Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1909, Ernestine “Tiny” Davis, a jazz vocalist and trumpeter, was born in Memphis.

Here is a debate you don’t want to miss. Warren Buffett, the man behind one of history’s greatest fortunes, has an investing rule for everyday people, and it’s simple. He calls it the 90/10 rule, and it’s the same plan he wrote into his own will for his wife’s inheritance. But critics say it’s far too aggressive for retirees, and maybe for anyone who can’t stomach a downturn. So which side is right? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla takes you inside both sides of the fight, plus what happened when one researcher put the rule through a 30-year stress test. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor is Incogni, a privacy service that helps remove your personal information from data broker databases and keep it off the web automatically.

Primary, General Election Tomorrow

Tennessee voters head to the polls tomorrow for the Aug. 6 primary and general election, with races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and the legislature on the ballot.

The marquee race is the Republican primary for governor, where Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts. Five Democrats are also on the ballot.

Early voting ended Saturday. Democrat ballots were up nearly 7% from 2018 and Republican ballots less than 1%, with both parties roughly 30% above 2022.

General elections for vacant judicial and county offices are also on tap. Voters need a state or federal photo ID.

Man Indicted for TikTok Threats

A federal grand jury in Chattanooga has returned a 22-count indictment against 44-year-old Garry Lee Williams of Knoxville over threats posted on TikTok.

The Justice Department says Williams used the app from January through April to threaten to murder and maim national officials, Knox County officials, and his own relatives.

Prosecutors allege 11 threats against President Trump, seven against the FBI director, and two against the Knox County sheriff and the Knoxville police chief.

Williams pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was detained pending an Oct. 6 trial. He faces up to 145 years in prison if convicted, plus fines of $250,000 per count.

Tennessee Takes No. 25 Spot in State Rankings

Tennessee climbed seven spots to No. 25 in U.S. News & World Report‘s annual Best States analysis, its first improvement in the overall ranking since 2022.

The state ranked 13th for economy, up from 24th, and 17th for infrastructure. Its 1.4% job growth rate more than doubled the national average of 0.6%.

Health care and public safety dragged it down, at 39th and 46th. The violent crime rate of 592 per 100,000 residents is well above the national mark of 359.

The report card arrived weeks after CNBC ranked Tennessee the worst state to live in.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Bill Lee says he will not pause Tennessee’s three upcoming executions despite May’s failed attempt to execute Tony Carruthers, calling that case a different scenario. (More)

➤ Sumner County: Station Camp High School sophomore Kinsley Carter, 15, died Monday from injuries in a Sunday crash in Hendersonville. Police are asking for doorbell and surveillance footage. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is taking public comment through Sept. 4 on a draft statewide Black Bass Management Plan, with five open-house meetings including one in Birchwood on Aug. 18. (More)

➤ Murfreesboro: ICE says officers on a July 13 enforcement operation found a 2-year-old wandering into the road in a soiled diaper. Police filed no charges but notified the state. (More)

➤ Statewide: Tennessee has logged 283 clinical cases of the drug-resistant yeast Candida auris through July 25, up from 10 a year earlier. Risk stays concentrated in hospitals and nursing homes. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Investigators ruled the July 27 fire at Overcoming Believers Church accidental, tracing it to a wall-mounted heating and cooling unit in the dining area. (More)

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➤ Tennessee basketball picked up Vanderbilt transfer forward Jalen Washington after a court ruling granted him a fifth year of eligibility. Washington, a Nashville native who averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, was one of several players awarded an extra season through a class-wide injunction covering 2022-class athletes. (More)

➤ Robert’s Western World—the iconic Lower Broadway honky-tonk—will open its first-ever satellite location inside the Titans’ new domed Nissan Stadium. The 300-level space will feature checkerboard floors, neon signs, and a boot display inspired by the original. (More)

➤ The Nashville Predators’ annual Gold Star Showcase intrasquad scrimmage returns to F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville on Sept. 19 during training camp. A portion of ticket sales benefits the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and the location honors the arena’s proximity to Fort Campbell. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | Tennis | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Gov. Bill Lee called it “premature” to name sites for a federal nuclear campus program, days after TRISO-X added about 70 acres to its Oak Ridge fuel campus. (More)

➤ Census data shows Knox County’s growth has leveled off at a steady 1.3%, undercutting predictions that Knoxville was in the middle of a moving boom. (More)

➤ A trade union for public sector employees reached an agreement with the Memphis mayor’s office to raise union members’ baseline livable wage to $22 an hour. (More)

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➤ A worm farm in Coalmont raises red earthworms for bait nationwide, taking about seven months to grow them to 4 inches and employing roughly 85 people at peak season. (More)

➤ BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is putting $10 million into remaking Chattanooga’s Ross’s Landing, with sports courts under the Olgiati Bridge and a nature-themed playscape. (More)

➤ An Amish buggy was destroyed in a crash with an 18-wheeler in Lawrence County on Tuesday. The family survived, and their horse was picked up after a county executive called on the public for help. (More)

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

➤ One of the world’s richest investors swears by a rule critics call dangerously aggressive for retirees. (Hear Details)

➤ Rising costs are forcing a record number of young professionals back into their parents’ homes. (Hear Episode)

➤ The death of a young woman at a New York med spa is exposing a booming and largely unregulated industry. (Listen Now)