Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1853, the U.S. and Mexico signed the treaty known as the Gadsden Purchase. For the price of $15 million, later reduced to $10 million, the United States acquired approximately 30,000 square miles of land in what is now southern New Mexico and Arizona.

As the New Year approaches, some Midwestern towns are skipping the Times Square ball in favor of pierogies, cheese wedges, and even fiberglass fish as we report in the Holiday Section below. Does your city or town have a New Year’s tradition? Reply to let us know.

In today’s Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown takes a closer look at a handful of pivotal Senate races that could shape control of the chamber in 2026, breaking down the candidates and key dynamics to watch. Watch the episode here.

Today’s sponsor, Convoy of Hope, is offering a final chance to double your impact—every dollar given before midnight tomorrow (up to the $1 million challenge total) helps provide twice the food, hope, and support to families facing hunger.

China’s Military Sends Taiwan Warning

China launched two days of live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Monday in exercises code-named Justice Mission 2025, simulating blockades of key ports with destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, and drones.

Taiwan condemned the military intimidation and deployed forces for a rapid response exercise after detecting 89 Chinese military aircraft and 28 warships near the island.

The drills followed Japan’s prime minister saying its military could intervene if China moved against Taiwan, and the U.S. announcing a record $10 billion arms package for Taipei.

Beijing warned that “external forces” arming Taiwan would push the Taiwan Strait into a “perilous situation of imminent war,” with the exercises disrupting over 100,000 passengers on scheduled international flights.

Winter Storm Threatens Midwest, Northeast

A powerful winter storm swept across the Midwest into the Northeast on Monday, threatening to become a “bomb cyclone” as Arctic air collided with warmer Southern temperatures.

The storm brought blizzard conditions and up to 2 feet of snow to parts of Michigan and upstate New York, with wind gusts reaching 75 mph and nearly 10 million people under winter storm warnings.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz authorized the National Guard to support emergency operations as sections of Interstate 35 closed due to numerous crashes, while meteorologists warned of “dangerous, potentially life-threatening” travel conditions.

The system disrupted holiday travel, with over 7,700 flight delays, while dangerous ice accumulation was expected across New England.

White House Sets $50B Health Awards

The Trump administration announced first-year awards from its $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program on Monday, with all 50 states receiving an average of $200 million for 2026.

Alaska received the second-largest award at $272 million, just under Texas’s $281 million, following hours of negotiations with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose vote proved critical to passing the megabill.

Half of the funding is distributed equally among all states, while the other half takes into account state-level policies, such as implementing presidential fitness tests in schools.

Love reading The Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

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 link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ These competitive Senate races in 2026 could determine which party controls the chamber. (Podcast Available)

➤ Ukraine denied responsibility for an alleged drone attack on Putin’s residence. (Hear Details)

➤ Colorado dog sled tours have been put on pause due to an unexpected winter problem. (Hear Why)

➤ President Trump said in a radio interview that the U.S. had “knocked out” a Venezuelan facility, a move that, if confirmed, would be the first known land strike in the U.S. counternarcotics efforts against Venezuela. (See Details)

➤ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. Trump said afterwards that the United States could support another major strike on Iran if it resumed its nuclear weapons programs, and warned Hamas of severe consequences if it doesn’t disarm. (More)

➤ California dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration after it pulled roughly $4 billion in federal funding for the state’s high-speed rail project. The state had been seeking to have the federal funding reinstated. (More)

➤ The U.S. announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid, less than in the past but still more than any other humanitarian donor, as the White House warned United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink, or die” in a time of new financial realities. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Deadline for Double Impact

Time is running out. Your opportunity to provide double the food, hope, and opportunity for families in need ends at midnight tomorrow!

Through Convoy of Hope’s $1 Million Delivering Hope Matching Challenge, every gift given by year’s end (up to the $1 million challenge total) will go twice as far! This means:

A gift of just $10 would help provide 60 meals to children at school, rather than 30.
$160 would help feed a family of four for a whole month — that’s 960 meals!

In these final hours of 2025, you can be the answer to the prayers of a hungry neighbor — a helping hand, a spark of hope, a living reminder of God’s love — with double the impact.

Gifts must be dated and postmarked, or given online, by midnight on Dec. 31—that’s tomorrow—to be doubled by the Delivering Hope Matching Challenge.

Give generously today and let your compassion go twice as far.

➤ Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman received an “enhanced” contract with the Fighting Irish and will return in 2026. The news comes after his name was mentioned as a candidate for various head coaching vacancies around the country, including at the NFL level. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sued the NCAA over its eligibility rules, which prevent junior college transfers like him from playing Division I football for all four years. If he wins the lawsuit, he’ll get to play for Vanderbilt in 2026-2027. (More)

➤ The NBA suspended Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado for an on-court brawl this weekend that followed a controversial call. (More)

➤ Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was injured in a car crash that killed two other passengers yesterday in Nigeria. The accident comes just nine days after Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami. (More)

Deschutes Historical Museum in Bend, Oregon, hosted its second annual Holiday Gelatin Salad Show with 35 wobbly entries, including savory tomato aspic and a Christmas tree-shaped salad, drawing crowds to celebrate the mid-century culinary craze. (See Photos)

State parks across the U.S. will host First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, inviting folks to kick off 2026 with a healthy dose of nature. (More)

Forget the Times Square ball—Midwestern towns are dropping pierogies, cheese wedges, and fiberglass fish to welcome the New Year. (See Drops)

Flying together with our sponsor

Direct Meds makes medically supervised weight-loss simple by connecting you with licensed U.S. doctors online who can prescribe real GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide and deliver them to your door, helping reduce appetite and support your weight-management goals without insurance or clinic visits. (LEARN MORE)

Daily Market Report 12/29/2025

▼	NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	23,474.35	-0.50%
▼	SPX S&P 500	6,905.74	-0.35%
▼	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	48,461.93	-0.51%
▼	BTC Bitcoin	$87,198.32	-0.73%
▼	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,350.20	-3.95%
▲	PRAX Praxis Precision Medicines	$304.58	+13.25%

Bitcoin and gold are traded 24 hours a day.

➤ Big Stock Move: Praxis Precision Medicines stock rose over 13% on Monday after the FDA granted its “Breakthrough Therapy” designation to Praxis’ ulixacaltamide for essential tremor. (More)

➤ Silver futures slid more than 8% Monday after topping $80 an ounce for the first time ever in overnight trading Sunday night. It was the worst day for silver futures since February 2021. (More)

➤ Nvidia has purchased $5 billion worth of Intel shares, the semiconductor firm said in ‌a filing on Monday, in ‌a deal that’s seen as a major financial ‍lifeline for Intel. (More)

➤ Louis Gerstner, the former CEO and chairman of IBM, died this weekend at age 83. During the nine years he led IBM, he was widely credited with turning around a struggling giant by pivoting from computer hardware to business services. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Hurry—Match Ends Soon

Don’t miss your moment to provide twice the food and hope to families in need!

Convoy of Hope’s $1 Million Delivering Hope Matching Challenge ends at midnight tomorrow, Dec. 31—and with it, your opportunity to provide TWICE as much food and hope to those who need it most.

About 135 million people across the United States are struggling to make ends meet as we close out this year. Millions more are struggling worldwide.

But you can help these families enter 2026 with hope—by partnering with Convoy of Hope to distribute millions of meals to those in need.

To see your impact doubled, please act now.

➤ While midlife weight loss improves metabolism, it triggers neuroinflammation in the brain’s appetite center, a study found. The mid-aged brain appears to “resist” the lower weight, potentially explaining why keeping pounds off gets harder with age. (More)

➤ Paleontologists revealed a 70-million-year-old dinosaur egg found in China that contains a “sparkling crystal surprise.” Instead of a fossilized embryo, the inside of the egg is lined with calcite crystals, essentially turning a prehistoric birth pod into a natural geode. (See Egg)

➤ Scientists have successfully used bio-electrical signals from oyster mushrooms to control a bionic arm. The fungi “played” musical instruments and even used a paintbrush to create self-portraits. (Watch Video)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ One unique form of fiber makes weight loss easier. If you’re already using a fiber supplement and still struggling with your weight, there’s a good chance it contains the wrong type of fiber—that can cause blockages in your intestines, worsening constipation, and bloating. Read on to learn the six reasons everyone looking to lose weight should be using this one unique type of fiber. (Learn More)

Tuesday Travel is brought to you by:

➤ An Australian cruise ship carrying 124 people ran aground on a coral reef off Papua New Guinea’s coast near Finschhafen on Saturday. All passengers and crew members were reported to be safe, even as the ship remains stuck. (See Details)

➤ Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel is now charging $250 for a shot of Louis XIII cognac served in a chocolate chip cookie “glass,” up from $185 in 2022. (See Drink)

➤ Airbnb’s 2026 travel report shows Gen Z is driving a boom in quick international city escapes, with 1-2 day trips trending over long vacations. National parks are surging in popularity in the U.S. as travelers look to “touch grass.” (See Trends)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Remember those old “got milk?” ads? Growing up, we all heard it: “Drink your milk.” While calcium is essential, it isn’t magic for bone health. Get this: A 2013 Harvard study revealed men taking over 1,000 mg of calcium daily were 20% more likely to experience heart problems. It also showed calcium and vitamin D supplements don’t actually lower the risk of fractures in older adults.

Click here for a better way to keep your bones strong.

➤ Bondi Beach hero Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed a gunman during the deadly Dec. 14 attack, sat for an interview with CBS News, saying his only goal was to stop the killing. “That’s my soul asking me to do that,” he said. (Watch Interview)

➤ Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city, is being relocated building by building due to the expansion of underground iron ore mining. The move, underway since 2004 and set to finish by 2035, involves 6,000 residents and nearly 3,000 homes. (More)

➤ A Greek woman filed for divorce after ChatGPT allegedly detected signs of infidelity in her husband’s coffee grounds, part of a growing AI-assisted tasseography trend. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The holidays are busy enough, and the news shouldn’t add to the chaos or stress. The Pour Over helps you stay up to date while keeping Christ at the forefront, pointing you toward hope instead of anxiety, so you can sign up for free and read the news with peace.