As the Vikings prepare for the highly anticipated return of quarterback J.J. McCarthy under center, they are hoping to have their offensive line nearly at full strength against the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.

Asked specifically about left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill, head coach Kevin O’Connell sounded rather optimistic about both players being available, saying, “We feel really good about those guys right now.”

It’s worth noting that Darrisaw (knee) was listed as a limited participant in practice, while O’Neill (knee) was listed as a full participant. They are officially listed as questionable heading into the game.

It would be a major boost for the Vikings if Darrisaw and O’Neill can bookend the offensive line, especially considering McCarthy has yet to play a game with both players protecting him up front.

As for McCarthy’s overall health, O’Connell noted that he’s strung together a few really good practices. The hope is that McCarthy can translate that onto the field when the Vikings take on the Lions.

“It was great to see him fully kind of look like himself,” O’Connell said. “He feels 100% ready to go.”

Van Ginkel good to go

After missing the past month while navigating a neck injury, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel is set to to make his return against the Lions. Though he’s officially listed as questionable, Van Ginkel was a full participant this week and the Vikings anticipate him being able to suit up.

Asked if Van Ginkel will have a snap count of any sort, O’Connell said the Vikings are still working through that part.

“We’ll see kind of what his workload looks like,” O’Connell said. “Just excited to get him out there.”

This is something Van Ginkel has been working through since the neck injury popped up during training camp. He then suffered a concussion against the Chicago Bears, didn’t play against the Atlanta Falcons, returned against the Cincinnati Bengals, and missed every game since in an effort to get on top of some of the residual effects.

“I’m not going to get into what I’m feeling and what I’m going through,” Van Ginkel said. “It’s been a process. It’s something that I had to go through and it’s helped me get to this point. It’s allowing me to be confident and go out and perform to the best of my ability.”

Jefferson knows Sheppard well

The memories came flooding back for star receiver Justin Jefferson while watching film this week. He has known of Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for more than a decade and is looking forward too going against him this weekend.

“He played at LSU with my brother,” Jefferson said. “The relationship has kind of always been there. We always talk before and after the game. It definitely will be great to see how he covers me.”

Asked what he’s expecting from Sheppard in that sense, Jefferson shook his head and smiled.

“It’s going to be physical,” Jefferson said. “I know that.”

Briefly

The only players the Vikings ruled out for the game were fullback C.J. Ham (hand), tight end Josh Oliver (foot), and cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion). As for the Lions, they will be without running back Craig Reynolds (hamstring), linebacker Malcom Rodriguez (knee), and safety Kerby Joseph (knee).

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By MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday moved to limit the use of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, the latest action by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his deputies against a chemical that is a mainstay of dental care.

The FDA said that the products are no longer recommended for children younger than 3 and those who are older but don’t face serious risks of tooth decay. Previously, the products have been prescribed for children as young as six months.

The action stopped short of FDA statements in May suggesting regulators would seek the removal of the products from the market. Instead, the agency sent letters to four companies warning them not to market their products outside the new limits.

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Fluoride tablets and lozenges are sometimes recommended for children and teens at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. Companies also sell drops for babies.

The FDA released a new scientific analysis Friday, concluding that fluoride supplements have limited benefits for children’s teeth and may be linked to emerging safety concerns, including gut issues, weight gain and cognition.

“For the same reason fluoride may work to kill bacteria on teeth, it may also alter the gut microbiome, which may have broader health implications,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency also sent a form letter to dentists and other health providers warning about the risks of the products.

Those claims have been disputed by the American Dental Association, which has said there are no significant health problems associated with fluoride when used at the levels prescribed by dentists. The supplements can cause spotting or discoloration of teeth due to the extra fluoride, a downside the FDA also noted.

Dentists have warned that restricting fluoride supplements may result in more cavities and dental problems in rural communities, which are less likely to have fluoridated water. Kennedy is also seeking to end the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water throughout the U.S.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water.

Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has called fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin” tied to a range of health dangers.

The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. The agency’s actions don’t affect toothpastes, mouthwash or fluoride treatments used by adults or those offered in dentists’ offices.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The first-ever Lt. Beverly Rodriguez Service Award was presented Friday to a team of Metro Transit Police Department employees who, like her, are devoted to helping the homeless.

The award was presented to the department’s Homeless Action Team — the team that Rodriguez was leading at the time of her death.

The winners of the award — Officers Katherine Kompeleian, Quentin Waterkamp, Junehee Han and Hannah Karau — are continuing to do work that reflects Rodriguez’s “spirit, mission and heart,” Metro Transit Police Department Interim Chief Joseph Dotseth said in presenting the award.

Rodriguez, who drowned on June 22 in White Bear Lake, was “a devoted officer and a fierce advocate for compassion, equity and humanity in policing,” Dotseth said. “Her impact rippled far beyond the badge, touching lives, changing systems and bringing dignity to some of the most vulnerable community members across Minnesota.”

Rodriguez, 40, of Woodbury, joined the Metro Transit Police Department in 2017. After her death, she was posthumously promoted to lieutenant.

Rodriguez’s legacy “continues to guide our work and shape our values,” Dotseth said. “(She) once said, ‘We’re not just here to serve the public, we’re here to understand it.’”

The Homeless Action Team works throughout the region but has focused on St. Paul in the past year with regular details at Central Station downtown and on University Avenue. The team “operates on the front lines of one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing our region: homelessness,” Dotseth said.

Members of Rodriguez’s family, including her sons, Macallen and Macody, were recognized at the awards ceremony, which was held at The Club at Golden Valley. Family members declined to comment after the ceremony.

Supervisor of the Year

Rodriguez also was honored on Friday with the department’s Supervisor of the Year Award. In presenting the award, Officer Peter Eshenaur said Rodriguez earned the title through “unshakable integrity, fierce dedication and unwavering commitment to those she served and served with.”

A framed photo of Metro Transit Police Department Lt. Beverly Rodriguez graced the table outside the department’s annual awards ceremony on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. Rodriguez was honored posthumously with the department’s Supervisor of the Year Award. (Mary E. Divine / Pioneer Press)

Rodriguez was “more than a supervisor,” he said. “She was a leader, a mentor and a protector, in the truest sense of the word. Her work … was marked by compassion, courage and a rare blend of strength and grace.”

The “depth of her heart” was revealed particularly during her work in “advocating for the most vulnerable in our community,” he said. “Lt. Rodriguez understood that law enforcement is not just about enforcing rules, it is about building trust, offering help and restoring dignity. She saw people, not just problems.”

Metropolitan Council Chairwoman Debra Barber, one of the featured speakers, said the past year has tested the Metro Transit Police Department in many ways, “including some of the most heartbreaking and tragic events that I can ever remember.”

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“I know our lives have changed and the world feels different since June,” she said. “It was a hard summer for Minnesota and for the MTPD family. Our hearts will always hold her light close, and may we always remember how Lt. Beverly Rodriguez led with compassion, humanity and dignity for others.”

Many other Metro Transit officers received awards during the ceremony, including Officers Colin Reardon, Michael Lindstrom, Kham Vang, Peter Yang and Peter Chang, who were recognized for responding to a shooting on May 12 at Fifth and Cedar streets in downtown St. Paul.

A White Bear Township man is accused of raping a 51-year-old woman on Tuesday while she was out for an evening walk in Vadnais Heights.

Tristen Alan Leritz, 21, of White Bear Township, was charged with felony criminal sexual conduct on Oct. 31, 2025. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Tristen Alan Leritz, 21, was charged Friday with one felony count of criminal sexual conduct, according to a complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.

Leritz, who faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, is scheduled to make his first appearance before a judge on Monday. No attorney was listed for Leritz in court records.

Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a sexual assault in the 1000 block of Pond View Court, where they were met by a woman with leaves in her hair and visible injuries to her face and neck.

The woman, whose hands were shaking, told the deputies she had been walking south on Centerville Road between Birch Lake Boulevard and County Road F, when a man tackled her to the ground from behind and ordered her not to scream.

The woman, who had been on the phone with a friend at the time, fought the man and shouted at her friend to call 911. As she struggled, the woman pulled the man’s glasses off his face and threw them into the grass, the criminal complaint said.

She told deputies the man covered her mouth and strangled her with his forearm as he sexually assaulted her for at least 15 minutes next to the sidewalk while vehicles passed by on Centerville Road.

“The suspect did not seem to care that he was assaulting her in public,” the complaint said. After the assault, the woman ran to an address in Pond View Court and asked for help.

The woman was given a sexual assault examination at an area hospital, where DNA evidence was collected that matched a DNA profile on file for Leritz, according to the criminal complaint.

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Arrested on Thursday, Leritz initially denied assaulting the woman, but he eventually confessed to investigators after being presented with evidence against him, the complaint said.

Leritz explained that he saw the woman while he was out on his bicycle, according to authorities, telling investigators that he rode down the sidewalk ahead of her and waited to ambush the woman as she walked past him.

Leritz was convicted last year of motor vehicle theft in Anoka County, and he was charged in August with felony burglary in Ramsey County. A trial in the burglary case is scheduled for March.