Thursday, August 13, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1952, blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded Hound Dog, growling and screaming her way through a track that Elvis Presley would cover four years later and ride to superstardom.

Memphis International Airport has a new name honoring the late FedEx founder who built a shipping empire from the Bluff City. If you could rename one landmark in your town after someone, where would you choose, and who would get the honor? Hit reply and tell us.

Do you remember exactly where you were on 9/11? Most of us can still picture the room, the faces, and the TV screen as if it were yesterday. Scientists call it a “flashbulb memory,” a moment so powerful your brain takes a photograph and keeps it sharp for decades while ordinary days vanish completely. Only a handful of events in modern history have burned themselves into nearly every American’s mind that same way, and researchers have measured which ones cut the deepest. So, where does your moment land? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counts down the moments Americans will never forget. Tune in here!

If shedding extra pounds and feeling your best this summer is on your agenda, today’s sponsor, Direct Meds, is offering $150 off your first order of doctor-supervised GLP-1 weight-loss treatment delivered right to your door.

Car insurance rates have climbed for many drivers over the past few years. Later today, watch for a message from our partner, Insurify, about a simple way to compare quotes and see if you could save.

12 Rural Tennessee Hospitals Face Closure

A July analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform found that 36% of Tennessee’s rural hospitals face serious financial trouble, with at least 12 at immediate risk of closing within the next few years.

Many of the most at-risk facilities sit in isolated communities where residents already get less routine testing, imaging, and preventative care.

Rural hospitals often lose money delivering services and lean heavily on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, but rising insurance denials and the end of pandemic-era aid pushed nearly a third of them into the red in 2024 and 2025.

Policy experts say the fix isn’t technology but a broader overhaul of the payment structure.

Longest Heat Wave of the Year Settles In

Dangerous heat is gripping much of Tennessee, with heat advisories running across multiple Middle Tennessee counties through Sunday at 9 p.m. and feels-like temperatures reaching 105 to 110 degrees.

The Memphis area and West Tennessee are under their own advisories, where forecasters warn of four to five straight days near 99 to 100 degrees in conditions they say could turn deadly.

Highs statewide will hold in the mid-to-upper 90s, with a few communities flirting with triple digits by the weekend.

Forecasters are also tracking a risk of strong storms Wednesday, bringing damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, and a low tornado threat near the Kentucky line.

Some TN Driver Licenses Rejected at Airports

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security confirmed Tuesday that TSA is not reading a small number of Tennessee driver licenses at airport security checkpoints.

The glitch has caught some travelers off guard, with a few reporting that the holdup at the checkpoint caused them to miss their flights entirely.

State officials say they’re aware of the problem and that crews are working to determine the cause and correct it, so future travelers aren’t left stranded.

Anyone whose license is flagged can get a free replacement at a nearby Driver Services Center, the department said. Travelers can also bring a federal form of ID, such as a passport, to the airport as a backup option to get through security.

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Gallatin: A resident confronted Vice Mayor Craig Hayes over an email telling the development critic to “go back to the tree you crawled out of.” Hayes stood by the remark. (More)

➤ Memphis: A Madison County arrestee who allegedly escaped custody during a Monday court appearance was captured after fleeing to the metro area. (More)

➤ Also Memphis: A Tesla battery pack fell off a truck on I-40 and lay there burning for hours, snarling traffic. Lithium-ion fires are notoriously stubborn, requiring more water than a typical blaze. (See Video)

➤ Nashville: A local man built LotBoss, a free tool for finding free and validated parking around Nashville. It went viral on TikTok with 4,000-plus sign-ups in its first week. (More)

➤ Knox County: The county is weighing a proposal to move the Tennessee Valley Fair from its longtime Chilhowee Park home to a 167-acre site on Rutledge Pike. (More)

➤ Chattanooga: River Games Chattanooga brings an X Games-style action sports festival to Ross’s Landing this weekend, with free viewing along the Tennessee River. (More)

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➤ The Tennessee Titans were valued at $8.62 billion in Sportico’s annual NFL franchise rankings, 20th among the league’s 32 teams. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Titans open their preseason tonight at San Francisco on NFL Network. (How to Watch)

➤ Murray State and Tennessee State will meet on Nov. 2 in Sioux Falls as part of the Field of 68’s revived 24-hour college basketball marathon on opening day. The eight-game event streams on YouTube and X. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis | Soccer

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➤ East Tennessee has become a major U.S. boat manufacturing hub, home to Sea Ray, MasterCraft, and Malibu, and generating roughly $800 million in annual impact. (More)

➤ The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council issued cease-and-desist demands to three unlicensed international sportsbooks illegally operating in the state. (More)

➤ Forestry is the featured agricultural focus at the 2026 Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair, with the state Department of Agriculture highlighting its role in the economy. (More)

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➤ Memphis International Airport was renamed Frederick W. Smith International Airport on Tuesday, honoring the FedEx founder, who died at 80 in June 2025. (More)

➤ Twilight actor Kellan Lutz says he traded California for Tennessee land three years ago, embracing Bible studies and a slower pace after his family’s move. (More)

➤ A Nashville pastry chef diagnosed with celiac disease has trained her whole staff on the condition and dedicated separate equipment to gluten-free baking to take the stress out of dining out. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Most people focus on what they eat when thinking about A1C and blood sugar. But when you eat dinner may also affect your body in surprising ways—including changes you might notice in your urine. These everyday signals could offer clues about your overall health. Click here to discover what your dinner habits could reveal about your blood sugar and health.

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:

➤ These seven moments burned themselves into nearly every American’s memory. (See List)

➤ Party leaders spent weeks pressuring their own Senate nominee to quit ahead of a ballot deadline that could reshape a key race. (Hear Details)

➤ Video gamers are being hired by the thousands to guide real planes amid a deepening air traffic controller shortage. (Listen Now)