Monday, May 19, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1902, the Fraterville Mine Disaster took place, claiming the lives of 216 mine workers and marking the worst mine disaster in Tennessee history.

Today’s edition includes exciting news for fans of skincare products; Flying Cow, a Texas-based skincare brand known for using tallow in its products, is opening its first Tennessee storefront. Find out more details in the story below.

Today’s sponsor is Mode Mobile, offering a pre-IPO investment opportunity for The Flyover readers.

Have you listened to our national The Flyover Podcast yet? New episodes drop daily. It’s your daily companion for the top national headlines shaping the country. Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Ex-TN House Speaker Convicted

A Nashville federal jury has convicted former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, on corruption charges tied to a fake mailer company.

Casada was found guilty on 17 counts, while Cothren was convicted on all 19 for their roles in a scheme that funneled $52,000 in taxpayer money through a sham business called Phoenix Solutions.

The pair used aliases and false paperwork to mask their involvement, with Casada’s girlfriend even posing as a fake employee; the plot unraveled after former Rep. Robin Smith pleaded guilty and cooperated with federal investigators.

Sentencing is set for September, with both men facing up to 20 years behind bars.

TN AG Pushes Back on AI Regulation Ban

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is spearheading opposition to a federal amendment that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence.

Skrmetti joined 36 other attorneys general in a letter urging Congress to reject a federal budget amendment that includes a 10-year ban on state-level AI regulation.

The group warns the ban would erase protections in hundreds of current and pending state laws and leave Americans vulnerable to unchecked Big Tech practices.

Skrmetti argued that states have played a vital role in defending consumer rights and privacy, calling the proposal a “guarantee” of future harm.

UT Renames Law School

The University of Tennessee College of Law is now the Frank Winston College of Law, following a record $32.5 million donation from the Bill Gatton Foundation.

The renaming honors Winston, a UT alum, veteran, former state representative, and close advisor to the late philanthropist Bill Gatton.

The gift will fund full-ride fellowships for students focused on public interest and business law, along with smaller annual grants for at least 50 students per class.

University officials said the donation cements a legacy of service and mentorship, launching a new era for legal education in Knoxville.

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Motorola, Nokia, Apple… This Smartphone Innovator?

In the 80s, Motorola made phones mobile. In the 90s, Nokia gave them personality. In the 2000s, Apple made them smart–changing the industry forever.

But for years, the innovations dried up until Mode Mobile.

Mode’s EarnPhone flips the model entirely – paying users for everyday phone use instead of draining their wallets. With $325M+ earned and saved by customers, 45M+ users across 170+ countries, and $75M+ in revenue, Mode is leading the next evolution.

Now, with Nasdaq ticker $MODE reserved, they’re preparing for their biggest leap yet. And they’re inviting investors to get involved at a share price of just $0.30.

Limited room available – learn how you can get a piece here.

➤ Statewide: The new universal school voucher program drew over 33,000 applications for 20,000 spots in its first hours, prompting a waitlist and sparking debate over equity and technical glitches. (More)

➤ Knox County: A public records request revealed that of 537 local pothole damage claims filed, only one driver received compensation because of strict state regulations. (More)

➤ Williamson County: A curfew has been imposed through Tuesday morning for areas hit by Friday’s tornado, restricting access as officials respond to widespread damage and warn against looting. (See Details)

➤ Carter County: The school board accepted $12.3 million from FEMA to repair hurricane damage at Hampton High School, supplementing $20 million in state funding to speed up renovations and return students to class. (See Photo)

➤ Blount County: Officials issued a boil water advisory Friday after E. coli was found, urging residents to boil tap water before use for 36 hours. (See Details)

➤ McNairy County: A new memorial wall honoring 796 fallen Tennessee law enforcement officers was unveiled during a public ceremony Saturday at the Robert K. Lee Justice Center. (See Video)

➤ Tennessee softball advanced to a Super Regional for the third straight season Sunday, shutting out Ohio State 5-0 in the Knoxville Regional. (Box Score)

➤ The SEC has released its 2025 Baseball Tournament bracket, with games beginning Tuesday. Eighth-seeded Tennessee will play on Wednesday, followed by No. 4 Vanderbilt on Thursday. (See Bracket)

➤ Chattanooga’s McCallie School and Girls Preparatory School rank as the top two athletic programs on a list of the 25 best Tennessee high schools for student athletes. (See List)

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➤ The Portland Chamber of Commerce’s new office is nearly twice the size of its previous location, driven by rapid economic and population growth that has boosted membership to over 400. (More)

➤ Nashville’s Grand Hyatt will debut Prime + Proper later this year, bringing the Midwest-based fine dining steakhouse to a 7,200-square-foot space. (More)

➤ Flying Cow, a Texas-based skincare brand known for its tallow-based products, will open its first Tennessee storefront in downtown Franklin this summer. (More)

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#1 Software Company Shares Jump 15%

Deloitte’s 2023 #1 software company just raised $45M in their pre-IPO offering and their share price jumped to $0.30/share.

Their offering is almost fully subscribed, but there’s still a time-limited opportunity for investors to buy in at $0.30/share. With parabolic revenue growth of 32,481%, this company is leading a smartphone revolution that has enabled +45M users to earn +$325M from screen time.

We’ve seen it before when Uber turned cars into income streams and Airbnb turned homes into income-producing assets. Early investors in these companies earned significant returns, and Mode is following their playbook.

Invest in this breakout Nasdaq candidate at $0.30/share while there is still room.

Please read the offering circular at invest.modemobile.com. This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile’s Regulation A Offering. A reservation of the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that we will be listed on the NASDAQ. Any IPO timing is unknown, general steps to be accepted have not been undertaken at this point, and that listing is not guaranteed.

➤ Lipscomb University hosted the Special Olympics Tennessee Summer Games last weekend, welcoming 1,200 athletes for events such as track and field, powerlifting, pickleball, and bocce. (See Video)

➤ Researchers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are studying dragonfly larvae as cost-effective indicators of mercury pollution, offering insight into contamination risks within the park’s ecosystems. (More)

➤ Over 500 pairs of new sneakers were distributed to Unicoi County students Friday by CSX and the nonprofit Soles4Souls, many of whom are still recovering from Hurricane Helene. (See Video)

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➤ These Are The Rolls-Royce Of Hearing Aids (And Under $100). Shoppers are going nuts over these low-cost hearing aids that are virtually invisible. Discover how these affordable hearing aids are changing the lives of people every day. (Learn More)