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Idaho farmer goes viral after trading in his F-250 for a Cybertruck: ‘It’s really fast’

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Idaho farmer goes viral after trading in his F-250 for a Cybertruck: ‘It’s really fast’



The internet can’t seem to get enough of Braden Smith’s TikTok videos of him using his Tesla Cybertruck to care for his 2,000-acre farm.

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When farmer Braden Smith drives his Tesla Cybertruck around Idaho Falls, Idaho, he either gets a “middle finger or the thumbs up.”

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“It’s insane because I really am a nice guy,” Smith, 34, told USA TODAY.

Smith, who is also an online content creator, has gone viral for an unlikely pairing: using the shiny, electric Cybertruck to care for his family-owned 2,000-acre farm full of wheat and potatoes instead of the typical heavy-duty pickup a farmer might typically prefer. His videos on TikTok have amassed millions of views, and he’s only had the vehicle since April.

“It’s been fun,” Smith said of owning the Cybertruck. “A lot of the times when I talk to people they’re very skeptical about it … you could literally weld all day with this thing and still be OK. It’s been good for around the farm.”

Trading an F-250 for a ‘stainless steel fridge’

Before buying the Cybertruck, Smith said he would trade in his pickup trucks quite often. In December 2023, when Smith was planning on trading in his F-250, he received an invite to configure a Cybertruck.

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Smith said he justified the purchase due to the 50 amp style plug in the back of the Cybertruck which he uses to power his welder and plasma compressor.

“I think if you itemized down everything I wanted in a pickup for the farm, I mean this fits the majority of those wants and needs,” he said. “It was just unfortunate that it kind of looks like a stainless steel fridge.”

TikTok of cats singing Queen began Braden Smith’s virality

Smith’s initial viral TikTok post was shared in May 2021 and involved a wallpaper of cats singing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The post has over 16 million views.

“It just kind of blew up,” Smith said about the viral TikTok in 2021. “We thought that was interesting so we decided to kind of ride it out and keep making content.”

Smith said he considered the video “pretty silly,” but when it “took off,” he began noticing how lucrative monetizing content could be.

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Braden Smith did not buy the Cybertruck to ‘go green’

Smith, who drives the Cybertruck every day, said he saves a lot of fuel although he did not really buy the vehicle to “go green” or save on gas.

“I mean everybody’s saying it’s so wonderful that you’re going green and everything, and then they see that my license plate reads ‘Coal Fed,’” Smith said. “They start scratching their heads.”

A small drawback Smith has with the Cybertruck is the vehicle’s towing capabilities.

While towing things with the truck has not been a huge issue for him because he lives about 40 minutes from his farm in Rexburg, he did acknowledge that the vehicle may not be able to tow heavy stuff for longer than 150 to 200 miles.

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What is the Cybertruck?

Introduced by Tesla founder Elon Musk in 2019, the Cybertruck is marketed as an electric pickup truck “built for any adventure,” according to the automotive company.

“Finally, the future will look like the future,” Musk said when he unveiled the Cybertruck during a demo in 2019.

However, the Cybetruck has had its pitfalls, as Tesla has issued several voluntary recalls since its release. The automaker recalled thousands of the trucks in June due to a windshield wiper malfunction and a trunk bed trim issue.

Other farmers may pick up on the Cybertruck

Despite the minor towing issue and perplexed looks from people in town, Smith said he enjoys the Cybertruck and the vehicle is nothing like he’s “ever driven before or had on his farm.”

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“It’s really fast (and) it’s fun to drive,” he said about the Cybertruck. “I’ll be going 60 miles an hour down one of my dirt roads and it’s just gliding.”

Cyberucks could be appealing to farmers going forward, especially when Tesla comes out with more affordable and readily available models, according to Smith.

“It’s funny because you drive down the road and everybody’s like ‘so much money,’ and yet they’re also passing King Ranch’s, Denali’s and other high spec pickups, but nobody blinks an eye,” he said. “I think it’s totally possible that other people pick up on (Cybertrucks).”



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Idaho

University of Idaho professor awarded $10M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders

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University of Idaho professor awarded M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders


A University of Idaho professor won a $10 million judgment after a tarot TikTok influencer publicly pushed false claims that she was behind the savage quadruple slayings of four college students.

A Boise jury in US District Court ordered fortune-telling Texas TikToker Ashley Guillard on Friday to pay $10 million after concluding she falsely accused professor Rebecca Scofield of having a secret romance with one of the four victims and orchestrating their killings, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Following the verdict, Scofield thanked the jury and said she hopes the case sends a clear warning that making “false statements online have consequences in the real world.”

Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos falsely linking a University of Idaho professor to the Idaho college murders, leading to a defamation lawsuit. TikTok/ashleyisinthebookoflife4

“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, were the darkest chapter in our university’s history,” Scofield told Fox News.

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“Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”

Scofield, the university’s history department chair, filed the lawsuit in December 2022 — just weeks after Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were brutally stabbed to death at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

Guillard began uploading videos to her more than 100,000 TikTok followers in late November 2022, accusing Scofield of a secret relationship with one of the students and claiming she had “ordered” the killings, garnering millions of views across the social media platform.

The complaint states that Scofield had never met the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.

Idaho murder victims Madison Mogen, 21, top left, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, bottom left, Ethan Chapin, 20, center, and Xana Kernodle, 20, right, and their two surviving roommates.

Even after being served with cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly confirmed Scofield had no connection to the murders, the Houston-based tarot reader continued posting videos, the history professor’s legal team argued.

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Guillard doubled down on her accusations against Scofield after being sued, posting a defiant video saying, “I am not stopping,” and challenging why Scofield needed three lawyers to sue her “if she’s so innocent.”

The professor’s legal team argued the defamatory accusations painted her as a criminal and accused her of professional misconduct that could derail her career.

Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the savage slayings in July 2025 in a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table. AP

Bryan Kohberger, then studying criminology at Washington State University, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the quadruple murders in a deal that took the death penalty off the table. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences in Idaho.

In June 2024, Chief US Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco found Guillard’s statements legally defamatory, leaving damages to be decided by a jury.

During the damages trial, Scofield described the anguish of seeing her name tied to the murders online, the Idaho Statesman reported.

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The off-campus home where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death on Nov. 17, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. James Keivom

However, Guillard, acting as her own attorney, insisted her comments were simply beliefs based on tarot card readings.

She claimed to have psychic powers and testified that she relied on tarot cards to try to solve the shocking homicides that shook the rural college town and sparked global attention.

It took jurors less than two hours to return their verdict, the outlet reported.

The jury awarded Scofield $7.5 million in punitive damages in addition to $2.5 million in compensatory damages.

With Post wires

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Gas prices expected to exceed $3 as the Iran conflict prompts supply shortages

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Gas prices expected to exceed  as the Iran conflict prompts supply shortages


BOISE, Idaho — AAA is warning Idaho gas consumers that pump prices will likely rise as the conflict in Iran disrupts oil and gas supply chains worldwide.

The ongoing turmoil in the Middle East will likely push the price for a gallon of regular gasoline past the $3 mark over the coming days.

“On one hand, the crude oil market had time to account for some financial risk in the Middle East as forces mobilized, but a supply shortage somewhere affects the global picture,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. “If tankers can’t move products through the region, there could be ripple effects.”

On Monday, March 2, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.97, reports AAA, which is 12 cents more expensive than it was a month ago but 20 cents less than this time last year.

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State / Price: 1 gallon of regular gasoline

  • Washington / $4.37
  • Oregon / $3.92
  • Nevada / $3.70
  • Idaho / $2.97
  • Colorado / $2.89
  • Montana / $2.82
  • Utah / $2.74
  • Wyoming / $2.73

In terms of the most expensive fuel in the nation, Idaho currently ranks #14. However, buying a gallon of regular gas in neighboring states such as Oregon and Washington could cost a whole dollar more. In contrast, gas prices in Utah, Montana, and Wyoming are anywhere between 15 to 24 cents cheaper than fuel in the Gem State.





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Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on March 1, 2026

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The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 7-2-3

Night: 2-7-6

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Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 4-7-9-3

Night: 8-7-7-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from March 1 drawing

03-06-07-33-41

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Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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