Creamy, tangy, slightly sweet, and a bit spicy, Bojangles Bo’s Special Sauce is popular for a reason – and now you can make it at home with this copycat recipe.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Day: April 6, 2026
Reading Time: 3 minutes
We have sad news to report from the world of television today.
Saul Consuelos, the father of Live With Kelly and Mark host Mark Consuelos, has passed away.
Mark and wife Kelly Ripa shared the news with viewers on this morning’s broadcast.
“Two weeks ago today, my father passed away after a long bout with an illness. He passed away peacefully,” Consuelos shared on air. “Such a fascinating man.”
Kelly also offered a heartfelt tribute to her late father-in-law, calling him a deeply meaningful presence in their lives.
“You were blessed more because you knew him his whole life. I only got to know my father-in-law for 31 years. But they were the best 31 years of my life,” Ripa said.
“I can honestly say I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, as I know you will, as our children will. He was the greatest person I’ve ever known. He really is so symbolic of everything you are.”
Consuelos also reflected on his father’s immigrant journey and lifelong dedication to service.
“He came here from Mexico in his early teens. He immigrated here from Mexico, he served his country for 30 years. Ended up in Special Operations Command in Tampa,” Mark said.
“This young kid from Mexico just got his education through the Navy… brilliant, got his master’s while I was a kid and he loved this country so much.”
On the show, Mark also shared how Saul taught him through hands-on experience rather than lectures, shaping the skills he carries into adulthood.
“If you asked him what time it was, he would tell you how to build a watch,” Consuelos said. “There were a lot of lectures… I learned the most by just watching him.”
Ripa noted how involved Saul was in their family’s life, especially when Mark was away for work.
“A lot of times you’d be away working and we would take the show on the road and your dad would come on remotes to take care of the kids so I could go to work,” she recalled.
She also marked how hard the loss has been for their three adult children.
“This is their first loss they’ve ever experienced in their lives,” Ripa said.
Consuelos concluded by sharing that he was grateful he had the chance to say goodbye before his father’s passing.
“I was able to thankfully get down there and say goodbye,” he said. “I knew I had to keep on going, especially during that time… I know he’s there watching.”
Our thoughts go out to the entire Consuelos family at this incredibly difficult time.
Mark Consuelos Reveals Death of Father: ‘Such a Fascinating Man’ was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
By: Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
Metals mining has a prominent place in Alaska history. Today, it remains a prominent economic driver in the state.
Over the past decade, the metals mining sector has made up 3% to 4% of Alaska’s gross domestic product, and those mined metals rival Alaska seafood as top exports from the state, according to a state Department of Labor and Workforce Development analysis.
Metals such as zinc produced at the Red Dog mine in Northwest Alaska, silver produced by the Greens Creek Mine in Southeast Alaska and gold, lead and copper produced by various mines, now support an industry worth close to $3 billion a year, according to the analysis, published in the current issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the department’s monthly research magazine.
Alaska has six major metals mines, three of which produce more than one type of metal, and hundreds of small placer operations.
Among the mined products coming from Alaska is germanium, a byproduct of zinc that is classified as a critical mineral and used in electronics. In 2024, the Red Dog mine produced about 10 tons of germanium, according to the analysis, making it a critical source to the nation because China cut off deliveries of its germanium. That year, the Red Dog mine was the only U.S. mine producing germanium, though prior to 2023, a Tennessee mine was also producing the mineral, said Karinne Wiebold, the state economist who wrote the Alaska Economic Trends report.
The value of Alaska’s mining sector, including coal, gravel and sand as well as metals, actually peaked in 2011 at nearly $3.5 million and close to 5% of the state’s gross domestic product. That peak reflected extremely high metals prices and the startup of the Kensington gold mine in Southeast Alaska.
Still, mining has been a strong economic factor in Alaska for the last two decades, after jumping in value in 2006. Every year since then, its total value to the state has generally been above $2 billion and usually accounted for 3% to 4% of Alaska’s gross domestic product.
Metals mining has also become a big employment driver as well, according to the analysis.
There were 3,533 metal mining and support jobs in Alaska in 2024, the most recent data available, and jobs in the sector grew by 37% over the past decade, compared to an overall state job growth rate of 0.3%, Wiebold’s analysis said.
The average metal mining job paid $135,000 in 2024, well above the state average of $71,000 that year and second only to the average pay for workers in the oil and gas sector, the analysis said.
But a large percentage of mine workers are not Alaska residents. Wiebold’s analysis puts resident hire at 56%. That puts the non-resident hire percentage in the metals mining sector well above the state average.
In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, 22.9% of workers in the state were not Alaska residents, according to an annual report published by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. That is the highest percentage since such records began in state average, which is the highest percentage since records started in the 1990s.
Wiebold noted that the nonresident hire in the mining sector is about the same as that in the oil and gas sector, which in 2024 was 40.5%, according to the state’s report.
Mining and oil and gas work in Alaska is conducive to nonresident employees because it is generally conducted at remote locations, typically with rotating schedules of two weeks on and two weeks off, she said.
“This combo means most folks don’t live near the mine and have to commute and stay at the worksite, and that there is not a significant time/cost/commute savings for living in the state,” she said by email. “As a result, miners from out of state can work in Alaska and live somewhere less expensive or more appealing to them.”
Another reason for the high percentage of nonresidents lies in Alaska’s demographics, she said. “In the last several years, with Alaska’s working age population fairly stagnant after a decade of significant declines, more jobs are being held by out of state workers,” she said.
The sector is poised for future growth, with projects like the Donlin gold mine in Southwestern Alaska, the Graphite One graphite mine in Northwestern Alaska and, potentially, the commercialization of the copper-rich but isolated Ambler Mining District in Northwestern Alaska.
But none of those proposed mines can be expected to be developed quickly, and development itself is uncertain, Wiebold’s article said.
“Mines take years to come to fruition — exploration, feasibility studies, environmental reviews, and permitting are expensive, and all have the potential to derail a project. Public concerns and controversy can also slow or stop development,” the article said.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Sometimes, the best advertisements are the kind that can’t go on billboards.
Sydney Sweeney shared a slew of photos, including several thirst traps.
In one, she’s rocking a crop top and freeing the nipple at the same time.
She truly is her own best promoter, drawing the eye to her clothing brand with a simple snap.
This is a powerful promo
Over the holiday weekend, Sweeney shared a photodump to Instagram.
“Still not sure about these dumps but here we go,” she captioned the array of photos and videos.
The snaps cover a wide range, from a selfie wearing light therapy masks to a video of her horseback to a cheeky dress selfie and more.
(There’s even a fantastic dog photo! It totally makes up for the jumpscare of the Eiffel Tower!)
Somehow, photo 18 — in which she’s flaunting a bra and letting her underwear show from under her pants — isn’t the pic receiving the most attention.
Item number 12 on Sweeney’s photodump is another mirror selfie.
This snap shows the actress wearing a lacy crop top.
(And it’s very clear that, though she’s wearing jeans, her underwear matches.)
The top isn’t merely lacy. It’s sheer. To be blunt, her nipples are pretty clearly visible.
Turtlenecks are a controversial design, and sometimes labeled as prudish. Clearly, there are some exceptions.
Her brand is getting a lot of attention
The top is from her own fashion brand, SYRN.
(It is pronounced “siren” but spelled differently for distinctive branding reasons. Yes, many pronounce it like CERN at first.)
Sweeney is her brand’s biggest and most powerful promoter. This is no exception.
And she’s freed the nipple before — on camera in scripted roles, but also for Variety‘s 2025 Power of Women back in October.
This time, she’s pushing Instagram’s infamously prudish rules to their limits to showcase her brand. And she’s definitely getting people’s attention!
Sydney Sweeney models the Comfy lingerie collection for her Syrn brand.
— fanana hammock (@fananahammock.bsky.social) February 27, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Just a few years ago, Sweeney was actively leaning away from the tsunami of inappropriate attention that her body was receiving.
She is a famous, talented actress. While her looks obviously play into her acting — it is a visual medium, after all — the fixation on her breasts was not her focus.
More recently, it seems that either she or those advising her have had a change of heart. Possibly both.
Sweeney now seems to be using her body and her status as one of the most desired women on the planet to promote her brand and to gain followers and wealth.
Make no mistake: she’s an actress, and she cares about her art and her career. But if she can sell lingerie and bathwater and make bank while doing so, why not both?
She’s been controversial in ways that she never intended
Truth be told, Sweeney’s pivot to using her body for marketing has left some disappointed. But it’s about more than that.
It likely has more to do with how the political right has used her as a symbol, which she has gone to great lengths to avoid commenting on in any meaningful way. Her political statements tend to be decidedly anodyne.
The longer that she avoids speaking of her values in an unequivocal manner, the longer that people can make up their own story behind her beliefs and intentions.
As a result, she and SYRN have grown more controversial over the past year than most had ever imagined. (Well, that and Jeff Bezos is an investor.)
Many hope that she’ll be clearer about her values when America is a little more normal, when petty tyrants are no longer in positions of power. Some consider that scenario a little too optimistic.
Sydney Sweeney Frees the Nipple in Daring Crop Top was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
If you attended a dinner party in the ’60s or ’70s, you’d likely find yourself enjoying a Bundt cake, a baked Alaska, or this once-beloved lemon dessert.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
Kinross’s Fort Knox mine outside of Fairbanks in seen in this undated photo. Fort Knox produced 239,508 ounces of gold in 2024, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and it is one of the state’s six major mines. (Photo provided by Kinross Gold Corporation)
Metals mining has a prominent place in Alaska history. Today, it remains a prominent economic driver in the state.
Over the past decade, the metals mining sector has made up 3% to 4% of Alaska’s gross domestic product, and those mined metals rival Alaska seafood as top exports from the state, according to a state Department of Labor and Workforce Development analysis.
Metals such as zinc produced at the Red Dog mine in Northwest Alaska, silver produced by the Greens Creek Mine in Southeast Alaska and gold, lead and copper produced by various mines, now support an industry worth close to $3 billion a year, according to the analysis, published in the current issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the department’s monthly research magazine.
Alaska has six major metals mines, three of which produce more than one type of metal, and hundreds of small placer operations.
Among the mined products coming from Alaska is germanium, a byproduct of zinc that is classified as a critical mineral and used in electronics. In 2024, the Red Dog mine produced about 10 tons of germanium, according to the analysis, making it a critical source to the nation because China cut off deliveries of its germanium. That year, the Red Dog mine was the only U.S. mine producing germanium, though prior to 2023, a Tennessee mine was also producing the mineral, said Karinne Wiebold, the state economist who wrote the Alaska Economic Trends report.
The value of Alaska’s mining sector, including coal, gravel and sand as well as metals, actually peaked in 2011 at nearly $3.5 million and close to 5% of the state’s gross domestic product. That peak reflected extremely high metals prices and the startup of the Kensington gold mine in Southeast Alaska.
Still, mining has been a strong economic factor in Alaska for the last two decades, after jumping in value in 2006. Every year since then, its total value to the state has generally been above $2 billion and usually accounted for 3% to 4% of Alaska’s gross domestic product.
Metals mining has also become a big employment driver as well, according to the analysis.
There were 3,533 metal mining and support jobs in Alaska in 2024, the most recent data available, and jobs in the sector grew by 37% over the past decade, compared to an overall state job growth rate of 0.3%, Wiebold’s analysis said.
The average metal mining job paid $135,000 in 2024, well above the state average of $71,000 that year and second only to the average pay for workers in the oil and gas sector, the analysis said.
But a large percentage of mine workers are not Alaska residents. Wiebold’s analysis puts resident hire at 56%. That puts the non-resident hire percentage in the metals mining sector well above the state average.
In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, 22.9% of workers in the state were not Alaska residents, according to an annual report published by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. That is the highest percentage since such records began in state average, which is the highest percentage since records started in the 1990s.
Wiebold noted that the nonresident hire in the mining sector is about the same as that in the oil and gas sector, which in 2024 was 40.5%, according to the state’s report.
Mining and oil and gas work in Alaska is conducive to nonresident employees because it is generally conducted at remote locations, typically with rotating schedules of two weeks on and two weeks off, she said.
“This combo means most folks don’t live near the mine and have to commute and stay at the worksite, and that there is not a significant time/cost/commute savings for living in the state,” she said by email. “As a result, miners from out of state can work in Alaska and live somewhere less expensive or more appealing to them.”
Another reason for the high percentage of nonresidents lies in Alaska’s demographics, she said. “In the last several years, with Alaska’s working age population fairly stagnant after a decade of significant declines, more jobs are being held by out of state workers,” she said.
The sector is poised for future growth, with projects like the Donlin gold mine in Southwestern Alaska, the Graphite One graphite mine in Northwestern Alaska and, potentially, the commercialization of the copper-rich but isolated Ambler Mining District in Northwestern Alaska.
But none of those proposed mines can be expected to be developed quickly, and development itself is uncertain, Wiebold’s article said.
“Mines take years to come to fruition — exploration, feasibility studies, environmental reviews, and permitting are expensive, and all have the potential to derail a project. Public concerns and controversy can also slow or stop development,” the article said.
Dan + Shay have returned from their latest hiatus and this time, they’ve got a something really powerful to say. With heavy hearts and a mission to bring hope to others, the 3x GRAMMY winning duo has released what they claim to be the “most important release of our career so far,” “Say So.”
The single arrived just a few days after the country stars announced that they were ready to kickstart their next musical chapter. Fans knew that they were up to something big when their official Instagram account was wiped clean except for a post that featured a snippet of their harrowing music video and its correlating release date.
Dan also confirmed in the comment section stating, “WE ARE BACK.”
The following post contained a heartfelt letter addressed to the fans, explaining where they’ve been, the deeply personal meaning behind their newest single and what’s coming next.
“As you know, we’ve been quiet for a while, and we just wanted to start by saying thank you so much for being patient with us. No, we didn’t almost break up again lol. In fact, our friendship is stronger than ever, and we’re really proud of that,” the message began.
They went on to say that they have spent more time in the studio together over the past year than they have since their Where It All Began album in 2013. This came as a result of “the most inspired burst of creativity” that they have experienced in their entire career thus far. Knowing they had so much to say through their music, the duo took their time to make sure they captured it all as well as possible.
Penned by the duo Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, alongside Jimmy Robbins, and David Hodges, and co-produced by Smyers and Scott Hendricks, “Say So” marks the first taste of all the new music that has come from this period of hard work and creativity. Within the very first line of the track, it was clear that Dan + Shay had stepped away from their fun, upbeat sound and signature romance ballads to reflect on a very real moment of heartache.
They sing, “I got a call from a friend who don’t call very often/ Broke it to me, and I couldn’t believe that we lost him/ Really felt like it came out of nowhere/ But it never really comes out of nowhere/ It’s crazy the pain that we carry when nobody’s watching.”
According to an interview with Variety, the loss they are referring to in the song captures the emotions that stirred up following the 2025 death of their mutual friend and mentor, Ben Vaughn, head of Warner Chappell Music Publishing.
“We were talking about what we wanted to write that day, and we got to talking about Ben Vaughn….[a] big part of our career and a close personal friend,” Smyers told the outlet. “This happened a week or two after we had been hanging out at a little party at my house, celebrating ‘Bigger Houses’ going No. 1 and ‘10,000 Hours’ hitting a billion streams on Spotify. It was one of those things where no one saw it coming. At least we didn’t.”
This incredibly devastating hit on the Nashville community as a whole got the duo reflecting on mental health. Together, they dove headfirst into that heavy topic to put forth lyrics that feel like a reminder that it’s okay to not be okay and an invitation to reach out for help when times get dark. With pain running through their soulful vocals, the duo offers a heavy realization that people carry so much silently, and sometimes that struggle goes unseen until it’s too late.
The chorus opens into something bigger. Suddenly, the song isn’t just about loss anymore, it becomes a promise that unconditional, no-questions-asked support is out there. The way they repeat the line, “If you need somebody, say so,” feels as if they are trying to convince anyone who hears it that they are not alone, and there is help out there.
“If your light burns out and you’re in the dark/ If you can’t pick up the pieces/ If the world you trusted falls apart/ If your heart’s run out of reasons/ I’ll be there every time you call/ Pick you up every time you fall/ If you’re going through hell, you’re not alone/ If you need somebody, say so,” they continue onto the steady and powerful swell of emotions that break through on the chorus.
“‘Say So’ is a reminder that no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone,” the duo explained. “We wrote this song from a very personal place and could not be prouder to stand behind the message.”
The music video that was released alongside the track opens with Shay getting arrested and put into the back of a cop car and pleading guilty for the charges of vandalism and the defacement of public property. The story continues to flash between Shay carrying a coffin of someone he lost and a different character walking across a bridge clearly in distress and considering the choice to leave it all behind.
In the end, his case was dismissed after the judge saw the positive message that Shay had spray painted on the concrete sitting just under the bridge where the other character stood. He saw the words, “if you need somebody, say so,” immediately took a step back and pulled his phone out to do just that, which ultimately saved his life.
A powerful message surrounding mental health was incorporated in the midst of the video. It read, “Every 11 minutes, someone in the United States dies by suicide.” With this song, Dan + Shay hope to provide the world with “strength and encouragement”
“The subject matter is heavy, it is serious and it is timely and it is something we feel is important to talk about,” they stated.
“Say So” offers the first glimpse of more Dan + Shay music coming this year. They added that they have “missed seeing everyone on the road” and that that will be changing “soon,” so fans should “stay tuned.”
“Sounds cliché for an artist to say but these songs really are more personal and honest than anything we have ever done before,” they said. “Because the music means so much to us, we have held it close and obsessed over every details but now we are ready to start sharing it with the world.”
Dan + Shay ended their letter to fans with one more mention of gratitude for their ongoing support over the years.
“Thank you again for always being in our corner. We get to do something we love because of you and we we’ll forever be grateful. This officially the start of the next chapter and we truly believe it will be the best,” they added.
The very last clip of the “Say So” music video stressed, “if you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.”
The Suicide + Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting “988.”
The post Dan + Shay Return With Powerful Message Surrounding Mental Health In New Single, ‘Say So’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the rest of the crew that gave us that epic 2025 World Series are back on the same diamond since that amazing Fall Classic. It’s an early-season reunion between the two-time World Series champion Dodgers and the stout Blue Jays squad they took down in seven games, starting with Monday’s matchup. Breaking down the teams and how they’ve looked so far ahead of their three-game series. 1. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is expected to take the mound for the Blue Jays on Monday, while the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani set for Wednesday. How realistic will it be for Ohtani to win that award? Kavner: Ask Dave Roberts or any of Ohtani’s teammates, and it’s clear that winning a Cy Young is on the two-way player’s mind. “You can tell with the way he carries himself,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said this spring. “He’s the greatest, and he wants to be the greatest.” Now that Ohtani’s a back-to-back champ, he has pretty much done everything else imaginable on a baseball field. The only year he didn’t win an MVP trophy the last five seasons is the season he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. He hit 34 home runs that year and had a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings. He would probably need to throw at least that many innings again if he wants a realistic shot at winning his first Cy Young in 2026, and he would need to be considerably better in the innings he pitches than the other contenders, who are almost certain to throw more innings than him. Ohtani is expected to go wire-to-wire on the mound this year after being slow-played in 2025, but the Dodgers will still be mindful of keeping him as fresh as possible by extending his rest between starts at times as the season moves forward. Over the last 30 years, only one starting pitcher — Corbin Burnes in 2021 — has thrown fewer than 170 innings and won a Cy Young. Perhaps Ohtani could make it a second. It has to be considered a longshot, given his two-way duties and the Dodgers’ desire to be as healthy as possible in October, but he tends to amaze and redefine the limits of what’s possible when he puts his mind to something. 2. Despite the pitching injuries the Blue Jays have, do these two teams have the best set of arms in baseball? Thosar: The Dodgers are in that conversation, but the Blue Jays’ pitching staff isn’t at the top of the heap, even though their arms are still very good. Toronto’s Dylan Cease has ace-level stuff while being frustratingly inconsistent. To demonstrate that point, Cease’s Blue Jays debut couldn’t have gone much better after the right-hander struck out 12 and held the Athletics to one run in 5 ⅓ innings. But he was less dominant in his second start as he struggled with control issues and gave up three runs over 4 ⅓ innings against the White Sox. Kevin Gausman has pitched like an ace so far this year, piling up 21 strikeouts in two starts, and he was impressive in the postseason last year, but he’s 35 now and projected to decline over the course of the season. Injured starters Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios make up for an assortment of talented arms, but even if they were all healthy, the Blue Jays are still on the periphery of being considered a top-5 rotation in baseball. But the Dodgers? They have legitimate Cy Young award contenders in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani leading the starting five. Roki Sasaki has Yamamoto’s durability last year (30 regular-season starts, followed by six postseason outings) was nothing short of incredible. Even though he’s an anomaly in the rotation, with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell being elite-tier arms but injury-prone starters, the Dodgers are able to slow-play pitcher recoveries and overcome lengthy absences thanks to their excellent depth. Pitchers like Emmett Sheehan, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, and Justin Wrobleski are considered depth on the Dodgers. Anywhere else, those arms would be rotation regulars. Los Angeles’ star power, consistency, and ridiculously large quantity of high-quality arms put it at the top of any rankings. 3. Let’s talk hitters: Who has started hot? Who needs to shake off the offseason rust? Kavner: On a team that features three former MVPs, it’s a player who went 4-for-51 last postseason who’s carrying the Dodgers’ offense. Andy Pages can be prone to volatility at the plate, but the Dodgers are riding the roller-coaster up right now. The 25-year-old outfielder entered Sunday leading all of MLB in hits (15), with nearly twice as many as the next closest hitter on the Dodgers. Pages started the season 15-for-30, also leading the team in home runs (3) and RBI (10). The Dodgers needed to find that production from somewhere, with their stars struggling through the first week of the season. Entering this weekend’s series in Washington, the batting averages of the top three hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup — Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts — were all in the .100 range. The Nos. 4 and 5 hitters, Freddie Freeman (.208) and Will Smith (.200), weren’t much better. This weekend was a reminder that it’s still not worth overreacting to any numbers we see, good or bad. Each of the top four hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup homered on Friday, and Ohtani, Tucker, Freeman and Smith each had multiple hits Saturday. Already, the best hitters in the lineup are getting their averages up to more respectable numbers. The only worry now is the health of Betts, who was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain. The Blue Jays have had their own surprises, as the typically light-hitting Andres Gimenez, who was coming off his worst-hitting season as a big-leaguer, has been the best hitter on the team. He has knocked in more runs than anyone on the team, and after hitting just seven home runs all of last year, he already has two. That total is tied with Kazuma Okamato, who has struck out in nearly half of his at-bats as a big-leaguer but has otherwise performed well, and George Springer for the most on the team. Springer, however, has been unable to reproduce last year’s resurgent year to this point, and Addison Barger has started 1-for-16 at the plate following last year’s breakout. 4. Way-too-early take: Are these two teams the teams to beat in their respective leagues? Thosar: The Blue Jays aren’t the team to beat in the American League right now — that characterization belongs to the 8-1 Yankees after their red-hot start to the season — but Toronto is definitely in the mix to be a playoff threat. The Jays have a strong, balanced roster that’s hungry to finish what they started during last year’s captivating run to the World Series. As previously mentioned, their pitching is good but not dominant, and several injuries in the rotation are already cause for concern. The success of the offense, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Springer, is dependent on big steps forward from potential breakout hitters like Barger and Okamoto. Still, the Jays should be right behind New York and neck and neck with the Mariners to finish as a top-two team in the A.L. The Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series and three-peat, making them the unequivocal team to beat in the National League. They addressed their two major weaknesses (the outfield and bullpen) in dramatic fashion this past offseason. They signed the consensus top free agent in outfielder Tucker and shocked everyone by acquiring the game’s top closer in Diaz. Los Angeles’ roster depth is unrivaled. The Dodgers’ phenomenal farm system will help them address any potential holes at the trade deadline. Finally, their postseason grit and back-to-back championship pedigree means they’ve proven they can get it done in October, and there’s no reason to doubt them now.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Cody Johnson is honoring one of his musical heroes, Merle Haggard, with a cover of “Footlights,” released today, which also marks the 10-year anniversary of Haggard’s passing. The release is made even more meaningful as Haggard was born on this day in 1937.
“Footlights” was written by Haggard, lovingly known as the “Poet of the Common Man.”
The song offers an honest look at life as a touring musician, something Johnson can certainly relate to. It captures the feeling of aging and wear that comes with life on the road, and the sense of being displaced without a place to truly call home. On stage, he masks those emotions, transforming into almost a character as he performs, promising to “try to hide the mood I’m really in/ And put on my old Instamatic grin.”
He closes the song by reflecting on the reality behind living out his dream: “I live the kind of life that most men only dream of/ I make my living writing songs and singing them/ But I’m forty-one years old and I/ Ain’t got no place to go when it’s over.”
Johnson, the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, has paid tribute to Haggard many times throughout his career and considers him to be one of his biggest musical influences.
“Merle was a poet,” Cody previously shared. “When I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m frustrated, and everything in between, he has sung the soundtrack of my life.”
In 2025, Cody Johnson was honored with the ACM Spirit Award for his authentic, songwriter-driven country music that carries forward the legacy of Merle Haggard. The award celebrates artists who chart their own course while delivering standout storytelling and songs, marking a full-circle moment for Johnson as he continues to honor one of his greatest musical influences.
Johnson is gearing up for a huge year with more new music on the way following a ruptured ear drum that sidelined him last fall. During an appearance on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time podcast, the Texas native revealed that his next album is completely finished and ready to go.
“I’ve already got the whole gun is loaded. The ammunition’s there. We’re just fixing to start sending it,” he teased.
Cody Johnson is currently climbing the charts with his radio single “The Fall,” written by Bobby Pinson, Jeremy Stover, and Ray Fulcher, from his Leather Deluxe Edition album.
He’s also keeping the momentum going on the road. His headline tour continues this April before heading overseas and wrapping up in Europe this fall
The post Cody Johnson Pays Tribute to Merle Haggard With ‘Footlights’ Cover on 10-Year Anniversary of His Death appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Mom-shaming takes so, so many forms.
Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis, is currently a single mom.
She knows that it’s hard. The “advice” from strangers on social media isn’t helping.
Right now, she’s clapping back at them, sharing a video as she breastfeeds her almost-3-year-old.
She’s had enough of the judgment
On Saturday, April 4, Rumer took to Instagram to make a point using a video.
The short clip included her daughter, Louetta — or “Lou” — who will turn 3 years old on April 18.
Just two weeks ahead of that birthday, Rumer was breastfeeding her preschool-aged kid.
She is fully aware that deciding to breastfeed her child at this age is controversial.
That’s pretty much why she made the post, as you can see.
“When someone starts judging my parenting,” Rumer wrote in text over the clip.
That’s when the video changes — swapping to a TikTok clip in which a woman very pointedly highlights a venn diagram of “your business” and “my business.”
The circles do not intersect in the least.
Point taken.
“Sorry not sorry,” Rumer captioned the video as she shared it to Instagram.
The most visible commenters did NOT care for her tone
However they phrased it, commenter after commenters on Instagram told her the same message.
(The above screenshot is only a sample, not a complete list.)
Essentially, many of them told Rumer that, by posting aspects of her life on social media, she is just asking for this “feedback.”
That’s complex.
Certainly, anyone posting anything to social media knows that they may receive hostile replies. But … there’s more to it than that.
Yes, anyone posting to social media knows that they will receive a ton of “opinions” and unexpectedly hostile reactions, no matter how innocuous the posts.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s their fault, or that they are inviting these reactions.
Sometimes, parents post generally dangerous things — like a crib full of stuffed animals. They may believe that these are fine or harmless, but they’re suffocation hazards and people are right to call them out.
Other times, mom-shamers blast a parent for literally just loving their kid or otherwise being normal. There are a lot of people who want to project their childhood trauma onto other families and “pay it forward” in the most toxic ways imaginable.
So, where does Rumer fall on this spectrum? Who’s wrong?
So … who’s right?
A 3-year-old (Rumer posted that just two weeks before Lou’s third birthday) feels very old to be breastfeeding.
However, even though most parents often start tapering off of breastfeeding after a child’s first birthday, many medical organizations encourage longer breastfeeding periods — until after a child turns two.
Often, the understandable fear is that a child may fail to bond socially with other kids if they’re dependent upon breastfeeding (and thus may struggle with things like preschool and playdates).
And, of course, there is the anxiety of children growing up with clear memories of breastfeeding and feeling weird about it.
However people feel about Rumer’s choices, their comments aren’t doing any good. They need to understand that — which is the point, it seems, of her defiant posts.
That said … is she doing Lou any favors by immortalizing her breastfeeding timeline on social media?
Rumer Willis Claps Back at Mom-Shamers, Breastfeeds (Almost) 3-Year-Old was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip