Sunday, September 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1862, Union soldiers near Frederick, Maryland, discovered Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's battle plans, wrapped around three cigars. These documents outlined the Confederacy's campaign for Antietam, but Union Gen. George B. McClellan couldn't act swiftly enough to capitalize on this intelligence.

Tell the truth: You had your doubts about lie-detector machines, didn’t you? For years, the polygraph test captured America’s imagination, but eventually the science proved to be faulty, as we read in today’s Whatever Happened To… section.

In case you missed it, on Thursday's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla unpacked the Lindsay Clancy trial without the noise. Conspiracy theories, hot takes, and bad legal analyses have drowned out the actual facts, so she stripped away the bias and laid out what really happened, including the courtroom decision everyone was talking about. Plus, what three jurors revealed about the chaos inside that deliberation room. Tune in here!

Today's edition is brought to you by Cacao Bliss. Try their delicious heart-healthy hot cocoa superfood drink.

Middle East Instability Drives Gas Prices Higher

Saudi Arabia closed a critical oil pipeline after it was struck by drones launched from Iraq on Saturday.

An umbrella group of Iran-backed militias in Iraq denied their involvement, but Iraq’s government confirmed the attacks had originated from its territory.

The pipeline strikes follow the Houthi’s takeover of Mokha in Yemen on Thursday. The port city, vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, gives Iran another possible foothold in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, global crude prices closed at $104 a barrel on Friday, a rise of about 50% since the Iran war broke out in late February. The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. stands at $4.29, more than $1.30 higher than before the war.

Trump Calls for Unified Ireland

President Trump said on Saturday that a unified Ireland would be “fantastic” during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.

Before a visit to his Irish golf course, Trump said, "I don't want to cause any problems, but I'd love to see it unified. I think it would be a fantastic thing. The U.K. will have something to say about it, obviously."

When Ireland became a self-governing Roman Catholic-majority country a century ago, a six-county region in the north with a Protestant majority remained part of the United Kingdom. Tensions between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists led to three decades of violence.

Back in the U.S., the Trump administration plans to issue $500 rebate checks to an estimated 1 million Affordable Care Act enrollees across 30 states. The White House claims the payments will counter excess charges by the Biden administration, with payments beginning in October.

LIST: Top Beer-Loving States

Wisconsin is known for cheeseheads, but the Badger State also checks in as America’s top beer-loving state, according to an analysis internet search data.

In fact, the Midwest is "America's beer belt," with Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Missouri all finishing in the top 10.

When it comes to favorite beer brands, Belgium’s Stella Artois carries the most states with 12, dominating the South, East Coast, Midwest, and Pacific. Nationally, Stella finishes third behind Michelob Ultra and Bud Light.

America’s least favorite cold one? The ironically named Milwaukee’s Best.

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Longevity breakfast dessert enjoyed by Blue Zone Costa Ricans helps them live to 100?

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous "blue zone" there eat each morning that…

✅ Keeps them lean even into their 70s, 80s, and 90s…
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes, and maintains healthy insulin sensitivity…
✅ Keeps their blood pressure at normal healthy levels…
✅ Keeps their hearts and arteries strong and clean well into old age, with a striking lack of heart disease in their population…
✅ Even helps them have 7x more Centenarians than Japanese people…

So what's the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

Click below to discover Costa Rica's Blue Zone secret:

>> Eat this Costa Rican longevity "dessert" for breakfast.

P.S. Here's the crazy part - while Costa Ricans are living longer with this morning ritual, Americans trying it are losing 7 lbs in a couple weeks as a "side effect." Not a bad bonus, right?

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.

➤ America’s colleges receive a brutal free speech report card. (Hear More)

➤ While other retailers chase AI, one legendary retailer chooses models, cameras, and catalogs over tech shortcuts. (Listen Now)

➤ This tiny workout creates a surprisingly mighty molecular response. (Podcast Available)

➤ No. 4 Texas scored three unanswered touchdowns to erase a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit and stun top-ranked Ohio State 24-23 after the Buckeyes missed a late field-goal attempt. (Watch Highlight)

➤ Oklahoma State snapped a 21-game losing streak against FBS opponents by shocking No. 6 Oregon 39-31 on Saturday in Stillwater. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker leaped over defenders for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. (Watch Touchdown)

➤ Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday to win her first US Open title, ending the two-time defending champion's 19-match winning streak in New York. (More)

➤ Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to reach his first U.S. Open final, where he’ll face top-seeded Alexander Zverev today, seeking the first American men’s major title since Andy Roddick won in 2003. (More)

➤ Today’s NFL slate features the Buffalo Bills taking on the Houston Texans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants rivalry in prime time. (See Schedule)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | US Open | MLB | Soccer | FIBA Basketball

Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▼	NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	26,333.04	-0.74%
▼	SPX S&P 500	7,656.98	-0.79%
▼	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	52,573.29	-1.01%
▼	BTC Bitcoin	$77,173.80	-3.95%
▼	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,366.20	-0.59%
▼	SILVER Per Ounce	$64.55	-2.18%
▲	OIL West Texas Intermediate Crude	$100.05	8.44%

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

➤ The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 509 points on Friday to close at 52,573.29, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.86% and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.96%. (More)

➤ Ford announced it will make a $1 billion investment in a new state-of-the-art paint shop at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. (More)

➤ The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 may be close to 3.5%, according to new estimates based on government inflation data, the highest increase in three years. (More)

Today's Rotator section is brought to you by:

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

➤ Three jurors from the Lindsay Clancy trial are revealing the chaos that unfolded inside the deliberation room. (Podcast Available)

➤ Psychologists say adopting a superhero-like alter ego, such as Batman, can create emotional distance, ease self-doubt, improve perseverance, and help people tap into the confidence they already possess. (More)

➤ A mid-1800s vampire-hunting kit discovered in Hallandale Beach sparked an online bidding war, reaching $3,000 with its Belgian pistol, wooden stakes, crucifix, and bone-handled dagger. (See Kit)

➤ A collection of 31 vintage photos captures daily life in the 1800s, from horse-drawn deliveries and farmhouse chores to crowded beaches, family bike rides, and women’s basketball. (See Photos)

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Hot cacao vs Green Tea... Which of these hot drinks was proven in a study boost stem cells by 220% in 30 days? Billionaires drop 6 figures on stem cell therapy, but this hot drink costs 50 cents a day and boosts anti-aging stem cells improving heart health, blood pressure, and longevity.

➤ A federal judge ruled that DHS broke federal law by trying to cut FEMA’s workforce by 50%, unlawfully overriding the agency’s authority to make personnel decisions.. (More)

➤ Anthropic CEO urged AI companies to slow development as safeguards lag behind advancing systems, a position OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endorsed while committing to one of the proposed safeguards. (More)

➤ DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal investigators are examining allegations that Rep. Ilhan Omar married her brother to commit immigration fraud and warned she could face deportation. (More)

➤ French authorities suspect sabotage in Friday’s derailment of a train carrying 186 passengers after investigators found a piece of rail on the tracks. Forty-four people were injured. (See Train)

➤ Health insurance costs are expected to rise across ACA, workplace, and Medicare plans in 2027, including average increases of 15% for ACA premiums and 8.2% for employer benefit costs. (More)

➤ Alleva, America’s oldest cheese shop, reopens today at New York’s Chelsea Market, welcoming generations of loyal customers back more than three years after its beloved 130-year Little Italy storefront closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. (See Store)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy… But according to Stanford researchers, there's one delicious “dessert” food that Costa Ricans in the famous "blue zone" there eat each morning that… So, what's the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live healthy, lean, and energetic past 100?

Whatever happened to the lie detector?

For a machine that promised to revolutionize truth-telling, the lie detector has had a bumpy ride from midcentury marvel to scientific punchline, and yet it refuses to go away.

It started in 1921, when Berkeley police officer John Larson built the first device to track blood pressure, pulse, and respiration during questioning. His protégé, Leonarde Keeler, turned it into a showpiece at the 1933 World's Fair and won courtroom testimony two years later.

By midcentury, the polygraph had completely captured the public’s attention. Employers gave an estimated two million tests a year. Mattel released a Lie Detector board game in 1960. CBS debuted To Tell the Truth in 1956, and famous defense attorney F. Lee Bailey even had his own lie detector show.

Then the science caught up. Courts had been skeptical since 1923, but the real blow landed in 2003, when a National Academy of Sciences panel found the polygraph's accuracy "well above chance, though well below perfection" and its error rate essentially unknown. CIA spy Aldrich Ames, who passed two polygraphs while committing espionage, didn't help.

Still, the machine never disappeared. Congress banned most private employer testing in 1988, but the FBI, CIA, NSA, and the Pentagon can still require polygraphs for security investigations. And you can see it used in scenes like this one from Meet the Parents, where it's more often played for laughs rather than thrills.

On the other hand, newer alternatives, including brain imaging, AI, and eye-tracking, have fared no better. The scientific consensus remains that there is no machine that can reliably detect lies.

Ever taken a lie detector test? How did it go? Hit reply and tell us.

This animated short offers an inspiring reminder to always believe in yourself.

Would you trust the results of a lie detector test?

Yesterday's Results:

How far do you live from where you were born?

Same state: 38%
Across the country: 38%
One state away: 13%
Other: 7%
Different country: 4%

Daily Quote

“You blessed us with the Knicks, and this year we got our first championship. Knicks in five. You also cursed us with the Jets. We’re still waiting on that one.”

— Andrew Ira Rosenblum, speaking to his namesake grandfather, whom he never met, during the reading of the 9/11 victims in New York City on Friday.