Friday, May 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1886, Jefferson Davis returned to Georgia, where tens of thousands of people greeted the former Confederate president during stops in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah.

One year ago, we hit “record” on something new, and it’s grown into something incredible. Today, The Flyover Podcast reaches more than 1.4 million listeners each month, delivering clear, direct, and unbiased coverage of the stories that matter most. What started as a simple idea is now part of daily routines across the country, and we couldn’t have done it without you. As we head into year two, we’re excited to bring you new content, new formats, and new ways to stay informed. We’re just getting started. Tune in to today’s Podcast Extra stories, featuring a new form of “genetic cholesterol” that could become the next big breakthrough in preventing heart attacks. Listen here.

Today’s sponsor is TerraCycle US, a company tackling one of the biggest gaps in modern waste: what to do with the items most recycling systems ignore. From everyday packaging to hard-to-recycle products, they’re building solutions where others haven’t, and turning that challenge into a fast-growing, profitable business.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Ruling Sparks Call for New Congressional Maps

A group of top Republicans in Georgia called for a redrawing of congressional districts in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down Louisiana’s majority-black congressional district.

GOP governor candidates Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rick Jackson backed calls for district maps that do not take race into account. Some GOP leaders urged Gov. Brian Kemp to convene a special session to address the issue.

Democrats pushed back on the ruling, with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and others calling the decision a gutting of the Voting Rights Act.

Legal analysts cited time constraints for making any boundary changes this year, with the state’s early voting period for the May 19 primary already underway.

Auto Thefts Plunge

Auto thefts in Georgia fell nearly 28% last year, placing the state ninth nationally for the steepest year-over-year decline in vehicle theft, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The Atlanta metro area saw a similar decline.

Nationwide, vehicle thefts dropped by 23%, reaching the lowest totals in several decades. The 2025 decline followed a 17% drop in 2024, then the largest single-year decrease in 40 years.

Hyundai and Kia thefts declined for the third consecutive year, with both brands dropping from 21% of national thefts in 2023 to 14% in 2025 after manufacturers deployed anti-theft software updates.

The NICB credited coordinated efforts among law enforcement, auto manufacturers, and insurance companies for driving down what had been a multiyear spike.

State Tax Refund Tracker Goes Live

The state website where you can track this year’s state tax refunds went live, letting residents check when they’ll receive up to $500.

Refund amounts depend on your filing status: $250 for single filers and those married filing separately, $375 for heads of household, and $500 for married couples filing jointly. You won’t receive more than your actual 2024 tax liability.

To check your status, have your Social Security number and your federal adjusted gross income from your 2024 Georgia return ready. More than 75% of prior surplus refunds were issued via direct deposit.

Flying together with our sponsor

Recycling 400+ waste streams others won’t

TerraCycle US partners with hundreds of major brands like Coca-Cola, Gillette, Whole Foods, and Taco Bell to recycle products and packaging not accepted locally, like razors, sauce packets, coffee pods, and so much more.

TerraCycle US has been profitable for 10+ years, turning their mission-driven recycling solutions into revenue-driving success. Their business model has seen 93% revenue growth between 2020 and 2025, hitting $47M in 2025.

And they’re dominating the search engines for recycling solutions. Go ahead and look up how to recycle any hard-to-recycle trash, like “recycle cigarette butts” or “recycle contact lenses,” and see who shows up.

Early backers from the previous Reg A (2018-2020) have already seen 17-20% of their investment capital back in dividends.

Invest in TerraCycle US today before this opportunity reaches its limit.

➤ South Georgia: Rain offered some wildfire relief, with containment of the two largest fires growing. Firefighters set strategic burns to defend against the Pineland Road Fire in Echols County. (More)

➤ Statewide: Two members of the state Public Service Commission said guardrails are in place to protect residential ratepayers from data center costs, disputing claims by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. (More)

➤ Cumming: Republican governor candidate Rick Jackson faces scrutiny after court documents alleged he employed illegal immigrants at his mansion. (More)

➤ Macon: Nearly two years after a damaging fire, S&S Cafeteria on Riverside Drive will reopen today with new seating, flooring, and layout changes. (More)

➤ Brunswick: The FBI confirmed the body of truck driver Alejandro Jacomino Gonzalez was found on the Georgia coast. He disappeared April 17 after picking up vehicles at the Port of Brunswick. His truck was found in Port Wentworth with cars missing. (More)

➤ Savannah: Police cited poor video quality as one of the reasons they won’t release video evidence of the December sulfuric acid attack in Forsyth Park. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks’ season came to a close Thursday night in a 140–89 home loss against the New York Knicks. By halftime, Atlanta was down by a playoff-record 47 points. (More)

➤ Four-star cornerback Jerry Outhouse decommitted from Georgia’s 2027 recruiting class this week, less than two months after initially pledging to the Bulldogs. (More)

➤ ESPN ranked the Atlanta Falcons’ 2011 trade-up for Julio Jones as the most impactful draft-day deal in franchise history. Atlanta gave up five picks to move to No. 6 overall for the seven-time Pro Bowler. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons added six players in the 2026 NFL draft, but analysts say questions remain about roster construction. Sporting News gave the team’s draft a B- grade. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Union Pacific filed a revised $85 billion merger application to acquire Atlanta-headquartered Norfolk Southern, resubmitting to federal regulators after its first bid was rejected in January. A combined railroad would control roughly 40% of U.S. rail freight. (More)

➤ Hyundai Motor Group and Georgia Tech signed an agreement to develop hydrogen mobility technology together, linking the automaker’s Bryan County Metaplant with the state’s top engineering university. (More)

➤ Smokey Bones shuttered all of its remaining U.S. restaurants, including its Columbus and metro Atlanta locations, an abrupt end to the barbecue chain that was a familiar fixture for years. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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Flying together with our sponsor

The world’s biggest brands turn to TerraCycle US

In a world where 95% of waste isn’t recycled, TerraCycle US builds profitable recycling solutions for “unrecyclable” products and packages by working with hundreds of major brands, like Coca-Cola, Gillette, Whole Foods, and Taco Bell, to recycle razors, sauce packets, coffee pods, and so much more.

With over 8 billion items recycled and kept out of landfills, they’re becoming the world’s go-to name in recycling. It’s fueling 10+ years of profits for TerraCycle, with 93% revenue growth since 2020.

Previous Reg A investors (2018-2020) have already seen 17-20% of their investment capital back in dividends.

Become an official TerraCycle US shareholder today.

This is a paid advertisement for TerraCycle’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.terracycle.com/.

➤ A Tyrone woman was removed from the plane and arrested after refusing to hang up her phone during safety instructions on a Miami-to-Atlanta Delta flight, forcing the plane to return to the gate. (More)

➤ Visitors to the FIFA World Cup can rent a nearby Georgia Tech dorm room for $237 a night (three-night minimum required) that includes free breakfast. (More)

➤ More than a dozen puppies evacuated from a Brantley County shelter ahead of the area’s wildfire are available for adoption in metro Atlanta. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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