Vikings at Packers (-6½)

Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who claims his alter-ego “Nine” actually runs the Vikings’ offense, had another poor outing in last Sunday’s loss to Baltimore. The only thing more amateurish and disappointing for Minnesotans was their governor’s run for the vice presidency.
Pick: Packers by 3

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Patriots at Bengals (+8½)

Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution” has been drawing rave reviews since its debut on PBS. Viewers have been captivated by the 18th century tales of bravery, brutality and Joe Flacco’s recollections of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Pick: Patriots by 7

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 12: Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 12, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Steelers at Bears (-3½)

Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers insists that may play Sunday against his old foes despite a broken wrist. He reported that he has done his own research and will not need surgery, opting instead for copious consumption of horse dewormer.
Pick: Bears by 7

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) gets up after being sacked during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Falcons at Saints (-2½)

Former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins insists there’s “no magic formula” as he steps in for the rest of the season to replace injured Michael Penix Jr. But Captain Kirk is confident that the $27.5 million he’s making this season will cushion the blow.
Pick: Saints by 3

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws under pressure from Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

Browns at Raiders (-3½)

Cleveland rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is making his first NFL start. While no pregame ceremony is planned, there could be a postgame event marking the historic occasion of Sanders’ final NFL start.
Pick: Raiders by 7

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) reacts after coming up short of a first down during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 16 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)

Jets at Ravens (-13½)

Embattled New York quarterback Justin Fields has been benched for the second time this season. The only way the inadequate passer will return to the starting lineup is if replacement Tyrod Taylor is either injured or named in the Epstein files.
Pick: Ravens by 17

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) is sacked by New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)

Colts at Chiefs (-3½)

The defending AFC champion Chiefs have dropped to 5-5 and are currently out of playoff position. League officials are responding to this crisis by making plans to double up penalties on Kansas City’s foes.
Pick: Chiefs by 7

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) urges the referees to call a touchdown during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Giants at Lions (-10½)

Former Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is now eligible to be signed by any NFL team after completing his suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. He won’t find another team unless its front office is found to be using delusion-enhancing drugs.
Pick: Lions by 17

US football player Odell Beckham Jr arrives to attend the annual American Foundation for AIDS Research amfAR Gala Cannes 2025 at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes, southern France, on the sidelines of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, on May 22, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP) (Photo by JULIE SEBADELHA/AFP via Getty Images)

Seahawks at Titans (+12½)

Seattle’s Ernest Jones gave a profane defense of quarterback Sam Darnold last Sunday after his four-interception meltdown against the Rams. To his credit, Jones was almost as convincing at defending the indefensible as Karoline Leavitt.
Pick: Seahawks by 17

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks passes the ball under pressure from Nate Landman #53 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Jaguars at Cardinals (+2½)

Arizona QB Jacoby Brissett made NFL history in Week 11 by completing a record 47 passes against San Francisco. It’s certainly the most cherished NFLrecord ever held by a career clipboard holder.
Pick: Jaguars by 3

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 16: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals passes the ball under pressure from Keion White #56 of the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

OTHER GAMES

Eagles at Cowboys (+3½)
Pick: Eagles by 11

Buccaneers at Rams (-6½)
Pick: Rams by 3

Panthers at 49ers (-7½)
Pick: 49ers by 3

Rico Dowdle #5 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball for yardage during the NFL 2025 game against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

BYE WEEK

Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, Commanders

RECORD

Week 11
9-6 straight up
4-11 vs. spread

Season
102-61-1 straight up (.626)
84-80 vs. spread (.512)

All-time (2003-25)
3921-2162-15 straight up (.645)
2995-2959-145 vs spread (.503)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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Today is Friday, Nov. 21, the 325th day of 2025. There are 40 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 21, 1985, U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard was arrested and accused of spying for Israel. (Pollard later pleaded guilty to espionage and was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 2015.)

Also on this date:

In 1920, on “Bloody Sunday,” the Irish Republican Army killed 14 suspected British intelligence officers in the Dublin area; British forces responded by raiding a soccer match, killing 14 civilians.

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In 1964, New York City’s Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, at the time the longest suspension bridge in the world, was opened to traffic.

In 1980, 85 people died, most from smoke inhalation, after a fire broke out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The same day, an estimated 83 million TV viewers tuned in to the CBS prime-time soap opera “Dallas” to find out “who shot J.R.” (The shooter turned out to be J.R. Ewing’s sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard.)

In 1990, junk-bond financier Michael R. Milken, who had pleaded guilty to six felony counts related to violating U.S. securities laws by selling junk bonds, was sentenced by a federal judge in New York to 10 years in prison. (Milken served two.)

In 1995, Balkan leaders meeting in Dayton, Ohio, initialed a peace plan to end 3 1/2 years of ethnic fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In 2017, Zimbabwe’s 93-year-old president, Robert Mugabe, resigned; he was facing impeachment proceedings and had been placed under house arrest by the military. His resignation ended a 37-year rule beginning with Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

In 2021, an SUV sped through barricades and into marchers in a Christmas parade in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, killing six people and injuring several others. A judge the following year sentenced Darrell Brooks Jr. to life in prison without parole for his conviction on first-degree intentional homicide and other counts.

In 2022, a powerful earthquake killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds on Indonesia’s main island of Java, sending terrified residents into streets covered with debris.

Also in 2022, NASA’s uncrewed Orion capsule reached the moon, whipping around the far side and buzzing the lunar surface on an orbit that broke the record for distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to carry humans. The mission marked the first time an American capsule visited the moon since NASA’s Apollo program ended a half-century earlier.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Marlo Thomas is 88.
Basketball Hall of Famer Earl Monroe is 81.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois is 81.
Actor Goldie Hawn is 80.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana is 74.
Journalist Tina Brown is 72.
Actor Cherry Jones is 69.
Gospel musician Steven Curtis Chapman is 63.
Musician Björk is 60.
Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman is 59.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is 56.
Football Hall of Famer-TV host Michael Strahan (STRAY’-han) is 54.
Actor Jena Malone is 41.
Actor-comedian Ronny Chieng is 40.
Pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen is 40.

The Stillwater prison looks, smells and sounds like a completely different place these days.

As Minnesota Department of Corrections officials prepare for the upcoming closure of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport in 2029, entire cell blocks have been shuttered. The prison’s population, once 1,200, is now just 503. The number of staff working at the prison also has dropped dramatically. In June, when the phased closure was announced, there were 567 staff working at Stillwater. There are now 231.

Most striking is a radical change in programming. Earned living units, designed for inmates who have done well during their time in prison, launched in September and will remain in effect until the prison closes by June 30, 2029. The men selected to participate — 298 as of Thursday — have made their own community rules, established accountability structures, and have been responsible for choosing incentives.

DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said the intention is to replicate earned living units, honors units and incentive-based living units in all facilities in the coming years. Earned living units require fewer staff resources, allowing correctional facilities to direct staffing resources where they are most needed. This approach supports a safer, more stable environment for incarcerated people and staff, Schnell said.

Members of the media were invited to tour the units on Thursday and got to see the prison’s first barber shop, called Street Cuts; the prison’s new and improved tattoo shop; two new barbeque grills; the newsroom of “The Mirror,” the oldest continuously published prison publication in the world, and the start of a new inmate-designed mural honoring Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm, who was bludgeoned to death by an inmate at the Stillwater prison in 2018.

Lt. Sam Marks in the entryway of Cell Hall B-East. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

“We went through a complete 180,” said Lt. Sam Marks, standing in the middle of Cell Hall B East. “If you would have walked down this hall a few years ago, you would have been terrified. I was the lead negotiator when we had our sit-in, and 120 (inmates) refused to go back to the rooms. … The amount of violence I’ve seen here in the last eight years, it’s astounding. Some of it will never leave me.

Marks, a 25-year veteran of the DOC, called the new approach “transformative.”

“It’s a different way of dealing with people on both ends. You sort of get institutionalized, and we’re kind of coming out of that. It’s a good thing. I don’t think the closure is a good thing, but I think that what we’re doing here is a good thing.”

Extra space

Each of the inmates in Cell Hall B are assigned two cells — one for sleeping and one for using however they want, Marks said. Some use the extra space for storing their possessions, making art, or even, in the case of Vincent Walker, growing an indoor herb garden. The cells in the earned living units are locked only at night and during the daily count.

Vincent Walker shows a list of herbs and peppers that he and Damon DiMartino, rear, are growing in an empty cell they have converted into a greenhouse. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Walker, 56, came to the earned living unit from Stillwater’s minimum-security unit, where he worked in the prison’s garden and took a horticulture class. When DOC officials asked what he wanted to do with his second cell, Walker said he wanted to create a greenhouse, complete with growing lights.

“We’ve got four varieties of basil — Italian, lemon, purple and Thai,” Walker said, during a tour of the small, bright space. “We also have cilantro, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lemon mint, peppermint and mountain mint. We keep track of the number of days for the harvest times.”

On Thursday, Walker was working on germinating pepper seeds in compostable egg cartons. Among the varieties: cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, poblano, California wonder, jalapeno and Hungarian sweet wax, he said.

“I don’t know how hot they’ll be,” said Walker, who is scheduled for release in January 2028. “We’re going to find out.”

New barber shop

Over in the prison’s lower recreation area, inmate Joe Soltis was giving a high-taper fade to fellow inmate Alex Keaton at the prison’s new barber shop. Soltis, 69, helped design and decorate the four-chair shop, Street Cuts, which opened five weeks ago, he said.

Licensed barber Joe Soltis trims fellow inmate Jordan Denk’s hair at the new barber shop called “Street Cuts.” (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

“We started with a blank slate,” said Soltis, a licensed barber who has been cutting hair for 49 years. “Before, each cell block had one cell that was designated for cutting hair. For 10 years, I’ve been trying to get something like this, and it finally happened. I’m proud of it. I’m proud of where it is. It’s not just a barbershop, it’s a place for the guys to come down and actually connect with each other and just enjoy being almost like outside of prison because it truly is nice.”

Soltis, who has served 26 years of his 30-year sentence, said he is grateful that DOC officials launched the ELU program.

“I’ve always wanted to say this: Prison can be a prison if prisoners act like prisoners,” Soltis said. “This is a building where people are acting like a community. People are coming together. It’s like any time we turn around and say, ‘Hey, we need some volunteers.’ We got 30, 40 people jumping to help.”

He said you don’t have to constantly remind the inmates who they are.

“We know who we are, and we know what we’ve done, and we’re trying to give back to the community in any way we can,” Soltis said. “But we’re also trying to make it better for people who come here, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. … At the end of the day, you have to earn your place here every single day.”

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Soltis’ next customer, inmate Keith Grube, 59, was drinking coffee and sitting in a lounge chair as he waited his turn. “I haven’t sat in something this comfortable in 32 years,” he said. “I hope they’ll expand this to other facilities once everybody sees how well this is run. This is amazing what they’re doing. Everybody is pulling together. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I was in the service, and I saw some glimpses of people coming together, but I’m really seeing it here.”

Grube said he transferred to the earned living unit at Stillwater from Moose Lake in September. “When I got here, I had to wait a week for all my property, and I didn’t even mind because it was that much better already,” he said.

Tattoo shop

Up in the prison’s new tattoo shop, relocated to the former art room from a space near the prison’s laundry area in the basement, inmate Daniel Gonzales was putting the finishing touches on inmate Matthew Fahey’s full-back tattoo. The design is a Gonzales original: a fire-breathing dragon and a knight.

Licensed tattoo artist Daniel Gonzales continues working on fellow inmate Matthew Fahey’s back piece in the new tattoo studios at the Minnesota Corrections Facility – Stillwater in Bayport on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. The prison is in the process of being shut down with inmates slowly being placed in other facilities. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Gonzales, 28, said he was selected to live in the earned living unit because of “good behavior, doing programming and staying out of trouble.”

“When I first came into prison, I was getting into trouble doing illegal tattoos and things like that,” he said. “But after a while, I changed. Something in me just clicked, and I changed what I was doing. Ever since then, it’s been an upward momentum of more positive things.”

Gonzales said the positivity and leniency gives inmates room to grow.

“When you’re surrounded by negativity, it tends to rub off on you. The opposite is also true: When you’re surrounded by positivity, it also rubs off on you. I’ve seen it in the guys. … We have something really good going on, and it’s more responsibility, too, because it’s not only for us, it’s for the possibility of other people to be able to do it later on.”

‘Landmark transformation’

Timothy O’Meara, an associate editor with “The Prison Mirror” newspaper, looks at art for an upcoming edition. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The launch of the earned living units program is a “landmark transformation” for the DOC, said inmate Timothy O’Meara, an associated editor of “The Mirror.”

“It’s the big story — the lead story of our next issue,” he said. “It’s a big leap for the Department of Corrections. They’re not exactly known for jumping into things and trying new things, but the transition to this new structure is just amazing. I can’t even express to you how different it is — just the environment and the people. It’s completely a radical change.”

Inmate Bryan Eaker, who also serves as an associate editor at the newspaper, said he felt some trepidation coming to Stillwater from Moose Lake in September to take part in the earned living units program.

“It was really scary,” he said. “Just because of everything that you hear about Stillwater.”

He said when his bus arrived and he saw the building, the thought he had made a mistake.

“I can’t believe that I can say that I’m in Stillwater, and I’m enjoying being in Stillwater,” Eaker said. “That’s weird to even think that that’s a possibility.”

O’Meara and Eaker said they are doing all they can to make sure the ELU continues on into the future.

“We’re hoping that the Department of Corrections is going to see the wisdom in having a facility like this,” O’Meara said. “They’re taking a chance, you know, and they’re giving us an opportunity to show that we deserve to be here. That’s our hope – that not only will it be here for us, but it will continue on after we’re gone.”

Eaker said he is optimistic that that will be the case.

“There’s been such a mentality shift,” he said. “I mean, you’re asking IPs (incarcerated people) to be different IPs, you’re asking staff to be different staff, and you’re asking administration to be different administration. And if one of those doesn’t work, it’s not going to work.”

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Marks, the lieutenant, said he is all-in in making sure it works.

“It’s so nice to be able to come to work and say, ‘Hello’ and ‘How are you doing?’ to these guys and get it back and just have a pleasant atmosphere where we can kind of heal and they can change. We both can,” Marks said. “It’s my job to send these guys out better than they came in, and I think I can do that in a facility like this.”

In addition to launching the earned living units, DOC officials have expanded the prison’s Atlantis substance-use treatment program, increasing access to substance-use disorder treatment across the agency. As of Thursday, the program was at its full capacity of 93 inmates.

The rest of the prison population not eligible for an earned living unit, 112 inmates, are in segregation.

I have experienced firsthand the courage of two birth mothers who chose my husband and me to raise their babies. We met these pregnant women, as well as the birth fathers and birth grandparents, of our daughters. Together, we decided to move forward and build our unconventional family. It is called open adoption. Our children know their full story, living their lives knowing who they are and how they came to be adopted.

Some open-adoption arrangements are subtle, with occasional contact throughout the year. We went all in after meeting Carmen, our first birth mother, and then Nadia, our second. With open minds and open hearts, we shared our stories and listened to one another, realizing that we could help each other. We formed a family circle bound together by choice, vulnerability, communication and, most importantly, trust. We have stood next to each other at graduations, weddings, funerals, many celebrations, and visited often. With this approach, we held hands and embraced the unexpected outcomes together.

The best example of our 33-year family journey was told through a simple tradition at our daughter Caitlin’s wedding. Caitlin and her father were enjoying a spontaneous spin during their father-daughter dance when Bob let go of her hand. She glanced up, perplexed, and then she saw him. Her birth father slowly walked onto the floor with open arms and a brimming smile, ready to finish the dance. Bob knew it was his dance to share with Patrick. The magic was in watching the guests comprehend our family dynamic in real time. While many of our loved ones had met our two birth families on other occasions, this was the first time we were all together in one place, celebrating together. We invited the birth families of both daughters, clearly demonstrating that adoption does not separate families. It unites them.

Many have told us that we are different, that few people could raise their children while maintaining a close relationship with the birth families. I disagree. To share our children with the people who made them is the most incredible honor. It may not be typical, but it’s just another version of family, and we all know the challenges and triumphs of building a family. Step families have been setting the example for generations. It’s more about who shows up for one another than who is related by blood. The same holds true for families formed through open adoption.

Adoption is not always easy. I learned that attachment and abandonment issues are real possibilities for adoptees. Our own children have helped me understand this. Through counseling and education, we seek the support and tools needed to help us navigate the crevice that is created when the birthmother hands her baby to the adoptive parent. This is a lifelong process for the adoptee. If the birthmother knows she is supported by the adoptive family, and she can continue to know her child, this open line of communication helps her grow individually and bond with her child throughout the years.

Every adoption story is different. A common misconception is that in order to make open adoption successful, you have to arrive already open and accepting. But that’s not how it works. It’s a learning curve, full of risks and rewards, just like any worthwhile endeavor. Open adoption is a choice to cultivate relationships where a child’s best interests are at the heart of every decision. While it can feel impossible, you are not alone. Your adoption is supported because everyone is in it together.

Open adoption succeeds because it incorporates three essential ingredients: choice, trust and love. The birth mother has the choice to decide who she wishes to raise and nurture her baby. Once she chooses the adoptive parents, together they choose each other and agree on what their relationship will be and how to move forward.

A safe environment is created and nurtured by birth and adoptive parents who trust each other, agreeing to keep their word to each other. I was asked many times if I was afraid the birthmother would change her mind and keep the baby. I thought about it, but we all had counseling with every step, and more importantly, Carmen, Nadia, the birth fathers, Tony and Patrick, and Bob and I, were committed to one another.

The indescribable power of love blooms and grows through these relationships. To share our children with the people who made them is the most incredible honor. The more I share our story, my hope is that people will shift their attitude about adoption from one that feels scary to an informed approach — one that starts with choice and ends with love.

Susan Strong is a Twin Cities-based writer, adoption advocate, and author of One Yes at a Time: How Open Adoption Transformed Our Family. Read more at susanstrong.substack.com and www.susanstrongauthor.com