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Department of Justice officials, citing privilege, did not disclose details on the legal advice given to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the decision to continue the deportation of more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador in March.

The declarations filed in court Friday are a response to a contempt inquiry initiated by U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who is determining whetherNoem or anyone elseshould be referred for potential contempt prosecution.

The court filings Friday were submitted after DOJ lawyers said in a filing last week that Noem directed the deportation flights to continue despite Boasberg's order to return the planes to the U.S. as he heard a legal challenge to the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport the Venezuelans, whom the Trump administration accused of being gang members.

Judge weighs potential contempt prosecution referral for Kristi Noem in El Salvador deportations

In her declaration, Noem confirmed she made the decision to continue the transfer of the detainees after receiving legal advice from DOJ leadership and from Joseph Mazarra, the acting general counsel of DHS.

In the filings Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, a DOJ official in March who is now a U.S. circuit judge, declined to provide details on the "privileged" legal advice they gave to Noem.

"DOJ has not authorized me to disclose privileged information in this declaration," Bove said.

Mazarra, in his declaration, said that he analyzed Judge Boasberg'sorder that sought to block the deportationsand then provided Noem with legal advice.

"DHS had removed these terrorists from the U.S. before this Court issued any order (or oral statement regarding their removal)," Mazarra wrote in the filing Friday.

In a separate filing, DOJ attorneys said it would be "prejudicial and constitutionally improper" to compel testimony from the officials who submitted declarations in advance of a referral for prosecution.

Judge says he will move forward with contempt inquiry into AEA deportations

"[The] Court has all the information it needs to make a referral if it believes one to be justified, and further factual inquiry by the Court would raise constitutional and privilege concerns," the DOJ attorneys stated.

In response to the declarations, Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which has challenged the AEA deportations in court, told ABC News "the Trump administration is again refusing to cooperate with a federal court."

In March, the Trump administration invoked the AEA -- an 18th-century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process -- to deport two planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a "hybrid criminal state" that is invading the United States.

In a March 15 court hearing, Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order and ordered that the planes carrying the detainees be turned around, but Justice Department attorneys have said his oral instructions directing the flight to be returned were defective, and the deportations proceeded as planned.

Boasberg's earlier finding that the Trump administration likely acted in contempt was halted for months after an appeals courtissued an emergency stay. A federal appeals court last monthdeclined to reinstateBoasberg's original order, but the ruling allowed him to move forward with his fact-finding inquiry.

England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia, while Scotland have been drawn alongside Brazil at next summer's tournament.

Thomas Tuchel's England will open their tournament in Dallas or Toronto on Wednesday, 17 June, before also facing Ghana and Panama in Group L.

Scotland's first match at the men's World Cup for 28 years will be against Haiti on Saturday, 13 June, in Boston or New York, followed by matches against Morocco and Brazil in Group C.

Wales or Northern Ireland would join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B, should either come through two rounds of Uefa play-off matches in March.

The Republic of Ireland could meet Mexico, South Africa and South Korea if they qualify.

The first-ever 48-team World Cup will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States between 11 June and 19 July 2026.

World Cup 2026 draw in full

*Uefa play-off A: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland

*Uefa play-off B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden

*Uefa play-off C: Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania

*Uefa play-off D: Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia

*Fifa play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia

*Fifa play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname

Where and when each nation will play their matches will be confirmed in a separate draw on Saturday at 17:00 GMT, but there is some certainty at this stage.

After their opener against Croatia - which comes six days after the tournament gets under way - England will play Ghana on Tuesday, 23 June in Toronto or Boston, before their final group game against Panama on Saturday, 27 June in Philadelphia or New York.

Following their first men's World Cup match since 1998 against Haiti, Scotland face Morocco on Friday, 19 June in Boston or Philadelphia, while their meeting with Brazil takes place on Wednesday, 24 June in Atlanta or Miami.

Mexico will take on South Africa at Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the expanded tournament, which will involve 104 matches across 16 cities.

In a major change to the draw, the top four nations in the Fifa world rankings - Spain, Argentina, France and England - have been awarded special seedings which ensure they cannot meet until the semi-finals, assuming each wins their group.

England, the Euro 2024 runners-up, could meet the winner of Brazil's group in the quarter-finals.

If they win Group L, the Three Lions will face one of the eight best-performing third-placed sides in the first round of knockout matches.

Drawn from pot three, Scotland must play Fifa's fifth and 11th best-ranked nations in Brazil - who they will face for a fifth time at a World Cup - and Morocco as they bid to reach the knockout stage.

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There will be 12 groups of four teams at next summer's tournament. The groups were drawn from four pots, into which teams had been placed based on their position in Fifa's rankings.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stages, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

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England verdict: 'Difficult group, difficult opener'

England head coach Tuchel oversaw a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, his team winning all their eight matches without conceding a goal.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the draw, the German said: "Difficult group, difficult opener. Croatia and Ghana [are] two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations. Panama I don't know much about at the moment, but we will before the tournament starts.

"For me, I've only experienced group football in Champions League formats and the way to approach it was to always give it the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now, but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive."

Croatia were the highest-ranked nation England could have drawn from pot two, and they are the side England lost to in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

In the group stage at that same tournament, England defeated Panama 6-1.

"Nobody should be underestimated. Of course Croatia is the standout nation but Ghana is always full of talent, can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football," Tuchel said.

"Panama will try to make the most of their underdog role. No-one can be underestimated, everyone deserves the fullest respect."

Scotland verdict: 'We'll bring a little bit of magic'

Scotland stunned Denmark with two stoppage-time goals as they secured World Cup qualification in a dramatic winner-takes-all final group game last month.

Nearly three decades after their most recent men's World Cup appearance, they will meet two of the nations they faced at France 98 in Brazil and Morocco, plus the lesser-known quantity of Haiti.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke told BBC Sport: "The draw is fantastic. One of the big things in my head was no European teams, so we're playing three top sides from three different continents of the world and that's what the World Cup is about."

Looking ahead to facing record five-time champions Brazil, Clarke said: "We are going to bring a little bit of magic as well, hopefully.

"It's great to play them. To go back to 1998, when Brazil and Morocco were in the group, that's a little bit of fate."

A World Cup of '104 Super Bowls'

US President Donald Trump was awarded the new Fifa Peace Prize during a star-studded draw ceremony which lasted for more than two hours in Washington DC.

Trump was presented with a trophy, medal and certificate by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and said the award, introduced to recognise an individual's actions for peace and unity, was "one of the great honours of my life".

Fifa president Infantino described the 2026 World Cup for American viewers as equivalent to watching "104 Super Bowls in one month".

The event was presented by comedian Kevin Hart, model Heidi Klum and actor Danny Ramirez, and featured live music performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Lauryn Hill.

Former England and Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand conducted the draw, accompanied by American sporting greats Tom Brady, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O'Neal, and Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

Co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States had pre-determined group positions to ensure they will contest all group matches in their own countries.

But Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum each drew their own nation's ball to begin proceedings.

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Ed Bambas will soon ring up his last can of corn.

The 88-year-old Michigan grocery worker was handed an oversized check for $1.7 million Friday, the result of a remarkable fundraising campaign by a young Australian man with an extraordinary following on social media.

"No, no," Bambas said, wiping tears and sniffles in front of reporters. "Thank you. Oh, my God."

Sam Weidenhofer, 22, is using his powerful platforms to spread kindness — and money — on a visit to the United States.

He met Bambas at a Meijer store in Brighton in southeastern Michigan about two weeks ago and recorded a TikTok video for his 7.7 million followers in which the General Motors retiree explained why he's still working as he approaches 90, following the death of his wife, Joan, after a chronic illness in 2018.

"I don't have enough income," Bambas said on the video.

Weidenhofer in turn launched an online GoFundMe drive, urging people to help Bambas.

"His story is a stark reminder that too many of our seniors, especially veterans face incredible challenges just to survive," said Weidenhofer, who's from Melbourne, Australia, and has more than 10 million followers on various social media sites.

The response was dizzying: More than 15,000 people have pitched in with donations ranging from $10 to $10,000.

"It means a terrible burden," Bambas jokingly told reporters. "I have to find everybody and say, 'thank you.'"

He said he started working at Meijer, a big-box store with groceries, clothes and other items, at age 82.

"I talk to everybody that came through my cashier line because it helped me not become despondent on her loss. … I gave them a piece of my life story," Bambas said, referring to his wife.

Lexi Wallace, 26, who used to be a regular customer before moving away, went on Weidenhofer's Facebook page and urged him to find Bambas.

"I thought his name was Bob. He never corrected me," Wallace said. "I would love going to Meijer to see him."

Weidenhofer said Bambas will be able to clear $225,000 in debt with the windfall. How he spends the rest of the money is totally up to him.

"It feels like a dream," Weidenhofer said.

Bambas wants to travel to see his brother and pick up golf again. As for work, he's not quitting his cashier post yet.

"I'll probably work another month or two and shut things down," he said.

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No. 18 Kentucky was already one of the most disappointing teams in the country. Then it lost by 35 points in front of a mostly UK partisan crowd.

The dam broke on Friday for the Wildcats, who entered a game against No. 11 Gonzaga with a 5-3 record and exited with a 5-4 record. The final score: 94-59.

The game started badly and ended badly for Kentucky. Gonzaga began the game with a 19-2 run and was up 43-20 at halftime. As the Wildcats players began the trek to the locker room, the fans at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville showered them with boos.

With UK's campus much closer than Gonzaga's, the crowd was almost entirely Wildcats fans. And they made their voices heard.

Yeeshpic.twitter.com/QKkAOH8mLb

— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle)December 6, 2025

Kentucky getting booed off the court trailing 43-20 at halftimepic.twitter.com/KJYDzYTAiz

— Tyler Russell (@TylerJRuss)December 6, 2025

The second half was no better. Overall, Kentucky was 16-of-60 from the field (27%) and got outrebounded 43-31. Gonzaga, meanwhile, shot 36-of-63 (57%) and was 9-of-18 from 3-point range. Graham Ike led all players with 28 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes.

After the game, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said his team deserved the boos, with himself the most deserving:

"We've diminished into a bad spot right now and we have to dig ourselves out of it. It's going to be an internal group thing and we feel the responsibility we have to this university and this fan base. All the boos we heard tonight were incredibly well-deserved, mostly from me. We have to fix it."

Kentucky began the season ranked No. 9 in the country after going 24-12 in Pope's first season in charge. To bolster last year's group, the Wildcats spent big on a transfer class that included Arizona State's Jayden Quaintance, Pitt's Jaland Lowe, Florida's Denzel Aberdeen and Alabama's Mouhamed Dioubate.The reported price tag for the roster: $22 million.

It seemed like a formidable group if Pope could get all the new talent on the same page, but the team has now lost all four of its games against ranked opponents. The Louisville loss was embarrassing. The Michigan State game was out of reach the entire second half. The UNC loss was a gut punch.

And now, a 35-point loss. Don't expect them to ranked come Monday.

To be fair, health has not been on Kentucky's side so far. Quaintance, a lottery pick-level talent, is still recovering from a torn ACL and Dioubate missed his fourth straight game due to a sprained ankle. Lowe returned from a shoulder injury Friday and posted zero points on 0-of-5 shooting from the bench.

Still, Kentucky teams, even short-handed ones, aren't supposed to lose by 30-plus. The program is a blue blood, with immense resources and expectations to match. Pope seems well aware of that, and his program will get two more shots against ranked opponents this month — home against No. 22 Indiana and a matchup against No. 23 St. John's in Atlanta — before conference play starts in the new year.

Lane Kiffin's trip to Atlanta for ESPN's "College GameDay" is off. According to Kiffin, anyway.

The new LSU coach posted to social media Friday evening that his jaunt to Georgia would not happen after LSU got the signature of No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown. The Louisiana native and five-star player officially signed with LSU on Friday, the last day of the early signing period for high school players.

Kiffin's appearance on "GameDay" Saturday morning could still happen via remote interview.

Welp had to stay in BR and still finishing some things out with players and a coach!! 🐯🐯Won't make it to Atlanta for@CollegeGameDay#WhatAGreatFridayhttps://t.co/I5H449u1gw

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin)December 6, 2025

Brown has been a longtime LSU commit and Kiffin took a picture with him shortly after arriving in Baton Rouge from Ole Miss on Sunday. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Louisiana native is officially listed as an athlete as he plays both offensive and defensive line, though he sees himself playing on the offensive line in college, according to his Rivals profile.

LSU has also been reportedly pursuing Syracuse assistant Elijah Robinson to be its defensive line coach. Robinson was Syracuse's defensive coordinator in 2025 but recently was demoted after a rough season for the Orange.

As the early signing period concludes, LSU has the No. 11 class in the country. The Tigers signed five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson along with Brown and added eight four-star recruits so far.

Kiffin's scheduled appearance on "GameDay" would be his second public appearance since taking the LSU job along with his introductory news conference. "GameDay" had been sympathetic to Kiffin's situation in recent weeks as former Alabama coach Nick Saban — who Kiffin worked for with the Crimson Tide — shares an agent with Kiffin.

Two weeks ago,Saban said on the pregame showthat Kiffin's decision was not fair to Ole Miss' players and that college football needed people to step up and change the rules to prevent Kiffin's departure from happening when it did.

Kiffin, meanwhile, said he had been leaning on advice from Saban and former USC and current Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll as he made his decision to leave Ole Miss. Kiffin has also made claims in the aftermath of taking the LSU job that have beenrefuted by Ole Miss playersandRebels athletic director Keith Carter.