Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1818, William T. Haskell, who served in the State House, the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a colonel in the Mexican-American War, was born in Murfreesboro.

Spain won the World Cup yesterday, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final, and Chattanooga is celebrating right along with them after the Spanish national team spent June living and training in the Scenic City. Did you watch the final?

For years, the diet soda felt like the smart choice. Skip the sugar, save the calories, and protect your health. But a first-of-its-kind study that followed nearly 13,000 adults over 8 years found that the low- and no-calorie sweeteners hiding in everyday products may be quietly speeding up how fast the brain ages. In today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shares which sweeteners proved harmful, which one came out clean, and the everyday drinks and snacks they turn up in. So which of the sweeteners sitting in your own kitchen made the list? Tune in here to learn more!

Today’s sponsor, PuriProduce, offers a simple, chemical-free way to help clean your fruits and vegetables, giving you added peace of mind with every meal.

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.

Heat and Storms Roll in This Week

A heat advisory is in effect for most of Middle Tennessee through this evening, with highs in the mid-90s and heat indexes topping 105 degrees.

Memphis is facing even more extreme conditions. An Extreme Heat Warning is in place today, and heat indexes are expected to reach 110-115 degrees before a cold front brings relief tomorrow.

Tonight into tomorrow morning brings a separate threat: an organized severe weather risk for Middle Tennessee, with damaging winds the primary concern and an outside chance of tornadoes, particularly for areas along and north of I-40.

Relief arrives by midweek, with more tolerable temperatures and humidity levels expected for the second half of the week.

Farmers Markets Thriving After Cyclospora

The multistate cyclospora outbreak has sent some Nashville shoppers to local farmers markets, with one Ridgetop vendor reporting a 20 to 25% increase in business over the past week as customers seek produce they can trace directly to the farm.

The CDC has now confirmed more than 1,600 people sickened in 34 states, with 94 hospitalized, and is advising consumers to throw away or return any recalled lettuce and to ask restaurants about their lettuce source when dining out.

Tennessee has reported 24 confirmed or probable cases statewide, with fewer than 10 confirmed in the Nashville area and no confirmed outbreak in Davidson County, according to Metro Nashville Public Health.

Doctors say people should continue eating fresh fruits and vegetables while washing produce thoroughly and paying attention to recall notices.

Chattanooga Celebrates Spain’s Final Win

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup Final on Sunday, and Chattanooga gets to claim a piece of the championship after the Spanish national team lived and trained in the Scenic City in June.

Hundreds of fans gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Chattanooga, the same building where Spain’s players and federation staff had lived, to watch the final and celebrate the victory together.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation’s sporting director, Aitor Karanka, had told Chattanoogans in March that “we see Chattanooga as our home,” a sentiment echoed by players throughout the tournament.

Spain’s victory gives the country its second World Cup title and first since 2010, and Chattanooga will forever be a part of their second gold star.

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Statewide: Tennessee is investing $500,000 in the statewide 211 helpline network to improve rural coverage, resource accuracy, and disaster response across all 95 counties. (More)

➤ Memphis: A woman was charged with first-degree murder after shooting a man found hiding under her daughter’s bed. Legal experts say a self-defense claim would likely not hold up. (More)

➤ Sumner County: Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs are being relocated from Vietnam Veterans Boulevard to Long Hollow Pike after some veterans objected to the original placement. (More)

➤ Hickman County: Residents rallied Sunday against a Fairview police gun range being built in their community without public notice, saying they first learned of the project through news reports. (More)

➤ Knoxville: A local 17-year-old hospitalized hundreds of times for severe sickle cell disease is now undergoing gene therapy that doctors say has a 98% chance of eliminating it. (More)

➤ Also Knoxville: The city’s first-ever stormwater inventory found about 20% of the system in poor or fair condition, with some pipes over a century old. The city is contracting for a repair plan. (More)

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➤ Alex Palou won the rain-delayed Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway yesterday. The victory marked his fifth IndyCar win of the season, only a day after his native Spain won the World Cup. (See Photos)

➤ A national recruiting insider has predicted that Chattanooga’s Baylor School standout David Gabriel Georges will commit to Tennessee this week, with Ohio State the other top contender. (More)

➤ Tennessee State University has signed a multiyear Nike apparel deal, switching from Under Armour months after the men’s basketball team made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 30 years. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA

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➤ Nashville ranks among the top U.S. headquarters relocation markets, according to a new report. A record 164 HQ moves took place in 2025 as many companies left California for Southern states. (More)

➤ Anthropic has given Memphis nonprofit CodeCrew a $1 million gift to build a national tech education headquarters in North Memphis, tripling the organization’s instructional capacity. (More)

➤ Toyota Boshoku Tennessee in Jackson has won the state’s Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award after achieving landfill-free status and diverting nearly 12,000 tons of material from landfills in 2025. (More)

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➤ Want exposure to Anthropic before its anticipated IPO? A new video reveals a publicly traded company with an early investment in Anthropic that may offer indirect exposure to its future growth. Learn why some investors are watching this opportunity closely—and discover the stock ticker free in the presentation. (LEARN MORE)

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Bill Anderson celebrated 65 years as a Grand Ole Opry member Saturday, becoming the longest-serving member in the show’s 100-year history. Peers like Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks offered tributes. (More)

➤ A Blount County church’s Helping Hands event provided free shoes, haircuts, and supplies to nearly 3,000 families facing an $863 average back-to-school cost. (More)

➤ Tennessee’s most popular dog names match the national top three exactly (Bella, Luna, and Max in that order), according to a new U.S. News & World Report study. (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:

➤ New research found the low-calorie sweeteners hiding in everyday drinks may be quietly eroding your memory. (Hear Details)

➤ Health officials are working to trace the source of a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak on New York’s Upper East Side. (Hear Episode)

➤ One of the most notorious figures in Mexico’s drug trade was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit billions. (Listen Now)