Coffee shops across Anchorage are dealing with rising costs for beans, fuel, shipping and supplies. Owners at Refuge Coffee and Bema Café say they have had to adapt as expenses climb, with some costs ultimately being passed on to customers.…
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Belgium’s golden generation might have ended in 2022, but a younger squad opened its World Cup the way it has opened most things lately: with more questions than answers. Egypt — organized, patient, entirely unfazed by the badge it was facing — held one of Europe’s more talented squads to a 1-1 draw in Seattle on Monday. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead in the 19th minute. Belgium, which lined up without a recognized striker, spent an hour passing the ball to death without ever threatening to score one. Then Rudi Garcia went for one of the lasting remnants of the past golden generation, and that man shocked audiences with his first touch. Here are my takeaways from Belgium and Egypt’s opening draw: 1. Belgium Needs a Healthy Lukaku — Desperately Belgium started this World Cup match without a striker. Garcia deployed Charles De Ketelaere, usually a second striker or attacking midfielder, as a false nine in front of an attacking midfield three built on flair: Jérémy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard. It produced some decent football but virtually no penalty-box menace. Egypt’s block sat there and dared Belgium to find a center forward. Belgium couldn’t muster a single shot on target during the entire first half. Enter Romelu Lukaku. Within seconds, a Youri Tielemans pass sprang Thomas Meunier down the right. Lukaku’s run through the middle was perfectly timed as the low cross was fed right into the path of the veteran striker. That sequence is Belgium’s entire striker situation in a nutshell. Lukaku is 33. He has played about an hour of competitive football all season after a high-grade thigh tear, surgery and a parade of setbacks at Napoli — a saga ugly enough that he spent half the year rehabbing in Belgium against his club’s wishes. And he is still, comfortably, the most important No. 9 this team has. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, and it isn’t close. The question for Garcia was never whether Lukaku belongs. It depends on whether his body allows him to be the player this squad is designed around. 2. The Gap At The Top Keeps Shrinking Egypt didn’t park ten men and pray. Hossam Hassan’s side defended with shape, broke with intent and, for long spells, looked like the team with the clearer idea of what it was doing. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush were deployed to stretch Belgium’s back line all night. This was not a smash-and-grab. And it fits the pattern of these opening days. Canada took its first men’s World Cup point off Bosnia. Cape Verde somehow held Spain to a 0-0 draw. Japan produced a highly entertaining 2-2 result against the Netherlands. The teams that were supposed to make up the numbers in a bloated 48-side field have been landing clean punches on the establishment. Egypt went winless in Russia in 2018. This cycle it conceded two goals in 10 qualifiers. On Monday, it walked off the pitch proudly with a point against the ninth placed side in the FIFA rankings. Pedigree still wins most of these games, but be thankful for the surprises that keep some of these games highly unpredictable. 3. Egypt Is Built To Be A Problem Two goals allowed in ten qualifying matches is not a rounding error. It’s an identity. Hassan has built a side around defensive discipline and two attackers who can punish a single lapse. Salah — who turned 34 on Monday, and is fresh off a quieter final season at Liverpool — is still feared by defenders. Marmoush, now at Manchester City, offers a second runner who threatens in behind the moment a center back steps too high. Ashour’s opener came from exactly the kind of organized, low-risk football this team will live on. The draw has been kind to the Pharaohs, too. They drew the toughest fixture first and came away with a point. Iran and New Zealand are next, and Egypt will fancy itself in both. Second place in Group G is very much on the table — and a Round-of-32 date that could fall against the United States is the sort of thing that makes a federation dream. 4. What Is The Ceiling For Belgium? We have been writing this group’s obituary since 2018, and it keeps refusing to die quietly. De Bruyne is 34. Courtois is 34. Lukaku is 33 and held together with tape. The trophy cabinet is empty. Qatar 2022 ended in a group-stage exit and a dressing room reportedly at war with itself. The brief in 2026 was simple: don’t do that again. A point against a well-drilled Egypt is not that. But in a draw, Garcia’s headline idea — De Bruyne conducting behind a striker-less front three — generated barely any threat. It’s the kind of result that should keep a coach up at night. Talent has never been the issue with Belgium. The coherence has. Iran comes next in Los Angeles, then New Zealand in Vancouver. Both are winnable. Both are also precisely the sort of stubborn, well-organized opponent that just gave Belgium 90 minutes of frustration while wearing a different shirt. Garcia has a week to decide how much he trusts Lukaku’s body — because for an hour on Monday, the alternative looked like nothing at all.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
It’s no surprise that after years in the spotlight, Chris Young has grown accustomed to being recognized by country music fans in typical settings like a country concert, a festival or local Nashville hotspots. But according to the singer/songwriter, there have also been some pretty memorable fan encounters that have happened in places where he least expected them.
During a recent conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Young was asked to share some of the most wild or random places that a fan has recognized him. After taking a moment to think back, he first recalled an unexpected encounter that took place at a concert by rapper J. Cole.
“I was standing out at front of house because one of my friends worked for him and I wanted to go see that show. And so I’m just standing there. I’m like, ‘Nobody’s going to know me.’”
That assumption didn’t last long because Young said the next thing he knew a fan spotted him near the soundboard and immediately did a double take.
“He’s like, ‘Are you…?’ And I’m like, ‘How do you know that? I’m not popular enough for you to recognize me at a J. Cole concert. Stop it,’” he joked.
The surprise recognition reminded him of another random experience that happened during a special concert outing with his mom. Young says he has made it a point to take everyone in his family to at least one big show of their choosing to see their favorite artist perform. For his mom, that artist was Billy Joel.
They ventured out to New York City together on a fun mother-son adventure to see the superstar perform during his residency at Madison Square Garden. This was one of the last places that Young ever expected to meet one of his own fans, as he was far beyond the typical country music setting.
“I took my mom to go see Billy Joel when he was doing the residency where he broke the record for a number of shows and we were getting up to leave and someone ran me down and was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re my favorite country artist,’” he recalled. “I was like, ‘oh, there’s zero reason for you to recognize me here. It’s just me and my mom watching Billy Joel.’ I was like this is completely random.”
While the moments may have been unexpected, Young says the recognition is always appreciated.
“It’s a good feeling,” he added.
There have definitely been moments when Chris Young has tried to fly under the radar, but as he has clearly discovered on multiple occasions, that’s not always an easy task, especially when he’s in Nashville. He was once again reminded of this recently when he took his first backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry.
Young has played the Opry countless times since making his debut in the coveted circle on on June 10, 2006, but somehow he has never taken the small-group public tours that run throughout the backstage of the historic venue. When a few of his friends made the trip to Music City from Key West, he decide to join them in experiencing one of these tours, not as an artist but as a fan.
It didn’t take long for Young to accidently expose that he’s no stranger to the venue.
“No one had really noticed because I was just T-shirt, jeans, ball cap. And as we’re going through backstage, I was like, ‘Oh, where’s the Christmas tree that’s in this room?’ And the woman immediately looks at me and cocks her head a little bit. She’s like, ‘Hmm.’”
He continued, “Then you do a thing at the very end where you take a photo in the circle and she waited until we got up and we were last in line and she goes, ‘It’s your big moment. Here you are stepping into this.’ I was like, ‘Oh, she knows.’”
Young admits that the entire experience was one to remember and feels that anyone visiting Nashville should take the time to learn more about the Opry, as well as visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“That’s something that I think a lot of people may miss if they don’t know about it, but it’s easy to just schedule one of those and go check out the Opry.”
Chris Young has been staying busy as he recently released the deluxe edition of his latest album, I Didn’t Come Here To Leave, featuring new collaborations with Shaylen and Breland.
Plus, fans are eagerly awaiting the grand opening of his own sports bar, Famous Friends, in Nashville’s Midtown neighborhood.
The post Chris Young Reveals The Most Unexpected Places Fans Have Recognized Him appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Dolly Parton‘s former California retreat is looking for a new owner, and the property’s current owner is hoping it ends up in the hands of someone who is a big fan of the country icon.
Located in the heart of Solvang, California at 561 Alisal Road, the charming residence is believed to have once served as a private getaway for Parton and her family, according to Noozhawk. It has now hit the market with an asking price of $1.995 million.
The iconic home is located just steps from the town’s popular downtown district and offers plenty of character as well as several unique reminders of Dolly Parton. It features a stained-glass window above the front door that reads “Dolly” alongside her signature butterfly symbol, what has been described as Parton’s original “wig room” and a plaque on the white fence officially claiming it as the “9 To 5” singer’s former home.
“Own a piece of music history with the Dolly Parton’s former retreat home and two rental units, a rare Hollywood legacy located in the heart of Solvang at 561 Alisal Road. This one-of-a-kind property features the country legend’s original, authentic ‘Wig Room,” the listing reads.
The triplex property offers a “3-bedroom, 2-bathroom front home; a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom upper rear unit; and a 1-bedroom lower unit with a three-quarter bath. Each unit includes its own private, enclosed patio.”
SFGATE reports that Parton owned the property for roughly a decade after purchasing it in 2004. During that time, it’s believed that she used the home as a weekend retreat, while additional units on the property housed members of her team during visits to California’s Santa Ynez Valley.
The property was built in 1920 and is currently owned by Cris Lapp, a real estate broker with Black Oak Homes and Mortgages. He purchased the property nearly four years ago as a temporary residence while he and his partner worked on building their dream home in Solvang. Since then, he has invested time into restoring and maintaining the historic retreat, including refurbishing the property’s iconic windmill and adding the stained-glass Dolly tribute above the front door.
Lapp tells Noozhawk that he once lived in the back house recalls the upstairs being used as Parton’s makeup room, wig room and a dressing room area.
“Neighbors and people that would tend to the house before she came up, would come by and talk to me and said she would come up with her crew,” he recalls. “…She used it as a weekend retreat, I guess.”
Lapp goes on to say that traces of Parton’s influence can still be found throughout the property. While exploring the basement, he discovered several items that appeared to have been left behind by the country icon including “wooden angels and wooden tulips.”
Over the years, the real estate broker has made a point to preserve many of the home’s original details. When renting out the additional units, he even encouraged tenants not to alter the unique features that served as a reminder of Parton’s time there.
“There’s a lot of stenciling of little hearts and stuff inside the unit…I wanted to make sure she didn’t get erased from it.”
Lapp also shared his hope that a “mega fan” will purchase the home.
To celebrate the property’s unique history, he created its own Instagram page (@dollys_house_solvang) to showcase the home’s transformation over the past few years. The account features photos of the residence and highlights restoration projects dating back to 2022.
Tours of the property are currently reserved for prospective buyers only.
The post Dolly Parton’s Former California Retreat Hits The Market For $1.995 Million appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Cape Verde delivered the biggest shock of the World Cup thus far after its draw against Spain in Atlanta on Monday. I’ve given my kudos to Cape Verde (an archipelago nation off the coast of Africa making its tournament debut), but now let’s focus on La Roja and what’s now at stake after this historically disappointing result from Luis de la Fuente’s team. Spain’s draw now means that in order to top the group, its margin for error has practically been brought to zero. This group features two other stout squads – Uruguay will take on Saudi Arabia to conclude the first matchday of Group H – but trust me when I tell you that De La Fuente will want nothing less than two victories for their remaining fixtures in the group stage. Spain knows that topping the group is extremely important in order to avoid a major, giant obstacle in the knockout stages and Monday’s result gets in the way of this objective. Because any other setbacks could set up an earlier-than-expected date with a very familiar face. If Spain ends up as runner-up, then it has the possibility of facing Lionel Messi Argentina in the Round of 32 (if La Albiceleste tops Group J) and that’s far from ideal. Now, there’s a reminder here that Argentina itself lost the opening match of the World Cup back in 2022, which was coincidentally against Saudi Arabia (Spain’s upcoming opponent, and we all know how that ended.) In addition, back in 2010, when Spain won its first World Cup, it actually lost the first match, a 1-0 loss to Switzerland, and after that, it won every game, which concluded the journey with the trophy. All is not lost, therefore. But Spain knows it has to do better, both in strategy and mentality. It was a passive performance where patience was confused with stagnation. Too many players, from Ferran Torres to Mikel Oyarzabal, were not clinical enough. I also thought the substitutions came too late against Cape Verde so De La Fuente too needs to be more aggressive with his management. If all the eggs are placed in Lamine Yamal’s basket, then Spain will continue to fail. It has to believe in the collective. As mentioned, Spain faces Saudi Arabia on Sunday, before ending the group action against Uruguay next Friday. And I am not sure if a desperate battle against a team managed by Marcelo Bielsa – whose well-earned El Loco nickname comes from his high-pressure style of tactics – is what Spain wants. There’s a lot to do for Spain and there is no doubt it can do it. It is, after all, a magnificent team. But talent is not the question here. This is about application.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
As the months get warmer, lemonade starts making a very appealing appearance at many of our tables. To really usher summer in, add this tropical fruit.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
A Libertarian challenger in a top Iowa battleground says Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the district’s current representative, GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, privately pressured him to drop out.
Marco Battaglia, who hopes to run for the state’s 3rd Congressional District, has faced multiple challenges from Republicans over his eligibility and was even struck from the ballot on Monday — though he plans to appeal the state election panel’s decision.
Battaglia said Nunn visited his home on June 7 to convince him to exit the race. Then, a day later, came a call from Washington — and Kennedy, allegedly, was on the other line.
Battaglia said Kennedy told him that it would be a direct blow to Kennedy, personally, if Republicans lost the seat.
“If this seat flips, it’ll make my life hell,” Kennedy said, according to Battaglia’s recollection. It’s not clear what Kennedy was referring to, but the HHS secretary could face impeachment should Democrats retake control of the House.
Battaglia shared screenshots of his call log with POLITICO that show an incoming call from a phone number Kennedy has previously used. The call arrived at 12:44 p.m. central and lasted nearly 12 minutes. POLITICO also reviewed screenshots of text messages Battaglia later sent to the number associated with Kennedy, which did not garner responses.
Kennedy’s office did not respond to a request for comment. In recent weeks, the secretary has stepped up his involvement in battleground races, visiting Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s 3rd District and Democratic Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s 9th District. He will appear with GOP Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th District on Tuesday.
Nunn’s campaign did not dispute that he visited Battaglia’s home, but adviser Annie Kuhle said in a statement that the purpose was to inform Battaglia of challenges to his signatures and invite him to cooperate with the investigation.
Kuhle said there is “strong evidence” Battaglia’s signatures were gathered “by dark-money outside groups with ties to the Democrat Party.” Nunn’s meeting with Battaglia was first reported by the Des Moines Register.
Battaglia was removed from the ballot Monday after the Iowa State Objection Panel — which adjudicates challenges to candidate eligibility — determined he was ineligible because he did not use his legal name: Mark Thomas Andersen.
Battaglia told POLITICO he plans to appeal the decision, as his party did in 2024 when all Libertarians were removed from the ballot for not following state law in their nominating process. When that appeal failed, Battaglia and other Libertarian candidates launched write-in campaigns.
“Iowa Republicans know they can’t win on ideas, so they are resorting to their favorite tactic: suppressing voter choice,” Evan McMahon, chair of the national Libertarian Party, said in a statement. “When a third party gathers a record number of signatures and earns its place on the ballot, the answer is to debate them, not to bully them, bribe them, or sue them off the ballot.”
The 3rd District is one of Democrats’ top targets this cycle, a seat Nunn won by fewer than four points in 2024 even as Trump won the state by 13 points. State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic nominee, is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program.
Republicans have already spent nearly $4.5 million to defend the seat, according to the political advertising tracker AdImpact. Republicans warn Battaglia’s presence on the ballot — drawing conservative votes away from Nunn — could tip a close race.
The Republican National Committee did not respond to a request for comment.
Battaglia says Nunn, during his June 7 visit to his home, offered him a deal and referenced the HHS secretary: “We’ll fly you out to D.C. and you can be my wing man,” Nunn allegedly said, per Battaglia’s recollection. “We’ll make you the poster boy for election integrity, and we’ll hang out with Robert Kennedy Jr.”
Nunn’s campaign denies the representative said any such thing. “No offer, inducement, or thing of value was ever proposed or provided in exchange for withdrawing the nomination petitions,” said Kuhle, the Nunn campaign strategist, in a statement.
In a text message to Kuhle and Nunn after the meeting, Battaglia said he would “reconsider withdrawal” if Nunn pledged to “formally introduce impeachment of the President for Treason, Bribery, and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” according to a screenshot reviewed by POLITICO.
A spokesperson for Nunn’s campaign, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said they “kept stakeholders, including the White House, informed of our concerns,” but they “did not ask them to take any action on our behalf, and were not aware of any actions taken until Marco informed us of the call [with Kennedy].”
Battaglia is a longtime Kennedy supporter who backed him when he launched a Democratic bid for president in 2023. Battaglia said he met Kennedy during a campaign stop in Des Moines in August 2023, when the then-Democrat spoke at a coffee shop. Battaglia said he presented Kennedy with a gift: A VHS tape of “The Second Gun,” a documentary exploring an alternate theory of Kennedy’s father’s assassination.
“He seemed to respond to it warmly,” Battaglia said. “It was a nice gift.”
Politics
This 5-ingredient Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe is simple yet delicious, relying on basic ingredients (and plenty of mayo) for that key creamy flavor profile.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
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We have tragic news to report from the world of reality TV today.
James Barker, a producer on Love Island USA, has passed away while filming the show’s eighth season in Fiji.
News of Barker’s death comes courtesy of a statement from Peacock and ITV America.
“James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” the networks said in a joint statement (via People).
“He was a beloved and greatly valued member of our collective family whose kindness, talent and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.”
Peacock and ITV also announced that Barker will be honored during the June 16 episode of Love Island USA.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed, but insiders have divulged that Barker died following an “unexpected medical emergency” last week.
Barker joined Love Island USA in 2020 as a story producer before rising through the ranks to become executive producer for the show’s past three seasons.
Along the way, he played a key role in both production and post-production and helped oversee the series’ soundtrack.
Barker’s television career began at Leftfield Pictures in 2011, where he worked on popular reality programs including Pawn Stars, Forged in Fire, and Counting Cars.
He later added credits on Queer Eye and several other unscripted projects before becoming one of the driving creative forces behind Love Island USA and its spinoffs.
Just days before his death, Barker celebrated the launch of Season 8 on social media.
“We come to Fiji for magic,” he wrote in a June 3 Instagram post while praising the cast and crew behind the series.
News of Barker’s death sent shockwaves through the Love Island community, particularly because the producer had become such an integral part of the franchise’s recent success.
Season 8 premiered on June 2 with Ariana Madix returning as host, and production has continued in Fiji following Barker’s passing.
Tributes from colleagues and fans quickly began appearing online after the announcement, with many expressing disbelief over the sudden loss of a producer who was widely respected throughout the reality television industry.
Our thoughts go out to Barker’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
James Barker Cause of Death: ‘Love Island USA’ Producer Passes Away at 40 … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
U.S. World Cup Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) — Although U.S. men’s national team forward Christian Pulisic participated in a “modified training” session on Monday after leaving last week’s 2026 FIFA World Cup-opening win over Paraguay with a sore calf, midfielder Tyler Adams insisted that Pulisic “will be ready” for the Americans’ second Group B match against Australia on Friday in Seattle. After setting up the USA’s first two goals en route to a record-smashing 4-1 victory over the Paraguayans, Pulisic — the Stars and Stripes’ headliner and their most irreplaceable attacking player — was subbed out of the match at halftime with a sore left calf. “We’re hopeful the next game he’ll be available,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday after the game. Adams expects that he will. “Come on, Christian will be ready,” Adams said with a chuckle before the Americans trained as a group for the first time since last Friday’s triumph. “Everyone, let’s relax.” Despite Pochettino’s revelation that Pulisic “could not walk when he finished the first half,” the 27-year-old AC Milan star wasn’t noticeably limping when he strode to a microphone to answer questions about 30 minutes following the final whistle. The players who started against Paraguay, including Pulisic, went through a light “regeneration session” on Saturday before a team barbecue at the team’s swanky ocean-front hotel. Pulisic’s leg wasn’t taped in pictures of that event posted to social media. Yet when training began on Monday, Pulisic wasn’t on the field with the rest of the other 25 members of the USA’s squad. He was in the gym working out instead and did individual work on the field later in the session here at Great Park. Pochettino told FOX Sports sideline reporter Jenny Taft that the Pennsylvania native was removed as a precaution from the opener, which the World Cup co-hosts were leading 3-0 at the time. The former Paris Saint-Germain manager gave his players Sunday off, allowing them to rest mentally as well as physically. “He picked up a knock a few days before the game, and I think he got kicked in the same spot again during the game,” Adams said of Pulisic on Monday. “And when you go into halftime, things obviously get tight within the 15-20 minute break. “He’ll be fine.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports