Gordon and Tana Ramsay have been married for decades, but her first impression of the famous chef wasn’t as successful as his burgeoning culinary career.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Month: February 2026
Data centers, once popular with elected officials in both parties, are fast becoming a midterms bogeyman.
Democratic governors are racing to rein in new warehouse projects they once offered up millions of dollars in tax incentives to secure as they face voters furious over soaring electric bills. And President Donald Trump, who has slashed red tape around the industry he’s lauded as a job engine, used his Tuesday State of the Union address to announce he’s told major tech companies to build their own power plants to shield ratepayers from further hikes.
It’s a remarkable pivot by leaders of both parties. And it reflects the rapidly shifting politics around data centers they had hailed as economic generators but are now retreating from as voters blame their proliferation for rising utility costs — part of an overall frustration with high prices that is dominating the midterms.
“The fact that everyone is talking about this all of a sudden shows how quickly this issue is moving and that politicians are reflecting the frustration that people are feeling over paying so much on their energy bills while data centers get tax breaks,” said Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist and co-founder of climate advocacy group Evergreen Action.
These recent contortions also show both parties are still grappling with the way forward on an increasingly potent political issue.
Democrats harnessed voters’ frustrations over rising utility bills — and their fears that power-hungry data centers could push them higher — to win governor’s offices in New Jersey and Virginia and oust two Republicans on Georgia’s utility regulating commission last fall.
Voters’ worries haven’t ebbed. The POLITICO Poll found in mid-January that voters’ chief concerns about data centers involved household costs. Asked about the drawbacks to building data centers in the U.S., 29 percent of Americans said it would mean higher electricity bills, 24 percent said an increased risk of blackouts and 23 percent said the projects would cost taxpayer money.
Both parties have seized on making tech companies pay for their power as a salve.
Just six months ago, Trump declared he was accelerating federal permitting for data centers and headed to western Pennsylvania to praise companies for investing tens of billions of dollars in energy infrastructure as part of his push to be the “world’s No. 1 superpower in artificial intelligence.”
But on Tuesday, the president said he was negotiating with the companies behind data centers to build their own power plants to secure their power supply “while at the same time lowering prices of electricity” for Americans.
Trump was light on the details about what his “ratepayer protection pledge” actually meant in practice, though the White House said tech companies are expected to head to Washington next week to sign the agreements. But the president has been signaling such a step since at least January, when he said he was working with Microsoft to “ensure that Americans don’t ‘pick up the tab’” for data centers’ power consumption. He also banded together with Democratic governors to push grid operator PJM to control energy prices and tech companies to shoulder the burden of power costs.
Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based GOP strategist, said the shift shows Trump and his team “don’t want to be on the wrong side of this.”
“This is smart by the administration to recognize that there are concerns about energy prices and water usage,” said Steinhauser, who serves as CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI, a group that backs more AI industry regulation. “They don’t want to be seen as allowing the companies to accelerate without any input from the community, they don’t want to be seen as on the side of allowing energy prices to go up.”
Democrats don’t, either.
At least half a dozen Democratic governors — several of whom are potential 2028 presidential contenders — used their annual state-of-the-state addresses to pitch regulations or call to retract old sweeteners for an industry they had previously championed.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing to hit pause on tax incentives he’s long touted to lure data centers to his state. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is seeking to eliminate the tax breaks for tech companies she previously backed as a state lawmaker a decade ago, while looking to impose new water-use fees.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was positioning her state as a “national leader in AI research and innovation,” has rolled out plans to make data center operators pay more for energy or supply their own. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signaled his state would look to “slow down new data centers,” unless they add more power generation.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, who supports legislation to expand tax breaks for data centers, has also cautioned the industry’s growth rate is “not sustainable” in her state. She launched an advisory committee to recommend how to protect “affordable power” and other resources while still fostering economic development.
And Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who streamlined permitting to help his state be “all in on AI,” is now calling on his legislature to codify a set of “responsible infrastructure development” standards for data center developers — including hiring locally and bringing their own power generation — as he looks to mitigate voters’ concerns. A survey released Wednesday from Pennsylvania pollster Quinnipiac University showed 68 percent of registered voters would oppose a data center being built in their community, including 81 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans.
Shapiro insisted his new guardrails were “not a shift” when asked last week about the policy rollout. Instead, he cast them as part of his ongoing efforts to balance creating jobs with “holding down energy costs.”
“I’ve always been for the end-users having to bring their own power or generate new power and pay for it so we’re not burdening the local community,” Shapiro told POLITICO on the sidelines of the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington last week. “We just are more open about it, so anyone thinking about doing business in Pennsylvania now knows what those standards are going to be.”
The proliferation of data centers across battleground states has similarly pushed energy costs to the forefront of key congressional campaigns. Imposing guardrails on the artificial intelligence industry has become a rallying cry for insurgent candidates in primaries and an attack line in competitive districts. Calls are growing on both sides of the aisle for a moratorium on new projects.
Politicians are “beginning to catch up with where their constituents are” in opposing unregulated data center growth, said Mitch Jones, the managing director of policy and litigation for environmental firm Food & Water Watch, which is pushing for a construction pause.
But Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has sketched out a similar set of rules for new projects in his state, argued that a “binary” approach to data centers was misguided.
“Oftentimes, when people talk about data centers, it’s either like what they’ve done in Northern Virginia, which is kind of like, ‘let them just run wild and do whatever they want to do.’ Or it’s like trying to put a ban on them. I don’t think either is the right answer,” Moore said in a brief interview at NGA. “I understand how this critical infrastructure is necessary for economic growth. … But industry cannot determine the rules.”
Politics
It’s an exciting season for Bailey Zimmerman, who recently launched his Different Night Same Rodeo Tour and continues to build momentum as one of country music’s rising superstars. The chart-topping artist just debuted as the star of American Eagle’s newest “Jeans Country” campaign, as the brand steps in as the exclusive apparel and denim sponsor of Stagecoach, the world’s largest country music festival.
Inspired by Bailey’s authentic, everyday style, the campaign highlights relaxed-fit denim, laid-back graphic tees and versatile layering pieces styled the way he naturally wears them. Known for his straightforward approach and strong connection with fans, Bailey brings an easy, lived-in feel to the visuals, further cementing American Eagle’s role at the forefront of country’s expanding impact on mainstream fashion.
Zimmerman, who has amassed more than 7.5 billion global career streams and earned five No. 1 singles at country radio, fronts his own installment of the brand’s “Jeans Country” campaign. Ella Langley also partnered with American Eagle for a separate chapter of the rollout. Langley recently made history as the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts simultaneously.
As part of the “Jeans Country” rollout, American Eagle also revealed plans for a major presence at Stagecoach, set for April 24-26, 2026.
“Country music and denim are synonymous, and American Eagle is claiming center stage,” said Jennifer Foyle, President- Executive Creative Director, AE & Aerie. “Driven by a new generation of artists and fans, AE’s partnership with Stagecoach, Ella Langley, and Bailey Zimmerman is all about showing up at the intersection of culture and fashion. Through our signature AE jeans, we are bringing the denim on denim trends, relaxed fits, and festival-ready looks that are defining our customers’ unique style.”
As the exclusive apparel and denim sponsor of Stagecoach, American Eagle will bring immersive on-site experiences to the festival weekend, including product customization, interactive games, meet-and-greets, and more. As the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z, AE is creating a fully branded denim world for festivalgoers.
One month before the festival, on March 25, 2026, AE will launch the AE x Stagecoach co-branded collection, a limited-edition lineup blending Stagecoach merch with festival-ready staples
Bailey Zimmerman will hit the Stagecoach stage in a custom AE look designed with the brand, while Ella Langley will showcase a bespoke AE outfit during a special Stagecoach appearance, highlighting American Eagle’s commitment to supporting the artists and fans shaping the future of country music.
The post Bailey Zimmerman Stars in American Eagle’s New ‘Jeans Country’ Campaign appeared first on Country Now.
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Ever since Elvis’ very first Sun Studios recording sessions, artists have been finding ways to bring the country and rock genres together. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Ever since Elvis’ very first Sun Studios recording sessions, artists have been finding ways to bring the country and rock genres together. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball – there’s no shortage of college ball, every night. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in college basketball. Michigan finds its stroke vs. Ohio State Michigan took on Iowa on Sunday, and got hammered. The Wolverines couldn’t shoot, sinking just 31% of their attempts from the field, and turned the ball over 24 times, as well. They slipped from No. 6 to No. 8 in the poll as a result, and ended up tied for second in the Big Ten with the Hawkeyes, too. With No. 13 Ohio State up next on the schedule, Michigan needed to tighten up its shot selection and decision-making in a hurry. On Wednesday in Columbus, Michigan did just that… sort of. The shots were vastly improved, with the Wolverines shooting 49% overall and 11-for-25 from 3, and they outrebounded the Buckeyes 46-33, even picking up 14 offensive boards despite shooting nearly 50%. The turnovers, though, were still a huge problem: Michigan had 20 assists and 20 turnovers to go with them, and the Buckeyes were able to hang on and force overtime in part by scoring 22 points on those turnovers. Michigan would win, 88-86, but it took a career-high in points from sophomore guard Olivia Olson: she scored 31 on 12-for-24 shooting with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Fellow sophomore guard Syla Swords added another 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting, with the bulk of those misses coming from deep — she shot just 4-for-12 from beyond the arc. Swords also had 7 rebounds and 4 assists, so she contributed in other ways, too. Still! It took Olson having one of the best games of her life for Michigan to win by 2 points on a night that it shot 49% and hit 44% of its 3s even with Swords missing them in bulk. The turnovers are a serious issue, with this being Michigan’s fifth game with at least 20 of them. While it hasn’t caused a loss yet except for against Iowa, better teams — like Iowa! — will exploit the issue. (There were “just” 17 turnovers against Vanderbilt, but that was an L for Michigan, too.) Maybe Michigan State and Ohio State have not been able to — the Buckeyes did force OT, at least — but there’s a gap between those teams and the ones at the top of the poll that will also be the highest seeds in March Madness, and Michigan can’t rely on shooting lights-out every time it can’t keep the ball in its hands, especially against the likes of UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and UConn. Iowa handles Ohio State It wasn’t a great night for Ohio State, either on the men’s or women’s side. At least the women were competitive, though, forcing Michigan into OT despite an off, 6-for-20 shooting night from sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge. The men took on Iowa needing a W to help with both their standing in the bubble and for seeding purposes in the upcoming Big Ten tourney: Ohio State is toward the back of the single-round bye qualification, in ninth. While that still qualifies for a bye to the second round of the Big Ten tournament, being in ninth isn’t great since it sets that team up for a showdown with likely top-seed Michigan in the quarterfinals. Which is not what anyone in the Big Ten should want at this point, never mind a team that’s now 9-8 in conference play after losing to Iowa on Wednesday. Iowa was in control in the first half, 37-23, and while Ohio State played a much better second by scoring 34 points, the Hawkeyes’ offense kept going at the same pace it already had been, resulting in a 74-57 win. Iowa shot 57% from the field, scored 15 points off turnovers to Ohio State’s 4, outrebounded the Buckeyes, dominated in the paint 44-18, and did all of this despite falling behind by 12 just a few minutes into the matchup. Senior guard Bennett Stirtz led all scorers with 22 points, but what truly helped Iowa thrive here was the performance of Alvaro Folgueiras off the bench. The junior guard chipped in 20 points off the bench — more than anyone for Ohio State managed — on 8-for-10 shooting in 25 minutes. He also had 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a highly efficient run. Iowa might not be in position to win the Big Ten tournament, but it does rank 31st in Wins Above Bubble, making the Hawkeyes an easy pick for an at-large bid to March Madness. Ohio State fell to 44th in WAB with the loss, however, putting it very much on the bubble. With upcoming regular season games still left against No. 8 Purdue, Penn State and Indiana, Ohio State’s season is at its make or break point. Richmond crushes Rhode Island Richmond had an odd stretch where it just could not hit its shots, despite being the top team in the Atlantic 10 conference and a viable March Madness-caliber threat because of its offense. That appears to be over with now, however, as the Spiders dropped 92 points on La Salle on Sunday before facing — and beating — Rhode Island 72-46 on Wednesday. The Spiders were up 27-9 after the first quarter, and while they mustered just 5 points in the second, they were still comfortably ahead of Rhode Island going into the half, and then resumed the thrashing from there on out. Every Rams player was held to single-digit scoring, while the Spiders shot 49% from the field and went 16-for-30 from 3. Senior forward and WNBA hopeful Maggie Doogan had just 13 points, but showed off the rest of her game with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophomore guard Alicia Newell led all scorers with 20 points and added 7 boards of her own. Every starter reached double-digit points and had at least 5 rebounds or assists, plus a couple or more of the other. [Get to Know a Mid-Major: Atlantic 10] Rhode Island is, even after the loss, first in the A-10, but now just one game up on Richmond in the standings. And the Spiders are right back in bubble territory by WAB, too, with a score of -0.05 — beating St. Joseph’s in the regular-season finale and then playing well in the conference tournament should get them the rest of what is needed for the Selection Committee, assuming Richmond doesn’t pick up the automatic bid as conference champ. Kansas upsets Texas Tech No. 20 Texas Tech blew it in the fourth quarter. That’s the long and short of Wednesday’s game against Kansas. The Lady Raiders were up 52-48 at the start of the fourth — a close game, yes, but one Texas Tech was not only still in but actively leading — and then they were outscored 20-7 by the Jayhawks the rest of the way. Kansas scored a bucket 21 seconds in, then got within a point, 56-55, with a 3-pointer from senior guard Elle Evans about five minutes later. That was the start of a 7-0 run, briefly interrupted by Texas Tech bringing it back to within a point, that was followed by another 7-0 run to close out the game. The Lady Raiders went just 3-for-12 in the fourth quarter, and 1-for-2 from the stripe. Maybe they could have survived such a tough quarter, but Texas Tech also scored just 11 points in the second — paired with Kansas scoring 39 points in the second half, the Lady Raiders just could not afford a late performance like that. The good news for Texas Tech is that it’s still comfortably in position for a March Madness bid, as it ranks 30th in NET and 26th in WAB. Kansas, though, just got a renewed opportunity: it moved up three spots in NET, from 50 to 47, and its WAB is now -0.81, a significant boost from the -1.36 it sat at prior to the game. There is just one game left in the regular season for the Jayhawks — against a tough Oklahoma State — but a win there, and a great showing in the Big 12 conference tournament… well, there is a lot more reason to be hopeful about Kansas women’s basketball on Thursday morning than there was on Wednesday morning. Oklahoma State picks up key W Speaking of Oklahoma State, the Cowgirls got a necessary win over Iowa State. With Texas Tech losing and Colorado taking the L last time out, Oklahoma State defeating Iowa State pushed the Cowgirls into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12, which is also a tie for the final double-bye in the Big 12 tournament. Not only that, but the dub against the Cyclones also shot Oklahoma State’s WAB up from 1.32 to 1.98 — it’s in a much better position now to weather the storm that is the Big 12 tournament, where the Cowgirls will likely have to contend with some combination of TCU, Baylor, West Virginia and Texas Tech, but even teams like 8-9 Kansas are dangerous in the right conditions, as the Lady Raiders can vouch for. Oklahoma State was powered by a pair of double-doubles, from juniors Achol Akot and Stailee Heard. Akot, a forward, led all scorers with 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting, while picking up 10 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. The guard, Heard, added 22 points with 14 boards, 2 assists, 4 steals and a block. The rest of the starters were relatively quiet, but 47 points, 24 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a block was a pretty great head start. The Cyclones did well offensively, scoring 77 with four of its starters picking up between 11 and 19 points, but it’s “just” 19 points when they come from junior center Audi Crooks, and while junior guard Jada Williams had a 19-point, 10-assist double-double, junior forward Addy Brown is still settling back in after missing considerable time with a leg injury: she had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, but just 2 rebounds and 3 assists, well below her usual output. The defense was the real issue, however: the Cyclones allowed Oklahoma State to shoot 53%, and that makes winning tough even if your offense is in order. Iowa State is now 9-8 in conference play, and just has to hope Brown has fully shaken the rust off by the time the Big 12 tourney rolls around. Villanova strengthens case for March The Big East has been weaker this year, it’s true, but Villanova, at least, has been doing its part, both on the men’s and women’s sides of the game. The men’s team took on Butler on Wednesday, and won 82-73 despite the Bulldogs being more than a match for Villanova in the paint — the Wildcats were outrebounded, 38-28, and the two scored the same number of points in the paint, with Butler technically getting the edge there by drawing far more fouls and sinking far more free throws, 22 to 10. Villanova, though, had significantly more success from deep: the Wildcats shot 10-for-32 from beyond the arc, while Butler got off 13 3-point attempts total, sinking just 3 of them. With Villanova also nearly doubling up Butler on points off turnovers, the difference was more than made up. Still, Villanova won in large part due to its dominant first half, in which it outscored Butler 42-28 — the Bulldogs’ offense woke up in the second, dropping 45 on the Wildcats to their 40, but that wasn’t enough to dig out of the hole. Acaden Lewis was the star for the Wildcats in more ways than one: the guard led all scorers with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting, but he also dished out 4 assists, setting a new program record for assists by a freshman with 146. Villanova is now 25th in WAB, third among Big East teams and also looking like the final likely conference entry into March Madness — Seton Hall might still get there, but sports a negative WAB at the moment, so a strong conference tournament showing is needed for the Pirates for that to happen. Two 40-point games, and basketball history Penn State picked up a thrilling comeback, upset win over USC, 85-82, and did so thanks to a huge 40-point performance from Kiyomi McMiller. The sophomore guard has been on a tear lately, as this was her sixth game in a row with at least 30 points, but this is the high point: 40 is a career-high, and she reached 1,000 career points, as well. Her 40 points led all of men’s and women’s Division I basketball on Wednesday. She’s averaging 34.3 points over this stretch, and it’s not just points, either: she has 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game over her last half-dozen, as well. McMiller has also moved into third in the Big Ten in scoring, at 22.2 points per game, behind just Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge and Indiana’s Shay Ciezki. This wasn’t the only 40-point game last night: Omaha freshman guard Regan Juenemann dropped 40 on Oral Roberts in Summit play, and did so in 30 minutes off the bench. Juenemann pulled it off on an efficient 13-for-19 shooting and 7-for-11 from 3, while also sinking 7 of 8 from the stripe. Those 40 represent a career-high for Juenemann, but are also the most of any Omaha player in the Division I era, as well as just the second 40-point game in the program’s entire history. Beyond that, starting senior guard Sarai Estupinan scored 30 points in 39 minutes, and freshman forward Avril Smith had a wild boxscore entry: zero points, 5 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks, and a Division I-leading 23 rebounds. She took just one shot the entire night and missed, but had plenty to offer elsewhere. Per OptaStats, this was the first time a team in Division I — men’s or women’s — the NBA or the WNBA had a player with at least 40 points, one with at least 30, and one with 20 or more rebounds in a single game. Seton Hall’s men were the last to pull it off in college, back in 2009, and you have to go back to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in 1996 for the last time it happened in the pros, and that took three Hall of Famers in Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. And even with that, Omaha won by just 9 points, 84-75. What a performance from this trio, though. UConn demolishes St. John’s It was not pretty. Well, it was if you were pulling for UConn, but No. 15 St. John’s had a rough go of it against the No. 6 team. The Huskies won, 72-40, and are now tied for first in the Big East with the Red Storm. Just one St. John’s player — sophomore guard Joson Sanon — reached double-digit scoring, and just so with 10 points, and defensively there was just no answer for UConn in the paint. The Huskies scored 42 points in the paint, which if you remember the final score, you already know is more points than St. John’s scored total. The Red Storm missed 12 consecutive shots in the first half, and then its final 24 attempts in the second. As said: it was not pretty. FOX Sports college basketball analyst Michael Cohen already published his takeaways from the beatdown, and what there is to glean from it. St. John’s will be trying to work out its own answers over the next week-plus, before the two potentially end up facing off against each other in the Big East tournament for the rights to the conference’s automatic March Madness bid.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Dolly Parton has shown up for her home state in countless ways over the years, and today, she’s announced that she’s doing it again in a way that directly impacts children in East Tennessee and beyond.
This morning, the country music icon took to social media with an exciting video that reveals she has generously given her name to East Tennessee’s Children’s Hospital. The free-standing, independent, not-for-profit pediatric health care system will now become Dolly Parton’s Children’s Hospital, signifying a new chapter that aims to strengthen children’s healthcare care throughout the region.
Dolly Parton has built a legacy not only through her music, but through the way she shows up for others, and this is just the latest example of her longstanding commitment to give back. She admits that desire to bring hope and lend a helping hand stems from her upbringing.
“Being fortunate to have grown up in the mountains of East Tennessee, I learned early on what it means to take care of one another,” said Dolly Parton. “Every child deserves world-class care, wrapped in kindness and love. I’m so honored to stand alongside this hospital and do my part to help bring more hope, more comfort and more healing to children and families.”
With nearly 90 years of caring for children behind it, the hospital is continuing that legacy with Dolly Parton’s support. Moving forward as Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, its mission remains centered on delivering “exceptional, comprehensive, family-centered care” that supports both the physical and emotional well-being of kids, while expanding the reach of pediatric care across the region.
“This is more than a name change,” said Matt Schaefer, President and CEO of Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital. “With Dolly’s support, we are strengthening our mission to deliver world-class pediatric care to families, ensuring every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.”
In her new video, the country music icon noted how the committed caregivers of East Tennessee’s Children’s Hospital don’t just see the children as patients, but as “precious lives,” each of which has a story and a future ahead of them. She invites everyone to take part in celebrating the landmark moment by contributing to the future of pediatric care at Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
“I hope you’ll join me in doing this work,” she stated. “When we come together for our children, there’s no limit to what we can do.”
Dolly Children’s is certified by the state of Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center. To learn more or find out how to get involved, visit DollyChildrens.org.
The post Dolly Parton Lends Her Name to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Expanding Hope and Care for Kids appeared first on Country Now.
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In recent months, Candace Owens has been speaking of Charlie Kirk as her fallen bestie.
She has said much more outlandish things about the deceased far-right podcaster.
Many of her comments have been about his controversial widow.
Right now, she’s claiming that Erika Kirk’s birth date is phony.
‘I don’t know that she’s aware that she’s lying’
On the Wednesday, February 25 episode of her docuseries, Bride of Charlie, Candace once again had Erika in her crosshairs.
“I will tell you my personal opinion and experience with her,” she said during the video.
“What alarms me about Erika isn’t so much the fact that she lies,” Candace alleged, “which we will prove to you over and over again.”
She explained: “But it’s also the fact that I don’t know that she’s aware that she’s lying.”
Using what one hopes is a metaphor, Candace claimed that “the version [Erika is] telling us today or yesterday was just recently downloaded into her mind and she therefore thinks it’s true.”
“[It’s] like a faulty memory or something,” Candace continued.
She clarified: “I’m saying I’m not sure that she’s fully aware that she’s lying because some of the lies are so stupid.”
Those are big words coming from the woman who transvestigated Brigitte Macron and generally makes statements untethered from reality.
However, the old adage says that even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Like so much of reality, that doesn’t necessarily hold up in the digital age. But is it possible that Candace is onto something about Erika’s origins?
Some of this paperwork isn’t matching up
As the episode continues, Candace pitches a conspiracy theory that Erika’s aunt, Karla, might be her biological mother. (Erika’s biological parents are Kent and Lori Frantzve.)
Erika was born on November 20, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
But Candace read Kent and Lori’s divorce filing, form 1998, which lists their daughter’s birth as November 22, not November 20.
Lori filed the petition, which includes very little personal information. But the couple apparently married on November 20, 1995 — which would have been the date of Erika’s 7th birthday.
The separation agreement lists the date of marriage as November 7, 1982.
Candace also laid into the suggestion that Erika was raised by a single mom, accusing her of lying about Kent’s involvement following her parents’ split.
“I have spoken to classmates, past boyfriends,” Candace claimed.
“And,” she alleged, “people are generally bewildered about why Erika is now representing that she does not have a relationship with Kent.”
Candace added: “Also, if we remove Kent, Erika was raised with her stepfather [Larry] in her home.”
Many children of divorce have credited a single parent even if the other parent was arguably in the picture. The parent eventually remarrying doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a time when they were still both single and a parent.
Could there be an easier explanation than … whatever Candace is arguing?
Everything looks like a conspiracy when you don’t know how things work.
Divorce documents might be filled out by an overwhelmed and deeply upset person — or even by an attorney or a helpful friend. Getting dates wrong in initial filings happens.
Additionally, conservative grifters operate by identifying a real problem — like the deep rot that is TPUSA and Erika’s role in all of this — and then presenting a bogus or even absurd explanation or solution.
Candace is genuinely very skilled at this. This is why she’s much better at being an influencer in extreme-right spaces than she was in her early days, when she was just posting cute cat videos like a normal person.
But, in real life, it seems more likely that people got some dates wrong on paperwork in the ’90s than that Erika’s whole life is a lie.
It probably sucks to try to make the best of a bad situation, only to end up one of the far right’s most divisive figures.
That said … given that Erika has chosen to be the exact sort of person that Charlie was in life, it’s hard to feel sorry for her when she’s the target of misinformation.
There is evidence to suggest that Candace’s war on Erika has done real damage to TPUSA. That can only be a good thing, as a weaker TPUSA can do less damage to our nation.
Obviously, Candace is not doing this for a good cause. It’s more like TPUSA may be taking some collateral damage in what critics have characterized as a grift. But even her most avowed haters don’t agree about whether it’s deliberate or not.
When she accuses Erika of “lying” about herself, possibly without knowing that she’s doing it, is it just projection?
Erika Kirk Lied About Birthday, Other Important Facts About Her Life, Candace Owens … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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As the weeks turn into months, the search for Nancy Guthrie seems less and less likely to yield results.
But her family, including Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, is not giving up hope.
Earlier this week, Savannah offered $1 million to anyone with information regarding her mother’s whereabouts.
“We need to know where she is,” Savannah said in a video posted to Instagram, adding that, if Nancy is dead, “we accept it.
“We also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone,” she continued.
It was the first time that Savannah publicly acknowledged that her mother may have passed.
And according to former FBI special agent and crisis negotiator Jason Pack, she was using “coded language” in an effort to appeal to the kidnapper’s conscience.
“Savannah’s language, ‘We believe in the essential goodness of every human being, it is never too late,’ is not just a grieving daughter reaching for comfort,” Pack tells Radar Online.
“That is a theologically grounded appeal to conscience, and it is one of the most powerful tools in a negotiator’s kit,” he continued, adding:
“When someone is holding a secret that heavy, the belief that redemption is still possible is sometimes the only thing that moves them.
“The family’s visible, public faith is not incidental to this case. It is a strategic asset.”
Another law enforcement veteran tells Radar that he believes Nancy was kidnapped by someone she knows.
“This guy was wearing a mask. He didn’t want to be identified — not only by the public but also by Nancy,’ he explained,” says Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective who now works with the Cold Case Foundation
“We don’t know if Nancy got alerts on her phone when someone was at her door. But she could have watched the footage from the first time and seen the guy. He didn’t want her to see his face,” he continues, adding:
“She was a targeted victim, and the perpetrator had an association at some point with her house or the victim.
“That’s a pattern. And a pattern tells investigators this wasn’t impulsive. This took planning.”
McDonough went on to say that the video from Nancy’s Nest camera illuminates the kidnapper’s methods and motives.
“When you see someone appearing in video at different locations, different timeframes, potentially different phases of the same criminal act, investigators immediately begin asking: what was the purpose of each appearance? Was the first video a surveillance run, checking the environment, checking the exits?” he says.
“And that matters significantly from a legal standpoint, because premeditation and planning elevate the severity of what investigators are looking at.”
Understandably, Savannah and the rest of the Guthrie family are reaching a point of absolute desperation.
And with each passing day, the likelihood of Nancy being returned to them diminishes.
Savannah Guthrie Used ‘Coded Language’ In Latest Video; Expert Believes Nancy … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
By: Sean Maguire, Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House on Wednesday advanced a bill that would boost state funding for a nonprofit that provides free legal aid to vulnerable Alaskans.
House Bill 48 was approved by the House on a 27-13 vote.
Supporters say the Alaska Legal Services Corporation is critical for assistance in housing disputes, financial abuse cases, for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
“Those services hopefully keep you housed, keep a restraining order in place, keep children in your custody, (and) help you collect your child support,” said Juneau Democratic Rep. Sara Hannan, the bill’s lead sponsor, before the final vote.
The agency is Alaska’s largest provider of legal aid for civil cases. It is also the largest provider of free legal assistance for survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Alaska has routinely had the highest rates of domestic and sexual violence in the nation.
Keeley Olson, executive director of Standing Together Against Rape Inc., said civil legal aid is “an essential service” for survivors of sexual assault to help them rebuild their lives.
“Sexual assault survivors often face significant barriers to justice, including navigating complex legal systems while dealing with the emotional and physical trauma of their experiences,” she said in support of the bill.
All 21 members of the Democrat-dominated majority supported the bill alongside six Republicans in the minority. All 13 no votes came from minority Republicans who were concerned about its costs.
State funding for the corporation comes partly from filing fees to the Alaska Court System. HB 48 would direct 25% of those fees to the agency, up from 10% currently in state law.
Court filing fees in Alaska are otherwise deposited in the state treasury and can be spent for any purpose.
In 2025, the Alaska Legal Services Corporation received just under $300,000 in filing fees. The Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development estimated HB 48 would boost its funding by roughly $460,000 per year.
Although the Alaska Constitution guarantees the right to a defense attorney in criminal trials, there is no equivalent protection in civil cases. The corporation was founded in 1967 to bridge that gap.
The agency received $1.2 million in state funding in 1984, but that dropped below $700,000 in 2024. The number of Alaskans eligible for civil legal aid more than doubled over the same period.
Maggie Humm, executive director of ALSC, told lawmakers last year that roughly half of its applicants for help are turned away due to current funding levels.
Humm said the nonprofit provided legal help to roughly 6,200 Alaskans in 2024. A $400,000 funding boost could allow the agency to help roughly 800 additional Alaskans, she added.
Fairbanks Republican Rep. Will Stapp said that he supported the work of the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, but with Alaska facing a fiscal crisis, additional state funding would come with consequences.
“You’re going to have to fill this hole. Where are you going to fill it from?” Stapp said before Wednesday’s final vote.
Palmer Republican Rep. DeLena Johnson, the House minority leader, said using filing fees to fund the agency was “convoluted.”
“We should just fund it, if that’s what we want to do,” she said.
The funding increase for the agency is supported by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education and other Alaska organizations.
The Legislature failed to pass a similar bill in 2024. After passing the House on Wednesday, HB 48 now heads to the Senate for its consideration.