The chicken and pork producer posted a profit of $88 million as it faced some pressure from weaker commodity trends.
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Pilgrim’s Pride Fourth-Quarter Profit Slides, Hurt by Challenging Commodity Trends
Current acquire Bethune from Spirit in blockbuster NWSL move
Just when you think the NWSL preseason is settling ahead of the new calendar year, the big moves keep coming. Kansas City Current have acquired midfielder Croix Bethune from Washington Spirit, sources tell CBS Sports. Washington Spirit are set to receive a record-matching fee for Bethune. The deal is finalized though not set to be announced until a later date.
North Carolina Courage currently holds the record for intraleague funds ($1.25 million) after trading Jaedyn Shaw to Gotham FC last year.
Bethune is coming off a successful two-year stint with the Washington Spirit, where she won the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year. In her first pro season, she tied Tobin Heath’s decade-old single-season assist record in just 17 games thanks to a season-ending torn meniscus. She also won the league’s inaugural NWSL Midfielder of the Year award. Her impressive rookie season earned her a place on the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women’s national team, and she’s recorded seven caps so far.
Sources also confirmed that the player requested the trade, and her former club worked to complete the deal. Bethune received interest from other teams, though now she’ll be joining the league’s reigning NWSL Shield winners.
She often showcases her vision with short, elegant passes and is a certified playmaker. Her move to Kansas City is a welcome arrival following the departure of recent playmaker and goal scorer Bia Zaneratto. The Brazilian international left the club after her contract expired and returned to Palmeiras in free agency.
Bethune’s rise to prominence was anything but easy. The player has had to bounce back from a torn meniscus that cut her NWSL rookie season short. In college, the player tore her ACL twice, but was drafted into the NWSL after earning two-time first-team All-American and Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year honors with a career that saw her start at Southern California and finish at Georgia.
She’s shown she can bounce back and contribute and now joins Kansas City after her recent camps with the U.S. women’s national team and a short preseason stint with the Spirit.
Washington Spirit make it official
Following CBS Sports’ reporting that Bethune’s movement came by way of request, the Spirit announced Bethune’s departure on Wednesday. Bethune’s move to Kansas City yielded a club-record $100k in allocation funds and $900k in transfer threshold funds, the third-largest return in NWSL history.
“We are grateful to Croix for her contributions over the past two seasons. After conversations about her desire to explore development opportunities in a different environment, we were able to structure a deal that honored her request while securing significant value for our club, making it the third-highest intra-league transfer in NWSL history and a top ten mark globally,” said club president of soccer operations Haley Carter.
“We evaluate every situation on its individual merits, and in this case, the alignment of player goals and organizational value made sense for all parties. That said, our focus is on the talented core we have returning. We’re heading into 2026 healthy, deep, and ready to win.”
Claire Hutton moves on from Kansas City Current
Kansas City Current also traded midfielder Claire Hutton to Bay FC on Wednesday. The Midwest club received $1.1 million in intraleague transfer funds for the 2025 NWSL Best XI honoree, who is also a member of the USWNT.
“Claire is an important signing for us. She’s a top-quality player who is tight on the ball, and she has the mobility and physical presence to break up play,” said Bay FC head coach Emma Coates.
“Despite her age she brings experience and a strong mentality, and we believe she has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world. The most exciting part for us is her desire to keep getting better, and we’re excited to support her through the next stages of her career and even more excited to see the impact she will have at Bay FC.”
The 20-year-old Hutton was a 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year finalist and leaves Kansas City Current as a rising star in the NWSL and U.S. women’s national team. Hutton signed her first professional contract in 2024 at 17 years old with Kansas City, the sixth player signed under the league’s Under-18 Entry Mechanism, and she has since become a regular club starter with a bright future for her new club and her country.
She has 13 appearances for the USWNT since her debut in 2025, and recently, head coach Emma Hayes discussed a leadership role with the midfielder, who is the youngest player to captain the national team in the Hayes era.
Milei takes on Argentina’s unions, drawing protests as senators debate his labor overhaul
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Thousands of workers mobilized by powerful trade unions converged outside Argentina’s Congress on Wednesday, blocking traffic and clashing with police as senators debated a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s rigid labor laws considered crucial to libertarian President Javier Milei’s shock therapy program.
Security forces struggled to control the crowds in a central square of downtown Buenos Aires, firing water cannons and rubber bullets at protesters who lobbed petrol bombs, stones and water bottles. Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva said two people were arrested for attacking police officers.
The fiery standoff underscored the sensitivity of labor rights in this nation dominated since the 1940s by Peronism, a populist movement that has swung right and left ideologically over the decades but always claimed to champion workers’ rights.
Supporters of Milei’s labor overhaul blame nearly two decades of stagnant private sector job creation on Argentina’s sky-high payroll taxes, a byzantine system of severance payments and national wage agreements that limit negotiations at the company level.
The bill under discussion would offer businesses more flexibility by curbing the right to strike, extending trial periods during which companies can fire unproductive new employees, reducing the power of national trade federations in collective bargaining and cutting severance payouts.
Businesses say the changes would encourage badly needed foreign investment and incentivize formal hiring in a country where almost half of all workers are employed off the books.
But they face bitter opposition from the labor unions that helped found modern-day Peronism and their political allies. They argue that the bill would roll back strong protection measures, including against unfair termination, necessary to safeguard vulnerable workers from the nation’s notoriously frequent economic shocks.
“It’s not modernization, it’s austerity for the workers,” said the General Confederation of Labour, the largest trade-union grouping that organized Wednesday’s protest.
The heated debate in the Senate was expected to stretch through the night. If approved, the legislation will go to the lower house of Congress for debate next month.
Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years
Gallup will no longer track presidential approval ratings after more than eight decades doing so, the public opinion polling agency confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday.
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Baltimore Hardcore Newcomers THE S.E.T. Announce Debut EP, Share Blistering Single “White Lies”
Baltimore hardcore band The S.E.T. (now without Brady Ebert) have announced the release of their debut EP, Self Evident Truth, due out March 6 via Flatspot Records. A fierce and politically charged introduction, the EP channels raw aggression, principled rage, and classic East Coast hardcore urgency.
Recorded and mixed by Justin Day at New Noise Recording and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Self Evident Truth hits hard with thick bass lines, rapid-fire drums, and venomous vocals. Lyrically, the EP comes from a place of unfiltered honesty, centering on equal rights while directly pushing back against “the propaganda the current administration is spewing.”
Leading the charge is the EP’s first single, “White Lies”, out today. A tough-as-nails track built on sweltering riffs and no-frills intensity, the song confronts the willful blindness required to accept false narratives. Staying true to their roots, The S.E.T. enlisted Sebastian Gorgone of Gut Instinct for guest vocals, paying homage to the Baltimore hardcore lineage that shaped them.
In support of the EP, The S.E.T. will hit the road this March on an East Coast tour supporting New York hardcore legends Judge, placing the band firmly in the lineage they so clearly respect. Later this year, they’ll take their message overseas, heading to Europe in November for a performance at Revolution Calling Festival.
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CoreCivic Says ICE Crackdown is Boosting Sales
Management revenue from ICE, which is the Brentwood, Tenn., company’s biggest government partner, more than doubled year over year.
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NASCAR eager to move on from turbulent offseason, get back to racing
The start of the NASCAR season is always a feel-good moment. No offense to the snow-dashed Clash of a week ago, I’m speaking of the actual start to the actual Cup Series season, when the green flag drops this Sunday on the 68th edition of the Great American Race.
Let’s hope it’s the Great American Reset Button.
The best part of every season’s start is looking around the sunny Daytona starting grid and seeing every uniform, every pit box and every car sparkling. As Rusty Wallace once said, “Daytona 500 prerace is the happiest place on the planet, and the cleanest. And that lasts about one lap.” Because then begins all of those rubs and pit stops and rain delays and fuses lit and fistfights that spend the next nine months dishing out stains of sweat and oil, with a little blood and champagne mixed in for good measure.
However, it is hard for this old press-box mind to recall a more eagerly shared desire among every resident of the NASCAR garage that this year’s first official green flag be used as a washcloth, wiping away an offseason of anxiety that everyone is equally anxious to get on with forgetting.
That’s why this season, more than any in recent memory — or, OK, any memory at all — feels like a watershed year for NASCAR. A chance to bring back the good vibes and perhaps restore a lot of lost trust between the grandstand and the people they pay good money to watch compete at 200 mph, and that starts with mended fences between the ones those fans watch race and the people who govern them.
For some perspective, just think about what this sport was when the last checkered flag was shown at the 2025 season finale in Phoenix, barely 100 days ago, versus what it will be when racing finally resumes this weekend.
Last fall, team charters were not permanent. Last fall, everyone was only speculating about the outcome of the antitrust lawsuit that had loomed for nearly two years and was still a month away, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI taking the sanctioning body to task over those charters, most hoping for a settlement before it all crashed into the courtroom. Last fall, we hadn’t yet read the texts from NASCAR brass calling its team ownership royalty, among many unflattering remarks, a stupid redneck. Last fall, NASCAR still had a commissioner in Steve Phelps. Last fall, the decade-old postseason elimination playoff format still existed. Last fall, Hamlin’s father Dennis was known among most fans only for his role as paternal inspiration, fighting through failing health to publicly support his son’s down-to-OT fight to come up short once again seeking to win a Cup championship.
Last fall, Greg Biffle was still alive.
Now, our friend Biff, his family, and a beloved member of the garage family are gone. Team charters are now indeed permanent. That settlement indeed came, but after a courtroom battle so vicious, Phelps is no longer in the sport. Many feelings were hurt in and around that courtroom and still are. Days later, Hamlin lost his father, victim of a house fire as Hamlin himself suffered a shoulder injury. But now Denny Hamlin shows no signs of losing the drive that forced NASCAR’s hand in court as he prepares to make a run once again at that elusive championship. His upcoming campaign already feels like a revenge tour. The Playoffs are gone and the Chase format is back, due also in no small part to the efforts and the heartbreak of Hamlin.
And we haven’t even mentioned Charlotte ditching the Roval, North Wilkesboro Speedway hosting a regular-season Cup race for the first time since 1996, or Homestead-Miami Speedway returning to its old spot at the end of the season, albeit temporarily. Or that the Xfinity Series is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Or that Connor Zilisch is moving up to Cup and swapping numbers with new Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen, replacing Daniel Suarez, who moves over to Spire Motorsports. There’s also going to be a boost in horsepower at 20 of the 38 Cup races, mostly short tracks and road courses. And speaking of road courses, June will bring a 16-turn, 3.4-mile event at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado, with racecars weaving between aircraft carrier docks and fighter jet tarmacs.
All of this while another garage generational shift begins to feel imminent. Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, even Joey Logano — all future NASCAR Hall of Famers — are way closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. Meanwhile, two-time defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron has yet to reach 30. Zilisch is 19!
It’s a lot to keep track of, but thankfully, it mostly involves the track itself. Not ill-advised texts. Not billable hours. Not screaming matches over gimmicky points systems nor committee meetings to discuss whether or not to overhaul those systems.
Jim France, NASCAR chairman and the uncomfortable face of the sanctioning body’s side of the antitrust fight, said it best in December, as he stood beside Jordan, who had just dunked on France in court behind them like France was a thick-thighed center caught flatfooted on a court elsewhere.
Said France, the man who hates speaking in public, but now speaking on behalf of the entire NASCAR public: “We can get back to focusing on what we really love. And that’s racing.”
No one knows how good that racing will be in 2026. Honestly, as we all descend upon the World Center of Racing in the coming days, it doesn’t feel like anyone cares. They’re just ready to get on with any racing at all, restless to tap into that “happiest place on the planet” sensation with the hope of feeling clean again, even if only for that first lap.
Is NASCAR back? That’s a big question and one we won’t be able to begin to answer until nine months from now, at least. But NASCAR racing is indeed back, under somewhat new management and with a significantly new title format.
A green flag washcloth reset button that couldn’t get here fast enough.
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Chappell Roan leaves talent agency led by Casey Wasserman, who appears in Epstein files
Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan has left the talent agency led by entertainment industry executive and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics chair Casey Wasserman, who appears in recently released government files on Jeffrey Epstein.Wasserman has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, but documents released by the Justice Department revealed that in 2003, he exchanged flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell, who, years later, would be accused of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse his victims.”As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman,” she wrote in an Instagram Story shared Monday. “I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well. No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”She did not mention Epstein in the statement.”I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to passively stand by,” Roan continued. “Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity. This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”Among the exchanges included was Wasserman telling Maxwell, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”Wasserman responded to the release of the files on Jan. 31, stating “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” which he said occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.””I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” he continued.Wasserman was among a handful of entertainment industry figures, including the actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, who accompanied former U.S. President Bill Clinton aboard Epstein’s jet for a philanthropy-related trip to Africa in 2002. In a Feb. 8 statement to the Los Angeles Times, Wasserman said it was the only time he met Epstein.”Following that trip, where I never witnessed anything inappropriate, I did not speak to, see him or communicate with him ever again,” he said.At the time, there had yet to be any public reports of wrongdoing by either Maxwell or Epstein, who was first investigated by police in 2005. The records released by the government don’t show any correspondence between Wasserman and Maxwell after 2003 and appear to contain scant other references to him.Maxwell was charged in 2020 with sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.Representatives for Roan and Wasserman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.Artists speak outRoan’s departure from Wasserman follows statements from other artists on the agency’s roster.”Given the circumstances we feel strongly that we need to begin the process of extracting ourselves from Wasserman,” the alt-country band Wednesday wrote on Instagram. “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue.”The indie rock band Beach Bunny wrote on Instagram, “We are demanding for Wasserman to remove himself and his name from the agency, ‘deep regrets’ are not enough.”The New York duo Water From Your Eyes wrote on Instagram that they have “no interest in being affiliated with Casey Wasserman and have absolutely zero intention of condoning his actions by silently remaining under his namesake banner.”Electropop duo Sylvan Esso wrote in an Instagram Story, “We along with many other musicians, are leaving the Wasserman agency. … We don’t know where we’ll be next, but it will not be anywhere he is.”And last week, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino published an open letter urging Wasserman to step down from his company. “Ghislaine Maxwell is not a neutral character in a messy story — she is a convicted sex trafficker who helped facilitate the abuse of minors. … I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”Who is Casey Wasserman?Wasserman, grandson of movie mogul Lew Wasserman and son of stockbroker Jack Myers, built a sports and talent agency that represents top players in football, basketball and baseball — along with big-name actors such as Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt, as well as musicians including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Kasey Musgraves and Lorde.He’s been at the center of headlines recently as the frontman for the Los Angeles Olympic effort; his lobbying played a big role in bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. in 2028. Los Angeles previously hosted in 1984, and this will be the first Summer Games in the United States since Atlanta in 1996.But as it stands, it does not appear that the International Olympic Committee is interested in putting pressure on Wasserman.Last week, IOC president Kirsty Coventry was asked if Wasserman was still the right person to oversee the next Summer Games; she responded, “From the IOC point of view, the (organizing committee) and how they are structured is not something we are going to get involved into.”Wasserman has faced calls from lawmakers and those in political circles in L.A. to step down as chair of the city’s Olympic project he has led since it was first a hosting candidate 11 years ago.
Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan has left the talent agency led by entertainment industry executive and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics chair Casey Wasserman, who appears in recently released government files on Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, but documents released by the Justice Department revealed that in 2003, he exchanged flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell, who, years later, would be accused of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse his victims.
“As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman,” she wrote in an Instagram Story shared Monday. “I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well. No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
She did not mention Epstein in the statement.
“I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to passively stand by,” Roan continued. “Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity. This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
Among the exchanges included was Wasserman telling Maxwell, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
Wasserman responded to the release of the files on Jan. 31, stating “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” which he said occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” he continued.
Wasserman was among a handful of entertainment industry figures, including the actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, who accompanied former U.S. President Bill Clinton aboard Epstein’s jet for a philanthropy-related trip to Africa in 2002. In a Feb. 8 statement to the Los Angeles Times, Wasserman said it was the only time he met Epstein.
“Following that trip, where I never witnessed anything inappropriate, I did not speak to, see him or communicate with him ever again,” he said.
At the time, there had yet to be any public reports of wrongdoing by either Maxwell or Epstein, who was first investigated by police in 2005. The records released by the government don’t show any correspondence between Wasserman and Maxwell after 2003 and appear to contain scant other references to him.
Maxwell was charged in 2020 with sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Representatives for Roan and Wasserman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Artists speak out
Roan’s departure from Wasserman follows statements from other artists on the agency’s roster.
“Given the circumstances we feel strongly that we need to begin the process of extracting ourselves from Wasserman,” the alt-country band Wednesday wrote on Instagram. “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue.”
The indie rock band Beach Bunny wrote on Instagram, “We are demanding for Wasserman to remove himself and his name from the agency, ‘deep regrets’ are not enough.”
The New York duo Water From Your Eyes wrote on Instagram that they have “no interest in being affiliated with Casey Wasserman and have absolutely zero intention of condoning his actions by silently remaining under his namesake banner.”
Electropop duo Sylvan Esso wrote in an Instagram Story, “We along with many other musicians, are leaving the Wasserman agency. … We don’t know where we’ll be next, but it will not be anywhere he is.”
And last week, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino published an open letter urging Wasserman to step down from his company. “Ghislaine Maxwell is not a neutral character in a messy story — she is a convicted sex trafficker who helped facilitate the abuse of minors. … I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
Who is Casey Wasserman?
Wasserman, grandson of movie mogul Lew Wasserman and son of stockbroker Jack Myers, built a sports and talent agency that represents top players in football, basketball and baseball — along with big-name actors such as Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt, as well as musicians including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Kasey Musgraves and Lorde.
He’s been at the center of headlines recently as the frontman for the Los Angeles Olympic effort; his lobbying played a big role in bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. in 2028. Los Angeles previously hosted in 1984, and this will be the first Summer Games in the United States since Atlanta in 1996.
But as it stands, it does not appear that the International Olympic Committee is interested in putting pressure on Wasserman.
Last week, IOC president Kirsty Coventry was asked if Wasserman was still the right person to oversee the next Summer Games; she responded, “From the IOC point of view, the (organizing committee) and how they are structured is not something we are going to get involved into.”
Wasserman has faced calls from lawmakers and those in political circles in L.A. to step down as chair of the city’s Olympic project he has led since it was first a hosting candidate 11 years ago.
Best Country Love Songs 2000-26 — Paisley, McGraw, Jackson + More
Country fans in need of something modern and romantic this Valentine’s Day will find their song on this list of country music best love songs from the last 26 years.
We focused on hits released between 2000 to 2026 and tried to keep it one song per artist. It’s just really hard to not feature two songs from a man who is arguably the best artist/songwriter of the 2000s.
- Chart placement and awards were considered for this list, but more important was a song’s longevity and resilience over time.
- Songs that peaked on Billboard airplay charts after Jan. 1, 2000 were considered.
- The newest song is a Cody Johnson ballad that hit No. 1 in 2024.
Read More: The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years
The contemporary country songs selected will appeal to young lovers and couples married for 20 years or longer. Tender confessions, raw arrangements and timeless duets (we see you Tim and Faith!) are featured. Click each song title to hear the song and — in some cases — relive a music video that will make you feel young again.
While most of the songs featured here hit No. 1, a few didn’t get that far. Most notable is “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton, which was never released as a radio single yet still smashed thresholds needed to go multi-platinum.
Overall, the 2000s have been great for country music lovers. Anyone looking for something romantic on a date night or something more enduring will discover or re-discover a beautiful sentiment.
26 Best Country Love Songs of the Last 26 Years
The 2000s have been a great century for country love songs. Find 26 of the most enduring hits and deep cuts to help you with a romantic date night, wedding dance, anniversary or Valentine’s Day.
It’s 26 songs from 25 artists including timeless songs from Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Dan + Shay, Thomas Rhett, Alan Jackson and more.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years (2000-2024)
The best country songs of the last 25 years were felt and heard. Commercial impact was a factor, but emotional impact is what separates these songs from others released in the 2000s.
Technically the century began in 2001, but we reached back to 2000 to summarize this list of top songs. Alan Jackson is the only artist with two songs, but you’ll find 11 Entertainer of the Year winners scattered across a playlist the required several stunning exclusions.
Curious as to why your favorite song missed the cut? Well, there are only 25 spots for the best of 25,000 country song releases. Hard decisions needed to be made!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes