Thursday, July 2, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1982, DeFord Bailey, who overcame childhood polio to become one of the first African-American country music stars, died in his daughter’s Nashville home at the age of 82.

Spain’s national soccer team spent its last night in Chattanooga line dancing at Whiskey Cowgirl, which has us wondering: how many of our Tennessee Flyover readers are line dancers? Write in to tell us about your dancing skills or favorite line dancing memory!

Sleep experts have a new answer for why so many of us struggle to sleep well, and it has less to do with how many hours we log than you think. A new study followed adults in their 50s, 60s, and 70s for six weeks and found five specific habits that made a real, measurable difference in how rested people felt, some of them surprisingly simple. Tune in to today’s Flyover Podcast as Ayla reveals what those five habits are and why researchers say it only took a few minutes to see results. Ready to sleep better tonight? Tune in here to learn more!

Today’s sponsor is Insurify, a simple tool that helps drivers compare auto insurance quotes from multiple companies in minutes. With insurance costs continuing to rise nationwide, more people are seeking ways to lower their monthly expenses without sacrificing coverage. That’s why we’re highlighting Insurify today.

SpaceX Cutting Memphis-Area Internet Bills

SpaceX is offering Starlink residential internet service at half price, with no upfront hardware costs, to eligible customers across parts of Memphis, Southaven, and surrounding areas.

The standard monthly price runs $55 to $135, meaning eligible households could pay as little as $27.50 a month, while also avoiding the normal $350 hardware fee.

The offer is tied to the company’s growing data center investment in the region. SpaceX acquired xAI, which operates Colossus data centers in and around Memphis, and says the discount reflects its continued investment in the area.

There is a catch: Starlink’s privacy policy allows the company to use customer data to train AI models like Grok and share personal information with third-party collaborators.

Tennessee’s THCA Ban Takes Effect

Tennessee dispensaries and smoke shops were slammed on Tuesday as customers stocked up on THCA products before a new state law banning smokable hemp flower and vape products took effect at midnight.

Vendors reported record sales and lines of customers calling the products their “medicine.”

The law bans all hemp products containing more than 0.3% THCA, affects primarily smokable flower and vaping products, and requires licenses for suppliers and distributors.

Fines, misdemeanor charges, and eventual license revocations are in place for businesses that don’t comply.

PHOTOS: Tennessee’s Only Frank Lloyd Wright

The Shavin House in Chattanooga, the only home famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed in Tennessee, is on the market for the first time in its 74-year history, listed at $1.6 million by the children of the couple who commissioned it as newlyweds in 1950.

Perched atop Missionary Ridge with views of the Tennessee River, the 1,784-square-foot Usonian home was built from Tennessee Crab Orchard stone and Louisiana cypress. See photos of the home here.

The home features Wright’s signature overhanging eaves, mitered glass corners, and a dramatic angled roofline, less common among his other designs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Wright is widely considered America’s greatest architect, and eight of his buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum, have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Paying Too Much for Car Insurance? It Might Be Time to Compare Rates

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➤ Statewide: Tennessee’s heat wave is coming close to hitting daily records as tomorrow’s forecast of 98 degrees falls just shy of Nashville’s all-time high for the date. (More)

➤ Morristown: A tractor-trailer hauling live crabs caught fire Wednesday morning, closing the Exit 12 off-ramp on I-81 North with minimal traffic disruptions. (More)

➤ Giles County: Copper thieves driving bucket trucks and cutting phone lines have knocked out landline service for multiple residents, including an 86-year-old veteran who has been without a phone since May. (More)

➤ Memphis: The city is hosting a free Independence Day on the River celebration at Tom Lee Park on Saturday, featuring fireworks and a drone show. (More)

➤ Morgan County: A new report says the June 11 train derailment released 107,000 gallons of alcohol that ignited and burned for three days. Some reached the Emory River, where dead fish were later found. (More)

➤ Lobelville: A family was saved from the Buffalo River Tuesday after getting stranded while floating. Rescuers located them near Gilmer Bridge. (More)

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➤ The Nashville Predators acquired forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars yesterday for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Bourque, 24, posted career highs of 20 goals and 41 points last season. (More)

➤ The University of Tennessee finished No. 9 in a CBS Sports ranking of the best overall college athletics programs for the 2025-26 season, one of only three schools to reach the postseason in all six sports evaluated. Vanderbilt landed at No. 29. (More)

➤ Vanderbilt basketball landed a commitment from five-star wing Gabe Nesmith, the program’s highest-ranked high school recruit in nearly a decade. He’s the cousin of former Commodore Aaron Nesmith. (More)

➤ Sweetens Cove, the nine-hole course in South Pittsburg, came in at No. 41 on Golfweek’s annual ranking of the top 100 public-access courses in the country. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB

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➤ This small tool completely transformed my dog’s gross breath. Nobark DentoFix clears pet plaque build-up, strengthens teeth and freshens breath naturally. Learn more.

➤ Tennessee has awarded more than $13 million in Site Development Grants to 10 communities, including major infrastructure investments to attract future businesses and jobs. (See Details)

➤ Dollywood ranked No. 2 among U.S. tourist attractions for best value in a new study, tying with Kennedy Space Center and beating out Universal Studios. (More)

➤ Bob’s Discount Furniture is opening four Middle Tennessee stores this summer in Clarksville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and Madison. Doors will open between Aug. 10 and Aug. 31. (More)

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➤ Elon Musk’s new X Money, is not just a fintech product. It is the completion of Elon’s 25-year-old obsession — and the most consequential upgrade to the American financial system since the credit card. It’s already approved in 41 states, and people are starting to receive their cards in the mail. This is much bigger than launching a credit card. As Elon says. It’s possible to become the biggest financial institution in the world. (LEARN MORE)

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➤ Spain’s World Cup squad wrapped up its Chattanooga stay by placing a $1,000 Five Guys catering order and line dancing at Whiskey Cowgirl before heading to Los Angeles for the Round of 32. (More)

➤ Three African elephants from a Rhode Island zoo will move to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in late 2027. The elephants, named Alice, Ginny, and Kate, will live out their remaining years together. (See Photos)

➤ A 9-year-old gymnast in Ashland City is already competing at the national level. She trains six days a week with Olympic-level coaches and has built a social media following of more than 100,000. (See Video)

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➤ Why 1000s are replacing their pillows with this “Cervical Decompression” breakthrough. Your pillow is destroying your neck… but VelaSleep can fix it! Our Cervical Decompression Design™ gently applies targeted traction to relieve pressure, restore alignment, and support your neck & spine all night long. Learn more.

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:

➤ Researchers highlighted five habits that are guaranteed to help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. (See Habits)

➤ The Justice Department and 17 states have accused three major egg producers of manipulating prices, inflating the market. (Hear Episode)

➤ A new report suggests everyday phone use may be quietly reshaping the body in ways few people realize. (Listen Now)