Sunday, August 30, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1963, John F. Kennedy became the first U.S. president to have a direct text/teletype line, famously called the “hotline,” connecting him to the Kremlin in Moscow.

S&H Green Stamps were once part of the American grocery store experience, allowing shoppers to save for a variety of household merchandise. But as we read in Whatever Happened To…, the stamps have given way to other types of loyalty programs.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Amy counted down the 10 habits that actually predict how long you’ll live. When researchers tracked tens of thousands of people for decades, the habits that mattered most weren’t the ones anyone expected. Amy broke down each one and revealed the number one predictor science keeps landing on. So before you overhaul your grocery list or your gym routine, find out which habits actually move the needle. And if you’re already a creature of habit, see how many of yours made the list. Tune in here!

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U.S. Takes Control of Venezuelan Oil Reserves

President Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. has entered into an agreement with Venezuela to take control of the country’s 65 billion barrels of oil reserves.

The agreement allows for the creation of a new private company to control Venezuela’s oil reserves, giving the U.S. a 55% stake in the venture, along with an ownership interest and the right to purchase oil at cost.

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the deal covers the development of 17 oil fields and could attract $100 billion in investment while generating more than $209 billion in taxes for Caracas.

In a social media post, Trump said the deal “will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity.”

Dolly Tributes Sweep Nation

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proposed the renaming of Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton, the country music legend who died on Tuesday at age 80.

Lee said in a statement, “It is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”

In the days since her passing, fans have flocked to connect with her work. On Wednesday, Parton was the most streamed artist globally with 79.7 million, and three of her books were in the top 5 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list.

In New York, however, the outpouring of love might have a downside. The electronic tribute signs may violate federal guidelines that discourage distracting messages on highway message boards. The signs flashed bulletins including “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, don’t speed” and “I will always love safe driving.”

Ranking: States with $1 Million Tax Returns

Connecticut has the nation’s highest share of tax returns reporting annual incomes of at least $1 million, according to a new analysis of IRS data.

The Constitution State reported 0.90% of returns with adjusted gross incomes of at least $1 million, followed by Massachusetts at 0.76% and New York at 0.73%.

Nationwide, nearly 30% of that group’s income came from salaries, while roughly a quarter was produced from capital gains. The remainder came from dividends, interest, retirement distributions, and other sources.

Seven-figure incomes are least common in West Virginia, where 0.16% of tax filers met the threshold. New Mexico and Mississippi tied for second-lowest at 0.21%.

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3 Risks to Your Retirement Investment Plan

Even careful investors can make costly errors that put their retirement portfolio at risk. Have you considered how fees, inflation or market volatility could affect your savings over time? Learning ways to spot (and avoid) these pitfalls is key to achieving your long-term goals.

A financial adviser who understands your unique needs can help reduce unnecessary risk and keep you on track. Schedule a call with one of our experienced professionals to discuss gaps and opportunities in your strategy. In the meantime, download 13 Retirement Investment Blunders to Avoid to help refresh your investment plan and prepare for your conversation.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ Forecasters can’t agree whether fall will bring sweaters, storms, or lingering summer heat. (Hear More)

➤ Thieves pull off a massive beer run involving 1,600 cases. (Listen Now)

➤ A veteran’s final words capture a life filled with family, laughter, and adventure. (Podcast Available)

➤ Ryan Preece won at Daytona in overtime for the first points victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career, clinching a spot in the Chase. He took the lead when Zane Smith spun from the front in a multicar crash that ended the race under caution. (Watch Finish)

➤ Viktor Hovland carries a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard into today’s final round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sits three strokes back. (More)

➤ Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar agreed to an eight-year extension worth $20.4 million annually, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history. (More)

➤ The SEC said it will comply with applicable court orders protecting schools that roster certain players with previous professional ties, despite the conference’s new eligibility restrictions. (More)

➤ British tennis players raised concerns about marijuana smoke drifting from nearby Corona Park onto U.S. Open practice and outer courts, saying the odor can distract them during matches. (More)

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Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▲	NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	26,402.42	0.85%
▲	SPX S&P 500	7,711.76	0.49%
▲	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	53,559.99	0.53%
▼	BTC Bitcoin	$77,681.70	-0.60%
▼	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,506.20	-3.70%
▼	SILVER Per Ounce	$66.15	-2.72%
▼	OIL West Texas Intermediate Crude	$83.38	-3.84%

Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil are traded 24 hours a day.

➤ The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite all closed the week with gains thanks to a midweek rally. (More)

➤ Streaming service Apple TV raised its monthly charge from $12.99 to $14.99 one month after raising prices for Apple Music by $1 per month. (More)

➤ Two GenZ college friends quit their jobs and launched a pickle company, relying on a self-deprecating social media presence. Today, Hot Girl Pickles is valued at $8.5 million. (More)

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Ladies and gentlemen, here are our most-clicked stories of the week:

➤ The habits that best predict how long you’ll live aren’t diet or exercise, and researchers who tracked tens of thousands of people for decades say neither cracks the top three. (Podcast Available)

➤ Country music legend Dolly Parton, whose six-decade career produced “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and nearly 50 studio albums, died Tuesday after a brief cancer battle at 80. (More)

➤ A new analysis matches state economies with countries by GDP, pairing California with the United Kingdom, Texas with Russia, New York with Canada, and Florida with Australia. (See List)

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Avoid These Costly Retirement Mistakes

A financial adviser who understands your unique goals can help reduce unnecessary risk and keep you on track. Schedule a call with one of our professionals to discuss gaps and opportunities in your strategy. In the meantime, download 13 Retirement Investment Blunders to Avoid to start refreshing your investment plan.

➤ Trump administration officials requested an independent EPA investigation into the Biden administration’s East Palestine derailment response after records suggested nearly 18,000 people faced potentially dangerous chemical exposure. (More)

➤ A former White House teleprompter operator must surrender more than $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 fine for using advance knowledge of President Trump’s speeches to place bets. (More)

➤ Icelanders voted on Saturday on whether to reopen EU membership talks, weighing lower interest rates and greater security against concerns over sovereignty and control of the country’s fishing waters. (More)

➤ Rescue efforts continued on Saturday along the Nepal-China border as officials reported 676 deaths and nearly 3,000 people missing, while more than 3,700 people had been rescued. (More)

➤ A custodian secretly lived inside a New York middle school for six months before security footage exposed him during an unrelated overtime investigation, prompting his suspension and resignation. (More)

➤ ICE is considering spending up to $2 million on Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs for hazardous inspections and situational awareness, using technology the Secret Service deployed at Mar-a-Lago in 2024. (More)

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Whatever happened to S&H Green Stamps?

For decades, S&H Green Stamps were as much a part of the American grocery run as the groceries themselves. Then, almost overnight, they weren’t.

The Sperry & Hutchinson Company launched its trading stamps in 1896, giving shoppers one stamp for every 10 cents spent at participating stores. Customers licked the gummed backs, pasted them into free booklets, and redeemed filled books for merchandise at local showrooms.

The concept took off during the Depression, and by the 1960s, more than 60% of American consumers were saving the little green squares. S&H boasted it printed three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service, and its rewards catalog became the largest single publication in the country.

Families would spread that catalog across the kitchen table, flipping through pages of toasters, luggage sets, bicycles, and transistor radios, counting up filled books and debating what to save for next. Andy Warhol even turned the stamps into Pop Art in 1962.

Competitors piled in. Gold Bond, Top Value, Plaid, and Blue Chip Stamps all chased the same kitchen-table loyalty. But the end came for all of them beginning in the 1970s. The oil embargo gutted the gas station channel. Double-digit inflation made the stamps feel like a hidden surcharge, spurring discount chains like Kmart to promise everyday low prices instead of deferred rewards.

By the late 1980s, fewer than 100 retailers still offered Green Stamps. S&H tried going digital with an online “Greenpoints” program, but that too, quietly shut down in October 2020. You can see the program’s current direction at MyGreenStamps.com

Green Stamps no longer exist, but today your grocery store loyalty card, your frequent-flyer miles, and your credit card points all trace their DNA straight back to those sticky little stamps.

Did your family collect S&H Green Stamps or another brand? What did you redeem them for? Let us know by replying to this email.