Haines Borough voters should vote no on Initiative 2, which would reduce the senior property tax exemption.
Our seniors spent decades working, raising families, building businesses, volunteering and contributing to the Haines community. Many now live on fixed incomes while facing rising costs for food, utilities, insurance, home maintenance and higher property tax assessments.
When property values and tax assessments increase, seniors may face higher tax bills even though their income has not increased. Reducing…
Carly has been candid about leaving parts of her past behind, but there’s one piece of her musical history she’d happily do without. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Carly has been candid about leaving parts of her past behind, but there’s one piece of her musical history she’d happily do without. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, a Republican candidate for governor, listens to a question at a Sept. 9. 2026, forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage. Next to him, from left, are former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins, a Democrat, and former Attorney General Treg Taylor, a Repub.ican. The three, along with Republican Bernadette Wilson, who did not attend the event, are facing off in the general election. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Three of the four remaining Alaska gubernatorial candidates discussed subjects ranging from the hard numbers that quantify the state’s fiscal challenges to more esoteric topics like quality of life on Tuesday in their first face-to-face meeting since a post-primary shakeup changed the field.
Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democrat, and former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former Attorney General Treg Taylor, both Republicans, pitched their visions for state leadership at a candidate forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club.
It was a friendly audience for him and Taylor, Bronson noted at the event, held at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage.
“I’m assuming most folks in the room, except for maybe the media, are Republicans,” Bronson said.
It was the first post-primary forum for Taylor, who moved from the fifth to fourth spot on the open ballot after Democrat Tom Begich withdrew from the race. Among the 17 gubernatorial candidates in the open primary, Kreiss-Tomkins finished first, with 22.5% of the vote. Begich, a former state senator, finished second with 20.8% but pulled out of the race at the end of August and endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins.
Taylor joked about the rapid changes to the election field — he was removed from the ballot at the end of August because of financial reporting problems but then placed back on the ballot when Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom reversed her disqualification decision.
“I’m back!” he said in his opening statement. “Surprised nobody out there has a neck brace on. I certainly needed one for a little bit there, but it’s great to be back.”
Not attending was Bernadette Wilson, the top-ranked Republican with 10% of the primary election vote, putting her in third place among the 17 contenders in the primary and second among the four candidates advancing to the general election.
Bronson, who finished the primary just behind Wilson with 8.1% of the vote, aimed some veiled criticism at her, nonetheless.
One barb came during a discussion about the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend.
“Some people will tell you that you can cut your way to a full PFD. You can’t do it. It’s not mathematically possible,” he said.
Wilson has argued that state government should be drastically reduced and that the annual dividend payout should revert to its older and more generous form. That would not be possible, even if every state worker were fired, Bronson said.
Former Attorney General Treg Taylor speaks at a Sept. 8, 2026, gubernatorial candidate forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
“Anyone who tells you it is has no idea what they’re talking about,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins’ criticism during the forum was aimed at outgoing Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican.
He said his plans for working with Republicans and independents as well as Democrats contrasted with what he characterized as a combative, highly partisan and unproductive approach taken by the current governor.
“If you have liked the last eight years of governance in the state of Alaska, you should not support us. If you want change, if you want a different approach to government in the state of Alaska, a problem-solving approach, a bipartisan approach, you should consider supporting me and Zac,” he said, referring to his running mate, Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson.
Variety of issues
The forum covered a wide range of issues, including fiscal topics, education, the proposed North Slope liquified natural gas pipeline, Cook Inlet natural gas needs, fishing, public employee pensions and data centers.
A key difference between Kreiss-Tomkins and the two Republicans at the forum concerns the use of public money for students’ education. Kreiss-Thomkins said he supports varied educational options that give students and families choices — including neighborhood schools, charters schools, correspondence schools — but he emphasized that public education money should go only to public schools.
“If parents want to educate their children in a private or parochial school, by all means, that should be their right, but I don’t think public money should pay for that education,” he said.
Taylor, an advocate of vouchers that can be used to pay for private schools, said parents should be able to use state funding to provide whatever they consider to be the best educational choice for their children.
“I, for one, am fully on board with a constitutional amendment that allows the money to follow the child,” he said. “The only way our education system gets better is if there’s competition, and there has to be viable competition.”
As the state attorney general, Taylor defended the Dunleavy administration’s policy of providing homeschool funding for students attending private schools. The issue continues to play out in the courts.
Bronson articulated a position on school choice similar to that of Taylor, including support for a constitutional amendment.
Under the approach he would take, “the money goes in the kid’s backpack and wherever the parent says the kid goes, the money goes with them figuratively,” he said.
Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins speaks at a Sept. 8, 2026, gubernatorial candidate forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Both Kreiss-Tomkins and Bronson said the deterioration of public education in Alaska is an important factor in the state’s loss of working-age adults and its 13 consecutive years of net outmigration, with more people leaving Alaska than moving in.
For Kreiss-Tomkins, education shortcomings are at or near the top of the list of factors that feed the demographic trend.
“A lot of the people who are leaving the state are people in my generation,” he said. “Key reasons they’re leaving: They’ve lost confidence in the quality of schools in Alaska.”
Bronson agreed with Kreiss-Tomkins that Alaska’s educational system has deteriorated and that the poor quality is a big factor in the state’s negative demographic trend.
But Taylor said the key to reversing the loss of working-age adults was to expand resource extraction industries. More economic activity through resource development would draw more working-age people to Alaska and keep more here, he said.
“We haven’t fully embraced the idea that we are a resource state, in my opinion,” he said.
Other differences on display concerned labor issues.
Kreiss-Tomkins said he would have signed a bill passed by lawmakers, House Bill 78, that would have restored a defined-benefit plan for public employees. To save money, the state switched two decades ago to a defined-contribution pension system. But lawmakers supporting House Bill 78 concluded that the change made working in Alaska less attractive. Dunleavy vetoed that bill, and lawmakers fell short when they tried to override the veto.
Taylor said he opposed the bill and agreed with Dunleavy’s veto and considers defined-benefit pensions to be bad for the economy.
“People with pensions do not generate generational wealth,” he said. “They mean nothing to their children. They work all those years and have nothing to give to their children.”
Pensions, unlike 401(k) retirement accounts, do not transfer to heirs. But people who receive pensions can invest them in ways that benefit their heirs.
Bronson said he would not have allowed House Bill 78 to become law, either. He said it is possible for the state to support defined-benefit pensions, but that would require management by an outside financial adviser.
Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson listens to discussion at a Sept. 8, 2026, gubernatorial candidate forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
In addition to support of a return to defined benefits for certain state employees, Kreiss-Tomkins said he supports the law passed through citizen initiative in 2024 that raised the state’s minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave, though added that he is open to modifications if they are needed.
“I think it’s important for the state of Alaska to stand up for people who are otherwise really going to struggle to make ends meet,” he said.
Taylor said he opposed the law, and considers it government intrusion that dampens business opportunities. “I’ve heard over and over and over again from small business owners being suffocated by that new law and the requirements for that new law,” he said.
Bronson was not specific about his position on the new law, but he agreed with Taylor’s statements about government regulation.
The candidates also discussed the idea of data centers in Alaska. The idea of large-scale data centers is controversial because of potential stresses on local energy and water supplies, as well as possible disruptions to neighborhoods.
Kreiss-Tomkins said he supported a moratorium on data centers until the legislature approves a bill to regulate them and ensure that they fit with Alaska’s needs.
Bronson said data centers are inevitable because of the use of artificial intelligence in industry, the military and other spheres. They should be properly regulated, he said, but the state and nation should not delay their development because China and other competitors have already embraced them.
“AI is coming. It’s here. You’re not going to stop it,” he said. “You can be mad. I know the buggy whip manufacturers are still mad from 120 years ago when we got rid of the horse and moved to that thing called an automobile.”
Taylor stated a position similar to that expressed by Bronson.
“It’s reality in our lives,” he said. Alaska could heed lessons from other states and regions where data centers have been built, he said. “We’ve seen where it works right. Now, it’s really loud where it doesn’t work right, so we know what works.”
The Last Frontier Republican Club recorded the forum. It is one of dozens scheduled this fall for gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and U.S. House candidates.
Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democrat, and former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, a Republican, chat before the start of a Sept. 8. 2026, gubernatorial candidate forum held by the Last Frontier Republican Club at the Petroleum Club of Anchorage. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Dolly’s first posthumous song, “Bound to Ride,” is a fitting return to the mountain music that helped shape her as an artist. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Dolly’s first posthumous song, “Bound to Ride,” is a fitting return to the mountain music that helped shape her as an artist. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Dan McKee became the first governor in eight years in the U.S. to lose a primary, falling on Wednesday to former CVS executive Helena Foulkes and becoming the latest victim of a rough year for incumbents.
McKee’s campaign was bogged down by the botched handling of a years-long project to rebuild the Washington Bridge, which transports more than 70,000 drivers through Providence each day. The project has suffered from delays, cost overruns and disputes between state officials and former contractors that have raised questions about transparency and accountability for the project.
Foulkes spent much of the primary hammering McKee over his handling of the bridge project — a strategy that ultimately proved successful.
McKee had partially closed the bridge in 2023, and estimated at the time that it would fully reopen this summer. But last year, he said the bridge likely won’t be completed until 2028. Construction began in June.
Throughout his campaign, McKee continued to insist that the bridge project was handled well. He told The New York Times in August that “people are going to realize we did the right thing.”
The last incumbent governor to lose a primary was Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer in 2018. McKee’s loss Wednesday adds to the substantial list of Democratic incumbents ousted in primary challenges, though this race didn’t feature the same generational and ideological contrasts as other primaries that have felled Democrats this cycle. Foulkes and McKee, both baby boomers, both ran center-left campaigns.
Foulkes’ victory adds a chapter to her family’s long political lineage. Her grandfather, Thomas J. Dodd, and her uncle, Chris Dodd, were both senators from Connecticut. She worked as an executive at CVS for over 25 years before launching a 2022 run for governor.
McKee won that round, but she got the final word on Wednesday.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Welcome to West Coast Read, a weekly spin around what’s happening in the NFL on the Left Coast. And to kick things off, we start with a conversation I had with new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his plans for Justin Herbert. McDaniel displayed flashes of excellence as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but things ultimately fizzled in four seasons on South Beach. However, McDaniel was highly sought after this offseason by several teams, both as a head coach and offensive coordinator, because of his reputation for innovation as a playcaller. With plenty of options on the table, McDaniel chose the Chargers because of the vast array of skills Justin Herbert has at his disposal, providing a stark contrast to the limited skill set his previous quarterback in Miami had in Tua Tagovailoa, taken one spot above Herbert at No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft. McDaniel told me his 20 years of coaching in the NFL prepared him for this crossroads moment of his career in coaching the most talented quarterback he’s ever worked with in the league. “It’s as simple as I’m not sure there are many players in my entire career that are more talented to play the quarterback position than Justin,” McDaniel told me in a conversation after practice during training camp. “And so, with those talents, I learned and built offensive systems around players who are not as talented, so it forces you to try and get really high-level play from guys that don’t have those supreme skill sets. “Your offense and problem-solving are at its best, where maybe you don’t have to solve those problems from a coaching perspective [with Herbert]. There’s a certain coverage or a certain defensive issue that’s presented, and your quarterback can scramble and go get the first down. And you don’t have to solve the problem as a coach. That’s the greatest blessing of bouncing around NFL teams as you evolve as a coach, because you get exposed to so many types of talents. So, you’re not pigeonholed.” McDaniel provided this example: if he had landed in New England early in his coaching career working with someone like Tom Brady back in 2007, he would have benefited from one of the best quarterbacks ever at solving pre-snap issues, changing plays and protections that put his offense in the best situations. And maybe that would have stunted his growth as a play designer. “And then, when you don’t have him, what type of coach can you be?” McDaniel told me. “I think as a young coach, I would have really screwed it up. I would have asked for Justin as young as possible, but I’m very much glad I’m finally getting the opportunity to coach him now, after solving problems with guys that can’t throw it as far or overcome a poorly designed play where things are gloved and just scramble for the first down.” McDaniel said he maintained discipline installing the offense, making sure to focus on Herbert’s footwork and improving his ability to get the ball out quick on short completions before getting to the good stuff — how to take advantage of the Oregon product’s otherworldly arm strength. That occurred midway through training camp, and the results of that were evident when Herbert connected a long touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. McDaniel will fix L.A.’s offense, so Herbert plays at an MVP level by making sure he doesn’t get bored with short completions that help move the chains and providing a more consistent running attack led by a healthy Omarion Hampton. But McDaniel needs to accomplish two things to be deemed a successful season for himself and Herbert: No. 1, his quarterback can’t continuously get belted like a piñata, leading the league in sacks and quarterback hits. And second, Herbert’s postseason stat line must improve from a career 54.7 completion percentage, with two touchdowns and five interceptions for a 64.7 passer rating. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs and under his direction in the postseason, L.A.’s offenses have averaged 15 points per game. McDaniel believes good things are in store for Herbert and the Bolts, but that must translate into some postseason wins. “It’s been an interesting, very cool process — bucketing all the stuff we’re getting him to work on and then taking some of the stuff that he’s done at a very high level and making sure that isn’t lost in this offense,” McDaniel told me. “That’s why I was front-loaded in watching all the film from his career so that I could build an install that both incorporated the stuff I wanted to work on but allowed for the field to distribute so that later in plays he can make off-schedule stuff happen like he always has. “There’s different parts of the field that he can access that most throwers can’t. So, there’s been some work on just making sure that skill set is utilized. Which, from an offensive perspective, is even a more powerful way to make the defense defend the entire field. Balancing that stuff out — we didn’t work on anything that was big arm down the field until probably the last week — so, really focused on small ball, getting the ball out on plant throws and quick-timing plays. I knew that was the biggest jump he needed to make. I was very proud of myself because I put off all the fun, down-the-field stuff until just recently.” Speaking of the Chargers, they have a chance to pair up with their crosstown rival Rams and achieve something unprecedented in the NFL. Former Raiders CEO and Los Angeles native Amy Trask served as an intern when the Los Angeles Raiders won the Super Bowl after the team’s 1983 season after relocating from Oakland. So, Trask understands what an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl would mean for the city. “I’ve heard a number of discussions about this,” Trask told me. “Some have suggested that would be disappointing for tourism and for the hotels industry because arguably you’d have far less people traveling to the game if neither of the teams were located outside of Los Angeles. “But I have a different view. While I understand the point that is made, I think it could be a tremendous opportunity for the region to showcase itself. The Los Angeles area and the region itself did a spectacular job during the World Cup. We of course have the Olympics coming in a couple years. But with the Super Bowl coming in February, if it is the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams, think about what the region can do to showcase itself.” The Rams are a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl after executing blockbuster trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, along with the return of All-Pro Aaron Donald from a two-year retirement. After back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Harbaugh and quick exits from the postseason, the Chargers have the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1700. This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14. The last time the Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles was in 2022, when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home field. The first Super Bowl in L.A. took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. In all, nine Super Bowls have been played in Los Angeles. Only Miami (11) and New Orleans (11) have hosted more. The Chargers won their only championship in 1963, a 55-10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the American Football League title at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Along with winning it all four years ago, the Rams also lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Coliseum in 1980 in Super Bowl XIV. Rams CEO Kevin Demoff recently recognized it’s been 10 years since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles. It’s been nine years since the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles. During that time, the two teams have combined for 11 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory for the Rams after the 2021 season in the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke built. Yes, the same Kroenke who just bought the Los Angeles Angels. A Rams-Chargers Super Bowl could be kismet. “Having grown up in Los Angeles and living in Los Angeles, you’ve got everything here,” Trask said. “It’s a very reasonable drive from the mountains, which will have snow on them, the desert, which will be very beautiful, and the beaches, which are always beautiful. Exploit the region. Show off the region. That’s what I think can be done if it ended up Chargers-Rams.” Jeremiyah Love, whom the Arizona Cardinals took with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, flashed electric playmaking ability in his first and only action during the preseason, totaling 58 yards on 11 carries in a Week 1 contest against the Raiders. But Love suffered a high-ankle sprain and hasn’t practiced since, making his availability in his team’s season opener on the road against the Chargers a question mark. While most NFL observers consider Love the most talented running back in this year’s draft class, a longtime NFL talent evaluator believes Love’s backup at Norte Dame, Jadarian Price, might be the better player. Scott McCloughan served as San Francisco’s top personnel man for four seasons and Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s right-hand man as senior personnel executive from 2010 to 2013. McCloughan also worked in personnel for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders and currently serves as a draft consultant for teams and agents that hire him to evaluate NFL prospects. “I think he’s Nick Chubb,” McCloughan told me about Price. McCloughan was in Cleveland when they drafted Chubb. “He’s a big guy who can run downhill. He’s got some speed. He’s got some elusiveness and ball skills. I told Johnny [Schneider] when they drafted him, ‘You just got a hell of a player dude.’” At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Price ran a 4.49-second, 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. And while he doesn’t possess the elusiveness or pass-catching ability of Love, he has a clearer path to a workhorse role for the Seahawks, with Kenneth Walker signing with the Chiefs in free agency and Zach Charbonnet working his way back from season-ending knee surgery, Along with Love’s injury concerns, he’s also in a stacked running back room that includes experienced veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner. Love is actually listed as the No. 2 running back on Arizona’s depth chart. But McCloughan believes Price will be a more productive back than Love in their NFL careers. “You know what, it was very close,” McCloughan told me. “I mean, it wasn’t a slam dunk. And don’t get me wrong, Love’s really good. And of course, Love was the starter. But Jadarian, I think he’s going to be a really good NFL running back. I know Nick just recently retired, but when he was in his prime, he was kicking ass. “He’s got a lot of power, but he also has speed.” Rams head coach Sean McVay predominantly used three-receiver sets during his time with the Rams, usually leading the league in that personnel grouping. However, due to injuries and effectiveness, McVay’s Rams led the league by using three tight end personnel groupings on 331 snaps in 2025, averaging 6.2 yards per play. It’s by far the most a team has used that formation over the past decade in a single season. The second-most was 183 by the Cleveland Browns in 2021. League-wide, teams used three tight ends 5% of the time in 2025, up from 3.5% in 2024. Moreover, 21 tight ends were selected in this year’s draft, the most since 2002 (24). The Rams drafted another tight end this year in Max Klare and are carrying five on the active roster, so McVay could be planning to lean on three TE sets again. However, new Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, who served as the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach before taking his new job, does not expect the Rams to use three tight end sets as often this season. “Last year, I think they caught a lot of people off guard by doing that, especially in those first few weeks,” Fleury said. “When you get into bigger groupings, usually it simplifies the defensive menu. But as they continue to put it on the field, the defensive menu continues to grow as people become more prepared. “Going into this season, while that might seem like an advantageous trend for an offense to do, the entire league has had the entire offseason to come up with their plan for defending their team personnel. So, I don’t think you’re going to see quite the same advantages. We will have some of it available and deploy it when we feel appropriate. But I don’t know that you are going to get quite the level of production that the Rams had out of it league-wide.” A weekly look at the top five teams among the NFC and AFC West: 5. Kansas City Chiefs I’m tempted to put the Chargers here, but even though he’s recovering from a knee injury, I trust Patrick Mahomes more than Herbert. 4. San Francisco 49ers They’re a M*A*S*H unit on both sides of the ball, but Shanahan will figure out how to cobble together enough healthy bodies to play winning football. 3. Denver Broncos They have one of the best defenses in the league and one of the most underrated QBs in Bo Nix. 2. Los Angeles Rams In Sean McVay we trust, unless it’s booking travel arrangements. 1. Seattle Seahawks To be the best, you must beat the best. Showing the defending champs some respect here, unlike the rest of the country. “There’s only three players that I would stand up and watch play: LT (Lawrence Taylor), Reggie White and Aaron Donald. Those are three guys where I would watch every play because I’ve never seen nothing like it. And I think Myles [Garrett] could be that same type of player here, for sure.” Eric Dickerson to me on the impact Myles Garrett could have on the Los Angeles Rams.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
It’s official: Lainey Wilson is back to host the CMA Awards!
The CMA and ABC announced that the 12-time CMA Award winner will return to host the 60th Annual CMA Awards, marking her third consecutive year at the helm of the show and her second time hosting solo. Wilson previously shared hosting duties with Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan during her first year.
The news was announced over the weekend as Wilson returned to her home state of Louisiana for an appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” The appearance coincided with the show’s milestone 500th episode, which was broadcast on the road from Louisiana State University.
Lainey Wilson; Photo by Disney, Robby Klein
Lainey Wilson Says the 60th Anniversary Show Will Be “Extra Special”
“I couldn’t be more excited to be hosting the CMA Awards again this year, especially with it being the 60th anniversary,” says Wilson. “I’ve had so much fun hosting the last two years, and this one’s going to be extra special. Can’t wait to see y’all in November!”
When Are the 2026 CMA Awards?
The milestone 60th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+, with the broadcast available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Tickets for the 60th Annual CMA Awards go on sale Friday, September 18, at CMAworld.com/tickets.
When Will the 2026 CMA Awards Nominees Be Announced?
The excitement surrounding “Country Music’s Biggest Night” begins Thursday morning (Sept. 10), when the CMA will reveal the nominees for the 60th Annual CMA Awards. The nominations will first be announced on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” followed by a livestream on the CMA’s official YouTube channel beginning at 8 a.m. CT.
How Are CMA Awards Nominees and Winners Chosen?
The CMA Awards are decided by more than 7,000 members of the Country Music Association who represent a wide range of roles and areas within the country music industry. Because the honors are voted on by industry peers, receiving a CMA Award nomination or win carries a special significance, recognizing the artists, songwriters and industry professionals whose work continues to influence country music and connect with audiences around the world.
