La fiesta del Bootie Alley se celebra aquí desde hace 18 años. Mientras los conductores de trineo, conocidos como mushers, y sus equipos de doce perros cada uno pasaban zumbando, los espectadores gritaban: “Botín, botín, botín”, con la esperanza de que arrojaran los botines de los perros a la multitud.

“Mi amigo y yo vinimos aquí para ver a los mushers con nuestros hijos pequeños para que pudieran verlo bien, y simplemente se transformó en esto”, dijo Shawn Silverthorn, uno de los fundadores del evento.

Leé también: Lo vieron correr durante una licencia médica, fue despedido y la Justicia lo indemnizó con 16 mil dólares

Bajo un par de carpas, Silverthorn y su familia cocinaron y sirvieron comida gratis a quien pasara por allí. Cientos de hot dogs, burritos, palomitas de maíz, rollos de canela, chili, 19 litros de chocolate caliente y 38 litros de café donados por tostadores locales llenaron las mesas plegables de plástico de la fiesta en el estacionamiento. Un bar de Bloody Marys con elaboradas guarniciones en escabeche fue un detalle culminante.

Esta fiesta fue una de las muchas que surgieron por toda la ciudad el sábado en honor de la 54° salida ceremonial de la carrera de perros y trineos Iditarod Trail, que se celebra oficialmente a lo largo de una ruta de cerca de 1600 kilómetros desde Willow hasta Nome. Una ruta preliminar de 18 kilómetros a través de Anchorage permitió a los mushers celebrar la carrera con la comunidad previo a la salida oficial del domingo.

A partir de las 10 am, los mushers partieron cada dos minutos de la Cuarta Avenida Oeste, en el centro de la ciudad, guiando a sus equipos por calles y senderos de la ciudad cubiertos de nieve. Los espectadores convirtieron la ruta en una cadena de fiestas informales que conmemoraban la cultura de comunidad y el jolgorio invernal de Alaska.

“Puedes chocar manos con la gente y disfrutar de una salchicha o una cerveza”, dijo Thomas Rosenbloom, quien participó en la carrera Iditarod en 2017. “Aquí se trabaja muy, muy duro para llegar a la línea de salida, así que es una gran oportunidad para celebrarlo con todo el mundo”.

A lo largo del sendero de Chester Creek, en Anchorage, las fiestas se mezclaban unas con otras. Zonas de asientos tallados en la nieve albergaban a grupos que sorbían café caliente y cerveza barata. Carly McNeil se mantuvo abrigada con un abrigo de piel de castor hasta las rodillas, guantes de piel de oso negro y orejeras de piel teñida, todo comprado de segunda mano. “Nos ponemos un poco tontos en invierno”, dijo.

La ropa y los accesorios de piel son habituales. La carrera y sus fiestas son los actos culminantes del Festival Fur Rendezvous, de dos semanas de duración, también llamado Fur Rondy. Desde mediados de la década de 1930, Fur Rondy aportó nuevos ingresos y animados acontecimientos deportivos a la región que crecía. Rememora la historia del comercio de pieles del estado, cuando los habitantes de Alaska se reunían para vender y comprar provisiones tras meses de oscuros días en medio de la naturaleza.

Leé también: El caso de la maestra que abusó de su alumno de 12 años, fue presa y terminó casándose con él

La Iditarod es conocida como una prueba de resistencia extrema. Algunos dirían que el invierno en Alaska también lo es. La gente está lista para la fiesta cuando llega marzo, dijo Kelsey Schober. Durante cerca de una década ha ayudado a organizar una de las mayores fiestas en el parque Eastchester de Anchorage, donde mucha gente se reúne para beber mimosas en una barra serpenteante hecha de nieve, comer perros calientes y bailar al ritmo de un DJ local.

“Todo lo lindo que ocurre en una comunidad es porque la gente simplemente lo hace”, dijo Alex Troutman después de cocinar y servir 250 hot dogs para los asistentes a la fiesta de Eastchester Park.

La carrera también conmemora la Carrera del Suero de 1925, un relevo de trineos tirados por perros que suministró antitoxina contra la difteria que salvó vidas a lo largo de 965 kilómetros hasta Nome y evitó un brote mortal.

En Eastchester Park, Tara Wheatland -conocida por los asistentes como Dr. Balto- deambulaba entre la multitud con una jeringa de plástico para fiestas y una jarra con la etiqueta “Suero contra la difteria RX – Tome una dosis anual durante el Trailgate“. Llenando la jeringa con una mezcla de whisky y aguardiente de menta, “inoculaba” a la gente echándoles la bebida en la boca.

Año tras año, la carrera alterna los senderos del norte y del sur para distribuir la inyección económica entre los pueblos a lo largo de la ruta. El cambio climático ha obligado a la carrera a adaptarse en los últimos años. El año pasado la salida fue 482 kilómetros al norte, en Fairbanks, debido a la falta de nieve.

El domingo, en la salida oficial de la carrera en Willow, cientos de personas se reunieron en el lago Willow para ver a los 37 equipos caninos iniciar su largo camino hacia Nome. Los vendedores de comida se instalaron a lo largo del sendero, que cruza el lago helado, y muchos de los participantes celebraron picnics para compartir bocados y bebidas con familiares, amigos y cualquiera que pasara por allí.

Al otro lado del lago, desde la línea de salida, Jonathan Michaud asó bratwurst de Cheddar de Mat Valley Meats; sus costillas “Maui Wowie” marinadas con teriyaki y cortadas finamente, y hot dogs.

“Nos gusta comer comida de verdad”, dijo. “Los hot dogs son para los niños”.

Michaud, cuyos amigos y familiares le llaman “el Guy Fieri del trailgate“, lleva saliendo cerca de una década. Los miembros de su grupo tiran de los niños en un pequeño trineo y ofrecen mojitos enlatados y tragos de Jell-O caseros a todos los que pasan por allí.

Más allá del lago Willow, las reuniones continúan durante toda la semana alrededor de cada uno de los puntos de control de la carrera, a medida que los mushers llegan y parten de pueblos remotos.

Silverthorn y su familia, quienes organizan la fiesta Bootie Alley en Anchorage, ven la tradición como una forma intrínsecamente alaskeña de mostrarse unos a otros.

“Es la Alaska de la vieja guardia”, dijo Deanna James, voluntaria de la Bootie Alley. “Se trata de unir a la gente. No importa quién seas, si quieres algo caliente para beber o comer, estos chicos te lo darán”.

*Siga a New York Times Cooking en Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok y Pinterest. Reciba actualizaciones periódicas del New York Times Cooking, con sugerencias de recetas, trucos de cocina y consejos para ir de compras.

As President Donald Trump warned this week about Iranian «sleeper cells» potentially operating in North America, Canadian opposition lawmakers are accusing their government of allowing operatives linked to Tehran’s regime to remain in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said U.S. authorities were monitoring Iranian networks believed to have entered the United States in recent years.

«I have been [briefed], and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border,» Trump said in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy. «But we know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them.»

The remarks come amid growing concern among Western security officials about Iranian intelligence activities targeting critics abroad.

FROM HOSTAGE CRISIS TO ASSASSINATION PLOTS: IRAN’S NEAR HALF-CENTURY WAR ON AMERICANS

In Canada, senior Conservatives say the government has failed to act against Iranian regime officials despite identifying individuals linked to Tehran.

In a statement released in Ottawa, Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, immigration shadow minister Michelle Rempel and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Québec Lieutenant, called upon the Liberal government to table a plan within one week to take immediate action to stop Iranian regime activities in Canada.

«The Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada, 239 of whom have had their visas cancelled,» the lawmakers said.

NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT URGES DHS TO RAISE TERROR THREAT LEVEL, WARNS OF SLEEPER CELL RISKS IN US

A counter-protester holds signs against the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran near a rally by people supporting the war, in front of the U.S. consulate in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 7, 2026.  (Kyaw Soe Oo/Reuters)

They added that government officials told a parliamentary immigration committee earlier this week that only one person has been deported so far, citing legal obstacles including asylum claims, the absence of direct flights to Iran and privacy protections.

Maryam Shariatmadari, one of the faces of the «Girls of Revolution Street» protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws who fled Iran after being imprisoned and now lives in exile in Canada, told Fox News Digital that «The presence of agents of the Islamic Republic in Canada is not a new issue. For years, the people of Iran have expressed concern about the presence of these individuals and their children in Canada.»

«A clear example is Mahmoud Reza Khavari and Marjan Al-Agha, who are known embezzlers. What is striking is that an economic magazine that introduces entrepreneurs has presented the son of Mahmoud Reza Khavari — the former CEO of Bank Melli and a convicted criminal in Iran — as an ‘inspiring businessman’ in Canada and has described him as ‘a young leader,’» she said.

«But these days we are seeing more of these individuals,» Shariatmadari added. «Their presence has become more visible, and they are organizing gatherings under the slogan ‘No to War,’ while expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, they remained completely silent about the killing of Iranians.»

DHS REMAINS UNFUNDED AS IRAN SLEEPER CELL FEARS SPIKE NATIONWIDE AMID SECURITY WARNINGS

Anti-Israel protesters gather outside of the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue on March 7, 2024. The place of worship was one of three synagogues shot in the first week of March, 2026. (Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi who now lives in Canada told Fox News Digital that individuals linked to Iran’s regime often arrive in Western countries through several different channels. «Some arrive as students, academics or ordinary immigrants but were already connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps through family ties or ideological affiliation», he said, «They often try to identify activists and critics so those individuals can face legal or judicial problems either in Iran or even abroad,» he said.

Ghadimi said another category operates primarily through financial networks tied to the regime. «Another group includes people who used to be members of the IRGC or other state institutions and later enter countries like Canada as private investors,» he said. «When someone brings several million dollars for investment, it raises questions about where that money came from.»

He added that wealthy business figures who move capital abroad may also do so with the approval of Iran’s security establishment. «If someone is moving large amounts of money out of Iran and investing abroad, it is very difficult to do that without the approval of the IRGC and the security institutions of the Islamic Republic,» he said.

Ghadimi also pointed to past corruption scandals involving Iranian officials who moved large sums of money overseas, including the case of former Bank Melli CEO Mahmoud Reza Khavari, who fled Iran after a major banking scandal and later settled in Canada.

The criticism comes as Canadian police investigate the disappearance of Iranian dissident Masood Masjoody, a mathematician and critic of Iran’s clerical leadership who vanished earlier this year in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Investigators with Canada’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team say evidence suggests Masjoody was likely the victim of murder, though authorities have not publicly identified suspects and the investigation remains ongoing, according to The Guardian.

Police say investigators are reviewing Masjoody’s background and personal history as part of the probe, and Canadian media reports have noted aspects of his past that authorities are examining as they work to determine a possible motive.

The case has heightened concerns among Canada’s Iranian diaspora, many of whom have warned for years that Tehran monitors and intimidates critics abroad.

Conservatives argue weaknesses in immigration enforcement have allowed individuals linked to the Iranian regime to remain in the country despite visa bans and sanctions imposed by Ottawa.

They are calling on the government to urgently enforce deportation orders against Iranian regime officials, disrupt financial networks linked to Tehran and establish a long-delayed foreign influence registry aimed at exposing agents working on behalf of foreign governments.

«The Liberals can take action against the Iranian regime today, at home within our own borders. Too much is at stake. We expect a plan within the week,» they said in the statement. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«It’s not complicated, Iran’s regime must not find safe haven in Canada,» Lantsman said.

The Canadian government directed Fox News Digital to the Canada Border Services Agency, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Sen. John Cornyn’s reversal on scrapping the Senate filibuster is sparking backlash among some supporters of the 60-vote rule, with one leading proponent, former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., accusing the Texas Republican of ditching his longstanding position for political expediency. 

«When I was a U.S. Senator, there was not another person more committed to keeping the filibuster than Senator John Cornyn,» Manchin wrote in a scathing social media post Thursday. «He understood the incredible political pressure I faced from my former party to get rid of the filibuster and give Democrats complete power — and at the time, he understood why neither party should take our country past this point of no return.»

«These extreme election-year politics that put party power over everything else are why Americans are sick and tired of the duopoly of the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans,» Manchin added.

Cornyn, who is locked in a heated run-off election to win a fifth Senate term, called on Republicans in an op-ed Wednesday to consider ditching the filibuster Wednesday to pass a Trump-backed election bill. The measure, known as the (Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility) SAVE Act, is facing an uphill battle in the Senate due to expected unanimous opposition from Democrats. Under Senate rules, most legislation is subject to a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate and move on to final passage.

The editorial was a notable shift for the Texas Republican, who previously defended the merits of the filibuster.

«For many years, I believed that if the U.S. Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,» Cornyn wrote. «But when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.»

Cornyn is currently vying in a two-man race against State Attorney General Ken Paxton, R-Texas, during which President Donald Trump’s endorsement could prove decisive. The president has repeatedly called on Senate Republicans to abolish the 60-vote requirement or pursue a rarely-tried talking filibuster and send the SAVE America Act to his desk. Paxton has previously come out in support of ending the Senate filibuster.

Cornyn is currently running in a two-man race against State Attorney General Ken Paxton, R-Texas. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

TRUMP, THUNE CLASH ON VOTER ID ULTIMATUM AS GOP REMAINS DIVIDED ON PATH FORWARD

Manchin, a former Democrat-turned-Independent who passed on running for re-election in 2024, alleged that Cornyn personally reached out to him after he defeated Democrats’ gambit to nix the 60-vote rule under former President Joe Biden.

In early 2022, Manchin supplied the critical vote alongside former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Republicans to tank a Democratic-led effort to abolish the filibuster and pass so-called voting rights legislation.

«It’s deeply disappointing to see that Senator Cornyn is now willing to scrap the very rule he once praised and personally thanked me for defending,» Manchin wrote.

At that time, Cornyn urged Democrats to preserve the filibuster while Republicans were serving in the minority.

«Power is fleeting and at some point the shoe will always be on the other foot,» Cornyn said in a floor speech. «Liberal activists may like the idea of nuking the filibuster today, but they’ll soon find themselves ruing the day their party broke the Senate.»

COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER

Cornyn denied Manchin’s account Thursday. He has also argued that his reversal on the Senate filibuster was not aimed at winning Trump’s endorsement. 

«There’s no Joe Manchins left in the Democratic Party and no Kyrsten Sinemas …this is an entirely different circumstance, dealing with Democrats who will not negotiate or consider anything that President Trump or Republicans want,» the Texas Republican told reporters. «We can either accept that or we can fight back, and I think we should fight back.»

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who has come under significant pressure from Trump and conservative influencers to pass the SAVE America Act, indicated Wednesday that the filibuster is here to stay regardless of Cornyn’s pleas.

«Senator Cornyn is one of 53 Republican senators, and the opposition to nuking the filibuster runs very, very deep in our conference,» Thune told reporters.

Congressional Republicans, President Donald Trump and the GOP base want voter ID turned into law, but one barrier stands in the way: the political reality of the Senate.  (Leon Neal/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Manchin has continued to sing the filibuster’s praises in his retirement, arguing that the 60-vote threshold protects the minority party and forces legislation to be bipartisan.

«The filibuster — the soul of the Senate — has preserved the Senate’s role for nearly 250 years as the institution that cools passions, protects minority voices, and demands consensus,» Manchin said. «America was built on institutions designed to resist political convenience, not surrender to it.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Cornyn’s office for comment.