2024, while RAV4 sales rose by 9% to 475,193 units, making the Toyota crossover compact SUV the narrow leader in U.S. sales.
Factors such as high interest rates, increased popularity of leasing, and a temporary halt in F-150 production due to supplier issues last year may have contributed to the unprecedented decline in Ford truck sales.
Ford has challenged the initial sales data reporting, stating that the company does not separate sales figures for individual vehicles in its top-selling truck and vehicle categories.
POLITICS.
Senate GOP leaders plan to vote this week on their budget resolution, despite President Trump endorsing the House’s single-bill approach.
President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a back-and-forth this week, with Trump questioning Zelensky’s commitment to peace and Zelensky calling Trump a victim of Russian disinformation.
The State Department on Wednesday designated eight foreign drug cartels and criminal gangs, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13, as terrorist organizations, equating them with groups like the Taliban and Hamas.
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.
Are you an author or writer with a Blog and wonder if it is being effective?
I have added audio to my blog posts and am getting good comments. I can add voice to your blog posts. You choose Male/Female $10 per post. Direct your inquiries to russellsherrard@reagan.com.
Thanks Christopher.
Now, back to the News.
SPORTS.
Police have charged a gang of Chilean nationals in connection with a recent string of burglaries targeting top NFL athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, as well as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Major League Baseball will test an automatic ball-strike challenge system during Spring Training this season in approximately 60% of the games played.
NBA MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has parted ways with his agent and will represent himself in future contract negotiations. He’s expected to command one of the largest contracts in NBA history when he becomes eligible for an extension this summer.
The White House Transition.
The Trump administration has pulled its approval of New York City’s congestion pricing plan, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy calling the $9 surcharge for drivers entering Manhattan “backwards and unfair.”
The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary in a 51-45 vote Tuesday, approving another official in the Trump administration’s cabinet and supporter of the president’s tariff policies.
In other confirmations, Kelly Loeffler, a Georgia businesswoman and former senator, was confirmed Wednesday to lead the Small Business Administration.
FINANCE.
Big Stock Move: New York brokerage Compass Inc., known for tech-driven real estate, saw its stock surge 28% Wednesday after it reported a 26% revenue increase.
President Trump blamed inflation, which rose 3% in January, on the spending policies of former President Biden’s administration.
KFC is relocating its U.S. corporate office from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas, as part of parent company Yum Brands’ restructuring plan.
Prada is evaluating a potential bid to acquire Versace, the iconic Italian fashion brand currently owned by Capri Holdings.
SCIENCE AND TECH.
Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip, designed to tackle complex problems that traditional computers find taxing or impossible to solve.
NASA officials have raised the likelihood that the “city-killer” asteroid discovered last December could strike Earth to 3%, the highest probability ever assigned to an asteroid—before additional analysis lowered the chances to about 1.5%.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a continuous stream of flares from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, offering new insights into the fundamental nature of black holes.
THE ROTATOR.
THROWBACK THURSDAY.
A collection of 40 retro photos showcases celebrities looking effortlessly cool on motorcycles, including Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider (1969), Brigitte Bardot in Paris (1967), and Clint Eastwood posing for Coogan’s Bluff (1968).
With help from her mother, who saved 85% of her childhood items, social media creator Kate Steinberg built a large following by creating nostalgic videos with items like flip phones and report cards.
A series of toothpaste ads from the 1920s to the 1960s highlights Colgate’s 1963 beach campaign and Crest’s iconic 1957 Norman Rockwell artwork.
ET CETERA.
Two small planes collided midair near Marana Regional Airport in Arizona, resulting in two fatalities, according to local authorities.
Skiers dodged glowing lava on Mount Etna, which erupted near Catania, Italy, earlier this month, prompting a hiking ban as flows stretched for two miles.
Police are investigating over 1,000 QR-code stickers found on gravestones at three cemeteries in Munich, Germany. When scanned, the codes reveal the names and burial locations of the deceased but offer no additional information.
Daily Quote.
“The emotion of getting into these things is just one of extraordinary bewilderment because when you come across something you’re not expecting to find, it’s emotionally extremely turbulent really.”
— Dr. Piers Litherland, egyptologist on the discovery of the first tomb of a pharaoh since Tutankhamun was uncovered over a century ago.
And thats the news for today.
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor, The Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Go to https:// payhip.com/ Christian NonFiction eBookStore then scroll down and click on The Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
n publishing the life of the late CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, the publishers feel a peculiar pleasure and believe themselves especially fortunate in having secured the Rev. Russell H. Conwell, D.D., LL.D., pastor at The Temple, of Philadelphia, to prepare the work. There are many reasons why the popular preacher, who might justly be called the Spurgeon of America, should in this way pay a loving tribute to the memory of his great English ecclesiastical brother, and why such a book must have an absorbing interest for all readers. Foremost among these might be considered his personal acquaintance with the great divine of gigantic efforts and wonderful achievements, and the deep study he has ever given to his popular brother preacher’s life and the measure of its successes.
As a fellow-preacher of the Gospel, he knew better than any layman how to interpret the hidden springs of success to count the cost of Herculean efforts made, and better, understand the great man’s life-work in all its thousands of minute details which he, as an intimate personal friend had the opportunity to observe.
Like Spurgeon, he has the power to earn and raise large sums of money, but he devotes every dollar beyond a reasonable living expense to the cause he has so much at heart. His remarkable line of work, also, in many ways corresponds with that of Spurgeon,
The similarity in the work of the English Spurgeon and the American Conwell has often been commented upon by press and people. Spurgeon made, and Conwell is making, a complete sacrifice of talents, time and health to the one aim in life-the salvation of souls. Each commenced life a poor boy, and had an early life fraught with discouragements and temptations.
The author’s grand work for the Grace Baptist Church, of Philadelphia, has justly distinguished him as the greatest preacher of his denomination in this country. He was a student at Yale College, and graduated in the Law Department of Albany University and was admitted to the New York bar in 1865. His health not permitting the practice of law, he began as traveling correspondent of the Boston Traveler and the New York Tribune, during which his constant companion and warmest friend was Bayard Taylor, with who he traveled all over the world, and obtained distinction as a journalist.
In addition to the pastorate of a church which has one of the most remarkable houses of worship in the world, open every hour of every day and night in the year, and is never untenanted, Dr. Conwell is the head of Temple College, connected with the church fostered by him, which is for the free education of working-men and women in the classic collegiate branches, with fourteen professors, a preparatory department that sends pupils to Yale, Harvard and Amherst, and giving itself decrees equal to those of Princeton. He is the head of the Samaritan Hospital, also an outgrowth of his personal effort and example, which is doing incalculable good in Philadelphia.
In addition. to his church work, Dr. Conwell lectures all over the United States, to large and delighted audiences.
He is also a prolific author, The most important of his works are a ” Life of Garfield,” which he wrote at the home of the martyred President, in Mentor; “Why and How the Chinese Immigrate,” the material for which he gathered in the Chinese Empire Life of Hon. James G. Blaine,” Life of Bayard Taylor,” and “Acres of Diamonds,” each of which has been appreciatively read by thousands of readers in this and other countries.