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Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Editors
·5 min read

USMNT knocked out of World Cup

With a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16, the United States men's team was eliminated from the World Cup Saturday. After showing composure well beyond their years throughout the group stage, the Americans had a series of uncharacteristic miscues Saturday that doomed any chance they had of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 20 years. A defense that had been so solid fell apart three times, and the Netherlands made them pay each time.

Expectations were high for a USMNT with a core of young, rising stars who play in some of the top European leagues, and they avoided disappointment by advancing to the knockout rounds. But the exit in the round of 16 was the same result as 2010 and 2014, and coach Gregg Berhalter's future with the team is unclear. The U.S. will have another chance to prove itself on the international stage during next summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup, and it is guaranteed a spot in the 2026 World Cup as the co-host with Mexico and Canada.

American coach Gregg Berhalter and Christian Pulisic react after the loss to the Netherlands.
American coach Gregg Berhalter and Christian Pulisic react after the loss to the Netherlands.

Russia rejects price cap on its oil, warns of cutoffs

Russian authorities rejected a price cap on the country's oil set by Ukraine's Western supporters and threatened Saturday to stop supplying the nations that endorsed it. Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, the United States and the 27-nation European Union agreed Friday to cap what they would pay for Russian oil at $60-per-barrel. The limit is set to take effect Monday, along with an EU embargo on Russian oil shipped by sea.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Sunday called for a global ban on oil price caps, saying the limit "runs counter to all the rules of the World Trade Organization."

Ukrainian military vehicle pass by the village of Zarichne, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.
Ukrainian military vehicle pass by the village of Zarichne, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.

Real quick

South Carolina moves to first in Democrats' presidential selection process

Democrats voted to make history on Friday by emphasizing and elevating Black voices in the early days of the presidential nominating process, creating a seismic shift in the way America chooses its leaders. Iowa will no longer host its first-in-the-nation caucuses under the plan put forward by President Joe Biden and approved by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee. Instead, South Carolina — a state with a substantial Black population that helped deliver the nomination to Biden in 2020 — will lead an early voting window that will be significantly more diverse than in years past. Nevada, New Hampshire, Georgia and Michigan will follow — a slate of states that the committee says will reflect the many pockets of diversity that make up the party’s growing base.

Attendees hold letters that read "CAUCUS" during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg at Northwest Junior High, in Coralville, Iowa on Feb. 2, 2020.
Attendees hold letters that read "CAUCUS" during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg at Northwest Junior High, in Coralville, Iowa on Feb. 2, 2020.

College Football playoff field is set

SEC champion Georgia secured the top seed when the College Football Playoff committee revealed this season's semifinal matchups on Sunday, with Michigan, TCU and Ohio State rounding out the field. Georgia and undefeated Big Ten champs Michigan were no surprise, but there was suspense over the final two berths after TCU and Southern California — third and fourth last week — lost their conference championship games. Ultimately, the Horned Frogs were rewarded for their unbeaten regular season and seeded third, while the Trojans' second defeat at the hands of Utah opened the door for one-loss Ohio State to claim the fourth spot. Georgia and Ohio State will play in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, while Michigan and TCU will face off in the Fiesta Bowl on the same day.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett raises the SEC Championship MVP trophy after the Bulldogs' conference title game victory against LSU on Saturday. Georgia claimed the top seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings and will play Ohio State in the Peach Bowl for a berth in the national championship game.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett raises the SEC Championship MVP trophy after the Bulldogs' conference title game victory against LSU on Saturday. Georgia claimed the top seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings and will play Ohio State in the Peach Bowl for a berth in the national championship game.

'Twitter files': Emails reveal internal struggle on handling of Hunter Biden laptop

Elon Musk promoted a series of tweets Friday that shows Twitter executives struggled with handling tweets surrounding a report on Hunter Biden's laptop before the 2020 presidential election as the company took steps to block it. Musk, the Twitter CEO who last month urged his followers to vote for Republicans, seemed to push the material to expose what he claims is the political left's grip over Big Tech. A lengthy Twitter thread by journalist Matt Taibbi detailed internal documents that Musk apparently fed Taibbi, focused on the debate within Twitter over whether censoring tweets promoting a 2020 New York Post story on Hunter Biden's laptop was the right call. Taibbi said he had to "agree to certain conditions" to report on the story but did not disclose what they were. Here's what the documents show – and what they don't. 

Elon Musk promoted a series of tweets Friday that shows Twitter executives struggled with handling tweets surrounding a report on Hunter Biden's laptop before the 2020 presidential election as the company took steps to block it.
Elon Musk promoted a series of tweets Friday that shows Twitter executives struggled with handling tweets surrounding a report on Hunter Biden's laptop before the 2020 presidential election as the company took steps to block it.

Arrests made in slaying of Migos rapper Takeoff

Police arrested and charged a man in the killing of Migos rapper Takeoff, the Houston Police Department announced in a press conference Friday. Police Chief Troy Finner said Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, was arrested Thursday night and charged with the murder of Takeoff. Another suspect, Cameron Joshua, 22, was arrested on Nov. 22 and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. The shooting occurred outside a private party that involved a "lucrative dice game," HPD Sgt. Michael Burrow said. An argument unfolded outside, which led to the shooting. Takeoff was unarmed and not involved in the dice game. The HPD announced in a press conference Friday that Takeoff was an "innocent bystander."

Takeoff of Migos performs onstage during Global Citizen Live on Sept. 25, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. Takeoff, 28, was shot and killed on Oct. 31, 2022, in Houston, TX.
Takeoff of Migos performs onstage during Global Citizen Live on Sept. 25, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. Takeoff, 28, was shot and killed on Oct. 31, 2022, in Houston, TX.

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Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weekend's biggest news: USMNT out of World Cup, Russia rejects oil cap, and DNC changes primary order