Sunday, November 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1900, severe weather and a tornado struck La Vergne, completely destroying local structures—including a women’s college—and compounding the devastation the town had already suffered decades earlier during the Civil War.

Volunteers set up 700 American flags, each honoring a veteran, in Crossville. Learn more in Et Cetera.

In case you missed it on Flyover Focus, we counted down the 10 most common scams putting Americans in danger right now, deceptions that cost victims $20 billion last year alone. These schemes are convincing enough to fool people who were sure they’d never fall for one, and odds are you’ve already encountered at least one of them. Plus, one scam on the list threatens to drain an entire retirement account. How many of them would you spot before it’s too late? Tune in here!

When was the last time you compared your car insurance? If it’s been a year or longer, the rate you’re renewing may deserve a second look. Today’s sponsor, Insurify, makes it easy to compare quotes from more than 120 insurers in just a few minutes.

Lee Names Interim Prison Chief

Gov. Bill Lee tapped Christopher Hansen to lead Tennessee’s prison system on an interim basis Friday, weeks after former Commissioner Frank Strada resigned.

The shake-up traces back to Sept. 30, when Christa Pike survived two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital during an attempt to execute her. Lee halted executions while an independent review examines what went wrong.

Hansen, who joined the Tennessee Department of Correction in 2023, will run it while keeping his day job overseeing probation and parole. That operation has about 1,100 employees statewide.

He previously led a county probation department in California and served as the top federal probation officer in Nevada. Lee called him a public servant with “decades of experience in corrections and public safety.”

Fake Email Claims Hemp Rules Lifted

A fake email posing as a Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) notice told licensed retailers Saturday morning that all restrictions on hemp products had been lifted.

The message, sent on what looked like official TABC letterhead, said stores could sell THCA, Delta-8, Delta-9, and other hemp products at any strength, claiming to undo the THCA ban that took effect July 1. It also cleared kratom for sale and made routine store inspections optional.

Aaron Rummage, the commission’s policy and communications director, said the email came from an unidentified outside party. “Hemp restrictions remain in effect,” he said.

In a follow-up notice to licensees, the commission said the fake email also claimed licensing accounts had been deleted, and it warned recipients not to click any links or reply. TABC’s laws, product limits, and inspection requirements all still stand.

Vanderbilt’s $7 Billion Tennessee Impact

Vanderbilt University generates an estimated $7 billion a year in economic activity across Tennessee and supports 43,677 jobs, a new study found.

Of that, $4 billion is direct spending. The biggest piece, $2.3 billion, comes from the higher earnings of Vanderbilt alumni living in Tennessee, followed by $1.2 billion in university operations, $270 million in capital projects, and $146 million students spend off campus on housing, meals, and other purchases.

The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, which represents 34 private schools including Vanderbilt, paid for the study. It uses 2023-24 data, leaves out Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and assumes 55% of alumni stay in Tennessee and work 30-year careers.

Statewide, the association’s schools generate more than $22 billion a year and support 135,490 jobs, plus more than $695 million in state and local sales and property taxes. Vanderbilt alone accounts for $169 million in state and local tax impact.

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Last Year’s Best Rate Might Not Be This Year’s

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➤ Polk County: The school board put Superintendent James Jones on paid leave Oct. 29 after he announced plans to resign, as the state comptroller investigates accusations that he misused school property. A retired educator will serve as interim director. (See Details)

➤ Nashville: Three firefighters have resigned after they were seen ordering drinks at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row on Broadway during an Oct. 12 shift, a police report says. The bar called police over liability concerns, and all three denied drinking. (More)

➤ Jackson: The Tennessee Corrections Institute named Madison County jail chaplain Ronald Benton West Tennessee’s Program Facilitator of the Year. Benton oversees 10 programs that help inmates build skills and prepare for life after release. (Meet Chaplain)

➤ Sevier County: Election workers started handing voters Q-tips and other styluses four days into early voting after reports that touchscreens selected the candidate above or below the one touched. The administrator says no complaints have come in since. (More)

➤ Pulaski: The Boys & Girls Club won a state rural health grant for natural play spaces, one of 53 projects in 44 counties funded in the first round. (See Details)

➤ Bristol: Police arrested six suspects, four of them local, in an ongoing undercover operation targeting suspected online predators. (See Arrests)

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➤ Tennessee Tech overcame a 17-14 halftime deficit to beat East Tennessee State 24-17. Jax Leatherwood threw for 218 yards and ran in the go-ahead touchdown with 4:08 left. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Titans are facing a tough opponent today in the Cincinnati Bengals, who enter the game having scored 30+ points in each of their last two weeks and will face a Titans defense playing its first game since trading star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. (More)

➤ Nashville SC has a chance to tie the MLS single-season points record today with a win in their match today against Red Bull New York. (More)

➤ The Memphis Tigers were set to host Army last night as 6-point favorites in an American Conference matchup at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. (See Details)

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➤ Five new restaurants opened across Nashville this fall, including Puesto, a California Mexican eatery whose 380-seat Nashville Yards location is its first outside that state. Another, Bar Cala Cala in East Nashville, spins vinyl and hosts late-night disco. (See List)

➤ Three endangered Mexican spider monkeys taken from their mothers and smuggled into the U.S. will gradually join the Nashville Zoo’s spider monkey troops. Miso, Mei, and Matcha arrived dehydrated and malnourished about six months ago and needed around-the-clock care. (Meet Monkeys)

➤ Volunteers set up 700 flags at Crossville’s Garrison Park on Friday, each dedicated to a specific veteran, for the annual Field of Honor ahead of Veterans Day. The field is free to walk all week. Proceeds stay in Cumberland County to support local veterans’ organizations and child abuse prevention programs. (See Details)

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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.

➤ Halloween came with curfews and extra cops as towns braced for a repeat of last year’s teenage mayhem. (Hear More)

➤ Scientists uncovered secrets of Mars’ ancient, watery past inside a rose-colored meteorite found in the Sahara Desert. (Listen Now)

➤ Art experts revealed how beginners could start collecting valuable artwork without spending a fortune. (Podcast Available)