By JOSH BOAK and MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump arrives Monday in Japan where new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is banking on building a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to ease trade tensions.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, right, and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi walk during the 28th ASEAN Japan Summit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 26, 2025. (Chalinee Thirasupa/Pool Photo via AP)

One key to this strategy might lie in an idea floated by Japan’s government to buy a fleet of Ford F-150 trucks, a meaningful gesture that may also be impractical given the narrow streets in Tokyo and other Japanese cities.

It’s an early diplomatic test for Takaichi, the first woman to lead Japan. She took office only last week, and has a tenuous coalition backing her.

Trump instantly bought into the idea of Ford trucks as he flew to Asia aboard Air Force One.

“She has good taste,” Trump told reporters. “That’s a hot truck.”

FILE – A Ford F-150 truck is displayed at the Dearborn Truck Plant, April 11, 2024, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

The two spoke over the phone while Trump was mid-flight on Saturday. Takaichi stressed her status as a protege of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a favorite of Trump’s from his first term, and said she praised him for brokering the Gaza ceasefire that led to the return of hostages held by Hamas.

“I thought (Trump) is a very cheerful and fun person,” she said. “He well recognizes me and said he remembers me as a politician whom (former) Prime Minister Abe really cared about,” she said. “And I told the president that I extremely look forward to welcoming him in Tokyo.”

Resetting the trade relationship

Beneath the hospitality is the search for a strategy to navigate the increasingly complex trade relationship that Trump shook up earlier this year with tariffs.

Trump wants allies to buy more American goods and also make financial commitments to build factories and energy infrastructure in the U.S.

The meetings in a Japan come ahead of Trump’s sit-down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.

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Both the U.S. and Japan have sought to limit China’s manufacturing ambitions, as the emergence of Chinese electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and advanced computer chips could undermine the American and Japanese economies.

“In light of the planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping shortly afterward, Trump may also be considering how he might strengthen his hand by demonstrating the robustness of the U.S.-Japan relationship,” said Kristi Govella, Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Japan’s previous administration agreed in September to invest $550 billion in the U.S., which led Trump to trim a threatened 25% tariff on Japanese goods to 15%. But Japan wants the investments to favor Japanese vendors and contractors.

Japan’s economy and trade minister, Ryosei Akazawa, has said his ministry is compiling a list of projects in computer chips and energy to try to meet the investment target.

“As far as I know, I’m hearing that there are a number of Japanese companies that are showing interest,” he told reporters Friday, though he did not give further details.

Ford trucks in Tokyo would be a powerful symbol

Japanese officials are looking at the possibility of buying more American soybeans, liquefied natural gas and autos.

For Trump, the prospect of Ford trucks in the skyscrapered streets of Tokyo would be a win. The administration has long complained that American vehicles were being shut out of a market that is the home of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Subaru. In a September interview on CNBC, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Japan wouldn’t buy U.S.-branded vehicles because “Chevys” were popular with Japanese gangsters.

Takaichi may arrange for Ford F-150 trucks to be showcased in a place Trump gets to see them, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported. The government is considering importing the trucks for its transport ministry to use for inspecting roads and infrastructure, though there are concerns that the F-150 could cause congestion on narrow Japanese streets. A Ford spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Japanese media have reported that Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda could announce plans to import his company’s American-made cars back to Japan during a dinner with Trump and other business leaders on Wednesday.

The gestures — combined with Takaichi’s connection to Abe — should help her deal with Trump, who seems predisposed to like her.

“I think she’s going to be great,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “She’s a great friend of Mr. Abe who was a great man.”

In 2016, Abe gave Trump a high-end golf club to celebrate his first election, and the leaders bonded over their love of golf. Trump often expresses sadness about Abe’s 2022 assassination.

But there are risks for Takaichi in emphasizing her ties to Abe, said Rintaro Nishimura, who specializes in Japan at advisory firm The Asia Group.

“Because it’s Takaichi’s first diplomatic engagement I think she wants to start with sort of a bang,” Nishimura said. “Succeeding the Abe-line rhetoric is definitely going to be part of this engagement, although some also suggest that leaning too heavily on the Abe line might not exactly be good for her for creating her own kind of portfolio, her status as Japan’s leader.”

Trump lands in Tokyo on Monday, meeting first with Japanese Emperor Naruhito. After meeting with Takaichi on Tuesday, he will give a speech aboard the U.S.S. George Washington aircraft carrier anchored in Japan and then hold a dinner with business leaders. Trump plans to leave for South Korea on Wednesday.

The early part of the Twins offseason has been dominated by the ongoing search for a new manager to replace Rocco Baldelli, who was fired after his seventh season at the helm.

But there’s plenty of work to be done to patch up a roster that was torn apart at the trade deadline and went on to lose 92 games.

What the Twins do with their roster this winter ties back to the payroll question and, on that end, there has been no public indication of what that may look like next season.

Before trades and free agency officially kick off following the conclusion of the World Series, here’s a look at some of the Twins’ most pressing needs this winter.

Bullpen

No part of the team was ravaged at the trade deadline last season like the bullpen. The front office will have its work cut out for itself after trading the team’s top five bullpen arms, most of whom would have been under team control for 2026.

When the Twins traded Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia, Griffin Jax to Tampa Bay, Brock Stewart to Los Angeles, Louie Varland to Toronto and Danny Coulombe to Texas, they created a deep void they now must attempt to fix.

As of now, Cole Sands seems to have a solidified spot. But there are a bunch of question marks around him. Left-hander Kody Funderburk had a strong final two months of the season, which could give him a leg up in his attempt to secure on a spot. Justin Topa has a team option and a few more pitchers, like Michael Tonkin, are arbitration-eligible. The Twins must make decisions on those arms in November.

The Twins oversaw the development of Duran, Jax and Varland from starting pitchers to dominant relievers, and that’s a path they could choose to take to try to fill at least a few of the empty spots in the bullpen. But be it via free agency — Coulombe was a solid signing last winter at $3 million — trades or internal arms, this area will have to be a focus this winter.

Catcher

The Twins have a need at catcher this offseason with Christian Vázquez’s three-year, $30 million pact coming to a conclusion.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers stands on the field as Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The team primarily split time behind the plate over the past three seasons between Vázquez and Ryan Jeffers, with one better defensively and the other offensively. When Vázquez developed an infection in his shoulder late in the season, Jeffers took on a heavier workload, which could be the case next season.

The Twins could shift to more of a starter/back-up situation rather than having co-equal catchers.

Their top-ranked catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, is still just 19 and is far off from debuting. Neither of the organizations other catchers in their top 30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline) have reached the high minors, either.

The Twins used both Mickey Gasper and Jhonny Pereda behind the plate when Vázquez and then Jeffers (concussion) were on the injured list, and they could factor in in some manner if the Twins opt to address the position internally.

First base/designated hitter

The Twins have had a revolving door at first base for the past few seasons, cycling through players like Ty France, Carlos Santana, Donovan Solano, Alex Kirilloff and others. Some solutions, like Santana, have worked out better than others.

France, signed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, handled the position for much of the 2025 season until he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Toronto Blue Jays. From there, Kody Clemens and Edouard Julien mostly handled the position.

Trevor Larnach took a majority of the DH at-bats last season, but the Twins must decide if they are tendering him a contract offer by the November deadline or moving on from their 2018 first-round pick.

First base and DH look like spots where Minnesota could upgrade to add more thump to its lineup in 2026.

If you’ve dreamed of going to the department of motor vehicles and walking away with a new license in hand, get used to holding on to your papers and clipped ID for a few weeks.

Dakota County has announced it will pull out of a pilot program at the license center in Lakeville that offers same-day issuance of standard Minnesota driver’s licenses.

Dakota County’s Lakeville License Center is stepping away from a pilot program issuing in-person IDs. (Courtesy of the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services)

The last day in Lakeville will be Oct. 31. The program will continue at the license service center in Moorhead.

The pilot program began in October 2022 through an appropriation from the State Legislature, a rebuke to common complaints from those who have previously lived in other states — “if North Dakota can get this right, why can’t we?” — but it was reportedly fraught with issues.

The Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services reported that more than 74,000 IDs were issued at the Lakeville and Moorhead centers, but almost 40 percent of cardholders eventually replaced them with a traditional card or allowed the ID to expire.

In January 2024, DVS recommended against expansion of the pilot program.

The most telling issue? The in-person IDs differed in quality from the centrally issued counterparts. This reportedly became an issue for customers when they needed to present identification — ordering a drink at a bar, renting a car, completing business at a bank branch or going through security while boarding a flight. At least three people reported that their IDs were rejected by Transportation Security Administration officers.

Department of Vehicle Services Director Pong Xiong said the centrally issued IDs are printed out of a much larger facility than the over-the-counter licenses. This allows the traditional IDs to have a higher quality, printed at a higher capacity.

Xiong said the state tried to find a printing solution that produced a card as close as possible to the centrally printed one, but differences remained.

The in-person IDs look different, and the laminate feels different to the touch, Xiong said. That became a clear problem for an identification credential that is expected to be universal in a world where fakes are commonplace.

A comparison of a same-day license, left, and traditional. (Courtesy of the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services)

It led DVS to eventually report the differences on its website. Among the differences on the over-the-counter ID:

The ghost image of the ID holder photo is in color, rather than black and white.
There is no canoeist on the bottom.
The date of birth appears on the card only once.
Issue date cannot be before Oct. 1, 2022.
Location of the shoreline on the background appears vertically on under 21 cards, not at the bottom.

“I think if you are looking at the cards, it would be fairly obvious that they are not exactly the same,” Xiong said.

The same-day pilot program does not issue more intensive identifications such as Real ID, enhanced driver’s licenses or commercial driver’s licenses. Since May 7, travelers have been required to use a certified Real ID driver’s license or identification in order to use it to board a plane.

When DVS reported findings to the Legislature in 2024, they noticed that only seven states provided over-the-counter credentialing, down more than 50 percent from 2014.

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Xiong said he is not surprised to see more states moving back toward a centrally issued solution. In addition to printing quality, he said, using centrally issued identification allows the state time to certify that the information is correct, and that the ID is valid. While those weeks waiting are a point of frustration for customers, the period between application and issuance allows the state another control against fraud prevention, as the process certifies that the address requested by the customer is legitimate.

Xiong said the pilot program currently has no end date and local service centers decide whether to participate.

Calls to the Clay County Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the future of the program in Moorhead were not returned by press time.

Today is Monday, Oct. 27, the 300th day of 2025. There are 65 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 27, 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. The team’s 86-year championship drought was known as the “Curse of the Bambino.”

Also on this date:

In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.

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In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr.

In 1995, a sniper killed one soldier and wounded 18 others during an outdoor physical training session at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (Paratrooper William J. Kreutzer was convicted in the shootings and condemned to death; the sentence was later commuted to life in prison.)

In 1998, powerful Hurricane Mitch cut through the western Caribbean, pummeling coastal Honduras and Belize; the storm caused several thousand deaths in Central America before eventually making U.S. landfall in southwest Florida as a tropical storm.

In 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 congregants and wounded six others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in the deadliest domestic attack on Jews in U.S. history; authorities said the suspect, Robert Bowers, raged against Jews during and after the rampage. (Bowers was convicted and sentenced to death in 2023.)

In 2019, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died by detonating a suicide vest as U.S. special forces raided his compound in northwest Syria. He once commanded tens of thousands of fighters who had carved out a territorial caliphate for a time in parts of Syria and Iraq and carried out a wave of atrocities.

In 2023, Israel knocked out communications and created a near-blackout of information with stepped-up bombardment and artillery fire in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it was expanding ground operations in the territory ahead of a planned invasion as it sought to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack and hostage-taking in southern Israel.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor-comedian John Cleese is 86.
Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 85.
Country singer Lee Greenwood is 83.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is 80.
Author Fran Lebowitz is 75.
Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 73.
Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 69.
Singer Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) is 67.
Internet news editor Matt Drudge is 59.
Author Anthony Doerr is 52.
Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 47.
TV personality Kelly Osbourne is 41.