
The Monday Flyover Replay : Happy Presidents’ Day!; High-Level Talks Push for Ukraine War End; Severe Weather, Flooding Hits Eastern U.S.; Byron Wins Daytona as NASCAR Season Opens;
Presented by Russell Sherrard.
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence, Our Hosts are Christopher and Jenny.
THE FLYOVER REPLAY.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Happy Presidents’ Day! On this day in 1864, the CSS H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship, taking down the USS Housatonic off the coast of South Carolina during the Civil War, though the Hunley itself was lost shortly after. See why it sank.
Imagine typing on your computer using only your thoughts. Meta is testing a half-ton, room-sized machine that can turn brain signals into text. It’s not ready for everyday use, but the research is turning heads. Read more in our Science section.
We hope you enjoyed reading today’s Flyover. Let us know how we’re doing by replying to Russell Sherrard at russellsherrard@reagan.com.
The sponsors keep the tanks full around here. Be sure to check out today’s sponsors.
TAKEOFF.
High-Level Talks Push for Ukraine War End.
High-level diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine are accelerating, with U.S. and Russian officials set to begin talks in Saudi Arabia this week, though European allies have not been invited.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to hold preparatory discussions with Russian negotiators ahead of a potential meeting between President Trump and President Putin in the near future.
A Ukrainian delegation is also in Saudi Arabia, officially focused on economic agreements, though there is speculation about a possible visit from President Zelensky and links to the broader talks.
The exclusion of European leaders has prompted heads of state to gather in Paris today for an emergency meeting to coordinate their response.
Severe Weather, Flooding Hits Eastern U.S.
A major storm in the Eastern U.S. has brought devastating flooding as more than 110 million people were under weather alerts Sunday.
In Kentucky, flooding has led to at least 1,000 rescues and eight fatalities, including the deaths of a mother and her 7-year-old daughter whose car was swept away in flood waters.
“This is one of the most serious weather events we’ve dealt with in at least a decade,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, whose request for federal aid was approved by President Trump on Sunday.
Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina have also been impacted by the storm. In some areas, snow followed severe flooding on Sunday morning.
Byron Wins Daytona as NASCAR Season Opens.
The 2025 NASCAR season roared to life with the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, where William Byron captured his second straight victory in a dramatic finish on Sunday.
The race was delayed for more than three hours due to rain, with several late crashes shaking up the field.
Tyler Reddick finished second, and Jimmie Johnson placed third, while Kyle Busch blamed Joey Logano for a wreck that knocked out several contenders.
President Trump attended the season opener and took ceremonial laps in his armored limousine, known as “the Beast,” before leaving during the rain delay.
POLITICS.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel on Sunday, backing its war aims and saying Hamas “must be eradicated.” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled he is moving forward with President Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, calling it the “only viable plan” for the region.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has unveiled a $500 million plan to close the state’s second-oldest prison, built in 1898 in Green Bay, and overhaul its correctional system without constructing a new facility.
President Trump toured a Boeing airplane on Saturday, highlighting the delay by the aircraft’s maker in delivering replacements for Air Force One’s two-plane fleet, originally scheduled for 2024 but now projected for 2027 for the first plane and 2028 for the second.
After a word from one of our sponsors Jenny will be Narrating the last half of the news.
And Now, A word From one of Our Sponsors.
Are you an author or writer with a Blog and wonder if it is being effective?
I have added audio to my blog posts and am getting good comments. I can add voice to your blog posts. You choose Male/Female $10 per post. Direct your inquiries to russellsherrard@reagan.com.
Thanks Christopher.
Now, back to the News.
SPORTS.
Orlando Magic guard Mac McClung clinched the first-ever three-peat in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest, scoring 50 points in each round of the contest.
Speaking of three-peats, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard was eliminated in the first round of the NBA’s three-point contest after winning each of the last two contests. Instead, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was the champion in his first time competing in the event.
Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has agreed to a race against Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill, the fastest player in the NFL. The date and distance of the race is yet to be decided.
The White House Transition.
The Trump administration is trying to rehire federal nuclear safety employees it had laid off on Thursday, following concerns that their dismissal may pose a national security risk.
President Trump said he would target countries that use value-added tax (VAT) systems with reciprocal levies, arguing that VAT systems—a standard for nations in the European Union—were “far more punitive” than tariffs.
The Justice Department fired multiple immigration judges on Friday, adding to a growing list of judges, managers, and new hires for the Executive Office for Immigration Review to be laid off since the start of the Trump administration.
FINANCE.
Apple and Google restored TikTok to U.S. app stores after a temporary ban imposed in January, allowing downloads to resume amid ongoing national security debates.
Home prices fell 8.6% to a $560,000 median in Washington, D.C., as thousands of DOGE-led federal layoffs and return-to-office orders unsettled buyers.
Truth Social’s parent, Trump Media & Technology Group, posted a $400.9 million net loss in 2024, citing legal costs linked to Biden administration disputes.
SCIENCE AND TECH.
The first total lunar eclipse, or blood moon, since 2022 will be viewable on the night of March 13 in the lower 48 states.
Facebook parent company Meta is testing a machine that can decode brain signals into words typed onto a screen with up to 80% accuracy.
ChatGPT, one of the world’s most widely used conversational artificial intelligence systems, tends to exhibit a left-leaning political bias rather than reflecting the broader range of opinions held by Americans, according to recent research.
THE ROTATOR.
BEYOND OUR BORDERS.
More than 40 people, mostly women, died in Mali after an illegal gold mine collapsed. The victims had climbed into abandoned mining pits left by industrial companies to search for gold when the ground suddenly caved in.
Pope Francis was hospitalized with a respiratory tract infection on Friday in Rome. The Vatican said Sunday that he had his second consecutive restful night.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei faced backlash after endorsing LIBRA cryptocurrency on Friday, which crashed 85% within hours, erasing $4.4 billion.
ET CETERA.
“Zizians,” a cultish group of tech-savvy radical vegans, is linked to six deaths across Vermont, California, and Pennsylvania, including a Vermont border patrol agent.
A young Indigenous man from an isolated Amazon tribe briefly emerged in Brazil on Wednesday, seeking fire, before returning to the forest hours later.
A cake-loving opossum in Omaha, Nebraska, ate an entire Costco chocolate cake before wildlife rescuers admitted the “cranky” animal for recovery and diet rehab.
Daily Quote.
“I actually just wanted to take a gap year after school, but I’ve ended up with a bounty!”
— Chloe Cheung, a 19-year-old Hong Kong student, the youngest of 19 activists accused of breaching a Chinese national security law.
And thats the news for today.
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor, The Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Go to https:// payhip.com/ Christian NonFiction eBookStore then scroll down and click on The Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
n publishing the life of the late CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, the publishers feel a peculiar pleasure and believe themselves especially fortunate in having secured the Rev. Russell H. Conwell, D.D., LL.D., pastor at The Temple, of Philadelphia, to prepare the work. There are many reasons why the popular preacher, who might justly be called the Spurgeon of America, should in this way pay a loving tribute to the memory of his great English ecclesiastical brother, and why such a book must have an absorbing interest for all readers. Foremost among these might be considered his personal acquaintance with the great divine of gigantic efforts and wonderful achievements, and the deep study he has ever given to his popular brother preacher’s life and the measure of its successes.
As a fellow-preacher of the Gospel, he knew better than any layman how to interpret the hidden springs of success to count the cost of Herculean efforts made, and better, understand the great man’s life-work in all its thousands of minute details which he, as an intimate personal friend had the opportunity to observe.
Like Spurgeon, he has the power to earn and raise large sums of money, but he devotes every dollar beyond a reasonable living expense to the cause he has so much at heart. His remarkable line of work, also, in many ways corresponds with that of Spurgeon,
The similarity in the work of the English Spurgeon and the American Conwell has often been commented upon by press and people. Spurgeon made, and Conwell is making, a complete sacrifice of talents, time and health to the one aim in life-the salvation of souls. Each commenced life a poor boy, and had an early life fraught with discouragements and temptations.
The author’s grand work for the Grace Baptist Church, of Philadelphia, has justly distinguished him as the greatest preacher of his denomination in this country. He was a student at Yale College, and graduated in the Law Department of Albany University and was admitted to the New York bar in 1865. His health not permitting the practice of law, he began as traveling correspondent of the Boston Traveler and the New York Tribune, during which his constant companion and warmest friend was Bayard Taylor, with who he traveled all over the world, and obtained distinction as a journalist.
In addition to the pastorate of a church which has one of the most remarkable houses of worship in the world, open every hour of every day and night in the year, and is never untenanted, Dr. Conwell is the head of Temple College, connected with the church fostered by him, which is for the free education of working-men and women in the classic collegiate branches, with fourteen professors, a preparatory department that sends pupils to Yale, Harvard and Amherst, and giving itself decrees equal to those of Princeton. He is the head of the Samaritan Hospital, also an outgrowth of his personal effort and example, which is doing incalculable good in Philadelphia.
In addition. to his church work, Dr. Conwell lectures all over the United States, to large and delighted audiences.
He is also a prolific author, The most important of his works are a ” Life of Garfield,” which he wrote at the home of the martyred President, in Mentor; “Why and How the Chinese Immigrate,” the material for which he gathered in the Chinese Empire Life of Hon. James G. Blaine,” Life of Bayard Taylor,” and “Acres of Diamonds,” each of which has been appreciatively read by thousands of readers in this and other countries.