Storm system brings rain, mountain snow, and wind Wednesday
Rain and mountain snow moves into New Mexico Tuesday night through Wednesday. Breezy to windy conditions will keep an elevated fire danger in place through the end of the week. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms developed across parts of New Mexico Tuesday afternoon, with more of this moisture making it to the ground today. […]
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CHARLIE BENANTE Says He “Would Love” If PANTERA’s Current Line-Up Released A Live Album
Charlie Benante has pushed for the current Pantera lineup to release a live album documenting their run of shows and addressed the ongoing criticism that has followed the band’s revival since it launched in late 2022.
Speaking to Hot Metal, Benante was asked about the possibility of the reformed lineup — featuring Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Zakk Wylde, and Benante himself on drums — making new music. His answer was measured, but he came up with an idea of his own.
“There was some talk — but nothing, really,” he said. “I would love to release a live album of this lineup so we can document what we did and just have it. I think that would be a great thing.”
On the question of plans, Benante — who has been a member of Anthrax since 1983 — kept it vague. “I don’t really know,” he said. “I know we have a few shows this summer and then maybe some shows next year, but that’s as far as it goes.”
The interview also revisited the criticism that has followed the project since its debut. Benante has been consistent in his response: come to a show and form your own opinion.
“I feel I was put in this Pantera situation for a reason, and that’s why I embraced it so much, and that’s why I love it so much, because it’s something bigger than the band,” he said. “And I wish people nowadays would be more caring and loving towards us all, you know? Not just musicians, but to each other. Stop being so rotten about things, because I’ll tell you this much: [in] 10 years, a lot of this stuff is gone. So if you don’t enjoy it now, that’s it: it’s done.”
“I think in the beginning of the whole thing there were naysayers, and all I would say is ‘just come [to one of the shows]’,” he continued.
“If you like it, great. If you don’t like it, okay. You never have to come again. But the thing is, the people coming were bringing their kids who had never seen Pantera before. This isn’t the same. Dime and Vinnie are not there, but we are just playing these songs that need to be played again, and it’s giving people smiles on their faces again, and it’s a great thing.”
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Oil Retreats on Hopes of Iran War Resolution
The global benchmark Brent crude briefly slipped below $100 a barrel after President Trump signaled he wants to wind down the war in Iran.
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Should the USMNT be concerned about Pulisic’s goal drought?
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Bill Connelly
Multiple Authors
ATLANTA — On the day before the United States men’s national team’s 2-0 loss to Portugal, head coach Mauricio Pochettino mentioned that he might elect to make some tactical tweaks to help star attacker Christian Pulisic end a long scoring drought and build back some lost confidence.
“Maybe we help a little bit to [get him] a little bit more closer to the goal,” he said.
The coach was speaking literally. Pulisic started up front as a center forward on Tuesday and found familiar cohorts in Weston McKennie and Tim Weah feeding him the ball. He received more passes than any other U.S. attacker in the first half and attempted seven ground duels, the most on the team. But he won only one of those duels, and although he forced a couple of saves from Portugal keeper José Sá, he was indeed held scoreless once again.
– Player ratings: Pulisic 3/10 in USMNT’s loss to Portugal
– Ogden: Türkiye will be USMNT’s stiffest test in World Cup group stage
– O’Hanlon: Will USMNT’s depth be World Cup game-changer?
It was Pulisic’s eighth consecutive national team match without a goal, the longest drought of his career, and by the time he gets another opportunity, at least 18 months will have gone by since his last U.S. goal. Increasingly frustrated as the first half went on, the AC Milan star committed a couple of fouls and received a yellow card before halftime. He was subbed out after 45 minutes.
“We were able to create chances, which if I finish chances, which I know I’m going to, then things are going to be a bit different,” Pulisic said after the game.
Pulisic’s struggles — plus a 37th-minute Portugal goal after a turnover by McKennie and a perfect passing sequence from Vitinha to Bruno Fernandes to Francisco Trincão — overshadowed another solid first-half performance in which the U.S. attempted eight shots to Portugal’s three and generated 0.45 xG to Portugal’s 0.26. The U.S. had seen more touches in the box, too.
Neither team had started its entire first-choice lineup, but in the second half Portugal’s extreme depth advantage showed. While Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon) and Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew) subbed on for the U.S., Portugal coach Roberto Martinez was able to bring in Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), João Félix (Al Nassr), and Francisco Conceição (Juventus), among others.
Mendes, one of the best left backs in the world, was quickly able to test Alex Freeman down the Americans’ right side and, after Freeman conceded a corner, a wide-open João Félix slammed in Portugal’s second goal — both assisted by Fernandes — in the 59th minute. At that point, the match was effectively over.
The March international window before a World Cup is a particularly odd one. The U.S. scheduled a couple of heavyweights in Belgium and Portugal, knowing that the results would hold massive weight on perceptions and narratives heading into the summer. It’s safe to say that two losses by a combined 7-2 will certainly define discussions over the next few weeks.
At the same time, there’s a reason Portugal boss Martinez called team assessments in March “worthless” earlier in the week. With a number of prospective World Cup starters still out with minor injuries and a number of roster spots still up for grabs, however, Pochettino needed further impressions from a lot of the 24 players who saw the field over the two matches. What did he see?
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Malik Tillman created five chances in 138 minutes while splitting time in a central attacking midfield role (against Belgium) and on the left wing (against Portugal). He created only two shot attempts for himself, however, putting one on goal.
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McKennie scored from a set piece against Belgium and found another great chance early against Portugal, sending it wide. He wasn’t as sharp in the second match, and his turnover near midfield sent Portugal off toward their first goal.
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Defender Auston Trusty played almost the entire match against Portugal and won five of seven duels. He was mostly stable out of possession, though you could make the case that he dropped back far too low on Portugal’s first goal, giving Trincão space to fire off an open shot.
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After struggling at right back against Jérémy Doku and Belgium, Weah was the team’s most dangerous attacker against Portugal, making six progressive carries (the most on the team) and sending in a pair of dangerous crosses.
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Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter were given massive opportunities, starting against a dynamite Portuguese midfield. Morris, one of the best duel winners in the player pool, won a pair of duels and made seven defensive interventions, and each player completed four progressive passes.
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Freeman played 79 minutes on Tuesday and won four of seven duels, though he very much had his hands full with Nunes in the second half.
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Agyemang was mostly quiet against Portugal but was a lone bright spot against Belgium, scoring late.
For now, however, the biggest impression comes from Pulisic. The 27-year-old has now gone 14 matches for club and country without a goal, his longest drought since 2022.
“Physically I feel really good, feel really sharp and I’m doing a lot of good things,” Pulisic said. “I have to help my team to create assists and score goals and create chances. Obviously when I don’t do that it’s frustrating, but I feel like I’m close and I feel good things are coming.”
He will now return to Milan as they attempt to push up from second place in Serie A.
That’s two teams counting on his return to form.
Boat capsizes off Turkish coast after a high-speed chase, killing 18 migrants
ANKARA, Turkey — A rubber boat carrying migrants capsized in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday following a high-speed chase by the coast guard, killing 18 migrants, officials said. At least 21 other migrants were rescued.
The Turkish Coast Guard Command said the boat carrying dozens of migrants ignored repeated warnings to stop and attempted to flee at high speed. The boat began to take on water in the rough seas and eventually capsized.
The sinking occurred off the coastal city of Bodrum, a popular Turkish vacation destination.
Rescue teams, supported by a helicopter dispatched from the nearby city of Izmir, pulled 21 survivors from the water and recovered 18 bodies, the Coast Guard said.
Rescue teams were continuing to look for any possible remaining victims.
The nationalities of those on board the boat were not immediately known.
The island of Kos lies some 20 kilometers (13 miles) from Bodrum. Other nearby islands include Kalymnos, Leros, and Symi.
Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in small boats. Many are unseaworthy, or set out in bad weather, and fatal accidents have been common.
Forest Service HQ moving to Utah under Trump overhaul
President Donald Trump’s administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of the nation’s capital to Salt Lake City as part of an organizational overhaul that involves shuttering research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West, the agency announced Tuesday.Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move, which is expected to be completed by summer 2027, will bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the people who depend on them.“Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said.Nearly 90% of National Forest System land is in the West, though Utah is only the 11th-ranked state for national forest coverage, with about 14,300 square miles (37,000 square kilometers).During his first term, Trump moved the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado, citing many of the same reasons, including a desire to put top officials closer to the public lands they oversee. But it wasn’t long before the Biden administration reversed course, moving BLM headquarters back to Washington, D.C., after two years.The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been moving thousands of employees out of Washington over the past year and eliminating layers of management as part of Trump’s push to slim down the federal workforce and make it more efficient.With the move to Utah, about 260 Forest Service positions currently located in Washington are expected to relocate, and 130 workers will stay put, the agency said.Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden said Salt Lake City stuck out for its reasonable cost of living, proximity to an international airport and the state’s “family-focused way of life.” It’s a Democratic-led capital city in a red state with values rooted in the locally headquartered Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, celebrated the move Tuesday as “a big win for Utah and the West,” while environmental groups viewed it as a precursor to the agency’s dismantling.Taylor McKinnon at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity described the move as “a costly bureaucratic reshuffle” that will put more power in the hands of corporations and states to log, mine and drill public lands.“National forests belong to all Americans,” said McKinnon, the environmental group’s Southwest director. “Our nation’s capital is where federal policy is made and where the Forest Service headquarters belongs.”Josh Hicks, conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society, predicted that the move will lead to less access to public forests and threats to wildlife habitat, clean water and air.“At a time when wildfires are getting worse, and access to public lands is already under strain, the last thing we need is an unnecessary reorganization that creates chaos and confusion for the land managers, researchers and wildland firefighters who help keep our forests healthy now and for future generations,” he said.The Wilderness Society also pointed to Trump’s prior attempt with the BLM, saying that resulted in many staffers leaving who had valuable years of management experience. The group said this could end up hollowing out the Forest Service.Many regional offices will close in the reorganization, and their services will shift to hubs in New Mexico, Georgia, Colorado, Wisconsin, Montana and California. Instead of maintaining multiple dispersed research stations with their own leadership, the agency will anchor its research at a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado.The Forest Service said it did not yet know how many workers in regional offices will need to relocate. A spokesperson did not answer whether the transition would involve layoffs.U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico Democrat who sits on the House’s Natural Resources Committee, echoed the idea that it’s the wrong time for upheaval as the Mountain West is facing historically low snowpack, extreme heat and the prospect of a dangerous fire season.But she expressed cautious optimism that the Forest Service reorganization could be positive if leadership and jobs are ultimately brought closer to New Mexico and other states.A Republican on the committee, U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah, welcomed the move to her state, saying it could improve responsiveness to wildfires and ensure decisions are informed by on-the-ground realities.The Forest Service’s deputy chief of fire and aviation management, Sarah Fisher, said on a podcast Tuesday that there will be no changes to the agency’s operational firefighting workforce.
SALT LAKE CITY —
President Donald Trump’s administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of the nation’s capital to Salt Lake City as part of an organizational overhaul that involves shuttering research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West, the agency announced Tuesday.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move, which is expected to be completed by summer 2027, will bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the people who depend on them.
“Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said.
Nearly 90% of National Forest System land is in the West, though Utah is only the 11th-ranked state for national forest coverage, with about 14,300 square miles (37,000 square kilometers).
During his first term, Trump moved the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado, citing many of the same reasons, including a desire to put top officials closer to the public lands they oversee. But it wasn’t long before the Biden administration reversed course, moving BLM headquarters back to Washington, D.C., after two years.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been moving thousands of employees out of Washington over the past year and eliminating layers of management as part of Trump’s push to slim down the federal workforce and make it more efficient.
With the move to Utah, about 260 Forest Service positions currently located in Washington are expected to relocate, and 130 workers will stay put, the agency said.
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden said Salt Lake City stuck out for its reasonable cost of living, proximity to an international airport and the state’s “family-focused way of life.” It’s a Democratic-led capital city in a red state with values rooted in the locally headquartered Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, celebrated the move Tuesday as “a big win for Utah and the West,” while environmental groups viewed it as a precursor to the agency’s dismantling.
Taylor McKinnon at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity described the move as “a costly bureaucratic reshuffle” that will put more power in the hands of corporations and states to log, mine and drill public lands.
“National forests belong to all Americans,” said McKinnon, the environmental group’s Southwest director. “Our nation’s capital is where federal policy is made and where the Forest Service headquarters belongs.”
Josh Hicks, conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society, predicted that the move will lead to less access to public forests and threats to wildlife habitat, clean water and air.
“At a time when wildfires are getting worse, and access to public lands is already under strain, the last thing we need is an unnecessary reorganization that creates chaos and confusion for the land managers, researchers and wildland firefighters who help keep our forests healthy now and for future generations,” he said.
The Wilderness Society also pointed to Trump’s prior attempt with the BLM, saying that resulted in many staffers leaving who had valuable years of management experience. The group said this could end up hollowing out the Forest Service.
Many regional offices will close in the reorganization, and their services will shift to hubs in New Mexico, Georgia, Colorado, Wisconsin, Montana and California. Instead of maintaining multiple dispersed research stations with their own leadership, the agency will anchor its research at a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Forest Service said it did not yet know how many workers in regional offices will need to relocate. A spokesperson did not answer whether the transition would involve layoffs.
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico Democrat who sits on the House’s Natural Resources Committee, echoed the idea that it’s the wrong time for upheaval as the Mountain West is facing historically low snowpack, extreme heat and the prospect of a dangerous fire season.
But she expressed cautious optimism that the Forest Service reorganization could be positive if leadership and jobs are ultimately brought closer to New Mexico and other states.
A Republican on the committee, U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah, welcomed the move to her state, saying it could improve responsiveness to wildfires and ensure decisions are informed by on-the-ground realities.
The Forest Service’s deputy chief of fire and aviation management, Sarah Fisher, said on a podcast Tuesday that there will be no changes to the agency’s operational firefighting workforce.
DEFILED Announces New Album Altered State, Streams “Portal”
Japanese death metal mainstays Defiled have announced their ninth studio album, Altered State, arriving June 12, 2026 via Season of Mist. So if you needed to get real filthy this week, here’s your chance.
To mark the announcement, the band have dropped lead single “Portal”, a dizzying introduction to the album’s warped sonic landscape.
Altered State spans 14 tracks, weaving together blistering technicality, progressive structures and a disorienting sense of atmosphere. While rooted in death metal’s formative years, the record pushes far beyond genre orthodoxy – something founding guitarist Yusuke Sumita is keenly aware of: “Like many other bands, our musical roots are heavily influenced by early ’90s death metal and ’80s thrash and hardcore, however, our interpretation is different and has branched off from the current scene.”
“On Altered State, there are many catchy hooks, but tricky progressive rhythms and song structures can be found as well. The album may not be understandable after a few listens, but it taps into a blind spot that many bands have missed”.
Across its runtime, the album reportedly blends old-school death metal with technical thrash and progressive rock influences, while lyrically drawing inspiration from 1984 – channelling themes of dystopia and psychological unease into its conceptual framework.
“Both musically and lyrically, Altered State is an expansion of The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror“, Sumita explains.
“The music is a combination of old-school death metal, technical-thrash riffs and the rhythmic changes of progressive rock. The lyrics are based on the dystopian world presented in George Orwell‘s science-fiction masterpiece 1984. They express the madness that everyone living in the present currently feels.”
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Baidu’s Apollo Go Robotaxis Stall in China’s Wuhan
Wuhan police said preliminary findings indicated that the incidents were caused by a system failure.
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World Cup qualifying: Italy miss third straight World Cup
The field for the FIFA World Cup is set as six tickets were punched on Tuesday, and the long-lasting question of whether Italy will be participating has been answered — it’s no. Again.
Italy lost in penalty kicks to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight edition in the latest disaster for the iconic national team.
Joining Bosnia out of Europe were Sweden, Czechia and Turkiye, while Congo DR beat Jamaica in their playoff final while Iraq topped Bolivia in theirs.
Here are all the teams that have qualified:
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Canada (co-hosts)
- Cape Verde
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- Czech Republic
- DR Congo
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- England
- France
- Germany
- Ghana
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ivory Coast
- Japan
- Jordan
- Mexico (co-hosts)
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Scotland
- Senegal
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- United States (co-hosts)
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
Italy 1, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (4-1 in PKs)
Italy hit the crossbar and skied an attempt, allowing Bosnia to cruise in the shootout.
The match was tense from the very start, with the Azzurri struggling to cope with the relentless pressure from the home side. The breakthrough came after a costly mistake by Bosnia-Herzegovina’s goalkeeper, Nikola Vasilj, who gave the ball away during the build-up. Italy, led by Gennaro Gattuso, reacted instantly, capitalizing on the error as Moise Kean calmly finished to score the opening goal, his second goal in a row, following his strike in last week’s semifinal against Northern Ireland in Bergamo.
Despite falling behind, Bosnia and Herzegovina responded with even greater intensity, pushing forward in search of an equalizer. However, the momentum shifted dramatically just before halftime when Italy’s Alessandro Bastoni was shown a red card for a foul on Memic, leaving the visitors with ten men for the remainder of the match.
The second half started like the first one ended, with Italy trying to defend the result but Bosnia pushed and managed to score in the 78th minute with Haris Tabakovic, who made it 1-1. Italy had to rely on at least four crucial saves of Gianluigi Donnarumma, but it was all Bosnia in the penalties.
Czechia 2, Denmark 2 (3-1 in PKs)
Czechia blew one-goal leads in both regulation and extra time, leading to the shootout, but they did enough from the spot to qualify for the World Cup.
Pavel Sulc scored a stunning opener for Czechia in the third minute, rifling home a loose ball off a corner kick, but Joachim Andersen’s 72nd-minute goal brought things level, creating a tense final 20 minutes or so of regulation with the game going to extra time. Both teams scored in the extra session, but the hosts were far superior from the spot, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
Sweden 3, Poland 2
A goal in the 88th minute from Viktor Gyokeres sent Sweden to the World Cup after defeating Poland 3-2 on Tuesday in the playoffs. A back-and-forth game saw the Polish equalize twice quickly, once in each half, but it was the Arsenal striker who made the difference two minutes from time.
Turkiye 1, Kosovo 0
A goal from Kerem Akturkoglu early in the second half saw Turkiye punch their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, qualifying for the first time in 24 years. The victory means Turkiye will be in Group D, with the U.S. men’s national team, Australia and Paraguay.
Playoff tournament finals
Congo DR 1, Jamaica 0
Iraq 2, Bolivia 1