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President Biden warned in his farewell speech of an ‘ultra-wealthy’ ‘oligarchy’ posing a threat to America as big tech CEOS have been warming up to President-elect Trump in recent months. 

Biden spoke Wednesday as reports emerged this week that Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg – the three most wealthy people in the world who collectively are worth more than $850 billion, according to Forbes – will be seated next to Trump’s cabinet picks and elected officials next Monday at his inauguration. 

‘I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed. That’s why in my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few, ultra-wealthy people. And the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked,’ Biden said from the Oval Office. 

‘Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,’ Biden continued. ‘We see the consequences all across America, and we’ve seen it before, more than a century ago. But the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust. They didn’t punish the wealthy, they just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had to.’ 

Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, have all met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida following his election victory in November. 

During the election cycle, Musk gave at least $277 million in donations to help get Trump and other Republicans elected, according to The Washington Post, which cited filings from the Federal Election Commission. 

Tech giants including Amazon, Meta, Apple, Google and Microsoft are reported to have donated $1 million each to Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. 

Musk has been tasked with heading up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will examine issues of government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. 

In order to do that, Musk may occupy space in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building right next to the West Wing that houses the bulk of office space for White House staffers, the New York Times reported. 

Biden also said in his farewell speech that American leadership and technology is an ‘unparalleled source of innovation that can transform lives,’ but ‘we see the same dangers, the concentration of technology, power and wealth.’ 

‘You know, in his farewell address, President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military industrial complex. He warned us then about, and I quote, the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power, end of quote. Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country, as well,’ Biden added. 

‘Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit,’ the president continued. ‘We must hold the social platform accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power. 

‘Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time. Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy and our security, our society, for humanity. Artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind,’ Biden said. 

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

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Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., isn’t playing around when it comes to bringing federal employees back to the office. In the committee’s first hearing of the 119th Congress, Comer delivered remarks slamming the Biden administration’s ‘failure’ to get federal employees back to the office.

‘When President Trump’s team enters federal agency headquarters in and around DC, they’ll find them to be mostly empty. That’s due to the Biden administration’s failure to end telework and to bring federal employees back to the office,’ Comer said.

While there are still a few days left in President Biden’s term, Washington is preparing itself for a shift ahead of President-elect Trump’s return to DC. According to the Oversight Committee’s report, which cites ‘the Biden-Harris Administration’s own data,’ as of May 2024, 1,057,000 telework-eligible federal employees were in-office three times a week, and another 228,000 remote employees ‘never come to the office at all.’

The report, titled ‘The lights are on, but everyone is at home: Why the new administration will enter largely vacant federal agency offices,’ is 41 pages and was prepared by Republicans on the committee. In its report, the committee makes the case that telework policies have been ‘detrimental’ to government agencies.

In the hearing, Comer pointed the finger at Democrats, in particular, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-Ny. He slammed Schumer for allegedly letting the Show Up Act ‘collect dust.’ The legislation would bring federal employees’ telework back to ‘pre-pandemic levels.’

‘The Government Accountability Office found that 17 of the largest 24 federal agency headquarters in the DC area were less than 25% occupied, some much less than 25% occupied. A separate study by the Public Buildings Reform Board found that occupancy rates were just half that at 12%, 12% occupancy,’ Comer said at the hearing. ‘Taxpayer money is being wasted to lease and maintain all that expensive, empty office space.’

The committee writes in its report that Trump is inheriting ‘a largely absentee workforce,’ blaming it on the telework policies ‘entrenched’ by the Biden administration.

Comer also noted that the telework policy for federal workers has resulted in a ‘lack of foot traffic’ that is ‘economically devastating’ for DC, something Mayor Muriel Bowser has also pointed out. Bowser has been ‘imploring the White House to change’ the telework policy for nearly two years.

In fact, the Democrat lawmaker met with President-elect Trump to discuss what could be done with the ‘underutilized federal buildings’ around the city.

Bowser expressed optimism after the Dec. 30 meeting, saying both she and Trump ‘want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation.’

The committee’s report acknowledges that Trump ‘invoked massive telework and remote work’ at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and adds that he ‘quickly sought to return federal employees to their offices to deliver for the American people when it became clear that widespread, indiscriminate lockdowns were not the right societal answer to the pandemic.’

Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

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The conservative House Freedom Caucus is preparing to release a proposal for Republicans’ planned conservative policy overhaul that would raise the debt limit by two years or roughly $4 trillion, Fox News Digital is told.

Congressional Republicans are preparing for a massive conservative policy overhaul through the budget reconciliation process. By lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to 51, reconciliation allows the party controlling Congress and the White House to pass broad policy changes — provided they deal with budgetary and other fiscal matters.

But there has been some disagreement over whether to pass all of their goals – touching on border security, defense, spending cuts, tax cuts, and energy – in one single bill to not risk any items falling behind, or split the priorities into two separate pieces of legislation to ensure early victory on at least some measures.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he favors the one-bill approach, but would be open to two. He also tasked Republicans with raising or suspending the debt limit, with the U.S. Treasury projected to run out of funds to pay its debts by mid-June.

Freedom Caucus members are among the Republicans calling for two separate bills. The plan being unveiled on Thursday would call for border security, defense, and steep spending cuts to be included in the first bill.

Those cuts would then be used to offset tax breaks being extended in the second bill, Fox News Digital was told.

The conservative lawmakers presented the plan to Trump at Mar-a-Lago last Friday, but it’s unclear how he responded.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., previously backed a two-bill approach in public comments. 

Opponents of that plan, which include Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, have warned that leaving Trump’s tax cuts for a second bill would all but guarantee that provisions he passed during his previous term would expire by the end of the year, raising taxes for millions of Americans.

Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., previously pointed out to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo that two reconciliation bills have not been passed in one term since the 1990s.

But GOP negotiators have not decided whether to include action on the debt limit in their reconciliation bill, with both measures known to require difficult political maneuvering. 

The Freedom Caucus’ expected plan is a way for fiscal hawks who have traditionally scorned action on the debt limit to agree to do so.

That same group is also concerned that putting all the agenda items into a single bill will not result in sufficient cuts to offset the added spending. 

With two House Republicans departing for the Trump administration on Jan. 20, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will have to navigate a razor-thin majority until special elections are expected in April.

Until then, just one Republican ‘no’ vote will be enough to derail any piece of legislation that does not get Democratic support.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team and the House Freedom Caucus for comment.

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House Judiciary Democrats penned a letter Wednesday asking outgoing U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to drop the charges against President-elect Donald Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case. 

They want Trump’s valet Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, to walk from the charges so that Garland can release the second volume, which is related to the classified documents case, of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report. Smith resigned from the Justice Department on Friday. Garland said he will not release the second volume because both men still face prosecution. 

The Democrats believe that Trump will pardon both men, so Garland should drop the charges now or the report will not come out. 

‘While we understand your honorable and steadfast adherence to Mr. Nauta’s and Mr. De Oliveira’s due process rights as criminal defendants, the practical effect of this position is that Volume 2 will almost certainly remain concealed for at least four more years if you do not release it before President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20,’ the letter obtained by Fox News says. 

‘The public interest, however, now demands that the President-elect must not escape accountability to the American people,’ they added. ‘Accordingly, to the extent the tangential charges against Mr. Nauta and Mr. De Oliveira stand in the way of the overriding imperative of transparency and truth, the interests of justice demand that their cases be dismissed now so that the entirety of Special Counsel Smith’s report can be released to the American people.’

The letter was signed by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin of Maryland, as well as Democratic committee members Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman of New York; Eric Swalwell, Ted Lieu, J. Luis Correa, Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Zoe Lofgren of California; Hank Johnson and Lucy McBath of Georgia; Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Pramila Jayapal of Washington; Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania; Joseph Neguse of Colorado; Deborah Ross of North Carolina; Becca Balint of Vermont; Jesus G. ‘Chuy’ Garcia of Illinois; and Jasmine Crockett of Missouri. 

‘We obviously do not condone the sycophantic, delinquent, and criminal behavior that Mr. Nauta and Mr. De Oliveira are charged with,’ the letter says. ‘However, Donald Trump was plainly the mastermind of this deception operation to conceal and abuse classified material, a fact made clear by his being charged with 32 counts of willfully retaining these classified documents, while his co-defendants were charged with lesser offenses related to obstructing the investigation, largely at Mr. Trump’s direction. By virtue of DOJ policy prohibiting the indictment or prosecution of a sitting president, Mr. Trump has dodged any criminal accountability for his own wrongdoing. Mr. Trump’s 2024 victory saved him from a public trial and robbed the American people of the opportunity to learn the meaning and details of his unpatriotic, reckless, and intentional abuse of national security information.’ 

Judge Aileen Cannon will hear arguments over Volume 2 in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Thursday. Garland released Volume 1, focused on the election interference case, earlier this week. 

Attorneys for Nauta and De Oliveira earlier this month asked Cannon to keep the special counsel report out of the public eye. 

Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira all pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. 

Smith was tapped by Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence. 

It is customary for a special counsel to release a final report when his or her work is done, detailing the findings of their investigation and explaining any prosecution or declination decisions they reached as a result of the probe. It’s up to Garland whether to release it publicly. In Smith’s case, the prosecution decision is immaterial, given Trump’s status as president-elect and longstanding Justice Department policy against bringing criminal charges against a sitting president. 

Garland is expected to give his farewell address to the Justice Department on Thursday afternoon.

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The field of contenders to become the next Democratic National Committee chair has narrowed after a long-shot candidate dropped out and endorsed Ken Martin, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chair.

Martin, a DNC vice chair who has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs, has been considered a frontrunner for the DNC job. 

Martin received a boost after New York state Sen. James Skoufis dropped out of the race and endorsed him, Politico reported Thursday morning.

Skoufis told the outlet in a statement that Martin ‘will re-center what is most important for our party: expanding the map and rebuilding our once-big Democratic tent by taking power outside of the DC Beltway and kicking the out-of-touch consultant class to the curb.’

Democrats suffered major setbacks up and down the ballot in the 2024 elections as former President Trump recaptured the White House and the GOP flipped the Senate and held onto its fragile majority in the House.

Martin told Fox News Digital last month that if he becomes chair, the first thing he would do is ‘figure out a plan to win.’

‘And we need to start writing that plan, making sure we’re looking underneath the hood,’ he said. ‘How much money do we have at the party? What are the contracts? What contracts do we need to get rid of? And, frankly, bringing all of our stakeholder groups together, that’s the biggest thing.’

Two other top contenders in the DNC race are Ben Wikler, who has steered the state Democratic Party in battleground Wisconsin since 2019, and Martin O’Malley, the former two-term Maryland governor and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration the past year. 

Current DNC chair Jaime Harrison is not seeking another four-year term steering the national party committee. The next chair will be chosen by the roughly 450 voting members of the national party committee when they meet Feb. 1 at National Harbor in Maryland for the DNC’s winter meeting.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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‘Sam Darnold picked the right time to have a career year.’

In case you missed it, I’m quoting what I wrote before the Minnesota Vikings got run, 27-9, by the Los Angeles Rams in Monday night’s wild-card game. Yes, Sam Darnold also picked a terrible time to have his two worst outings of the 2024 season.

But two things can most definitely be true.

With the Vikes vanquished and Darnold’s one-year contract set to expire, both parties are wading into very uncertain waters in 2025. Minnesota only has one quarterback under contract for next season – J.J. McCarthy, the organization’s 2024 first-round pick, who missed his entire rookie year after suffering a preseason knee injury. Darnold, after appearing he’d finally turned the professional corner in the midst of his first Pro Bowl effort – his 4,319 yards, 35 TDs and 102.5 passer rating were all career highs for the seven-year veteran – was a huge part of the problem as the Vikings lost their final two games, which included an opportunity to win the NFC North and home-field advantage at Detroit in Week 18 and the subsequent opportunity to take the scenic route to the divisional round of the playoffs.

“(W)ith the way the Vikings have played and Sam Darnold has played over the last couple of weeks, he’s at least cost himself some money,” ESPN broadcaster Joe Buck said at the end of Minnesota’s Monday night loss, giving voice to the unmissable level of NFL groupthink.

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Regarding Darnold’s future, Buck’s broadcast partner, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, chimed in: “That conversation’s a different conversation today than it was two weeks ago.”

Which isn’t to say Darnold’s market is likely to instantly evaporate. He still had a magnificent campaign, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 regular-season record – the most victories ever by an NFL quarterback in his first year with a team – despite playing his fourth club since 2020.

“I think it’s very important we all think about Sam’s body of work – what he was able to do this year when not very many people thought he would even be able to lead a team to 14 wins,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said following the loss to the Rams.

“Just the way he came in and committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself.”

It’s a pretty good version given Darnold’s youth and how the supply-side dynamic of the league’s quarterback market decidedly seems to be working to his advantage. Maybe he cost himself a long-term contract that averages better than $40 million annually, but something in the market of what 2018 draftmate Baker Mayfield raked in last year – three years and $100 million (half of it guaranteed) from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – could still be a win-win compromise for Darnold and a potential suitor.

Regardless, Darnold will clearly be the preeminent passing option on the free-agent market – assuming he even makes it there – and will likely be available at a time when so many teams are looking for QB1s but so few are available, the upcoming draft also perceived as being light on high-end prospects.

“Remember, this guy’s 27 years old or whatever he is,” said O’Connell, “and I think he has a foundation now of both the things you do at the quarterback position to have success and the things that sometimes you have to learn the hard way. You talk to some of the greatest players that ever played the game at that position, and they all had learning moments throughout their journey. I think Sam will take a lot of positive out of this year.”

With that as a preamble, here are eight logical landing spots (some with caveats) in 2025 as Darnold moves into whatever the next phase of his professional journey holds:

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Cleveland Browns

If Deshaun Watson’s performance and persona have not been disqualifying elements during his tenure here, then his multiple Achilles tears in recent months (including the circumstances surrounding the second) certainly are. The Browns do hold the second overall pick of the 2025 draft. Yet this is a veteran-laden roster with the capability to win significantly – remember, Cleveland went 11-6 a year ago mostly thanks to temp QB Joe Flacco. Unless GM Andrew Berry and HC Kevin Stefanski are truly enamored of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward of the University of Miami (Fla.), then Darnold could be a far more cost-effective option than Watson to propel this team back to relevance while allowing it to go the best-player-available route atop the draft.

Las Vegas Raiders

They wanted Jayden Daniels last year but couldn’t even sniff him, much less secure any of the six quarterbacks taken during Round 1 in 2024. Sin City would allow Darnold, who’s from the West Coast, to play closer to home while perhaps being part of a rebuild for a team that’s fallen well behind its competition in the AFC West. The Silver and Black would also provide an opportunity to work with legendary Tom Brady as the organization’s new minority owner becomes more involved with the club’s operations. And despite the roster’s issues, the presence of All-Pro TE Brock Bowers, a budding star, and a decent offensive line should offer appeal.

Los Angeles Rams

They would represent a true opportunity to play at home for Darnold, a Southern California kid who played collegiately at USC. And after flourishing under O’Connell, Darnold would be a natural fit with coach Sean McVay philosophically while reaping the benefits of another offense loaded with weaponry. The obvious stipulation here is the presence of Matthew Stafford, who turns 37 next month and is signed through the 2026 season. But he’s entered the phase of his career when he seems to assess his future – and contract – on an annual basis.

New York Giants

Obviously in need of a quarterbacking upgrade, they’ll be choosing third in the draft – which isn’t to say that’s where they’ll find an answer. This is an appropriate time to cite the good work coach Brian Daboll did with Josh Allen in Buffalo and Daniel Jones, whom he inherited here, before Jones reverted to bad habits and was released in 2024. Darnold was drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018 and, even though he didn’t flourish with them – an outcome that can largely be pinned on the lack of support Gang Green provided – navigating New York’s intense media market generally wasn’t an issue, though his return could be something of a tough sell to Big Blue’s fan base. Regardless, Darnold might be the least bad option depending how matters unfold – and pairing him with WR Malik Nabers would be intriguing given how well Darnold instantly vibed with Justin Jefferson in Minnesota.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Like Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are out of contract. The Steelers are set to pick 21st in the first round of the draft, not a range where franchise QBs typically linger (Kenny Pickett was the 20th pick in 2022). The Steelers could go in any number of directions, including the retention of Wilson and/or Fields or perhaps inquiring about aging veterans like Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins, who currently remain under contract with the Jets and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. But Darnold is definitely a viable option – perhaps the best this team has explored since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement four years ago. His arm talent and athleticism would seemingly make him a good fit for OC Arthur Smith’s system, similar to how Ryan Tannehill was in Tennessee. And given the alternatives …

San Francisco 49ers

A talented team that’s typically been championship-caliber in recent years is coming off a highly underwhelming campaign, one at least partially derailed by injuries. But the Niners also have much to sort out from a business perspective this offseason. QB Brock Purdy has been the league’s best bargain for three years running, but he also regressed in 2024 – easily his worst season as a pro. Darnold was the backup here in 2023, when San Francisco reached the Super Bowl, so he’s a known commodity within the building. At a time when GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan must decide if they’re going to break the bank for Purdy, who’s newly eligible for the massive extension he has earned, they could also consider paying Darnold what would probably be a good deal less – which would mean fewer ramifications elsewhere on a talent-teeming roster and the opportunity to trade Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 draft, for a healthy return. Is it likely? Maybe not. Is it an option? Most definitely so.

Tennessee Titans

Sitting atop the 2025 draft, they’ll have first dibs on Ward or Sanders. Said another way, the Titans will also have first dibs on Heisman Trophy-winning two-way threat Travis Hunter – and he might be far too talented to bypass when the opportunity cost is a passing prospect who doesn’t feel like a slam dunk. Still, coach Brian Callahan obviously seemed to be over the Will Levis Experience by the end of the 2024 season, and Mason Rudolph will be a free agent. Darnold could be a nice fit, at least in the short term, for a team that has some talent but clearly needs to find its footing.

Minnesota Vikings

At the beginning of the week, I thought their best course of action would be to give Darnold the franchise tag by March 4 and then assess their options – whether it be re-signing him, inciting a bidding war for him before settling on a trade partner, perhaps simply keeping him for 2025 given the uncertainty around McCarthy, or even trading the young passer instead. Any of those outcomes could remain on the table, it’s just worth wondering now if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has the stomach for a tag that will be north of $40 million and would eat up more than half of Minnesota’s available cap space – and with the backdrop that the club traded up to obtain McCarthy last April.

That said, Darnold, despite all the career upheaval he’s experienced, reaffirmed what he can be with capable coaching and teammates and might only improve if provided the stability he’s never known in the NFL. So often this season, he leveraged the ability so many saw coming out of USC – ripping exquisite throws on designed plays and extending busted ones into positive results, all while minimizing the mistakes that have dogged him in the past … and the last two games. But given he wouldn’t require a cap-crippling contract, he’d be a compelling fallback (and/or safeguard) given McCarthy has yet to take a regular-season snap and entered the league coming off a championship run at Michigan – albeit one when he never had to prove he could carry those uber-talented Wolverines, much less an NFL squad.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

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Indiana Pacers player Bennedict Mathurin has been suspended one game without pay ‘for making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official,’ the NBA announced Wednesday.

The incident happened Tuesday in the Pacers’ 127-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Mathurin was called for a foul on Cavaliers center Evan Mobley after making contact with Mobley’s arm as he drove to the basket. Mathurin didn’t agree with the call and instantly charged toward referee Natalie Sago.

Mathurin clapped his hands in her face as she walked away and bumped his chest into Sago’s back, drawing two technical fouls — and an automatic ejection — in the sequence. Mathurin’s teammates pulled him back in an attempt to defuse the situation, but Mathurin continued to shout toward Sago.

He exited Tuesday’s matchup with 19 points (8-for-12 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), four rebounds, two assist, one steal and one block.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle described the incident as ‘an emotional moment in a game.’ He added, ‘It happens all the time … disagreement on a call. (Mathurin) got run and we just move on.’

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Mathurin expressed remorse for his actions following the game.

‘I went to see Natalie (Sago), and everything’s all right,’ Mathurin told reporters. ‘(I) wanted to apologize for the unfortunate situation. We were able to end on good terms. I wish her to have a great night, and the next time we meet, it’s all friendly.’

Earlier in the game, Mathurin received another technical foul one of three he got in the game for hanging on the rim and pulling himself up after a dunk in the second quarter. It was deemed a ‘non-unsportsmanlike technical foul,’ referee Zach Zarba explained in the NBA’s pool report following Tuesday’s game. Those do not count toward an ejection.

‘One was a non-unsportsmanlike for hanging on the rim, and then two consecutive technical fouls after the foul call,’ Zarba said. ‘And what happened after is that (Evan) Mobley then shot the two free throws for the foul that was originally called on Mathurin.’

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‘Yeah, an ablation on the heart,’ Harbaugh said when asked by reporters at the Chargers’ end-of-year press conference.

Harbaugh briefly left the Chargers’ Week 6 game in Denver after experiencing an atrial flutter, a type of arrhythmia that causes the heart to beat at an abnormally high rate. He was escorted to the locker room during Los Angeles’ first offensive series early in the first quarter by the team’s medical staff. The head coach was treated by doctors in the locker room and his heart returned to normal rhythm. He came back to the contest with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took over as the Chargers’ interim head coach during Harbaugh’s brief absence.

The 61-year-old head coach has dealt with atrial flutter episodes before. He had a flare-up in 2012 when he was the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

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Harbaugh also disclosed that he is set to have hip surgery this offseason as well.

‘Going to get a hip replacement, too,’ Harbaugh said.

The Chargers head coach walked with a noticeable limp during the season.

Harbaugh and the Chargers lost, 32-12, to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs. In Harbaugh’s first year in Los Angeles, the Chargers finished 11-6 during the regular season.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

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Nebraska football super fan Jack Hoffman died from his battle with cancer following a 14-year battle on Wednesday, according to the Team Jack Foundation.

Hoffman, who was 19 years old, was first diagnosed with cancer when he was 5 in 2011. He gained fame in 2013 when he scored a touchdown during a Nebraska spring game. Over the last 14 years, the Team Jack Foundation has raised millions of dollars to support childhood brain cancer research.

‘Jack Hoffman, you will always be our hero.’

In December, the foundation posted on Facebook that Hoffman’s latest scans revealed he had ‘multiple tumor locations.’

Here’s what you need to know about Hoffman:

How old was Jack Hoffman?

Hoffman was born on September 26, 2005, in Atkinson, Nebraska, and died on Jan. 15, 2025, at 19.

Who was Jack Hoffman?

Hoffman was a Nebraska football fan who became famous for scoring a 69-yard touchdown in the 2013 Nebraska spring game, played in front of 60,000 fans at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

After his initial cancer diagnosis, Andy Hoffman ― Jack Hoffman’s father ― reached out to his son’s favorite player, Rex Burkhead, ahead of surgery, and the two formed a friendship. Burkhead played for the Cornhuskers from 2009 to 2012 before a 10-year NFL career.

Then, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini invited Hoffman to the Huskers’ spring game in 2013, and the rest is history. The moment earned him an ESPY and a meeting with then-President Barrack Obama. He also served as the grand marshal of Nebraska’s homecoming parade in 2013.

Team Jack Foundation

Hoffman’s touchdown run in 2013 helped launch the Team Jack Foundation, which was started in 2011 when he was first diagnosed. The initial effort was to sell wristbands and shirts to show support for Hoffman.

The foundation has over $14 million to raise awareness for and support pediatric brain cancer research.

Jack Hoffman Nebraska spring game touchdown run

Hoffman took a handoff from quarterback Taylor Martinez and took it 69 yards for a touchdown.

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ALLEN PARK, Mich. – How tough is it to sack Jayden Daniels?

Za’Darius Smith knows. The veteran defensive end, acquired by the Detroit Lions in a midseason trade, has already been down that road this season. Smith got a full dose of the elusive Washington Commanders rookie in Week 5 while with the Cleveland Browns.

“Ever seen a chicken in a chicken coop? That’s what it’s like,” Smith reflected on Wednesday. “I got him once, but I missed him twice.”

Now looms another shot, with Detroit’s ability to contain Daniels a key subplot for the NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, Fox) at Ford Field.

Daniels rushed for 891 yards during the regular season, second-most to Lamar Jackson (915) among NFL quarterbacks while setting a rookie record for passers. And his 4-yard scramble in the final seconds at Tampa Bay on Sunday night, when he avoided a sack and dashed around right end, set up the game-winning field goal.

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No, it won’t be an easy task for Smith, 32, who has nine sacks on the season. In his 10th NFL season, he’s the most experienced member of the Lions defense. Which also qualifies him to serve up testimony about chasing an increasing number of mobile quarterbacks, such as the 24-year-old Daniels.

“The older I get, the younger the quarterbacks get,” he said with a grin.

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