These five Dolly Parton songs may never sound the same. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Month: August 2026
Voters at Anchorage City Hall wait in line to cast their ballots on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day. City hall, in downtown Anchorage, was one of the designated early voting sites in the state’s largest city. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday on legal challenges brought by two groups on opposing sides of the state’s current ranked choice voting election system. The two groups of plaintiffs brought lawsuits against the Alaska Division of Elections challenging the language of a ballot measure, set to go before voters in November, abolishing the voting method along with other changes.
Ballot Measure 2, which will appear on the ballot as 24ESEG, would overhaul the state’s elections system via three major components: repeal ranked choice voting; rescind the nonpartisan, open primary system; and repeal campaign disclosure rules enacted by voters in 2020.
A Superior Court ruled in June that the state’s ballot summary was “true and impartial,” siding with the Alaska Division of Elections, overseen by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom.
Plaintiffs have appealed that decision to the Alaska Supreme Court, which is expected to issue a fast-tracked ruling before a division deadline of Sept. 2 to print general election ballots.
One group of plaintiffs are represented by attorney Scott Kendall, an author of the 2020 ballot measure implementing Alaska’s ranked choice voting and open primary system. They argued that the current ballot measure language is unclear, partisan and omits serious implications of the repeal effort.
The other group of plaintiffs, drafters of the measure, is called the “Repeal Now” campaign. The measure’s primary sponsors are Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson, along with former Anchorage library director Judy Eledge and former Alaska House Rep. Ken McCarty of Eagle River.
In court, attorneys representing Repeal Now argued against the lawsuits being combined and for a series of language changes, including changing of the term “repeal,” which they say is not easily understood by voters, and the term “true source” of campaign disclosures as “inflammatory partisan suasion.”
Under Alaska law, the division is required to prepare a ballot measure with a “true and impartial” summary of the proposed law. It must be “free from misleading tendency, whether the amplification, of omission, or of fallacy, and … must contain no partisan coloring.”
In the June ruling, a Superior Court judge found the division fulfilled its legal obligation and “if ballot summary language is true and impartial, the Court will not invalidate the language just because better language could be written.”
On Tuesday, the division, represented by attorney Laura Fox with the Alaska Department of Law, argued that the ballot language could be edited thousands of ways, but the division fulfilled its legal duty and prepared the ballot with a “true and impartial” summary and title.
“This case is not an editing exercise,” Fox argued. “We’re not assembled here as a big team of editors trying to polish a piece of writing by committee, as fun as that might be. Instead, the question here is just whether the summary clears the basic hurdle of being true and impartial. Because it does, the court should affirm.”
The Alaska Supreme Court justices will either uphold the lower court’s decision or order the division to revise the language. They’re expected to issue a ruling before Sept. 2 and then follow sometime later with an extended legal opinion.
Timeline of ballot measure and legal challenges
Alaska voters narrowly rejected a similar initiative to repeal ranked choice voting in 2024. Proponents quickly restarted the campaign in 2025, collecting more than 34,000 signatures to again place the question on the ballot in 2026. The division first published the ballot language last December.
A group of plaintiffs represented by Kendall filed a lawsuit challenging the ballot language in January. Plaintiffs include Anchorage Republican Sen. Cathy Giessel, AFL-CIO union president Joelle Hall, and former member of the Juneau Borough Assembly and vice president of Ocean Conservancy ‘Wáahlaal Gidaak Barbara Blake. They argued the ballot language was biased and inaccurate.
The division subsequently revised the ballot language in February with significant changes to the title and summary. The plaintiffs dropped the lawsuit without prejudice, according to court documents.
In mid-February, the Repeal Now group filed a lawsuit challenging the new language, arguing “opponents got their preferred language” adding the term “repeal” three times, and the summary was not “true and impartial.”
In March, the division again revised the title of the ballot measure, adding the phrase “ending ranked-choice general elections.”
Giessel and fellow plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit, and the two suits were consolidated by the Superior Court judge in April.
Both groups of plaintiffs filed suggested ballot language with the court, and the state filed a motion defending their ballot language.
Court arguments
On Tuesday, Kendall argued before the Supreme Court that the ballot language should be a clear map for voters to understand what the measure does.
“But the state’s language here isn’t a map. It’s effectively an obstacle course where a voter can only understand Ballot Measure 2 by doing independent research outside the four corners of the ballot language. The state’s language is unclear, contains partisan suasion, and omits details that would give voters significant pause,” he said.
In particular, Kendall raised concerns the ballot measure does not clarify that if passed, nonpartisan or Independent voters would be excluded from voting in party primaries, unless registered with that party.
“It fails to make clear that Ballot Measure 2 specifically empowers political parties at the stroke of a pen to make it illegal for undeclared and nonpartisans to vote in the primary election,” he said. “I think voters need to be put on notice, especially the two-thirds of voters that don’t belong to either party, that you may not be able to vote in the primary election at all.”
Kendall also argued the language related to campaign finance disclosure rules was inadequate, and fails to give details of the implications.
If passed, the measure would repeal campaign disclosure rules and limits enacted by the ballot measure passed in 2020, including rules that individuals and entities who contribute more than $2,000 to candidates or campaigns must disclose the true source, as defined by law.
Attorney Julie Pack, representing the group of plaintiffs with the Repeal Now campaign and supporting the ballot measure, argued against the use of the term “repeal” because she said campaigners collecting signatures for the ballot measure found voters were not familiar with the term.
“Many people do not use that word on a daily basis. It’s not common parlance. It is for lawyers. It’s not for people who are not lawyers, and it’s not a term that is readily understood,” she said.
Justices pushed back, pointing out the term is in the name of their organization.
“My organization named itself before they canvassed, got all the signatures, talked to over 31,000 Alaskans, and understood that repeal is not a word that lots of people understand,” she replied. “So my client named itself before it learned that repeal is a term that’s mildly to moderately sophisticated.”
“There is no need to use words that are sophisticated,” she added. “When ‘redo,’ ‘remove,’ ‘undo,’ ‘get rid of’ are perfectly fine, and they would protect Alaskan voters’ right to know what they’re voting on.”
Pack also raised concerns with the term “true source” related to campaign finance disclosures, and argued the measure would maintain “open primaries.”
Arguing on behalf of the Division of Elections, Fox urged the justices to reject the plaintiffs arguments and affirm the lower court’s decision that the division met its legal obligations and should print the ballot measure as is.
It’s an all-time classic. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
It’s an all-time classic. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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As we previously reported, music icon and overall queen Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, August 25.
And that date is of great significance to one of the most important people in Dolly’s life.
Dolly was godmother to Miley Cyrus, and in interviews, Miley often noted that August 25 is always circled on her mental calendar.
“I decided to release ‘Used To Be Young’ on Aug. 25 because this particular date historically has been important to me personally and in my career,” she said in an interview while promoting the single.
And it’s true that that date had major importance to Miley, even before Dolly’s death.
August 25, 2010, Miley and Liam Hemsworth (whom she would later marry) broke up for the first time (per TMZ).
And on August 25, 2013, Miley kicked in the door of the next stage in her career when she stunned the crowd with a risque performance of “We Can’t Stop” at the Video Music Awards.
The 25th is also the birthday of her father, but considering Miley and Billy Ray aren’t exactly close these days, we suppose it makes sense that she decided not to mention that.
While many fans were stunned by the fact that Miley discussed the date of her godmother’s death just days before it happened (and some of them are reading way too much into the coincidence), it’s unlikely that the pop star had any inclination that Dolly would pass away that day.
Regardless, the already important date has now taken on sad new significance for Miley.
Shortly after news of Dolly’s death went public, Miley took to social media to pay tribute to her beloved godmother.
“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts,” Cyrus captioned a throwback photo of Parton, adding:
“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong.”
“I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis. I will always love her and want to make her proud.”
“I can’t believe we just lost the purest soul. Rest in Glory, Dolly. My heart aches.”
Obviously, Dolly touched millions of lives through her music, her acting, and her humanitarianism.
But Miley was one of the lucky souls who got to know the legend on a personal level.
The entire nation is grieving today, but those who knew Dolly best are no doubt feeling the loss especially hard.
Our condolences go out to them during this enormously difficult time.
Miley Cyrus ‘Predicted’ Dolly Parton’s Death In Eerie Interview, Fans … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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Dolly wore her faith on her sleeve. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Dolly wore her faith on her sleeve. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
The NFL’s global footprint continues to expand every year, and what was once a novelty is now up to nine games played outside the United States on four different continents. The 2026 lineup hosting NFL games — London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City — is just another step as the league envisions a 16-game international lineup that has every team playing a game every year. So it’s no surprise that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, during an interview with a German television station last week, said he has “no doubt” the league will eventually have teams entirely based in other countries. “At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA,” Goodell said. “I have no doubt that this will happen one day.” Having an international game in that 9:30 a.m. ET window — an afternoon kickoff in Europe — makes for an entire day of live football, allowing fans to go from that to the afternoon slots to prime time, with literally 14 hours of nonstop football if you want. The logistics of travel have been ironed out well enough that an overseas game isn’t the scheduling hurdle it used to be, and teams playing an international game don’t always choose a bye week afterward, able to recover and be back for a regular Sunday the next week. So if the NFL were to import a team to another country full-time, where might it be? The league is in a good place at 32 teams, with a proven scheduling model and playoff structure and teams in all the U.S. markets they want. At some point, it could even expand to have an international division — with four teams, visiting opponents could be scheduled for back-to-back games overseas to lessen the impact of long travel. There’s talk that aviation technology will soon reduce the time required for trans-Atlantic flight, making it even less of an obstacle for teams during the season. Here are five potential landing spots for the NFL’s first international team, with one clear and obvious favorite … 5. Toronto The Buffalo Bills have played games in Toronto, which is just 100 miles or so from Buffalo, and played regular-season games there every year from 2008-13. So, if you wanted a half-measure to officially expand the United States without the travel headaches of crossing the Atlantic, the NFL could look at Toronto, which has supported MLB and NBA franchises for decades. The last Bills games there weren’t at full capacity in the Rogers Centre, and the Toronto Argonauts had the lowest attendance in the CFL for the ninth straight year in 2025, averaging about 15,000 fans. Mexico City has hosted games in the past, but that too would be an unlikely spot for a full-time team. 4. Madrid Spain joined the NFL’s global family last year when the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins drew a crowd of 78,610, earning a return trip this year for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons in November. The league also agreed to a multi-year partnership with the City of Madrid in February, signaling that there will continue to be games held in Spain’s capital in the coming years. The World League of American Football and NFL Europe had teams in Barcelona, but Madrid is twice as large as Barcelona and the more likely host if the league were to look at a new home in Spain. Bernabéu Stadium, home to soccer’s FC Madrid, is a natural home for such a major event. 3. Paris Metropolitan Paris has about 13 million people, so in terms of filling a stadium on a consistent basis, it’s not far from London or New York, though the NFL in Paris is a fairly new development. The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers will play at Stade de France in October with a capacity of 80,000-plus, so a successful debut there should put them in the annual rotation and open up a new country to the NFL’s future plans. The Saints, with their fleur-de-lis logo and French Quarter, have a natural connection to Paris, but it’s too early to know how well the city would support the NFL on a more regular or even permanent basis. 2. Munich Frankly, we could’ve also picked Berlin as the city to represent Germany on this list. But a German city should be pretty high up here. Germany will host an NFL game for the fifth straight season in 2026, when the New England Patriots take on the Detroit Lions in Munich. It’ll be the third game played in Munich, and there’s another one scheduled at Allianz Arena for 2028. Berlin hosted its first game in 2025 and it’s scheduled to host two more games in the coming seasons, while Frankfurt has hosted two NFL games. But Germany has a history with the NFL dating back to 1990. There’s a strong, passionate backing for the NFL in Germany — you’ll hear the crowd singing “Sweet Caroline” and “Country Roads” during a game and knowing every single word in a language most of them don’t speak. Could an NFL team exist in Germany and split home games between multiple cities, supporting it as a nation rather than one single locale? If the league ever expanded to have a full four-team European division, this would make sense. A full-time team would almost need to be in Europe, logistically. The league adds Melbourne this year and could eventually have games in Tokyo, but the travel demands are much greater there — a direct flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne is 15 hours, compared to eight hours for New York to London or Berlin. 1. London London has a long head start on most other international options — this goes back to the American Bowl in the 1980s, when preseason games were the NFL’s first outreach to expand their fanbase globally. Wembley Stadium was a regular host for these games and still does so 40 years later, so fans in London have been supporting NFL football in person for all of their lives in many cases. London’s hosting expanded from Wembley to include other venues like what was then Twickenham Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, rugby and soccer stadiums adjusted for NFL football. In theory, a full-time NFL team could build a new football-focused venue as a new home, subletting it to soccer during the rest of the year instead of the other way around. London has no language barrier, easy and direct flights from major U.S. cities and a built-in base of fans that have filled stadiums for multiple NFL games a year, something no other city can boast. The time difference is an hour less than most of Europe’s major cities, and the longstanding relationship with the NFL makes London a heavy favorite for any international expansion.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
By: Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
State and industry officials and the U.S. Coast Guard were responding on Tuesday to an unexplained oil spill roughly 60 miles southwest of Anchorage in Southcentral Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
The spill, which produced a long oil sheen on the water near the Trading Bay area on the western side of the inlet, was first spotted by a pilot on Monday. His report prompted a multiagency response.
The multiagency unified command is composed of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Coast Guard and Hilcorp, the dominant oil and gas operator in Cook Inlet.
The sheen was seen near the idled Spark platform, one of 17 oil and gas platforms in the inlet. Six of those, including Spark, are now inactive. The Spark platform was acquired by Hilcorp as part of its 2012 purchase of Marathon Oil’s Cook Inlet assets. It has been inactive since 1992, said a statement issued by the unified command responding to the spill. The wells associated with the Spark platform were plugged and abandoned by a previous owner in 2009, the statement said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, however, the ongoing investigation has not pinpointed a source of the spill, its size or even the substance, DEC officials said.
An oil-response vessel sent by Hilcorp to the site arrived shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, but its crew was not able to spot the sheen with infrared imaging technology, said the incident command statement. The spill-response vessel, the Endeavor, has been sailing in a grid pattern to search for the spilled material and its possible source, the statement said.
There were no reports of impacts to fish or wildlife as of Tuesday afternoon, said a DEC situation report issued on Tuesday afternoon.
Fish could be potentially at risk, the situation report said. All five species of Pacific salmon swim in the affected waters, and coho and sockeye salmon were migrating through the area at the time the spill was reported, the situation report said.
Representatives of area environmental groups said Tuesday that the event was a warning about risks to the inlet.
Satchel Pondolfino, the clean water lead for Cook Inletkeeper, said she and others are concerned about the apparent association with the idled but still-standing Spark platform.
“It’s just another reason why it’s so important that Alaska use its authority to hold Hilcorp and every other operator accountable for dismantling the infrastructure,” she said.
Activists have called for the removal of such unused infrastructure from the inlet, but the state so far has not ordered any company to do that.
Cooper Freeman, Alaska director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said numerous natural resources continue to be at risk from the incident and others like it.
“It’s gut-wrenching to see the inlet’s beleaguered salmon and belugas take a hit they can’t afford from a miles-long oil spill,” he said in an emailed statement. “We need Cook Inlet’s fish and wildlife to recover, and we can’t keep treating their home like an industrial waste zone. This is yet another wake-up call that our over-reliance on fossil fuels imperils not just our region’s long-term energy stability, but the vitality of our environment for all future Alaskans.”