Sunday, April 19, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1775, a group of colonial Minutemen engaged in their first battle with British regulars in Lexington and Concord, immortalized in the phrase: “The Shot Heard Round the World.” See Concord Museum Artifacts.

The Montgomery Ward catalog once inspired the mail-order dreams of moms, dads, and children across the country, eventually expanding its footprint with department stores. But competition and evolving retail trends brought down the institution, as shown in “Whatever Happened To?”

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown unpacked a new report that suggested Joe Biden's first choice for Vice President in 2020 was not Kamala Harris. Who was it, and what ultimately drove the Kamala Harris selection? Listen here.

Today’s sponsor, Daily Health Digital, explains the “joint drought” Harvard research suggests can dry out your joints from the inside—and how a simple 5-second daily method may help you move more comfortably again.

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Amid Blockade

Iranian military officials claimed "strict control" in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, just one day after declaring the waterway “completely open.”

Merchant vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday received radio messages from Iran's navy telling them they were not allowed to pass, while two ships reported being hit by gunfire.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

The announcement of the opening of the waterway on Friday sent U.S. stocks to record highs on Friday, while the price for U.S. oil dropped 9.4%.

Ruling Allows White House to Resume Ballroom Project

Construction of a $400 million ballroom project at the White House will continue after a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted an administrative stay on Friday that blocked most above-ground construction last week.

The Justice Department appeal came after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon temporarily blocked construction in March. The 2-1 ruling from the circuit court provided temporary relief, allowing “the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal."

The Justice Department argued that Leon's ruling "would imperil the President and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence."

The case stems from a lawsuit filed late last year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the project violates multiple federal laws.

Outcomes Vary for Fast Food Leftovers

Fast food restaurants feed millions of visitors each day, often preparing more food than they sell and creating lots of leftovers.

More than 2,500 Chick-fil-A locations participate in the Shared Table Program to donate prepared food to local nonprofits and community organizations, helping create more than 42 million meals since 2012.

Dunkin’ allows its franchises to participate in the End of Day Donations program, offering surplus bakery items to nonprofits and hunger-relief programs.

Others take a different approach. Wendy’s focuses on minimizing overproduction, while McDonalds does not donate any leftovers, citing food safety policy.

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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. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Rep. Ilhan Omar said a disclosure error falsely showed her as a multimillionaire. (Hear More)

➤ AI promises financial wisdom, but it sometimes makes costly mistakes. (Listen Now)

➤ Experts say strict dating standards hurt long-term chances. (Podcast Available)

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Seniors: This Is Why You Struggle to Stand Up After 60

Harvard research recently uncovered a hidden condition that dries out your joints from the inside—a slow, invisible process called "joint drought" that gets worse each decade after 50.

It's not just cartilage loss or inflammation. Your joints are literally starving for the lubricating fluid they need to move freely.

A Boston doctor's targeted approach to reversing joint drought has already helped over 300,000 Americans move with less stiffness—without surgery or injections.

[Read the Full Article →]

➤ Four-time NBA champion head coach Steve Kerr says he will consider ending his time with the Golden State Warriors after 12 seasons with the team. (More)

➤ LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil says the league has a financial commitment to finish the 2026 season despite rumors of the league folding amid reports that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has already invested over $5 billion in the league, is about to cut funding. (More)

➤ WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston agreed to a league-record four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever. Boston was eligible for such a significant pay increase due to the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. (More)

➤ Los Angeles Angels all-time hit king Garret Anderson passed away, the team announced Friday morning. Anderson led the team to its only World Series in franchise history in 2002. To commemorate Anderson, the Angels will wear a patch on their jerseys with his initials for the rest of the 2026 season. (More)

Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▲	NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	24,468.48	7.09%
▲	SPX S&P 500	7,126.06	4.70%
▲	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	49,447.43	3.62%
▲	BTC Bitcoin	$77,126.88	9.00%
▲	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,857.60	3.27%
▲	SILVER Per Ounce	$81.74	10.79%
▼	OIL West Texas Intermediate Crude	$83.85	-17.79%

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

➤ QVC Group, the parent company behind shopping channels QVC and HSN, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying the company will undergo a restructuring support agreement to reduce its debt from $6.6 billion to $1.3 billion. (More)

➤ American Airlines said on Friday that it's not interested in a merger with United Airlines, diminishing ‌prospects of an industry-reshaping deal between two ‌of the largest U.S. network carriers. (More)

➤ Ford is recalling close to 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks in the U.S. following a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into reports of unexpected downshifts, requiring an update to the trucks' powertrain control module. (More)

Today's Rotator section is brought to you by:

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

➤ A new report revealed who Joe Biden really wanted as his 2020 running mate, and it wasn't Kamala Harris. So, who was it? (Podcast Available)

➤ A recent study found most parents with Gen Z children still provide them with financial support, which experts say can build independence if treated as a plan, not a lifestyle. (See Study)

➤ Guinness World Records named New Zealand’s Neville Sandiford the oldest competitive croquet player after he competed at 101, a sport he took up at 79 after his wife encouraged him. (See Neville)

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➤ Air Travel Is Still a Mess — Are You Covered if Your Trip Gets Derailed?

Whether your summer trip is already booked or still in the works, flight delays, cancellations, and missed connections have become all too common.

For a fraction of your trip’s total cost, travel insurance can help reimburse expenses like rebooking, hotel stays, and even medical emergencies while you’re away—especially in those moments when the airline isn’t offering much help and you’re left figuring things out on your own. Some plans also include Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, offering added flexibility if your plans change.

Cover your trip

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This Simple Shift Makes Standing Up Feel Effortless

If getting out of a chair takes a deep breath, a grip on the armrest, and sheer willpower—there may be more going on than wear and tear. Your joints could be drying out from the inside. Harvard research uncovered a hidden cause most doctors overlook entirely. A Boston doctor developed a way to fix it—no injections, no surgery, no glucosamine. Over 300,000 people have already used it to move freely again.

Learn More

➤ Tornadoes and severe weather battered Midwest communities from the Great Lakes to Texas, leaving 70,000 without power, as storms moved to threaten the East Coast. (More)

➤ President Trump signed an executive order expediting ibogaine research, lifting restrictions on the psychedelic drug to study its potential for treating veterans’ PTSD and brain injuries and establish FDA therapeutic protocols. (More)

➤ British police are investigating an attempted arson at a former Jewish site in London as part of a string of similar attacks targeting Jewish locations across the city. (More)

➤ Authorities arrested alleged Irish cartel leader Daniel Kinahan in Dubai after a years-long manhunt, with officials pursuing charges tied to a gang feud that has killed 18 people. (More)

➤ Rising job uncertainty due to AI is driving more young adults to consider graduate school, with 78% of those considering grad school planning to enroll within a year despite economic strength and concerns about debt. (More)

➤ Madonna returned to the festival stage for the first time in 20 years, surprising fans by joining Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella to perform “Vogue” and an unreleased track. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Seniors: Your blurry vision may not be from aging. New research points to a toxin called lipofuscin that can damage vision cells. A simple at-home method may help clear it out, improving clarity and reducing macular degeneration risk. Thousands report better night driving and reading—no surgery or drops required. [Watch the Full Video →]

Whatever happened to Montgomery Ward?

Long before Amazon Prime, there was the Montgomery Ward catalog—a thick wish-book that arrived in your mailbox like Christmas itself.

Founded in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, the company pioneered mail-order shopping, bringing everything from farm equipment to fashion to rural America's doorstep. Its 1875 promise—"satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" —was a radical idea that became the foundation of modern retail.

Customers across America flipped through hundreds of pages, circled items in pen, and waited weeks for their orders to arrive at the local depot. You can flip through the 1961 catalog here.

You could buy almost anything from Wards, including an entire house: Between 1908 and 1940, the company sold more than 32,000 mail-order kit homes, shipped by rail and assembled on site. Some still stand today.

The Christmas catalog was legendary. Kids memorized the toy section, dog-earing pages of Schwinn bikes, Radio Flyer wagons, and baby dolls. Moms ordered appliances and curtains for the living room. Dads browsed power tools and wrenches. And in 1939, a Wards copywriter named Robert May wrote a giveaway Christmas booklet for shoppers about a misfit red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph, a promotional throwaway that became one of the most beloved holiday stories ever told.

Montgomery Ward department stores became fixtures in American towns, with their distinctive green awnings and automotive centers. But the company stumbled badly in the late 20th century. It killed its iconic catalog in 1985—fifteen years before the stores themselves would fall—abandoning the very thing that had built it.

Management missteps, a botched pivot to specialty stores, and relentless pressure from Walmart and Target did the rest. After a 1997 bankruptcy and a failed turnaround, Wards announced its liquidation on December 28, 2000, and the last stores closed in May 2001, ending a 128-year run.

Today, the brand name survives online, selling furniture and home goods, but it's a ghost of its former glory. Those thick catalogs are now collector's items, reminders of when shopping meant dreaming through pages, not scrolling through screens.

Did you ever get the Montgomery Ward catalog in the mail, or order something from it? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.

Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch’s dog, Sadie, went viral for an ecstatic welcome-home reunion after her 10-day lunar flyby mission.

Would you ever go back to school to learn new skills?

Yesterday's Results:

Do you remember your dreams?

Bits and pieces: 62%
Only the weird ones: 18%
Vividly: 10%
Nope, nothing: 10%

Daily Quote

“I don’t like athletes or superstars because they’re a–holes. I denounced myself from being a celebrity about 10 years ago because those people are weird. I’m not weird.”

— Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, on why he does not text any current or former NBA stars.