WEDNESday, August 16, 2023

Good morning! Today we mark the 165th anniversary of the first transatlantic telegraph message, a congratulatory note sent in 1858 by Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan. The cable broke just a few weeks later.

If this is your first time reading The Flyover, sign up here and make sure you don’t miss our next edition.

Want to follow along on Facebook? Click here.

Enjoying the Flyover? Take a moment to check out today’s sponsor, Hear.com.

Trump Lawyers Blast Early Posting of Indictment

Donald Trump’s lawyers attacked a Georgia grand jury process that posted all charges against Trump on the court website while the jury was still hearing witnesses, calling it a “glaring constitutional violation.”

District Attorney Fani Willis deflected discussion of the issue Monday night, and a court clerk apologized the next day for posting a “sample working document.”

Willis charged Trump and 18 others with conspiracy and racketeering charges related to the 2020 election and gave them until noon Friday to voluntarily surrender.

Trump is now charged with 91 counts in four different cases while a leading candidate for president. He called the Georgia charges “a continuation of the greatest and longest-running witchhunt in American history.”

Streaming Services Beat Cable for 1st Time

For the first time, TV viewers in July watched more shows on streaming services than on cable. Streaming platforms had a combined record-high share of almost 40% of the total viewing audience.

July also marked the first time that the combined share of both cable and broadcast TV was less than 50%.

Among the streaming platforms, YouTube had the highest share at 9.2%, followed by Netflix at 8.5% and then Hulu and Prime Video, both around 3.5%

‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Anthem Hits #1

“Rich Men North of Richmond,” a new right-wing country anthem from unknown artist Oliver Anthony, has rocketed to No. 1 in the music charts in the past week, displacing Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town.”

The song, filled with bitter working-class frustration against wealthy Washington elites, shot to prominence after going viral with prominent conservatives. The YouTube video of the song was up to 13 million views by Tuesday.

Little is known about the singer/composer, a red-bearded farmer who reportedly lives off the grid with three dogs in Farmville, Va. Progressives are suspicious he’s a music-industry plant, given how rapidly he went from unknown to chart-topper.

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

➤ Hunter Biden’s longtime lawyer Chris Clark withdrew as Biden’s counsel Tuesday, saying he expected to be called as a witness to testify about the failed plea bargain deal he made with the Justice Department. (More)

➤ House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are planning a stopgap government funding package to avoid a federal shutdown if no budget is approved by the Sept. 30 deadline. (More)

➤ Chris Christie is ahead of Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire, according to an Emerson College poll released Tuesday. Christie had 9% support compared to DeSantis at 8%. Donald Trump led easily with 49%. (More)

➤ Prominent Democrats have turned on President Biden over his immigration policies as migrants overwhelm city services. Among the critics are New York’s mayor and the governors of Massachusetts and Arizona. (More)

Flying together with:

Hearing aids just got their biggest upgrade yet

Ever heard the saying, “Good things come in small packages?” It’s certainly true for the latest Horizon AX hearing aids by hear.com. These devices pack an extraordinary amount of technology into a device so small, they’re nearly invisible!

Click here and see for yourself how Horizon AX completely disappears behind your ear.

But that’s not all. The game-changing device also features the world’s first-ever dual-processing system. And with double the power comes double the clarity. With Horizon AX, you never have to miss another word.

With over 385,000 happy customers, hear.com guarantees success – that’s why all Flyover readers get a 45-day no-risk trial and a 100% money-back guarantee. Just click here for this special offer.

➤ ESPN host Sage Steele is leaving the sports network after 16 years so she can speak “more freely.” Steele was suspended in 2021 for her speech, including criticism of the network’s vaccine mandate. (More)

➤ In a first, the Iowa women’s basketball team has already sold out its season tickets for the year. The team’s superstar, Caitlin Clark, is the reigning National Player of the Year, and this is her last season as a Hawkeye. (More)

➤ The Savannah Bananas, baseball’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters, are known for stunt-like baseball plays. But even for the Bananas, this catch Monday night with a full backflip was eye-catching. (See Video)

Market Report 8/15/23

▼	NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	13,631.05	–1.14%
▼	SPX S&P 500	4,437.86	–1.16%
▼	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	34,946.86	–1.02%
▲	BTC Bitcoin	$29,243.0	+0.15%
▼	SE Sea Limited	$40.58	–28.68%

➤ Big Stock Move: Sea Limited shares dropped 29% after the e-commerce and digital entertainment company reported weak financial results. (More)

➤ Fitch Ratings warned that it may be forced to downgrade ratings for dozens of banks, including JPMorgan Chase. The company cut its assessment of banking’s health in June, but it didn’t trigger downgrades. (More)

➤ Chick-fil-A is readying a new sandwich, a rarity for the popular chicken chain. After five years in the making, the company will offer a new Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich for a limited time beginning Aug. 28. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Speech clarity is the #1 most important factor when it comes to hearing aids. And audiologists are calling Hear.com’s Horizon AX unique dual processing system “the new gold standard” when it comes to clarity in conversation.

What does this mean? Speech gets clearer and crisper than ever before. Conversation and listening becomes effortless. And because they’re so small, no one will even know you’re wearing them.

Ready to experience the power of dual processing for yourself? Right now, all Flyover readers get a 45-day no-risk trial and a 100% money-back guarantee. Click here to start your Customized Hearing Success Program today!

➤ Covid Eris, a new strain of the Covid virus, is spreading worldwide, but the World Health Organization says it poses no greater risk than current strains. A vaccine for the new variant is due in September. (More)

➤ A herd of driverless robotaxis broke down in the middle of a busy San Francisco street, snarling traffic outside a music festival. The taxis’ owner blamed “wireless connectivity issues.” (More)

➤ LG is taking pre-orders for the StanbyME Go, a new $1,000 TV/suitcase with a 27-inch screen that pops up when you open the suitcase. The TV has a built-in battery that lasts three hours for portable viewing while on trips. (Photos)

➤ Pink waves hit the shore at Torrey Pines State Beach recently, thanks to ocean researchers who have poured fluorescent pink dye into the water to study how freshwater interacts with salt water at the coastline. (See Video)

➤ Speaking of waves, monster breakers as tall as three suns are crashing upon a colossal star 35 times the sun’s mass. Astronomers say the waves are caused by the gravitational pull of another star orbiting nearby. (More)

➤ A Chicago photographer captured three lightning bolts hitting the city skyline simultaneously in one epic photo. The Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, and the Trump Chicago building were all struck. (See Photo)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Ever struggle reading The Flyover? Don’t know where you put your glasses? Solve that problem with ThinOptics®. These thin, incredibly durable, and comfortable glasses stick right to the back of your phone, keeping them safely tucked away for a time like right now. Click here and check them out today. (VIDEO)