Heinz has made its name by selling products we come to think of as staples, like its ketchup or baked beans, but in the early 2000s, it released a funky item.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
Day: April 21, 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes
In the months since Charlie Kirk’s murder, his widow, Erika Kirk, has become one of the most famous figures in American politics.
Many have suggested that Erika is planning a run for office.
And while 2028 is still a long way off, there’s already talk of a potential bid for the White House.
There was a time when the idea of a media figure with no governing experience running for president would have seemed absurd.
But 2016 changed everything, and Erika is aligning herself with Donald Trump at a time when the president is losing some of his most high-profile supporters.
Kirk and Trump both appeared at a rally in Arizona over the weekend, and one of the biggest right wing accounts on X (formerly Twitter) suggested that Erika might be establishing herself as the president’s heir apparent.
“Rumors are swirling that Erika Kirk could be positioning herself for a 2028 presidential run,” Tara Bull wrote to her 1.4 million followers.
The post received a mixed response, but the upshot is that whether she likes it or not, Erika’s name is now being mentioned in the same breath as the 2028 presidential race.
And while the election might be years away, Erika is already dealing with her first campaign mini-scandal.
It was a blink-and-you’d-miss-it moment:
When Trump joined Kirk on stage at Turning Point USA’s “Build the Red Wall” rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix, they briefly kissed on each cheek.
Perhaps it’s because she was recently widowed, or maybe it’s because Trump is less popular these days with the sort of people who used to constitute his base.
But whatever the reason, Trump and Erika’s embrace became a subject of widespread debate and controversy on social media.
As MSN reports, some observers accused Trump of giving off “creepy uncle vibes.”
Others alleged that he held on to Erika for several seconds too long.
Usually, Erika leans into controversies, but this one she’s chosen to ignore, preferring to focus instead on her political message.
“And now we have to show up again with 80 to 90% voter turnout in the midterms and fortify the red wall for the next decade. That’s what we need to do,” she said at one point in the rally.
She went on to lash out at those who seek to “tear our country” apart by focusing on issues that divide instead of unite.
Just a few months ago, the assumption would have been that Erika was referring to liberals and Democrats — but these days, she might have been referring to Trump’s former supporters.
Either way, she’s mastered the politician’s art of making a statement without actually saying anything.
Erika Kirk Slammed For Donald Trump Kiss Amid Reports That She’s Eyeing Her Own Run … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Reading Time: 4 minutes
There’s some very exciting casting news!
Sydney Sweeney, Jason Isaacs, Noah Centineo, and more have been cast in an exciting adaptation.
This beloved property already has many adaptations — and has raised eyebrows with controversial nude scenes.
There’s a lot to be excited about! We’ll explain.
Production has begun!
A live-action Gundam film has begun production in Queensland, Australia.
The cast includes Sweeney, Isaacs, Centineo, plus plenty of other names including Shioli Kutsuna, Gemma Chua-Tran, Jackson White, Oleksandr Rudynskyi, and more.
This project will be a Netflix release.
It’s being produced by Legendary Pictures, and in partnership with Bandi Namco Filmworks.
Gundam (in all of its many iterations) is one of the most iconic science fiction properties on the planet. It’s on par with Star Wars, and has been around for about the same amount of time.
At its core, Gundam is about war — and its horrors, its effect upon populations and young people, and the depravity of those who commit atrocities.
On a more superficial level, it’s about teens and young adults piloting mobile suits — massive spacefaring “robots” capable of fighting with guns, laser swords, “funnels” (long story), and other weapons, on space and on the ground.
The titular gundams tend to represent the pinnacle of mobile suit design. In some Gundam properties, highly evolved pilots are able to connect with their machines — and even with each other’s minds. Rarely, even from beyond the grave.
(Yes, it’s a little like The Force in Star Wars.)
The first Gundam anime premiered in 1979. It’s absolutely worth watching, even if you have to brace yourself for some oddities that are, at least in part, a product of its time.
This is where the ‘controversial’ scenes come into play
Launching in the 1970s meant that characters are sometimes portrayed doing things that are appalling — like striking each other — that were at the time meant to be dramatic, or to portray the tensions of war.
There are also controversial nude scenes. Even among people who generally like nudity in their media.
We’re not referring to when “Newtype” (one of several labels throughout the adaptations) pilots communicate with each other, appearing as a nude silhouette in space even in the heat of battle.
There are scenes of women and girls showering, often accompanied by children — which, at the time, was likely intended to make the scenes less voyeuristic. In a modern lens, the animation is more uncomfortable this way.
Even as the decades continued, adaptations like Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team featured moments of animated nudity that felt like fan service. But seldom as controversial as the first few series’ portrayal of women and teen girls.
During her career, Sweeney has gone back and forth when it comes to on-screen nudity.
Euphoria is an HBO series with a more than decent amount of nudity. Sweeney has not been an exception.
However, in the early years of her rising to fame, she deliberately avoided excessive sexualization, focusing instead upon her acting.
Only in very recent years, and particularly amidst her involuntary politicization, has she pivoted towards using her body to sell clothing.
That’s a very long way of saying that she’s done a pet play OnlyFans scene on Euphoria and is likely to appear in a horny role again in the future.
Does that mean that she’s likely to show skin for Netflix’s ‘Gundam’ film?
We hate to crush everyone’s dreams, but Netflix seems likely to shy away from any real nudity in this project.
Even if some Gundam properties and Netflix properties have shown full frontal, our culture’s puritanical crusade against core aspects of humanity makes even the “spiciest” streamers hesitant to lean into nudity.
Additionally, even though Gundam has been airing in one form or another since long before many of us were born, and even though it is fundamentally a story about war, the clueless dorks who ruin so much of television are likely to try to brand this as something for tweens to watch.
Hey, we’d love to be wrong! We’d love to be pleasantly surprised.
But we won’t hold our breath.
While we’re wishing for things in Gundam, something more important to hope to see is Sweeney playing, not a protagonist or a love interest, but Char Aznable or an analogue.
Char (and his various masked analogues in different iterations of Gundam) is a foil character to the lead pilot — usually, anyway.
He’s a war hero for the baddies, with a lot of skill and with more experience than the hapless teen who just fell into (or stole) a sophisticated mobile suit.
Sweeney would be amazing in the role.
We could picture her in a uniform and a conspicuous mask, piloting the Red Comet. Or the Tallgeese. We’d love to see it.
Sydney Sweeney Cast in Adaptation of Beloved Series Known for Controversial Nudity was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Prime rib isn’t cheap, so when you make it at home, it’s important to get it right. One way to do so is to leave the tin foil in the kitchen drawer.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
There’s been a lot of criticizing and bemoaning and maligning the 2026 NFL Draft. I’m not here to name names (mostly because I’m as guilty as the next guy). But we can all be honest that the NFL world has focused on what this draft has lacked — rather than what it has to offer. So let’s highlight some prospects, from Day 1 to Day 3, who are likely to have an impact on their new teams. If you want to talk about positional value and salary-cap percentage and advanced statistics and the deep stuff, then maybe pop over to Sound Smart. This is about taking note of some of the fun rookies to follow in 2026 — and beyond. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Do me a favor: Just watch his highlights. Watch the way he bursts through the line of scrimmage in ways that remind me of Derrick Henry. Watch the way he makes guys miss at the second and third level like Jahmyr Gibbs. Watch the way Love moves in open space as a pass-catcher like some of the best screen receivers in the game, including Khalil Shakir. Watch the way Love hurdles defenders unlike basically anyone I’ve ever seen before. There are complications around drafting running backs in the top five picks — namely the $50 million price tag that instantly makes them one of the highest-paid players at their position. I get it. But when you’re simply watching the player, Jeremiyah Love, it’s hard not to fall in … love. Caleb Downs, safety, Ohio State I keep going back to a conversation that I had with a scout before the pre-draft process really got rolling. The scout told me that Downs is the guy that you can pick and rest easy — more so than any other prospect in this class. And I’m in firm agreement. If positional value and financial value had nothing to do with the draft, the board would go Love at No. 1 and Downs at No. 2. Downs has the production, with 68 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack. Alongside Fernando Mendoza, he’s probably the smartest and hardest-working prospect in this class. Downs is going to be a stud. Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State You’ve gotta love a mauler — the kind of offensive lineman who makes you think of demolition equipment. That’s Ioane. Someone will select him in the first 16 picks, and there will be the detractors who say something to the effect of, “Don’t like taking a guard there.” But at that exact same moment, that team’s running back (and quarterback) will be thanking their higher powers for the selection. It’s not going to sell tickets. It’s going to boost the offense. Eli Stowers, TE(/WR), Vanderbilt There are some offenses that can find ways to avoid asking their tight end to block. That’ll be one of the offenses where Stowers lands. Because if you can accept the fact that he is a receiver who plays tight end, you can turn him into an extremely productive matchup threat in your offense. Stowers has an awesome blend of production (769 receiving yards, four touchdowns in 2025) and athleticism (4.51-second 40-yard dash, 45.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-3-inch broad jump). He’s large (6-foot-4, 239 pounds) and he’s explosive. He just needs an offense that’ll preserve those tools as he transitions to the NFL (which will likely involve some weight gain). Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa You really don’t need to know anything about him on the field, where he should be a starter in the interior over the next year or two. It’s all about the mullet. He is a gigantic goofball, who will consume 10,000 calories on gameday — and crush 36 ounces of coffee on the bus to the game. He’s a huge Culver’s fan. He’s a Midwest icon. His name *dramatic pause* is Gennings Dunker. He’s far from the best offensive lineman to come out of Iowa, but he is a caricature of an Iowa offensive lineman. Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana He averaged more than 100 tackles in his final three seasons at Indiana, and was at his best in 2025 when he was the cornerstone piece at the middle of the Hoosiers’ defense — and that included logging two sacks in their final two games. The last one, as you may remember, was a national championship victory. Fisher is the kind of player where his size (“too small”) and his athleticism (“not explosive”) will land him on either Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. But it feels inevitable that, in three years, he’ll wear the green dot for a defense and will be a beloved leader in a locker room. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State I’m not usually a fan of the but-what-about-his-potential prospects. But in the case of Allar, I’m here for it. Because I really do wonder: But what about his potential?! It’s a tough class for the quarterbacks. You can go the route of Ty Simpson or Garrett Nussmeier, who profile similarly: coach’s son, undersized, struggled at the end of the year due to injury. But Simpson in Round 1? That’s a bit rich for my taste. And Nussmeier, in general, concerns me because of his lack of physical tools. So that’s where Allar comes in. He strikes me as a developmental talent with awesome upside. He’s got the physical tools. He just never put it all together in college. But he looks like a Day 3 prospect — with a Round 4 grade from NFL.com — and so I love the idea of teams investing in him as a flier. He’s 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds. His arm is very impressive. He was once the No. 1 QB prospect in high school. None of that necessarily makes a good pro QB. But if you put this guy under Sean McVay, he would have as good of a chance as anyone in this class to be a top-tier starter someday. [Rankings, Best Team Fits for Top-12 Quarterbacks] Eli Heidenreich, WR/RB, Navy I am cracking up at the one-for-one athletic comparisons between Heidenreich and Christian McCaffrey. They’re physical clones. Admittedly, they’re not comparable when you put on the film. Not even close. McCaffrey went eighth overall in 2017. Heidenreich will be happy if he lands in the sixth round. But there’s something enticing and deeply entertaining about a weapon like Heidenreich, who last season had 941 receiving yards and six touchdown catches and 499 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He played in Navy’s spread triple-option and therefore is not prototypical in any way. He played two positions after all, and was more of a receiver in college — but he figures to be more of a running back in the pros. If Bill Belichick were still an NFL head coach, he’d risk it all for Heidenreich. Of course, no one will have to. He’s a Day 3 pick. It’ll be fun to see what a team can do with his athleticism and versatility, likely starting with a special teams role.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Just how much cheese are Olive Garden employees permitted to give you? For example, what happens if you just never ask your server to stop grating?
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
By: Haley Lehman, Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate passed a bill Monday that would ban public schools in Alaska from serving certain food dyes in school breakfasts or lunches.
Lawmakers expressed concerns that certain petroleum-based food dyes in processed foods have unhealthy side effects on children.
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, the sponsor of Senate Bill 187, said Monday, “We like to sell our petroleum to fuel our cars and generate our power plants, not to feed our kids.”
Wielechowski pointed to studies that suggested that artificial dyes are linked to increased hyperactivity, inattentiveness and allergic reactions in children.
The bill would ban red dyes Nov. 3 and No. 40, yellow dyes No. 5 and No. 6, blue dyes No. 1 and No. 2 and green dye No. 3.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a campaign in April 2025 to eliminate synthetic dyes from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2027 and to authorize natural color alternatives. Alaska proposes banning the same food dye in schools that HHS and the FDA are working with the food industry to eliminate.
The bill received strong support from Alaska Community Action on Toxics and opposition from the International Association of Color Manufacturers, which maintains that synthetic dyes are safe for consumers.
Carlee Johnson McIntosh, Petersburg School District food service director, wrote in a letter to legislators that the bill aligns with work the school district is already doing to remove synthetic dyes from school meal programs. She said the bill would not create a significant burden for the school district.
“Schools should be environments where students are set up for success, and access to nutritious meals plays an important role in that success,” Johnson McIntosh wrote. “Establishing these standards in state law would demonstrate Alaska’s ongoing commitment to student health, regardless of potential shifts at the federal level.”
The bill passed the Senate with 19 yes votes. Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, was excused absent.
If it passes the House and becomes law, it would go into effect in January 2028. Alaska would join states including Arizona, California, Delaware, Louisiana, Virginia and West Virginia in banning artificial food dyes in schools.
By: Haley Lehman, Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate advanced a resolution Monday to preserve three work visas to support Alaska’s economic security.
Alaska relies on J-1 visas to fill teacher positions, H-1B visas for highly skilled workers and the H-2B program for temporary nonagricultural workers in tourism, health care and seafood processing industries and for teachers.
Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, said that Senate Joint Resolution 28, “puts Alaska on the record in support of these programs to fill jobs here in our state.”
The Trump administration raised the fee for highly skilled worker visas from $5,000 to $100,000 in September 2025.
Tobin said Monday that school districts in Alaska cannot absorb those costs and utilize the H-1B visa program to hire international teachers.
The Alaska House of Representatives passed a resolution in March urging the Trump administration to waive the $100,000 visa fee for international teachers. It was sponsored by Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage.
According to Jennifer Schmitz, director of the Alaska Educator Retention and Recruitment Center, 20 school districts in Alaska employed 232 educators with J-1 visas and 341 educators with H-1B visas in 2025.
Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, introduced legislation in March that would exempt teachers from non-processing related fees for H-1B visas. U.S. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is a cosponsor.
The visa programs support other jobs, too. Marilyn Usibelli, owner of Black Diamond Resort Co. in Healy, wrote to legislators in March that J-1 visa holders play an essential role in staffing seasonal jobs in Alaska with lawful, reliable temporary workers.
“Despite extensive local recruitment, the small year-round population in the Denali Borough simply cannot meet the seasonal demand. J-1 participants fill critical roles that allow us to maintain safe, high-quality operations, support other local businesses, and contribute to the broader Denali-area economy,” Usibelli wrote.
The resolution passed the Senate with 19 yes votes with Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, absent
Reading Time: 3 minutes
In recent weeks, the Summer House scandal has broken containment.
West Wilson and Amanda Batula admitted to their surprise relationship, but only after fans suspected.
But viewers — and people in their real lives — have questions about the timeline of it all.
West is defending Amanda against criticism — and insisting that they were both single when this began.
‘Everyone was single’
On Monday, April 20, West returned to the Show Me Something podcast to process everything with his co-host, Sophie Cunningham.
Knowing how many eyes would be on him, he emphasized what he calls the “actual timeline” of his romance with Amanda Batula.
“There was no overlap,” he insisted. That is in reference to their past relationships, and the cheating accusations.
“I know there are a thousand different theories right now,” West acknowledged.
“But,” he emphasized, “that is one thing that for sure did not happen.”
As West continued, he reiterated that “everyone was single” when he and Amanda first hooked up.
That means that he was no longer with Ciara Miller. And it means that Amanda was no longer with Kyle Cooke.
“We realized things were maybe a little bit serious in February,” he recalled.
“And,” West insisted, “that’s when this all started.”
He added: “There’s not a whole lot more to it than that.”
‘Mysteriously’ it’s always the woman who gets the most hate
West also acknowledged that he is not the primary target of criticism here.
Amanda is clearly getting the “brunt” of the online backlash, he observed.
West was quick to defend his girlfriend from people with “s–t to talk.”
That said, he understands the ire on some level.
West admitted that their entanglement has “hurt the people we care about.” Well, yeah.
See, Ciara and Amanda are close friends. At least, they were.
In fact, viewers can watch the two cuddling on the currently airing Summer House season.
But West is Ciara’s ex.
And Amanda didn’t just start dating him — she started dating him in secret.
Ciara herself called it a mindf–k to realize that her bestie had been doing this behind her back. And that’s not unfair.
‘I can give those apologies face-to-face’
Meanwhile, West admitted that he hasn’t “gotten responses from everybody” yet after texting the rest of the Summer House cast.
“I get it,” he admitted. “But the reunion is coming up, and I can give those apologies face-to-face and also clear up crazy s–t.”
(Andy Cohen’s eyes just turned into cartoon dollar signs.)
Stating that he’s “been better,” West admitted that “a lot has happened in a very short amount of time, obviously.”
He continued, saying that he’s “trying to take it a day at a time and just stay off my phone. But the Internet is a very scary place to be.”
West Wilson Defends Amanda Batula: We’re Not Cheaters! It Just Looks Really Sus! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Sen. Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage, speaks in the Alaska Senate on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Senate advanced a resolution Monday to preserve three work visas to support Alaska’s economic security.
Alaska relies on J-1 visas to fill teacher positions, H-1B visas for highly skilled workers and the H-2B program for temporary nonagricultural workers in tourism, health care and seafood processing industries and for teachers.
Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, said that Senate Joint Resolution 28, “puts Alaska on the record in support of these programs to fill jobs here in our state.”
The Trump administration raised the fee for highly skilled worker visas from $5,000 to $100,000 in September 2025.
Tobin said Monday that school districts in Alaska cannot absorb those costs and utilize the H-1B visa program to hire international teachers.
The Alaska House of Representatives passed a resolution in March urging the Trump administration to waive the $100,000 visa fee for international teachers. It was sponsored by Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage.
According to Jennifer Schmitz, director of the Alaska Educator Retention and Recruitment Center, 20 school districts in Alaska employed 232 educators with J-1 visas and 341 educators with H-1B visas in 2025.
Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, introduced legislation in March that would exempt teachers from non-processing related fees for H-1B visas. U.S. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is a cosponsor.
The visa programs support other jobs, too. Marilyn Usibelli, owner of Black Diamond Resort Co. in Healy, wrote to legislators in March that J-1 visa holders play an essential role in staffing seasonal jobs in Alaska with lawful, reliable temporary workers.
“Despite extensive local recruitment, the small year-round population in the Denali Borough simply cannot meet the seasonal demand. J-1 participants fill critical roles that allow us to maintain safe, high-quality operations, support other local businesses, and contribute to the broader Denali-area economy,” Usibelli wrote.
The resolution passed the Senate with 19 yes votes with Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, absent.