Blueberry Popovers

Blueberry Popovers

Blueberry Popovers

Photo By Getty Images

Blueberry Popovers Recipe from Two Cups Flour

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serving size: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 189 grams (1.5 cups) all purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 240 grams (1 cup) whole milk
  • 78 grams (¼ cup) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 150-170 grams (1 cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, broken into pieces
  • confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions

  1. Pre-Heat oven to 400℉ / 200℃ / 180℃ Fan (convection). Prepare a popover tin by placing a small piece of butter into each mold.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except blueberries. Hand whisk together enough to lightly incorporate flour.
  3. Transfer batter to a blender and then mix until smooth.
  4. Once oven is has preheated, place the popover pan with the pieces of butter onto the middle rack. Let the butter melt and pan heat for 2 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven.
  5. Fill the cups ¾ full with the batter. Then, evenly divide the blueberries amongst the molds by gently dropping them on top.
  6. Place pan bake on the center oven rack and bake for 18 minutes (popovers should have puffed). Then, reduce the heat to 350℉ / 180℃ / 160℃ Fan (convection) and bake an additional 18-20 minutes until the popovers are risen, puffed and nicely golden brown on the edges.
  7. Carefully remove the pan from the oven.
  8. Gently lift popovers from their mold and place on a serving dish. Pierce the center with a fork to release some steam and prevent sogginess. Add a light dusting of confectioner sugar on top and enjoy immediately!
Super Expensive Legos

Super Expensive Legos

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The Most Valuable Set

10179 LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon is, at the moment, Lego’s Most Valuable Set. It has 5,197 pieces and is currently averaged to be around $2,403.

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The Largest Set

The 10307 LEGO Landmarks Eiffel Tower is the Lego company largest build yet! It has a whopping count of 10,001 pieces and stands at almost 5 feet tall, that is 58.5 inches or 149 cm.

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The Set With The Most MiniFigs

The 76269 LEGO Avengers Tower takes the win for the most minifigures, it has 31 characters to play with. The build consists of the Avengers Towner, Leviathan, a Quinjet , and 2 Chitauri Chariot and is made up of 5,201 pieces

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The Most Owned/Bought Set

And the last category to win is the Most Owned Set by LEGo is 75192 LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon. Apparently it is a very common set to acquire. It has over 7,500 pieces and 8 minifigures of the classic Star Wars characters.

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LSU sweeps Coastal Carolina in CWS finals for its 2nd national title in 3 years and 8th overall

LSU sweeps Coastal Carolina in CWS finals for its 2nd national title in 3 years and 8th overall

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coming out of last season, LSU coach Jay Johnson couldn’t have foreseen the national championship this group of tenacious Tigers is taking back to Baton Rouge.

“It was probably a year ago today,” he said, “we had 12 players in our program that actually played on the field for us in 2024. Twelve.”

Then, quoting his mentor and LSU baseball patriarch Skip Bertman, Johnson said: “We ended up with some really good fortune.”

LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run fourth inning and the Tigers won their second national title in three years Sunday with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series finals.

The Tigers (53-15) completed a two-game sweep of the Chanticleers (56-13), who entered the finals on a 26-game win streak and on Sunday saw coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling ejected in the bottom of the first inning.

LSU gave the Southeastern Conference its sixth straight national title in baseball and 11th in 16 years. It was LSU’s eighth, all since 1991 and second most all-time behind Southern California’s 12.

Johnson became the first Division I coach to win two titles in his first four years at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons.

“It’s not to be taken for granted, being here two years ago,” Johnson said. “That was special. Greatest night of my life. This is equal and maybe even tops in some ways.”

The 2023 team was led by Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, the top two picks in the MLB amateur draft that year, and slugger Tommy White. It was built to win a championship.

The good fortune Johnson referred to was mixing those 12 returning players from last season with a talented freshman class that mostly showed up intact after the draft and was rated No. 1 in college baseball, along with 10 transfers — including three ranked in the top 10 in the portal rankings. The team coalesced quickly.

“We went through probably the hardest schedule in college baseball and we had one hiccup — one. A little speed bump at Auburn,” Johnson said, referring to being swept in a three-game series in April. “But other than that, they dominated the season and they dominated the schedule.”

Coastal Carolina won the national title in 2016 and was trying to become the first team since 1962 (Michigan) and the fifth all-time to win the championship in its first two CWS appearances.

“To get us just back to Omaha after what we did in 2016, and then to come to Omaha and play the way we did and get us back to the World Series finals is really incredible,” Schnall said. “These two games won’t define what this team was.”

With five-time champion coach Bertman watching from the stands, LSU tied it at 1 in the third on Ethan Frey’s RBI double and went up 5-1 in the fourth on two-run singles by Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel.

Coastal Carolina pulled within 5-3 in the seventh against LSU starter Anthony Eyanson when No. 9 batter Wells Sykes hit his fourth homer of the season.

That brought on Chase Shores for his fourth appearance of the CWS. The 6-foot-8 right-hander touched 100 mph with his fastball while retiring the first five batters he faced before Dean Mihos, who homered in the second, singled through the right side leading off the ninth.

With Tigers fans on their feet and chanting “L-S-U, L-S-U,” Shores struck out Ty Dooley and got Sykes to ground into a game-ending double play. The Tigers’ dugout emptied and the celebratory dogpile behind the mound ensued, and the players then walked around the warning track in a line high-fiving fans leaning over the wall.

The 87-year-old Bertman came onto the field in a wheelchair and walked with assistance to have pictures taken with coaches and players.

The Chanticleers had won 15 straight when Morrison (12-1) started. Morrison’s 3 2/3 innings marked his shortest start of the season and the five runs against him were the most he has allowed.

LSU entered having won 13 games in a row in which one of its top two pitchers — Kade Anderson and Eyanson — started.

Anderson, one of those 12 holdovers, was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after allowing one run and six hits and striking out 17 in 16 innings over two starts in Omaha.

Anderson threw a three-hit shutout in LSU’s 1-0 win in Game 1 of the finals, and Eyanson (12-2) was mostly sharp over his 6 1/3 innings. The three runs against him came on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine.

“I remember hugging my parents right now with the natty hat and shirt on,” said Eyanson, a UC San Diego transfer. “Even on my (recruiting) visit, looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed literally — throwing pitches, starting the final game of the national championship.”

Schnall, in his first year as head coach after taking over for the retired Gary Gilmore, had not been ejected this season before Sunday.

Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.

The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Schilling was tossed for comments he made as the confrontation with umpires continued near the plate.

“And that’s why I feel a little gutted right now,” Schnall said, “because the talk is going to be about the ejection, not this team. And it’s not right. The front-row seat should be the 2025 Coastal Carolina baseball team, not what happened in the first inning.”

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ tops the US box office as ‘Elio’ marks a new low for Pixar

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ tops the US box office as ‘Elio’ marks a new low for Pixar

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Neither Pixar nor zombies were enough to topple “How to Train Your Dragon” from the No. 1 slot at North American box offices over the weekend. The Universal Pictures live-action remake remained the top film, bringing in $37 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, despite the sizeable new releases of “Elio” and “28 Years Later.” , according to studio estimates Sunday. “How To Train Your Dragon” has rapidly amassed $358.2 million worldwide.

Six years after its last entry, the Dean DeBlois-directed “How To Train Your Dragon” has proven a potent revival of the DreamWorks Animation franchise. A sequel is already in the works for the $150 million production, which remakes the 2010 animated tale about a Viking boy and his dragon.

Pixar’s “Elio” had a particularly tough weekend. The Walt Disney Co. animation studio has often launched some of its biggest titles in June, including “Cars,” “WALL-E” and “Toy Story 4.” But “Elio,” a science fiction adventure about a boy who dreams of meeting aliens, notched a modest $21 million, the lowest opening ever for Pixar.

“This is a weak opening for a new Pixar movie,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe. “These would be solid numbers for another original animation film, but this is Pixar, and by Pixar’s remarkable standard, the opening is well below average.”

“Elio,” originally set for release in early 2024, had a bumpy road to the screen. Adrian Molina — co-director of “Coco” — was replaced mid-production by Domee Shi (“Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian. Back at Disney’s D23 conference in 2022, America Ferrera appeared to announce her role as Elio’s mother, but the character doesn’t even exist in the revamped film.

Disney and Pixar spent at least $150 million making “Elio,” which didn’t fare any better internationally than it did in North America, bringing in just $14 million from 43 territories. Pixar stumbled coming out of the pandemic before stabilizing performance with 2023’s “Elemental” ($496.4 million worldwide) and 2024’s “Inside Out 2” ($1.7 billion), which was the company’s biggest box office hit.

“Elemental” was Pixar’s previously lowest earning film, launching with $29.6 million. It rallied in later weeks to collect nearly half a billion dollars at the box office. The company’s first movie, “Toy Story,” opened with $29.1 million in 1995, or $60 when adjusted for inflation. It remains to be seen whether “Elio’s” decent reviews and “A” from CinemaScore audiences can lead it to repeat “Elemental’s” trajectory.

With most schools on summer break, the competition for family audiences was stiff. Disney’s own “Lilo & Stitch,” another live-action remake, continued to pull in young moviegoers. It grossed $9.7 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its global tally to $910.3 million. .

“28 Years Later” signaled the return of another, far gorier franchise. Director Danny Boyle reunited with screenwriter Alex Garland to resume their pandemic apocalypse thriller 25 years after “28 Days Later” and 18 years after its sequel, “28 Weeks Later.”

The Sony Pictures release opened with $30 million. That was good enough to give Boyle, the filmmaker of “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Trainspotting,” the biggest opening weekend of his career. The film, which cost $60 million to make, jumps ahead nearly three decades from the outbreak of the so-called rage virus for a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old (Alfie Williams) venturing out of his family’s protected village. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes co-star.

Reviews have been good (90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for “28 Years Later,” though audience reaction (a “B” CinemaScore) is mixed. Boyle has more plans for the zombie franchise, which will next see the release of “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” next year from director Nia DaCosta.

“28 Years Later” added another $30 million in 59 overseas markets.

After its strong start last weekend with $12 million, A24’s “Materialists” held well with $5.8 million in its second weekend. The romantic drama by writer-director Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans has collected $24 million so far.

Next weekend should also be a competitive one in movie theaters, with both “F1,” from Apple and Warner Bros., and Universal’s “Megan 2.0” launching in cinemas.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $37 million.

2. “28 Years Later,” $30 million.

3. “Elio,” $21 million.

4. “Lilo & Stitch,” $9.7 million.

5. “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” $6.6 million.

6. “Materialists,” $5.8 million.

7. “Ballerina,” $4.5 million.

8. “Karate Kid: Legends,” $2.4 million.

9. “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” $1.9 million.

10. “Kuberaa,” $1.7 million.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29 points and Thunder beat Pacers 103-91 for NBA title

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29 points and Thunder beat Pacers 103-91 for NBA title

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.

It was over.

The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.

The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers — who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes — 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.

Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.

It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.

In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.

The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.

Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.

Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.

And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.

The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons leading the league. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The United States inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran, bombing three of the Islamic Republic’s key nuclear sites overnight in an attack it dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer.” U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the sites were “completely and fully obliterated,” and warned there would be additional strikes if Iran retaliates.

The U.S. strikes came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel’s sudden barrage of attacks against Iran’s nuclear and military structure.

Israeli strikes began on June 13. Targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, they killed several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, some of which penetrated the country’s vaunted multi-tiered air defense system. The war so far has killed hundreds of people and wounded more than 1,000 in Iran and killed two dozen and wounded hundreds in Israel.

Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and has said its military campaign is necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon.

Although U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued it could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.

The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas militant group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Here’s what to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the United States’ intervention:

US bombs Iran

Trump announced the overnight “massive precision strikes” on Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites in a televised address to the nation from the White House. Describing them as “a spectacular military success,” he said they had “completely and fully obliterated” the nuclear sites. Iran, he said, would now have to make peace.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, said during a news briefing in Washington Sunday that while “final battle damage will take some time,” initial assessments indicated all three nuclear sites had been heavily damaged.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes had not aimed at toppling the Iranian government.

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth said during the news briefing.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes.

The nuclear fuel enrichment site at Fordo is buried deep beneath a mountain, and the attack against it used bunker-buster bombs designed to penetrate the ground before exploding, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Only the United States has the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) munition and the stealth bombers used to deliver them.

Trump warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack.

Iran’s response

Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel overnight and into Sunday, with Israeli authorities reporting that more than 80 people were wounded, the vast majority of them lightly.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and his country had the right to defend itself.

“The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he said in a news conference in Istanbul. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.”

How Tehran might retaliate remains unclear, but an Iranian response could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon.

‘A dangerous escalation’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the United States’ use of force, and called the strikes a “dangerous escalation.” World leaders issued calls for diplomacy.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,” Guterres said in a statement on X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but urged restraint.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” she said in a social media post. Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign, called on other Muslim nations to form “one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the U.S. on Wednesday that strikes against Iran would “result in irreparable damage for them.”

The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The United States inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran, bombing three of the Islamic Republic’s key nuclear sites overnight in an attack it dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer.” U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the sites were “completely and fully obliterated,” and warned there would be additional strikes if Iran retaliates.

The U.S. strikes came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel’s sudden barrage of attacks against Iran’s nuclear and military structure.

Israeli strikes began on June 13. Targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, they killed several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, some of which penetrated the country’s vaunted multi-tiered air defense system. The war so far has killed hundreds of people and wounded more than 1,000 in Iran and killed two dozen and wounded hundreds in Israel.

Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and has said its military campaign is necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon.

Although U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued it could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.

The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas militant group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Here’s what to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the United States’ intervention:

US bombs Iran

Trump announced the overnight “massive precision strikes” on Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites in a televised address to the nation from the White House. Describing them as “a spectacular military success,” he said they had “completely and fully obliterated” the nuclear sites. Iran, he said, would now have to make peace.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, said during a news briefing in Washington Sunday that while “final battle damage will take some time,” initial assessments indicated all three nuclear sites had been heavily damaged.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes had not aimed at toppling the Iranian government.

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth said during the news briefing.

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes.

The nuclear fuel enrichment site at Fordo is buried deep beneath a mountain, and the attack against it used bunker-buster bombs designed to penetrate the ground before exploding, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Only the United States has the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) munition and the stealth bombers used to deliver them.

Trump warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack.

Iran’s response

Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel overnight and into Sunday, with Israeli authorities reporting that more than 80 people were wounded, the vast majority of them lightly.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and his country had the right to defend itself.

“The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he said in a news conference in Istanbul. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.”

How Tehran might retaliate remains unclear, but an Iranian response could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon.

‘A dangerous escalation’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the United States’ use of force, and called the strikes a “dangerous escalation.” World leaders issued calls for diplomacy.

“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,” Guterres said in a statement on X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but urged restraint.

“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” she said in a social media post. Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign, called on other Muslim nations to form “one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the U.S. on Wednesday that strikes against Iran would “result in irreparable damage for them.”

The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR national series debut as crew chief at Pocono

Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR national series debut as crew chief at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly an undefeated one.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“It felt good to have some input and decision-making power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”

Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

“I love that they just get to experience things about NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I had such a great time growing up as a kid in this sport, just running around here. I want them to have that opportunity and understand that this is a place where they could create opportunities for themselves down the road.”

The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall.

His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

“Midway through the race man, I was feeling it,” Earnhardt said.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second.

“Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

Even with the victory, it just might be one-and-done on the pit box for Earnhardt.

“I don’t know that I see myself doing it again,” he said.

___

Wagyu Steak with Japanese Steak Sauce

Wagyu Steak with Japanese Steak Sauce

Wagyu Steak with Japanese Steak Sauce

Photo By Getty Images

Wagyu Steak with Japanese Steak Sauce Recipe from No Recipes

Prep time: 7 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

Serving size: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1A5 Wagyu beef steak (200-300 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic (peeled)
  • 1 tablespoon onion puree
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

  1. Take 1 A5 Wagyu beef steak from the refrigerator and season both sides with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Let this rest at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients (5-10 minutes).
  2. Slice 1 clove garlic into thin, even chips using a mandoline. Peel half an onion and grate it to make 1 tablespoon onion puree. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it’s lightly smoking.
  3. Place the steak in the pan and allow some fat to render out. Once some fat renders out, you can optionally add a few vegetables to the pan, such as bell peppers, onions, or carrots. This not only gives you a side dish, but it also keeps the rendered fat from smoking.
  4. Flip the steak every 1 ½ minutes until it reaches your desired internal temperature. I recommend cooking an A5 steak with deep marbling to at least 130°F (55°C), which is medium-rare. My ¾-inch thick steak took about 5 minutes.
  5. When the steak is done, transfer it to a cutting board to rest.
  6. Return the pan to the stove and use the rendered beef fat to fry the garlic chips until they’re golden brown and crisp. Tipping the pan to one side will help create a pool of fat you can use to fry the garlic. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  7. To make the Japanese steak sauce, add the onion puree to the pan and stir until it starts to caramelize.
  8. Add 2 tablespoons mirin and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and boil until a lightly thickened, shiny sauce forms.
  9. Slice the beef and serve topped with the Japanese steak sauce, garlic chips, and some additional cracked black pepper.
Anderson’s 3-hitter against Coastal Carolina in CWS finals opener puts LSU 1 win away from title

Anderson’s 3-hitter against Coastal Carolina in CWS finals opener puts LSU 1 win away from title

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kade Anderson made his final start in an LSU uniform on Saturday night, and it was a masterpiece that put the Tigers on the cusp of their second national championship in three years.

Anderson pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 in a 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the College World Series finals, his second straight dominant performance in Omaha.

“That’s what we’ve seen all year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s the best pitcher in the country. And did it again tonight. That’s been on the regular every game one of the entire season. Everybody got to see what we’ve seen and known for an entire season.”

The Chanticleers (56-12) lost for the first time in 27 games and must win Sunday to force a third and deciding game Monday night.

LSU (52-15) made Steven Milam’s RBI single in the first inning stand up with Anderson getting stronger as the game progressed against a Coastal Carolina team that had won its first three CWS games by a combined 24-9.

“If it was going to be easy, there would be more than one national champion,” Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall said. “We’ve got to regroup. We’ve won 26 in a row. Let’s just call it is what it is — the odds were not in our favor to go 28-0 and win this national championship.”

Anderson, a lefty projected to be a top-three pick in next month’s MLB amateur draft, threw 130 pitches and was just as good as he was in LSU’s CWS opener against Arkansas last weekend. He has allowed one run and six hits and struck out 17 in 16 innings in Omaha.

Anderson grew up in Madisonville, Louisiana, as a big fan of LSU baseball. Asked how often he dreamed of a CWS performance like Saturday’s and winning a title, he said, “Probably every night.”

“That wasn’t necessarily to end the College World Series,” he said. “We’ve got one more that we’re preparing for. We’ll go back to the hotel and start preparing for that one as well.”

Against the Chanticleers he had to deal with traffic on the basepaths after issuing three of his five walks in the first two innings and hitting two batters. He was up to the challenge. The Chanticleers were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s the College World Series. You’re going to pitch with runners on base,” Johnson said. “It’s the best teams in the country, and that’s one of the best teams in the country. They do a great job of finding their way on base. And they did a few times tonight.”

Anderson (12-1) walked pinch-hitter Domenico Tozzi with two outs in the ninth, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Nate Yeskie. Anderson then got Wells Sykes to fly out to end the game. Anderson and catcher Luis Hernandez embraced, and then their teammates mobbed them behind the mound to celebrate the first complete-game shutout in the CWS since 2022.

Anderson worked around two walks in the first inning, got out of the third when Sebastian Alexander was caught stealing third base, and he struck out three in a row after Blagen Pado’s double leading off the fourth.

After he gave up LSU’s early run, Coastal Carolina’s Cameron Flukey (8-2) matched zeroes with Anderson from the second to sixth inning. Flukey limited the Tigers to four hits, walked two and struck out nine before turning the ball over to Dominick Carbone to start the seventh.

The Tigers are 16-0 when they have a lead at any point when Anderson is pitching. It was Anderson’s second shutout of the season. He threw 135 pitches in a 2-0 win over Oklahoma on April 3.

Anderson said he wasn’t bothered by the conditions. The temperature was 97 degrees at first pitch with a gusty wind blowing out to left.

“I think that’s the real benefit of playing in Louisiana,” he said. “Growing up there, this was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the super regional.”

LSU will try to lock up its eighth national title Sunday.

Coastal Carolina won the championship in its first trip to Omaha in 2016 and is seeking to become the fifth school to win the title in each of its first two trips to the CWS, but the first since Michigan in 1962.

Schnall reminded reporters that in 2016, Arizona left-hander JC Cloney threw a shutout in Game 1 of the finals and Coastal Carolina came back to win the next two.

“Again, we’ve got to respond, rebound, regroup,” Schnall said. “We’ve got Jacob Morrison pitching tomorrow. Answer the bell.”

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