Saturday, September 19, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1844, surveyor William Austin Burt noticed his compass swinging wildly near Negaunee and dug down to find out why. He’d struck one of the richest iron ore deposits in North America, and the Upper Peninsula’s mining boom followed.

Michigan kids showed up to school more often last year than they have in a decade, though one in four still missed enough days to count as chronically absent. The numbers are in Top Stories. It got us wondering about your own attendance record. Did you ever skip? Own up in today’s Poll or hit reply.

The Pentagon just released more UFO files, and this batch digs into a secret military program most people have never heard of. Why was the government commissioning studies on wormholes? What happened to the three engineers who got sick after an encounter nobody can explain? And after six releases in five months, are we any closer to knowing what’s actually going on? Amy walks through the full timeline of the release program and breaks down what’s real, what we know, and what’s still a mystery on The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, AutoCamp, has turned more than one million guests into happy campers—and now hundreds of those guests have become investors as the outdoor hospitality brand sets its sights on expanding from eight locations to more than 100.

Bird Strike Suspected in F-16 Crash

A wingman’s radio call moments before Thursday’s F-16 crash near Traverse City suggests the jet may have hit a bird, though the Air Force hasn’t confirmed a cause.

The two jets were flying a low-level training route when one pilot told Minneapolis air traffic control that his wingman may have struck a bird and was about to eject.

The evacuation that followed was about hydrazine, a toxic backup fuel the F-16 uses when its engine fails. Several first responders were treated for exposure, and two Grand Traverse deputies spent the night at Munson Medical Center as a precaution.

The Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing scrapped a flyover at Alpena High School’s game Friday night. The Air Force investigation continues.

School Attendance Rises for Fourth Year

Michigan’s public school attendance rate rose to 91.5% last year, the fourth straight year of gains, state education officials said Thursday.

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, fell to 27.2%. That’s down from a pandemic-era peak of 38.5%, but it still means more than one in four students missed at least 18 days.

The gap between districts is wide. Detroit Public Schools Community District’s rate stood at 60% even after several years of improvement. Districts credit parent phone calls, home visits, and student incentives.

State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko called the trend encouraging but unfinished. It comes as third-grade reading proficiency sits at a 12-year low of 38%.

ArtPrize Winner Headed to Orbit

Whatever wins the ArtPrize public vote this year is going to space.

Not the artwork itself. A digitized version will be laser-engraved on a plaque and launched aboard Eärendil-1, a demonstration satellite from California startup Reflect Orbital, orbiting 500 kilometers up at 18,000 mph. “I’m not sure an arts organization has ever gone to space before,” said ArtPrize Deputy Director Coleman Brook.

Reflect Orbital’s actual business is redirecting sunlight from orbit to solar farms. The FCC approved the test launch in July despite nearly 2,000 comments raising concerns.

This year’s grand prize trophy will be made of moldavite, glass formed by a meteorite impact. Voting opened Friday. Winners are announced Oct. 3.

Flying together with our sponsor

Inc: In Less Than 30 Days, This Brand Raised $1.2M From Its Own Guests

That’s Inc’s headline from July when outdoor hospitality market leader AutoCamp opened its doors to retail investors for the first time. The moral? Those who know the brand best sprung to action.

Less than 30 days. That’s how long it took for more than 350 AutoCamp customers to move from visitors to shareholders, investing $1.2M+ into the company’s future. A closer look at the company’s success is all you need to see why.

By merging iconic outdoor destinations like Yosemite, Zion, Cape Cod and Joshua Tree with boutique-hotel comfort, AutoCamp has transformed $732B in hospitality markets.

Now, after surpassing their initial $1.2M target, AutoCamp has extended the opportunity for those who missed out. And with 1M+ happy campers so far, there’s a big pool of potential investors.

AutoCamp already operates in eight locations nationwide today. Claim your early-stage stake in AutoCamp as they work to expand to 100+.

➤ Grand Rapids: Kent County prosecutors filed 19 more charges Thursday against Austin Hapner, the former daycare worker accused of sexually abusing children, bringing the total to 39. Thirteen victims have been identified. (More)

➤ Oakland County: The Michigan Supreme Court sent Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley’s case back to the Court of Appeals to review whether he had ineffective counsel before sentencing. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Michigan Economic Development Corp. is laying off up to 15% of its roughly 300 employees, citing declining corporate revenue amid growing legislative scrutiny of business incentives. (More)

➤ Livonia: Westbound I-96 traffic between Levan Road and I-275 shifted to rebuilt lanes Friday, and the Newburgh Road ramp reopened. MDOT expects the project done by year’s end. (More)

➤ Little Lake: A 6-year-old who followed her dogs into the Marquette County woods was found safe after midnight Thursday, sitting calmly beside one of them after a 4 1/2-hour search. (Read Story)

➤ East Lansing: The Izzo Legacy Foundation awarded more than $500,000 to eight nonprofits Thursday at its Impact Awards. (More)

➤ Michigan State visits No. 3 Notre Dame tonight, with the unbeaten Spartans as 29.5-point underdogs in the first meeting between the rivals since 2017. (More)

➤ Larry Ellison’s wife, Jolin, a 2012 Michigan graduate, has become one of the Wolverines’ biggest NIL backers. The couple has given roughly $10 million, helping land quarterback Bryce Underwood on a $3 million-a-year deal. (See Details)

➤ Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is the second player in NFL history with at least nine catches and two touchdowns in each of a season’s first two games. (More)

➤ The Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, captured their fifth straight Southwest Division title. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | MLB | WNBA | Golf | Soccer

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➤ Gold’s next big opportunity may be hiding in smaller mining companies. Golden Portfolio’s Garrett Goggin has identified three junior miners he believes could become attractive acquisition targets as major gold producers look to replenish reserves. Get his top three picks, ongoing research, bonus recommendations, and more with Golden Portfolio IV.

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Hotels Ditch Blackout Curtains for Beautiful Canyons

Guests are trading early-morning housekeeping wakeups for breathtaking views. And industry giants clearly think it’s no fad.

Marriott just launched the “Outdoor Collection,” opening properties in destinations like Jackson Hole. Hyatt partnered with a brand specializing in off-grid, safari-style tents.

Meanwhile, Hilton Hotels formed a first-of-its-kind partnership with outdoor-lodging leader AutoCamp. That makes AutoCamp the only outdoor lodging bookable for 200M+ Honors members at Hilton.com. And their boutique approach doesn’t compromise comfort for beauty.

They’ve been building toward this moment since 2013. 1M+ happy campers across 9 locations. An exclusive Airstream partnership no competitor can replicate. Now, AutoCamp’s inviting everyday people like you to invest for the first time.

The giants are validating the category. Claim your piece as an AutoCamp investor as they work to expand to 100+ locations.

This is a paid advertisement for AutoCamp Regulation Crowdfunding offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.autocamp.com. Forward looking statements were included here that the Company believes to be accurate given the current information. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors which if changed may affect the outcome(s). Past performance is not indicative of future results.

➤ Potter Park Zoo released 20 young Blanding’s turtles into the wild after raising them in its head-start program, giving the threatened species a better shot at reaching adulthood. (See Photos)

➤ The marching band at Big Rapids High School raised more than $6,000 in an hour toward a $10,000 goal. Hit it, and director Brian Balch gets his head shaved by the winning section. (Read Story)

➤ Banana Ball makes its Detroit debut this weekend with two sold-out games at Comerica Park. Expect choreographed dances, a two-hour clock, and an out if a fan catches a foul ball. (More)

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➤ Dry Eyes? Here are 5 reasons drops aren’t working. Are you wasting your money on eye drops? Here are 5 reasons drops won’t work for dry eyes and why you should be doing THIS instead. PS – If you really care about your eye health…⇒ Read this short article before you spend another penny on eye drops… (You are probably being misled).

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ Newly released Pentagon UFO files reveal a secret military program studying warp drives and unexplained injuries. (Listen Now)

➤ The lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial is disputing fellow jurors’ accounts of what happened behind closed doors. (Hear Details)

➤ Top tech executives are reportedly joining Trump’s state dinner for China’s leader, and AI is on the table. (Podcast Available)