Minnesota United has not signed a single new player in the summer transfer window and has less than one week to get deals over the line.

Efforts are being made by the Loons front office to bring in additions, but with the window closing next Thursday, circumstances appear to be shifting from when MNUFC will sign new players to if they will manage to do so at all.

The club’s lack of action so far and the pending deadline has caused consternation for supporters, players and staff.

On Friday, Loons head coach Eric Ramsay expressed “frustration” over the inactivity that leaves him with a smaller squad going into Saturday’s important Western Conference game against Seattle Sounders at Allianz Field.

“If someone had said to me three months ago we would be in a position on the 15th of August where we wouldn’t have a single player in the building and four would have left, I would have found that hard to believe,” Ramsay told the Pioneer Press. “But ultimately that is the position we are in, unfortunately.”

Last summer, MNUFC added six new players, including key attacking pieces Kelvin Yeboah and Joaquin Pereyra. This summer, they set out to add two to three players, but have yet to get any contracts over the line.

This left the Loons with only 16 first-team, out-field players to train at the National Sports Center in Blaine on Friday, setting up another match without a full bench this weekend.

The second-year head coach said his players and staff are trying to focus on what they can control.

“I think we maybe got the luxury, I suppose, as a group of players and staff of being able to keep our focus on what’s immediately to come in the games and the training, but I’m sure I share everyone’s frustration that is connected to the club that we are in the position that we are in,” Ramsay said. “But I know full well, still, we have enough here to make (Saturday’s) game, of course, more than competitive and we had enough last week to win the game (a 2-1 loss to Colorado). The group is certainly not hiding behind” no reinforcements.

Minnesota traded winger Sang Bin Jeong to St. Louis and sent three players away on loans — midfielder Sam Shashoua, defender Devin Padelford and goalkeeper Wessel Speel. Sending players away was viewed as preparation for United to bring in new players to help them finish the MLS regular season and advance in the U.S. Open Cup.

The Loons are primarily in need of attacking help and the club’s target list includes attacking midfielder, winger and a defensive midfielder. MNUFC was linked this week to 22-year-old central/defensive midfielder Nectarios Triantis, a Sunderland player who was on loan Hibernian in Scotland’s Premiership, and 19-year-old attacking mid Liran Hazan of Maccabi Petach Tikva in Isreal.

It’s unclear how advanced those pursuit might be at the end of this week.

The transfer window opened July 24 and Saturday’s game will be the sixth overall match when new players could have been eligible to contribute to the Loons’ highly competitive season.

Given the routine lag in time for transfer deals to become finalized and for work visas to be ironed out for foreign players, how much any new player can contribute this season is shrinking. The Loons, who are third in the West, have eight MLS regular-season games remaining and will host a Open Cup semifinal vs. Austin FC in September.

By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press

Federal troops are patrolling the National Mall and neighborhoods across Washington in President Donald Trump’s extraordinary takeover of the police department in the nation’s capital.

Now the Trump administration is moving to install its own emergency police commissioner, a big step forward in one of the most sweeping uses of federal authority over a local government in modern times.

While Washington went to court on Friday to block Trump’s takeover, how it will play out and whether the federal government views this as a potential blueprint for dealing with other cities remains up in the air. Here’s what to know about the situation and what might come next:

Why is Trump taking over the police in DC?

The Republican president this week announced he’s taking control over Washington’s police department and activating National Guard troops to reduce crime, an escalation of his aggressive approach to law enforcement. But District of Columbia officials say the action isn’t needed, pointing out that violent crime in the district reached historic 30-year lows last year and is down significantly again this year.

Can he do that?

D.C.’s status as a congressionally established federal district gives Trump a window to assert more control over the the district than other cities. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t offer much resistance at first, allowing city workers to clear homeless encampments and work closely with federal immigration agents. But on Friday, the heavily Democratic district asked for an emergency court order blocking Trump officials from putting a federal official in charge of D.C. police.

So who is in charge of police in Washington?

Right now, it’s unsettled. Trump’s administration announced Thursday that the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration will take over the police chief’s duties, including authority over orders issued to officers. It’s unclear where the move leaves the city’s current police chief, Pamela Smith, who works for the mayor. Smith says upending the command structure would be a “dangerous” threat to law and order.

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What’s at stake

The showdown in Washington is the latest attempt by Trump to test the boundaries of his legal authority to carry out his tough-on-crime agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally.

What are the federal troops doing in DC?

About 800 National Guard troops are being activated, with Humvees parked along the Washington Monument and near Union Station. Troops have been spotted standing outside baseball’s Nationals Park and neighborhood restaurants. The White House says guard members aren’t making arrests but are protecting law enforcement officers who are making arrests and helping deter violent crime. Trump says one of the objectives will be moving homeless people far from the city.

How long can this go on?

Trump has the authority to do this for 30 days and says he might look into extending it. But that would require congressional approval. Whether Republicans in Congress would go along with that is unclear. Some D.C. residents have protested against the increased police presence. For some, the action echoes uncomfortable historical chapters when politicians used language to paint predominantly Black cities with racist narratives to shape public opinion and justify police action.

Will Trump try to take control in other US cities?

Washington is very different from any other American city, and the rules that govern it give the federal government much more control than it would have anywhere else. Whether Trump is using this as a blueprint for how to approach cities — largely Democratic cities — that he wants to exert more control over remains to be seen.

Redistricting is, admittedly, a complicated political tradition. But, put simply, it’s a logistical part of the process that determines who represents you in elected office based on where you live.

In other words, redistricting is all about maps and boundaries.

And it’s certainly, especially this year, all about politics.

Gov. Gavin Newsom officially launched the campaign for mid-cycle redistricting in California with a rally at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 14. Newsom said it would be up to voters to decide, in a special election on Nov. 4, whether to implement new congressional districts in the state for 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.

The idea is a partisan one, an effort to favor Democrats in the state’s congressional elections as a way to counter similar, Republican-led plans elsewhere in the country to boost the GOP.

From how redistricting is defined to what the process typically looks like in California and what this means for you, here are some redistricting questions, asked and answered.

First of all, what even is redistricting?

Redistricting refers to the process that determines the boundaries for electoral districts for Congress, the state legislature and other elected offices, such as the State Board of Equalization districts in California.

More simply speaking, it’s the drawing of maps. Then, voters use those maps to learn, based on where they live, what districts they can vote in for certain elections, including the U.S. House.

Why are we talking about it now?

Generally, this happens every 10 years, after new census data paints a better picture of population and who is living where. States have differing processes for how these boundaries, or maps, are drawn, but in California, it’s up to a group of commissioners who draw the maps based on what is best for voter representation, not partisan politics.

But several states across the country are considering what’s called mid-cycle redistricting this year after President Donald Trump put pressure on Republican-controlled states to change their congressional boundaries to benefit the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans now control the White House, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, but midterm elections generally favor the party not in charge; that would suggest the Democratic Party for 2026.

How does redistricting work in California?

Like other states, it used to be up to the California Legislature to determine district boundaries for congressional and legislative seats. But voters changed that in 2008 when they narrowly passed a proposition giving that responsibility to a group of independent commissioners.

The 14-member California Citizens Redistricting Commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and four who are not affiliated with the two major parties.

They hold public hearings and collect public input on maps. They analyze census data and geographic boundaries. And they consider neighborhoods, communities and minority populations when drawing maps, ensuring these types of groups are kept together in districts as much as possible.

What is Gov. Gavin Newsom proposing?

Newsom has called for a special election on Nov. 4, where voters will decide whether to redraw the state’s congressional maps for the next three elections: the 2026 midterms, as well as the 2028 and 2030 elections.

Newsom is billing the effort a “five-alarm fire for democracy.”

“We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country,” the governor said.

Republicans are largely opposed to this plan.

“Californians have made clear that they want an independent redistricting process,” said GOP Rep. Young Kim, who represents communities in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“Changing that for partisan reasons disenfranchises voters and degrades trust in our political system,” said Kim.

Why does California care about Texas?

California’s redistricting efforts are “triggered” if any Republican state moves forward with partisan, mid-cycle redistricting, Newsom has said, but the focus has largely been on Texas.

Trump is pushing Texas and other red states to redraw maps to favor Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. The president recently said his party was “entitled to five more seats” in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has warned that Texas “has the ability to eliminate 10 Democrats in our state” should California “gerrymander.”

Texas, meanwhile, has struggled to approve new congressional districts in recent weeks after Democratic legislators there fled the state to prevent any action on new maps. Many have visited California and met with Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the standoff.

What is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering refers to redrawing electoral maps to favor a particular political party or group of people.

While gerrymandering is generally seen as taboo, or used perjoratively, it isn’t illegal. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 ruled, in a split decision, that federal judges cannot weigh in on disputes over partisan gerrymandering. The nation’s highest court, in 2024, sided with South Carolina’s Republican legislature in its drawing of a congressional district’s boundaries there, disagreeing with a lower court’s ruling that it was racially gerrymandered and discriminated against Black voters.

The term “gerrymander” is a molding of former Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry’s name with “salamander.” It was used by the Boston Gazette in 1812 in reference to a redistricting bill Gerry signed for state Senate seats that left one district looking a bit like a salamander. (Gerry later became a U.S. vice president under President James Madison.)

I’m not an elected official. Does redistricting affect me?

Yes. Redistricting, any change in these maps, could impact who represents you or who is on your ballot next year.

In this case, California is only considering redrawing congressional maps, not those for state legislative districts. So redistricting could change who represents you in the House of Representatives.

How do I even find my congressional district?

You can find who represents you in Congress — and what district you live in — through the House’s website.

Just input your ZIP code, and you may also need to enter your street address to determine your representative and congressional district.

By DÁNICA COTO and RIO YAMAT

VEGA BAJA, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tourists slipped into borrowed red polyester vests from the Puerto Rico supermarket where Bad Bunny once worked, grinning as they posed for photographs in the superstar’s old uniform.

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They listened intently as his former boss recalled how he loved classic salsa songs. “He always liked going to the parking lot to gather the shopping carts because it seemed that he felt free there and would sing,” said Delza Vélez, the head of HR at Econo, the supermarket.

In 2016, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio quit that job, leaving Vélez a note. Two years later, he launched his first album — and the singer known as Bad Bunny stepped into stardom.

This summer, thousands descended on Puerto Rico, where the singer’s concert residency in San Juan, running from mid-June through mid-September, has single-handedly boosted the island’s fragile economy. The prodigious son has elevated the global profile of the U.S. territory, singing about Puerto Rico’s turmoil and identity.

Visitors come not only to see him but to explore his island. Thousands have stood in line for days or waited hours online to snag a ticket for the reggaetón singer and rapper, one of the most streamed artists in the world.

A father and son with the same name, Eddie Villanueva, traveled from Switzerland for a full Bad Bunny experience on a $5,000 budget, including $40 tickets for a tour of the star’s hometown of Vega Baja.

A tour guide talks to visitors outside Parroquia Santísima Trinidad, where Bad Bunny served as an altar boy, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

“Delighted. Incredible,” said the younger Villanueva, 23.

‘No one can steal that’

Nearly three dozen hotels are participating in Bad Bunny packages, which include the concert and which have generated nearly $200 million, according to Discover Puerto Rico, an organization that promotes the island.

More than 48,000 nights have been booked at hotels at a time when visits dwindle ahead of the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Concert organizers say 25,000 packages were sold in just one day.

Hotel reservations were 10% higher on July 27, compared with the same date last year. Short-term rentals are up 42% this month, compared to last August, and 61% higher for September. With up to hundreds of dollars per concert ticket, the show is expected to attract about 600,000 people.

Nearly 7% more flights were booked between July and September from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico’s main international airport than during the same period last year, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.

The windfall comes as Puerto Rico promoters focus more on its culture, rather than beaches.

A visitor on a guided tour poses for photos in front of a mural of Bad Bunny at Playa Puerto Nuevo in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

“We can argue that they’re the prettiest, but they’re beaches. What makes us unique is the culture. No one can steal that,” said Ricardo Cortés Chico, a spokesperson for Discover Puerto Rico.

Doing it right

In Bad Bunny’s hometown, tourists visit his former high school, the supermarket where he worked — even the church where he served as an altar boy.

On a recent morning, the Villanuevas posed in front of a Bad Bunny mural on an agricultural supply store that sells harnesses for horses and feed for fighting cocks. For $20, they bought two caps emblazoned with “PR” for Puerto Rico, drawing a wide smile from the cashier.

G8, a nonprofit that helps impoverished communities in the capital of San Juan, launched a $25 guided bike tour called “I should have biked more” — a play on Bad Bunny’s newest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which translates to “I should have taken more photos.”

Another nonprofit, Acción Valerosa, partnered with the music group Los Pleneros de la Cresta, which plays at Bad Bunny’s concerts, to create the “Café con Ron” tour, named after one of his songs.

They ferry tourists to Ciales, a coffee-producing town nestled in the central mountains. The tour includes a workshop on Puerto Rico’s traditional music, and the money generated will be used to convert a former casino into a community center.

A visitor on a guided tour poses at checkout lane 10 of a supermarket where Bad Bunny once worked as a bagger and cashier in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Even some university students are cashing in on Bad Bunny.

Longtime fan Julietta Dasilva is flying in from Denver for the Aug. 29 concert. She said she booked a $45 tour led by a local student instead of any of the commercial tours.

“I want to do it right,” she said.

A flag, a toad and a cash register

Traditional tourism in Puerto Rico meant a hike at El Yunque tropical forest, a visit to Old San Juan and a splash at a nearby beach. Now, people flying in for the concert drive to far-flung towns such as Cabo Rojo, the southernmost point of Puerto Rico, to experience more of the island.

“Thanks to Bad Bunny, a lot of our landmarks have become known,” said Ángel Rodríguez, owner of the Boquemar hotel in Cabo Rojo.

The hotel — located next to a famous dock emblazoned with Puerto Rico’s flag that was featured in a Bad Bunny video — has seen 7% more customers this summer, Rodríguez said.

Visitors have also asked him where they could see Puerto Rican crested toad, the island’s sole indigenous toad species that was featured in a video as part of Bad Bunny’s newest album. Rodríguez said he had to disappoint them — the creature is not easily spotted.

Heidy Crespo, who leads tours of Bad Bunny’s hometown, said dozens of people have signed up, with officials noting they have generated some $1,000 in revenue.

“I never thought people would want to see where he worked,” she said. “But I love it. I love seeing people’s eyes shine.”

A full experience

Vicky Galvez flew to San Juan from Las Vegas with two friends in early August, for the first round of concerts open to fans from outside the island. The 39-year-old hairstylist said the trip was much more than just a music event and that she felt good about the roughly $2,450 she spent.

A visitor on a guided tour holds a photo of Bad Bunny outside Juan Quirindongo Morell High School, where the music star completed his secondary studies, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Around town, Galvez and her friends saw murals of the singer and lines outside eateries made popular by Bad Bunny. They ate at the cozy, family-owned La Casita Blanca, where the two-hour wait was worth it to support the restaurant, she said.

Their server told them that it has been “complete bananas” since Bad Bunny was photographed eating there. “I did shop local, and that was great,” Galvez said.

Wilson Santiago Burgos, founder of the travel platform, “Mochileando,” said he had doubted the government would hop on the Bad Bunny train because the artist has heavily criticized the island’s two main political parties.

But the opposite happened — tours were launched, food and drinks were named after Bad Bunny’s songs, and small businesses sold clothes and other handmade goods sought by tourists.

“People are starting to consume, to produce things strictly from Puerto Rico,” Santiago Burgos said.

The message is attractive, he added. Bad Bunny tells people who come to see him: “This is the homeland that I love … I invite you to get to know it.”

Yamat reported from Las Vegas.