Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1793, the Rev. John Rankin was born in Tennessee. His later home in Ripley, Ohio, along the Ohio River, became a stop on the Underground Railroad and a key inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The Winter Olympics start this week in Italy, but it’s the 2028 Summer Games that had the Buckeye State buzzing on Tuesday. Learn why in Top Stories.

Today’s sponsor, EnergyX, explains why surging lithium demand and breakthrough recovery technology are fueling a fast-growing “white gold” opportunity.

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.

Olympic Soccer Coming in 2028

Columbus will host preliminary round soccer matches for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the first-ever Olympic events held in Ohio.

The state capital is one of seven U.S. host cities selected for group-stage and knockout matches, ahead of the gold medal matches at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The matches will take place at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, but dates and whether both men’s and women’s teams will compete haven’t been decided. Organizers said more details will be released before the first ticket drop in April.

Columbus has a storied history in international soccer, including hosting games featuring U.S. national teams against rival Mexico and other nations.

Judge Extends Haitian Policy

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., extended Temporary Protected Status for about 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S., including an estimated 13,000 in Springfield, Ohio.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the ruling “lawless activism” and said the department will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

McLaughlin said the protected status was put in place after an earthquake over 15 years ago and was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program.

The protections were set to expire on Tuesday, raising expectations of immigration enforcement actions in Ohio.

Gov. Mike DeWine voiced support for the judge’s order, saying that thousands of Haitians in Ohio contribute to economic growth.

Cy Young Birthplace Hits Market

The Tuscarawas County birthplace of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young went up for sale for nearly $800,000.

The log cabin—built in 1835 and since expanded—sits on 35 acres.

The property includes a horse barn converted into a lodge, built with wood from more than 1,600 trees on the land. You can see 50 photos of the property here.

Young is the namesake of Major League Baseball’s Cy Young Award, given to the top pitcher in each league. He won a record 511 games in his career.

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This Metal’s Up 122% in the Last 12 Months

No, not gold. Lithium. Prices have more than doubled in the last year alone, spurring a modern-day “white gold” gold rush driven by AI, energy, and more.

With demand growing 5X by 2040, a major opportunity is emerging. No wonder 40,000+ people already invested in EnergyX.

Their patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, in days instead of months. That combination of technological prowess and market demand are partially why General Motors led a $50M investment round in EnergyX.

In the past 24 months, EnergyX has raised nearly $100M from retail investors, acquired close to 150k+ acres of lithium-rich land across North and South America, and announced what could be one of the largest DLE lithium production facilities in the U.S.

Now, you can join for $11/share. But hurry. Invest before the price increases after Feb. 26.

➤ Statewide: The state agriculture department doubled Ohio’s box tree moth quarantine zone to 14 counties, adding Preble, Clark, Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Lorain, Lake, and Lucas. (More)

➤ Cleveland: The city council passed Tanisha’s Law, creating a department of unarmed social workers to respond to mental health emergencies instead of police. (More)

➤ Columbus: Mayor Andrew Ginther approved $1.5 million in emergency funding for winter storm recovery efforts after dozens of water main breaks throughout the city. (More)

➤ Canton: The police department was awarded $85,536 to build a text alert system that automatically updates crime victims about their cases. (More)

➤ Wooster: Wooster Community Hospital will host a Feb. 14 open house at its new Richard and Donna Smetzer Emergency Center. (More)

➤ Dayton: University of Dayton Vice President and Athletic Director Neil Sullivan is taking a medical leave of absence for an unspecified period of time. (More)

➤ The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired point guard James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. (More)

➤ Major League Baseball will produce all local broadcasts for Cincinnati Reds games this season, with regional coverage airing on REDS.TV after the club canceled its contract with FanDuel Sports Network. (More)

➤ Retired Columbus Blue Jackets television play-by-play broadcaster Jeff Rimer will return for one night to call today’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. (More)

➤ The Columbus Crew transferred forward Jacen Russell-Rowe to Toulouse FC of France’s Ligue 1 for an undisclosed fee. He scored 16 goals in 80 regular-season matches for Columbus. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ More than 400 workers at eight companies face layoffs, according to WARN notices filed with the state in January. (See List)

➤ Discount shopping outlet Macy’s Backstage plans to open inside the existing Macy’s store at the Eastwood Mall Complex in Niles. No opening date has been announced. (More)

➤ Saks Off Fifth in Columbus is among the stores closing after the brand’s parent company, Saks Global, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (More)

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The Tale Behind SpaceX’s $1.5 Trillion IPO

SpaceX plans to IPO at a $1.5T valuation. If true, they’d be the tenth-most-valuable public company by the time the average person can invest.

The lesson? Like Uber, which delivered 490,000% returns to First Round Capital, the biggest growth today comes at the private stage.

A similar dynamic is playing out in lithium, with EnergyX crossing a $1B private valuation. Only this time, you can invest at the private stage, too.

Why did big names like General Motors already back EnergyX? Because lithium powers everything from EVs to data centers. Demand will grow 5X by 2040, and EnergyX’s tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods.

Now, they’re preparing to unlock up to 9.8M tons of lithium in Chile, a $1.1B/year revenue opportunity at projected market prices. Invest before EnergyX’s share price increases after Feb. 26.

Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged The Flyover to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. The Flyover has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. The Flyover and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX.

This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.

Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.

➤ The city of Dayton will host its free annual tax return preparation event this weekend at the Montgomery County Job Center, offering help with filing for tax credits. (Details)

➤ The Columbus Metropolitan Library will open its new Linden Branch on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The initial opening date was delayed by winter weather. (More)

➤ Eight public pickleball courts are being built on a vacant lot across from COSI in Columbus and are expected to open this summer. (More)

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