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The man convicted of attempting to kill PresidentDonald Trumpwhile he played golf in Southern Florida has been sentenced to life in prison.

RyanWesley Routh, 59, was found guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump at one of his golf courses in West Palm Beach in the fall of 2024.

A federal jury on Sept. 23, found Routh guilty of trying to kill the then presidential nomineeat Trump International Golf Club. A Secret Service agent spotted the gun and shot at Routh chasing him off.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Routh, who is originally from North Carolina.

Routh's attorney suggested a 27-year sentence would be punishment enough for the crime citing no one was hurt in the melee, but prosecutors disagreed.

The incident took place onSept. 15, 2024, just months after a bullet grazed Trump's ear in anotherattempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

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Jurors convicted Routh of attempted assassination (which carries a maximum life sentence by itself), assaulting a federal officer and several other firearm offenses.

Prosecutors described the assassination attempt as a narrowly averted, while Routh suggested his actions were a peaceful protest, the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. During the trial inU.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Routh told jurors he was incapable of pulling the trigger and had been guilty only of "caring too much."

"To merely have a weapon in the presence of another is not intent," said Routh, who fired his attorneys ahead of the trial and had represented himself.

After his conviction, Routh tried tostab himself in the neck with a pen. Routh had asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for a "just punishment," in hopes of avoiding life in prison.

Contributing: Hannah Phillips with the Palm Beach Post,part of the USA TODAY Network

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government lawyer who told a judge that her job "sucks" during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration's immigration enforcementsurge in Minnesotahas been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Julie Le had been working for the Justice Department on a detail, but the U.S. attorney in Minnesota ended her assignment after her comments in court on Tuesday, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. She had been working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before the temporary assignment.

At a hearing Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota, for several immigration cases, Le told U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell that she wishes he could hold her in contempt of court "so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep."

"What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need," Le said, according to a transcript.

Le's extraordinary remarks reflect the intense strain that has been placed on the federal court system since President Donald Trump returned to the White House a year ago with a promise to carry out mass deportations. ICE officials have said the surge in Minnesota has become its largest-ever immigration operation since ramping up in early January.

Several prosecutors haveleft the U.S. Attorney's officein Minnesota amid frustration with the immigration enforcement surge and the Justice Department's response to fatal shootings of two civilians by federal agents. Le was assigned at least 88 cases in less than a month, according to online court records.

Blackwell told Le that the volume of cases isn't an excuse for disregarding court orders. He expressed concern that people arrested in immigration enforcement operations are routinely jailed for days after judges have ordered their release from custody.

"And I hear the concerns about all the energy that this is causing the DOJ to expend, but, with respect, some of it is of your own making by not complying with orders," the judge told Le.

Le said she was working for the Department of Homeland Security as an ICE attorney in immigration court before she "stupidly" volunteered to work the detail in Minnesota. Le told the judge that she wasn't properly trained for the assignment. She said she wanted to resign from the job but couldn't get a replacement.

"Fixing a system, a broken system, I don't have a magic button to do it. I don't have the power or the voice to do it," she said.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Le was a probationary attorney.

"This conduct is unprofessional and unbecoming of an ICE attorney in abandoning her obligation to act with commitment, dedication, and zeal to the interests of the United States Government," McLaughlin said in a statement.

Le and the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Kira Kelley, an attorney who represented two petitioners at the hearing, said the flood of immigration petitions is necessary because "so many people being detained without any semblance of a lawful basis."

"And there's no indication here that any new systems or bolded e-mails or any instructions to ICE are going to fix any of this," she added.

Denny Hamlin is going to race injured in 2026.

Hamlin, 45, told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium that he re-injured his right shoulder but will put off surgery until after the season because of the lengthy recovery timeline. Hamlin had surgery on his right rotator cuff after the 2023 season and dealt with the injury in the latter weeks of that season.

He said that he found out the muscle in his shoulder was re-torn after he fell going through debris at his parents' house. Hamlin's father Dennis died from injuries sustained in the fire on Dec. 28 in Stanley, North Carolina, and his mother, Mary Lou, was seriously injured. Hamlin said Wednesday that his mother's condition was improving.

Dennis Hamlin had been in declining health before the fire. Denny Hamlin had said during the 2025 playoffs that he believed that it was his dad's last opportunity to see him win a championship.

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Hamlin did not get that title despite dominating the final race of the season at Phoenix. He led 208 of the race's 319 laps, but a late caution for William Byron's tire failure set up a green-white-checkered finish and Hamlin's team's four-tire pit stop strategy backfired as Kyle Larson finished ahead of Hamlin for the title.

It was a tumultuous end to 2025 — to put it mildly — for Hamlin. His 23XI Racing team also settled its lawsuit with NASCAR in December over the sanctioning body's charter system. The settlement was a win for 23XI and Front Row Motorsports, the plaintiffs in the suit, as NASCAR relented on its previous stance and granted teams permanent charters.

Hamlin, who is arguably the best NASCAR driver to not win a title, finished fifth in 2023 as he dealt with his shoulder injury. A crash at Homestead effectively ended his hopes for a championship in the 34th race of that season.

This season, the title format will be much different. NASCAR has re-implemented the cumulative 10-race Chase after using a multi-round elimination format since 2014. The winner-take-all title race is gone, as the driver who has the most points at the end of the playoffs will win the title.

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has received a temporary restraining order to potentially allow him to play for the Volunteers in 2026.

Aguilar filed a lawsuit against the NCAAin Knox County (Tennessee) Chancery Court on Monday to try to play next season even though he's officially out of eligibility. On Wednesday,Aguilar got a TRO in his favorahead of an injunction hearing Friday.

If Aguilar gets the injunction, he's likely to be on Tennessee's roster in 2026. If he doesn't, his chances of getting that extra season of eligibility are a lot lower.

"This outcome — after the plaintiff withdrew from a federal lawsuit and separately filed a lawsuit in state court with the exact same facts — illustrates the impossible situation created by differing court decisions that serve to undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court," the NCAA said in a statement after the TRO was granted. "We will continue to defend the NCAA's eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob high school students of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create. The NCA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for all college athletes."

[Get more Vols football news: Tennessee team feed]

The former Appalachian State quarterback officially began his college football career in 2019. He redshirted at a community college in 2019 before his school's 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then played two seasons at a different junior college before he transferred to App State ahead of the 2023 season.

After two seasons with the Mountaineers, he transferred to UCLA for the 2025 season. However, he left the Bruins after just a couple months when former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. Aguilar ended up at Tennessee in what was essentially the first trade in modern college football history.

Aguilar has cited Diego Pavia as an example in his lawsuit. The former Vanderbilt QB played his final season of college football in 2025 after he successfully argued that his junior college time shouldn't count against his NCAA eligibility. However, Pavia's college career began in 2020, a year after Aguilar's did.

Like Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, Aguilar filed his lawsuit against the NCAA in state court — ostensibly in an attempt to get a more favorable permanent ruling. Chambliss, who transferred to Ole Miss from Division II Ferris State, is seeking a sixth season of eligibility to play for the Rebels in 2026 after leading Ole Miss to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Neither Tennessee nor Ole Miss has a solid backup plan at quarterback if the legal maneuvering falls short, either. The chances of each team contending in the SEC hinge largely on their starting quarterbacks returning for the 2026 season given that neither the Vols nor Rebels added an experienced quarterback in the transfer portal.

LAS VEGAS – Even if you've been to aDef Leppardconcert before, you've never seen them like this.

The enduring British quintet kicked off their12-show residencyatThe Colosseum at Caesars PalaceFeb. 3, with a 100-minute blitzkrieg of stunning visuals, frenetic lasers and a setlist deftly curated to hopscotch between nearly 50 years of classics and dashes of newer material that verifies their vitality.

In recent years, Def Leppard hasprimarily played stadiums, arenas and festivals, making the confines of the 4,100-capacity Colosseum feel especially intimate.

The new production designed for this monthlong, mostly sold-out run is spackled with Def Leppard hallmarks – the lighted"Hysteria"-era trianglethat rises and lowers to bookend the show, the 3D graphics of a menacing leopard, the zigzagging lights that prompt sheer euphoria.

It's all delivered around a sleek set that featuresdrummer Rick Allen, his Union Jack headphones firmly in place, atop a platform reachable by lighted stairs, and plenty of open space for the band to roam.

Led by silver fox frontmanJoe Elliott, Def Leppard exudes the confidence of a band that has absolutely nothing left to prove, but wants to, anyway.

More:Biggest tours of 2026, including Bruno Mars, Harry Styles and Rush

GuitaristsPhil Collen– he of ripped bare chest under vest and sparkly sneakers – andVivian Campbell– unassuming cool in dark glasses – frequently crisscrossed on stage, their dual guitar attack so integral to Def Leppard's sound.

The band, which has played two previous Las Vegas residencies since 2013, kicked off the show with their new song,"Rejoice."Filled with layered harmonies and a gripping drum loop, it sounds likeclassic Def Leppardwith a glow-up.

As Elliott told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview at Caesars Palace following the band's final rehearsal, the goal of new music is "not to sound old-fashioned, but at the same time maintain our identity. ("Rejoice") has all the ingredients – great guitar riffs, melodies, drama. We like a bit of onstage drama; we don't like drama in the dressing room."

Casual fans of the band's abundant hits –"Animal,"Armageddon It"and "Love Bites" among the smashes from 1987's 12-million-selling "Hysteria" album and"Bringin' on the Heartbreak"and "Foolin'" from earlier that decade among them – can devour the familiar. But what makes this residency special are the outliers.

In 2018,Def Leppard recorded a coverof Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" for a hits collection, yet never performed it live.

Until now, where the dark electronica of the original paired perfectly with Def Leppard's chiming guitars and a flurry of white lights added to the vibe.

The band also hadn't played their hit version ofDavid Essex's "Rock On"since 2019. The clever live production finds cool cat bassist Rick Savage thrumming out a solo before dovetailing into the song's familiar opening riff, which gives Elliott enough time to dash to the top level of the theater to belt the evocative anthem.

Diehard fans will appreciate the resurrection of"White Lightning,"a 1992 "Adrenalize" track written in tribute to Steve Clark, the band's early guitarist who died in 1991. Elliott clearly had his old friend top of mind at song's end as he raised his fist and blew a kiss skyward.

The endurance of Def Leppard is not only due to their stability. Yes, they're one of the few rock bands to boast an original/longtime lineup and yes, while all of the members are in their 60's, they still ooze rock star fire.

More:Styx's Tommy Shaw talks Vegas shows, favorite blanket and why he loves bus tours

Elliott's voice, while occasionally husky on the high notes in "Rocket" and "Photograph" (a visual nostalgia-fest showcasing a retrospective of the band in, well, photos), still contains plenty of heft. And the blistering fretwork from Collen and Campbell injects every Def Leppard song with adrenaline.

But it's the band's atypical ability to experiment without altering their musical DNA that adds to their legend.

The underappreciated,near-electronica "Slang"has returned after several years and the combination of zippy neon green lighting, a mid-song detour into David Bowie's "Fame" and Elliott's stroll through the crowd to slap hands with fans made it a set highlight.

But Def Leppard can just as adroitly spin into the defiant"Rock of Ages"(complete with a special feathered guest to handle its illustrious "gunter glieben" intro) or the delicate guitar strains and emotional longing of"Hysteria."

The band famously sings in "Rock of Ages" that "it's better to burn out than fade away." But Def Leppard has proven yet again that it won't be doing either any time soon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Def Leppard blazes through new Las Vegas residency

JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Camilla faced questions from a reporter about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims during a royal visit to a school

• It came one day after Prince Edward briefly addressed the scandal

• The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson appeared in emails and photos in the latest release of Epstein-related documents by the Department of Justice

Queen Camillawas faced with questions about the royal family's reaction to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims after the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, appeared in files recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Queen, 77, arrived at London's Christ Church Primary School for a planned engagement to help mark the National Year of Reading on Feb. 4, when a reporter asked the royal questions as she exited her car.

In a video shared by ITV News on social media, a reporter is heard saying, "Good morning, Your Majesty, good morning. Will the royal family help the Epstein investigation? Do you have a message for Epstein's victims, Your Majesty?"

Queen Camilla ignored the questions, heading straight into the school and shaking hands with a greeter just inside.

The Queen didn't respond when asked if she had a message for Epstein's victimshttps://t.co/VJzFCNJxGzpic.twitter.com/qm24AsHrgE

— ITV News (@itvnews)February 4, 2026

Just one day prior to the Queen's questioning,Prince Edwardmadebrief remarks about the matterat the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Feb. 3, becoming the first member of the royal family to address it since the latest files were released. He told CNN's Eleni Giokos: "Well, with the best will in the world. I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future."

"But no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this, a lot of victims in all this," Prince Edward said.

Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamfaced aheckler during their Jan. 20 visit to Scotland. The Prince and Princess of Wales did not react to the person calling out after they arrived at The Gothenburg pub, who asked repeatedly, "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?

Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Newly released documents link Andrew, 65, and Ferguson, 66, to Epstein, including numerous email exchanges that took place after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.

In onemessage dated Jan. 30, 2010, Ferguson allegedly wrote, "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness." In another exchange fromAug. 3, 2009, she thanked Epstein for helping her with brand deals and "being the brother I have always wished for."

Other emails from the new batch of Epstein-related evidence includedisturbing commentsabout Andrew and Ferguson's two daughters,Princess Beatrice, now 37, andPrincess Eugenie, now 35. In one, Epstein asked Ferguson about a possible upcoming trip to New York, to which she replied, "Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!"

In addition, new photos from the Jan. 30 releaseshow Andrew kneeling on all foursover an unidentified woman on the ground.

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Andrew'sroyal titles and honors were strippedby King Charles in the fall amid renewed interest in his and Ferguson's ties to Epstein.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and a representative for Ferguson had no comment when PEOPLE reached out about these latest emails.

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