By CAROLYN THOMPSON

Slime, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its finalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

In this photo provided by The Strong National Museum of Play on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, shows the games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 in Rochester, N.Y. (Evyn Morgan/The Strong National Museum of Play via AP)

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie, “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the first board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

FILE – A Trivial Pursuit game is displayed at the Toy Fair in New York’s Javits Center, Oct. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill.

It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet offers a variety of recipes using ingredients like baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy offers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

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The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

CHICAGO (AP) — Text messages sent by a Border Patrol agent appear to show he bragged to colleagues about his shooting skills after wounding a woman charged with assaulting a federal officer in Chicago.

Agent Charles Exum shot Marimar Martinez five times on Oct. 4 after authorities say she and another driver rammed vehicles into an SUV Exum was driving on the city’s Southwest Side.

The messages were presented as evidence in federal court Wednesday. Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, are charged with assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon.

In the text, agent Exum wrote that he had “an amendment to add to” his story. “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys,” the text read.

The shooting occurred as President Donald Trump’s escalation of federal law enforcement continued in cities across the U.S.

On Oct. 5, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the shooting, saying in a statement that agents “were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.” When agents exited their vehicle, “a suspect tried to run them over, forcing the officers to fire defensively,” the statement continued.

No officers were seriously injured.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the woman shot was armed with a semiautomatic weapon. Martinez was treated at a hospital and released before being taken into FBI custody.

When questioned Wednesday by Chris Parente, an attorney for Martinez, Exum testified that he’s a firearms instructor “and I take pride in my shooting skills,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Defense attorneys also are concerned about the destruction of evidence after the SUV driven by Exum was later driven from Chicago to the agent’s station in Maine and parked in a garage, Exum said.

The SUV suffered scratches, dents and scuff marks when it was sideswiped, the agent said. Photos were taken of the damage. The scuff marks had been buffed in Maine, Exum said.

Martinez alleges that the Border Patrol vehicle swerved and sideswiped her vehicle, according to court documents.

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Federal immigration agents in the Chicago area have been accused of unnecessary force, including the use of pepper balls, tear gas and other tactics against people protesting federal immigration policies and the detention of immigrants.

The aggressive tactics have prompted resident backlash and lawsuits.

Another federal judge said Thursday she will order federal agents in Chicago to restrict using force against peaceful protesters and news media outlets, saying current practices violate their constitutional rights.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis’s ruling, which is expected to be appealed by the Trump administration, refines an earlier temporary order that required agents to wear badges and banned them from using certain riot-control techniques, such as tear gas, against peaceful protesters and journalists.

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Major U.S. airports are among those facing 10% reductions in air traffic Friday due to the government shutdown.

A list distributed to airlines and obtained by The Associated Press includes airports in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles among the 40 that will see flights slashed.

The Federal Aviation Administration is imposing the reductions to take pressure off air traffic controllers, who are federal employees and have gone without pay during the shutdown.

In addition to reduced flight traffic, the shutdown has led to more flight delays, with experts advising travelers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport, among other tips.

Here’s a closer look at what to know about the reductions.

Which airports are affected?

The list includes 40 airports with Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Miami, Newark and San Francisco among them. A full list of airports facing reductions is here.

Why is this necessary?

Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks during the shutdown of the federal government. That’s led to controllers calling in sick and contributed to staffing shortages that have been affecting air travel for weeks.

Most controllers work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.

That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick to the FAA.

When will the reductions begin and end?

They’re set to start Friday, with passengers expected to be notified on Thursday. Airlines have said people could see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice.

It’s unclear when the reduced flights could end. Airlines, unions and the travel industry have urged Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

What will the effect of the reduction be?

The cuts could include up to 1,800 flights and about 268,000 seats combined, according to one estimate.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they would offer refunds to travelers who opt not to fly, even if they have tickets that aren’t normally refundable.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.

Has this happened before?

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said this week that he’s never seen these kinds of measures taken before in his nearly four-decade experience in the aviation field.

“We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns,” he said.

Staffing problems led to delays throughout October, but they were mostly isolated and temporary. Last weekend, though, saw a change.

From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.

During weekends from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis.

List of airports impacted by government shutdown

1. Anchorage International in Alaska

2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia

3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts

4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland

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5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina

6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio

7. Dallas Love Field in Texas

8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia

9. Denver International in Colorado

10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas

11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan

12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey

13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida

14. Honolulu International in Hawaii

15. Houston Hobby in Texas

16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia

17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas

18. Indianapolis International in Indiana

19. John F. Kennedy International in New York

20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas

21. Los Angeles International in California

22. LaGuardia Airport in New York

23. Orlando International in Florida

24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois

25. Memphis International in Tennessee

26. Miami International in Florida

27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota

28. Oakland International in California

29. Ontario International in California

30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois

31. Portland International in Oregon

32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania

33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona

34. San Diego International in California

35. Louisville International in Kentucky

36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington

37. San Francisco International in California

38. Salt Lake City International in Utah

39. Teterboro in New Jersey

40. Tampa International in Florida

Lakeville South assistant coach Kevin Boysen has presented Cougars players with small items prior to every postseason game this fall. Ahead of the Cougars’ section final victory over Lakeville North, it was a keychain with a target.

The reminder: As the defending state champions, you always have a target on your back.

Lakeville South outside hitter Jada Johnson (8) tries to block a shot by Roseville Area outside hitter Sam Bloomquist (1) during the Class 4A girls volleyball semifinals of the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Thursday, Nov. 06, 2025. Lakeville South won in 3-0 sets. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

Lakeville South has seen the best that all comers have had to offer all season. The only way to combat it was for the Cougars to play their best game, as well. Don’t back down from a challenge — take it head on.

With its back against the wall in Thursday’s Class 4A state semifinal, Roseville delivered its best blow. Trailing 2-0 in the match and 11-6 in the third set, the Raiders went on a 15-6 run to seize control and move to within four points of forcing a fourth set.

During one of Lakeville South’s timeouts amid the Raiders’ run, Boysen noted the Cougars were in control, but that they had to “bring it all” to finish the match.

That’s what they did.

Lakeville South won eight of the set’s final nine points to complete the sweep. The Cougars will get a chance to defend their title in the championship bout at 7 p.m. Saturday in St. Paul.

“We knew all season we had to work hard,” junior setter Kaelyn Bjorklund said. “Our coaches held us very accountable to always be communicating, always have energy. Because it always comes down to practice. You practice how you’re going to play. Every tournament, every game, we’ve just always brought our best. We try to excel every game.”

The Cougars delivered again Thursday. Their execution was pristine and seemed to put Roseville on its heels. The Raiders entered the semifinal as winners of 13 straight matches, but they dropped the first set, 25-12. It wasn’t until the third set that Roseville (24-8) truly resembled the team it’s been all season.

“We are so tough and gritty, and I think to start off we were so well prepared and we had a mindset, and I just think we lost a little bit of our special sauce, our oomph that makes us who we are,” Roseville coach Greg Ueland said. “We talk about responding all the time, and it just took us so long to respond.

“And then when you’re in that situation, especially against an amazing team like Lakeville South, you have to work that much harder mentally, physically and emotionally. I think that took a big toll on us. But our absolute grit, that’s who we are. I knew they would stay fighting.”

Ueland noted the fourth-seeded Raiders had to “terminate” more balls to score Thursday against Lakeville South’s daunting defense. They did so by mixing up shots at the net and cranking up the energy another notch to win more of the relentless rallies Lakeville South claimed earlier in the match.

“All of us really wanted it so bad,” Raiders junior middle blocker Sophia Gholson-Johnson said, “so we had to push that little more.”

But Lakeville South (30-3) was ready for that, as well. The top-seeded Cougars cited “really hard” practices all season as what helped prepare them for such situations in high-pressure environments.

“Now that we’re here, the work finally paid off and it’s all worth it in the end,” senior right-side hitter Jada Johnson said. “I’m glad that they take it so seriously.”

Lakeville South’s Amanda Cullen (11) celebrates after defeating Roseville Area in 3-0 sets during the Class 4A girls volleyball semifinals of the State Volleyball Tournament at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Thursday, Nov. 06, 2025. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

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