Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Happy New Year! On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring, “I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper.”

Happy New Year to our Flyover readers! We bring you a special edition of The Flyover, a shorter-than-usual issue as we celebrate the holiday.

Our team has analyzed the data and identified the top stories of 2024, which you can find featured below. What was the most memorable story of 2024 for you? We’d love to hear your thoughts—just reply to this email!

Start 2024 with a fresh perspective—sign up for our seven state editions: The Texas Flyover, Flyover Florida, Flyover North Carolina, The Georgia Flyover, The Virginia Flyover, The Tennessee Flyover, and The Colorado Flyover—and stay in the know all year long!

Today’s sponsor is Weight Loss by Hims. Check out their products below.

The Flyover Reviews 2024

2024 was an exciting year for The Flyover. We started strong with the launch of The Texas Flyover and expanded with six additional state editions. This year also saw the debut of Feel Good Friday as a standalone weekly publication, along with new special sections and features designed to engage our growing audience of over 1 million readers.

What were you reading? Our data shows that political and election news, sports, and curated lists—covering everything from taxes to food and the best small towns across the U.S.—were among the most popular topics.

Animal content also captured significant attention, with videos of baby penguins and a Colorado rattlesnake den drawing thousands of views.

Below, you’ll find some of the year’s most-clicked stories. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions to help The Flyover continue to grow and improve.

Thank you for being part of our journey this year. Here’s to an even better 2025!

College Football Playoffs Roll On

The College Football Playoff Quarterfinals continue today after Penn State defeated Boise State last night, 31-14, becoming the first team to advance to the semifinals.

The action kicks off with the Peach Bowl, featuring No. 5 Texas taking on No. 4 Arizona State in Atlanta. Next, the Rose Bowl brings a highly anticipated rematch as No. 8 Ohio State faces No. 1 Oregon.

The day’s final game is the Sugar Bowl, where No. 7 Notre Dame squares off against No. 2 Georgia.

The semifinal round is set for next week, with quarterfinal winners advancing to either the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 or the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.

Stay updated with the College Football Playoff scoreboard and schedule here.

Flying together with our sponsor

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Today’s Holiday section is brought to you by:

Turkey, chicken, shrimp, and lobster are some of the foods believed to bring bad luck, according to this list of 12 unlucky foods to avoid on New Year’s. (See List)

Will Ferrell made a surprise appearance as a grizzled version of Buddy the Elf during Sunday’s Los Angeles Kings hockey game, complete with the iconic costume, a cigarette, and a drink in hand. (See Buddy)

A must-see sky-watching guide for 2025 highlights upcoming celestial events, including meteor showers, a solar eclipse, and a supermoon, many of which can be enjoyed with the naked eye. (See List)

Flying together with our sponsor

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Ladies and gentlemen, here are the most popular Flyover stories for 2024, ranked by your clicks. Enjoy!

➤ This list of the most reliable car brands—Lexus, Toyota, Buick, Chevrolet, and MINI—is based on a study analyzing three years of data from car owners. (See List)

➤ A late-summer deluge in Morocco flooded parts of the Sahara Desert, creating lagoons among palm trees and sand dunes. (See Lagoons)

➤ A cinematographer captured footage of Emperor penguin chicks leaping 50 feet off an Antarctic cliff, showcasing a never-before-seen behavior. (See Chicks)

➤ Here are the best fast-food restaurants in every state, offering a bucket list of must-try meals across the country, according to Love Food. (See List)

➤ A psychologist developed a three-word phrase to help win arguments by demonstrating empathy and respecting both sides. (See Phrase)

➤ This ranking of state tax burdens, with New York at the highest and Alaska at the lowest, is based on a study of property, income, and sales taxes across the U.S. (See Rankings)

➤ Three Hilton Head white-tailed deer were filmed leaping off a bridge into the water, seemingly without reason. (See Deer)

➤ Scientists have been live streaming a Prairie Rattlesnake den in Colorado to study and observe the snakes’ behaviors. (See Snakes)

➤ People from other countries have identified 14 obvious traits that make Americans easily recognizable abroad. (See List)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Look no further for the perfect gift. Bril is a portable toothbrush case that uses natural UV-C light to kill 99.9% of the unwanted viruses and bacteria living on your toothbrush—protecting you and your family from potential medical issues. (See It Here)