You could probably guess that Scotland exports a great deal of Scotch each year, but how much? The number may be even higher than you think.
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Month: May 2026
Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Secretary of State and candidate for governor, was the target of a credible written threat, his campaign said Tuesday.
Campaign spokesperson Ryan Mahoney said the threat came in the form of an apparent manifesto to a sheriff’s office in Mississippi that featured a photo of Raffensperger with the word “boom” scrawled across his face.
It was unclear if it was related to the discovery on Tuesday — a day after the campaign was notified about the written threat — of a suspicious object found inside a vending machine at a campaign stop in Macon that prompted the campaign to move the event outside.
The manifesto was not released and the motive was not publicly known, but the incidents are an apparent reminder of the potent threat of political violence in the U.S. especially for a high-profile candidate such as Raffensperger, who drew fierce criticism for resisting President Donald Trump’s efforts to resist the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
“When you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, and when you put people ahead of politics, not everyone will like it. In fact, some people may try to intimidate or do you harm,” Raffensperger said in a statement posted to social media. “So yes, we are dealing with an active threat. And no, I will not back down.”
The Atlanta Journal Constitution first reported the written threat.
The suspicious object was detected by a law enforcement canine at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport where Raffensperger was set to hold a campaign event later in the day. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release later that there were no hazardous devices detected, but did not provide specifics of what was discovered.
The campaign went ahead with the scheduled event, opting to hold the gathering outside in the parking lot instead.
No arrests have been made.
Georgia State Patrol is leading the effort with support from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, Mahoney said, and the secretary will continue campaigning in the last week ahead of Georgia’s May 19 primary with heightened security.
“The secretary of state’s office has a law enforcement unit, so we’ll start traveling with a handful of those guys until the threat is alleviated,” Mahoney said.
Politics
Al Roker has a new family member in his neck of the woods.
The Today cohost confirmed that his and wife Deborah Roberts’ daughter Leila Roker, 27, recently got married to Sylvain Gricourt in…
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Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, leaves the floor of the Alaska Senate on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska will recognize Hispanic Heritage Month under a new law signed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
The month recognizing Hispanic heritage will be September 15 to October 15 each year. The legislation encourages schools, community groups and other public and private organizations to honor the history and culture of Hispanic Americans.
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, is the bill’s sponsor, and said in a statement that the month is a time to honor and celebrate “the rich cultural tapestry that Hispanic and Latino Americans have woven into the fabric of our nation.”
There was no bill signing ceremony. A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office said the governor signed the bill to acknowledge those contributions. “He believes it is important to recognize the rich traditions, history, and achievements of Hispanic Americans,” said Jeff Turner, Dunleavy’s communications director, by email Tuesday.
The period also marks the anniversary of the independence of several Central American countries from Spain, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico.
“While Alaska may seem distant from the heart of Latin America, the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Alaskans to our state’s history, culture, and economy are undeniable. From pioneers and settlers to artists, educators, and business leaders, Hispanic and Latino individuals have made significant impacts in every corner of our state,” Gray-Jackson wrote.
Gray-Jackson said in an interview Tuesday her goal since being elected to the Alaska Senate was to spearhead recognition of diverse cultures in Alaska by enshrining them in law. Since 2019, she’s sponsored legislation to recognize Black History Month, Alaska Native Heritage Month, Filipino American History Month, Juneteenth and Women’s History Month, which passed last year. She said next she’d like to see June recognized as LGBTQ Pride month.
“All it takes is one person to begin the effort, and that one person happens to be me,” Gray-Jackson said. “And I’m grateful for all the support that I’ve gotten since 2019 and, No. 1 when it comes to our very diverse communities, I’m just really proud to welcome our neighbors to Alaska who enrich our communities.”
“I see them; I value them,” she added. “I appreciate their contributions to not only our community, but to the world.”
The law will take effect on August 6.
Dylan Dreyer is forecasting a family reunion in her future.
The Today anchor revealed she and Alix Earle share a family connection while interviewing the influencer on Today May 12.
As Dylan…
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With so many watermelon varieties to choose from, make note of a melon’s shape. Whether it’s round or oblong, the shape can indicate its taste and texture.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Kayla Jade is feeling less than euphoric about Euphoria.
The influencer and sex worker shared her thoughts on Sydney Sweeney’s OnlyFans arc on season three of the HBO series, which sees Sweeney’s…
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A subadult brown bear sniffs the air as it walks across the tundra in Katmai National Park and Preserve on Aug. 10, 2023. (Photo by F. Jimenez/National Park Service)
Last week, a state court approved the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s plan to resume killing scores of brown bears, including newborn cubs, across a 40,000 square mile area in southwest Alaska. The goal of the extensive bear kill effort, according to ADFG, is to reduce the number of predators in order to increase the size of the Mulchatna caribou herd.
The court stated:
“The Court is in no position to second guess the Department’s biologists in their technical conclusions. The Court must give deference to the Department on these technical game management decisions… The information considered by the Board (of Game) at the July 2025 meeting could be problematic or incorrect. However, the Court is not in the position, nor does it have the authority, to make that determination at this point in the proceedings. The Court simply does not possess the technical and specialized skills to do so.”
Indeed, this is a perpetual problem, and one that Rep. Andy Josephson’s bill, HB364 — “An Act relating to intensive management of big game prey populations” — seeks to resolve by requiring independent scientific peer review of all predator control proposals from the state. Science requires independent peer review.
Regarding the ruling, the ADFG commissioner stated: “We are happy that science prevails.” They may be happy, but science clearly did not prevail.
What did prevail is the state’s continued reliance on inadequate, anecdotal information to advance its objective of killing predators as political spectacle to mask its mismanagement, including its wildly unrealistic population goal of 30,000 – 80,000 for the Mulchatna caribou herd. Science points to lack of adequate nutrition, rather than predation, as the main driver of Mulchatna caribou numbers — a fact the state conveniently ignores.
Regarding HB364, the administration did not endorse the bill and the Legislature has ignored it entirely. Obviously, predator control advocates do not want independent scientific review of their proposals, as they know such proposals would not survive independent scientific scrutiny.
So “we the people” are left not to trust the state administration, the legislature or the courts on such matters of natural resource policy. And scores of brown bears will be killed in the next few weeks, without solid scientific justification, ostensibly on behalf of all Alaskans.
Hopefully, our next governor will better appreciate science and the need to apply it effectively in resource policy.
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I recently visited a Burke Williams spa for the first time and it did not disappoint. Apart from a much-needed deep tissue massage and bouncing between the steam room, sauna, and hot tub, I was…
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