A rice cooker may sound like a one-trick-pony at first glance, but it can do so much more than simply create one style of rice. You can make a whole dinner.
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September 11 is a painful day for all Americans, especially for those who lost loved ones in the tragic attacks of 2001. For Megan Moroney, the day carries deep personal weight. She lost her uncle, Dennis Gerard Moroney, on September 11, 2001.
The past few years, on the anniversary of the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives, Moroney has shared a remembrance post on social media in his honor. The photo features his name engraved on the 9/11 Memorial at the site where the World Trade Center once stood, adorned with a single white flower.
While Moroney has rarely spoken publicly about the loss, she poured her grief into her music with “Heaven By Noon,” a track on her 2024 album Am I Okay?
The song tells the story of someone grappling with the sudden loss of a loved one, reflecting on their final conversation and the words left unsaid. The lyrics capture raw anger and sadness as she sings: “I know where you’re at/ And there ain’t no time at all/ No heartbreak, no more pain/ Just streets of gold you get to walk/ When I talked to you this mornin’/ I said, ‘I’ll see you soon’/ Would have said so much more if I only knew/ That you’d be in Heaven by noon.”
During a conversation on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Country, the Georgia native briefly opened up about the loss of her uncle and the inspiration behind the song.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but my uncle died on 9/11, so I thought about my aunt when I was writing that song because… the last thing they talked about was an oil change. And so that’s probably not what she would’ve said, wanted to say to him if she knew it was going to be the last time,” Moroney shared at the time. ”It’s definitely a heart wrenching song, and I hope that it helps.”
In a separate interview with the LA Times, Moroney explained that she and her co-writers approached the song from a universal perspective, hoping that anyone who has experienced loss could find their own story within it.
“I think my loyal fans know what it’s about, and maybe that makes it more real to them. This was my first time writing a song about grief, but I kind of wanted it to be a universal song that wasn’t so hyper-focused on my situation,” she explained. “I wrote it with Jessie Jo Dillon and Matt Jenkins, and we talked about people they’ve lost, and I was like, ‘OK, this is how it felt for my family — is this lining up with your story, too?’”
In early 2025, she performed the song in honor of members of the music industry who passed away during an in memoriam segment at Country Radio Seminar. It’s one of the few times she has delivered a performance of the song live.
@adventuresofaubs Megan playing Heaven by Noon in Denver tonight 😭 #meganmoroney #cloud9 #denver #concert #cloud9tour ♬ original sound – Aubree🌈🌸
During her 2026 Cloud 9 arena Tour, Moroney delivered an emotional performance of the song at her show in Denver in late August.
“This is the most requested song of the entire tour. I just don’t play it that often,” the Georgia native shared during the acoustic portion of her show.
She later admitted, “It’s hard to get through.”
A heartbreaking song born from an unimaginable loss, “Heaven By Noon” hits especially hard on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
The post Megan Moroney Honors Uncle Lost on 9/11 With Emotional Song ‘Heaven By Noon’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
After a decade in country music, Carly Pearce says her perspective on life and her job as a country artist has shifted significantly. That change has not only influenced the way she approaches her music, but also how she shows up in her relationships and friendships.
One relationship that has remained especially meaningful throughout her career is her friendship with Kelsea Ballerini. The two first met when Ballerini was 19 and Pearce was 23. At the time, they were both just a couple of young women trying to find their footing in the Nashville scene. Pearce opened up about their close bond during an interview on Alchemy with Anthony Mason.
The Kentucky native admits that while they formed a friendship fairly quickly, she remembers feeling jealousy towards Ballerini after seeing that she had landed a record while Pearce was still independent and working towards that goal.
“I didn’t like her at first because she had a record deal and I didn’t. And I was like, ‘who’s this girl that’s 19 that’s already getting a record deal?’”
However that envy completely went away when Pearce realized that she had actually found a safe place in her fellow songstress.
“We’ve been through a lot together. I know I can go to her and she’s going to understand and vice versa, and we have that dialogue. And again, in whatever business you’re in, for us, there’s a very small amount of people that understand what this is like. And I always feel so seen by her, but we’ve grown up together and I love her,” she admitted.
That closeness eventually made its way into their music. Pearce and Ballerini previously teamed up with Kelly Clarkson on “You’re Drunk, Go Home,” giving fans a glimpse of the friendship they had built behind the scenes.
“It’s hard to find people,” Pearce continued. “In my experience, it has been hard for me to find real friends and hers as well. And truthfully, what I have with her, I don’t need anyone else. It’s really special.”
What started as a friendship between two young women has grown into a lasting bond over the years. Now, Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini often find themselves oversharing over a glass of wine and making plenty of memories along the way. During a game of “Sip or Spill” with Entertainment Tonight, Pearce was asked about the craziest thing the two have ever done together. Her response said it all as she chose to take a sip rather than spill the details.
“We’re so eager, almost like golden retrievers of like, no, let us tell you. And I think we really connected in that way and it felt like, oh, I want to be your friend.”
Pearce went on to say that she has reached a point where she is more intentional about appreciating the present moment, both in her career and in the relationships that exist outside of music.
“I think I’m more aware now of what is important to me. And I think maybe I spent the 10 years not understanding time. I think now I’m more appreciative. I think my shows are better because I’m more present. I think my relationships outside of music are richer because I care and I’m more present. I think I’m actively taking care of that side of my life for the first time. And I think you can have both.”
She credits much of that newfound joy to making her latest record, Honest Woman, a project that helped her reconnect with the passion she first found in music.
“I found the joy again. It’s my favorite music I’ve ever made. I’m having more fun on stage now than when I was female vocalist of the year. I have the joy. I found the joy again. I found the fulfillment again.”
Moving forward, whether she’s winning awards and climbing the charts or not, Carly Pearce is taking a page from Dolly Parton’s book by refusing to settle for ordinary and continuing to push herself to raise the bar.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve seen number one on the chart. Okay. Not all my shows are always full. Okay. I’m not always nominated. Okay. But I can guarantee you that I work my butt off to make sure that I make myself continue to do this and raise the bar and do the things that I can control because at the end of the day, none of us can control. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. But I know I’ve made the best record I’ve ever made now.”
The post Carly Pearce Reflects on Finding Joy Again and Her Unbreakable Bond With Kelsea Ballerini appeared first on Country Now.
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The post How to Create a WordPress Contact Form Without a Form Plugin appeared first on Themeisle Blog.
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Will history repeat itself in Saturday’s Ohio State-Texas battle or will the Longhorns find a way to win? And which team will kick off the weekend with a spotless record after the Missouri-Kansas tilt? Here are the five must-watch college football games for Week 2. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Friday, Sept. 11 Spread: Missouri -5.5Moneyline: Missouri -218; Kansas +180O/U: 51.5 What To Know: Missouri rolled to an easy straight up (SU) win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Week 1. However, the Tigers failed to cover the 54.5-point spread, as the final score was Mizzou 54, Pine Bluff 14. This week, Missouri faces a tougher opponent in Kansas. Unlike the Tigers, the Jayhawks covered the 41-point spread set in their game by defeating Long Island University 51-6. When these two squads faced off last season at Missouri, the Tigers won 42-31. “The Tigers have the better quarterback, and their run game is still rather awesome even without Ahmad Hardy in the backfield,” FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young explained about his Mizzou-over-Kansas pick. Saturday, Sept. 12 Spread: Oregon -23.5Moneyline: Oregon -2100; OSU +1100O/U: 57.5 What To Know: Oregon got a scare last week when Boise State kept it close well into the fourth quarter. The Ducks ended up getting the 34-27 win but did not cover the 24.5-point spread. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, lost to Tulsa in Week 1 24-10. While the Cowboys controlled possession for more minutes, they had four turnovers and six penalties for 59 yards. In 2025, Oregon won easily when they faced each other, defeating Oklahoma State 69-3. “The Ducks had their “wake-up call” last week vs. Boise State,” FOX Sports college football and soccer writer Laken Litman noted, “but Dan Lanning will have his team ready to go.” Spread: Oklahoma -5.5Moneyline: Oklahoma -218; Michigan +180O/U: 43.5 What To Know: It took a wing and a prayer, two Hail Marys and a controversial extra second on the clock for Michigan to get past Western Michigan in Week 1. But the football gods sided with the Wolverines and they narrowly escaped 13-12. The loss dropped them from No. 16 to completely out of the Top 25. Will Michigan bounce back in Week 2? FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill believes UM will at least cover. “The Wolverines still appear to have a very solid defense,” he wrote. “They should be able to adopt an “Us vs. The World” mentality — especially as a home ‘dog.” Spread: Tennessee -12.5Moneyline: Tennessee -470; Georgia Tech +360O/U: 55.5 What To Know: Georgia Tech’s 2026 got off to an unexpected start as the Yellow Jackets got upset by Colorado in Atlanta. Now Tech hosts double-digit-favorite Tennessee. It’s been nine years since these two played one another, and that ended in a double-overtime win for Rocky Top. In Tech’s loss last week, the Jackets put up 288 total yards of offense. The Vols put up 638 against Furman in their Week 1 victory. Spread: Texas -1.5Moneyline: Texas -122; Ohio State +102O/U: 49.5 What To Know: Both these teams are near the top of the national championship oddsboard and both have players near the top of the Heisman board as well. So which title contender comes out of Week 2 unscathed? RJ Young picked Ohio State, noting that wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is a “cheat code.” For added context, in last year’s battle, the Buckeyes got the 14-7 win on their own home turf.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
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In the days since the Lindsay Clancy trial ended with a hung jury, it seems that just about everyone has shared a hot take on the situation.
The latest public figure to come out vehemently against Clancy is Sen. Ted Cruz.
In a recent interview, the firebrand Republican lashed out at Clancy as “despicable” and a “monster of a mother.”
“This is the modern version of the O.J. Simpson trial,” Cruz told Newsmax this week.
“In this instance, there is no dispute that this monster of a mother murdered all three children … and didn’t just murder them — slowly, deliberately, systematically used exercise bands to strangle the life out one after the other after the other.”
Clearly, Cruz sides with the lone holdout juror (more on him later) who believed that Clancy should be held criminally liable for the deaths of her children.
Clancy’s outspoken attorney, Kevin Reddington, was quick to respond to his remarks.
“Senator Cruz, you, sir, are despicable. You clearly do not come close to understanding the basic concept of postpartum psychosis. Quite frankly, that is not surprising,” he said, adding”
“You obviously do not know the first thing about mental health or the woeful state of medical and psychiatric care in our country. Instead of making a rational observation, you call for her execution.”
Reddington concluded by challenging Cruz to discuss the case with him directly.
“You know where to find me,” he said.
Eleven of the twelve jurors voted to acquit Clancy, but one man stood firm in his belief that Clancy’s postpartum psychosis did not excuse her actions.
A different juror, Paula Devlin, offered new details about the holdout’s identity in an interview with Gayle King.
“Was the person of color a woman or a man?” King asked this morning. After Devlin replied in the affirmative, King asked:
“Is the holdout juror… a person of c– a black man?” Again, Devlin said yes.
“A black man is the holdout juror?” King reiterated, to which Devlin replied, “Yes.”
“Woah, I have to sit with that for just a second,” King replied.
Needless to say, this case and the controversy surrounding it have become highly emotional issues for many observers. And it’s unlikely that those emotions will die down anytime soon.
Lindsay Clancy Lawyer Lashes Out at Ted Cruz as Details of Holdout Juror’s Identity … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
A polling place sign at the State Office Building in Juneau on Aug. 15, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Democratic Party filed a petition on Wednesday asking a state Superior Court judge to compel the Alaska Division of Elections to disqualify a candidate for the Alaska State House from the November ballot.
That’s after Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom reversed an Aug. 31 decision not to certify two Republican candidates for the midterm election. She reinstated Jose Tagle, a candidate for House District 22, on Sep. 4, along with former attorney general, Treg Taylor, who is running for governor.
The petition only challenges Tagle’s reinstatement on the ballot, not Taylor’s.
The Alaska Public Offices Commission had officially recommended the division not certify the two candidates after finding that they failed to complete campaign finance disclosure reports within the 30 day period as required by state elections law.
Dahlstrom had initially followed that recommendation and declined to certify Tagle and Taylor. But she reversed that decision on Sep. 4, and later cited an unusual review by the Alaska Department of Law that found gaps in 91 other candidates’ financial disclosure reports.
“I will not withhold certification from two candidates on recommendations that, in light of this additional information, I cannot apply with confidence across the field of candidates,” Dahlstrom said in a statement announcing her decision. “Certification decisions have to rest on a process that can be defended as to every candidate.”
Officials with the Alaska Democratic Party said in a statement announcing the new legal challenge that she “capitulated after apparently receiving outside pressure.” The statement did not include evidence of outside pressure.
“Dahlstrom’s about-face reflects a broader concern about an election system that has repeatedly required voters, advocacy organizations, and political parties to seek judicial intervention just to get clear answers,” the group wrote. “Alaskans should not have to rely on administrative complaints and litigation to simply understand which rules apply and whether the state intends to stick by its own decisions.”
Dahlstrom’s office and the Alaska Department of Law did not respond to a list of questions Thursday, including the reason for her decision to reinstate Tagle, whether potential litigation risk was a factor, and if there is a legal basis for reversing her initial decision and rejecting APOC’s recommendation to decline Tagle’s certifcation.
The new legal challenge stems from a lawsuit filed by the Alaska Democratic Party in June, which argues Tagle was ineligible to run in the primary election after he filed a completely blank financial disclosure report with his application to run for the seat.
Alaska Democrats sue elections officials after they approved candidate who didn’t disclose finances
In that case, attorneys on behalf of the Division of Elections argued that APOC is the regulatory agency that oversees candidates’ financial disclosures and has authority over candidates’ eligibility and compliance with state disclosure laws — not the division.
The judge ruled in favor of the division on Aug. 16, saying APOC has the authority to investigate candidates’ financial reports, while the division and the Lt. Governor’s office has the legal duty to administer elections, including enforcing deadlines for financial disclosures.
The court acknowledged that if the APOC fails to investigate, a candidate cannot advance on the ballot or be elected to office. “The law is clear that a candidate who fails to substantially comply with AS 39.50 within the time limits of AS 39.50.060(b) forfeits nomination and election,” Superior Court Judge Josie Garton wrote.
In the Alaska Democratic Party’s legal filing on Tuesday, the party argues that is the precise situation of Tagle, given APOC’s official recommendation to the division not to certify him.
“There is no legal basis for the division to reinstate Tagle as a candidate now that APOC has concluded he failed to comply with AS 39.50,” they wrote. “If the statute is to have any effect at all, this court must apply it as written and direct the division to remove Tagle from the general election ballot.”
They argue “at the very least” if Tagle wins the general election the court should prohibit Dahlstrom from allowing Tagle to take office.
Officials with the Alaska Democratic Party called for consistency from the division in enforcing campaign finance disclosure laws.
“You cannot tell a court one thing, tell candidates another, and then expect voters to trust whatever answer comes next,” said Jenny Marie Stryker, executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party in a statement Wednesday.
“This inconsistency is embarrassing and a poor example of public service,” she continued. “Whoever comes into office next will have a lot of work to do, because this DOE seems determined to leave a disastrous mess for others to clean up.”
Tagle did not respond to a text message requesting comment sent to a number listed for him on the division’s website on Wednesday. The voicemail box was full and not accepting new messages.
Following the ruling, on Aug. 16, Tagle updated his financial disclosure report with APOC to include his income and business interests.
When asked why the Alaska Democratic Party did not also file a legal challenge to the division reinstating gubernatorial candidate Treg Taylor, whose case is similar, a spokesperson said it was because the lawsuit against Tagle’s candidacy was already in play.
“It’s because our previous challenge was only in regard to Tagle. So we’re just finishing what we started,” said Jalen Lee by email on Thursday.
APOC investigated and issued an official recommendation on Aug. 27 that Lt. Gov Dahlstrom and the division not certify Taylor’s nomination for governor after he failed to comply with candidate financial disclosure requirements within the state deadline.
Taylor had failed to disclose the names of his renters at several properties in Anchorage, including a rental and extended stay apartment complex, Inlet View Tower. Taylor applied for a waiver, but was denied.
Taylor disclosed the first name and last initial of renters in July, but has not updated the report with information as requested by APOC.
In the mood for a burger but don’t want to eat one with your bare hands? Ditch the buns and look to Iowa for inspiration in its chili cheeseburger casserole.
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Not all baked potatoes are created equal. From fast-food favorite Wendy’s to Texas Roadhouse, these are some of the best loaded restaurant spuds.
Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips
