Italian subs are a classic sandwich, but where can you find the best of the best? Here’s the must-eat stops for Italian subs across all 50 U.S. states.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Month: May 2026
By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon
Alaska will deploy 25 National Guard soldiers and airmen to Washington D.C. this month, according to a Friday update from the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
The deployment is part of a response to President Trump’s August declaration of a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital. In the nine months since, 2,500 troops remain, according to NBC4 Washington. Guard members have assisted with medical emergencies, arrests and beautification projects, as well as snow removal.
The division announcement said the Alaska service members will be focused on public safety: “Guard members provide support functions such as crowd management, perimeter security, and logistical and communications support.”
Alaska National Guard members will deploy for 60 days, according to the division, as part of a joint task force with the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy approved a verbal request in November from the U.S. Secretary of the Army for Alaska to deploy 100 service members, following a national directive by the Pentagon to all 50 states to prepare National Guard service members to train for “civil disturbance operations.”
A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the smaller deployment, the purpose and timing of the mission on Monday.
Lawmakers had raised concerns about the Pentagon’s national directive for an estimated 20,000 National Guard service members to be trained and prepared to deploy in U.S. cities within 24 hours. Alaska was initially charged with preparing 350 service members as part of a “quick reaction force” by Jan. 1.
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, co-chair of the Alaska Joint Armed Services Committee, and a veteran of the Alaska National Guard, was among those who had raised concerns.
On Monday, Gray said the smaller deployment for 60 days is less of an issue.
“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the American taxpayer to be flying service members from Alaska to D.C. to do what I don’t believe is of grave consequence,” he said.
“At the end of the day, to me, it’s sort of a nothing burger. I do think that it shows that the Dunleavy administration and General (Torrence) Saxe are in alignment with Trump. They’re showing that they support Trump’s agenda. But again, this is just not that big of a deal, in my opinion.”
All foods expire, and sometimes their farewell is due to product discontinuance. This Costco item may have been phased out, but most customers won’t miss it.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Kacey Musgraves officially unveiled her highly anticipated new album, Middle of Nowhere, on Friday and is opening up about the project and the conscious decision she made early in her career to always stay true to herself.
In a new interview with Apple Music Country / Apple Music, the Texas native shared that one of the things she is most proud of in her career is always “sticking to my guns” and following her “internal compass.”
“It may not look like everyone else’s and I think I went in with a lot of fear that the business or the industry would really try and like change that. So, I think just having the balls early on to go okay, it’s fine if you’re not into this, the label, whoever you know, but this is where my heart is and this is what I want to do,” she shared during the conversation.
With Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves returns to her roots with a more traditional country-leaning sound. The project features pedal steel, accordion, and Texas dancehall rhythms, along with elements of country and bluegrass mixed with touches of pop, Norteño, and Zydeco. She admits the direction wasn’t entirely planned, but it ultimately feels like a full-circle moment with her sixth studio album.
“I feel like I’ve made this kind of big circle, when I really stand back and look and I don’t think it was even really fully intentional. I mean I’m always trying to find ways to pull the traditional country in because that’s where my heart is. That’s what I grew up with. It’s familiar to me. It feels like home,” she explained. “But, you know, I love so many different kinds of music. Like, you catch me on any day and I could be listening to Dr. Dre or I could be listening to old beautiful jazz or traditional mariachi music. I mean, it just really depends on my mood so there’s all these different flavors. But I’m always looking to bring country along with me in some way.”
Despite experimenting sonically over the years with albums like Star-Crossed and Deeper Well, the eight-time GRAMMY winner acknowledges she may have stepped away from traditional country sounds at times, but insists she has never truly left the genre behind.
“I love country music with my whole heart. I have never been like, ‘I’m leaving country,’ whatever it’s just I adore that I have the creative freedom since day one I’ve had the freedom to kind of explore the borders and pull people into country not leave country,” she said. “To me, I see it as I am bringing others to my center. That’s my center. I couldn’t leave it even if I wanted to. I mean it is baked in but I am more like multifaceted than just that.”
Middle of Nowhere features collaborations with Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings, and Gregory Alan Isakov. Written during a period of post-breakup reflection, the album is raw, honest, and, for lack of a better term…so Kacey Musgraves.
Musgraves will celebrate the album with her recently announced Middle of Nowhere Tour. The trek will visit arenas around the country beginning August 21 and includes multiple nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena and closes with two nights at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena October 26th and 27th.
The post Kacey Musgraves Says ‘Middle of Nowhere’ Feels Like ‘A Big Circle’ Back To Her Roots appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Alaska Organized Militia members from across the Alaska Army National Guard, and the Alaska State Defense Force, prepare for departure from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as they travel to Bethel, Alaska, while supporting storm response operations, Oct. 13, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Capt. Balinda O’Neal)
Alaska will deploy 25 National Guard soldiers and airmen to Washington D.C. this month, according to a Friday update from the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
The deployment is part of a response to President Trump’s August declaration of a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital. In the nine months since, 2,500 troops remain, according to NBC4 Washington. Guard members have assisted with medical emergencies, arrests and beautification projects, as well as snow removal.
The division announcement said the Alaska service members will be focused on public safety: “Guard members provide support functions such as crowd management, perimeter security, and logistical and communications support.”
Alaska National Guard members will deploy for 60 days, according to the division, as part of a joint task force with the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy approved a verbal request in November from the U.S. Secretary of the Army for Alaska to deploy 100 service members, following a national directive by the Pentagon to all 50 states to prepare National Guard service members to train for “civil disturbance operations.”
A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the smaller deployment, the purpose and timing of the mission on Monday.
Lawmakers had raised concerns about the Pentagon’s national directive for an estimated 20,000 National Guard service members to be trained and prepared to deploy in U.S. cities within 24 hours. Alaska was initially charged with preparing 350 service members as part of a “quick reaction force” by Jan. 1.
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, co-chair of the Alaska Joint Armed Services Committee, and a veteran of the Alaska National Guard, was among those who had raised concerns.
On Monday, Gray said the smaller deployment for 60 days is less of an issue.
“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the American taxpayer to be flying service members from Alaska to D.C. to do what I don’t believe is of grave consequence,” he said.
“At the end of the day, to me, it’s sort of a nothing burger. I do think that it shows that the Dunleavy administration and General (Torrence) Saxe are in alignment with Trump. They’re showing that they support Trump’s agenda. But again, this is just not that big of a deal, in my opinion.”
Darrell Sheets died on April 22, and since then, many of his ‘Storage Wars’ co-stars have shared tributes. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Darrell Sheets died on April 22, and since then, many of his ‘Storage Wars’ co-stars have shared tributes. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
From its domestic and international menus to its physical restaurants and rewards program, McDonald’s has introduced some major changes in 2026 so far.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
NEW YORK – On Sunday night, just before he was getting ready to eat dinner in his Chelsea penthouse, Aaron Judge picked up his phone and called Anthony Volpe. The Yankees had just romped the Orioles, 11-3. Judge went 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run. Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez left the yard, too. The Yankees offense, which leads the American League in runs scored, collected 15 hits and batted .417 with runners in scoring position in their Sunday afternoon win against Baltimore. A couple of hours later, the Yankees announced a gutsy move. They reinstated Volpe from his rehab assignment and, instead of calling him up to the major-league roster, they demoted him to Triple-A Scranton. “What’d they say?” Judge asked Volpe on the phone. “How are you feeling? What’s going on? How’s the shoulder feeling, really?” Judge said he spoke to Volpe for 30–40 minutes. The Yankees captain wanted to check in on the 25-year-old shortstop, who had just lost his job to Jose Caballero. “That was tough,” Judge told me on the field at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “Anthony’s my guy. But I know he’s going to be more motivated than ever to come back here. The team’s been doing well. Caballero at shortstop has been doing just an amazing job, defensively and offensively. So, it’s kind of a tough position to be put in where, you know, how are you gonna change things up?” After the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees from the playoffs last October, Volpe underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. It was an injury that had bothered Volpe all year, with club officials explaining that the labrum tear was part of the reason he hit .212/.272/.391 and posted an OPS+ of 82. The team announced he would miss the start of the season, and Caballero would take over until Volpe completed his rehab. Initially, at least, the Yankees’ plan was always to bring Volpe back to the big leagues. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said as much, multiple times this season, when he was asked about Volpe’s rehab progress. At Volpe’s end, he’d said his shoulder felt great. He spent a few days with the Yankees on the days off from his rehab schedule last month. Taking into account how staunchly the Yankees over the past three years have defended Volpe’s performance and future impact on the club, all signs pointed to the shortstop patrolling the middle of the infield by May. So, what changed? Caballero, after a slow start to the season, started ripping the cover off the ball. The 29-year-old infielder, whom the Yankees traded for at last year’s deadline, entered Monday hitting .324/.370/.544 with four home runs, eight stolen bases, eight RBI and 12 runs scored over his last 19 games. He’s also been a vacuum at one of the most demanding positions in baseball. Caballero leads all MLB shortstops with 7 Defensive Runs Saved. In terms of range, Caballero’s 3 Outs Above Average are ranked in the 94th percentile. “It doesn’t change how we feel about Anthony, and the kind of player we think he is and will be,” Boone said on Monday, explaining the organization’s decision. “But, in this moment of time, we felt like this was absolutely the right thing to do. A lot of that has to do with, we have a lot of really good players right now competing for real roles and real spots. I think that competition ultimately is going to be a great thing for us. “So, right now, I think this is the right choice for us. I think it’s the right thing to do even for Anthony.” While Caballero’s stock started to rise over the past few weeks, the Yankees have become a machine. Their offense, as previously mentioned, is clicking on all cylinders. Yankees hitters lead the AL in slugging percentage, RBI, walk rate and stolen bases. Their starting pitching leads the majors in ERA, WHIP, WAR, strikeouts and opponent batting average. Their bullpen, while not as dominant as it’s been in recent years, is still ranked sixth in the majors in ERA. On Monday, the Yankees completed a sweep of the Orioles in a four-game series. New York’s 24-11 record is the best in the AL and the second-best in the majors, trailing only the Atlanta Braves. It’s possible that bringing up Volpe now would’ve created a tense environment in the Bronx. Fans would’ve expected Volpe to play at the same edgy and high-energy level as Caballero. Even in the clubhouse, replacing Caballero with Volpe would not have been a seamless transition. “It’s a surprise,” Judge said of his reaction to Volpe’s demotion. “But then also, Caballero is rolling, you know? So that’s the biggest thing. How the team’s flowing right now, it’s kind of tough to move some things around.” That was Judge’s way of suggesting he agrees with the Yankees’ decision to keep Volpe in the minors, for now. The slugger told Volpe that he’s a big piece of the puzzle moving forward. Judge reminded Volpe that the Yankees reached the World Series in 2024 with him as their shortstop. Volpe had some big hits against the Dodgers in that Fall Classic, including a grand slam that gave the Yankees the lead in Game 4. Coming through at the plate in the postseason is actually Volpe’s high-water mark. Even last October, the shortstop batted .364 (4-for-11) with a home run and two RBI in the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, helping the Yankees advance to the ALDS. But, while Volpe has shown flashes of what could end up being a bright future, his inconsistency at the plate over the course of the long season has been a problem. After three years, 472 games and 1,886 plate appearances, Volpe has a career OPS+ of 83. “It’s acknowledging where we are as a club right now,” Boone said. “It doesn’t mean somebody’s better or worse. I think Anthony’s going to be a really good player and have a long career in this league. His next step as a player is gaining that consistency offensively. Even through some of his struggles, I think he’s been a way better player than some of the narratives around him sometimes are.” Sure, some of the narratives that circulated online and on talk-radio shows painted Volpe as the worst player Yankees fans have ever seen. That’s simply not the case. It’s easy to overlook that, despite his rough rookie year, Volpe still posted a 20/20 season. But, over the years, the Yankees were unwilling to even entertain the idea that Volpe, who was promoted to the majors after just 21 games in Triple-A, was likely not ready to be declared the long-term solution at shortstop. So, demoting Volpe is a complete reversal of how the organization has operated. After the Yankees missed the playoffs in 2023, general manager Brian Cashman defended Volpe and his player-development processes in a curse-laden outburst with reporters at the GM meetings. Boone, too, used to get irritated at repeated questions about Volpe’s lack of performance. The Yankees stuck with him to the point of stubborn, almost unreasonable, support of the shortstop. At no point during his young career was Volpe sent down to the minors. Until now. The Yankees are showing a noticeable shift in urgency and intensity this season. They demoted former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil after he struggled through four starts this season. They designated veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk for assignment. Third baseman Ryan McMahon has had a short leash at the hot corner. This season, the Yankees have preferred to play the hot hand, highlighted by infielder Amed Rosario performing well and forcing himself into the mix. Demoting Volpe is the clearest sign yet that the Yankees are moving differently this year. Boone on Monday even appeared open to the idea that Volpe might have to switch positions, particularly with George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ No. 1 overall top prospect, joining Volpe in Triple-A Scranton. Judge said he’d like to see Volpe back up with the Yankees even if his role is as “a utility guy.” And even Judge, who tends to tip-toe around questions about front-office decision-making, has noticed the shift in urgency. “Well, we got a good ball club, you know, it’s good to be urgent,” Judge said. “Because us, as players, man, we’re up there, we’re fighting for our lives every single day. We’re trying to win every single ball game. So to see it from the management side, where it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re not gonna mess around here with some moves. We’re gonna do whatever’s best for the team.’ So, you know, you appreciate seeing that as a player. But, I let those guys handle that.” Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Parker McCollum revealed that if his last record hadn’t reignited his creativity, he may have stepped away from music altogether. The Texas native opens up about the mindset behind that moment of honesty as he looks back on that chapter and his journey up to that point.
Music is something that McCollum has always wanted to do, but from the start, he was determined to do it in his own way. So when he signed his first record deal with MCA Nashville, formerly UMG, in 2019, he made sure it was known that no one would tell him how to dress, what kind or music to cut or how to perform. No amount of money could change that.
“I told them, I said, ‘Look, I don’t want the money. I don’t want your advance. I want creative control…And they’ve kept their word on that 100%,” McCollum said during his appearance on the Zach Sang Show.
At the time he gained this partnership, McCollum had already been well into his career with a strong fanbase behind him. The kind of success that he had always dreamed about was slowly building and one-by-one he crossed off bucket list items. He continued to rise while preparing to build out his 2025 album, but behind the curtain McCollum was feeling the most burnt out he ever had.
“I was about to just hang it up completely,” he admitted. “I just kind of had lost the buzz creatively. And I’d been touring nonstop since I was 22 years old. And I was just like, creatively, I was like, ‘I got nothing.’ And so I’ve had a conversation with people in my circle about it. And I kind of got to the point where I was like, ‘Well, if I’m going to hang it up, go make one more record with just zero f**ks given, just do it 100% exactly whatever the hell comes out is what the record is.’”
So as he prepared for what could be the last record he ever made, the singer/songwriter called legendary producer, Frank Liddell, and said he wanted to work together to record a self-titled album in New York City. Making an album in the Big Apple was something McCollum had wanted to do in the past, but it never worked out. This time, he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“I was like, I’m not playing this game anymore. I have nothing in my soul musically, creatively right now. I’ve got to go find it. I know it’s in there. I can’t find it. Something is suffocating it and I can’t fake it, dude. I can’t just go pick some songs that somebody else wrote and cut them and stand up there and smile every night. I can’t do it. Just didn’t work like that for me.”
It wasn’t validation that the country star was seeking. He explained that the only opinions he truly cares about are his own, his brothers and fellow Texas acts Randy Rogers and Koe Wetzel.
“Those are the guys that I want to think that what I’m doing is cool.”
He ultimately wanted to feel fulfilled and to reignite the creative spark inside himself. After recording all 14 tracks and listening to the entire thing front to back, that excitement returned to him.
“That was the most full my cup has ever been in the music business, dude. I answered the question. I do still love this. When I left that city and I was looking out that plane window and I knew the record I had just cut, it was like, damn, all those records, all those shows, all those nights, all the bulls**t and the awards and the number ones and all that, none of it made me feel the way that record made me feel. I finally had made the record I always wondered if I was good enough to make.”
Despite all the accomplishments, McCollum believes that rut he was experiencing ultimately stemmed from the fact that he wasn’t tapping into the real creativity he had when he started out. He wasn’t going to go on a farewell tour, he wasn’t going to say goodbye with a long statement on social media. If this album didn’t work out, it was just over.
“I was just going to go home and quit leaving. I was like, ‘I think I’m just done. I did everything I wanted to do. Nothing else accomplishment wise was going to fill my cup or make me happy.’”
McCollum poured every ounce of himself into that album, and by taking the time to do what he needed creatively, he’s now finds himself inspired and ready to make a thousand more records.
“The freedom that I’ve allowed myself to just like, “Who cares? We’re on a rock floating around a ball of fire, dude. We’re not here long enough to be worrying about that s**t. Go in and sing your songs, pour your fu**ing heart out.”
Luckily, it seems fans don’t have to worry about the “Burn It Down” singer hanging his hat up anytime soon. He’s currently on the road bringing these songs to life night after night on his 2026 headlining tour.
The post Parker McCollum Reflects on Extreme Burnout, Shares What Saved His Career appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now