What is Beulah Jackson really up to? Ep. 3 of ‘Dutton Ranch’ may have shared more than intended. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Month: May 2026
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The Zelig-like DNC autopsy author
Programming note: We’ll be off this Monday but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday.
DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 52
ALBANY AUTOPSY ANGST: National Democrats entrusted their 2024 autopsy to a strategist entwined with another long-ago party calamity: the Obama-era implosion of the New York Senate.
Paul Rivera previously served as a key adviser to state Senate Democratic leader John Sampson, a Brooklyn lawmaker who led an infamously dysfunctional majority for part of 2009 and into 2010 — and was later convicted of federal fraud charges.
Rivera arrived in the Senate with a strong resume after working on gubernatorial and presidential campaigns, including Al Gore and John Kerry. Staffers and lawmakers alike found him to be an inscrutable, enigmatic aide who murmured advice in the background. It was the kind of shapeless profile many advisers hone in power centers across the globe, but seemed especially befitting a state Capitol known for its bewildering opacity.
“The man lurked in the shadows. No one knew where he came from,” former Democratic Senate press aide Travis Proulx said. “It was like a ship in the night working with him. Of everyone I’ve ever worked with he stands out as the man behind the curtain. No one knew how he got there.”
Rivera did not return five phone calls and text messages seeking comment on Thursday and Friday. Sampson also did not return messages seeking comment.
The strategist has little national profile, but his involvement in crafting the widely panned autopsy report was befuddling to Albany Democrats who recall with unease a deeply broken era of New York politics. They still shudder when thinking about their unhappy two-year state Senate majority during the Obama years.
Rivera’s Zelig-like reputation was fostered during that benighted era and even lawmakers struggled to figure out where his power flowed from in the building.
“You never know who he was really loyal to, on whose behalf he was acting,” said former Democratic state Sen. Diane Savino.
Rivera’s name does not appear on the Democratic National Committee’s 192-page report on the 2024 election, formally released Thursday after it was published online by CNN. The autopsy was widely criticized by party officials, ex-Harris campaign aides and former Biden staffers.
The report did not include any references to the party’s challenges over Israel and Gaza, while only making passing references to President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside — widely considered two crucial reasons for the party’s failure two years ago.
DNC Chair Ken Martin apologized for the document in a long statement. But that hasn’t stemmed widespread calls for him to resign the leadership post he’s held for less than 18 months.
Democratic alumni of the fractious state Senate Democratic conference in Albany were flabbergasted that the national party would hand such an important job — analyzing why droves of Americans backed President Donald Trump’s unlikely White House return — to a strategist associated with a disastrous era for Empire State Democrats.
“He sold himself as a guy who knew everything and that he was a master of politics,” Savino said of the former Senate aide’s Albany tenure. “He didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about.”
Read more from POLITICO’s Nick Reisman.
From the Capitol
MICAH’S SUPERNATURAL VOTE: Assemblymember and former teen magician Micah Lasher seemingly made a miraculous journey to New York City from Albany on Thursday.
And Lasher — who is running for the congressional seat held by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler — is refusing to answer questions about how it happened.
The assemblymember apparently was able to cast his vote from Albany at around 4:50 p.m. and make it to Manhattan’s Upper West Side in time for a 7 p.m. candidate forum.
Anyone who’s ever driven the roughly 150 miles from Albany to New York City knows that timetable stretches the limits of reality — unless you’re driving well over the speed limit and get a lucky streak of zero traffic congestion.
Lasher’s campaign refused to say where he physically was at the time he voted, and then ignored multiple follow-up calls from Playbook.
The vote was on a budget bill that included a slate of measures designed to protect immigrants from the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement tactics. Lasher has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the campaign trail, and even traveled to Minnesota in January to join protests against the federal agency.
Earlier today, Lasher touted passage of the bill, saying “I am incredibly proud to have authored this legislation to protect the dignity and safety of all.”
Assembly rules state members need to be in the “bar of the House” in order to be considered present. The “bar” is defined as “the entire Assembly Chamber and lobbies contiguous thereto as designated by the Speaker.”
As our Playbook colleague Bill Mahoney reported last month, members have taken advantage of the policy by routinely being absent from the chambers during votes and debates. Instead, many clock in during the morning and then spend session elsewhere in the Capitol or the adjacent Legislative Office Building. Because they’re technically checked-in and considered present, the members are automatically counted as a “yes” vote on legislation — even if they’re holed up somewhere else in the Capitol complex.
But there’s no indication the “bar” of the House extends to the Catskill exit of the New York State Thruway — a reasonable, but still tight, starting point for someone hoping to make it all the way to West 97th St. in 130 minutes.
And if members do need to leave town early, they’re instructed to tell Assembly leadership so they don’t get mistakenly counted in the vote tally when they’re in another zip code.
Assemblymember Alex Bores, who is also running for the congressional seat — along with Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg and former Republican Trump antagonist George Conway — made it to the forum late because he voted for the bill and also took time to explain his vote on the floor.
After Bores apologized for his tardiness at the forum, which was hosted by a group of tenant associations, he expressed befuddlement at how Lasher was seemingly able to beam across the Hudson Valley and also cast his vote.
“You got to tell me the route that gets me here in two hours. That’s remarkable,” Bores said, in a video reviewed by Playbook. “You voted on it?”
“I did,” Lasher said, giving a nod. — Jason Beeferman
BURSTING INTO TIERS: A package of changes to the Tier 6 pension plan have been finalized as state budget talks come to an end, two people familiar with the conversations said.
“Tier 6 is done,” said one of the people, who was granted anonymity to relay the closed-door negotiations.
The changes will allow teachers to retire at age 58 after 30 years of service. Employee contribution rates for many public workers will fall to 3 percent of their pay checks. The total cost stands at more than $550 million a year spread out between the state government, municipalities and school districts.
The provision is expected to be tucked inside the transportation and economic development budget bill.
The overhaul represents a major victory for labor, which has detested the less-generous pension tier since its 2012 inception.
Read more from POLITICO Pro’s Nick Reisman.
FROM CITY HALL
SIGNS OF LIFE: The zombie charter revision commission created by former Mayor Eric Adams will release a report next week listing proposed changes to the City Charter the body may pursue — even as state legislation seeks to kill the outfit altogether and ensure it stays dead.
The report, which was obtained by Playbook, is set to appear in the City Record Tuesday. In addition to the prospect of open primaries, it suggests more reforms to the city’s land use process, prohibiting elected officials from giving themselves pay raises and making it harder to change term limit laws. The report also muses about making permanent several mayoral offices relating to combating hate crimes and antisemitism and forcing City Hall to fund future charter revision commissions. That last one is key.
This particular commission was created on the last day of Adams’ tenure and is being spearheaded by his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro.
The rogue body is advancing proposals that would make life difficult for Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Open primaries, for example, would empower more moderate candidates and complicate the mayor’s reelection prospects. The report also recommended putting to voters several executive orders related to combating antisemitism that were signed by Adams — also in the waning days of his term — and left to lapse by the current mayor. The expiration of the executive orders predictably sparked consternation with many Jewish residents.
The commission has been criticized as an abuse of the process by city and state government ethics organizations — even by those who support the concept of open primaries. And while Mamdani has starved the commission of funds, Albany went a step further by passing legislation Thursday that effectively dissolves the body.
The mayor has been playing coy about what he will do (despite being the person who asked for the state provision in the first place). He said at a press conference Thursday he is still considering his options.
The commission remains undeterred, however. It plans to sue over the state legislation while plowing ahead with its work. A public hearing remains on the schedule for next week.
Kayla Mamelak Altus, a commission member, said state lawmakers are attempting to silence the will of the people, who would otherwise be able to help shape the commission’s eventual ballot questions.
“That should send chills down the spines of all New Yorkers who care about having a voice in our local democracy,” she said in a statement. “This attempt to retroactively dismantle a legally constituted Charter Revision Commission in the middle of its work flies in the face of municipal home rule.” — Joe Anuta
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
BREWING SUPPORT: City Council member and Upper West Side fixture Gale Brewer has endorsed Stephanie Ruskay in the race for an open state Assembly seat covering the vote-rich enclave.
“We need leaders who are smart, compassionate, and deeply rooted in the communities they serve,” Brewer said in a statement shared exclusively with Playbook. “That’s why I’m proud to support Stephanie Ruskay for State Assembly.”
Ruskay, who would be the first female rabbi elected to the state Legislature, is running for the seat being vacated by Assemblymember Micah Lasher, who himself is vying for an open congressional seat.
In addition to Brewer, who has represented the area over two stints in the Council, Ruskay is being backed by a number of sitting officials including City Comptroller Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and City Council member Shaun Abreu.
She’s locked in a battle with Eli Northrup, a public defender who has received endorsements from local Democratic clubs and organizations farther to the left in a proxy war between different wings of the Democratic Party. — Joe Anuta
IN OTHER NEWS
— PRESSURE FROM WITHIN: Hundreds of immigrants detained at a Newark immigration detention center went on a hunger and labor strike, demanding the facility’s closure, their release and visits from elected officials. (Gothamist)
— PLAY NICE!: Kathy Wylde, former head of the Partnership for New York City and a key business broker, is again playing go-between for Mamdani and corporate leaders. (New York Post)
— FARE FIGHT: World Cup fans are opting for $20 buses over $98 train rides to MetLife Stadium, amid backlash over steep transit prices. (The New York Times)
Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politics
Glenfarne CEO Brendan Duval speaks on May 21, 2026, at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage, while Gov. Mike Dunleavy listens. Duval and the governor argue that a near-total elimination of property taxes on gasline-related infrastructre is one of the last steps needed to make Glenfarne’s massive liquefied natural gas project a reality. Dunleavy has called a special session in the hopes of getting lawmakers to approve that tax change. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
On the day a special legislative session began to consider tax incentives for a long-desired pipeline to carry natural gas from the North Slope to markets, Gov. Mike Dunleavy insisted that the massive project is about to become reality.
“It’s gone from concept to discussion to, now, execution,” Dunleavy told the audience Thursday at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage.
All that it will take to start “the most transformational, generational project this part of the world has ever seen” is a shift away from the state’s petroleum property tax system, Dunleavy said.
The governor has called lawmakers into a special session to pass a bill imposing sweeping changes in the property tax system that has been the main source of revenue for several Alaska local governments. Under his proposal — which lawmakers failed to approve before the end of the just-concluded regular session — the state and local governments would eliminate 90% of the property tax that would be levied on gasline-related infrastructure in exchange for future opportunities to tax natural gas as it moves through the yet-to-be-built system.
The founder and chief executive officer of the company proposing to build the gas pipeline system urged conference attendees to lobby for the governor’s bill.
“Please talk to your mayors, your elected officials, your legislators, your community leaders, your union leaders and get them behind any rally here to call to arms. Let’s get this thing over the line,” said Brendan Duval, the CEO of the Glenfarne Group.
Action by the legislature is one of the last pieces needed to proceed to a final investment decision, Duval said.
A few blocks from the Deni’ina Civic and Convention Center, where the conference was held, energy and environmental experts detailed reasons to be wary about Glenfarne’s plan.
The insistence on a near-elimination of property taxes is a sign of the plan’s weakness, they said.
“I have less faith in anything regarding the pipeline than I did three days ago,” said Dan Rodgers, a board member at the Anchorage-based Chugach Electric Association, at a panel discussion organized as an alternative to the conference.
Erin McKittrick, a Homer Electric Association board member, said Glenfarne’s promises seem hollow, with important information lacking.
“We had Glenfarne here last year saying that they were going to get their (final investment decision) by the end of 2025 before the legislative session. And then now we have Glenfarne saying they are completely dependent on a tax break that the legislature passes for them,” she said.
The call for a groundswell of support for the governor’s bill is suspicious in itself, McKittrick said. “If you actually have a project, you don’t need a bunch of individual citizens to rally for your project which already has its permits. You need to go do the actual pieces of it,” she said.
Krystal Lapp of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center said she hopes lawmakers meeting in the special session will reject the governor’s plan.
“It would be crazy if I went to the legislature and said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to pay 90% of my taxes in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Would you please have Dunleavy go over there and bully them into a special session?’” she said.
Instead of pinning hopes on a giant project that developers insist requires near-elimination of state and local property taxes, Alaska policy should focus on diversifying energy sources through more use of renewables, the panelists said.
Hydropower is already a significant contributor to the Southcentral Alaska energy mix, and four more hydro projects are being considered to boost that contribution, Rodgers said.
Conference criticized
A day earlier, a group of activists had harsher criticism of Dunleavy and Glenfarne, which was a prominent sponsor of the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference.
The use of the word “sustainable” for the conference was a sham, said the activists, who staged a protest rally Wednesday on the sidewalk across the street from the convention center. They blasted Dunleavy, featured speaker U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — who encouraged lawmakers to approve the governor’s tax bill — conference sponsor Glenfarne and others for emphasizing fossil fuel development over renewables.
Sara Siqiñiq Thomas of Alaska Community Action on Toxics said she attended last year but was too disappointed at the content to attend this year. “We know that what’s going on in there is a lot of false solutions,” she said at the rally on the sidewalk across from the convention center.
Chris Kasanke of the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition targeted the Glenfarne project specifically. It is no more economically viable than all the other gas pipeline plans that were proposed but failed over the past half century, he said.
“This is an extremely bad project for Alaska, and right now they are debating giving corporate subsidies to this AK LNG project,” he said. “Why do we continually subsidize dirty energy for oil executives that don’t live here, right? We don’t need that. What we need to do is start working on renewable energy, real renewable, sustainable energy.”
The conference did have some sessions on renewable energy, including one in which Dunleavy defended his record of promoting renewable energy in Alaska.
His own family benefits, he said on Wednesday.
“I may be the only governor in the country that has a 50-panel array, solar array, at my residence, and I can tell you from my own experience, even in the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21, especially up here in Alaska, we generate electricity,” he said.
Long history of gas pipeline plans
The energy industry, including major international companies, has floated various North Slope gas pipeline plans over several decades. All were abandoned, despite support and authorizations for gas pipeline development from presidential administrations dating back to the 1970s, as well as enabling legislation from Congress dating back decades. Those past plans include a “bullet line” concept promoted in the early 2000s that would deliver North Slope gas to the Cook Inlet region, just as Glenfarne is planning to do with its first phase.
But Dunleavy said the Glenfarne plan, with an estimated cost ranging from $44 billion to over $65 billion, “is very different” from those past failed plans.
He listed reasons why he believes that: permits that have been granted, a war in the Middle East that has disrupted world energy markets, the emergence of artificial intelligence and need for data farms that is driving up the demand for energy, the looming scarcity of natural gas from Cook Inlet — long the source of supply for Alaska’s most populated region — and the enthusiastic support of President Donald Trump.
Throughout the conference, Dunleavy, Duval and others praised the president, citing Trump’s policies to promote fossil fuel development.
“I really do see this as the beginning of a golden age for Alaska,” Dunleavy said on Tuesday at the start of the event, echoing a phrase that Trump is fond of using. “I’ve never seen more opportunity come out of an administration that has come out of this administration, and a better partnership than what we have with the federal government.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Prestige, entertainment and life-changing opportunities are synonymous with the iconic 2.5-mile track and one of the biggest motorsports events in the world. Well, the hot dog-based motorsports world anyway. We are, of course, talking about the second edition of the Wienie 500 on Friday afternoon, and while the sun was far from out, the buns definitely were. “We’re OK with soggy buns,” Corn Dog driver, Trey O’Shea, a.k.a. Tailgate Trey, told us. But luckily, the only thing raining was mustard when New York Dog took the checkered flag. Six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles hit the iconic 2.5-mile track Friday afternoon, delivering a fun and exciting second edition of the Wienie 500 in front of many fans who were dressed as hot dogs for the occasion. The Wienermobiles represent different regions around the U.S.: Chi Dog (Midwest), New York Dog (East), Chili Dog (South), Seattle Dog (Northwest) and Slaw Dog (Southeast) were joined by a fan-picked Corn Dog, representing the country as a whole. The six vehicles are rarely in the same place, as they travel around the country throughout the rest of the year. The Wienie 500 brought them all together again as the appetizer for Sunday’s 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. And, to be frank, the “hotdoggers” — the Wienermobile drivers and spotters in the passenger seat — knew it would be tough to catch up to and dethrone the reigning champ Slaw Dog. But they managed to pull it off as the New York Dog held onto its lead, emerging as the top dog, getting all the glory in the “Wiener’s Circle” with the “Borg-Wiener Trophy.” “It was fun,” Andy Richter, the “Commander in Beef,” told us in Wiener’s Circle. “I [picked] Corn Dog, and they were last. But they’re the new ones, so I like the underdog, no pun — this is the punniest place I’ve ever been. If you talk to any of those drivers, it’s nonstop puns.” Here are our takeaways from the 2026 Wienie 500: 1. Three-Wide Racing Is Especially Wild With Wienermobiles The two-lap race may seem like a sprint compared with the 200-lap Indy 500, but there was still plenty of action — starting with the Chi Dog practically running Seattle Dog off the track. Slaw Dog took an early lead, followed by Chi Dog, Chili Dog, Corn Dog, New York Dog and Seattle Dog. But the defending champ’s advantage didn’t last. Racing three-wide on the second 2.5-mile lap, Chili Dog, Chi Dog and New York Dog were almost trading bun shades in a heated battle for the lead. Ultimately, New York Dog pulled out front and held on for a mustard-filled celebration in the Wiener’s Circle. “There’s no way to describe it,” New York Dog driver Camila Fowler, a.k.a. Cook ‘Em Cam, told us afterward. “No words. At the end of the day, we were a team, we were ready for anything and just happy to be here and happy to do it for New York.” The Wienermobiles kept it exciting, proving three-wide racing is captivating in any form. Perhaps the New York Dog crew of hotdoggers picked up some tips and tricks from the pros. For the second edition of the Wienie 500, INDYCAR drivers Scott McLaughlin, Nolan Siegel and Sting Ray Robb worked with the hotdoggers, offering a little bit of coaching on how to handle the IMS oval. They were also in a coaching booth during the race. “Tastes like victory,” New York Dog spotter Jack Cupit, a.k.a. Jack and Cheese, shouted while downing a dog in the Wiener’s Circle. He didn’t know the team’s top speed, just that it was “faster than second.” Here are the complete results from the 2026 Wienie 500: 2. Slaw Dog Just Didn’t Have Enough This Year As the winner of the inaugural Wienie 500 last year, Slaw Dog has had bragging rights while living that glizzy glam life. And it had a chance to defend its title late in the race but was maybe relishing last year’s “W” a little too much. Ultimately finishing third, maybe Slaw Dog’s aero-dognamics just weren’t the best. After the three-wide moment that sent New York Dog up front, Slaw Dog looked like it could have followed the leader’s draft. But third place is still respectable. Not the wurst, but not the best. 3. Corn Dog Should Be A Staple, But What Other Dogs Could Be Added? The Corn Dog was new for the 2026 Wienie 500, but it needs a permanent spot in the starting lineup. Replacing the Sonoran Dog, fans voted in a Pick Your Dog” bracket to add the Corn Dog to the mix, complete with a stick in its derrière. “Last year, Sonoran Dog had smoked buns — did not cut the mustard — so they actually relegated that name,” Corn Dog driver, Trey O’Shea, a.k.a. Tailgate Trey, told us before the race. “They’re 27 feet long, and we got an extra six feet on the back here,” he added. “So knowing how to maneuver it [can be challenging]. That’s why we got two of us. Four eyes on the road at all time.” What else could be added to the Wienie 500 lineup? Of course, it’d likely have to be a real Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, but what about a Coney Dog or kielbasa or bratwurst or Italian sausage? 4. Absurd Juxtaposition Offers Levity Around The Biggest Race Weekend In The World The Indy 500 is serious business. For some drivers and teams, it’s the only INDYCAR race they compete in all year, using the entire calendar to prepare for race day. Losing is heartbreaking, but winning the Indy 500 truly is life-changing. And with heightened emotions, pressure and stakes, the Month of May is all business for competitors. And that’s why the Wienie 500 is a delightful respite and a welcome highlight of Carb Day at IMS. Where else can you see a bunch of Wienermobiles running around a legendary 117-year-old track? And that’s the amuse-bouche to the Indy 500, when drivers regularly break 200 miles an hour? It’s an excellent addition to Carb Day’s lineup, which historically has been mostly about the final Indy 500 practice, the Pit Stop Competition and concerts for fans. But the Wienie 500 is incredible entertainment, and hopefully IMS and Oscar Mayer keep this race going for a while. 4 1/2. What’s Next? The main course. The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 24, at 12:30 p.m. ET with Alex Palou leading the field to green. The pre-race broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. ET, followed by The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, both of which can be watched on FOX or streamed on FOX One.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
An Indianapolis 500 champion. A two-time INDYCAR champion. Known as the fastest racer in INDYCAR with a record 71 pole positions, and 45 career victories for fourth on the all-time wins list. Will Power has had the kind of career drivers dream of — and until 2026, he spent 17 years with Team Penske. In news that shocked the racing world, Power and Team Penske parted ways at the end of the 2025 season, and the 45-year-old Australian landed with Andretti Global. His roller-coaster journey and early struggles with a new team are examined in the latest episode of “All In” — a real-time docuseries from FOX Sports, INDYCAR and Shadow Lion. “You’re in a contract year, and that’s the year the team has a big struggle,” Power said of his final year with Team Penske in the “All In” episode titled, “Murphy’s Law.” He noted that Roger Penske gave him the green light to explore opportunities with other INDYCAR teams but didn’t get the discussions he was seeking from his own team. “They didn’t even talk to me in the offseason,” Power said. “That definitely pissed me off. I would say it’s a lack of respect for someone who had been there as long as I had.” While Team Penske brought in David Malukas, Power found a new opportunity to build on his already legendary career with Andretti. Although he faced uncertainty surrounding his future, he said he was drawn to Andretti’s resources, budget and potential. “Everybody’s very excited to see what Will can do behind the wheel of a different car because he had been with Penske for so long,” INDYCAR on FOX analyst James Hinchcliffe said in the latest “All In” episode. “We’ve never really seen him in anything different. You just never thought you’d see the day where Will was rocking up to the track in anything but Penske gear. But he’s here, and he’s hungry.” But he hasn’t had the best of luck so far this season. Following Power around Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Indy Road Course weekend, “All In” captures a behind-the-scenes angle on Power starting from the back of the field, working his way to the lead, only to have a potential win slip through his grasp with a preventable penalty. Power obviously knows what it takes to win, and his motivation isn’t waning. But he’s eager for his Andretti team to break through and regularly contend for race wins, including Sunday’s 110th Indy 500. “I think I’ve improved every single year in my career, but it’s really hard to decipher what is what because the competition has become so much harder,” Power said in “All In.” “You’ve got to be able to adapt quickly.” Featuring INDYCAR drivers and insiders — along with INDYCAR on FOX’s Hinchcliffe, Will Buxton and Townsend Bell — “All In” examines the biggest challenges, the pressure points and the high-speed competition of racing in the series. But each episode features its own focus on a driver, team or series storyline. Watch “All In” on the INDYCAR On FOX YouTube page, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, FOX One, as well as INDYCAR and INDYCAR on FOX social channels.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
As the days get hotter and longer, everyone starts thinking about grilling out. This can only mean one thing – a slew of new side dishes to try out.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
NOTN- Goldbelt Inc. will not reopen the Goldbelt Tram until a full round of safety testing and recertification is complete following an April 30 mechanical incident that injured several employees, the company’s president and CEO said.
McHugh Pierre said an internal investigation found “an operational event” triggered the tram’s emergency stop system, causing both cars to contact infrastructure near the lower terminal and skybridge.
“I want to make sure that everybody knows that safety is the core component at the Goldbelt Tram, and at all Goldbelt operations.” Said Pierre, “We take events like what happened April 30th at the tram very seriously, and so we’ve completed a rigorous investigation. We’ve identified an operational event that occurred that triggered the emergency stop system at the tram, and because of the proximity of where the cars were to the lower terminal in the sky bridge, each one of those cars made contact with that infrastructure. We are going through very serious testing and evaluation of all of our equipment before we reopen to make sure that we continue to stay focused, and have a very clear mandate on safety across all of our systems.”
Pierre said the tram, which is marking its 30th year of operation, undergoes rigorous annual inspections before each season, including non-destructive testing of welds on aluminum and steel for stress fractures, and evaluation of the haul and tow cables. The manufacturer also participates in reviewing the electric and diesel motor systems.
Because of the April incident, the full inspection is being repeated.
“We will go through it before we reopen this summer, and there’s been some confusion, and I understand, you know, people are looking for some answers. We will reopen when we are safe and certified to reopen.” Pierre said.
All season pass holders have been refunded but will still receive their usual benefits once the tram resumes service.
“I’m committed to being the first person to ride a tram car up the mountain,” he said, adding he wants to personally demonstrate the system’s safety and reliability, “I want to make sure that I can personally demonstrate the certainty that our loyal local customers have, and our visiting customers have as well.”
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As you’ve likely heard by now, Stephen Colbert hosted the final episode of The Late Show on Thursday night.
Many believe that CBS’ decision to cancel the show was politically motivated, as Colbert often cracked jokes at the expense of the White House, and the network’s parent company, Paramount, had recently been acquired by the Trump-supporting Ellison family.
Paramount has maintained that the decision was a purely financial one, but President Trump made it clear that he couldn’t be happier to see Colbert bid adieu.
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform today, adding:
“He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
Trump’s parting shot at Colbert didn’t come as much of a surprise.
In fact, the president basically announced in advance that he would be dunking on the comic following his final show (probably not a situation the framers of the Constitution ever envisioned!).
“I’ll have a message at a later date,” Trump told reporters earlier this week.
This, of course, is not the first time that Trump has lashed out at a late night host.
He and members of his family and administration have repeatedly called for Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show to be canceled in the wake of jokes Kimmel has mde about Trump.
In a statement to People, Colbert suggested that it was beneath the president’s dignity to fixate on jokes made by late night hosts.
Kimmel was one of many TV personalities to speak out in Colbert’s defense after CBS announced plans to cancel The Late Show.
“We’re clowns,” Colbert said of late-night hosts in general. “How much does it diminish the office of the Presidency to even notice what we say?”
Colbert’s show is set to be replaced by Comics Unleashed, a standup showcase created by media mogul Byron Allen.
Trump has yet to remark on Allen of the network’s scheduling decision.
But we know that the president enjoys staying up late to watch TV and use social media — his anti-Colbert rant was posted at 1:52 am this morning.
Donald Trump Bashes Stephen Colbert as ‘Total Jerk’ and ‘Dead … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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After months of speculation surrounding a 24-team College Football Playoff model, all eyes now shift to next week’s SEC spring meetings, where one of college football’s most powerful conferences could ultimately determine the future of the sport’s postseason. FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt spent this week at the Big Ten spring meetings in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, where CFP expansion dominated conversations among coaches, athletic directors and conference leaders. According to Klatt, the takeaway from those meetings was clear: support for a 24-team playoff is much stronger than many initially believed. While the Big Ten has discussed expansion possibilities for months now, commissioner Tony Petitti publicly offered his strongest support yet this week for a 24-team CFP format. The latest proposed model would eliminate automatic qualifiers in favor of a selection-based format featuring the 23 highest-ranked teams and one Group of 6 representative. That framework has recently gained traction across the ACC and the Big 12, both of which have shown support for the proposal. But despite growing momentum, the spotlight now turns to the SEC, which will hold its annual spring meetings in Destin, Florida. According to Klatt, those meetings could become one of the most pivotal moments yet in the CFP expansion debate. “I had multiple coaches tell me that 90% of the coaches in the SEC and 100% of the athletic directors in the SEC favor a 24-team model for CFP expansion,” Klatt said in a clip released from an upcoming episode of “The Joel Klatt Show.” That runs counter to the belief that the SEC was firmly opposed to a 24-team model. In fact, Klatt said there is a growing sense within Big Ten circles that next week’s SEC meetings could feature significant disagreement. “That makes this next week in Destin so interesting because there is a sentiment, at least among the Big Ten coaches, that the meetings between Greg Sankey — the commissioner of the SEC — and his coaches are going to be contentious,” Klatt said. Support for the 24-team model has continued to grow beyond just the Power 4 conferences. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), a highly influential group of coaches in college football, has also backed the proposal. That group includes Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, arguably the most influential coach in the SEC and one of the sport’s most powerful voices. That’s why next week’s meetings in Destin could become a turning point for the future of college football. “The coaches are gonna be pushing for one thing, and Greg [Sankey] has publicly stated something very different,” Klatt said. “They might not have a consensus down there in those rooms.” Ultimately, though, the final decision might not rest solely with coaches or conference commissioners. As Klatt pointed out, it’s the university presidents who have the ultimate say. Sankey, who has served as the commissioner of the SEC since 2015, works for the president of the SEC. “If the athletic director and coaches get their presidents on board, Greg Sankey is not going to fend off all of his bosses,” Klatt said. “He has 16 bosses in the SEC.” Petitti indicated this week that if the SEC were to support the 24-team format, implementation could happen as early as the 2027 season. Whether Sankey and the SEC can come to an agreement remains unclear. But after months of speculation, the center of the college football world is about to shift to Destin, where the next chapter of CFP expansion could take shape.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports