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‘Tip of the iceberg’: Senate Republicans press Gov Walz over Minnesota fraud scandal

The entire Senate GOP demanded that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz provide a paper trail on the state’s role in the Minnesota fraud scandal, cranking up the scrutiny in Washington, D.C. in the process. 

In a letter led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Republicans reiterated that Congress controls the flow of taxpayer dollars that are alleged to be used in the unfurling scandal, where federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics.

‘The state’s apparent negligent management of federal funds raises significant concerns about the adequacy of the state’s oversight, verification, and compliance systems for safeguarding taxpayer dollars intended to support vulnerable children and working families,’ they wrote. ‘Unfortunately, these latest reports appear to reflect only the tip of the iceberg.’

They support the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) move earlier this week to freeze funding to several childcare grant programs in the state, including the Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Social Services Block Grant programs.

Cassidy, who chairs the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, called on Walz to provide receipts on several issues and warned that failure to do so could lead to even more streams of federal money flowing to Minnesota drying up. 

In the letter, backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., lawmakers demanded that Walz clarify how the state was complying with federally directed audits and what verification requirements the state has ‘adopted or plans to implement in the near term to support proof of legitimate use of federal child care payments.’ 

They also called for a detailed outline of several issues, like how often the state conducted on-site monitoring, inspections or investigative visits to childcare facilities that received federal dollars, and specifically wanted examples of any information uncovered on fake children, false attendance records, over-billing, ineligible enrollments and shell or fake business structures. 

Lawmakers also demanded to know how many investigations the state has conducted into the matter since 2018, any oversight actions the state has taken, and why the Walz administration has, so far, not complied with a slate of recommendations from a DHS Office of Inspector General report that included action to recover overpayments, strengthen attendance monitoring at childcare facilities and implement real-time electronic attendance reporting.

Cassidy and Senate Republicans gave Walz until Jan. 22 to comply with their slate of requests. 

‘The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse,’ they wrote. ‘And the United States Senate is exercising its duty to ensure proper stewardship of federal taxpayer dollars for child care programs, and we take this responsibility very seriously.’

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GOP senator blocks Trump DHS nominees until Noem testifies before Senate

A Senate Republican intends to block President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nominees until Secretary Kristi Noem appears on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters that he was putting holds on future nominees for the agency because Noem had not yet committed to appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

‘My chairman has made two requests in this Congress to have the Homeland Security Secretary [Kristi Noem] come before the committee, and they have yet to confirm that they’re coming,’ Tillis said. ‘That is unacceptable, and so I am putting a hold on anything related to Homeland Security measures until we get an agreement and a scheduled time to come for committee at the least.’

But he made clear that the blockade was not in response to the death of Renee Nicole Goode, whose fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Wednesday sparked protests.

‘The only thing that moves through Homeland Security where I will consider an exception would be having anything to do with the disaster response,’ he said.

His holds come after Grassley sent two separate invites for Noem to appear before the committee, one in June and the other in September.

It also comes on the heels of Senate Republicans touting their blistering pace to confirm several hundred of Trump’s picks.

Still, the move to block Trump’s DHS picks is another instance of Tillis pushing back against the administration. Tillis announced last year that he would not support Trump’s crowning legislative achievement of his second term, the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ over issues with cuts to Medicaid.

He also announced that he would not seek re-election shortly after and has since on occasion broken ranks with Republicans to push back on the president’s agenda.

Most recently, he pushed back on recent rumblings from the White House and administration officials that military force was not off the table to advance Trump’s desire to control Greenland.

‘I’m sick of stupid,’ Tillis said on the Senate floor earlier this week. ‘I want good advice for this president, because I want this president to have a good legacy. And this nonsense on what’s going on with Greenland is a distraction from the good work he’s doing, and the amateurs who said it was a good idea should lose their jobs.’

Still, Tillis voted against a related resolution on Thursday to curtail Trump’s future usage of the military in Venezuela, which ultimately advanced with the aid of five Senate Republicans. 

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Inside the sea war to contain ‘dark fleet’ vessels — and what the US seizure signals to Russia

The U.S. seizure of the tanker formerly known as Bella I marks a rare escalation in sanctions enforcement against Russia’s so-called ‘dark fleet,’ but experts say the move is unlikely to trigger a broader confrontation with Moscow, at least in the near term.

Analysts largely agree that the interdiction — one of the most direct U.S. actions against a vessel Russia claims was operating under its flag — comes at a moment when the Kremlin has limited appetite for escalation outside Europe and is focused primarily on its war against neighboring Ukraine.

‘This is unique,’ said Brent Sadler, senior research fellow at the Washington conservative Heritage Foundation think tank. 

The U.S. rarely boards foreign-flagged vessels on the high seas unless the ship’s nationality is in doubt, which he said was the case here due to rapid reflagging and a pattern of sanctions violations.

Peter Rough, a senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute think tank, said that the seizure of the tanker reinforces the message that the U.S. is aiming to ‘call the shots in its own backyard.’ Meanwhile, he said that Russia is bogged down fighting its war against Ukraine, meaning it will be challenging for it to engage in a significant way in Latin America. 

Likewise, Russia is also attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration for a favorable outcome in a peace deal ending the conflict with Ukraine, he said. 

‘The Donroe Doctrine,’ as President Donald Trump has called it, fashions the 1823 Monroe Doctrine warning against European expansion into Latin America after himself. 

The empty vessel was seized in international waters during an operation overseen by U.S. European Command. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia dispatched a submarine to escort the tanker after the U.S. attempted to seize it off Venezuela, heightening the risk of a naval standoff between two nuclear-armed states.

Russia has operated a so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers for years to evade sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Wednesday’s seizure marks one of the most direct U.S. enforcement actions to date against a vessel tied to that network.

‘There’s really not a whole lot of cards the Russians have to play at this point,’ Sadler said, anticipating a muted response. 

Rough also noted that similar actions like the one on Wednesday have not triggered major escalation previously. In October, French authorities boarded and detained a Russia-linked tanker suspected of being part of the shadow fleet off the coast of France without sparking a new crisis. 

In that instance, the tanker was not a Russian-flagged vessel. 

‘The upshot is that in light of the administration’s determination to dictate terms on Venezuela-related issues like this and Putin’s desire to work with Trump on what matters most to the Kremlin — Ukraine — I’m inclined to say that Moscow’s response will consist mostly of protesting this action and lodging political and legal complaints,’ Rough said in an email to Fox News Digital. ‘I don’t think it will lead to a full-blown political crisis in U.S.-Russian relations.’

John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also predicted the seizure of the Bella I tanker wouldn’t dramatically impact relations between Washington and Moscow. 

‘I suspect Moscow reacted the way it did because it worries about a precedent that could lead to U.S. interdiction of tankers moving Russian oil,’ Hardie said. ‘That said, I don’t think the Bella incident alone will have significant impact on relations between the Trump administration and Moscow or the peace talks.’

Russia has accused U.S. naval forces of illegally boarding the vessel — which had been reflagged as the Merinera under temporary Russian authorization Dec. 24 — arguing the action violated international maritime law. U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the legal justification for the seizure.

While Moscow’s response has so far been limited to diplomatic and legal objections, the incident has drawn attention because of how unusual the operation was. 

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ defense and security department, said that there are hundreds of sanctioned oil ships in the sea — with at least 100 of them belonging to Russia. If the U.S. started targeting more tankers, that would have a ‘huge’ impact on countries like Russia and Iran, he said. 

‘The one tanker will be an annoyance to Russia, and they’ll complain,’ Cancian told Fox News Digital Wednesday. ‘I think the bigger issue is whether we or other countries, start going after other tankers with sanctioned oil.’ 

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President Trump says there won’t be a ‘second Wave of Attacks’ against Venezuela due to their ‘cooperation’

President Donald Trump announced in an early Friday morning Truth Social post that he has ‘cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks’ against Venezuela in light of the ‘cooperation’ between the foreign nation and the U.S.

‘Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of ‘Seeking Peace.’ This is a very important and smart gesture. The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure. Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes,’ Trump said in the post.

He noted that he will meet with ‘BIG OIL’ figures at the White House on Friday.

‘At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’ he declared in the post.

The president’s comments come after he unilaterally ordered an attack against Venezuela last week in which U.S. forces successfully captured Nicolás Maduro.

Trump noted in a Wednesay Truth Social post, ‘I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal. These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities.’

‘In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’ he added.

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Miami beats Ole Miss with last-minute TD, will play for national title

But Beck and the Hurricanes decided they weren’t done, and the sixth-year senior delivered. Beck capped off a 15-play, 75-yard drive ending in a 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left after making huge throws to set up the scramble.

The Georgia transfer completed 23-of-37 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns to an interception, also rushing for a score. Beck never started in a CFP game at Georgia but is now leading the Hurricanes into the national championship game.

Now, Miami gets to return home, with the Jan. 19 national title game being held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been a storybook run for the Hurricanes, who have gone from CFP bubble team to the national championship, where it’ll face the winner of Indiana and Oregon.

Here are the highlights from Miami’s 31-27 win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.

Fiesta Bowl: Ole Miss vs Miami score

Fiesta Bowl: Ole Miss vs Miami highlights

This section will be updated.

Miami heading to national championship

Chambliss’ throw for the end zone is too long, and Miami comes back to win 31-27. The Hurricanes make a statement and are heading to the national championship game despite barely reaching the CFP.

Ole Miss not done yet

Chambliss hits on gains of 23 and 17 yards to put Ole Miss on Miami’s 35-yard line with five seconds left. The Rebels going to have a shot at the end zone here.

Miami goes on top

Carson Beck takes it himself for a 3-yard touchdown scramble to give Miami a 31-27 lead with 18 seconds left. What a drive for Beck, who leads the Hurricanes on a 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive where he made numerous big throws.

The sixth-year senior quarterback has delivered tonight.

Ole Miss takes lead

Ole Miss and Miami keep trading punches, and the Rebels deliver the latest jab. Trinidad Chambliss finds Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown, then hits Caleb Odom for the 2-point conversion.

The Rebels lead 27-24 with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter after the huge drive by Chambliss.

Miami responds

Carson Beck fires a quick pass to Malachi Toney, who does the rest as he runs 36 yards for the touchdown to give Miami a 24-19 lead with 5:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. It’s a huge response for the Hurricanes, who need only four plays and 1:56 of game clock on the scoring drive.

Ole Miss has to go find the end zone now.

Ole Miss takes lead

Miami holds Ole Miss out of the end zone, although the Rebels take a 19-17 lead on a 21-yard field goal by Lucas Carneiro. Ole Miss caps off its 13-play, 86-yard drive inside Miami’s 5-yard line without a touchdown.

Xavier Lucas disqualified for targeting

Xavier Lucas is called for targeting on Cayden Lee on a third-and-9 catch for a first down. The play results in a 15-yard penalty and Lucas being disqualified for the remainder of the game and likely the first half of the national championship game, should Miami win.

Kewan Lacy re-enters

Kewan Lacy takes his first carry of the second half. He’s now wearing a sleeve on his right leg as he battles a hamstring injury.

Ole Miss forces punt after back-to-back sacks

Ole Miss gets to Carson Beck on second and third down sacks by Suntarine Perkins and Will Echoles, respectively. The Rebels are up to four sacks on the night and have a chance to take the lead with 12:19 left in the fourth quarter.

This one is shaping up to have a fun finish.

Ole Miss makes field goal

Lucas Carneiro hits the upright again, however this time it doinks in for a 54-yard field goal make. Ole Miss trails 17-16 with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.

Carneiro is 3-of-4 on field goal attempts tonight.

Ole Miss intercepts Carson Beck

Ole Miss gets a huge turnover, as Carson Beck’s pass is tipped into the air at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Kapena Gushiken in the red zone.

The Rebels take over at their own 24-yard line after the huge play, which keeps Miami from potentially taking a two-score lead late in the third quarter. Ole Miss still trails 17-13.

Ole Miss misses field goal

Multiple Miami defenders bobble a would-be interception on third-and-10, but it doesn’t matter as Lucas Carneiro misses a 51-yard field goal off the left upright. The miss is Carneiro’s first of his eight field goal attempts in the College Football Playoff.

Miami misses field goal

Carter Davis misses a 51-yard field goal to end the opening drive of the second half. Miami was set behind the chains on an intentional grounding penalty from Carson Beck, which came after Ole Miss dialed up some pressure.

Kewan Lacy injury update

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy is dealing with a hamstring injury, and coach Pete Golding told ESPN’s Holly Rowe at halftime that the team would go over his issue in the locker room. Losing Lacy, who led the SEC in rushing touchdowns this season, would be a huge blow for the Rebels.

Lacy appeared to suffer the injury on his touchdown run in the second quarter and hasn’t appeared since.

Read more on Lacy’s status here.

Lucas Carneiro hits deep field goal

Wow, Lucas Carneiro sinks a 58-yard field goal to reduce Ole Miss deficit to 17-13 with 11 seconds before halftime. That kick would’ve been good from much deeper than 58 yards, as it had plenty of distance.

Ole Miss punts

Ole Miss hasn’t found much success offensively outside of Kewan Lacy’s long touchdown run. The Rebels have gained 43 yards on 17 plays outside of the 73-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Trinidad Chambliss is 6-of-8 passing for 42 yards.

Miami scores again

Keelan Marion is wide open downfield, and Carson Beck hits him easily for a 52-yard touchdown. Looks like a busted coverage by Ole Miss.

Beck is off to a fabulous start, as he has completed 14-of-18 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown. His yardage is already more than he had against Texas A&M and Ohio State in Miami’s other CFP wins.

Ole Miss ties it

Lucas Carneiro, the hero of Ole Miss’ win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, hits from 42 yards out to even the score at 10-10 with 4:38 left before halftime.

Miami might have been bailed out there, as it avoids being flagged for a late hit on Chambliss on third-and-7 from the 24-yard line.

Miami responds with long scoring drive

Miami responds with a huge drive ending in a 4-yard touchdown run by CharMar Brown to regain the lead. The Hurricanes take a whopping 7:41 of game clock after the 15-play, 75-yard drive.

Miami’s blueprint of long, grinding drives in the CFP continues to work.

Ole Miss strikes

All it takes is one play for this Ole Miss offense. Kewan Lacy houses a handoff after outrunning Miami for a 73-yard touchdown. The Rebels lead 7-3 after the first play of the second quarter, gaining its first first down of the game in the process.

Miami punts

A holding penalty and a false start on third-and-9 result in Miami punting on its second possession. Ole Miss takes over on its own 20-yard line and can likely run a play before the first quarter ends.

Miami forces another three-and-out

This Miami defensive just keeps getting pressure, as it has all postseason. The Hurricanes force another three-and-out and are living in the backfield so far, making things quite uncomfortable for Chambliss.

Miami takes 3-0 lead

Miami caps off a 13-play, 44-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Hurricanes’ drive burns 6:59 of clock as Beck attempts four passes.

Ole Miss goes three-and-out

Miami picks up right where it left off defensively, forcing Ole Miss to a three-and-out. The Hurricanes take over with good field position on their own 45-yard line.

Ole Miss starts on offense

The first of two CFP semifinal games is underway. Ole Miss starts with possession in the Fiesta Bowl, and here comes Trinidad Chambliss.

Nick Saban assistants in CFP

All four remaining head coaches in the CFP are former assistants under Nick Saban at Alabama, including Ole Miss’ Pete Golding and Miami’s Mario Cristobal. ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ asked each coach what they learned from Saban:

Will Trinidad Chambliss play next season?

Chambliss is currently awaiting a decision from the NCAA for a retroactive redshirt for the 2022 season, which would allow him to play the 2026 season.

The fifth-year senior spent four seasons at Ferris State, although he redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 before sitting out in 2022 as he battled health issues. He has already agreed to return to Ole Miss for next season, should he receive the eligibility waiver.

Mark Fletcher stats

Miami running back Mark Fletcher has been the Hurricanes’ best offensive player in the CFP so far. Here’s a look at how he performed in Miami’s two CFP wins, along with his season stats.

vs. Ohio State: 19 carries for 90 yards with two receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown
at Texas A&M: 17 carries for 172 yards
2025-26 stats: 177 carries for 943 yards with 10 touchdowns; 16 receptions for 132 yards with two touchdowns

Where is Miami vs Ole Miss game today?

Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

Miami and Ole Miss will face in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play their home games.

What TV channel is Miami vs Ole Miss on today?

TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

The CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal between Miami and Ole Miss will air nationally on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) calling the game and Holly Rowe serving as the sideline reporter.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Miami vs Ole Miss time today

Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)

Miami and Ole Miss are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Miami vs Ole Miss predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Sunday, Jan. 4

Spread: Miami (-3.5)
Over/under: 51.5
Moneyline: Miami (-180) | Ole Miss (+150)

Prediction: Ole Miss 27, Miami 20

The magical run for Ole Miss continues, while the clock strikes midnight for Cristobal and Miami’s run. While the Hurricanes’ defense has carried them, Chambliss presents a different challenge and continues to make heroic plays to help the Rebels advance to the championship game. — Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY.

Here’s who experts within the USA TODAY Sports Network picked to win the Fiesta Bowl:

Ole Miss 31, Miami 24: The Hurricanes’ pass rush put Julian Sayin in a blender in the Cotton Bowl. Trinidad Chambliss’ mobility and whirling dervish style should give the Rebels’ offense a chance the Buckeyes never had. On the other side of the ball, I trust Pete Golding to scheme up a defense that forces Carson Beck to win the game. Beck hasn’t thrown for more than 150 yards in either of Miami’s CFP wins, while the Rebels have proven you’ll need to score more than 24 points to beat them – heck, you may have to score 40. — Matt Glenesk, USA TODAY
Ole Miss 23, Miami 7: Miami has come out and exceeded all expectations, and that should be recognized. Beating Texas A&M and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks is huge for a program that backed into the CFP at the last moment. But Pete Golding proved his mettle as a coach going toe-to-toe against an SEC behemoth in Georgia, and he should find a way to make Carson Beck’s life difficult. Combine that with how difficult it is to contain Trinidad Chambliss, despite the utterly elite pass rushers Miami has, and it’s a tough matchup for Miami. To its credit, the past two have been tough as well. But the buck stops in Glendale. — Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY
Miami 27, Ole Miss 23: At some point —and this may just be stubbornly holding on to a week-old opinion — the inherent instability and awkwardness of the Rebels’ situation is going to be a factor, though it obviously hasn’t through two games in the playoff. Trinidad Chambliss is mesmerizing, but he hasn’t faced a pass rush quite as ferocious as Miami’s, and the Hurricanes’ offense will do just enough to keep their run going all the way to the title game. The prospect of a turnover-filled dud for Carson Beck only makes me so confident in this pick, though. — Craig Meyer, USA TODAY

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Phillies will meet with one of top remaining free agents

The Philadelphia Phillies, frustrated in their negotiations to bring back free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, are looking into the possibility of shaking up their roster and finding a creative way to add free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, a high-ranking Phillies executive told USA TODAY Sports.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing talks, but confirmed a report by The Athletic that the Phillies scheduled a virtual meeting with Bichette on Monday, Jan. 12 to discuss the possibility of joining the Phillies.

Two Phillies executives cautioned that signing Bichette remains a long-shot, insisting it would be complicated and involve significant roster changes, but that it’s certainly possible.

The Phillies would have to cut off negotiations with Realmuto, trade third baseman Alec Bohm and his $10.2 million salary, find a team who would take right fielder Nick Castellanos and pay at least a small portion of his $20 million salary, and perhaps move others as well.

The Phillies’ interest in potentially signing Bichette came about after the holidays when Bichette expressed a desire in playing for them, particularly after the hiring last week of Don Mattingly as their bench coach. Mattingly was the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach the past three years and became close to Bichette.

Bichette, 27, who has played shortstop throughout his career, also said he would be willing to move to second base, where he appeared during the World Series, or even third base.

Certainly, there is competition for Bichette, who is seeking a long-term deal likely worth at least $250 million. If the Boston Red Sox can’t re-sign shortstop Alex Bregman, they’ll turn to Bichette. The Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in both infielders. The Los Angeles Dodgers would gladly sign Bichette if he was interested on a short-term contract. And the door isn’t shut on a return to Toronto, where he has spent his entire career.

Still, with a projected luxury payroll of about $300 million, according to Spotrac, the Phillies say they would need to clear salary for Bichette. They would also need to find a catcher to replace Realmuto, 35, their three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, who has been instrumental in their four-year playoff run.

The Phillies say they’re serious, and perhaps by next week we’ll find out just how realistic this could actually become, with Bichette being the latest high-priced star to join the Phillies.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

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Did Miami commit pass interference on Ole Miss Hail Mary attempt?

The Fiesta Bowl matchup between No. 6 Mississippi and No. 10 Miami turned into an instant classic, with the Hurricanes coming from behind to win 31-27 and advance to the College Football Playoff championship game.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true CFP game without at least a little controversy — and the Hurricanes and Rebels delivered on the game’s final play.

After giving up a 3-yard go-ahead touchdown to Carson Beck with 18 seconds left, Ole Miss advanced to the Miami 35-yard line as Trinidad Chambliss completed passes of 23 and 17 yards, respectively, to set up one final shot at the end zone. Ultimately, his pass to De’Zhaun Stribling fell incomplete, with Miami defensive back Ethan O’Connor in defense.

However, Chambliss and the Ole Miss sideline were quick to call for a flag in the immediate aftermath of the incompletion, believing O’Connor had committed pass interference, which — had officials thrown a flag — would have set up another shot at the end zone, this time from the 20-yard line. Officials swallowed their whistles, ending the game.

Here’s a look at the play:

Here’s another vantage of the play, which shows O’Connor grabbing onto Stribling’s jersey as they both ran to the back of the end zone. O’Connor also appears to impede Stribling’s chances at making a play on the ball.

Ultimately, officials elected not to call pass interference, and Ole Miss fans and neutral observers alike weren’t happy officials did not call what they believed to be a game-changing penalty:

Did Miami commit pass interference? Social media reacts

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Heat vs. Bulls postponed due to court issue

Thursday night’s Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls game has been postponed ‘due to moisture on the floor rendering the court unplayable,’ the NBA said in a statement.

The announcement that the game at Chicago’s United Center was off came nearly two hours after the contest was supposed to tip off.

Per the NBA, ‘the date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.’

The Jan. 8 game was scheduled to start a little after 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local). CHSN’s K.C. Johnson had reported at 8:49 p.m. ET that players had returned to the locker room and at 9:46 p.m. ET, Johnson reported that players had come back out to ‘mingle/talk and now are headed back to locker room.’

The Bulls said tickets for Thursday’s game ‘will be valid for the rescheduled game.’

‘We apologize for any inconvenience,’ the Bulls said.

Johnson reported the decision to postpone ‘was reached by the NBA in consultation with the officiating crew and both head coaches.’

‘We always want to try to go. But players were complaining about it on both sides,’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Johnson. ‘Staff went out there and pretty much immediately we felt that it wasn’t playable.’

This story has been updated with new information.

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Maxim Naumov pays tribute to parents at US figure skating championships

Figure skater Maxim Naumov honored his late parents with his short program at the U.S. championships.
Naumov’s parents, both former Olympic skaters, were killed in a plane crash in January 2025.
He held a photo of his parents while awaiting his score, which temporarily put him in first place.
Naumov finished the short program in fourth place and is a contender for a spot on the 2026 U.S. Olympic team.

ST. LOUIS — Maxim Naumov wasn’t going to find out his score alone.

As the 24-year-old figure skater awaited the results of his short program at the U.S. championships on Thursday, he pulled out a photo. It was a picture of him, about 3 years old, holding hands with his mom and dad. It was the first time on the ice with white skates.

Naumov’s parents, Russian Olympic pair skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were two of the 67 people killed in the January 2025 plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, that devastated the figure skating community. Vadim and Evgenia were two of the 28 coaches, young skaters and parents who were returning from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, held in conjunction with last year’s 2025 U.S. nationals.

Naumov gave the photo a kiss. All he could think about were their smiles and what they would say to him.

The score was revealed. An 85.72. It put Naumov in first place for the moment. He burst into tears, holding that photo to his face as the crowd erupted in ovation.

It was his parents who got him on the ice, and in one of the biggest moments of his career, they were there to hold him one more time. 

“This program is very meaningful to me, and I spent so much time in practice connecting with it and evolving it and developing it to be as good as I can possibly make it,” Naumov told USA TODAY Sports. “To go out there and really share that emotion with everybody has been unreal.”

It’s been an emotional 12 months for Naumov. He didn’t know if he was going to continue competing after he lost his parents. But he decided to return to the ice, and it led to the beautiful moment inside Enterprise Center.

Anticipation had been building. The crowd gave him one of the loudest cheers of the night when he was announced for the warmups, and it only got louder when it was his time to take the ice. He told the NBC broadcast his family has a mantra: We have to fight. He was repeating it in his head as he walked the hallway before his performance.

He admitted it wasn’t a perfect skate, adding his dad probably would’ve told him to be “a little bit more confident.” However, he landed his jumps and avoided any major tumbles. He conveyed the emotions of the skate, the crowd taking the journey alongside him.

“I felt like I learned something new about myself every single competition that I did. Something new to work on after each one, something to focus on, something to drill in training, all leading up to this exact thing right here,” Naumov said. “It wasn’t perfect, but we still did so many of the things that we worked on, and I continue to do so.”

When he finished and he sat on the ice, the audience gave him a standing ovation. He soaked up all of it as he looked around the arena to see all the people applauding him.

“Sharing the vulnerability with the audience and me feeling their energy back has been something I remember for the rest of my life,” he said.

By the end of everyone’s short program, Naumov was in fourth place, less than three points behind third-place Jason Brown. He finished fourth at each of the last three nationals, but there is a chance for him to finish this year on the podium – and possibly achieve more by the end of the weekend.

Naumov is in the conversation to claim one of the three men’s spots the U.S. has for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Ilia Malinin is a shoe-in and Jason Brown will likely get the second selection, but the third spot is completely up for grabs. It could go to Naumov, Tomoki Hiwatashi, Andrew Torgashev or another skater.

Naumov has his eyes set on achieving “the ultimate goal” of his first Winter Olympics. He said one of the last conversations he had with his parents was about making it to Milano Cortina.

If he does get the nod, it won’t just be a major accomplishment, but also one of the biggest stories at the Games. But if he doesn’t, he has shown he is one of the most resilient skaters in the world, becoming someone you can’t help but root for.

“Even at a time like this, having the opportunity to be here again was just another example of how capable I am in really difficult times,” Naumov said. 

And he’s done it with mom and dad by his side.

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This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Politics

Trump plans to meet with Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado next week

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Washington next week.

During an appearance on Fox News’ ‘Hannity,’ Trump was asked if he intends to meet with Machado after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro.

‘Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,’ Trump said.

This will be Trump’s first meeting with Machado, who the U.S. president stated ‘doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country’ to lead.

According to reports, Trump’s refusal to support Machado was linked to her accepting the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump believed he deserved.

But Trump later told NBC News that while he believed Machado should not have won the award, her acceptance of the prize had ‘nothing to do with my decision’ about the prospect of her leading Venezuela.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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