The race is on to speed up shipments, step up production and secure refunds.
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Tariffs Are Lower and Businesses Are Racing to Take Advantage
Lionel Messi attends, but David Beckham misses Inter Miami’s bizarre trip to Donald Trump’s White House
As Inter Miami’s players shuffled into place for a White House ceremony honoring December’s MLS Cup title, the scene initially felt familiar. It’s the type of routine victory‑tour stop countless championship teams have made. But that was where any sense of normalcy ended.
More than nine minutes into the visit, the words “Inter Miami” were finally uttered, though the event hardly returned to its intended focus. Inter Miami’s player, and arguably the biggest soccer star of his generation, faded into the background as Trump launched into a lengthy opening statement centered on Iran and the U.S.-Israel military operation. The players occasionally laughed and applauded with the audience as he said the U.S. was “totally demolish[ing]” Iran, then drifted into comments about Cuba and, eventually, Venezuela over the course of an eight‑minute address.
The moment was then punctuated by a surprise mention of retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez, before Jorge Mas seized the spotlight with a passionate speech. Afterward, Mas presented Trump with a bedazzled pink soccer ball, a limited‑edition Inter Miami–themed watch, and a No. 47 pink Inter Miami jersey – a final touch that capped a strange, at times incomprehensible blend of current events and sports for a team preparing to face D.C. United on Saturday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.
Messi’s entrance, Beckham’s no-show and an A-Rod cameo
One by one, in single file, Miami players and staff members entered the room: Luis Suarez, Rodrigo De Paul, Javier Mascherano, and co-owner Jorge Mas among them. Lionel Messi’s absence was noticeable at first, but in the end, perhaps to build a bit of drama, the World Cup winner made his way into the room alongside Trump, who immediately stepped into the podium to deliver military talking points before shifting his attention the team.
While Mas led a group of club representatives who were present and MLS commissioner Don Garber was in the room, one person was notably absent – fellow co-owner David Beckham, essentially the face of Inter Miami when Messi is not occupying the role. Beckham posted on his Instagram stories that he was in Paris on Thursday, after recently attending a show of his son Cruz, an aspiring singer. His wife, Victoria Beckham, is set to showcase her clothing line at Paris Fashion Week.
One surprise guest in attendance was A-Rod, who Trump inexplicably name-dropped during his opening remarks while he discussed Cuba.
“A-Rod came in before,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Do you want to come to a little awards show?’ He’s been to plenty of awards ceremonies. Thank you, A-Rod.”
Mas: ‘Our league can be one of the top leagues’
There was some official business during an event that inexplicably covered a variety of topics, chiefly when Mas stood at the podium to celebrate Miami’s success. For Mas, the moment was a culmination of a years-long effort to land Messi’s signature, transforming the club’s visibility and ushered in a run of trophies.
“Today, standing before you, you have the world’s greatest player here to my right,” Mas said in reference to Messi. “Over the course of the last two and a half years that he has been here, we’ve been on an epic run of records, of trophies, of winning because what I’ve wanted to establish with Inter Miami is a winning culture that would be a reflection of our community, of South Florida, Miami, made up winners, of hard-working men and women. And I want our team to be an embodiment of our fanbase and everyone who aspires to a better future and a better life.”
The highlights Mas mentioned included December’s MLS Cup and a trip to the Club World Cup knockouts last year, eventually losing to finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. He also, though, positioned Miami as a game-changing force in American soccer – and one that hopefully signals the growth potential for MLS clubs as a whole.
“And today, standing before you, Inter Miami is one of the world’s biggest clubs. Most are based on history, but our history has been short, but having a winning culture, having the best-selling jersey on the face of the Earth, making a global difference and not only because of Lionel Messi. These men standing behind you have changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever,” he said “We can play with the big boys. We can beat heavyweights. Our league can be one of the top leagues in the world and it is this ability to dream, to persevere, to have no obstacles ahead of us, that we will continue to be successful.”
Mas shares his American ‘Dream’
Mas, the son of Cuban immigrants, used his time at the podium to paint a familiar portrait of the American dream, one that he connected back to Inter Miami.
“On the back of our jersey, Mr. President, it says ‘Freedom to Dream’ because that’s our family moniker and what embodies our team and our aspirations but that all began many, many years before at the dinner table of our family, with my late father Jorge Mas Canos and my mother Irma, who is here today,” Mas said. “I speak now in tribute to our parents’ generation and I share that with Secretary Marco Rubio, of men and women who fled communism, who fled tyranny, who wanted a better life for their boys and their daughters and their sons in the future and at that table, it was instilled in us that if you work hard and if you sacrifice and you dream, it can be possible.”
It was in stark contrast to Trump’s reference to Cuba earlier in the afternoon, name-dropping the Caribbean nation while discussing how military operations in Iran and Venezuela were faring. He said, “We want to finish this one first,” seemingly referencing current events in Iran before pivoting to Cuba in an incoherent tangent that preceded his remarks on Inter Miami.
“What’s happening with Cuba is amazing,” Trump said, right after he thanked Rodriguez for his attendance. “We want to finish this one first, but that will be just a question of time before you and unbelievable people are going to be going back. Hopefully not to stay. We want you back. We don’t want to lose you. We don’t want to make it so nice that they want to stay, but some people probably do want to stay.”
UNM Theatre and Dance showcase Route 66 inspired shows
The University of New Mexico Theatre and Dance Department are staging productions inspired by Route 66.KOAT got a behind-the-scenes look at the first show of the season and how they’re preparing. Interact with the video player above to get a sneak peek of the show, “Highways and Heartbeats.”The production looks to blend multiple styles to tell their story, including hip hop, Spanish folk music and flamenco.UNM associate professor Marisol Encinias explains why flamenco was included in the 100-year celebration of Route 66.”Flamenco is a big, convergence of cultures, peoples, practices that come together in this form,” Encinias said. “And I think that that’s really kind of what also happens here within Route 66.”Clementine West is part of the flamenco ensemble and said her purpose has been the interpersonal connections made.”It’s great to be able to come together with a group of people and connect in our community to celebrate pathways and connectivity that route 66 represents in many ways,” West said.Those directing and participating in the show have been working all school year in preparation for the Route 66-themed shows.”At the end, you see the growth in the students and you see their sense of accomplishment and getting through that,” Encinias said. “And that’s the point of what we’re doing.”Tickets for the performance can be purchased here. The shows will be performed in the evenings on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7.Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
The University of New Mexico Theatre and Dance Department are staging productions inspired by Route 66.
KOAT got a behind-the-scenes look at the first show of the season and how they’re preparing. Interact with the video player above to get a sneak peek of the show, “Highways and Heartbeats.”
The production looks to blend multiple styles to tell their story, including hip hop, Spanish folk music and flamenco.
UNM associate professor Marisol Encinias explains why flamenco was included in the 100-year celebration of Route 66.
“Flamenco is a big, convergence of cultures, peoples, practices that come together in this form,” Encinias said. “And I think that that’s really kind of what also happens here within Route 66.”
Clementine West is part of the flamenco ensemble and said her purpose has been the interpersonal connections made.
“It’s great to be able to come together with a group of people and connect in our community to celebrate pathways and connectivity that route 66 represents in many ways,” West said.
Those directing and participating in the show have been working all school year in preparation for the Route 66-themed shows.
“At the end, you see the growth in the students and you see their sense of accomplishment and getting through that,” Encinias said. “And that’s the point of what we’re doing.”
Tickets for the performance can be purchased here. The shows will be performed in the evenings on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7.
Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
METALLICA Adds More Shows To Their Sphere Residency, Now Up To 20
Metallica are doubling down on their massive Las Vegas takeover. The metal titans have announced six additional shows for their upcoming Sphere residency, pushing the total run to 20 nights inside the cutting-edge venue.
The newly added concerts will take place in February 2027 as part of the band’s immersive Life Burns Faster production. The fresh batch of dates are in February, which now makes the full run:
- October 1 & 3
- October 8 & 10
- October 15 & 17
- October 22 & 24
- October 29 & 31
- November 5 & 7
- January 28 & 30
- February 4 & 6
- February 18 & 20
- February 25 & 27
While the dates have been coming in hot and fast, the ticket rollout hasn’t been entirely smooth. Earlier this week, Ticketmaster acknowledged that some fans experienced delays while trying to purchase seats for the Sphere run.
In a statement, the company attributed the problems to a security incident. “Yesterday, Ticketmaster blocked a targeted attack that tried to bypass our security systems,” the company said.
“During this period, we paused and slowed queues on certain sales to protect tickets, and some fans had difficulty accessing parts of the site. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we worked to fight these bad actors.”
The Sphere residency – first revealed on February 25 after months of rumors – will carry forward Metallica’s “No Repeat Weekend” concept. The format debuted during the band’s M72 world tour in 2023 and has become a fan-favorite twist on their live shows.
Across each Thursday and Saturday pairing, the band promises entirely different setlists, meaning no songs will be repeated during a given weekend.
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The Wildest Frat Party on Campus? Prediction Markets
Kalshi and Polymarket pour money into deals with social-media influencers and students, who try to parlay rumors, insider info into cash.
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Judge orders Malik Beasley to pay $1 million to former agency
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David Purdum
Multiple Authors
A federal judge in New York issued a $1 million civil judgment against NBA free agent Malik Beasley on Thursday in a contract dispute with his former agency.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas found Beasley liable for $1 million in damages plus interest to be paid to New York-based Hazan Sports Management, his former agency.
Vargas wrote in the ruling that, despite ample warning, “no objections have been filed and no request for an extension of time to object has been made.” No attorney is listed for Beasley on the suit, and the docket does not show any action on Beasley’s part.
ESPN called a number associated with Beasley, and the person hung up after being asked for comment. An attorney for Hazan Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beasley left Hazan Sports in February 2025, in what the agency said in the suit was a violation of the contract. Hazan Sports said in the lawsuit that it attempted to recoup a $650,000 marketing advance from Beasley “but received little more than drips and drabs of sporadic payments and vague promises to repay the balance over time.”
Beasley has played nine seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. He had a resurgent season in 2025 and appeared poised for a three-year contract reportedly worth $42 million with the Pistons, before his name surfaced in a federal gambling probe.
Beasley has not been charged in the case.
Steve Haney, who is representing Beasley in the gambling investigation, said he was not involved in the Hazan Sports suit.
In September, the NBA said it was conducting its own investigation into Beasley. Haney told ESPN at the time that his client was “fully cooperating” with the NBA probe.
Last month, Beasley signed with Puerto Rican basketball team Santurce Crabbers, which is owned by artist Bad Bunny.
Millions left without power after major blackout hits Cuba’s western region
HAVANA — A blackout left millions of people without power in Havana and the rest of western Cuba on Wednesday in the latest outage on an island struggling with dwindling oil reserves and a crumbling electric grid.
Government radio station Radio Rebelde quoted an energy official as saying that it could take at least 72 hours to restore operations at one of Cuba’s largest thermoelectric power plants, where a shutdown sparked the outage.
The government’s electric utility said on social platform X that the outage affected people from the western town of Pinar del Rio to the central town of Camaguey.
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy wrote on X late Wednesday that the government was powering critical infrastructure in the affected region as two power plants came online. Such infrastructure includes hospitals and medical clinics.
“We are working to restore the National Electric System amid a complex energy situation,” he wrote earlier on X.
The U.S. Embassy warned people to “prepare for significant disruptions” and conserve fuel, water, food and mobile phone batteries. “Cuba’s national power grid is increasingly unreliable, and scheduled and unscheduled power outages are prolonged and a daily occurrence across the country, including Havana,” it said on X.
By late afternoon, the government said crews had restored power to 2.5% of Havana, or some 21,100 customers, noting that efforts were gradual and tied to what the system’s conditions would allow. It did not provide updated numbers by late Wednesday night.
“We trust in the experience and effort of the electrical workers to overcome this situation in the shortest possible time,” Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz wrote on X.
As night fell, people across Havana lingered on doorsteps and used wood or charcoal to prepare “caldosas,” a popular soup shared among neighbors who contribute items including vegetables, chicken and meat. A group of musicians along the city’s famed seawall played into the night.
Others played dominoes by a rechargeable lightbulb.
“With the power outages, this is the only thing we young people have to distract ourselves,” Jeferson Silvera said.
Daily, prolonged outages have become so common in Cuba that 66-year-old Genoveva Torres was waiting for power to return at night as usual to cook dinner. She was perturbed when told about the massive blackout.
“My God, until when?” she exclaimed. “Then we won’t eat. We’ll have to eat bread again.”
State media reported that the outage was caused by a shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant east of Havana following a leak in its boiler.
Radio Rebelde quoted the plant’s technical director Román Pérez Castañeda as saying that crews must first locate the fault before repairing it and restarting the unit.
Pérez Castañeda said that a pipe burst in the boiler, causing a water leak and subsequent fire that was extinguished without major damage, according to Radio Rebelde.
The outage caught 63-year-old Odalis Sánchez out on the street with her grandson. She was unable to walk because of a recent operation, so she called someone for a ride home.
Some 200 people waited at a bus stop near her, but buses were not running given a lack of fuel, so they tried to get a ride via any means available, including hitchhiking.
“I need to be able to get home to see what I can do,” Sánchez said. “Without power, you can’t do anything. My grandson also is studying and I have to make him food. Public transportation isn’t helping.”
It is the second such outage to affect western Cuba in three months.
The outage in early December lasted nearly 12 hours. Officials said a fault in a transmission line linking two power plants caused an overload and led to the collapse of the energy system’s western sector.
Authorities have noted that some thermoelectric plants have been operating for over 30 years and receive little maintenance given the high cost. U.S. sanctions also have prevented the government from buying new equipment and specialized parts, officials say.
Cuba also is struggling with dwindling oil reserves after the U.S. attacked Venezuela in early January, which halted critical petroleum shipments from the South America country. Later that month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that would sell or supply Cuba with oil.
Ernesto Couto Martínez, 76, was trying to find a ride home and said he would confront the latest outage “with the spirit that all Cubans have.”
“We must keep fighting. There’s no other way,” he said. “We have to move forward, blockade or no blockade.”
Last month, Cuba’s government implemented austere fuel-saving measures and warned that jet fuel wouldn’t be available at nine airports until mid-March.
Prior to the attack on Venezuela, the island already was struggling with a crumbling electric grid, generation deficits and interruptions in fuel supplies.
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Coto reported from San José, Costa Rica.
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Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Former Lobo soccer player achieves dream of playing for United
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico United has a new look roster for the 2026 season, but one of the club’s free agent signings isn’t new to New Mexico. Maliek Howell first went to United games as a fan during the club’s inaugural season. He also trained with United players and dreamed of one day playing […]
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Brantley Gilbert Takes Another Shot at Zach Bryan
Brantley Gilbert just fired the next shot — or should we say, hot dog — in his bizarre ongoing feud with Zach Bryan.
Things have been contentious between them ever since Bryan made fun of “Dirt Road Anthem,” a Jason Aldean hit that Gilbert sang on and co-wrote, by switching the chorus lyrics to “Chili on a hot dog.”
But all parties have had some laughs as they traded social media blows, and Gilbert’s new addition to the feud might just be the silliest yet.
In fact, when he sang the “Chili on a Hot Dog” version at a recent show, Gilbert could barely keep it together after seeing the outfit that Travis Denning picked to make a surprise appearance onstage.
Watch Brantley Gilbert’s Latest Response to Zach Bryan During a Recent Show
Gilbert told the crowd that he was going to sing Bryan’s parody of “Dirt Road Anthem,” jokingly calling it “a pretty decent remix.”
The fans were in on the joke. Gilbert held up a shirt that one concertgoer brought, which read, “It’s Not a Party Until the Wiener Comes Out.”
And Gilbert had a wiener of his own to show his fans that night. Out came Denning in a full glizzy costume, ready to sing and dance around while Gilbert sang the parody version.
The sight was almost too much for Gilbert, who had to shield his eyes from Denning and his hot dog outfit in order to get through the performance without cracking up.
Why Did Zach Bryan Make Fun of “Dirt Road Anthem” in the First Place?
This ultra-silly artist feud actually has roots in a deep, nationwide political divide.
Read More: A List of Current Country Music Feuds + Beefs
Bryan was critical of the Turning Point USA Halftime Show in early February, which featured Gilbert as one of its performers. The show, which Kid Rock headlined, was billed as an alternative to the Super Bowl’s Bad Bunny-led halftime show.
Read More: The Turning Point USA Halftime Show: Why the NFL Should Be Worried
That’s probably what spurred Bryan to come up with the goofy take on “Dirt Road Anthem.” Calling it a diss track would be too strong, but Bryan’s version definitely made it clear what he thinks of the original.
Bryan came up with more than just the line “Chili on a hot dog“: The parody actually includes quite a bit of song, including multiple chili-centric rap verses. The commitment to the bit is really quite impressive.
How Did Brantley Gilbert Respond to Zach Bryan?
Speaking of commitment to the bit, Gilbert answered Bryan’s trolling by sharing a video of himself preparing, and then double-fisting, two foot-long dogs.
You could almost be fooled into thinking the whole back-and-forth is lighthearted.
But the giveaway is the caption, where Gilbert says, “You can climb all the fences you want, you’re not getting my chili dog,” a reference to the time Bryan scaled a fence to try to fight Gavin Adcock.
Read More: Zach Bryan Hops a Fence to Confront Gavin Adcock
As far as we can tell, Gilbert’s latest missive in the chili dog beef was unprovoked.
Bryan is known for feuding with other artists, but he’s largely been keeping off the fightin’ side of most people in recent weeks. His most recent social media posts consist of song teases and photos of his new wife, Samantha.
Country Music’s Current Feuds and Beefs [UPDATED]
The difference between a true country music feud and one country singer being a punk is the response. Each of these active feuds has involved a significant back and forth between two country artists or more.
A few singers are involved in multiple feuds while others involve unexpected or unknown singers. We’ll update this list as the pairs make peace or if another fight emerges.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes