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ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit . Get local news delivered to your inbox!CHICAGO (AP) — Aidan Laughery rushed for three touchdowns and No. 22 Illinois topped Northwestern 38-28 on Saturday to reach nine victories for the first time since its 2007 Rose Bowl season. Pat Bryant dashed in to score off Luke Altmyer’s 43-yard pass early in the third quarter as Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) struck for touchdowns just over 4 minutes apart early in the third quarter to open a 28-10 lead in what had been a tight game. Altmyer, who threw for 170 yards, had a TD himself on a keeper from the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. David Olano added a field goal in the fourth to cap Illinois' scoring. Laughery, a sophomore running back, rushed for a career-best 172 yards and topped 100 for the first time. He entered with only one TD this season and two for his career. He had a career-long 64-yard run for a score early in the second half. Northwestern’s Devin Turner intercepted Altmyer twice, including for a 13-yard touchdown return late in the first quarter. Thomas Gordon caught Jack Lausch's 15-yard TD pass with a minute left, then the Wildcats added a two-point conversion to complete the scoring. Northwestern (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten) didn’t pack it in as hosted its second game this season at Wrigley Field, this time on a breezy sunny day with game-time temperature of 20 degrees. It looked like the Illini might run away after Bryant’s 10th receiving touchdown 4:52 into the third. He entered tied for the Big Ten lead. But Luke Akers kicked his second field goal of the game, a 34-yarder, with 5:35 left in the third quarter to cut it to 28-13. Lausch led the Wildcats on their next possession and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown toss to A.J. Henning to narrow the Illini lead to 28-20. Then Mac Resetich intercepted Lausch’s pass 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. Laughery powered up the middle for 31 yards and his third TD about two minutes later to quell the Wildcats' momentum. Northwestern dominated in possession time — 34:32 to 25:28 —and plays — 90 to 53. The margin was even more pronounced in the first half, but the Wildcats settled for a 13-yard touchdown return on Turner’s second pick of the game with 2:14 left in the first quarter and Akers’ 21-yard field goal that opened the scoring 6:29 in. Illinois led 14-10 at the half on Laughery’s 30-yard TD run midway through the first quarter and Altmyer’s keeper 1:39 into the second. Akers missed wide to the right on a 44-yard attempt as time ran out in the half. Both teams’ leading pass receivers were injured. Northwestern’s Bryce Kirtz was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a lower-body injury after two receptions that upped his total yards to 598. Illinois’ Bryant went to the locker room with about 5 minutes left in the first half after Turner collided with him as he plucked his second interception. Bryant returned, however, for the second half. Illinois: Is in line for a prestigious bowl game appearance and a chance to tie the school record of 10 wins, most recently set during their 2001 Sugar Bowl season. Northwestern: Finished its second season under coach David Braun at 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats dropped their final three and five of the last six. Illinois is headed to a bowl game. Northwestern opens its 2025 season at Tulane on Aug. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
CHICAGO (AP) — Aidan Laughery rushed for three touchdowns and No. 22 Illinois topped Northwestern 38-28 on Saturday to reach nine victories for the first time since its 2007 Rose Bowl season. Pat Bryant dashed in to score off Luke Altmyer’s 43-yard pass early in the third quarter as Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) struck for touchdowns just over 4 minutes apart early in the third quarter to open a 28-10 lead in what had been a tight game. Bryant's 10th receiving touchdown tied a school record. Altmyer, who threw for 170 yards, had a TD himself on a keeper from the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. David Olano added a field goal in the fourth to cap Illinois' scoring. Laughery, a sophomore running back, rushed for a career-best 172 yards and topped 100 for the first time. He entered with only one TD this season and two for his career. He had a career-long 64-yard run for a score early in the second half. Coach Bret Bielema said he wasn't surprised by Laughery's explosive performance as the Gibson City, Illinois product rounded back into form after being hampered by a hamstring injury earlier this season. “I thought today would be a day that could happen,” Bielema said. “Today some of those turned into big home run hits we've kind of been waiting on all year.” Laughery said he's been prepping for this kind of game, when he carried the ball 12 times for an average of 14.3 yards. “Finally, the opportunity was there,” said Laughery, who got the game ball. “You know you gotta' hit one and it came together today.” He credited the Illini offensive line with opening space for his breakout performance. “Those guys were covering them (Northwestern's defense) all day long,” Laughery said. “It was awesome running behind the looks we were getting” Northwestern’s Devin Turner intercepted Altmyer twice, including for a 13-yard touchdown return late in the first quarter. Thomas Gordon caught Jack Lausch's 15-yard TD pass with a minute left, then the Wildcats added a two-point conversion to complete the scoring. Northwestern (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten) didn’t pack it in as hosted its second game this season at Wrigley Field, this time on a breezy sunny day with game-time temperature of 20 degrees. It looked like the Illini might run away after Bryant’s 10th receiving touchdown 4:52 into the third. He entered tied for the Big Ten lead. But Luke Akers kicked his second field goal of the game, a 34-yarder, with 5:35 left in the third quarter to cut it to 28-13. Lausch led the Wildcats on their next possession and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown toss to A.J. Henning to narrow the Illini lead to 28-20. Then Mac Resetich intercepted Lausch’s pass 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. Laughery powered up the middle for 31 yards and his third TD about two minutes later to quell the Wildcats' momentum. Northwestern dominated in possession time — 34:32 to 25:28 —and plays — 90 to 53. The margin was even more pronounced in the first half, but the Wildcats settled for a 13-yard touchdown return on Turner’s second pick of the game with 2:14 left in the first quarter and Akers’ 21-yard field goal that opened the scoring 6:29 in. Illinois led 14-10 at the half on Laughery’s 30-yard TD run midway through the first quarter and Altmyer’s keeper 1:39 into the second. Akers missed wide to the right on a 44-yard attempt as time ran out in the half. Both teams’ leading pass receivers were injured. Northwestern’s Bryce Kirtz was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a lower-body injury after two receptions that upped his total yards to 598. Illinois’ Bryant went to the locker room with about 5 minutes left in the first half after Turner collided with him as he plucked his second interception. Bryant returned, however, for the second half. Illinois: Is in line for a prestigious bowl game appearance and a chance to tie the school record of 10 wins, most recently set during their 2001 Sugar Bowl season. “We wanted to put ourselves in a good position on this day to get to nine wins and see where it can go,” Bielema said. “Just a fun day overall. I don't know what the future holds. It think we're a team that can play with anybody in the country.” Northwestern: Finished its second season under coach David Braun at 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats dropped their final three and five of the last six. Illinois is headed to a bowl game. Northwestern opens its 2025 season at Tulane on Aug. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
Nance Mace, a South Carolina Representative, recently introduced a bill seeking a ban on transgender individuals from using single-sex facilities. According to the proposed legislation, known as the “Protecting Women’s Private Spaces Act,” the facilities include bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms, on federal property unless they align with their biological sex. Mace’s bill went ahead to define “federal property” as any building or land owned by a U.S. government agency, including the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service, including property owned by the municipal government of Washington, D.C., as well as the governments of U.S. territories. Mace, in a stance which appears to be taking a hit at the transgender women in the House, introduced a bill that will have implications for not just bathrooms in Capitol Hill but various locations like national parks and museums. Speaking on the bill which was introduced on Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day that has been observed every year on November 20th since 1999, Mace said it’s in the interest of women and girls. In a statement on Wednesday, Mace responded to criticisms over the proposed legislation, promising to shamelessly call out the “radical left” for putting “women and girls in harm’s way”. “The radical Left says I’m a ‘threat.’ You better believe it. And I will shamelessly call you out for putting women and girls in harm’s way. Women fought for these spaces, and I will not let them be erased to score political points with a small but loud activist class,” Mace said. Meanwhile, the proposed bill received support from the Republican Speaker Mike Johnson. He also expressed his backing for the ban on transgender women using women’s bathrooms on Capitol Hill. According to him, private restrooms are available in every member office in the Capitol and that unisex bathrooms are accessible throughout the building. Explaining further on her introduction of the legislation, Mace expressed defiance, saying threatening her won’t deter her because she’s determined to use the bill to safeguard the well-being of women and girls. “Did you really think that threatening me would deter me? Think again. I have taken it upon myself to introduce a new bill that will safeguard the well-being of women and girls across the entire nation, on every federal property,” the Republican Mace posted on X. Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel nowIt doesn’t matter how many terrible wars we’re mired in overseas. It doesn’t matter how many seemingly unsolvable social and political problems we face at home. At this time of year, we Americans have the usual Walmart store of blessings to be thankful for. An extra reason for the entire country to give thanks next week is the fact that the long-dreaded 2024 election is finally in our rearview mirror – and for half of us the outcome was a blessing. Thanksgiving is usually a national holiday that doesn’t get stuck in the swamp of partisan politics. But this year the shocking victory of Donald Trump was too much to take for ordinary Democrats and many of our most fragile liberal TV talking heads and pundits. Three weeks after Election Day, most of the liberal media are still in meltdown mode. They are encouraging lame-duck Biden Democrats, the Justice Department, the Coast Guard – anyone who works for the federal government – to do whatever it takes to sabotage Trump’s incoming administration, even before he takes office. Whether it’s risking a nuclear war with Russia by giving gifts of fancy rockets to Ukraine or digging up every speck of old dirt on Trump’s cabinet picks, Democrats and the liberal media are so busy trying to thwart Trump they have little time to give thanks for anything or anyone. Some nasty newspaper columnists and teary-eyed panelists on CNN are so despondent about Trump’s victory they are willing to spoil the love and fun at half of America’s Thanksgiving dinners. They are urging their fellow Democrats not to invite – or to dis-invite – friends and family members to Thanksgiving dinner who voted for Trump or didn’t vote for Kamala Harris. Some MAGA hardheads who are just as dumb are saying they aren’t going to sit down with RINOs who hate Trump and think Mitt Romney is a real Republican. But making our family Thanksgiving tables smaller and smaller because of politics is all wrong. It does nothing but ruin America’s best holiday and further divide the country into partisan bubbles and silos. My father Ronald Reagan never let politics come between friends and family, especially during Thanksgiving during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He had two children with Nancy Reagan, Patti and Ron. In 1980 Patti was a member of the Peace and Freedom Party and didn’t vote for her dad for president. Ron didn’t vote for our father, as far as we know. Both didn’t vote to reelect their father in 1984, either. In fact, Patti and her friend led a peace march in Washington, DC, while her father was president of the United States. Patti also has written highly critical books about her relationships with her father and her mother, mostly her mother. And Ron is a lifelong atheist who makes radio ads saying he’s “not afraid of burning in Hell.” Once while we were having dinner together as a family, my father, a sincere Christian, reached over, grabbed my hand and said, “My only prayer is that before Ron dies, he too will know Jesus like we do.” So each Thanksgiving at the ranch you had two children who were absolutely opposed to their father’s politics eating with him and the rest of the Reagan family. And if you want to know if those bipartisan family turkey dinners were noisy with angry political arguments, the answer is “No.” Nobody was throwing mashed potatoes or drumsticks at each other, either. The point I’m making is that these political people I hear dropping my dad’s name on TV all the time could learn a lot from the way he always put politics in its proper place. So this Thanksgiving, don’t ask “What would Ronald Reagan do?” – do what he did. Invite your whole family and your old friends. Sit down and have a nice turkey dinner with all the fixings. Argue all you want about sports or music. Just don’t ask anyone to pass the politics. Michael Reagan is distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
If you're on the hunt for a new games console in the Black Friday sales, you might want to take a look at PlayStation's virtual reality headset. The PlayStation VR2 has been slashed to £339 at Amazon, marking a whopping £190.99 off its usual price of £529.99 and the cheapest it's ever been, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel . The deal is also available at Currys and Very , while PlayStation Direct is offering it for £349.99. PlayStation has also cut the cost of the PS VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle to £349.99, which is the same price as buying the device on its own. The PS VR2 lets you dive into your PS5 games in virtual reality, boasting 4K HDR visuals and up to 120fps, all displayed on two 2000x2040 OLED screens that offer over four times the resolution of the original PS VR. It also offers a wide 110o field of view and eye tracking, which follows your eye movements for an even more immersive experience, reports the Express . READ MORE: Samsung is giving away free Galaxy Buds3 Pro if you do one thing this Black Friday weekend READ MORE: Grab a PS5 DualSense controller for under £40 in Amazon's Black Friday weekend sale For those in the market for a more affordable virtual reality experience, Meta has recently launched a budget-friendly version of its Quest headset, the Meta Quest 3S . Several retailers have reduced this model for Black Friday including Currys and EE , which offer it for £275, while prices at Meta Direct start at £289.99. The VR2 comes with built-in motor feedback in the headset – providing subtle vibrations that match the in-game action – and 3D Audio for total game immersion. The latest model also features the upgraded PS VR2 Sense controller, letting you interact with virtual items and environments and feel realistic responses through haptic feedback. It's worth noting the PS VR2 requires a PS5 console , with a simple cable one-cable connection linking the headset to your PS5. There are more than 300 top PlayStation games that are compatible with the VR2, including Resident Evil 4 Remake, No Man's Sky and Gran Turismo 7. PlayStation direct also offers a free trial of Horizon Call of the Mountain, a new instalment of the hit franchise designed specifically for the PS VR2. The gadget has racked up a solid 4.3-star rating from 250 reviews on Amazon, 207 of which are four and five-star. 'PS VR2 is the best entry into high-end VR if you have a PS5, the technology is groundbreaking' (Image: (Image: Amazon)) One happy customer said: " PS VR2 is by far the best entry into high-end VR if you have a PS5. It is truly a technological marvel and has given me so much enjoyment. The headset is practically plug and play, which gives it a huge advantage against PCVR, and the package of a PS5/PS VR2 is comparatively inexpensive when factoring in the quality of the experience. When I compared the PS VR2 to the Quest 2 I initially thought it seemed expensive, however, after seeing the gameplay differences it is clear the Quest 2 and the Quest 3 are simply a different type and altogether inferior headsets. The technology is truly groundbreaking and works seamlessly." Another said: "Wow, I can never play a non-VR game again. Set up is easy with on-screen instructions. Picture is clear enough, but won't be anywhere near as sharp as your 4K TV – but it's true 3D, the feeling of realism and depth far outweighs the lack of clarity. It's like saying a cinema screen isn't as sharp as your smaller 4K TV – maybe it isn't, but it's a better experience. [In] Gran Turismo 7 for example, you are literally inside the car, the steering wheel and instruments look like they are really there. It's so realistic; look at the wheel, that's sharp and [the] distance is blurry, look at the distance, the dash is out of focus. It literally behaves like viewing things in the real world." A third satisfied shopper said: "Brilliant piece of tech, perfect for VR gaming. Some of the games are visually mind blowing. The setup is nice and easy, just one cable feeding into the PS5, and once the controllers are set up, you're good to go. Eye tracking is great, your surroundings are blurred out and it focuses solely on what you're looking at directly as the image sharpens, making what you're looking at pop. The rumbles you get in the headset and in the controllers are a great feature and definitely add to the immersion. If you're new to VR games or a big VR gamer, go for it, you won't be disappointed." However, despite their glowing five-star review, the same user highlighted some negatives, stating: "The headset itself isn't comfortable, I might need to mess around with the settings to fit my face better. [Another] drawback is the lack of video apps, as this would make the machine complete. I feel like Sony is missing a trick on this one, they need to put more effort into the software, as the hardware is fantastic."FUTMinna postpones resumption date for new academic session
