Our chicken bacon ranch dip has all the savory, tangy cheesiness you expect from the traditional dip, but gets a pop of color and sweet heat from pimentos.
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Month: June 2026
Odell Beckham Jr. is going back to his first professional home. The wide receiver has agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, according to multiple reports. The terms of Beckham’s deal with New York are unknown, but he visited the Giants on Monday. New York also reportedly agreed to terms on a contract with wide receiver Braxton Berrios earlier in the day. Beckham’s return to the Giants had been months in the making. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Beckham for a season with the Ravens, told reporters at the owners meeting in March that the team was open to signing Beckham. In those comments, Harbaugh also shared that he and Beckham had remained in contact even after the wide receiver left Baltimore at the end of the 2023 season. A few weeks later, Beckham had a workout with the Giants and underwent a physical for the team. While a deal didn’t culminate then, it was apparent that New York’s interest in reuniting with Beckham was real. This past week created an urgency for the Giants to add at wide receiver. Wide receiver Gunner Olszewski tore his Achilles during New York’s organized team activities (OTAs) session on Friday, thinning the Giants’ depth at the position. Star wide receiver Malik Nabers is returning from an ACL tear that ended his second season early, and Darius Slayton is rehabbing from a core injury. New York also lost productive wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency this offseason, but signed veterans Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin. The Giants used a third-round pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields as well. Beckham, 33, didn’t play in the NFL in the 2025 season, remaining unsigned for the entire year following a stint with the Miami Dolphins, as he was also suspended six games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. However, he had expressed an interest in playing again multiple times this offseason. Beckham emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers during his Giants tenure. After being taken by New York with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Beckham quickly set Giants and NFL records. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, logging 1,305 receiving yards and making his memorable one-handed grab that season. He also tied Lance Alworth for the NFL record for the fewest games needed to reach 4,000 career receiving yards, as he had at least 1,300 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. But Beckham’s dominance never translated into consistent success for the Giants. They reached the postseason only once in his five-year tenure with the team, causing New York to trade Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 as part of a rebuild. Now, Beckham will join another rebuilding Giants squad that is hoping to get back into the postseason for the first time in four years.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
It was the kind of night she says “nourishes the soul.” Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
It was the kind of night she says “nourishes the soul.” Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Last week, Phillies phenom Cristopher Sánchez completed a flawless May with his fifth scoreless outing of the month, increasing his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 44.2 consecutive innings. But Sánchez isn’t the only pitcher enjoying an incredible start to the 2026 season. Jacob Misiorowski wrapped up a similarly extraordinary May with the Brewers (0.23 ERA). Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani allowed one run over six hitless innings last Wednesday and actually saw his miniscule season ERA (0.86) rise in the process. Also last week, second-year Reds right-hander Chase Burns fired his eighth straight start of two runs or fewer, and Braves veteran lefty Chris Sale recorded his eighth straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer. Clearly, Pirates star Paul Skenes will have a lot of competition this year in what should be a thrilling National League Cy Young race the rest of the way. In this week’s Power Rankings, we take a look at every team’s best starting pitcher to this point of the season. Until Chase Dollander returns from injury, it might be best to skip this one. Tomoyuki Sugano has been the most consistent of the group with a 4.01 ERA over 11 starts. With Tarik Skubal down, Casey Mize has become the de facto ace. He has a 1.45 ERA over his past seven starts, but he can’t fix a Detroit offense that ranks 29th in runs scored. Michael Wacha leads Royals starters in ERA, strikeouts and wins, but that hasn’t been enough for a Kansas City team that has lost 16 of its last 19 games. José Soriano saw his ERA rise from 0.84 to 2.65 in May, but he still deserves recognition here. Keep an eye on Reid Detmers, though. His ERA starts with a 4, but he leads the team in strikeouts, and a week ago he fanned 14 in a start against the Rangers. Landen Roupp is the only Giants starter with an ERA under 4.00. His consistent production has been important for a San Francisco starting rotation that ranks 28th in ERA. Offseason additions Ranger Suárez (3.38 ERA) and Sonny Gray (3.06) have both pitched well, but the lowest ERAs in the Boston rotation belong to 24-year-old Connelly Early (2.95) and 23-year-old Payton Tolle (2.61). Among all MLB starters who’ve thrown at least 40 innings this year, Tolle ranks sixth in WHIP and fourth in opponents’ batting average. With much of the attention this year on Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, it’s Max Meyer who has been the best starter in the Marlins’ rotation. Even after surrendering six runs to the Mets over the weekend, Meyer is 5-0 on the year with a 2.97 ERA that is by far the best mark among Miami starters. He won’t get the same attention as other starters while pitching for the middling Twins, but Joe Ryan ranks in the top 10 among all qualified MLB starters in WHIP, opponents’ average and fWAR and has a 1.97 ERA over his past six starts. Someone needed to step up with all the injuries in the Astros’ rotation, and Spencer Arrighetti answered the call. He’s 7-1 with a 1.34 ERA in eight starts. Until he fractured his fibula last month, Clay Holmes had been the one consistent piece of the volatile Mets rotation. They need at least one of Nolan McLean (4.21 ERA) and Freddy Peralta (3.55) to go on a run quickly. The A’s are trending the wrong way, but it has been a career year for 2020 second-round pick J.T. Ginn, who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning on May 18 in Anaheim and leads A’s starters with a 2.87 ERA. Even after a few May clunkers that made Jacob deGrom’s ERA climb to 3.77, he is still the best pitcher in the Rangers’ rotation. But keep an eye on MacKenzie Gore, who has lowered his ERA from 5.18 to 3.96 over his past four starts. Orioles fans would probably hope the answer here would be Shane Baz, who just signed a $68 million extension, or Trevor Rogers. But it’s Kyle Bradish who has started the most games and has the most strikeouts and lowest ERA of anyone in the Baltimore rotation. Baz, however, has started to pick up some steam. Dylan Cease is currently on the shelf, but his hamstring injury appears minor. That’s a big relief as the Blue Jays try to claw their way into contention. Cease has lived up to the expectations of an ace after receiving a $210 million deal in Toronto, ranking first among qualified AL starters in strikeout rate. The Cease-Kevin Gausman duo atop the Toronto rotation is one of the best in the league. Chase Burns (7-1, 1.96 ERA) is one of just five qualified MLB starters with an ERA under 2.00. His work has been especially vital in a Reds starting rotation that has a 4.54 ERA as a group. The Nationals are one of the stories of the season. They just picked up impressive series wins against the Guardians and Padres, and former first-round pick Cade Cavalli is finding his form. Since April 18, he ranks eighth in the majors in strikeouts. The Diamondbacks’ pitching staff figured to be an issue this year, but veterans Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA) and Mike Soroka (7-2, 3.25) are lifting the rotation. Even if the underlying numbers suggest regression ahead, Rodriguez currently ranks in the top 10 among qualified MLB starters in ERA. That’s a significant turnaround after he logged an ERA over 5.00 in each of his first two seasons in Arizona. The fact that you could make an argument for Braxton Ashcraft here says something both about Ashcraft’s season and Paul Skenes’ year so far, but the answer is still Skenes. His 2.89 ERA is about a run worse than either of his past two seasons, but his expected ERA is the best of his career, his walk rate is the lowest of his career, and his underlying numbers are all exceptional. Injuries have ravaged this rotation — Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele and Cade Horton are all on the injured list — which helps explain Chicago starters’ 4.71 ERA. Ben Brown only joined the rotation in May, but since then he has been the star of the group with a 1.73 ERA over his last five starts. The Cubs desperately need Shota Imanaga to get back on track. Starting pitching isn’t the reason the Cardinals have stayed competitive in what is surprisingly the best division in baseball, but the group has been better than expected. Michael McGreevy’s expected ERA (5.63) is about double his actual ERA (2.98), but he’s the lone member of the rotation with an ERA under 4.00. Losing Munetaka Murakami to a hamstring strain hurts, but it’s not just power that has gotten the South Siders to this point. They’ve won 15 of their last 21 games with the help of a rotation that now ranks 11th in ERA. That group is led by Davis Martin, who has allowed one or no runs in eight of his past 10 starts. As Cristopher Sánchez continues to rack up scoreless outings, he’s now the NL Cy Young favorite. The Phillies southpaw just wrapped up a month of May in which he totaled 45 strikeouts and three walks without allowing a run over 39 innings, and he leads the majors in ERA and fWAR. That’s more like it. The Mariners have now won six straight games after sweeping the A’s and Diamondbacks, which was enough to move them to the top of the lowly AL West. Any one of Bryan Woo (3.44 ERA), George Kirby (3.77), Logan Gilbert (3.69) or Emerson Hancock (2.78) could claim the title as team ace this year, but it’s worth singling out Hancock’s consistent contributions to this point, especially as the team struggled early in the year. He has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his 11 starts and has the lowest ERA of the group. The Guardians’ momentum slowed last week with series losses to the Nationals and Red Sox, but their pitching still has them atop the AL Central. The Cleveland rotation ranks sixth in ERA led by rookie Parker Messick (6-1, 2.21 ERA), who could get both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young consideration. The regression appears to be starting now for a Padres team that has stayed well above .500 despite what is now a negative run differential. Michael King leads the San Diego rotation in every major category and will continue to be a critical piece for a team lacking pitching depth. It has been a remarkable year for 35-year-old veteran Nick Martinez, who has done far more than just solidify his role as an MLB starter. Martinez ranks third among all qualified MLB starters in ERA (1.62) and has not allowed more than two runs in any of his 11 outings this year. Cam Schlittler, the American League Cy Young favorite, leads the AL in both ERA (1.50) and WHIP (0.85). He has allowed three runs or fewer in every start and two runs or fewer in each of his past eight starts. Over six starts in May, Jacob Misiorowski allowed just one run and struck out 57, the most by any pitcher in any calendar month in franchise history. He leads all qualified starters in strikeouts (108), WHIP (0.79) and opponents’ average (.150). No other pitcher has 100 strikeouts. Among qualified starters, Cristopher Sánchez has the lowest ERA in MLB (1.47). But lower the minimum to 50 innings, and Shohei Ohtani’s mark (0.82) is about half of that. Ohtani won’t end up with the same number of innings as other top pitching contenders in his first full season on the mound in three years, but he looks like a potential Cy Young winner every time he takes the ball. The Braves have two of the top 10 qualified starters in ERA in Chris Sale (2.01) and Bryce Elder (2.50). At age 37, Sale remains one of the best pitchers in the game and should be in the Cy Young conversation as long as he stays healthy. Among all qualified MLB starters, Sale ranks seventh in ERA and fifth in both WHIP and opponents’ batting average. He’s also throwing harder this year than he did last year.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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Foster Sylvers of The Sylvers Has Died
Foster Sylvers, a former child singer whose voice helped propel The Sylvers to R&B stardom in the 1970s, has died. Per multiple reports, Sylvers died on May 30 at the age of 64 following a battle with metastatic prostate cancer. His death was confirmed by his brother and longtime collaborator, Leon Sylvers III.
Born in Tennessee, Sylvers’ career began as a solo artist. In 1973, he scored a breakthrough hit with “Misdemeanor,” a track written by Leon that climbed the Billboard R&B charts. The song appeared on his first album, 1973’s Foster Sylvers. Its success led Sylvers to appear on programs including American Bandstand and Soul Train.
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By 1975, Sylvers had joined his siblings in The Sylvers, a hugely successful family R&B act. The group released a number of hits, including the chart-topping “Boogie Fever.” The song, which featured Sylvers’ vocals, has been featured in media like The Stand, a Stephen King miniseries from 1994, the 2005 movie Roll Bounce, and Despicable Me in 2010.
The Sylvers released their eponymous debut album in 1972. Their music helped define the sound of 1970s R&B, disco, and soul. They released their final album, Bizarre, in 1984. For many fans, the group occupied a special place in Black music history. The siblings are remembered for their tight harmonies, catchy melodies, and a catalog that would go on to be sampled by generations of hip-hop artists.
Foster’s “Misdemeanor” became a beloved source of inspiration for producers. Samples on The D.O.C.’s 1989 song “It’s Funky Enough” and Shyne’s 2000 track “That’s Gangsta” introduced his music to younger audiences decades after its original release.
Beyond his role as a performer, Sylvers also worked as a songwriter, producer and musician, collaborating on projects throughout the 1980s. He continued to work in music after the group’s commercial peak that same decade.
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Editor’s note: This story was published before the Los Angeles Rams reportedly agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Browns for edge rusher Myles Garrett, giving up edge rusher Jared Verse, a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a third-round pick. Everything can change in one offseason in the NFL. Just take a look at what happened last year. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots went head-to-head in Super Bowl LX after missing the playoffs in 2024. In fact, they were two of six teams (Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers) to make the postseason in 2025 after failing to make the playoffs the year prior. That was just the latest sign of the year-to-year parity we see in the NFL, which the league takes great pride in. While two non-playoff teams from the prior meeting in the Super Bowl isn’t the norm, seeing a handful of new teams make the postseason each year certainly is. The NFL has an unbelievable streak of 36 seasons in which at least four teams that missed the playoffs the year prior make the postseason the next year. So, who could make up that group in 2026? Let’s rank the 18 teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 who have the best chances to make the postseason in 2026, with odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds to make playoffs: +1500 It’s not just that the Arizona Cardinals went 3-14 last year and are moving forward with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback, but they also play in the toughest division in the NFL. The other three teams in the NFC West made the postseason in 2025, and all three appear to be in strong shape to make it to the playoffs again in 2026. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are all in the top eight or so in most power rankings. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is exciting and new coach Mike LaFleur can start to move Arizona in the right direction, but if that amounts to more than six or seven wins this year, they’ll be one of the better turnaround stories in the league as they aren’t favored in the early point spreads in any of their 17 games. Odds to make playoffs: +1100 The Miami Dolphins went 7-10 last season, but much of the past year has been shedding big contracts — wide receiver Tyreek Hill, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb — to where there’s clear expectations of a major step back as they rebrand with a new quarterback (Malik Willis), new head coach (Jeff Hafley) and new general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan). No team has more 2027 salary cap space than the Dolphins do, and they’ll look like it in 2026 as they set themselves up for a high draft pick and rebounding from there. On top of that, the Dolphins have the second-toughest strength of schedule this season. Odds to make playoffs: +550 There’s excitement around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but he’ll go from a 16-0 perfect season at Indiana to maybe winning a third of his games this first year with the Las Vegas Raiders. New coach Klint Kubiak also has Kirk Cousins, so he doesn’t have to go to Mendoza immediately, but a No. 1 overall pick is a huge investment that you want to see on the field fairly quickly. They’ll improve from a league-worst 14.2 points per game in 2025, but even if you add a touchdown to every score from last season, that doesn’t get you to .500. Odds to make playoffs: +800 After a 3-14 season in 2025, the Jets underwent significant roster changes this offseason. They’ve got eight new starters on defense for Aaron Glenn’s second season as head coach, seeking to improve a unit that finished 31st in points allowed last season. Moving into the middle third of the league in that stat would be a vast improvement. But with Geno Smith as the starting quarterback, it’s hard to see a significant improvement from last season’s record. Getting wide receiver Garrett Wilson healthy for a full season and seeing what rookie pass catchers Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper add to the offense are all good things, though. Odds to make playoffs: +450 The offensive line is completely revamped, but realistically, who’s the quarterback, and can he throw more than the 16 touchdowns the Cleveland Browns managed in 2025? Can new head coach Todd Monken get more out of the offense to match what could be a top-10 defense? Even with uncertainty in the division, they’ll do well to finish third, which would require either the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a big step back with their first-year head coach, or another quarterback injury in Cincinnati or Baltimore. Odds to make playoffs: +325 Last season wasn’t a good one for the Tennessee Titans. They finished in the bottom five in scoring offense and defense en route to a 3-14 record. On top of that, new head coach Robert Saleh will have at least six new starters on defense, with rookie receiver Carnell Tate potentially helping quarterback Cam Ward make a jump in his second season. The Titans had nine double-digit losses last season, matching the most in the NFL, so there’s much ground to make up to get the franchise back to .500, let alone playoff contention. Odds to make playoffs: +240 The Atlanta Falcons tied for the best record in the NFC South last year, going 8-9 in as close a division as you’ll find from top to bottom. Yet, the oddsmakers have them on the outside looking in for what would be a ninth straight year of missing the playoffs. Can head coach Kevin Stefanski take the offense to another level with Tagovailoa or Michael Penix at quarterback? Can the defense continue its progress under coordinator Jeff Ulbrich? The division is wide-open, but that’s probably the easiest sell for why the Falcons could end their postseason drought. Odds to make playoffs: +260 How much better can John Harbaugh make the New York Giants in 2026? Add in a healthy Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers on offense, rookie edge rusher Arvell Reese on defense, and the NFC East has four teams all in flux. How much will they miss star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence up front? Who knows, but they got a top-10 pick to beef their offensive line when they traded Lawrence, using the selection on Miami (Fla.)’s Francis Mauigoa. The final three-week stretch is a tough one. They travel to face the Detroit Lions on the Monday after Christmas and hit the road again to take on the Dallas Cowboys the following week. They’ll leave those matchups with the hopes of having something to play for when they finish the regular season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Odds to make playoffs: +175 Last season didn’t start well for the New Orleans Saints, but they closed strong. They were 2-10 before winning four of their last five, although two of those wins came against the Jets and Titans. Still, was that late surge a sign of how the Saints can rally around quarterback Tyler Shough? Head coach Kellen Moore got valuable additions to his offense in running back Travis Etienne and rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, suggesting that they’re buying into Shough entering Year 2. But can their defense improve without linebacker Demario Davis in the middle? A last-place schedule hooks them up with games against the Raiders and Cardinals, as the Saints have the second-easiest strength of schedule in 2026. Facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in the final four weeks could be very pivotal. Odds to make playoffs: +170 If the Minnesota Vikings had found ways to put up more points last season, they would’ve made the postseason for a second straight year. They had a top-10 defense with coordinator Brian Flores, going 7-2 in games where they scored 20 points or more. That suggests if the offense can get back to 2024 levels, they could be a surprise team in the NFC North. However, big questions loom. Will Kyler Murray prove to be a bargain on a league minimum prove-it deal? Can rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks show he wasn’t a first-round reach and offset the loss of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard? Can wide receiver Jauan Jennings find himself again as a potent 1-2-3 with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? Odds to make playoffs: +140 Just like the Vikings, a few big questions linger for the Indianapolis Colts entering 2026. The first that must be answered is when Daniel Jones will be healthy and back, and whether he comes close to the 8-2 start he had with the Indianapolis Colts last year? Without many notable additions, can head coach Shane Steichen keep up with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, who both look like solid bets to return to the playoffs? The Colts lost their final seven games last season, but five were one-score games as 44-year-old Philip Rivers came out of retirement to quarterback them down the stretch. So their hopes are built around Jones staying healthy and the defense being much better, especially with cornerback Sauce Gardner getting healthy, too. Odds to make playoffs: +225 The optimism of a bounce-back year starts with a healthy Jayden Daniels, but the bigger deal might be a defense with seven new starters, including first-round pick Sonny Styles. They won five games in 2025, with two coming against the Giants and one against Eagles backups. Can the defensive overhaul get them back to the excitement of 2024, when they went 12-5 and won two playoff games? Dan Quinn needs two first-time coordinators — David Blough on offense, Daronte Jones on defense — to figure things out quickly. Odds to make playoffs: +100 Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys’ offense had another productive season in 2025. However, the defense was so bad last year, giving up a league-high 30 points a game. So, Christian Parker takes over on that side of the ball, becoming Dallas’ defensive coordinator with what looks to be six new starters, including promising rookie safety Caleb Downs. Even with their sluggish defense a year ago, the Cowboys were 6-5-1 after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving, but then lost four of five to finish the season. Their success may hinge on a new secondary with Downs and safety Jalen Thompson leading the way. December looks daunting with trips to Seattle and Los Angeles before hosting the Jaguars, so the Cowboys might need to have a strong record through the first three months of the season. Odds to make playoffs: -155 The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has been enough of a liability to negate a prolific passing game with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping them out of the playoffs three years in a row. Zac Taylor likely won’t survive as the head coach with a fourth year like that. So, can big swings for Lawrence and edge rusher Boye Mafe get the Bengals to at least an average defense? Over the last two years, the Bengals have had four games in which they scored 38-plus points and lost — the rest of the NFL combined has had five such games. They’re favored to win 15 of their games, which is the second-most in the NFL, and have the third-easiest schedule based on their opponents’ combined winning percentage from last season. Odds to make playoffs: +125 It took a collapse in the second half of the season for the Buccaneers to even appear on this list. The Bucs were 6-2 last year before going on a nosedive, losing seven of eight games and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The offense was scuttled by injuries along the offensive line and at receiver down the stretch. While they should enter the year healthier (running back Bucky Irving is expected to be ready for training camp), this is a team that lost two franchise icons in receiver Mike Evans (signed with 49ers) and linebacker Lavonte David (retired), so finding new leadership will be a must. There’s excitement surrounding rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain, who wasn’t expected to fall to them at No. 15 and highlights a tougher, new-look defensive front. Odds to make playoffs: -235 Patrick Mahomes as an underdog? That’s what we have as the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound from a 6-11 season, with Mahomes working to return from a torn ACL. He’s not the only Super Bowl MVP in the backfield now, either, as the team signed running back Kenneth Walker from Seattle. They lost Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the secondary, so first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane becomes a crucial piece. Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator. Can the Chiefs get back to the juggernaut they were just two years ago? Odds to make playoffs: -220 The Detroit Lions lost both coordinators from 2024 last year and took a step back, losing four of six to finish the year and missing the playoffs. There are big changes on the offensive line, with Penei Sewell flipping from right to left tackle. They also have newcomers in center Cade Mays and rookie right tackle Blake Miller. The schedule closes with a nasty stretch, with three division games on the road in the final four weeks of the season. If they don’t stockpile wins early, they’ll need a very strong finish in cold conditions to stay in contention. Luckily for the Lions, they have a last-place schedule this year, though, giving them the sixth-easiest schedule in 2026. Odds to make playoffs: -340 Those odds have an implied probability of 77% that the Baltimore Ravens make the playoffs, with a first-time head coach in Jesse Minter and a 30-year-old first-time play-caller in offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Last year’s Ravens opened 1-5 amid a ton of injuries and couldn’t dig themselves out of that hole, costing Harbaugh his job. Getting defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike back is huge for the defense, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson doesn’t hurt either. They close with four straight division games, including both Steelers games, so the AFC North will be decided in that stretch, as the Ravens have the ninth-easiest schedule this year.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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A bright-green cyanobacteria bloom in Kotzebue on Sept. 30, 2022, collects on the surface of the water. (Photo by Alex Whiting/Native Village of Kotzebue)
Algae is vital to a healthy marine system, and most of the hundreds of varieties in Alaska’s waters are beneficial or benign.
But the handful that are harmful are, like other algae, proliferating in warmer conditions and releasing or threatening to release toxins that can sicken people and wildlife and, in the worst cases, cause deaths.
The best-known type of algae that poses risks to people, mammals and birds in Alaska is called Alexandrium. The toxins it produces cause paralytic shellfish poisoning; they block the delivery of sodium to cells, thus interfering with or shutting down nerves essential to bodily functions.
The most potent Alexandrium toxin is saxitoxin, but there are related toxins produced by the same algae called gonyautoxins, or GTX. Some GTX varieties, including one detected in tomcod harvested in December by Nome-Beltz High School students in a yearslong science project, are nearly as toxic as saxitoxin. For simplicity’s sake, testing for paralytic toxins often lumps measurements of saxitoxin and GTX compounds together as “saxitoxin equivalent,” said Thomas Farrugia, coordinator of the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom network.
Like other algal toxins, Alexandrium toxins cannot be cooked or frozen away. There is no antidote for people afflicted by paralytic shellfish poisoning. People who recover do so after the toxin passes through their bodies. In fatal cases, people stop breathing.
There were 132 reports of paralytic shellfish poisoning and five fatalities in Alaska between 1993 and 2021, a tally that does not include mild cases for which there was no medical treatment provided, according to state health officials.
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In addition to posing risks to people who eat shellfish, saxitoxin and saxitoxin-like products of Alexandrium can poison wildlife. The toxin might have been a factor in bird die-offs in recent years, including the 2015-2017 event known as the “wreck” that wiped out an estimated 4 million common murres during the intense marine heatwave known as the “Blob.” It is now classified as the world’s largest wildlife die-off on record. Saxitoxin was determined to be the cause of death for northern fur seals found stranded on beaches in the Pribilof Islands in 2024 and 2025.
Traces of domoic acid, but no Alaska problems yet
There’s another algal threat on the horizon. Pseudo-nitzschia is another category of harmful algae of concern in Alaska.
Some varieties produce domoic acid, a toxin that is present in very small quantities in Alaska waters and Alaska animals. Its presence is so minute that it has not caused any trouble this far north. But domoic has wreaked havoc among marine mammal populations in California.
In contrast to saxitoxin and related toxins, which cause paralysis by blocking nerve transmissions, domoic acid overstimulates the nervous system. The resulting illness, called amnesic shellfish poisoning, causes victims to go into seizures and can result in permanent memory loss, brain damage and death.
Deaths to people have been extremely rare. The only recorded fatal human cases, according to scientific records, were four people who ate mussels in Canada’s Prince Edward Island in 1987.
But starting in 1998, domoic acid has been taking a heavy toll on marine mammals in California.
That year, a mass die-off of sea lions at Monterey Bay touched off alarms. Lefebvre, then a first-year graduate student who happened to be studying domoic acid, joined the investigation suggesting it could be the cause.
Other potential causes, such as mercury poisoning, were initially suggested before domoic acid was identified as the culprit. The toxin accumulates to high concentrations in small fish like sardines and anchovies, which California sea lions eat.
Hundreds of California sea lions died that year in the first documented marine mammal poisoning event caused by domoic acid. Since 1998, domoic acid-caused poisoning events in marine mammals occur annually in California, Lefebvre said.
“We have dozens to hundreds of sea lions every year dying from domoic acid poisoning,” she said. Other marine mammals can be poisoned as well, including seals, otters, dolphins, porpoises and whales. Symptoms are visible and include seizures, in which animals sway their heads and move their flippers, disorientation and erratic behavior. Large numbers of seabirds have also been killed by the toxin.
“It’s become a regular event in California that continues to increase in severity. I’m kind of uniquely poised to see these trends after being involved in the first documented marine mammal domoic acid poisoning investigation and having studied this phenomenon for nearly 30 years,” Lefevre said. She leads a surveillance program at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center called the Wildlife Algal-toxin Research and Response Network (WARRN-West), which covers the North American West Coast from the Beaufort Sea to Southern California.
Domoic acid detections, sometimes in combination with detections of saxitoxin, have also prompted shellfish harvesting closures and restrictions along the West Coast. Earlier this year, the commercial harvest of Dungeness crab was delayed in one Northern California area because of domoic acid.
Domoic acid poisoning events have not been documented in Alaska, but low levels of the toxin have been detected.
Residents in the Kenai Peninsula’s Kachemak Bay area worried that last summer that they might have witnessed the first poisoning event. At the same time that elevated Pseudo-nitzschia levels were detected in the bay, there was a die-off of birds and sea otters.
Investigations by the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network, the Homer-based Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Seldovia Village Tribe and other partners turned up no evidence of domoic acid poisoning, despite the Pseudo-nitzschia bloom there. The deaths remain unexplained, despite the testing of 30 marine mammals and 14 birds, said Rose Masui of the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Lefebvre, whose studies turned up trace levels of domoic acid in mammals ranging from sea lions in Southeast to bowhead whales in the Arctic, believes it will be a long time before Pseudo-nitzschia blooms becomes a serious danger in Alaska. Still, Kachemak Bay residents were smart to investigate it, she said.
“It’s something to be watching,” she said.
‘Terrible nature’ and fluroescent-colored waters
A third type of harmful algae of concern in Alaska is a collection in the genus Dinophysis. Those algae produce toxins that are not life-threatening, but cause a condition called “Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning.” The genus name itself hints at the unpleasant symptoms caused by the toxins; it derives from Greek words for “terrible” and “nature,” according to the U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms.
Dinophysis species are widely present in Alaska, as a series of 2022 surveys showed. So far, there have not yet been any cases of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning recorded in Alaska, according to the state Department of Health. However, blooms have prompted shellfish closures along the West Coast south of Alaska, including in Washington State.
A fourth type of organism with blooms that proliferate in warmer conditions is cyanobacteria. Despite being commonly dubbed “blue-green algae,” cyanobacteria are photosynthesizing bacteria and not actually any type of algal species.
There are thousands of identified types of cyanobacteria. The organisms are key building blocks to life on Earth. But certain types have their downsides.
Blooms can deplete dissolved oxygen levels in water and lead to mass fish die-offs. They can also produce toxins that can poison fish and wildlife and pose direct threats to people. Some strains in freshwater have been shown to produce saxitoxin, as studies from the Great Lakes and elsewhere have shown.
Cyanobacteria toxins can also irritate people’s skin and eyes, cause vomiting and diarrhea and, in the most serious cases, lead to organ damage or failure. In the Lower 48, warnings about blooms are regularly issued to swimmers, and beaches are occasionally closed.
Now cyanobacteria is a concern in Alaska’s far north.
Until 2008, cyanobacteria blooms were no problem in the Inupiat community of Kotzebue, which lies just north of the Bering Strait, above the Arctic Circle.
That year, the waters of Kotzebue Sound turned a weird, bright-green color.
“It was like fluorescent green paint,” said Alex Whiting, director of the local tribal government’s environmental program.
At first, people suspected that it was actually a spill of green paint or some other hazardous substance, he said. Even the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation was stumped for a while, he said.
Eventually, the cyanobacteria was identified as the culprit.
Since then, the blooms have been regular occurrences in the region, Whiting said. They are affecting places like Kobuk Lake, which is an arm of Kotzebue Sound, and Selawik Lake, which lies inland from Kotzebue and the Baldwin Peninsula on which the community is located.
In partnership with Columbia University scientists, the Native Village of Kotzebue, the tribal government, has become the Alaska leader in cyanobacteria research in Alaska, Whiting said. “There’s nobody that has put as much effort in Alaska at this than the Native Village of Kotzebue,” he said.
The Kotzebue-Columbia research project is working to evaluate the risks that cyanobacteria blooms pose to subsistence foods and the environmental drivers that lead to those blooms. That means compiling evidence about its effects in the food chain. The project is also testing a system that could help monitor blooms.
The blooms cannot be prevented, but the hope is that people will be prepared should any ill effects result, Whiting said.
The most pressing concern is the potential of cascading effects on the ecosystem. Cyanobacteria blooms, in addition to killing fish directly through oxygen depletion, can displace the phytoplankton that fish need as food sources.
“If it becomes common enough and widespread enough, it can disrupt the environment and cause all kinds of issues,” he said.
No dramatic effects have been documented so far from the Kotzebue-area cyanobacteria blooms. A 2021 fish die-off was suspicious, but no evidence turned up to tie it to cyanobacteria, Whiting said.
For now, he said, it is understandable that Alexandrium, with its potentially acute effects, gets most of the attention when it comes to hazardous algal or algal-like blooms. Cyanobacteria and its chronic effects have been a bit overshadowed, he said. “Most people in Alaska don’t know that much about it.”
That could change in a big way.
“At some point, we might wake up and there might be 100,000 or 500,000 fish lying belly up in Kobuk Lake,” Whiting said.
This article was produced as a project for USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism and Center for Climate Journalism and Communication 2025 Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship.
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