Hikers will again carry and assemble a trampoline on Flattop Mountain for the summer solstice, blending a challenging hike with a unique Anchorage tradition.
Day: June 16, 2026
Hikers will again carry and assemble a trampoline on Flattop Mountain for the summer solstice, blending a challenging hike with a unique Anchorage tradition.
Zac Brown is giving fans a closer look at the custom suit he wore while singing the national anthem at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend, and the patriotic surprise hidden inside the jacket is turning heads.
In a video shared to Instagram, the Zac Brown Band frontman showed off the custom-designed suit, noting that “it’s all in the details.”
He kicked off the clip by praising the suit’s designer, declaring, “Mitch Purgason is a bada**.”
As Brown unveiled the special details, a woman believed to be his wife, Kendra Scott, could be heard off camera admiring the design.
“Check this out…America,” he says as he opens the jacket to reveal the custom image inside, which depicts the country hitmaker riding a bald eagle with an American flag and fireworks in the background.
Scott laughs from behind the camera as Brown explains, “I might be riding an eagle inside my jacket.”
“:What about the shirt, show us the shirt,” she encourages him.
Brown then showed off custom stitching on his shirt that read “USA 250,” a nod to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
“So cool,” Scott compliments.
According to his website, Mitch Purgason is a custom clothing designer known for creating one-of-a-kind garments for celebrities, athletes, executives, and entertainers around the world. His clients include NFL stars such as Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Dak Prescott, and Cooper DeJean, as well as NASCAR drivers Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick. He has also designed for artists including Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, and Zach John King.
In 2024, Purgason made history as the first designer of the official Heisman Trophy Blazer, a custom piece that will be awarded to past and future Heisman winners for years to come.
Many fans took to the comments section to praise the look.
“The tailor for that suit is outstanding – not easy to match all the stripes – lining was incredible,” one user wrote.
Another shared, “You looked dapper and your performance of the National Anthem was amazing! Gave me goosebumps.”
Brown performed the National Anthem on Sunday on the White House lawn ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 event. Backed by the United States Marine Band, he delivered a powerful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with a flyover adding to the moment at the conclusion of the performance.
Ahead of the event, Brown doubled down on his decision to perform, saying for him, “this is patriotism, not politics.”
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Brown explained why he chose to take part.
“Man, I’m there for the troops, man. I’m there to honor America… This is patriotism, not politics for me. I mean, f*** all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country. I love all the people that have sacrificed so that I can live my American dream and that everyone that lives here gets a chance to do that if they work hard, make the right decisions and do that. So it doesn’t have a place in politics for me,” he stated, later adding, “There’s going to be 8,000 active service members that are going to be there.”
The post Zac Brown Unveils Hidden Patriotic Design Inside Custom White House Performance Suit appeared first on Country Now.
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Iditarod organizers are preparing for summer signups and recruiting for the Expedition Musher Program, which returns in 2027 to expand trail access and participation.
Anchorage fire officials say the color-coded signs help residents understand wildfire risk and determine what types of burning are allowed.
You’ve probably driven past Anchorage’s color-coded fire danger signs, but do you know what they actually mean? The Anchorage Fire Department says the signs are updated daily based on wildfire conditions and determine what types of outdoor burning are allowed.…
Fire activity is decreasing across Alaska, with only two staffed fires remaining near Ambler and Fairbanks as crews continue containment and monitor lightning risk.
![<a href="https://countrynow.com/riley-green-reveals-his-strategy-for-co-hosting-cma-fest-2026-exclusive/" target="_blank">Riley Green Reveals His Strategy For Co-Hosting CMA Fest 2026 [Exclusive]</a>](https://countrynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Lara-Spencer-Riley-Green-1024x683.jpg)
Riley Green is gearing up to take on a new role as co-host of CMA Fest presented by SoFi, alongside Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer. Ahead of the three-hour concert special, set to air June 25 on ABC, he shared a glimpse into his hosting approach.
The country music star tells Country Now that he doesn’t plan to take the serious route, and instead will be leaning more towards creating a fun, lighthearted energy for the night and staying true to himself.
“I think it’d be really tough for me to be the serious guy. I think I’ll probably have to go with a goofy guy from Alabama, which I play pretty well,” he shared while backstage at the festival.
As part of his hosting duties, Green says he’s most looking forward to getting the chance to turn the tables and step into the role of interviewer instead of interviewee for once.
“I’m excited about getting to ask other artists questions. The questions that I wish people would ask me,” he added.
This year, CMA Fest 2026 took place Thursday June 4-Sunday June 7. Throughout each of the days, thousands of fans came from far and wide to experience all the acts who played the free outdoor shows and step inside Fan Fair X for celebrity meet-and-greets, live acoustic performances, interviews, and merchandise shopping.
In addition to hosting the nightly shows across the four-day festival, Green also took the stage at Nissan Stadium on the final evening to perform a few fan-favorite tracks. While he was busy with both of those roles, his beloved corgi Carl, had his own busy schedule. He made an appearance in Fan Fair X at his very own meet and greet.
The line quickly hit capacity, with eager fans hoping to score a photo with the Instagram famous pup, also known as Carl the Cowboy Corgi.
“Putting his little butt to work is what we’re doing,” Green stated. “I’m excited about it.”
He even jokingly predicted that Carl’s meet and greet line would surely be longer than his own. However, he says he’s no stranger to fans wanting to get to meet his adorable companion.
“I’m used to that people come into my meet and greets now and they’re looking at my feet to see if Carl’s in there. They don’t care about me anymore.”
The two of them kept themselves busy at CMA Fest while Green’s other dog, Carol Ann, who also happens to be Carl’s girlfriend, was back at the farm taking care of her puppies.
Next week, Fans will finally get the chance to relive all the fun and must-see performances of one of the biggest weekends in country music as the stars of the genre take over the small screen for CMA Fest presented by SoFi, hosted by Green and Spencer.
The star-studded concert special will feature performances from Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.
Tune into the special Thursday, June 25 at 8/7c on ABC or stream it the next day on Hulu.
SoFi has been named the first-ever broadcast presenting sponsor and Official Bank of CMA Fest, joining the festival in a partnership centered on helping people pursue financial independence through music. As part of the collaboration, SoFi will highlight standout performances, including country icon Deana Carter and the live debut of Shaboozey’s new single, “Cowgirl.”
The post Riley Green Reveals His Strategy For Co-Hosting CMA Fest 2026 [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.
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For 45 minutes, France looked like a disjointed tournament favorite. Senegal was quicker, sharper and a missed sitter away from leading at the break. After a slow start, France remembered it had Kylian Mbappé — and by full-time he’d dragged Les Bleus to a 3-1 win and himself into the history books. The scoreboard read 3-1, and Mbappé is now France’s greatest-ever men’s goalscorer. Mercifully for Les Bleus, the first half won’t be remembered at all.Here are my takeaways from France’s opening win: 1. Mbappé Made History, The Hard Way For an hour, this wasn’t the Mbappé anyone bought tickets for. Wasteful, heavy in the touch, robbed in good areas, beaten to everything by Senegal keeper Édouard Mendy. The France captain was poor in the first half, considering his lofty standards. Then he scored twice in the second half and rewrote the record books. The first, a clinical first-time finish from Michael Olise’s pass, drew Mbappé level with Les Bleus legend Olivier Giroud. The historic second goal — restoring the cushion seconds after Senegal pulled one back — made him France’s men’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals, reached in his 99th cap. Giroud needed 137. And Mbappé is still only 27 years old.That’s the magnificent truth about Mbappé: He can be invisible for 45 minutes and still walk off as the most important player in his country’s history. He’s also up to 14 World Cup goals now — two shy of Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. 2. France Can Win While Playing In Third Gear Here’s the slightly unfair truth about this team: It doesn’t need to be good to win. It just needs to be France for 20 minutes.The team was second best for a half. Senegal pressed, countered with pace and created the better chances. Nicolas Jackson rattled the post, and was dangerous on a few offside decisions. Ismaïla Sarr missed a near-open net before the break. On another night, France is chasing this at the halftime break.Instead, Senegal wasn’t clinical, France had a finisher who was historic, and the rest sorted itself out. Ibrahim Mbaye’s late strike was the goal their hour deserved — and it changed nothing.That’s the gap between the contenders and everyone else: Senegal did almost everything right given the opposition and lost by two 3. This Says Nothing About Senegal File this one under “means nothing.” Senegal played well, and a 3-1 scoreline doesn’t deserve criticism. This is not a team punching above its weight. Look at where these players earn their living: Nicolas Jackson at Bayern Munich, Ismaïla Sarr tormenting fullbacks and scoring more than 20 goals at Crystal Palace, Iliman Ndiaye and the evergreen Idrissa Gueye at Everton, Pape Matar Sarr at Tottenham, Habib Diarra at Sunderland, Lamine Camara at Monaco, Pape Gueye at Villarreal. Behind them, the experienced spine of Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mendy. Seven Premier League players alone.Pape Thiaw’s side defend with discipline and counter with real venom. They were the better team for the first half and lost anyway — the cruelty of the margins at this level, not a verdict on Senegal. Norway and Iraq are next. Don’t be shocked if these guys trouble somebody in the knockouts. 4. What’s France’s Best Front Four — And Can It Afford It? Didier Deschamps has the problem every other coach dreams about: too many quality players, not enough balance. Tonight’s front leaned on Mbappé, Ousmané Dembélé, Olise and Desiré Doué — closer to a 4-2-4 than his usual 4-2-3-1 — and for a half it left Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot stranded. France was wide open and the defense often forced to man mark. Mbappé’s never been famous for his pressing; he managed fewer interceptions in La Liga for Real Madrid last season than Joan García, who is a goalkeeper.We even got a Ryan Cherki cameo, and the Manchester City playmaker makes France’s best XI more fun without making it more balanced. Every flair merchant you add is another body not shielding that midfield two.The talent is absurd. The question for a manager in his final tournament is restraint: How much beauty can France afford before it costs this team a knockout game? Especially since the quality of the opposition will only strengthen in the knockout stages.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Kylian Mbappé scored the 13th and 14th World Cup goals of his career Tuesday, moving the France forward past Pelé, Lionel Messi and countryman Just Fontaine and into a tie for third most in tournament history. He also set a scoring record for France’s national team. Mbappé first scored in the 66th minute of France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal after having several good scoring chances denied earlier by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, including in the second half. He scored again from long range in stoppage time, giving him two in the game and 58 in international play to break a tie with Oliver Giroud for the national team record. Playing in his third World Cup, the 27-year-old Mbappé is now tied with Germany’s Gerd Müller and one behind Brazil’s Ronaldo. Germany’s Miroslav Klose has the record with 16 World Cup goals. Mbappé had little trouble finding room between Senegal defenders several times in the first 14 or so minutes. But he was sloppy with the ball for much of the rest of the first half before he and his teammates started to mesh. Mbappé scored 25 goals this past season with Real Madrid. Reporting by The Associated Press.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports