The Flyover: Epstein Files, Medicare Costs, Thanksgiving Travel & More

Political Developments

• 🗳️ President Trump is urging House Republicans to vote on releasing the full Jeffrey Epstein records, reversing previous concerns.
• ⚖️ Attorney General Pam Bondi is investigating Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats at Trump's request.
• 🏛️ The House is expected to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan proposal for releasing unclassified records.
• 🍎 The federal government will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits due to widespread eligibility and fraud concerns.
• 🤝 President Trump is discussing a direct health care payment plan with Democrats to address rising insurance premiums.
• 🇺🇳 The UN Security Council approved a US-led plan for an international peacekeeping force in Gaza, with Russia and China abstaining.

Economic and Healthcare News

• 📈 Seniors on Medicare face a nearly 10% increase in Part B premiums for 2026, with the standard monthly premium rising to $22.90.
• 💰 The annual Medicare Part B deductible will also increase to $283, driven by higher utilization and pricing shifts.
• 🚗 Record Thanksgiving travel is expected, with 81.8 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more.
• ✈️ While 73 million will drive, 6.1 million are expected to fly, with car rentals projected to be 15% cheaper.
• 💊 Popular weight loss medications WGOI and OMIC have seen their US cash prices cut by 30% for out-of-pocket payers.
• 📈 Sizzler is staging a comeback with refreshed interiors, reporting a 407% average sales increase at updated locations.

Social and Cultural Updates

• ✝️ Catholic parishes in New York City are experiencing a surge in adult conversions, with young professionals seeking stability and meaning.
• 🏫 The Supreme Court declined to hear a case on school prayer, leaving in place a long-standing rule against student-led prayer over school sound systems at public events.
• 🔥 A massive fire erupted at a closed power plant near Galveston, Texas, causing a large plume of smoke, but no injuries were reported.
• 🎨 A janitor at a Taiwanese art museum accidentally destroyed an installation by cleaning decades of dust, mistaking it for a dirty mirror.

Sports and Science

• 🏀 Purdue has taken the number one spot in the men's college basketball AP poll, swapping places with Houston.
• 🏈 The Atlanta Falcons will lose quarterback Michael Pennock Jr. for the season due to a knee injury, with Kirk Cousins taking over.
• 🏀 Draymond Green confronted a courtside heckler who repeatedly called him Angel Reese.
• 🚀 SpaceX achieved its 500th orbital flight with the launch of the Sentinel 6B satellite.
• 🧪 New research debunks myths about alcohol, including that the order of drinks affects hangover severity, that alcohol warms the body, and that caffeine can sober you up.