The debut 12-team College Football Playoff field is set, but not without a late dose of controversy.

SMU earned an at-large bid ahead of Alabama after losing 34-31 to Clemson in the ACC championship game. Trailing 31-14 entering the fourth quarter, the Mustangs went on a 17-0 run to tie the game with 16 seconds left. The Tigers drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired to earn an automatic playoff bid.

That was the lone source of debate in what is otherwise a predictable bracket. The top four seeds, as expected, were No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State. Those teams will host the winning teams from the opening round in the quarterfinals.

The at-large teams are No. 5 seed Texas, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 10 Indiana and No. 11 SMU. Clemson comes in at No. 12 as the fifth conference champion.

SMU and Alabama lead the winners and losers from the final playoff rankings:

Winners

SMU

There’s reason to think SMU would’ve been left out in favor of Alabama had Clemson maintained the 17-point lead it held at halftime and again in the third quarter of the ACC title game. A convincing loss to the Tigers would’ve forced the committee to look closer at the Mustangs’ résumé of wins compared to Alabama. But the late comeback and competitive defeat were enough to bolster SMU’s case. And it’s not like the Mustangs are backdooring into the 12-team field; they beat six bowl teams in the regular season and lost by a field goal to a pair of ranked opponents. But SMU will be in the crosshairs as the final at-large team in the playoff.

The ACC

Clemson’s win will give the ACC two teams in the playoff, a fairly remarkable development given where the league stood in the postseason picture as recently as last weekend. While Miami lost twice in November to fall out of the race, that SMU and Clemson made the field gives the ACC a solid argument for being seen as the third-best league in the Power Four, behind the SEC and Big Ten and ahead of the Big 12.

Arizona State

Another team that came out of nowhere to reach the playoff, Arizona State will benefit enormously from Clemson’s win by earning a bye into the quarterfinals as one of the top four conference champions. As the No. 4 seed, the Sun Devils will meet the winner of Clemson and Texas. They have won six in a row and eight of nine to end the regular season, including ranked wins against Iowa State, Kansas State and Brigham Young.

Texas

Despite losing the SEC championship to Georgia, the Longhorns were able to land in the coveted No. 5 spot as the top-ranked at-large team. That gives Texas manageable matchups against Clemson in the opening round and then, with a win, against Arizona State in the quarterfinals. Penn State also benefits from earning the No. 6 seed, since that pits the Nittany Lions against SMU and potentially Boise State.

Losers

Alabama

The Crimson Tide were the first team left out of the field after slumping to three losses in coach Kalen DeBoer. Those losses, including an ugly 21-point defeat to Oklahoma last month, overshadowed Alabama’s high-quality wins against Georgia, South Carolina, LSU and Missouri. In the end, the Tide’s week-to-week unpredictability and inability to seal the deal in November cost them dearly in the comparison with SMU.

South Carolina and Mississippi

Both three-loss contenders had strong cases for the playoff: South Carolina was the hottest team in the SEC in the second half of the regular season and Ole Miss often looked like one of the best teams in the entire FBS. For the Gamecocks, losses to the Crimson Tide and Rebels were impossible to overcome even as they ended the year on a six-game winning streak. For the Rebels, an unforgivable loss to Florida cost them a chance at making the playoff and likely hosting an opening-round matchup.

Miami

That SMU made the playoff despite losing to Clemson makes will be hard for Miami to swallow because the Hurricanes were set to meet the Mustangs before losing to Syracuse in the season finale. Given how the committee came down in the comparison between SMU and Alabama, the Hurricanes would’ve had a very strong case for an at-large bid had they reached the ACC title game with one loss and then lost to the Mustangs. Miami ended up as the second team out of the field after the Tide.

Authorities are closing in on the man suspected of killing UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was quoted as saying on Saturday by the New York Post.

“The net is tightening,” Adams told reporters at a Police Athletic League holiday party in Harlem, according to the Post. He declined to name the suspect.

Thompson, 50, who became CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit in April 2021, was shot in the back around 6:45 a.m. ET (1145 GMT) on Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack by a masked assailant lying in wait.

The murder occurred just before the company’s annual investor conference at the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue.

The shooting sparked a massive manhunt for the gunman, who fled on foot wearing a hooded jacket, balaclava and gray backpack before mounting an electric bike and riding into Central Park, police said.

Adams declined to say whether investigators had the suspect’s name, according to the NY Post.

“We don’t want to release that now,” the mayor said. “If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask.”

“We revealed his face,” he continued, referring to security camera photos and video released after the murder. “We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice.”

A backpack resembling the one worn by the suspect has been recovered near a playground in Central Park, according to media reports. MSNBC said on Saturday that police examining the bag and its contents found a jacket and Monopoly money, but no firearm.

Police divers were searching for the weapon used in the killing in a pond in Central Park on Saturday, CNN reported, citing police sources. Reuters has not independently verified the account.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN on Friday that police have gathered “a huge amount of evidence,” including fingerprints, DNA evidence and a camera footage of the suspect’s movements throughout the city.

New York police said on Friday they believe the suspect had left New York City, after video emerged showing him climbing into a taxi that took him to a bus station.

“We have video of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We don’t have any video of him exiting so we believe he may have gotten on a bus,” New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “Those buses are interstate buses. That’s why we believe he may have left New York City.”

The New York police have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the shooter and the FBI has added $50,000 to that reward.

The circumstances of the attack suggested it was premeditated and planned, police said, with video showing the gunman ignoring other pedestrians while appearing to wait for Thompson. The shooter’s motive is not yet known.

Security video showed the shooter behind Thompson, raising his handgun and firing at his back. Thompson, a married father of two, suffered gunshot wounds to his back and leg and was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the attack.

UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans, who pay more for healthcare than people in any other country.

The slippers sold for a staggering $28 million on Saturday, becoming — by far — the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction, Heritage Auctions said. With the buyers’ premium, the total price was $32.5 million.

“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s Ruby Slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions. “The breathtaking result reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors. It’s been a privilege for all of us at Heritage to be a part of the slippers’ epic journey over the rainbow and off to a new home.”

No other pair of the slippers worn by Galrand had come close to Saturday’s sale. In 2000, another pair sold for 666,000, and 12 years later, Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio shelled out $2 million for another pair donated tot he Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

What We Originally Reported:

A pair of the iconic ruby slippers from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” is now up for auction at Heritage Auctions through Dec. 7, with the current bid at $812,500. With the buyer’s premium included, the price is $1,015,625.

The story of Victor Fleming’s Golden Age classic is so deeply ingrained in our collective memory that even those who haven’t seen the film are familiar with Dorothy’s ruby slippers and the pivotal role they play in the movie. In the “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke), gifts Dorothy (Judy Garland) a pair of ruby slippers to keep her safe from the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and help her return home to Kansas after a tornado transported Dorothy to the magical Land of Oz.

“Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like home,” says Glinda.

While the shoes are instantly recognizable, not everyone knows the ruby slippers have a complex and fascinating history attached to them. Just four pairs of the shoes are known to have survived to this day, and one pair made a triumphant recovery after being stolen in 2005.

That very pair is currently up for auction and said to be “the cross-matched sister shoes to the pair at The Smithsonian Institution, most likely separated in the early spring of 1970.” Belonging to Michael Shaw, the shoes were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota, but were eventually found by the FBI in 2018 through a sting operation after a tip was received about the case.

Randy Struthers, described as a Ruby Slipper forensic expert and Smithsonian consultant, examined the film frame-by-frame and came to the conclusion that Judy Garland wears Michael Shaw’s shoes throughout the majority of the film, including some of its most famous scenes.

A description of the shoes found on Heritage Auctions reads, “The Ruby Slippers are a vintage pair of Innes Shoe Co. red silk faille heels with uppers and heels covered with hand-sequined silk georgette, lined in white leather, and the leather soles are painted red with orange felt adhered to the front foundation of each shoe. The bows are made of hand-cut buckram cloth and are slightly different in size. Rhinestones rim the bows, which are filled with bugle beads surrounding three center jewels.”

The shoes are also compared to each other: “The left shoe has a slightly thicker, shorter heel with a Cat’s Paw rubber top lift cap. The right shoe has a slightly taller, thinner heel with a leather top lift cap. Both lift caps are painted red. This Michael Shaw pair of slippers are darker in color than any other known pair-a rich burgundy-likely the result of careful storage out of direct light.”

Heritage Auctions also included this video in their page dedicated to the slippers.

Designed by Gilbert Adrian, MGM Studios’ former chief costume designer, the red slippers are known as one of the most iconic shoes in cinematic history. The footwear was reportedly covered in 2,300 red sequins — originally, the shoe was supposed to be covered in red jewels, but the prototype turned out to be too heavy — and featured a short block heel.

Originally silver in L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of OZ” book, which inspired the movie, the slippers were changed to ruby to take advantage of color photography. “The Wizard of Oz” was one of the first films to use Technicolor, a process using dye-transfer techniques to produce a color print.

Although it wasn’t confirmed how many pairs of ruby slippers were made for the movie, it’s believed that production worked with seven to ten different pairs throughout filming.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, movie studios failed to recognize the value of film memorabilia, often turning props and costumes into trash or donations. This changed in 1970 when MGM organized its first auction, selling thousands of dollars. Only then were the ruby slippers brought back to the spotlight.

National Museum of American History

Costume designer Kent Warner, who was hired by MGM to help catalog and prepare for the studios’ auction in 1970, is known for finding and acquiring two pairs of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.”

One of the pairs was sold for $15,000 by an unidentified client during the auction. This pair is believed to be the one at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The museum received the pair from an anonymous donation in 1979.

“These size-five shoes are well-worn, suggesting they were Garland’s primary pair for dance sequences,” says the museum.

In 2016, the Smithsonian Institution raised more than $300,000 to renovate the shoes with help from the Museum Conservation Institute, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The other pair found by Kent Warner was sold to collector Michael Shaw, who loaned them to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich. In 2005, the shoes were stolen by Terry Jon Martin.

The FBI recovered the shoes in 2018 after a 13-year search. In 2023, Martin was indicted by a federal grand jury for the theft. According to his lawyer, Martin has never seen “The Wizard of Oz” and “got rid of the slippers less than two days after he took them” once he realized the shoes weren’t made of real jewels. Martin, 76, was sentenced in January 2024 while in hospice and was not ordered to serve time in prison for the theft.

The stolen shoes were sent to the Smithsonian Institution in 2018. The museum announced that the slippers donated in 1979, which were always slightly mismatched, corresponded with the recovered shoes.

A Tennessee woman named Roberta Jeffries Bauman won a pair of the ruby slippers in 1940, after placing second in a National Four Star Club “Name the Best Movies of 1939” contest. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times in 1988, Bauman used to keep her shoes inside her closet. After the other pair was sold for $15,000 at the MGM auction in 1970, Bauman transferred them to a bank security box.

In 1988, Bauman signed a contract with Christie’s East auction house, which sold them for $165,000 to Anthony Landini.

Landini partnered with The Walt Disney Company to exhibit the shoes at Disney’s and MGM Studios’ Florida Theme Park in 1989. In 2000, Landini sold the shoes for $666,000 to David Elkouby, who owns Starworld, a film memorabilia store in Los Angeles.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

In 1988, two weeks after Landini acquired a pair from Bauman, an unknown collector offered a pair to Philip Samuels, who was the under-bidder of Bauman shoes. Samuels bought the pair for $165,000 and used the shoes to fundraise for children’s charities.

In 2011, house Profiles in History announced Samuels’ ruby slippers, which are considered to be one of the best conserved of them all, as the centerpiece of its “Icons of Hollywood” auction. The shoes were estimated at $3 million dollars.

A syndicate organized by Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg and others bought the pair by an undisclosed amount and donated to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

The first version of the iconic shoes designed by Gilbert Adrian featured a curled-toe silhouette. These “Arabian” shoes were given to Debbie Reynolds by Kent Warner.

In 2011, Reynolds, who was a known collector of Hollywood memorabilia, sold the ruby shoes for $510,000 at an auction. She also sold Judy Garland’s blue Dorothy dress for $690,000.

The first fatal victim of Storm Darragh has been named as local football coach Paul Fiddler, as tributes poured in for the man in his 40s.

Mr Fiddler, who also worked at a local TV shop, was killed after a tree fell on his Citroen van while he was driving on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death was the first of two linked to the storm, which has caused chaos on Britain’s roads and rail services, as well as severe flooding.

Lytham Town FC, which lists Mr Fiddler as first team assistant manager, described him as a club “legend”.

“A well loved coach, football player, gaffer but most of all a true friend,” a statement read.

“Paul, thank you for everything mate. Our thoughts are with the Lytham Town lads, his friends and family at this time.

“Rest in Peace Paul. We will miss you.”

Mr Fiddler’s niece, Katie Elliot, described him as “the best uncle”.

“I love you so much uncle Paul,” she wrote on Facebook. “I wish I could have known or even said goodbye to you. I am missing you more than ever, and you will always be in my heart.

“All I could ask for is for you to message me back and make fun of me like you always would and speak to you for one last time.

“Thank you for everything you have ever done for me and being the best uncle I could ask for, and I hope wherever you are you know how many people are here for you.”

One of Mr Fiddler’s friends wrote on social media: “My heart goes out to Paul’s family during this sad time for everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

“Paul was a massive support for countless families in their moments of need, and his kindness will always be remembered.”

Detective Sergeant Matt Davidson, from Lancashire Police’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “Very sadly, this incident has resulted in the death of a man and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.

“An investigation is ongoing, and I would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or has any dashcam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch.”

An increase in the number of earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska’s largest city this year has geologists paying attention.

Mount Spurr, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992, spewing an ash cloud nearly 12 miles (19 kilometers) into the air, prompting flights to be canceled and people to don masks. Another eruption at the 11,100-foot (3,383-meter) stratovolcano could be severely disruptive to the city, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The observatory raised its alert status for Mount Spurr in October — from green to yellow — when the increase in seismic activity became pronounced and a ground deformation was spotted in satellite data. Observatory scientist David Fee said Friday there have been about 1,500 small earthquake below the volcano this year, compared to about 100 in a normal year.

While that might seem like a lot, it’s “not an enormous amount,” Fee said. It could be a precursor to an eruption — or not. Similar seismic unrest occurred from 2004 to 2006 before subsiding without an eruption.

“We don’t see any significant change in our data that would tell us that an eruption is imminent,” Fee said. “Things have been kind of this low-level unrest for a while now and we’re, of course, watching it very closely to detect any changes and what that might mean.”

Scientists are monitoring seismic stations, global satellite data and a webcam for additional changes that would signal an impending eruption. If magma is moving closer to the surface, there would be an increase in earthquakes, ground deformations, the creation of a summit lake or fumaroles, which are vents that open in the surface to vent gas and vapors.

The volcano last erupted in 1992 from the Crater Peak flank vent, located about 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of the summit. The eruption dropped about a quarter-inch of ash in Anchorage that year, prompting residents to stay inside or to go out donning masks, and the cloud drifted as far as Greenland.

A similar eruption from the same vent happened in 1953. The last known eruption from the summit was more than 5,000 years ago.

Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. The powdered rock can cause a jet engine to shut down, which prompted Anchorage and other nearby airports to close during the 1992 eruption.

Closing airports is always an inconvenience in a state with few roads, but can be more than just inconvenient. Business would also be impacted since the Anchorage airport today is among the world’s busiest cargo hubs with Memphis, Hong Kong and Shanghai, mainly because of Alaska’s proximity to Asia.

Mount Spurr, located on the Volcanic Ring of Fire, is one of 53 volcanoes in Alaska that have been active within the last 250 years.

Beach-side restaurant announces indefinite closure after growing threat causes permanent damage: ‘It’s a kick in the gut’
A beloved waterfront restaurant in Bradenton, Florida, has permanently closed its doors after sustaining severe damage from back-to-back hurricanes, according to the Herald-Tribune.

What happened?
Caddy’s Bradenton Riverwalk, known for its white-sand beach and stunning views of the Manatee River, suffered catastrophic damage during Hurricane Milton, including a collapsed tiki hut that covered one of its two bars.

“It’s a kick in the gut having two storms back-to-back,” Caddy’s CEO Randy Esponda told Fox Weather. “We’re resilient and happy as can be that the building is intact.”

While other Tampa Bay area Caddy’s locations are temporarily closed for repairs, the Bradenton location’s closure is permanent, according to the restaurant’s website.

Why are restaurant closures concerning?
The permanent shutdown of this popular gathering spot reflects a troubling pattern of how stronger storms are affecting our coastal communities and local economies.

While extreme weather events have always happened, scientists have found that warming temperatures are making hurricanes more intense and destructive. These storms pose increasing challenges for waterfront businesses, which often serve as economic anchors for their communities.

Watch now: How easy is it really to charge an EV?
Caddy’s wasn’t just a restaurant. It was a beloved local destination that employed dozens of people and created cherished memories for countless families since opening on St. Patrick’s Day in 2017.

What’s being done to protect coastal businesses?
Many coastal communities are taking proactive steps to help waterfront businesses become more resilient.

Some cities are updating building codes to require stronger construction materials and better storm protection, while others are offering grants to help businesses install flood barriers and hurricane-resistant windows. Business owners can also work with local climate resilience experts to develop action plans.

Kirby Smart stood on stage bathed in glory, while his players celebrated an SEC championship, but even in this moment marked for celebration, Georgia’s coach set his sights on a new adversary.

When Smart gets on a warpath, he spares no one.

Even if that someone is college sports’ most powerful figure, the SEC’s commissioner, standing just a few feet away from Smart.

Smart roasted Greg Sankey after Georgia’s 22-19 overtime win Saturday against Texas in the SEC championship game.

Georgia’s victory unlocked a first-round playoff bye. When ESPN’s Laura Rutledge asked Smart during an on-field interview what that bye means, Smart sharpened his tongue.

“It means rest for a team that Greg Sankey and his staff sent on the road, all year long. We get to take a little bit of a break and get ready for the College Football Playoff,” Smart said. “This team needs some rest.”

Georgia fans cheered Smart’s acerbic jab at the SEC’s boss, while a grim-faced Sankey listened.

Fun though it might be to come after “the man,” when you unpack Smart’s comment, you realize how zany it sounds.

Georgia played exactly four true road games all season. One of those came against Kentucky, the SEC’s second-worst team.

The Bulldogs also played neutral-site games against Clemson and Florida, but neither Sankey nor his staff determined the location of those games.

Why Kirby Smart came after SEC’s Greg Sankey

So, what’s Smart miffed about? Probably, that Georgia drew road games against Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, all of which are ranked in the top 15 of the latest CFP rankings.

Three stiff road tests. Georgia lost two and won one.

Undeniably, Georgia’s schedule qualifies as one of the nation’s toughest, but it compares to the schedules faced by Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU and Vanderbilt.

Want to compete in the SEC? That means playing some tough games.

Anyway, Smart should thank Sankey instead of complaining.

Thanks to Georgia’s SEC schedule draw, no team will enter the playoff more battle-tested than Smart’s Bulldogs.

Also, as Smart well knows, road-home sites will flip next season, so Georgia will host Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss in 2025, when it plays just three true SEC road games, one against Tennessee and two against conference bottom dwellers Mississippi State and Auburn.

Think Smart will complain about that?

Kirby Smart sets up a new villain for Georgia to prove wrong

Smart, a motivational maestro, excels at creating straw men and rallying the Bulldogs to unite to take them down. Remember when Georgia’s Nolan Smith said the 2022 Bulldogs became fueled by experts projecting they’d go 7-5? Yeah, nobody sane said or thought Georgia would finish 7-5.

Sankey being cast as Georgia’s nemesis becomes the new “everyone thought we’d go 7-5!”

While playing the schedule the SEC handed down, Georgia built persistence and a healthy résumé. The Bulldogs own four wins against playoff-bound teams, more than any team under CFP consideration.

This won’t go down as Smart’s best team. Inconsistency became the theme of Georgia’s regular season. But, say this for these Bulldogs: They don’t go quietly into the night, even when they’re outplayed for most of the game – as they were Saturday, and as they were last week in an eight-overtime win against Georgia Tech.

Georgia rallied in the SEC championship game behind backup quarterback Gunner Stockton after Carson Beck exited with a first-half injury.

“We never panic,” Georgia running back Trevor Etienne said. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It turns out being good for us. No matter what the situation is, no matter what happens, I believe in us.”

Georgia’s victory list includes a one-point escape against Kentucky, plus two overtime triumphs.

“Let’s find a way,” Etienne said of Georgia’s mentality. “That’s one of the best things about this team.”

Yes, indeed it is.

A lot of mental fortitude can be found within Georgia. It’s almost as if the Bulldogs were forged in the fires of playing difficult SEC opponents on the road.

“I’ve had more physically tough (teams, and) I’ve had more physically talented,” Smart said, “but I don’t know that I’ve ever had a more mentally tough team.

“They just keep coming and keep coming, and they never say die.”

Thanks a lot, Sankey, for preparing Georgia for the playoff’s rigors so darn well.

After Smart landed his postgame dagger at the commissioner, Sankey wrapped his arm around the Georgia coach later during the celebration and engaged him in conversation.

Only those two could tell you what was said in that moment, but if I could fill in the speech bubble, it would go like this: “Kirby, you’re welcome.”

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday a new hire for the Department of Government Efficiency: William Joseph McGinley as the commission’s counsel.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have begun sharing details about how DOGE will work, promising to staff their commission with “a lean team of small-government crusaders.” DOGE’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, told those interested to send along their CV in a direct message. Various Silicon Valley leaders, including investor Marc Andreessen and Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick, have reportedly been involved with planning for the commission.

The DOGE co-heads have said they want to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. In 2024, federal spending totaled $6.75 trillion, nine-tenths of which went to federal programs.

Representatives for Musk and Ramswamy did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Voters dejected by the presidential election results need to find a way to give back and remain involved, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Clinton presidential library.

The former president urged audience members in a packed theater to remain engaged and find ways to communicate with those they disagree with despite a divisive political time. The two spoke about a month after former President Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.

“We’re just passing through, and we all need to just calm down and do something that builds people up instead of tears them down,” Bill Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 election, said she understands the next couple of years are going to be challenging for voters who don’t agree with the decisions being made.

“In addition to staying involved and staying aware, it’s important to find something that makes you feel good about the day because if you’re in a constant state of agitation about our political situation, it is really going to shorten your life,” she said.

The Clintons spoke during a panel discussion with journalist Laura Ling, who the former president helped free in 2009 when she was detained in North Korea with another journalist. The event was held as part of a weekend of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Library’s opening in Little Rock. The library is preparing to undergo an update of its exhibits and an expansion that will include Hillary Clinton’s personal archives.

Hillary Clinton said part of the goal is to modernize the facility and expand it to make it a more open, inviting place for people for convene and make connections.

When asked about advice he would give for people disappointed by the election results, Bill Clinton said people need to continue working toward bringing people together and improving others’ lives.

“If that’s the way you keep score, then you ought to be trying to run up the score,” he said. “Not lamenting the fact that somebody else is winning a different game because they keep score a different way.”

“And in addition, figure out what we can do to win again,” Hillary Clinton added, eliciting cheers.

The program featured a panel discussion with cast members of the hit NBC show “The West Wing” and former Clinton White House staffers.

The weekend amounted to a reunion of former Clinton White House staffers, supporters and close friends, including former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and adviser James Carville.

McAuliffe said he and Carville ate Friday at Doe’s Eat Place, a downtown restaurant that was popular with Clinton aides and reporters during Clinton’s 1992 White House run. He said he viewed the library and its planned expansion as important for the future.

“This is not only about the past, but it’s more importantly about the future,” McAuliffe said. “We just went through a very tough election, and people are all saying we’ve got to get back to the Clinton model.”