Saturday, December 30th, 2023

Welcome to the weekend! On this day in 1916, the mysterious Grigori Rasputin was killed in Saint Petersburg. The “Mad Monk” was a controversial mystic who convinced the Russian Imperial family that he could heal their son. He was also an alleged philanderer who many thought had too much influence, and he was murdered by relatives of Czar Nicholas II. Read five myths and truths about Rasputin here.

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Editor’s note: If you like The Flyover and want to keep up with news in Texas, you should try out The Texas Flyover, launching January 9th. Sign up with one click here.

Mexican Border Crossings Break Record

U.S. Border Patrol agents have encountered over 276,000 illegal immigrants at the Mexican border in December—a new monthly record.

An additional 50,000 migrants entered legally at ports of entry.

Amidst the surge at the border, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Mexico’s president to discuss the problem. President Obrador says he’s willing to help, but he wants to see progress in US/Cuba relations in return.

Mayors in major U.S. cities like Denver, Chicago, and New York are discussing how to deal with the unsustainable influx of migrants, and they’re continuing to ask the Biden administration for help.

High Waves Batter California, Hawaii

Stormy conditions in the Pacific are generating waves as high as 35 feet on the California coast.

In Ventura, a huge wave sent bystanders scrambling after it rolled over a seawall, and eight people went to the hospital with injuries. The surge of water flowed down a nearby street for an entire block. (See Video)

The National Weather Service is warning of “dangerous surf, life-threatening rip currents and coastal flooding” this weekend in California.

In Hawaii, forecasters are predicting 40-foot waves on north-facing shores.

Beer Sales Plummet

Beer sales in the U.S. are expected to plunge to their lowest level in 24 years, partly due to Bud Light’s 25% sales decline but just as much by the changing habits of younger drinkers.

Sales declined overall by 5% in the first nine months of the year, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. Bud Light sales alone dropped by up to 30% and dragged down Anheuser-Busch sales overall.

But beer is also being crowded out by the changing tastes of young drinkers, who have increasingly turned to hard seltzer and non-alcoholic drinks. And when Gen Z members do drink, surveys show they prefer spirits to beer.

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➤ Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted a warning to states removing President Trump from ballots: “…the U.S. House of Representatives is the ultimate arbiter of whether to certify electors from those states.” (More)

➤ A record number of elected officials were removed by recall vote (or resigned before a vote) this year. Across 17 states, 77 officials were removed from office and 31 resigned. (More)

➤ Two buses full of migrants arrived at unauthorized locations in NYC early Friday morning, despite Mayor Eric Adams’ executive order restricting the dropoffs to a specified location between 8:30 AM and noon. (More)

Hello Flyover Reader!

Today, we’re sending our very last edition of 2023.

About a year ago, our small team sat around a table and started dreaming about building an email newsletter that everyday Americans would actually want. No bias. No bloat. Just the news. (And a little fun).

A few days later, we quit dreaming and got to work. On March 17th, we sent our first edition to less than 50 friends and family members. Yesterday, we delivered The Flyover to over 520,000 people.

520,000!

That’s a heck of a year, and it never would have happened without your support. Thanks for reading and telling your friends about us. We appreciate you!

Now, we’re turning our attention to the future. We’ve recently hired two more employees to help with writing and editing, and we’re focused on improving The Flyover‘s quality in 2024 and delivering even more content.

Despite our large number of readers, we’re still a small operation and could use your help.

If you’ve enjoyed The Flyover this year, would you help us cover our increasing expenses?

Give $15

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I’m amazed at the level of support you’ve all shown this year, and I take it as confirmation that we’re building something worthwhile.

Here’s to an even better 2024 together!

-Cole, CEO

➤ Alabama football is taking extra precautions against potential sign-stealing by Michigan, their opponent in the upcoming Rose Bowl. Players are no longer allowed to watch game film on their iPads because of potential security concerns. (More)

➤ Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender men from competing against women in school sports. (More)

➤ Things got a little weird after K-State won the Pop-Tarts bowl over NC State. As a marketing stunt, bowl officials had K-State players eat the mascot’s edible Pop-Tart costume. (Video)

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Here are this week’s most-clicked stories. Enjoy!

➤ #1: Christmas jokes topped the charts this week—126 of them. (Full list)

➤ #2: Neil the Seal is a big hit in Tasmania, and he was a big hit in The Flyover, too. (Watch him Goof Around)

➤ #3: A very sparse (and fake) Christmas tree somehow sold for $4,338 at an auction. (See it)

➤ A California man decided to remove a huge bear from his home’s crawlspace by shooting it with a paintball gun. The bear quickly emerged. (Photo)

➤ The U.S. military launched one of its secretive X-37B space planes at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, hitching a ride into orbit on a SpaceX Heavy Falcon rocket. (More)

➤ A Tesla Cybertruck was involved in a first-reported head-on collision with a Toyota Corolla and appeared undamaged. The Toyota’s front end was completely demolished, but no one was seriously hurt. (See It)

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➤ Want to stop snoring? Or…stop someone else from snoring? This dentist’s breakthrough could do the trick on the first night. (Video)