FAA Halts Departures Nationwide

The FAA ordered airports across the country to hold all departing flights Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin blamed a telecommunication outage, telling reporters, “This isn’t another 9/11.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said technicians were tracking down a “communication issue,” and Mullin saw no link to Thursday’s global Microsoft outage.

Only twice before had the FAA halted departures nationwide on this scale: on Sept. 11, 2001, and in January 2023, when a failure of the pilot-notification system grounded flights. FlightAware tracked more than 12,000 aircraft in the air worldwide Friday.

The FAA lifted the nationwide ground stop at 8:15 p.m. ET Friday, but delays and cancellations continued as airlines worked to restore schedules. Travelers should check with their airlines for updates.

Most Seniors Can’t Afford Assisted Living

Only 18% of older Virginians earn enough to cover assisted living where they live, a review by the General Assembly’s watchdog agency found.

Average monthly assisted-living costs rose 32% from 2021 to $6,940 in 2025, with regional rates ranging from $5,734 to $8,725; memory care costs about 30% more. Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, said at Monday’s commission meeting that “about 80% of seniors will never be able to afford under our current system any type of assisted living.”

Virginia’s only state subsidy for assisted living is a monthly grant for qualifying older and disabled residents, and it pays $2,130 against a median private rate of $6,945. About two-thirds of facilities don’t serve a single grant recipient.

New federal rules could let Virginia use Medicaid to help cover assisted living starting in July 2028. The watchdog also urged lawmakers to fund more facility inspectors and set enforceable staffing minimums.

Hampton Roads Scores Two Thanksgiving Top 10s

Hampton Roads landed two cities in WalletHub’s 2026 Thanksgiving ranking: Virginia Beach at No. 8 and Chesapeake at No. 10 among 100 U.S. cities.

WalletHub scored cities on 18 measures across five categories, including holiday traditions, affordability, safety, volunteer activity, and weather.

Norfolk ranked No. 29. Virginia Beach placed eighth for weather and 10th for safety and accessibility; Chesapeake ranked fourth for safety.

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➤ Hanover County: More than a dozen environmental groups rallied Wednesday a few hundred feet from a data center under construction, urging a statewide pause on new data center permits. An industry group called a statewide moratorium “the wrong approach.” (More)

➤ Smith Mountain Lake: A public meeting is set to gather input on next steps against hydrilla, an invasive underwater plant that surged back in the lake after a decade of dormancy. (More)

➤ Hampton: The city launched a Childcare Task Force to look for ways to bring down child care costs, which run parents upward of $16,000 a year. Local daycare providers say the effort is needed. (More)

➤ Chesapeake Bay: An interstate fisheries board voted Wednesday to cut the menhaden harvest in the Bay, limiting it to 21.8% of the total East Coast catch. Virginia’s representatives on the board opposed the Bay changes. (More)

➤ McLean: Two parents face charges after Fairfax County police say a party they organized for their teen drew 100 to 300 people, with fireworks and underage drinking reported. (More)

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➤ JMU visits UConn today after an 8-2 start and a 54-23 win over Southern Miss. (More)

➤ Liberty hosts Middle Tennessee today, with a win clinching a place in the Conference USA championship game. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech hosts Stanford today in the teams’ first game at Lane Stadium; the 6-3 Hokies will try to get back in the win column. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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An 8,000X Oversubscription Could Reset Robotics Stocks

Hold onto your nuts… and bolts: Robotics stocks are having a moment in the market spotlight.

A recent robotics IPO was oversubscribed 8,000X. Plus, robotics funding in the private sector is setting new records, up 185% through Q3.

Experts say the frenzy could reprice robot company stocks industry-wide. 

Meanwhile, everyday investors just like you have already backed private-stage up-and-comer Miso Robotics 44k times.

Miso’s Flippy fry station robot already has a $4B/year annual revenue potential in the US alone. And in 2026, Miso showed its traction by adding big-name customers like Jersey Mike’s and Carl’s Jr., growing its patent portfolio ~10X to over 300, and deploying the first Flippys in an NBA arena and college campus.

NVIDIA is a collaborator. Industry powerhouse Ecolab already invested. Claim your stake in the robotics boom today starting at $1,075.20 and see if you qualify for up to 7% Miso bonus shares.

➤ George Washington University released a five-year roadmap for moving programs from its Ashburn campus, but departments still need to decide where and when they’ll relocate. The transition plan runs through 2031. (See Roadmap)

➤ Panda Panda!, a 1-year-old rescue dog, will lead Richmond’s Christmas Parade as grand marshal. Afterward, visitors can meet him and other adoptable dogs at an adoption event. (Meet the Pup)

➤ Franklin County, long known as the “Moonshine Capital of the World,” keeps its bootlegging heritage alive through a family-run distillery and the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival. (More)

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➤ “Impossible” Bone Density Improvements Linked to Overlooked Protein. Doctors are doing double-takes at recent DEXA scans showing unprecedented bone density improvements in women over 60 after adding this protein in their diet. The stunning results have doctors questioning if their equipment is malfunctioning—but the explanation lies in a revolutionary protein compound that provides what calcium supplements alone cannot. (Learn More)

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. 

➤ Seven veteran benefits go unclaimed by many military families, including one that scammers are eager to exploit. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal investigators have recovered part of the $6.3 billion stolen from Binance in the largest crypto heist in history. (Hear Details)

➤ The Coast Guard has launched a criminal investigation into an MSC cruise ship accused of illegally discharging oil at sea. (Hear Story)

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

1. Hosting
2. Traveling
3. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you order a pre-cooked Thanksgiving turkey, roast your own, or smoke it?

1. Roast it myself: 77%
2. Order it pre-cooked: 9%
3. Smoke it: 8%
4. I don’t eat turkey: 6%

How did Great Bridge, Virginia, get its name?

Show me the answer

If you’re a fan of our Trivia section, you’ll love our new book, The Flyover Book of Trivia 2027, an illustrated collection of 100 of our favorite questions and answers. (Buy It Now)