A year after his death, Val Kilmer’s likeness will appear in the film ‘As Deep As the Grave’ via generative AI. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
From a new anime fantasy adventure to a buzzy Netflix documentary, watch these new movies at home the weekend of March 20, 2026, on VOD or streaming for free. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
If you’ve been a fan of Luke’s for a while, this will make you feel pretty dang old. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
As I wrote this on the eve of Round 1 of March Madness, I realized there are not many game lines worth taking. The best numbers have left us. However, I do have a few I will make a case for. What makes this Tournament fun from a gambling perspective is the different options for wagers. Let’s start with a few game lines. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. No. 10 UCF vs. No. 7 UCLA UCLA did not play well in conference play when leaving the West Coast time zone. Now, it is now playing Central Florida in the Eastern Time Zone. I don’t think this applies to March Madness games, and it didn’t apply to conference tournament games in Chicago last week. UCLA beat Michigan State and played Purdue close down its two best players. Those two best players are their top scorers and one of the best point guards in the country. Tyler Bilobeau got hurt against Michigan State and Donovan Dent was injured against Purdue. Both are expected to play this weekend, which makes UCLA a very complete team. UCLA is better everywhere against Central Florida. There isn’t one metric or number that would lean you toward UCF unless you believe UCLA isn’t healthy or its recent run of play isn’t sustainable. UCLA did beat Nebraska by 20 points just a few weeks ago. It also took down Illinois before that and, while these games were at home, it’s just proof this UCLA team is capable of these results. UCF struggles stopping teams from scoring 2s and their effective field goal percentage is 235th in the country. With UCLA’s stars in the lineup, it should be able to score whenever it wants. PICK: UCLA (-5.5) to win by more than 5.5 points No. 14 Penn vs. No. 3 Illinois Simply speaking, this should be a bloodbath on paper. Illinois is first in the country in offensive efficiency and 28th on defense. Penn is 215th and 112th, respectively, in those categories. Penn only shoots 44% from the field and only 68.5% from the foul line. Penn is in this game because it upset Yale in the Ivy League Championship Game as nearly a double-digit underdog. Penn trailed the entire game and was down four with 12 seconds left. TJ Power hit a 3 to make it a 1-point game. Yale made two foul shots and Power hit another 3 to tie things. Power ended the game with 44 points, which is nearly 30 points higher than his season average. He’s not doing that against Illinois. I’m going to lay the big number. PICK: Illinois (-24.5) to win by more than 24.5 points Now, let’s move to some props and other wagers. No. 3 Illinois/No. 5 Texas Tech Sweet 16 parlay Illinois is going to beat Penn and then will be a heavy favorite against either North Carolina or VCU. I feel strongly it is into the Sweet 16. Texas Tech lost JT Toppin with six games left in the season and the results sputtered a bit. It split with Iowa State and lost at BYU, and ended up 3-3 during those six games. But just like everything in the Tournament, the matchups matter here. Texas Tech plays an Akron team it should beat. Then it would get an Alabama squad without Aden Holloway that still can’t play defense. I like Texas Tech in that game if Bama survives against Hofstra. PICK: Illinois and Texas Tech (+200) to both make the Sweet 16 Total teams seeded 13-16 to make Round of 32 There just won’t be more than a single upset of the top four seeds, and I’m willing to wager 250 to make 100 on it. Give me the two losses, please? The smallest number for a favorite in the top four seeds is Alabama at -11.5 and that came down after the Holloway news. Nebraska is a 12.5-point favorite against Troy and the rest are well over 15 points. I think it’s possible all the top four seeds win their games, and we see zero upsets. In fact, I’m wagering on it. PICK: Total 13-16 seeds to make Round of 32 Under 1.5 (-250) Now, two women’s basketball wagers to close things out: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA Here’s the deal on this one: UConn beat 15th-ranked Tennessee by 30 this season. It beat a ranked Iowa team by nearly 30. In the Big East Tournament, it won games by 45, 49 and 39. UTSA is 18-15 and it only has a winning record because it ran through the conference tournament as the 6-seed in Conference USA. It is going to lose this game 105-40. UConn’s backups are better than UTSA’s starting five. UTSA shoots under 30% from 3, so even a miracle strong shooting game is unlikely. PICK: UConn (-54.5) to win by more than 54.5 points No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross The same idea applies here with Michigan, a top-10 team playing Holy Cross, which finished third in the Patriot League. Holy Cross averages only 61 points to Michigan’s nearly 84 points. It doesn’t make a ton of shots and can’t shoot the 3 very well. Michigan is also coming off its worst game of the season, in which it scored only 42 points against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament. UM will come out smoking in this contest. PICK: Michigan (-41.5) to win by more than 41.5 pointsLatest Sports News from FOX Sports
See which popular crustacean you should head to the freezer aisle for when grocery shopping. Hint: It’s a great appetizer at your cocktail party.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
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With just days to go until Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette, the controversial reality star finds herself at the center of a growing scandal.
Paul is being investigated for domestic violence in connection with allegations made by ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
The Bachelorette is already losing advertisers, but ABC has shown no indication that they’re willing to cut ties with Taylor and pull the season.
They’d lose millions, of course, but there might come a time when they have no choice — especially now that Dakota is speaking out.
A rep for Mortensen issued a lengthy statement to Entertainment Weekly explaining that Dakota’s top priority at the moment is the health and well-being of his two-year-old son, Ever.
“His number one priority here is protecting [their 2-year-old son], Ever,” the rep tells EW.
“He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor.
“It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well.”
The rep went on to confirm that Mortensen was not the one who made these allegations public.
“He was just hoping that if he says nothing, as he usually does, it would go away. He’s never done any kind of sit-down interview about his side,” the spokesperson continued.
“He kind of just lets it all happen to him, and I think he realizes with the severity of everything now that he just can’t do that.”
The statement comes as a surprise, as Taylor previously indicated that she wished to keep the situation private, but Dakota had other plans.
“I actually took action about a few weeks ago. I’m just doing third-party everything — pick-up, drop-offs, communication — so no contact right now for me,” she told EW.
“I think that’s the best case, honestly, because clearly it’s just not to a point of us getting along, so I wanted to take the best action I could,” Taylor continued, adding:
“I didn’t want to bring anything to the public eye, making it a bigger deal for the sake of my son, and just everything about to come out. But that wasn’t the plan for [Mortensen].”
Earlier today, Paul appeared on Good Morning America, where she vaguely commented on her scandal, but steered clear of any concrete statements.
“Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of The Bachelorette being released, and it’s supposed to be a really exciting time. I’m a person that will always speak my truth and that’s what I’m known for and so when the time is right, I will be,” she said.
“But right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this.”
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Dakota Mortensen Breaks Silence on Taylor Frankie Paul Abuse Allegations was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
The Incredibles and Lilo & Stitch will both return in a few years. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
By: Grace Dumas, News of the North
Lawmakers are considering legislation that would expand criminal penalties for child sexual abuse material to include images generated using artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
Senate Bill 247, Sponsored by Juneau Sen. Jesse Kiehl, would create new crimes for the possession and distribution of “generated” child sexual abuse material, also known as CSAM, including images that appear to depict minors but may not involve real children.
Under the bill, distributing such material would be a felony, with harsher penalties for repeat offenders. Possession of generated CSAM would also be a felony offense.
Distribution under this bill is relatively broad and includes sharing or posting such content online.
United Nations, just this January released a warning on escalating AI threats to children.
The staggering amount of harmful AI-generated online content has prompted an urgent call from across the UN system for a raft of measures to protect children from abuse, exploitation and mental trauma.
This is a new form of sexual exploitation, the rapid progression of AI means lawmakers are struggling to craft legislation to prevent such harm from happening.
“Artificial intelligence is leading to the ability to generate images, generate videos, generate vast amounts of content, and that ability is growing fast, unfortunately, along with the ability to modify or create your own cute cat videos, some people use these technologies to terrible effect.” Said Kiehl, ” Senate Bill 247 addresses computer generated or otherwise generated Child Sexual Abuse materials. It amends Alaska law to create parity between generated Child Sexual Abuse materials and non generated Child Sexual Abuse materials, what we think of as photos or videos that have not been modified of real children. We know that artificial intelligence is, when it comes to images, a highly sophisticated collage machine, and that those images are made ultimately from things that are real, those are the data sources of millions, often billions, of real images on which these large language models, these artificial intelligences, are trained. The bill sets the punishments for generated Child Sexual Abuse materials on par with, and equal to non-generated CSAM that avoids overburdening bogging down law enforcement resources, court system resources, with the difficulty of proving that an amalgamated image has a real child under the age of 18 in it.”
The proposal also updates existing laws to include manipulated or altered images of real minors, even if the material was digitally created or modified.
In addition to criminal penalties, the bill would require the permanent revocation of teaching certificates for individuals convicted of certain sex offenses involving minors, including those tied to generated materials. It would also prohibit people convicted of those crimes from obtaining school bus driver licenses.
“The real prevalence of child sexual abuse is not known because so many victims do not disclose or report their abuse. However, adult representative or retrospective studies by the CDC has shown that one in four women and one in six men were sexually abused before the age of 18, and we know Alaska has one of the highest rates per capita of child sexual abuse in the nation.” Said Trevor Storrs, the President and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust, “Ai generated CSAM represents one of the most urgent and fast moving threats facing children today. In 2023 the National Center for Missing Exploited Children, received 4700 reports of AI related CSAM, by 2024 that number had grown to 67,000 and in the first half of 2025 alone, they received more than 400,000 such reports, an average of over 2000 every single day. At the same time, extortion, where offenders use real or AI generated images to blackmail children, continues to surge.”
Lawmakers say the bill is part of a broader effort to modernize Alaska law while technology continues to evolve, it’s one of several bills currently making their way through the legislature meant to strengthen protections for children.
SB 247 is set to be heard again in the legislature on Thursday.
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Sheriff Chris Nanos is facing a recall election drive.
While the results — whatever they may be — are far off, there’s no question why this is happening.
Nancy Guthrie’s tragic disappearance has drawn all eyes to Pima County. He is in charge of the investigation.
There are questions, however, about whether this recall is really about a botched case … or someone’s political ambitions.
Daniel Butierez is a Republican congressional candidate.
Last September, he lost a special election against Representative Adelita Grijalva.
(You may recall Rep. Grijalva from Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to swear her in because she would be a key vote in releasing the Epstein Files. Obviously, the DOJ later simply resolved to largely ignore the law.)
This November, he’s aiming for a rematch. But he’s also using his campaign for something else.
He’s pushing a recall drive for Sheriff Chris Nanos, sending out hundreds of volunteers to collect signatures.
Butierez told The NY Post that “this is a bipartisan effort.”
He then claimed: “He has been an embarrassment to Tucson and to Pima County with this Nancy Guthrie case.”
Recent allegations about Nanos’ employment history are, Butierez shared, a contributing factor.
He alleged: “Everyone’s pretty disgusted, Democrats and Republicans.”
Butierez said that some Pime County officials fear some sort of retaliation, so he’s leading the recall effort.
After the first week following Nancy’s tragic disappearance, many were already predicting the end of Nanos’ career.
It is possible that he and other investigators made one or more errors. He is the sheriff — that particular buck stops with him (at least on the local side of the investigation).
High-profile cases can make or break careers. Sometimes, an investigator gets very lucky — and hailed as a hero, with book deals and more. By the same token, an investigator can be extremely unlucky.
In Nancy’s case, some believe that she has been dead for most if not all of the time that she has been “missing,” with the kidnapper having gone to ground or perhaps fled.
Maybe Nanos could have done something differently, but we don’t really know enough yet.
On the other hand, some question whether Butierez’s push has anything to do with Nanos aside from political opportunism.
Last September, he lost.
As Donald Trump continues to sabotage America’s economy (among other things), Butierez will continue to face an uphill battle in his run for office.
Even if Nanos has done thing wrong in this investigation, his relative unpopularity could give any campaign a boost.
Whether it succeeds or fails, Butierez may bring more attention to his campaign simply by inserting himself into this tragic story.
Butierez sounds confident that he’ll get the votes that he needs to recall Sheriff Nanos — or, at least, to force a recall election. But he’s a politician, so let’s look at the facts.
He has 120 days from when he started the recall drive to rake in approximately 120,000 signatures. He claims to have 500 volunteers going around doing so, which comes out to 240 unique signatures each.
If he manages to get them, the Pima County Recorder’s job will be to verify all of the signatures within 60 days.
Provides that there are no issues with that, Nanos will then have five days to decide: resign, or face a Special Recall Election.
We can probably speak for most people when we say that Nancy’s fate is a greater concern than who is sheriff.
Nancy Guthrie Sheriff Facing Recall Drive: Partisan Opportunism or Needed Change? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
A road sign marks the road towards the Lower Kuskokwim School District offices and the Bethel High School. October 9, 2023. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
In Alaska’s rural communities, the school budget conversation no longer starts with new ideas but with what we must give up next. I see this firsthand as a school principal in Kotzebue.
For years, districts across rural Alaska have trimmed budgets, delayed expenses, and stretched every dollar they could find. Programs have been reduced. Positions have gone unfilled. Class sizes have crept upward. Staff members wear more hats each year. What remains is a system held together by dedication and grit rather than stable funding. There comes a point where there is nothing left to trim.
The costs of rural education are fundamentally different from those in urban Alaska: dramatically higher energy costs, unpredictable and expensive transportation costs, and a recruitment model that requires travel and relocation costs. In most communities, districts must also provide housing for teachers simply to make staffing possible. These are not luxuries. They are the basic conditions required to operate a school in remote Alaska.
Meanwhile, inflation has driven up nearly every operational expense. Fuel, food service supplies, maintenance materials, shipping and insurance all cost significantly more than they did only a few years ago. Yet the base level of education funding has not kept pace with those realities. Small adjustments do not solve a structural gap.
The result has been deep cuts across rural districts that students see immediately. We have fewer programs, larger classes, less individualized instruction and fewer adults available to support students who are struggling academically or behaviorally. Teachers and staff are working harder than ever, but the margin to meet student needs continues to shrink. As morale suffers, turnover increases, compounding the issue.
For rural schools, consolidation is not an option. Schools serve as the center for community life, language preservation, and opportunity for future generations. Students should not have to leave their community to receive a quality education.
Alaska can demonstrate that it values our rural schools by taking three practical steps.
First, education funding would have to increase at a level that reflects the real cost of operating schools today. Incremental increases that lag behind inflation simply force districts to continue cutting.
Second, Alaska would have to forward fund our schools. Districts cannot responsibly plan staffing, housing, and transportation logistics when they do not know their budget until the end of summer break just as the school year begins.
Third, Alaska would have to strengthen educator retention. One of the most powerful tools the state once had was a defined benefit pension system that encouraged experienced teachers to build long careers in Alaska’s schools. Rural districts feel the loss of that stability every year as recruitment becomes harder and turnover increases.
Rural Alaska school districts are at the point where every cut removes an opportunity. Every unfilled position reduces support for students. Every year of uncertainty makes it harder to recruit the teachers our communities depend on. Rural schools are not asking for excess. They are asking for the resources necessary to provide the constitutionally mandated education Alaska’s children deserve.
The question now is whether the state will choose to invest in those communities or continue asking them to do more with less until there is nothing left to give.
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