HIDALGO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – Thirty passengers were pulled out of a bus Thursday night, after it rolled over on I-10. Hidalgo County Fire Rescue was dispatched to the crash, about 10 miles east of Lordsburg. Authorities said several passengers required hospitalization, with two needing to be transported via helicopter. The uninjured passengers were taken to […]
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2 airlifted to hospital after charter bus rollover on I-10 in Hidalgo County
Why You Should Think Before Doing This at a Singer’s Meet + Greet
Let’s face it: When you love a country artist, it’s easy to get so caught up in the moment that you do something you might regret forever.
Waiting in a meet-and-greet line for a moment with your favorite artist can give you just enough time to consider something risky — getting their autograph somewhere on your body, then heading straight to a tattoo shop to make it permanent.
The Reason You Shouldn’t Get a Country Artist’s Autograph Tattooed on You
Plain and simple — that country artist might not be a famous singer forever, or they might not make it in Nashville. Then you’re stuck with the autograph of someone who could end up being a plumber who used to make music.
Breland was my guest on Taste of Country Nights, where he told me, “A woman asked me to sign her arm, and then I saw her a year later and it was a tattoo.”
He added that there are three or four people out there with his signature permanently tattooed on their bodies.
But Breland brought up a great point: “It’s a little odd because what if I’m like, ‘Yo, what if I just decided I’m gonna stop making music, or something happened, and now you have to live with this forever? You’re really investing in me early.’”
It’s a Common Occurrence for Fans to Get Singers’ Autographs Tattooed
As someone who interviews country artists for a living, I’ve talked to just about every country artist out there, past and present. There’s a common theme: When I ask if a fan has ever gotten their signature tattooed, the answer is usually yes.
Lainey Wilson told me a fan once got a giant portrait of her face tattooed on their body — so sometimes people take it even a step further.
Just be sure this is something you really want before you do it — and consider the artist’s long-term career path, too.
13 Criminally Underrated Country Stars
We talk about ’80s ladies like Dolly and Reba. We’ll go on forever about the ’90s gals like Trisha, Faith, Shania and Martina, but what about Anne and Mary.
Anne Murray and Mary Chapin Carpenter were record setters and they’re just two of the great women found on this list of underrated country stars. Six solo men, five solo women, one duo and one country group are included. Who would you add?
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
21 Sad Country Songs That Were Huge Crossover Hits, Ranked
Themes like heartbreak and loneliness are universally relatable, but it just so happens that the country genre is better than just about any other at conveying those emotions. That means that lots of sad country songs have found a fan base outside of country music!
Keep scrolling for a look back at 21 sad country songs that were HUGE hits in country music…and beyond!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk
Gain insight on oil futures, petroleum products and more in the latest Market Talks covering the energy sector.
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Tommy Lloyd staying at Arizona: Wildcats coach turns down massive offer from North Carolina
INDIANAPOLIS — Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd definitively put an end to all the North Carolina speculation on Friday.
The 51-year-old coach of the Wildcats announced at his early afternoon press conference that he will not be going to UNC and has instead agreed to terms of a new contract with the University of Arizona. Lloyd had played coy and was noncommittal multiple times earlier this week when asked about the vacant UNC job and his public connection to the opening, stirring understandable anxiety for the U of A fan base.
“I’m happy to announce I’m staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium during the press conference before the Wildcats’ game on Saturday vs. Michigan in the Final Four. “We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple (of) days. Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart.”
The school later announced Lloyd’s new contract.
Sources told CBS Sports that Lloyd was North Carolina’s No. 1 target upon Hubert Davis’ formal firing on March 24, and that UNC’s aggressive push combined with some major details to be worked out at Arizona led to more than a week’s worth of negotiating between Lloyd’s camps and the school. Outgoing UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham made multiple attempts to reel in Lloyd, who’s won more games through his first five seasons (148) than any men’s college basketball coach in history.
The Tar Heels job is considered one of the very best in college basketball, and as such, UNC was prepared to offer Lloyd one of the richest contracts in the sport. Lloyd will be taking less money to remain at Arizona, though sources say his new salary will be $7.2 million annually, which would be No. 4 among public school coaches (private schools such as Duke do not disclose salary numbers). Lloyd’s pay for the 2025-26 season was $4.85 million.
“It’s an honor to even be considered for that job,” Lloyd said. “The young kid, for me the college basketball junkie watching those games at home, never would have thought something like that could have happened to somebody like me. North Carolina is a first-class organization, and I appreciate them for the way they’ve handled this.”
Tommy Lloyd’s surest shot: Arizona coach built a behemoth and bond through his lifelong Beastie Boys fandom
Matt Norlander
Lloyd is in for the long haul at Arizona thanks to a major condition of his new deal: Lloyd will no longer report to his athletic director, Desireé Reed-Francois and will instead report to Arizona president Suresh Garimella. Lloyd’s working relationship with Reed-Francois has faced serious friction in recent years due to battles of NIL and staff benefits.
Lloyd’s new deal is expected to be for five years, with a boost in salary pool for assistants and an incentive structure for his coaching staff as well.
With Lloyd operating from a position of extreme leverage, he was able to do what he wanted the whole thing: stay in Tucson. He’s brought Arizona to its first Final Four in 25 years and is two wins away from the school’s second national championship.
“Tommy Lloyd is the best coach in college basketball, and we have a strong conviction in the future of Arizona Basketball under his leadership,” Reed-Francois said in a release. “Our program’s success this season — winning championships, competing on the sport’s biggest stage and excelling academically — is a testament to the standard that he and his staff have established. He has recruited and developed student-athletes of character who make a positive impact on our team, our campus and our community. Tommy has strengthened our foundation while honoring the tradition that makes Arizona Basketball one of the premier programs in the country, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead this program at the highest level for years to come.”
Tommy Lloyd’s career record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Arizona | 33–4 | 18–2 1st, Pac-12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2022–23 | Arizona | 28–7 | 14–6 T2nd, Pac-12 | NCAAT First round |
| 2023–24 | Arizona | 27–9 | 15–5 1st, Pac-12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2024–25 | Arizona | 24–13 | 14–6 T3rd, Big 12 | NCAAT Sweet 16 |
| 2025–26 | Arizona | 36–2 | 16–2 1st, Big 12 | currently in Final Four |
Lloyd had mostly stayed quiet on the subject of UNC before Friday, avoiding several opportunities to firmly deny his candidacy. But Thursday night, at a private party featuring Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike, Lloyd took the microphone and said: “I love all you guys, I love being the coach at Arizona, and let’s find a way to kick some ass on Saturday.”
With Lloyd now out of the running at Carolina, the search will now shift to Michigan coach Dusty May, who coincidentally enough will match wits against on Saturday night in the second semifinal here at the Final Four. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan is the other top candidate that North Carolina has on its board, sources said, though Donovan will not seriously engage with the school until the end of the Bulls’ season April 12.
What’s next for North Carolina coaching search after Tommy Lloyd inks new deal with Arizona?
Isaac Trotter
May spoke before Lloyd on Friday, continuing his general non-response to these questions: “After last year, I decided I will never, ever respond to any job speculation,” May said. “I’m never going to comment on any job that I don’t have. I think it’s well-documented how happy I am at Michigan.”
Lloyd will be the first to talk up what North Carolina offers as a job, even in the same breath that he spurned the Heels.
“North Carolina is an amazing place,” Lloyd said Friday. “I mean, it’s a one of one. It’s an honor even to be considered for that job. The young kid me, the college basketball junkie watching those games at home, never would have thought something like (being a UNC candidate) could have happened to somebody like me.
“North Carolina is a first-class organization, and I appreciate them for the way they’ve handled this. Michael Jordan — the (rumored) phone call never did happen, so I’ll put that to rest, but — we all idolized MJ. I don’t know how many hours I’ve watched that ‘Come Fly with Me’ video. …
“With that being said, though, I made a decision that my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat.”
U.S. returns Chinese drug fugitive in rare extradition, Beijing says
The United States recently repatriated a Chinese national suspected of drug trafficking, a “first” such return in recent years, Beijing’s public security ministry said on Friday.
China is the primary origin of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, a highly potent opioid underpinning a deadly drug epidemic in the United States.
Beijing says it is open to working with Washington on curbing the crisis, although the United States maintains an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods it says is to limit fentanyl trade.
“This is the first drug-related fugitive repatriated by the United States to China in recent years, marking a new achievement in China-U.S. cooperation on anti-drug law enforcement,” Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on social media.
U.S. immigration authorities followed “clues” shared by China’s narcotics control commission to repatriate a Chinese national surnamed Han, the ministry said.
Han is suspected of “smuggling and trafficking drugs,” the ministry said without elaborating, only saying the handover took place “days ago.”
The ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The joint action comes ahead of a scheduled May visit to China by President Trump.
Mr. Trump has used tariffs to pressure China to crack down on sellers of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, but he agreed to lower fentanyl-related tariffs after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. In return, China has pledged to work with the U.S. to crack down on the drug networks.
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.
In November, Chinese authorities, acting on intelligence from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, seized 430 kilograms of cocaine from an international shipping container, Beijing’s public security ministry said.
Lea County settles lawsuit for $3 million
WE’RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS NEXT. THIS NEW PETITION NEW ON SEVEN. THE BOARD OF LEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SETTLED A LAWSUIT FOR $3 MILLION AFTER A WOMAN CLAIMED HER CIVIL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED AND SHE WAS WRONGFULLY TERMINATED. FORMER LEE COUNTY DEPUTY KARINA TELLO SAYS SHE WAS FIRED IN 2023, SHORTLY AFTER A NUDE VIDEO OF HER WAS SENT OUT BY HER WORKERS WITHOUT HER CONSENT. ONE OF THE FOUR WOMEN INVOLVED WERE CONVICTED. A CIVIL LAWSUIT WAS THEN FILED IN 2024. TALOS ATTORNEY SAYS SHE CAN FINALLY MOVE ON. SHE’S REALLY GLAD THAT IT’S OVER. SHE’S REALLY GLAD THAT SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO, LIKE, DEFEND HERSELF AND, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THIS. ON THE SKEPTICISM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, I THINK, HAD THAT, WELL, HOW COULD YOU KNOW? HOW COULD THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ACTUALLY DONE ALL THIS STUFF? WELL, THEY DID, I MEAN, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN’T BE PAYING THI
Lea County settles lawsuit for $3 million after wrongful termination claim
Lea County agrees to a $3 million settlement after former deputy Karina Tello said she was fired when coworkers shared a nude video of her without her consent
The Board of Lea County Commissioners settled a lawsuit for $3 million after a woman claimed her civil rights were violated and she was wrongfully terminated.Former Lea County deputy Karina Tello said she was fired in 2023 shortly after a nude video of her was sent out by her coworkers without her consent. One of the four women involved was convicted. A civil lawsuit was filed in 2024.Tello’s attorney, Ben Gubernick, said she can finally move on.”She’s really glad that it’s over. She’s really glad that she doesn’t have to defend herself and deal with this skepticism that a lot of people, I think, had that, well, how could, how could the Lea County Sheriff’s Office actually have done all this stuff? Well, they did. I mean, otherwise they wouldn’t be paying this much money,” Gubernick said.We reached out to the county commissioners for comment, but did not get a response.
LEA COUNTY, N.M. —
The Board of Lea County Commissioners settled a lawsuit for $3 million after a woman claimed her civil rights were violated and she was wrongfully terminated.
Former Lea County deputy Karina Tello said she was fired in 2023 shortly after a nude video of her was sent out by her coworkers without her consent. One of the four women involved was convicted. A civil lawsuit was filed in 2024.
Tello’s attorney, Ben Gubernick, said she can finally move on.
“She’s really glad that it’s over. She’s really glad that she doesn’t have to defend herself and deal with this skepticism that a lot of people, I think, had that, well, how could, how could the Lea County Sheriff’s Office actually have done all this stuff? Well, they did. I mean, otherwise they wouldn’t be paying this much money,” Gubernick said.
We reached out to the county commissioners for comment, but did not get a response.
Breland Teases Big Surprise for Annual Breland & Friends Concert
Walker Hayes just signed on to play Breland & Friends next week in Nashville and it sounds like an even more popular artist is coming, too.
“We have a couple surprise guests in the genre, including an artist that I’ve tried to get all five years, and they’re finally doing it this year,” Breland tells Taste of Country.
- Breland & Friends is at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on April 8.
- The singer recently released a song called “In My Truck” that samples 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
- Talking to ToC, he explained how he convinced 50 Cent and Dr. Dre to clear the song for him.
Breland & Friends 2026 Lineup
“It will be worth coming out because you would not be able to see this artist for the price that we’re charging for you to be able to see them.”
Mystery aside, the lineup is pretty stout for an event that benefits the Oasis Center. Conner Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Kaitlin Butts and more are going to play the lively benefit concert.
The Oasis Center is a Middle Tennessee organization that works to help young people and teenagers in crisis. This could be homelessness, substance abuse or mental health problems. Breland says he feels blessed that so many of his friends came together for the cause.
“(I’m) calling in the favors because you know what, it’s a charitable event, man,” he tells Evan Paul during a recent Taste of Country Nights On Demand interview. “I don’t make a dime off of it, and I wouldn’t want to.”
Hayes’ participation in 2026 brings two longtime friends back together. Breland says the two men have a lot in common, including a love of country music that veers left of center.
“I played some shows with Walker back in summer of ’23, and him and his family were super gracious to us to bring us out,” the “My Truck” hitmaker recalls. “And he’s just a cool guy, man. We’ve written some music together too, so hopefully we can get some music out.”
That collaboration would add to a long list of musical partners for the singer. Keith Urban, Shaboozey, Shania Twain and Dierks Bentley (“Beers On Me”) are a few of his other famous duet partners.
If you listen to the full interview you’ll begin to understand why he’s so popular.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Auto & Transport Roundup: Market Talk
Find insight on J&T Global Express, China Merchants Port, Geely Automobile and more in the latest Market Talks covering the Auto and Transport sector.
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Expansion draft projections: Top player available on each team
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Michael Voepel
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Michael Voepel
ESPN Senior Writer
- Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
Multiple Authors
The extremely condensed WNBA offseason officially begins Friday with the expansion draft (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), when the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo get their first opportunity to start building their rosters.
Both expansion franchises have been preparing for this draft for months as the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association navigated contentious and lengthy negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. With no draft rules provided to the teams during the negotiations, sources told ESPN that the front offices at Portland and Toronto were preparing for many different scenarios but used the rules in place for the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft in December 2024 as a baseline.
When a new CBA was verbally agreed upon on March 18, setting up and executing the expansion draft was the top priority.
Toronto won a coin toss held last week and chose to pick sixth in the first round of the April 13 WNBA draft, which means Portland has the first pick in the expansion draft (and will pick seventh overall on April 13). Last Sunday, each of the 13 preexisting franchises had to submit a list of five players they will protect from the expansion draft.
The expansion draft will consist of two rounds. The Fire and the Tempo — the WNBA’s 13th and 14th franchises — will alternate picks and can select up to one unprotected player from every other team. On Wednesday, however, Portland and Toronto completed trades with the Chicago Sky. Neither will select players from Chicago’s unprotected list; the Sky swapped pick No. 17 in the April 13 draft with Portland’s No. 21 pick, and Chicago sent pick No. 26 (via New York) in the April 13 draft to Toronto.
There are a few notable changes to this year’s expansion draft compared with the Valkyries draft:
• Both teams can select only one unrestricted free agent
• Any unrestricted free agent who is no longer eligible to be designated as a core player (five or more years of service) can be selected by either franchise
• Portland and Toronto are the only teams that can offer those players the supermax salary
• As unrestricted free agents, those players still have the freedom to sign elsewhere despite being selected by one of the expansion franchises
Each team’s list of protected players will not be released, but sources told ESPN that these changes have impacted how some front offices chose to protect players, making calculated risks in the players left unprotected.
With all that in mind, ESPN breaks down who the top player left available could be from each team.
Atlanta Dream: Maya Caldwell, 5-foot-11, G
Caldwell has had to battle to earn a roster spot in the WNBA, having been waived or released five times since being drafted in the third round in 2021. But she keeps coming back and had her best full season last year, averaging 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Initially chosen No. 33 by Indiana in 2021, Caldwell was waived before that season started. She played nine games for Atlanta in 2022, returned to Indiana for 2023, and then spent the past two seasons with the Dream. At 27, she could handle an expanded role. — Voepel
Chicago Sky: Sevgi Uzun, 5-10, G
A native of Turkey, she started her career in Dallas in 2024, playing 40 games that year. She was part of a multiteam trade in 2025 that sent her to Phoenix, where she played seven games before being waived in June 2025. She was signed in July by the Sky, for whom she played 18 games and averaged 3.7 points and 2.7 assists. At 28, she has extensive experience overseas. — Voepel
Connecticut Sun: Lindsay Allen, 5-8, G
Pretty much the definition of a veteran guard who keeps finding roster spots, Allen has played for six teams in eight seasons. She was a second-round pick in 2017 by New York and spent her first season with the Liberty. Last year, she played 31 games for the Sun, averaging 2.4 points and 2.2 assists. At 31, she’s not going to blow anyone away with her stats, but she’s a dependable, experienced pro. — Andrews
Dallas Wings: Haley Jones, 6-1, F/G
The No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft by Atlanta, Jones never really blossomed with the Dream. She played 83 games with Atlanta but didn’t average more than 4.0 PPG a season. Waived by the Dream at the start of last season, she played four games with Phoenix but was waived again. She then went to Dallas and got more playing time last season in 24 games with the Wings, averaging 8.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds. If she can be that type of player this season, she could be a good expansion pickup. — Voepel
Golden State Valkyries: Cecilia Zandalasini, 6-2, F
Golden State is at risk of losing a key player, no matter whom Toronto and Portland pick. It’s a testament to how the Valkyries built their roster for their inaugural season. But among the players who could be available, Zandalasini should be considered a top option. Her length and shooting from the wing have proven value, and she would provide a new team with veteran experience and leadership. — Andrews
Indiana Fever: Makayla Timpson, 6-2, F/C
A second-round pick at No. 19 last year by Indiana, Timpson filled in as a rookie reserve post for the Fever. She played in 31 regular-season games (2.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG) and eight playoff games (2.3, 1.9). She didn’t get a lot of playing time but showed some skill when she did. She could improve a lot with an expanded role this season. — Voepel
Las Vegas Aces: Kierstan Bell, 6-1, G
Bell was inserted into Las Vegas’ starting lineup for the second half of the season as just one adjustment to address an underwhelming start to the season. That move paid off. This role change for Bell proved she can be a solid scorer, and her coach highlights her cutting as her best asset. She should be attractive to the expansion teams because they’ll be picking up a reliable player with championship experience, but on a cheaper contract. — Andrews
Los Angeles Sparks: Rae Burrell, 6-2, F
The Sparks will have a handful of desirable players left unprotected. There’s an argument that Rae Burrell could be protected, with her coming off an incredible stretch of basketball in her second season with Unrivaled. But with the team almost surely keeping Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, that leaves just one more spot left, which will probably go to Azura Stevens. So, if Burrell is available, Portland or Toronto should take a swing on the athletic, young wing. — Andrews
Minnesota Lynx: Bridget Carleton, 6-2, F
Carleton played just eight games as a rookie in 2019 after being drafted in the second round by Connecticut: four with the Sun and four with Minnesota. But she found a home with the Lynx and has played the past six years with them. Over the past two seasons at Minnesota, she started 80 games, counting the playoffs. Last year, she averaged 6.5 points and 3.2 assists. The Lynx might not want to expose her to the expansion draft, but if they do, she is a dependable veteran who will take on any role. Carleton also is a native of Ontario, which could make her an appealing choice for Toronto. — Voepel
New York Liberty: Emma Meesseman, 6-4, F
A second-round steal by Washington in the 2013 draft, Meesseman was the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP for the Mystics. She spent seven seasons in Washington, with her commitment to the Belgian national team keeping her out the 2018 and 2021 seasons. She played for Chicago in 2022 but didn’t compete in the WNBA in 2023 or 2024. Last season, she joined the Liberty in August, playing 17 games in the regular season and averaging 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds. In her three playoff games, though, she averaged just 4.3 points with 5.3 rebounds. If Meesseman, who turns 33 in May, is available for the expansion draft, she would be a good pickup provided she plans to play in the WNBA this season. — Voepel
Phoenix Mercury: Lexi Held, 5-10, G
A 25-year-old rookie last season, Held proved she can come up with big shots in big moments, playing a rotational role in the Mercury’s run to the Finals last year. She also played a critical part in keeping Phoenix afloat during the stretches when some of the team’s stars were injured. She’s the kind of young yet steady player who could help kick-start a franchise and who has the potential to become a star. — Andrews
Seattle Storm: Nneka Ogwumike, 6-2, F
Seattle is stacked with unrestricted free agents, so if someone is selected from the Storm, that player could be the one UFA Portland and Toronto are allowed to take. Ogwumike is a 35-year-old veteran but still has good basketball to be played. Her presence on a team building from the ground up could provide the leadership other teams only dream of having. Since Ogwumike is unrestricted and no longer core eligible, she can go anywhere she wants. Portland and Toronto are the only teams that can give her a supermax contract. So, if she is interested in that after fighting so hard for a new CBA, joining one of the expansion franchises could be an attractive destination. — Andrews
Washington Mystics: Jacy Sheldon, 5-10, G
She was originally drafted No. 5 in 2024 by the Dallas Wings, and she has a strong reputation for defense. In February 2025, she was traded to Connecticut and played 28 games for the Sun last season. Then in August, she was traded to Washington, appearing in two games for the Mystics before suffering a right ankle injury that kept her out the rest of the season. For her career, she has averaged 6.3 PPG, and she could probably benefit from a fresh start. — Voepel
Cuba pardons 2,010 people as the U.S. pressures the island's government
Cuba pardons 2,010 people as the U.S. pressures the island’s government
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