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LOS ANGELES — He’d been battered for weeks, lingering on the turf in pain at various points in previous wins over Nebraska and UCLA, always game enough to return a few players later after gingerly limping off. But running back Woody Marks, long USC’s Iron Man at running back, couldn’t return after another blow Saturday against Notre Dame. After a first-quarter handoff for nine yards, Marks laid on the turf for a few beats before stumbling to his feet, appearing slightly disoriented as he entered a medical tent on USC’s sideline. He eventually returned to the sideline as redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner took his place, but walked off into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tunnel at the two-minute mark of the first half as the CBS broadcast reported he’d be out for the rest of the afternoon . It was a massive loss for USC’s offense, and could’ve served as the end of Marks’ time in a Trojans jersey depending on his bowl-game decision. If so, what a run it has been for the Mississippi State transfer: finishing with 1,133 yards on the ground in 12 games, putting together one of the more complete seasons by any USC running back in recent memory. They came marching one by one down the barrel of the Coliseum, adorned with wreaths of honor, USC’s Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Jaylin Smith and Woody Marks all exchanging hugs with Lincoln Riley as an early crowd erupted in claps for its program pillars. It was a moment of levity, USC honoring beloved seniors Saturday afternoon on the final day of its regular season. It was also, however, a sobering reality. With Mascarenas-Arnold, Smith and Marks went 138 combined tackles and four interceptions and 1,421 yards from scrimmage; with left guard Emmanuel Pregnon and center Jonah Monheim went two crucial pieces of a much-improved Trojans offensive line. Walking out from the tunnel on Senior Day, certainly, doesn’t provide an end-all, be-all on players’ futures. But it gave a hint, certainly, that several names who still carried eligibility – Mascarenas-Arnold, Smith, wide receiver Kyron Hudson – could be moving on come the winter. “We’ll have a few guys, obviously, who will have some decisions to make on if they go pro or if they stay and play another year,” Riley said Tuesday, when asked how he might adjust USC’s offensive personnel in the offseason. “Not a ton, but we’ve got a couple guys that have those decisions. We’ll just see. We’re going to try to get the right talent in here.” USC will be hard-pressed to add that talent, certainly, as eyes turn ahead to a bowl-game slot and the 2025 season. If every player honored on USC’s announced Senior Day graphic moves on , either via the NFL draft or the transfer portal, USC stands to lose 17 players from its offense, defense and special teams who started Saturday against Notre Dame. Here’s the breakdown: Offense: WR Kyle Ford, TE Lake McRee, RB Woody Marks, C Jonah Monheim, LG Emmanuel Pregnon, RT Mason Murphy, WR Kyron Hudson Defense: S Akili Arnold, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, LB Mason Cobb, CB Jacobe Covington, DT Nate Clifton, DT Gavin Meyer, CB Jaylin Smith, CB Greedy Vance Jr. Special teams: P Eddie Czaplicki, K Michael Lantz It’s still probable, as Riley mentioned, that a few of those names elect to stay at USC for another season. McRee, Murphy and Hudson, in particular, are redshirt juniors and would likely see their draft stock elevated by a return for a prominent senior year at USC. Still, the Trojans will have major work to do in the transfer portal and with depth development this offseason, particularly at center, replacing Monheim, and cornerback. Not a day after the NFL’s Chicago Bears canned head coach Matt Eberflus following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions , former star quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams was back at the Coliseum on for his USC jersey-retirement ceremony in a palate cleanser of a Saturday afternoon. Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner who conquered opposing defenses and NIL riches in his time at USC, took a moment to thank the Coliseum crowd upon leading the Trojans out of the tunnel Saturday. “Number 13 is back,” Williams announced over the PA, speaking in a microphone to wide cheers. “And not only – is in the rafters now, because of all of you.”

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ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted.Washington — President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , is showing defiance amid misconduct allegations as support for his confirmation appeared to be in doubt. There are now several candidates under consideration to replace him as Trump's intended nominee, sources familiar with the transition tell CBS News, among them, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. But the embattled former Fox News host on Wednesday pushed back on reports that Trump is considering other candidates for defense secretary . On Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, as he continued to visit Republican members of Congress, Hegseth told CBS News that he does not intend to withdraw his name from consideration. He also said he spoke with Trump Wednesday morning, and the president-elect encouraged him to keep fighting. "I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said, 'Keep going, keep fighting. I'm behind you all the way,'" Hegseth said. "Why would I back down? I've always been a fighter. I'm here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me." In an interview with SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show" Wednesday, Hegseth said he had spoken with Trump earlier in the day and that the incoming president had told him, "I've got your back." On reports of the possibility that DeSantis could replace him as defense chief nominee, he told Kelly, "It's all the president's choice. I spoke to the president this morning. He said, I'm his guy." Despite the acrimony between DeSantis and Trump during the primary campaign, the Florida governor is interested in the job, according to two sources familiar with DeSantis' thinking. His second and final term as governor ends in January 2027. Trump has already announced a series of Cabinet nominees who hail from Florida, including Sen. Marco Rubio, for secretary of state. Although serving as defense secretary would pose some political risk, DeSantis believes it would position him well for a presidential run in 2028, the source said. Hegseth, a former "Fox & Friends" weekend co-host and Army veteran, has been meeting with Senate Republicans in recent weeks to build support for his confirmation. But reports in recent days that detailed alleged sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement at veterans' charities, repeated intoxication and infidelity appeared to be softening his support. Some Senate Republicans have called the allegations "disturbing" and said they came as a surprise. Still, Hegseth on Wednesday told reporters at the Capitol his meetings with Senate Republicans have been "a wonderful process." In his interview with Kelly, Hegseth said, "No one has looked me in the eye and said, 'I have concerns and I can't vote for you.' In fact, most have said, 'Let's take a picture, and I'm behind you all the way.'" Hegseth also defended himself in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday. Amid reports about his removal as the head of a veterans' charity over allegations of financial mismanagement, intoxication, sexual misconduct and fostering a toxic work climate, Hegseth wrote of his work for that organization, Concerned Veterans for America. "We fought entrenched interests and mobilized veterans and patriotic Americans across the country," he said, denying reports of any misconduct and accusing the media of publishing falsehoods. "We had hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers—yet based on the anonymous accusations of a few disgruntled employees, the legacy media has made it sound as if we ran a college frat house," he wrote. "That's just untrue." Hegseth also said that he left CVA over "an internal difference of opinion about its future. I wanted to engage in foreign policy; our donors didn't." And he added that the group's leadership "wrote me a glowing letter when I left." In his interview with Kelly, Hegseth addressed the sexual assault allegation that emerged in late November. He responded "absolutely not" when asked if he had raped a woman in a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. He admitted that it would have once been a fair characterization to call him a "serial cheater" but says he has changed. "I may have been drinking, but I was cognizant enough to remember every single detail. And I'm not here to say that my conduct was good," he said. "Being in a hotel room with someone that's not the person you're with is not OK. I own up to that, and I've had to own up to that, and that's been difficult." He said he paid his accuser "because I had to — or at least I thought I did at the time." He explained that he was newly married, was under consideration for a role in the first Trump administration and wanted to protect his family and his Fox News job. He also responded to reporting by NBC News that cited current and former Fox News employees who said that "on more than a dozen occasions" while Hegseth was a "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, "they smelled alcohol on him before he went to air," and appeared on TV "after they'd heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set." The report said "[t]hree current employees said his drinking remained a concern up until Trump announced him as his choice to run the Pentagon, at which point Hegseth left Fox." But in the op-ed, Hegseth did not directly address allegations about his alcohol consumption. "I've been at Fox News—where I saw my work as a continuation of my mission to fight for America. Again, the legacy press has used anonymous sources to try to discredit even that," and he referred readers to his X feed for statements of support from professional colleagues. He did tell Kelly, "I've never had a drinking problem." North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer is scheduled to meet with Hegseth Wednesday afternoon and told reporters earlier in the day, "The allegations are very, very serious. They can't be trivialized. And I just want to know that, that he's redeemed, and going forward, he's going to be better." Cramer also added, "I think the mood of the conference is one of the pretty serious, really, really serious about it, and serious about how these things affect his ability to do the job, the ability of the troops to look up to him." He suggested the Republican conference was watching for signals from the Trump transition team about Hegseth. "There's the mood of the conference, and then there's the mood of the Trump transition team itself," he said. "So we'll see what kind of messages and signals we hear throughout the course of the day. As you can tell, these things have been breaking pretty fast and furious." Cramer said of Ernst that she would be "easy to confirm, and I think she'd be great," and in fact, "if she wanted it, she'd be my first pick." "I have never backed down from a fight and won't back down from this one," Hegseth wrote, adding, "I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators—not a show trial in the press." Hegseth has continued to meet with the Republican senators who will weigh in on his nomination. But one prominent Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley, told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Hegseth canceled their upcoming meeting. "I was supposed to sit down with him tomorrow, but they canceled that meeting," Hawley said. "I don't know where things stand at the moment," he said of Hegseth's expected nomination and added, "It's not 100% clear to me who [Trump] wants as secretary of defense right now." Hegseth told Kelly he planned to keep meeting with senators to earn their support, but he acknowledged that there's a possibility he may not be confirmed. "That's the president's call," he said when asked whether he would withdraw from the process. Jim Defede, Cristina Corujo contributed to this report. Jim DeFede , Nikole Killion and Cristina Corujo contributed to this report. Donald Trump Pete Hegseth Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.Malique Ewin finished with team highs of 17 points and seven rebounds to lead the Florida State Seminoles to a 92-59 victory over the Massachusetts Minutemen in each team's final game of the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off on Sunday afternoon in Uncasville, Conn. The Seminoles (6-1) won their third consecutive game and went 2-0 in the event as they pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 36 points. It's Florida State's best start since the 2019-20 season when it went 7-1. UMass (1-5) dropped its fifth in a row following a season-opening win over New Hampshire despite a strong game on Sunday from Jaylen Curry, who scored 17 points. Curry, with six free throws, helped propel the Minutemen on a 10-0 run over a four-plus minute span in the first half to take a 24-23 lead with 4:22 left. FSU closed the half on a 13-3 run to lead 37-27 at halftime. A 15-4 surge to open the second half helped the Seminoles break the game open. Florida State's defense frustrated UMass shooters throughout the contest, especially on the perimeter, limiting the Minutemen to 3-for-24 shooting (12.5 percent) from 3-point range and 18-for-58 (31 percent) overall. The Seminoles finished with 22 points off 17 UMass turnovers. On the flipside, Florida State had one of its best shooting games of the season. The Seminoles moved the ball well throughout the game and finished with 25 assists while only turning the ball over 10 times. The Seminoles shot 33 for 58 (57 percent) from the field and made 9 of 18 three-pointers to put together a season-high scoring output. Once again, Florida State shined thanks to its depth as 10 players scored and four scored in double figures. The Seminoles were able to have 16 players participate in the game as well. Jamir Watkins finished with 14 points while Jerry Deng and Justin Thomas each had 10 points. For UMass, Daniel Rivera finished with 12 points and six rebounds while Nate Guerengomba had 10 points. Daniel Hankins-Sanford collected a game-high 13 rebounds. --Field Level Media

Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah’s Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. “Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.” Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games — and just 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable. “He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.” Ovechkin surged to the top of the league with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February. “You know when goal-scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it too, of course. We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.” ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl AdvertisementWintrust Financial ( NASDAQ:WTFC – Get Free Report ) and Republic Bancorp ( NASDAQ:RBCAA – Get Free Report ) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Wintrust Financial and Republic Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Dividends Wintrust Financial pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Republic Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.62 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Wintrust Financial pays out 18.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Republic Bancorp pays out 30.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Wintrust Financial has raised its dividend for 11 consecutive years and Republic Bancorp has raised its dividend for 26 consecutive years. Republic Bancorp is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Analyst Recommendations Wintrust Financial currently has a consensus target price of $123.00, suggesting a potential downside of 10.27%. Republic Bancorp has a consensus target price of $80.00, suggesting a potential upside of 3.07%. Given Republic Bancorp’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Republic Bancorp is more favorable than Wintrust Financial. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Wintrust Financial and Republic Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Wintrust Financial has higher revenue and earnings than Republic Bancorp. Wintrust Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Republic Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional and Insider Ownership 93.5% of Wintrust Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.4% of Republic Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Wintrust Financial shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 55.5% of Republic Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Risk & Volatility Wintrust Financial has a beta of 1.15, suggesting that its share price is 15% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Republic Bancorp has a beta of 0.51, suggesting that its share price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Wintrust Financial beats Republic Bancorp on 10 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks. About Wintrust Financial ( Get Free Report ) Wintrust Financial Corporation operates as a financial holding company. It operates in three segments: Community Banking, Specialty Finance, and Wealth Management. The Community Banking segment offers non-interest bearing deposits, non-brokered interest-bearing transaction accounts, and savings and domestic time deposits; home equity, consumer, and real estate loans; safe deposit facilities; and automatic teller machine (ATM), online and mobile banking, and other services. It also engages in the retail origination and purchase of residential mortgages; and provision of lending, deposits, and treasury management services to condominium, homeowner, and community associations, as well as asset-based lending for middle-market companies. In addition, this segment offers loan and deposit services to mortgage brokerage companies; lending to restaurant franchisees; direct leasing; small business administration loans; commercial mortgages and construction loans; and financial solutions. It provides personal and commercial banking services primarily to individuals, small to mid-sized businesses, local governmental units, and institutional clients. The Specialty Finance segment offers commercial and life insurance premiums financing for businesses and individuals; accounts receivable financing, value-added, and out-sourced administrative services; other specialty finance services; equipment financing through structured loan and lease products; and property and casualty premium financing; as well as data processing of payrolls, billing, and cash management services to temporary staffing industry. The Wealth Management segment provides wealth management services, such as trust and investment, asset management, tax-deferred exchange, securities brokerage, and retirement plan services. Wintrust Financial Corporation was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois. About Republic Bancorp ( Get Free Report ) Republic Bancorp, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for Republic Bank & Trust Company that provides various banking products and services in the United States. It operates in six segments: Traditional Banking, Warehouse, Mortgage Banking, Tax Refund Solutions, Republic Payment Solutions, and Republic Credit Solutions. The company offers demand, money market accounts, savings, individual retirement accounts, time, brokered, and other certificates of deposit; and retail and commercial mortgage, construction and land development, consumer, aircraft, and marine loans. It also provides credit cards; title insurance and other financial products and services; and private banking, lockbox processing, remote deposit capture, business online banking, account reconciliation, automated clearing house processing, and internet and mobile banking services. In addition, it offers short-term and revolving credit facilities to mortgage bankers through mortgage warehouse lines of credit; mortgage banking; tax refund solutions, which facilitate the receipt and payment of federal and state tax refund products through third-party tax preparers and tax-preparation software providers; payments-related products and services to consumers through third party service providers; and consumer credit products. The company offers its services through full-services banking centers in Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee. Republic Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated in 1974 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Receive News & Ratings for Wintrust Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wintrust Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

This might be one of the most bonkers, yet brilliant, tech items I’ve ever got to review. The Roto VR Explorer is a chair that brings us closer than ever before to fully immersive virtual reality gaming. As any VR gamer will know, as good as the tech inside the device gets, it’s the physical outside body experience that tends to break the realism. The ultimate immersion, in which you are full body involved in a game, isn’t there yet for home players. And even when mapping out safe boundaries on the floor to live your virtual lives at home, very few of us have enough space to truly get lost in VR. Case in point, I’m a plant pot down as my nephew got a bit too carried away on the Meta Quest 3 in my living room last week. Ouch. But the very clever bods at Roto have come up with a middle-ground. A chair-based device that gives us close to total immersion while compromising on the lack of space in our homes. You’ll not be running around chasing zombies with the VR Explorer. But you can now for the first time get really vividly lost in a proper VR game with body motion which is truly outstanding once you try it. The Explorer, built for Meta Quest headsets but compatible with almost all seated VR games, is a heavy motorised seat that spins left and right as you turn your head to look around in a game. With a little detector strapped on top of your headset, it knows when you look a certain way. And the mechanics in the seat then move accordingly to the left or right, a full 360-degrees if you want. That creates a real sense of physical movement in the game that’s incredibly reactive to what’s happening visually all around you. And it gives you a genuine feeling of travel and freedom, all while seated. There’s even a built-in rumble pack under the seat that provides haptic feedback through the whole body as you game. It brings to life top tier titles like Asgard’s Wrath 2, Dig VR and Batman, making the movement in these titles much more natural than the traditional thumbstick controller way. At £799 this is an expensive piece of kit. But the build quality is excellent and you’ll need to give yourself a good hour or so to assemble this beast before using. Even if you mess up the build, like I did, you can easily undo everything to find the mistake, rectify, and then carry on the process. It stands about 3ft tall with a large circular base compared to its minimalist top-end, but doesn’t really take up more space than a normal gaming chair. It has a neat cable management system and you can charge your headset from the chair without getting it all caught up. And it’s on caster wheels too, so is easily moveable between rooms, which you can then lock like a break to ensure you’re not sailing across the floor when gaming. There is a protective plastic cover that goes over the legs to ensure you don’t get your toes stuck when swivelling too. It sounds an alarm if it is not fitted properly, so there’s no risk of error. When in the chair, there are different turn speeds which can be easily adjusted. So you can have quite slow, subtle twists or rather speedy turns for exciting action games. I preferred the speed, it feels almost like being in a rollercoaster, and the obvious zoom of the mechanism spinning you around soon becomes background noise, especially when you have in-game audio over the top. The Roto bods say people often feel sick when playing VR because there’s a motion sickness to moving around in-game and not actually doing it in real life. With this seat, that link is re-established. So you’re less likely to feel rough after a long session. I still had that headachy feel on long goes in this chair to be honest, but it was better. Roto VR Explorer is compatible with 400+ games and apps on the Meta Quest store. It’s a bit of a wow piece of kit you’ll want to show off to your pals. And it does a great job at giving virtual reality gamers a new level of immersion while in confined spaces. The seat, with its leather padding and strong design, is comfortable and relatively compact for its technology. And with a plug and play design you’ll have it running in no time, after a lengthy build process. The cost is expensive, and will inevitably price-out quite a lot of gamers as you’ll need to spend at least another £300 separately on the VR headset itself. But if you want to try the very best of home VR right now, this chair combined with the Quest 3 or 3S is the go-to.As surveillance images of the then-unidentified suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson circulated across the U.S., a San Francisco police officer recognized his face. The officer had been investigating a missing persons report filed by 26-year-old Luigi Mangione’s mother weeks before, and contacted the FBI on Dec. 5, the San Francisco Chronicle reported . The FBI confirmed the agency had received the information from San Francisco police in a statement to HuffPost on Friday. But Mangione was not named as a person of interest or suspect until he was recognized by an employee of a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. “Has this name come up in your investigation at all?” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked NYPD officials on Dec. 10, pointing to the widely circulating surveillance photos. “This was not a name that was called in to us,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch replied. The FBI’s statement on Friday seemed to contradict that. “FBI New York conducted routine investigative activity and referred this and other leads to the New York City Police Department as part of our assistance to them in their investigation,” the statement said. The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions from HuffPost, and the FBI did not say when it passed on Mangione’s name to detectives. Mangione’s arrest shocked his friends , several of whom told news outlets or have written on social media that they hadn’t heard from him in months . Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. In her missing persons report, filed in November, Mangione’s mother said she’d last spoken to him in July, the San Francisco Standard reported . An attorney for Mangione has said he has yet to see evidence that his client is the shooter. His family said in a statement that they were devastated by the news of his arrest and didn’t address whether they believed the man in the surveillance footage was Mangione. “We only know what we have read in the media,” the family’s statement said . “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Related From Our Partner

NoneORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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The 2024 Sam Cali Battle for the Belt featured some of the state’s best teams with nationally ranked wrestlers, NJ state medalists, state qualifiers and highly accoladed freshmen in every bracket. From upsets to statement wins to close calls, there was plenty of action in the medal round of this year’s Cali. Scroll through below to see who finished 1st through 6th at each weight. First-place results (Winners in bold) 106 pounds Anthony Curlo, Blair, TF Forest Rose, Princeton, 19-4 113 pounds 3-Greyson Pettit, Delsea , d. 1-Brayden Karovski, Green Farms Academy (CT), 8-4 120 pounds 4-Amari Vann, Delsea, p. 2-Chase Kastner, Green Farms Academy (CT), 4:12 126 pounds 1-Anthony DiAndrea, Watchung Hills v. 2-Jack Abramson, Pingry 132 pounds 1-Pat O’Keefe, St. John Vianney v. 2-Finn O’Brien, Green Farms Academy (CT) 138 pounds 1-Carson Walsh, Pope John tech. 2-Jake Nieto, Chaminade (NY), 20-3 (2:25) 144 pounds 1-Blase Mele, Princeton v. 6-Reid Clausi, West Essex 150 pounds 1-Sonny Amato, Rumson-Fair Haven v. 2-Jamar Dixon Jr., Delsea 157 pounds 1-Cody Pritzlaff, Watchung Hills, d. 2-James Conklin, Passaic Tech , 7-4 165 pounds 1-Santino Rodriguez, Don Bosco Prep p. 6-Matt DiEduardo, Bridgewater-Raritan, 1:34 175 pounds 1-Jordan Chapman, Cranford, TF 3-Anthony Verdi, St. Peter’s Prep, 21-6 190 pounds 2-Maximus Konopka, Green Farms Academy (CT) d. 1-Nevin Mattessich, Don Bosco Prep, 8-2 215 pounds 1-Sal Marchese, Delsea, TF 2-Matt Morrissey, Old Tappan , 17-2 285 pounds 1-James Lynch, Toms River East p. 3-Mason Brancato, Pompton Lakes, 0:54 Third-place results 106 pounds 1-Logan Forgatch, Parsippany Hills, d. Julian Zargo, St. John Vianney, 5-2 113 pounds 2-Michael Daly, Cranford, TF 5-Ethan Quinn, Simsbury (CT), 15-0 120 pounds Anthony Borrometi, St. Peter’s Prep, d. 1-Matt Gould, St. John Vianney, 1-0 126 pounds 6-Carter Pack, St. Augustine, d. Joaquin Duque, Rumson-Fair Haven, 10-6 132 pounds 4-Gino Schinina, St. Peter’s Prep v. 5-Nicky Pallitto, Paramus Catholic 138 pounds 6-Isais Hernandez, DePaul v. Kimoni Giles, Green Farms Academy (CT) 144 pounds 5-Ben Zuckerman, Green Farms Academy (CT) v. Jeremy McGrath, Green Farms Academy (CT) 150 pounds 4-Jackson Weller, Delran med. for. 3-Joey Ruiz, St. Peter’s Prep 157 pounds Will Motley, Green Farms Academy (CT) v. Ryan Gavrish, St. John Vianney 165 pounds 2-Riley Boos, Delsea med. for. 7-Ryan Willi, Middletown South 175 pounds 4-Greyson Catlow-Sidler, William Penn Charter (PA) TF 5-Carmine Masi, West Essex, 15-0 190 pounds 3-Ryan Schneider, Green Farms Academy (CT) MD 4-Clark Rich, Seton Hall Prep, 10-0 215 pounds 4-Noah Berlin-Langston, Highland Park , d. 3-Guy Oelsner, Paramus Cath., 4-3 285 pounds 4-Connor Reynolds, St. Peter’s Prep v. 5-Isaac Cazimoski, Clifton Fifth-place results 106 pounds 6-Chase Dubuque, Delran, MD 2-Josiah Sweeney, Freehold Borough, 14-3 113 pounds 8-David Vazquez, North Bergen, d. 6-Joseph Rowinski, Hackettstown, 4-2 120 pounds River Hibler, Paramus Catholic, def. 6-Elijah Bayne, Rumson-Fair Haven 126 pounds 4-Delvan Rotte, DePaul, d. 3-Andre Morero, Seton Hall Prep, 7-1 132 pounds 3-Devin Ryan, New Milford v. Ryan Hrenenko, Sparta 138 pounds 4-Adrian Arbelo, St. Augustine v. Abraham Amoako, St. John Vianney 144 pounds Logan Hrenenko, Sparta med. for. 2-Ryan Langenmayr, Lakeland 150 pounds 8-Nick Orejola, Seton Hall Prep v. Charles Shaddow, Ridgewood 157 pounds 4-Alex Diorio, Livingston med. for. 3-Abe Zaretsky, Paramus Catholic 165 pounds 4-Joe Geleta, Clifton v. 5-Tyler Boelhower, Woodbridge 175 pounds John Saraiva, St. John Vianney, med. for. 2-Tyler Neiva, Green Farms Academy (CT) 190 pounds Kodi Pfieffer, Hoboken, med. for. 5-Carmen Marano, St. Peter’s Prep 215 pounds 8-Adrian Galvez, Glen Rock, p. 7-Josh Leath, Moorestown, 1:26 285 pounds 7-Matt Smith, Rumson-Fair Haven, p. 6-Gabe McCulloch, Bloomfield, 3:11 Jake Aferiat can be reached at jaferiat@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him at @Jake_Aferiat . The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has refuted recent claims suggesting that its employment practices and leadership appointments are influenced by ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. This response comes in the wake of an article by Farooq Kperogi, which raised concerns about the impact of ethnicity on the leadership structure of the NNPC. In a statement over the weekend, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, firmly rejected these assertions, insisting that the company’s decisions are guided by merit, professionalism, and business requirements. Soneye emphasised that the NNPC operates as a professional and meritocratic organisation, where employment, promotions, and appointments are based solely on qualifications, experience, and individual competencies. He assured the public that these processes are free from considerations of ethnicity, religion, or political connections, reflecting the company’s commitment to efficient service delivery. “The NNPC prides itself on being a professional organisation with a diverse leadership lineup that includes individuals from various parts of the world, not just Nigeria. The presence of qualified foreigners in the employ of the NNPC, who have been bolstering the value chain of production and distribution of allied products, is verifiable. “It is, thus, sad that a professor of Mr Kperogi’s standing would resort to and play up the issue of ethnic identities in the configuration of the work team in NNPC just to demonise President Tinubu. This editorial preoccupation of Mr Kperogi is nothing but a sheer red herring, ostensibly orchestrated to detract from the President’s disciplined leadership that upholds the freedom of the NNPC as well as the company’s work ethic that has produced its strings of sterling performances. “Under the leadership of Mele Kyari, the NNPC has achieved remarkable milestones and recorded several ‘firsts’ in the industry. These milestones were not defined, coloured, or contoured by primordial fault lines of tribe and religion. They were inspired by the collective drive for excellence. These achievements include groundbreaking advancements in exploration, production, and global partnerships that were previously thought unattainable. This success is a testament to the company’s focus on competence and professionalism rather than parochialism, as insinuated in the editorial offerings by Mr Kperogi,” Soneye said. The Spokesperson further clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has not interfered in NNPC’s operations but has instead introduced policies aimed at empowering the company and fostering an environment conducive to growth and innovation. Soneye also extended an open invitation to critics to visit the corporation and witness firsthand the professionalism and dedication that characterise its operations. He emphasised that the focus should be on the tangible results of NNPC’s work, which contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economic development. He reiterated that the NNPC remains committed to fostering unity, embracing diversity, and upholding meritocratic principles, with a continued focus on positioning Nigeria as a global leader in the energy sector.

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. RELATED STORY | Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are discussing tariffs. What should consumers expect? Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.

Uruguay’s conservative candidate concedes hard-fought presidential runoff to left-wing challenger