In a touching tribute post, Donny described his late brother Alan as “our leader in every sense of the word.” Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, whose headquarters are pictured here, is leading state efforts to develop oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and to build roads to mining deposit in the Mat-Su and Northwest Alaska. (Photo by Nathaniel Herz/Northern Journal)
The state agency leading some of Alaska’s most polarizing development projects has approved a new communications budget, saying it needs to do a better job telling its own story amid attacks from critics.
The state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority is run by a former chief of staff to Gov. Mike Dunleavy and is charged with promoting economic growth and expanding natural resource extraction and exports.
It is leading work to develop state-owned oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and also hopes to build two controversial new roads to access mining prospects in Northwest Alaska and outside of Anchorage.
Those projects have drawn sharp opposition from conservation organizations and other critics, including lawsuits, critical op-eds and campaigns that have labeled the agency “Bad AIDEA” and caricatured its leaders.
At a meeting in Ketchikan this month, board members, with no public discussion, authorized AIDEA’s staff to spend up to $700,000 a year on a new communications budget — formalizing a plan that the agency says was previously budgeted inconsistently through spending on individual projects.
The new communications plan, the agency said in its formal resolution authorizing the spending, will “ensure proper public engagement, transparency, and stewardship of the authority’s mission.” The money could go toward trade shows and conferences, responding to media inquiries and “other communications-related needs,” according to the resolution.
The agency’s executive director, Randy Ruaro, referred questions about the plan to Dave Stieren, an AIDEA employee who ran an advertising agency and hosted a conservative talk radio show before joining the Dunleavy administration.
Stieren said he could not provide exact figures on AIDEA’s past communications spending, but he acknowledged that the new plan should allow the agency to meaningfully boost its public profile.
The $700,000 a year, he added, is a limit, and the agency will set a final budget through a request for proposals process.
“Mothership AIDEA has done, frankly, little to nothing on a consistent basis to tell our story,” Stieren said in an email — particularly when it comes to its loan programs that have helped finance tourism and hospitality businesses, like the Alaska Club fitness chain and Anchorage’s Bear Tooth pizza restaurant and theater.
“We’re far more than roads,” Stieren said. “But since we’ve really not promoted or showcased our efforts in traditional finance areas, I understand the narrative or lack thereof that folks may have.”
Stieren has also personally defended AIDEA on social media, including over the weekend — when he posted a conservative news website’s positive story about an agency-owned shipyard and said that “when commie libs attack AIDEA, they attack projects like this.”
AIDEA’s board chair, Bill Kendig, declined to answer questions about approval of the new communications budget when reached by phone.
At the Ketchikan meeting, one AIDEA critic, Melis Coady, credited the agency with formalizing communications spending as a “step toward accountability.” But she said that the plan doesn’t “deliver the transparency it describes” because it gives Ruaro, the executive director, authority to approve communications spending, and only requires that he report it to the board if asked.
“The authorization is broad, the dollar amount is undefined, and expenditures are approved solely by the executive director,” said Coady, who leads a conservation group called the Susitna River Coalition.
Ruaro, in an email, said AIDEA will issue reports on communications to board members “whether requested or not.”
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When you buy uncooked bratwurst, you only have a narrow window of time to use the sausage safely unless you plan on storing it in the freezer.
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Half the ‘American Idol’ couples listed here are still together. In fact, three are married! Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Half the ‘American Idol’ couples listed here are still together. In fact, three are married! Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
With the 2026 NFL Draft now just hours away, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. After weeks of testing, film-watching and interviews, the scouts are making their final evaluations. So it’s time for me to do the same. The New York Giants’ recent acquisition of the No. 10 pick shifts the landscape. Ohio State’s quartet of top prospects remains in the top 10, as predicted in my most recent mock. Only now, they’re going to different teams. Let’s take a look at where everyone lands, from Fernando Mendoza to the choice of the Super Bowl champs at No. 32. 1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana The Heisman Trophy winner steps into the perfect system for his talents as a high-IQ playmaker. Mendoza’s pinpoint passing skills and underrated mobility mesh well with the play-action-heavy scheme new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak prefers to run. 2. New York Jets: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech Defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn could build his scheme around Bailey’s destructive talents as a pass rusher. As a speed rusher with an explosive first step and a challenging signature move (dip-and-rip), the Texas Tech standout could create more turnover chances with his consistent harassment off the edge. 3. Arizona Cardinals: Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State The versatile defender would add some sizzle to the Cardinals’ defense as a hybrid playmaker with disruptive potential. 4. Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Putting an All-Pro-caliber running back behind Cam Ward will not only help the franchise quarterback take his game to another level, but it will also allow the Titans to control the game with a diversified offensive approach. Love is a special playmaker with the potential to have a Christian McCaffrey-like impact on the offense. 5. New York Giants: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State The oft-injured playmaker is a worthwhile gamble due to his spectacular receiving skills and route-running ability. If healthy, Tyson is an unstoppable force on the perimeter who will force defensive coordinators to change how they defend the Giants’ passing game. 6. Cleveland Browns: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State The acrobatic pass-catcher is a dynamic route-runner and playmaker who flashes “take over the game” potential as a WR1. 7. Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Adding a sideline-to-sideline playmaker would help the Commanders eliminate some of the explosive plays generated by their opponents. Styles’ speed, quickness and burst not only show up on running plays, but it makes him a disruptive force on blitzes and in coverage. 8. New Orleans Saints: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami The high-motor defender is the perfect replacement for Cam Jordan on the edge. Bain’s heavy hands and violent approach would complement the rugged approach utilized by Chase Young on the opposite side. 9. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon The ultra-athletic pass-catcher would upgrade the Chiefs’ passing game as a mismatch creator. Sadiq’s speed, quickness and athleticism would force opponents to direct double coverage his way, leading to more one-on-one matchups for Travis Kelce and others on the perimeter. 10. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State The high-IQ safety is the traffic cop every elite defense needs in the middle of the field. Downs’ instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills led to countless big plays by him and his teammates at Ohio State. 11. Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU The talented cover corner gives new head coach Jeff Hafley a versatile technician to feature in his “vision-and-break” scheme. Delane’s instincts, awareness and diagnostic skills make him an ideal fit for a defense that wants to utilize more zone-based concepts. 12. Dallas Cowboys: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon The ball-hawking center fielder will eliminate some of the big plays that tormented the Dallas secondary a season ago. Moreover, Thieneman’s range and ball skills will help the Cowboys produce more takeaways in 2026. 13. Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Adding a versatile frontline blocker will give Sean McVay the flexibility to reshuffle his offensive line to feature the best front five on game day. Fano’s physicality and toughness will add a dimension to the Rams’ offensive line. 14. Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State Adding a big-bodied bully to the frontline should help the Ravens get back to the rugged offensive approach that has helped them crush opponents for years. Ioane plays with the violence, physicality and nastiness that the Ravens demand from their offensive line. 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami Todd Bowles needs a disruptive edge defender to elevate the Buccaneers’ defense in 2026. Mesidor is a plug-and-play prospect with the talent, tools and potential to become a double-digit sack producer in an aggressive scheme. 16. New York Jets: Makai Lemon, WR, USC Adding a dynamic slot receiver to the lineup should alleviate some of the pressure on WR1 Garrett Wilson to carry the passing game. Lemon is a spectacular route-runner with outstanding hands and ball skills. 17. Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia After moving on from left tackle Taylor Decker, the Lions take a talented developmental prospect to feature at the marquee position of the frontline. Although Freeling will need some time to grow into his role as a blind side protector, the Georgia standout has all the tools to play at an elite level early in his career. 18. Minnesota Vikings: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee If healthy, McCoy is an elite cover corner with the tools to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber defender on the island. As a featured playmaker in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive scheme, the ball-hawking cover corner will force quarterbacks into more tight-window throws. 19. Carolina Panthers: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo As a rangy center fielder with outstanding ball skills and awareness, EMW will add some much-needed playmaking ability to a unit that needs to generate more turnovers in 2026. 20. Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson The versatile cover corner is a pro-ready defender with the tools to flourish in a “see ball, get ball” system that prioritizes tackling and takeaways. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Chase Bisontis, OG, Texas A&M Adding a sturdy interior blocker will not endear general manager Omar Khan to the fan base, but the move could stabilize the Steelers’ offensive line for the next five years. The talented technician plays well within the phone booth, exhibiting the nastiness and toughness the Steelers covet in their offensive linemen. 22. Los Angeles Chargers: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson With Khalil Mack’s time nearing an end, the Chargers need a power rusher to fill the role. Parker’s strength, power and burst should make him an effective complementary pass rusher opposite an emerging star. 23. Philadelphia Eagles: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama The super-sized edge blocker could crack the lineup immediately as a guard before bouncing out to right tackle when Lane Johnson retires. 24. Cleveland Browns: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah As a natural left tackle with flawless footwork in pass protection, the Utah standout gives the Browns a blind side protector for the next decade. Lomu must improve as a run blocker, but his outstanding agility, balance and body control should enable him to effectively shadowbox elite pass rushers on the edge. 25. Chicago Bears: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn The ultra-aggressive edge defender specializes in stopping the run, but possesses the tools to develop into an effective pass rusher off the edge. 26. Buffalo Bills: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M The dynamic pass rusher brings the juice off the edge, providing new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard a high-energy pass rusher to build around. 27. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington Adding the big-bodied pass-catcher to the room provides the 49ers with a succession plan after Mike Evans’ eventual departure. With Boston serving as an apprentice to a perennial Pro Bowler, the 49ers’ passing game should be in good hands with their future WR1. 28. Houston Texans: Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State The run-stuffing defensive tackle will occupy multiple blockers at the point of attack to create more big-play opportunities for Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. 29. Kansas City Chiefs: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee The loss of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watkins forces the Chiefs to address the cornerback position with a top pick. Hood is the instinctive cover corner who typically thrives in Kansas City’s ultra-aggressive scheme. 30. Miami Dolphins: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M The pass-catching phenom is the dynamic playmaker new QB1 Malik Willis needs on the perimeter. Despite his struggles with drops, Concepcion terrorizes opponents between the hashes as a catch-and-run specialist who routinely registers his touches on crossers and square-in routes. 31. New England Patriots: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State The big-bodied edge blocker is a work in progress, but the Patriots can redshirt him for a season behind Morgan Moses before he takes over for the veteran at right tackle. 32. Seattle Seahawks: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF The defending champs add a high-motor pass rusher to a rotation of edge defenders with complementary skills. Lawrence’s fanatical effort and relentless approach fit the Seahawks’ throwback culture.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
We’re seeing a new and improved Tyler Reddick during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Entering the season, he had a total of eight Cup race wins — three with Richard Childress Racing in 2022 and five with 23XI Racing across 2023 and 2024. But in 2026 alone, he might match that total as he currently owns five wins through nine races. FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Kevin Harvick certainly thinks the mark is possible. “He’s going to break the record for most wins in a Gen-7 car,” Harvick said on the latest edition of “SPEED With Harvick and Buxton”. “The record is six right now… He’s going to break that record.” Reddick, Harvick believes, will join the likes of Kyle Larson, William Byron and Denny Hamlin in terms of most victories achieved in a single season in the newest generation car, introduced in 2022. It’s a mountaintop he can soon reach because of the changes he, individually, has made, and the upgrades 23XI Racing have put in place this season. “When you get the momentum, and the car’s right, and the pit crew, and everything’s lined up right, and you have an elite driver — like you do with Tyler Reddick — you can get on a roll,” Harvick said. “I think the biggest difference for Tyler Reddick and 23XI this year… they’re able to really focus on who they are as a race team.” Harvick first noticed that before the Daytona 500. When he was preparing for the broadcast, a crew member told him that Reddick was already out and ready for his interview. That stood out to Harvick as he had never seen that punctuality from Reddick. “That was the first time that I had really heard, ‘Wow, Tyler Reddick’s going next level Cup racing this year with himself, mentally,” Harvick said. [NASCAR POWER RANKINGS: Tyler Reddick Too Hot & Can’t Be Stopped] Harvick expressed to Reddick that he was impressed with him showing up early and prepared to do the Daytona 500 interview, and Reddick replied: “Had to change. Had to get my stuff together. I needed to be on time.” That commitment to preparedness was the final step in Reddick’s rise to being elite. He, Harvick explained, was “handpicked by Hamlin and Michael Jordan” to race for 23XI because “his ability within the race car is elite.” Now that he’s honed in on the mental side and increased his focus, there’s nothing stopping him from fulfilling Harvick’s prediction and breaking the record for wins in a Cup series season during the current generation. CHECK OUT THE FULL EPISODE OF “SPEED”:Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced the name of their daughter Lilibet, millions applauded the adorable tribute to Harry’s grandmother.
Lilibet was the nickname used by Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, and Harry and Meghan likely believed that they were paying tribute to the monarch in moving fashion.
But according to one royal expert, the couple was dead wrong.
Hugo Vickers is a royal historian who’s currently promoting his new book, titled Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History.
During a recent appearance on the “Daily T “podcast, Vickers lashed out at Harry and Meghan for naming their daughter after the queen’s intimate nickname.
“Wasn’t it rather sweet for them to call their daughter Lilibet after the queen’s name?” host Camilla Tominey asked.
“Oh, well, that was odious,” Vickers replied, adding:
“To use the queen’s name that was used by her actual private family? No. That’s absolutely shocking.”
As Vickers and others have noted, the name did not originate with Philip, but rather with Elizabeth’s father, King George VI.
The name stemmed from the queen’s inability to pronounce “Elizabeth” when she was a young child.
“Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy,” George famously quipped when both the queen and her sister, Princess Margaret, were in their youth.
When Philip passed away in 2021, at the age of 99, Elizabeth placed a note atop his coffin that read, “In loving memory, Lilibet.”
Many royal observers believed that that would be the last time the queen’s intimate nickname would ever be used in a public setting.
So it came as quite a shock when Harry and Meghan announced just two months later that they had christened their daughter with the moniker.
While Lilibet was just a nickname for the queen, Harry and Meghan’s daughter is legally named Lilibet Diana.
The queen never spoke publicly about the name, but there have been rumors that she was not as honored as Harry and Meghan hoped she would be.
The decision probably was not as controversial as Vickers is making out to be, but it does seem that Harry and Meghan did not consult the queen before choosing their daughter’s name.
Meghan Markle Blasted For ‘Shocking’ Decision to Name Daughter After Queen was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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She never thought that the leopards would eat her face.
Caitlyn Jenner has spoken against trans women athletes, even though she’s the most famous trans athlete on the planet.
She’s arguably thrown cis women’s rights under the bus, too. And her political support puts her at odds with vast swathes of America.
Now, however, she’s facing discrimination from the policies that she voted for. She’s shocked, and appealing to Trump to personally intervene.
In a recent interview, Caitlyn spoke to Tomi Lohren about a myriad of topics — including her own humiliation at the hands of the Trump regime.
The 76-year-old Olympian and reality TV personality revealed that she had recently updated her passport.
Unfortunately, it came back with a gender marker of “M.” This does not accurately represent her gender, so she submitted a request for this to be corrected. It was not.
“What do I do?” she asked Tomi. “This is a safety factor. I can’t travel internationally anymore. I can’t use my passport.”
This isn’t a paperwork error on Cait’s part. She had all of her documentation updated over a decade ago. This is malice at the federal level.
“All my documentation was right: my passport, my Global Entry,” Caitlyn emphasized. “I traveled around the world,”
She admitted: “I’m trying to figure out at this point what to do. For a lot of people, this is a huge issue.”
Cait shared that she had written a letter to Trump “explaining all of this to him, how it’s affecting me and a lot of other people.”
She lamented: “I haven’t heard from him.”
Caitlyn has been voicing support for Trump since the 2016 election cycle. He name -dropped her during the Republican primary that year, in a then-positive light. None of that matters now, clearly.
“He’s kind of busy right now,” Cait claimed without specifying. “My gender marker is not big on the issue. OK.”
Though it sometimes feels like Donald Trump spends all day posting to social media and repeatedly pressing a button labeled sabotage economy, he also takes time to golf and attend UFC fights. Didn’t he also visit Vegas a few days ago?
“So I get that, and I’m not blaming him whatsoever,” Caitlyn assured. “I love the guy, and I love what he’s doing.”
She also highlighted that this policy could impact her ability to vote.
(It’s unclear why she’s saying this, as she famously resides in Malibu, where she is presumably registered to vote. Some states have implemented voter ID laws and similar voter suppression policies, but California has not.)
According to Caitlyn, she believes that this policy was not “really thought out, what this means.”
Unfortunately, that is not the truth.
Though incompetence is a defining feature of the Trump regime, this particular policy making her feel hurt, unsafe to travel, and possibly unable to vote means that it’s working exactly as intended.
She is transgender. Like countless other policies flowing out of the Trump White House, sabotaging her identification documents like this is a deliberate attempt to make her feel disenfranchised, to make her life more difficult, and to make her
Cait isn’t even the first trans celebrity to run into this problem. Euphoria actress Hunter Schafer raised the alarm back in February 2025.
This is another clear example of the classic tweet: “‘I never thought leopards would eat MY face,’ sobs woman who voted for the Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party.”
Caitlyn voted for this, but never thought that it would harm her — just vague other people who aren’t her.
She voted for this because she believed that her support for Trump, her celebrity status, or her immense wealth would insulate her from the policies designed to harm countless Americans.
Ultimately, supporting fascists does not protect you from their policies. The true believers do not see you as a person. And the bulk of fascists — opportunists with juvenile worldviews — see you as an inconvenience as soon as you stop being a useful idiot.
Trump has no need to reward Caitlyn for her loyalty unless she can give him something that he wants. She’s one of many marginalized individuals who voted for Trump for their own complex-yet-inexcusable reasons, only for this vote to blow up in their faces.
Will Cait learn a lesson from this? Probably not.
Caitlyn Jenner is Now Victim of Anti-Trans Trump Policy She Voted For, But Totally … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
While the Texas Roadhouse fried catfish po’boy hack may sound like a good idea in theory, the number of steps involved isn’t really worth the effort.
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