No. 25 NEBRASKA vs. MINNESOTA

When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium
TV: FOX
Radio: KFAN, 100.3 FM
Weather: 64 degrees, cloudy, 7 mph northeast wind
Betting spread: Nebraska, minus-7.5

Records: Gophers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) delivered a comeback to beat Purdue 27-20 on homecoming Saturday. After a home loss to then-No. 21 Michigan, Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) has won two straight with comebacks against Michigan State on Oct. 4 and Maryland last weekend.

History: Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is 6-1 versus Nebraska, including five straight victories. Seven wins would mark his most against any opponent. From 1963 to 2012, Minnesota lost 16 meetings in a row to the Huskers, but is 8-3 in the series since 2013.

Big question: Can the Gophers start fast? Falling behind Rutgers 14-0 and Purdue 10-0, Minnesota needed to put its foot in the ground to get Ws. But unlike those two teams — who are a combined 0-6 in Big Ten play — Nebraska is a better opponent that won’t be as easy to turn.

Key matchup: RB Emmett Johnson vs. Gophers tacklers. Minnesota has missed an average of 14.5 tackles across its last four games, while the Minneapolis native’s cutting has contributed to 31 missed tackles this season, per Pro Football Focus.

Who has the edge?

Gophers offense vs. Nebraska defense: Minnesota’s running game is stuck on a treadmill — moving but not gaining much distance. The U’s 3.59 yards per carry ranks 112th in the nation. Coaches are committed to the same five lineman, but have mixed up combinations in recent weeks — to little added success. If a breakthrough comes, it might be this week. Nebraska is 99th in the country, allowing 4.5 yards per rush. … The Cornhuskers best pass rushers have been two ends — five-star prospect Williams Nwaneri (19 pressures) and Oklahoma transfer Dasan McCullough (13) — but the team’s 11 sacks are evenly split. … New Huskers defensive coordinator Jeff Butler, who came from Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans, is expected to heavily blitz QB Drake Lindsey and give him different fronts, but the redshirt freshman has been poised in tough moments this season, with crucial fourth-quarter drives against Rutgers and Purdue. … RB Darius Taylor was the U’s most-targeted pass catcher with 11 targets vs. Purdue. OC Greg Harbaugh got Taylor, and the offense, going with a screen pass that went for 40 yards. … Seventh-year LB Javin Wright is showing his veteran savvy with a team-leading 39 tackles. EDGE: Nebraska

Gophers defense vs. Nebraska offense: QB Dylan Raiola had zero turnovers in three nonconference games, but has had at least one in the last three Big Ten games, including three interceptions against Maryland. That was a return to his turnover-prone form from freshman year, but he did have four touchdowns in the comeback win on the road. … Minnesota’s plus-three turnover margin was vital in the Purdue win, highlighted by Koi Perich’s pick-six. Raiola also tossed a pick-six to give Maryland a second-half lead. … Nebraska OC Dana Holgerson, who was the head coach at West Virginia and Houston, loves getting the ball to Johnson, a product of Academy of Holy Angels. Johnson leads the Big Ten in carries, but is also second on the Cornhuskers with 24 receptions. … Raiola said in the offseason his receiver room has “Ferraris and Lamborghinis” with the addition of Nyziah Hunter (California transfer) and Dane Key (Kentucky). They each have four TDs. Sophomore Jacory Barney Jr. is the top target with 26 grabs and three scores. … The Cornhuskers will play two road games across six days, which might be a lot for a team to overcome or an early touchdown away from being an afterthought. EDGE: Nebraska  

Special teams: Nebraska allowed 10 blocked kicks last season, but new coordinator Mike Ekeler has eliminated them. Kick returner Kenneth Williams had an 85-yard return against the Terps. … Kicker Brady Denaburg made his first field goal over 40 yards against Purdue; he is now 1 of 4 from long range. EDGE: Nebraska

Prediction: Matt Rhule has turned his third straight program around in its third season. After many years of shooting themselves in the foot in close games, Nebraska is 2-1 in one possession games. While Fleck has had success against the Huskers, his team’s two main problems (tackling and blocking) haven’t been resolved. Nebraska, 28-24.

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A glossy brochure and marketing campaign once drew visitors to a cluster of wineries tucked into a corner of industrial San Carlos. These proclaimed the Midpeninsula Wine Trail an easy way to get your wine fix without trekking to Wine Country.

But the trail’s taken a hit in recent years, and has substantially fewer stops than in its heyday. (“You’re a few years too late,” said Spencer Townsend, an owner and winemaker at Russian Ridge Winery, when I told him I was working on a story about it.)

That’s because before the pandemic, there were nine wineries and one cider maker, while today, there are only four wineries remaining: Woodside Vineyards, Flying Suitcase Wines, Russian Ridge Winery and Domenico Winery and Osteria.

Still, each is well worth a visit in its own right, and the four-stop trail offers its own sense of fun and challenge, given most of the them are only open on weekend afternoons. So you’ll have to sip zippily to visit all four in one go. Here’s what to expect.

Woodside Vineyards

Starting with the northernmost destination of the Midpeninsula Wine Trail, you’ll find Woodside Vineyards housed in Auto Vino, a high-end car storage facility and event space. But on a sunny day, it’s lovely to get outside of the temperature-controlled interior and savor the vibrant oasis of a parking lot transformed into an outdoor patio with cafe tables, shade structures, greenery, a pizza-slinging food truck and, of course, wine.

The company produces an array of wines from grapes farmed in Woodside, part of the Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area. It makes three varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, plus Port and Champagne-style wines.

The dog-friendly outdoor space practically beckons visitors to grab a glass and a seat to while away a pleasant weekend afternoon. But don’t take too long or sip too much, because there are more spots to catch.

Details: Open 12-4 p.m. weekends at 380 Industrial Road, San Carlos; woodsidevineyards.com.

High-end cars are stored inside at Auto Vino, while the parking lot is transformed into a wine patio with greenery, shade and a pizza truck. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)

Flying Suitcase Wines

Next up is Flying Suitcase Wines, a local winery started by Danish husband-and-wife team Anders and Vicki Vinther. The couple launched the winery in 2013 when Anders started getting into making wine, drawing on his background in quality control in the biotech world. “He’s a perfectionist with wine,” Vicki says.

By 2016, Flying Suitcase was ready to open a tasting room, prompting the Vinthers to approach Russian Ridge Winery for advice. It turned out that the space next door was open, so Flying Suitcase moved in. It continues to make a variety of wines, particularly French varietals, but its Syrah is what it’s best known for, according to Vicki.

Flying Suitcase sources its fruit from a variety of locations, primarily in Napa and Sonoma counties, Vicki says. “You can’t make good wine with bad fruit.”

The tasting room is thoughtfully furnished, comfortable and pet- and family-friendly. It even has a playroom for kids.

“You’re getting a good-quality wine at a really good price compared to what you would if you went up to Napa or Sonoma,” she says. “We’re kind of a hidden gem, to be honest.”

After sampling a tasting flight — or a glass — head just next door to Russian Ridge Winery for your next stop.

Details: Open 1-5 p.m. weekends at 915 Washington St., San Carlos; flyingsuitcasewines.com. Reservations not required but encouraged, especially for groups of six or more.

Russian Ridge Winery

Behind a wood-paneled bar, you’ll find Spencer Townsend offering pours of his wines. He grew up making wine with his dad at their family’s property in the Santa Cruz mountains, located along the Russian Ridge, the highest elevation in San Mateo County.

After winning Best in Show at the 2010 county fair, they decided to establish their winery. Around that time, San Carlos had policies that were friendly to small craft alcohol producers, leading to an influx of brewers and winemakers in the neighborhood, he says.

Russian Ridge wines — particularly its Concerto, a Bordeaux-style red blend — have won an array of awards over the years.

Details: Open 1-5 p.m. weekends and 5-8 p.m. the third Thursday and final Friday of each month at 919 Washington St, San Carlos; russianridgewinery.com.

Domenico Winery

The largest operation of the four, Domenico Winery is where you’ll want to go for a special-occasion meal to pair with a glass of wine or to enjoy a night out at one of its many events, like its monthly Grapes and Giggles comedy nights.

It specializes in Californian and Italian wines, with vineyards in Amador County where it grows its estate Syrah and Primitivo wines. And its falanghina, imported from the owners’ family winery in Campania, is floral and refreshing.

Seating for wine tastings at the bar is limited to 45 minutes, so Domenico recommends making a reservation at a table, where tastings are always available. Besides, after one bite of their house-made focaccia, you’ll be happy you obliged. Topped with rosemary, tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it’s the perfect complement to whatever you’re sipping. Round out the meal with dishes like lemon-basil gnocchi with garlic butter prawns ($19) or prosciutto pizza, topped with white truffle oil and pecorino romano ($24). And don’t forget to get tiramisu ($9) for dessert.

Details: Open 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays at 1697 Industrial Road, San Carlos (brunch served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends); domenicowinery.com.

By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has threatened to relocate World Cup matches set to be played next year in suburban Boston, after suggesting that parts of the city had been “taken over” by unrest.

Foxborough, Massachusetts, home to the NFL’s New England Patriots and about 30 miles from Boston, is set to stage matches as the U.S. cohosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Trump was asked about Boston’s mayor, Michelle Wu, a Democrat whom he called “intelligent” but “radical left.”

“We could take them away,” Trump said of the World Cup games. “I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good.”

He repeated those threats Wednesday.

Can Trump take away the World Cup games?

Trump has previously suggested he could declare cities “not safe” for the 104-game soccer tournament and alter a detailed hosting plan that FIFA confirmed in 2022. It includes games at NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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World Cup host sites aren’t up to Trump. The 11 U.S. cities — plus three in Mexico and two in Canada — are contracted with FIFA, which would face significant logistical and legal issues to make changes in the eight months before the June 11 kickoff.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” the soccer body’s vice president Victor Montagliani said earlier this month at a sports business conference in London.

The organization seemed to soften its stance somewhat on Wednesday, saying in a statement that “safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide” and noting that precautions are “obviously the governments’ responsibility, and they decide what is in the best interest for public safety.”

“We hope every one of our 16 Host Cities will be ready to successfully host and fulfill all necessary requirements,” the FIFA statement added.

Trump has insisted that “if somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location’ and they would do that.”

The president meant FIFA head Gianni Infantino, a close ally. Trump said Infantino “wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”

Speaking on a local podcast Wednesday, Wu questioned how Trump could take away the games with less than a year to go. She said most everything is already “locked down by contract” so no single person “even if they live in the White House currently can undo it.”

FILE – Boston Mayor Michelle Wu chats with voters at a polling place, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

“There’s no ability to take away the World Cup games,” Wu said. “There’s no real threat when it comes to saying cities are so unsafe that they can’t host the games.”

World Cup in Massachusetts

Among the seven matches that will be played at Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburb of Foxborough will be five group stage matches, one match in the round of 32 and a quarterfinal match on July 9, 2026. The news of so many big games was a surprise to local organizers.

“The later in the tournament, the more eyeballs,” said Mike Loynd, head of Boston’s World Cup organizing committee, when the schedule was announced last year. “For us, it’s just a matter of excitement. … For us, it’s a perfect schedule. I don’t think FIFA could have done a better job.”

The tournament is expected to bring $1.1 billion in local economic impact, create over 5,000 jobs, and generate more than $60 million of tax revenue throughout the region, according to organizers. They also expect that more than 2 million visitors will come to New England throughout the tournament’s 39-day span.

Robert Kraft connection

Gillette Stadium is operated by Robert Kraft, who owns the NFL’s New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution.

Kraft served as honorary chair of the United Bid to help bring the World Cup back to the United States. In a 2024 interview on “The Breakfast Club” he described himself as a “social friend” of Trump beginning in the 1990s shortly after he purchased the Patriots. He said in that interview that the only donation he’d ever made to Trump was a “strong donation to his inauguration” following his 2016 election.

But Kraft also gifted the president a diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring during his first term after the Patriots won the NFL’s championship to cap the 2016 season. Sitting presidents typically receive gifts from sports teams during celebratory White House visits — a personalized jersey is standard — but Kraft gave Trump a ring as well, the team confirmed at the time.

Kraft decided after the team’s April 2017 visit to have a ring made for Trump so he would have something special to display in his presidential library, the team said. But Kraft said in that same 2024 “Breakfast Club” interview that he hadn’t spoken to Trump since the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump takes aim at Boston

Boston and its mayor have been frequent targets of the Trump administration for much of the year.

Trump and his allies have focused their attacks on the city’s so-called sanctuary city polices and how much police should support deportations. In September, the Trump administration sued the city, arguing its sanctuary city policies are illegal under federal law and the city’s refusal to cooperate with immigration authorities has resulted in the release of dangerous criminals who should be deported.

The Trump administration has already deployed National Guard troops to Washington and Memphis, and efforts to do so in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have sparked legal fights. Democratic and Republican leaders across Massachusetts have pushed back against the National Guard deployment in Boston and Wu, who is running unopposed for reelection, often cites the city’s historical low crime rates.

Wu touts the fact that gun violence fell to the lowest level on record in her first year in office and has continued to decline. The city saw a historical low number of homicides in 2024 with 24 — but the city has surpassed that number so far in 2025 with 27, the police department said.

Associated Press writer Kyle Hightower in Foxborough, Mass. contributed to this report.

By AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal holding, President Donald Trump says he’s now turning his attention to bringing Russia’s war on Ukraine to an end and is weighing providing Kyiv long-range weaponry as he looks to prod Moscow to the negotiating table.

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Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza was central to Trump’s 2024 reelection pitch, in which he persistently pilloried President Joe Biden for his handling of the conflicts. Yet, like his predecessor, Trump also has been stymied by President Vladimir Putin as he’s unsuccessfully pressed the Russian leader to hold direct talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war that is nearing its fourth year.

But fresh off the Gaza ceasefire, Trump is showing new confidence that he can finally make headway on ending the Russian invasion. He’s also signaling that he’s ready to step up pressure on Putin if he doesn’t come to the table soon.

“Interestingly we made progress today, because of what’s happened in the Middle East,” Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday evening as he welcomed supporters of his White House ballroom project to a glitzy dinner.

Earlier this week in Jerusalem, in a speech to the Knesset, Trump predicted the truce in Gaza would lay the groundwork for the U.S. to help Israel and many of its Middle East neighbors normalize relations. But Trump also made clear his top foreign policy priority now is ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

“First we have to get Russia done,” Trump said, turning to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has also served as his administration’s chief interlocutor with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?”

Trump weighs Tomahawks for Ukraine

Trump is set to host Zelenskyy for talks Friday, their fourth face-to-face meeting this year.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ahead of the meeting, Trump has said he’s weighing selling Kyiv long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory — if Putin doesn’t settle the war soon. Zelenskyy, who has long sought the weapons system, said it would help Ukraine put the sort of pressure on Russia needed to get Putin to engage in peace talks.

Putin has made clear that providing Ukraine with Tomahawks would cross a red line and further damage relations between Moscow and Washington.

But Trump has been undeterred.

“He’d like to have Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelenskyy on Tuesday. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.”

Agreeing to sell Ukraine Tomahawks would be a splashy move, said Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. But it could take years to supply and train Kyiv on the Tomahawk system.

Montgomery said Ukraine could be better served in the near term with a surge of Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles and Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS. The U.S. already approved the sale of up to 3,350 ERAMs to Kyiv earlier this year.

The Tomahawk, with a range of about 995 miles, would allow Ukraine to strike far deeper in Russian territory than either the ERAM (about 285 miles) or ATACMS (about 186 miles).

“To provide Tomahawks is as much a political decision as it is a military decision,” Montgomery said. “The ERAM is shorter range, but this can help them put pressure on Russia operationally, on their logistics, the command and control, and its force disbursement within several hundred kilometers of the front line. It can be very effective.”

Signs of White House interest in new Russia sanctions

Zelenskyy is expected to reiterate his plea to Trump to hit Russia’s economy with further sanctions, something the Republican, to date, has appeared reluctant to do.

Congress has weighed legislation that would lead to tougher sanctions on Moscow, but Trump has largely focused his attention on pressuring NATO members and other allies to cut off their purchases of Russian oil, the engine fueling Moscow’s war machine. To that end, Trump said Wednesday that India, which became one of Russia’s biggest crude buyers after the Ukraine invasion, had agreed to stop buying oil from Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin leads a cabinet meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Waiting for Trump’s blessing is legislation in the Senate that would impose steep tariffs on countries that purchase Russia’s oil, gas, uranium and other exports in an attempt to cripple Moscow economically.

Though the president hasn’t formally endorsed it — and Republican leaders do not plan to move forward without his support — the White House has shown, behind the scenes, more interest in the bill in recent weeks.

Administration officials have gone through the legislation in depth, offering line edits and requesting technical changes, according to two officials with knowledge of the discussions between the White House and the Senate. That has been interpreted on Capitol Hill as a sign that Trump is getting more serious about the legislation, sponsored by close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

A White House official said the administration is working with lawmakers to make sure that “introduced bills advance the president’s foreign policy objectives and authorities.” The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said any sanctions package needs to give the president “complete flexibility.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday the administration is waiting for greater buy-in from Europe, which he noted faces a bigger threat from Russian aggression than the U.S. does.

“So all I hear from the Europeans is that Putin is coming to Warsaw,” Bessent said. “There are very few things in life I’m sure about. I’m sure he’s not coming to Boston. So, we will respond … if our European partners will join us.”

AP writers Fatima Hussein, Chris Megerian and Didi Tang contributed to this report.