ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Bernalillo County commissioners are changing the way businesses receive county tax breaks to set up shop. This initiative aims to provide more benefits for New Mexicans, such as increasing local hiring. However, some argue that these changes could have the opposite effect and discourage businesses from coming to the area. Neidi […]
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If you needed a hardcore punch to the face today, Silence Equals Death has you covered with their latest single “At Peace”. The song is the first single from Silence Equals Death‘s upcoming EP From The Ashes, which is out April 17 and is available for pre-order here.
“The idea of the songs lyrics came from a situation that was a potential near death experience and how I recalled having a total calmness in the moment. I wanted to express that feeling mixed with the outright chaos of every day life and how often people in the moment will chose to end theirs,” said vocalist Scott Earth.
“I feel the dissonant chords bring a sense of anguish and harsh emotion to the song while the pounding drums deliver a punch in the gut. We wanted to bring the listener on a journey with highs and lows culminating with the sense of appreciation near the end. Lyrically I wanted to acknowledge that for many just making it to the next day is a struggle. For the video we wanted to also bring that raw emotion of loss to the viewer. I feel like the idea and final product really captured what we were trying to convey.”
Guitarist Dave Horner: “As someone who came from the metal world, At Peace is a perfect blend of metal aggression with hardcore ethos. It sets the stage and mood for the record as well as our live show. The lyrics, ‘Tomorrow Is Success,’ weigh heavy. As we get older, life and time become more precious and sometimes getting to tomorrow is a challenge. That line alone has given me determination to wake up and attack each day.
“Whether I’m successful those days or not, opportunity is present. This was my first music video and it was an amazing experience! It’s telling a story while showcasing our sound and image. I’m proud of the work this band has put in and glad to have slid into Scott‘s DMs to be part of this. This is so much cooler than sitting behind my computer. Finally, I can’t wait to see people bang their heads and two-step. This is gonna be something…and remember , Silence Equals Death.”
Guitarist Jeff Manion: “For me, ‘At Peace’ doesn’t really feel like just a song it feels more like someone opening up about something personal. It’s not over-the-top dramatic, just honest and kind of heavy in a way that sticks with you. The music holds back in a good way. Instead of going full force the whole time, it gives everything room to breathe.
“There’s space between the notes, and that space says just as much as the lyrics do. The guitars and drums match what the song seems to be about, trying to find some kind of peace, figuring out what that costs, and dealing with the stuff you usually keep to yourself.”
Bassist Carlo D’Amato: “While maintaining the traditional Silence Equals Death sound and style, this single showcases a new chapter for the band, a little more aggressive and a little more angry. We had a blast with the whole video experience at Otterhouse studios in Brooklyn. We’re excited for our fans to hear this song, along with the rest of the EP.”
Drummer Frankie Deangelis: “I haven’t been part of a video shoot in many years and forgot just how much fun it can be. There was a great energy in the room and we went balls out. By the end we knew we’d had something special. We’re really proud of how it came out. The music itself is groovy, heavy and straight in your face mixing old school hardcore beats with newer metal sounds. if you can bounce your head and enjoy it then i am happy.”
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The king of streaming preserves its business model, while Paramount Skydance will have to deal with a massive postmerger debt load.
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The first conference tournament bracket for the 2025-26 season is set. The Sun Belt Tournament begins Tuesday with a pair of first-round matchups between teams that will be looking to extend their seasons for another day.
Entering Friday, the final day of the regular season, seven different teams were mathematically alive for at least a share of the SBC championship. Troy captured the Sun Belt title after defeating UL Monroe to earn the No. 1 seed in next week’s tournament. Marshall earned the No. 2 seed and the bye into , and despite losing to Georgia Southern. There was a six-way tie (with 11-7 conference records) for second place in the conference standings.
Because of the Sun Belt’s tournament format which places the top two seeds in the conference’s semifinals, Troy and Marshall will need to win just one game next weekend (March 8) to advance to the Sun Belt Tournament championship game. The tournament gets started Tuesday in Pensacola, Florida, when No. 14 seed UL Monroe will face No. 11 seed Old Dominion before No. 13 seed Georgia State meets No. 12 seed Louisiana.
The Horizon League will get college basketball’s postseason underway on Monday with a first-round game between No. 10 seed Cleveland State and No. 11 seed IU Indianapolis.
While the Horizon League will be the first league to get its tournament underway, other leagues will be in action later in the week. Among the leagues that will have first-round games on Wednesday are the ASUN, Big South, Northeast, Ohio Valley and the Summit League and we are just days away from the rest of the conferences to get underway.
Why Miami (Ohio) still hasn’t locked up an NCAA Tournament at-large bid despite roaring off to 29-0 start
David Cobb
When conference tournament results roll in, we’ll be keeping track of them here as teams begin to claim automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.
| Conference | Location | Dates | Championship (TV) / Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| America East | Campus sites | March 7, 10, 14 | March 14, 11 a.m. ESPN2 |
| American | Birmingham, Ala. | March 11-15 | March 15, 3:15 p.m. ESPN |
| Atlantic 10 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | March 11-15 | March 15, 1 p.m. CBS |
| ACC | Charlotte, N.C. | March 10-14 | March 14, 8:30 p.m. ESPN |
| ASUN | Jacksonville, Fla. | March 4,6-8 | March 8, 2 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big 12 | Kansas City, Mo. | March 10-14 | March 14, 6 p.m. ESPN |
| Big East | New York City | March 11-14 | March 14, 6:30 p.m. Fox |
| Big Sky | Boise, Idaho | March 7-11 | March 11, 11:30 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big South | Johnson City, Tenn. | March 4, 6-8 | March 8, 12 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big Ten | Chicago | March 10-15 | March 15, 3:30 p.m. CBS |
| Big West | Henderson, Nev. | March 11-14 | March 14, 10 p.m. ESPN2 |
| CAA | Washington, D.C. | March 6-10 | March 10, 7 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Conference USA | Huntsville, Ala. | March 10-14 | March 14, 8:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Horizon League | Indianapolis | March 2,4,8-10 | March 10, 7 p.m. ESPN |
| Ivy League | Ithaca, N.Y. | March 14-15 | March 15, 12 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MAAC | Atlantic City, N.J. | March 5-10 | March 10, 9 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MAC | Cleveland | March 12-14 | March 14, 8 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MEAC | Norfolk, Va. | March 11-14 | March 14, 1 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Missouri Valley | St. Louis | March 5-8 | March 8, 12 p.m. CBS |
| Mountain West | Las Vegas | March 11-14 | March 14, 6 p.m. CBS |
| Northeast | Campus sites | March 4,7,10 | March 10, 7 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Ohio Valley | Evansville, Ind. | March 4-7 | March 7, 8 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Patriot League | Higher seed hosts | March 3,5,8,11 | March 11, 7 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| SEC | Nashville, Tenn. | March 11-15 | March 15, 1 p.m. ESPN |
| SoCon | Asheville, N.C. | March 6-9 | March 9, 7 p.m. ESPN |
| Southland | Lake Charles, La. | March 8-11 | March 11, 5 p.m. ESPN2 |
| SWAC | Atlanta | March 9-14 | March 14, 7:30 p.m. ESPNU |
| Summit League | Sioux Falls, S.D. | March 4-8 | March 8, 9 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Sun Belt | Pensacola, Fla. | March 3-9 | March 9, 6 p.m. ESPN2 |
| West Coast | Las Vegas | March 5-10 | March 10, 9 p.m. ESPN |
| WAC | Las Vegas | March 11-14 | March 14, 12 a.m. ESPN2 |
In the lead-up to the U.S.’s strikes on Iran, the two countries engaged in multiple rounds of talks aimed at securing a nuclear deal.
Negotiators from the two sides held indirect talks in Oman in early February, followed by two rounds of negotiations in Switzerland later in the month. Iranian officials described the talks in generally positive terms, and Mr. Trump has said that Iran wants a deal. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who has helped mediate the talks, told CBS News after the third round of negotiations that a deal was “within our reach” and they just “need a little bit more time.”
But Mr. Trump told reporters shortly after the third round that he was “not happy” with the pace of progress, saying Iran was “not willing to give us what we have to have.”
The president said he wanted Iran to agree to “no enrichment.” But Iran has ruled out totally abandoning its uranium enrichment program, which it claims is for peaceful purposes.
Albusaidi cast the negotiations in more optimistic terms, saying Iran had agreed that it will “never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb,” and that its existing stockpiles of enriched uranium would be “blended to the lowest level possible.” He said Iran also agreed to grant inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency “full access” to nuclear sites.
“There would be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling, and full verification,” he said.
The scope of any potential deal is also a question. The U.S.-Iran talks largely focused on the nuclear program, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for any deal with Iran to also include restrictions on ballistic missiles and funding of proxies in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in late February that it was up to the president whether to pursue a nuclear-only deal with Iran, but he said that Iran’s “insistence on not discussing ballistic missiles is a big, big problem.”
Mr. Trump told Netanyahu in December that he would support Israeli strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program if a deal could not be reached, CBS News previously reported.
Firearm seized from student at Mitchell Elementary School
A firearm was taken from a student on campus at Mitchell Elementary School, according to a letter sent out by Principal Kristina Yar.School police responded and the firearm was seized, according to the school district. Yar wrote the student found with the weapon said they did not express any intention of harming himself or others.The weapon was found after the student showed it to other classmates. The student will face disciplinary action, up to expulsion, the letter states. The weapon was recovered on Friday, Feb. 27.Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
A firearm was taken from a student on campus at Mitchell Elementary School, according to a letter sent out by Principal Kristina Yar.
School police responded and the firearm was seized, according to the school district. Yar wrote the student found with the weapon said they did not express any intention of harming himself or others.
The weapon was found after the student showed it to other classmates. The student will face disciplinary action, up to expulsion, the letter states. The weapon was recovered on Friday, Feb. 27.
Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
Koe Wetzel is giving everyone a chance to see him live in 2026. The “High Road” singer just announced a 45-date world tour, scheduled to begin on May 3.
A full list of new tour dates can be seen below.
Wetzel is a unique artist in that he cultivated a massive fan base before having much success at country radio or on streaming platforms. His live show is often unhinged, in a good way. On and off stage he’s known for partying hard and unpredictability.
Related: Country Music Tours Scheduled for 2026 [Full List]
Talking to Taste of Country in 2025, he recalled a particularly wild week on the road with Hardy.
“I think he finished out the weekend with a full-band show and I woke up with a broken shoulder and all kind of — I mean, it was all over the place, dude.”
Since making “High Road” the most-played song on country radio in 2025, Wetzel has dropped two more songs from unreleased or upcoming projects, including “Time Goes On.”
After stops in Australia and Canada, Wetzel begins the bulk of his Night Champion Tour in July, continuing through Oct. 30 in Texas.
Courtesy of Koe Wetzel
Related: 10 Koe Wetzel Songs Every Fan Show Know
May 3 — Melbourne, Vic. Aus. @ Forum Melbourne
May 5 — Sydney, N.S.W Aus. @ Enmore Theatre
May 9 — Brisbane, Qld. Aus. @ Fortitude Music Hall
July 8 — Edmonton, Alb. Can. @ Rogers Place
July 10 — Penticton, B.C. Can. @ South Okanagan Event Center
July 11 — Abbotsford, B.C. Can. @ Abbotsford Centre
July 23 — Nampa, Idaho @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
July 24 — Stateline, Nev. @ Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic
July 25 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
July 30 — Airway Heights, Wash. @ Northern Quest Casino
July 31 — Bend, Ore. @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Aug. 1 — Tacoma, Wash. @ Dune Peninsula
Aug. 6 — Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Azura Amphitheater
Aug. 7 — Evansville, Ind. @ Ford Center
Aug. 8 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 12 — New York, N.Y. @ Pier 17
Aug. 13 — Reading, Pa. @ Santander Arena
Aug. 14 — Gilford, N.H. @ BankNH Pavilion
Aug. 19 — Boston, Mass. @ Leader Bank Pavilion
Aug. 20 — Washington, D.C. @ The Anthem
Aug. 21 — Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Petersen Events Center
Aug. 26 — Buffalo, N.Y. @ Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B
Aug. 27 — Cleveland, Ohio @ Wolstein Center
Aug. 28 — Rochester Hills, Mich. @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 — Austin, Texas @ Moody Center
Sept. 4 — Baton Rouge, La. @ Raising Cane’s River Center
Sept. 5 — Bossier City, La. @ Brookshire Grocery Arena
Sept. 10 — Knoxville, Tenn. @ Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Sept. 11 — Greensboro, N.C. @ First Horizon Coliseum
Sept. 12 — Wilmington, N.C. @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Sept. 17 — Alpharetta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sept. 18 — Columbia, S.C. @ Colonial Life Arena
Sept. 19 — Richmond, Va. @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
Sept. 24 — Pikeville, Ky. @ Appalachian Wireless Arena
Sept. 25 — Huntsville, Ala. @ The Orion Amphitheater
Sept. 26 — Brandon, Miss. @ Brandon Amphitheater
Sept. 30 — Rogers, Ark. @ The Walmart AMP
Oct. 1 — North Little Rock, Ark. @ Simmons Bank Arena
Oct. 2 — Tulsa, Okla. @ BOK Center
Oct. 3 — Wichita, Kan. @ INTRUST Bank Arena
Oct. 8 — Chicago, Ill. @ Salt Shed Fairgrounds
Oct. 9 — Fishers, Ind. @ Fishers Event Center
Oct. 10 — Milwaukee, Wis. @ Fiserv Forum
Oct. 28 — Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 30 — Lubbock, Texas @ Cook’s Garage
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Stock jumped after the reinsurer paired its quarterly results with a surprise buyback, signaling a more aggressive stance on capital returns.
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Alexa Philippou
Multiple Authors
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association submitted a new counterproposal to the WNBA on Friday evening with some concessions on revenue share and housing, a source familiar with the collective bargaining negotiations told ESPN.
In the new CBA proposal, the players’ union is asking for players to receive 26% of gross revenue (defined as revenue before deducting expenses) over the lifetime of the agreement, with the salary cap in Year 1 of the deal (about $9.5 million) unchanged from its previous offer.
The revenue share split is down from 27.5% of gross revenue as proposed in the WNBPA’s Feb. 17 proposal, a change that a source said amounts to nearly $100 million in reductions on revenue share.
The new proposal also contains tweaks to the union’s housing offerings: Previously, the players asked that teams continue to provide housing to players in the first several years of the new deal, but that in later years, teams will no longer be obligated to provide it for players making at least 80% of the maximum salary, on multiyear deals and receiving full salary protection.
In the new proposal, the union struck the multiyear component and lowered the salary threshold to 75% at which players would no longer be obligated to receive team-provided housing.
The two sides are still negotiating the years of service limit for developmental players — a new feature of this CBA with each team now expected to have two developmental player spots. The union is now proposing a years of service limit of six after originally asking for no experience limit for those players, a source said, whereas the league’s latest proposal suggested a limit of four or five years of service based on minutes played.
The WNBPA’s counterproposal comes one week after the league submitted one of its own. That Feb. 20 league proposal guaranteed housing for all players in 2026 before being phased out in subsequent years of the deal. Players on their applicable minimum salary and those with zero years of service would be provided a one-bedroom apartment in 2027 and 2028 only, and developmental players would be provided studio apartments for the entirety of the deal.
But the two sides are still far apart on the issue of revenue sharing, including proposing different revenue sharing systems: The WNBA has held firm in its proposals, with players being offered on average over 70% of net revenue (revenue after deducting expenses), which would amount to less than 15% of gross revenue. The 2026 salary cap would come in at $5.65 million (up from $1.5 million in 2025) and in subsequent years would grow in line with revenue growth.
The league’s proposal features maximum salaries, including revenue sharing payouts, amounting to nearly $1.3 million in 2026 and projecting to approach $2 million in 2031. The supermax in 2025 came in at $249,000. The average player salary, including revenue sharing, would be projected to reach $540,000 in 2026 and $780,000 by 2031, up from $120,000 in 2025.
The WNBA publicly struck down the WNBPA’s previous proposal as “unrealistic” and “caus[ing] hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams.” A source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN the league projected that Feb. 17 plan would result in losses of $460 million over the lifetime of the agreement, though the union has maintained its revenue sharing model would still put the league in a “profitable position,” another source said.
Earlier this week, the league gave its teams and the WNBPA a target date of March 10 to complete a term sheet, or else the schedule for the 2026 season might be impacted.
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, struck more Afghan military installations deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, killing over 300 Afghan forces in dayslong border clashes, a government spokesman and officials said.
The two sides have targeted each other’s military positions since Thursday night, when Afghanistan launched strikes in response to Pakistani attacks that Islamabad said hit seven training camps and hideouts of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is separate but closely allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban.
More than 331 Afghan Taliban forces had been killed and over 500 others wounded during the ongoing military strikes in Afghanistan, according to Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, who said Pakistan also destroyed 102 Afghan posts, captured 22 others and destroyed 163 tanks and armored vehicles at 37 locations.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s state-run media reported the country’s air force carried out strikes targeting key military installations in various areas of eastern Afghanistan.
According to Pakistani authorities, hundreds of residents living near the northwestern Torkham border crossing have fled to safer areas. In recent days, Pakistan has also transported dozens of Afghan refugees who had been waiting at the Torkham crossing to return home to safer locations.
There was no immediate comment from Afghanistan’s government on the Pakistani claims Saturday.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry on Saturday said Afghanistan attacked Pakistani military bases in Miranshah and Spin Wam overnight, destroying military installations and causing heavy casualties in response to the ongoing airstrikes by Pakistan.
In eastern Afghanistan, the Department of Information and Culture accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas, destroying homes and killing at least 11 people. There was no immediate response from Pakistan, which has said it is targeting only military installations to avoid any civilian casualties.
Mullah Taj Mohammad Naqshbandi, an Afghan commissioner on Afghan side of the Torkham border, in a statement said Saturday that the “brave forces of the Islamic Emirate destroyed the Pakistani military regime’s commissariat, military units, and three important security towers.”
On Friday, the Afghan government said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed during its strikes and Afghan losses were far lower than Pakistan claimed.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday that the country’s attacks on Pakistani military targets were meant as “a message that our hands can reach their throats and that we will respond to every evil act of Pakistan.” He added that “Pakistan has never sought to resolve problems through dialogue.”
The same day, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X: “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us.” Pakistan has frequently accused Kabul of sheltering the TTP, allegations the group and Afghanistan’s Taliban government deny.
Pakistan’s army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Friday the Afghan government had only one choice: “either choose TTP or Pakistan.”
Ejaz Ul Haq, an Afghan refugee stranded near the Torkham border with his family, said he could not return to Afghanistan because of the fighting. Many others were struggling to obtain food during the fasting month of Ramadan, he said.
Guftar, a Pakistani villager living near Torkham, urged the governments to reach a ceasefire, saying ordinary people are bearing the brunt of the conflict.
Tensions have been high since October, when dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants were killed in border clashes. A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended the intense fighting that month, but several rounds of peace talks in Turkey in November failed to produce a lasting agreement. The two sides have occasionally traded fire since then, though the ceasefire had largely held until last week, when Pakistan struck what it described as TTP hideouts.
Since then, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China and several other countries are again attempting to defuse tensions by offering mediation.
Qatar’s minister of state, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, spoke Friday with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to de-escalate tensions, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
___
Abdul Qahar Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story
