Sunday, July 5, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1994, Amazon was incorporated. The company was originally set up in Washington State as an online bookstore, but it would soon grow into one of the world’s most influential technology giants. See the original website here.

Today’s issue of The Flyover is a shortened holiday edition to allow The Flyover staff to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend with friends and family. Our regular edition will return on Tuesday. We hope everyone is having a safe and happy weekend!

America just turned 250, and we invited the entire world to the party. For years, the world has been told that this country is angry, divided, and not what it used to be. Then over a million international visitors poured into our cities this summer for the World Cup, and they are seeing something completely different. Late-night Waffle House runs, brisket the size of a small child, and strangers going out of their way to help. A lot of them showed up braced for the worst and instead fell head over heels. Tune in to today’s Flyover Podcast as Amy shares what the world is discovering about America. Tune in here!

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US Commemorates a Red-Hot 250th Birthday

America celebrated its much-anticipated 250th anniversary on Saturday, although the scorching heat put a lid on some activities.

In Washington, D.C., the “Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks” began with a speech by President Trump on the Washington Monument grounds, followed by a 40-minute fireworks display that featured 850,000 individual pyrotechnics for close to 150,000 people.

Washington D.C.’s Fourth of July parade was called off with expected temperatures of more than 100 degrees, altering plans for hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Leaders from around the world took to social media to offer well-wishes to the United States. Pope Leo XIV, who was born and raised in Chicago, asked Americans “to reflect upon the responsibilities that the sons and daughters of this country bear to one another.”

Made for Each Other: Hot Dogs, July 4

Fourth of July festivities usually culminate with a fireworks display, but for many people, it’s not a fully American celebration until hot dogs go on the grill.

The humble sausage took hold in the United States in the late 1890s, finding its way onto street corners and ballparks.

But today, regional styles have made frankfurter snobs out of millions of Americans. New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati are among the many cities where toppings and buns dictate hot dog culture.

Each July 4, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest rewards individual overindulgence in Coney Island, New York. Joey Chestnut, a doggone legend, won his 18th title by eating 66 hot dogs (and buns) in 10 minutes.

List: A Birthday Playlist for All 50 States

For America’s 250th birthday, music editors picked one song that best represents each of the 50 states, spanning classic rock, hip-hop anthems, and country gems.

Some states are represented by homegrown stars, while others serve as the setting for a beloved tune.

Arizona’s pick, the Eagles’ 1972 classic Take It Easy, inspired a Winslow park honoring the line “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.”

Florida went to Tom Petty’s 1976 hit American Girl. The rocker’s hometown of Gainesville renamed a park in his honor in 2018. Kentucky belongs to Loretta Lynn and her 1970 classic Coal Miner’s Daughter.

➤ The whole world came to America for the World Cup this summer, and over a million visitors are discovering why this country is truly one of a kind. (Watch Now)

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➤ President Trump pardoned nine people convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with diesel vehicle emissions-control systems, saying they were unfairly prosecuted for modifying trucks. (More)

➤ Iran began six days of funeral ceremonies Saturday for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as mourners in Tehran chanted for revenge and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks remained on hold until the observances conclude. (More)

➤ Archaeologists uncovered a well-preserved fourth-century Byzantine settlement in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis, revealing homes, a basilica church, coins, and written records that offer a rare glimpse into daily life 1,600 years ago. (More)

➤ An 11-year-old Kentucky boy is being hailed as a hero after diving into an apartment complex pool to rescue an unconscious man from the bottom, helping pull him to safety before CPR began. (See Hero)

➤ The FIFA World Cup fueled record trading on prediction market platforms in June, with Kalshi topping $31 billion in volume and Polymarket reaching a record $10.8 billion as fans wagered on tournament outcomes. (More)

➤ Dwayne Johnson confirmed Disney is developing Moana 3, with the actor expected to return as Maui following the franchise’s blockbuster box office success. (More)

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Whatever happened to Sarah Palin?

Sarah Palin was a small-town mayor and first-term governor of Alaska with approval ratings that at one point topped 80% when John McCain chose her as his 2008 running mate, making her the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket.

She electrified the GOP convention as a self-described “hockey mom,” but a tough Katie Couric interview and Tina Fey’s devastating SNL impression, featuring the famous made-up quote, “I can see Russia from my house,” defined her nationally before she could start. Palin was a good sport about it, even appearing on SNL herself. Here’s a backstage look.

But beyond the laughs, Palin reshaped the Republican playbook. Her distrust of the “lamestream media,” her rallies that crackled with populist anger, and her ability to connect with voters who felt ignored by Washington all presaged the movement that Donald Trump would ride to the White House eight years later.

After the McCain-Palin ticket lost, Palin resigned her governorship in 2009 with more than a year left in her term, then reinvented herself as a bestselling author, Fox News contributor, and reality TV star on TLC’s Sarah Palin’s Alaska.

Off camera, things were rockier. Her marriage to high-school sweetheart Todd ended in divorce after 31 years, and her children’s struggles with the law and the tabloids became a recurring subplot that never quite left the headlines.

She tried for a political comeback, but it never arrived. In 2022, she lost twice to Democrat Mary Peltola for Alaska’s lone House seat, and her long-running defamation lawsuit against The New York Times ended in defeat in 2025.

Today, Palin, 62 and divorced, calls herself a “Sovereign Single Mama” on social media and says she’d love a role in the Trump administration but hasn’t been asked. The hockey mom who once electrified a convention is still ready for her close-up.

How did you feel about Sarah Palin as a vice presidential candidate? What moment stands out? Let us know by replying to this email.

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Which music genre best represents your home state?

Yesterday’s Results:

Growing up, which did you enjoy more?

🎆 Watching fireworks: 44%
🤩 I loved doing both: 34%
🧨 Setting them off: 14%
🚫 Neither, I hate fireworks: 8%

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Today’s Trivia

What was Amazon’s original name before it was changed?

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