Katie Abraham is my daughter. I tragically lost her to a drunken driver on Jan. 19, when she was 20 years old. She loved — and was loved by — so many people. With her magnetic energy, Katie was the person people wanted to be around. She was the friend people turned to and the teammate who made every practice fun and inspiring.

Losing a child unlocked a pain I never knew existed. Losing a child to a crime adds to the depths of despair. Having my child’s legacy be associated with a politically charged and controversial operation instead of the positivity and light she contributed to those within her community is simply unbearable.

When you search my daughter’s name, you won’t find much about who she was. You will find how she is associated with the federal immigration enforcement campaign “Operation Midway Blitz.”

I have not spoken out since it began, but as Katie’s mother, I can no longer stay silent. The Department of Homeland Security said its immigration enforcement operation in Chicago is named in Katie’s honor. But Katie would not have wanted this.

Since she was young, Katie was intuitive, full of compassion and empathy, and able to see the big picture beyond her years. When she was 15, she was attacked by a German shepherd we were fostering. After a few weeks of healing, Katie expressed to me that she was glad we were fostering instead of a family with young children, who would have been hurt more severely than she had been. This is just one example of the many ways she was always looking out for others and saw the positive in all situations.

With this compassion and empathy in mind, Katie would not want to be associated with an operation in which kids witness their parents being taken into custody on their way to or from school. She wouldn’t support scaring kids with the use of military efforts in their neighborhoods or in their apartment buildings.

She would not have wanted to be associated with a campaign that targets Chicago — a city she not only loved but felt safe in. Since she was in middle school, she and I took hundreds of drives through the city’s neighborhoods. On those drives, we’d talk about music, life, her future and her thoughts on current events — you name it, we talked about it. I will always cherish those drives because we not only saw what Chicago had to offer, but Katie and I really bonded on those drives. I learned who she was becoming with each passing drive — week after week, month after month, year after year.

Whether or not you agree with Operation Midway Blitz is not the story I am here to write. I am here to tell the story of who Katie was. Katie avoided confrontation and tension. She had never spoken out on a political agenda; she was not an activist. She did not choose to be thrust into this political spotlight to advance an operation she knew nothing about.

A complex factor is that Katie’s father and his wife agreed to use Katie’s name in support of Operation Midway Blitz. I want to acknowledge the depths of her dad’s grief. I will never fault or question someone in the way they grieve.

Some may wonder: Why now? Frankly, I hoped it would go away. I learned my daughter’s name was being used this way when I was inundated by texts and phone calls from friends and family, and I have been struggling with it ever since. I hoped her name wouldn’t be associated with this operation in perpetuity. Being a grieving mother is difficult enough without being in the spotlight. But with each passing day, concerns about Operation Midway Blitz continue to mount. Katie would not want to be associated with this, taking place in a city she celebrated and felt safe in — it just isn’t consistent with who she was.

Association with the operation’s actions is not a positive reflection of who she was. I taught Katie to advocate for herself, and as heartbreaking as it is, Katie is no longer here to advocate for herself because of a crime that took place 150 miles from Chicago. She cannot advocate for herself and stand up to say “I am not a political pawn.” So I am here for her.

Katie Abraham is my daughter, and I am reclaiming her legacy.

Denise Lorence is a native of Illinois, where her daughter Katie Abraham grew up and attended elementary school and Glenbrook South High School. Katie was a student at Ohio University at the time of her death when she was visiting friends in Urbana on Jan. 19.

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — You might not be able to find a game in which the Vikings have looked this bad since hiring head coach Kevin O’Connell.

There were no redeeming qualities to how the Vikings played in the 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

The struggles spanned offense, defense, and specials teams, which explains why the game was never competitive. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, everybody on the Vikings looked like they would’ve rather been anywhere else.

Here are some takeaways from arguably the most embarrassing loss O’Connell has experienced as the man in charge.

Why was Carson Wentz still in the game late?

Never mind that quarterback Carson Wentz is working through a significantly injured left shoulder. He still took countless hits throughout the game. Some of that had to do with him failing to protect himself in certain situations. Some of that had to do with a depleted offensive line not giving him enough time in the pocket. Though he showed a lot of toughness by continuously peeling himself off the turf, Wentz probably shouldn’t have been allowed to play as long as he did. It was on O’Connell to save Wentz from himself. Instead, he continued to play through an immense amount of pain, and he wasn’t very effective completing 15 of 27 passes for 144 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Why didn’t Max Brosmer get a chance?

There’s an argument to be made that quarterback Max Brosmer should’ve seen more playing time than he did. Though he got some tick in the final minutes, completing 3 of 4 passes for 13 yards, Brosmer had no impact on the game itself. Maybe he could’ve if he got in earlier. The offense was struggling for prolonged stretches with Wentz at the helm. It might’ve been worth seeing if Brosmer gave the Vikings a better chance to win. Asked why he didn’t play Brosmer when the game was still within reach, O’Connell noted that he didn’t want to put the undrafted free agent in a bad spot so early in his career having to play behind a depleted offensive line.

Why did Christian Darrisaw leave early?

The process of getting left tackle Christian Darrisaw feeling 100 percent is still ongoing. It doesn’t seem like he’s reached a place where he can log a heavy workload in consecutive games. To his credit, he gave it a shot for the Vikings, playing a couple of series before exiting the game for good. He clearly wasn’t feeling like himself in his limited snaps. The loss of Darrisaw was even more significant when considering the Vikings were also without right tackle Brian O’Neill. He recently returned from a sprained medial collateral ligament and couldn’t get his body ready to go on short rest.

Why wasn’t the defense able to make stops?

The easiest answer to that question is quarterback Justin Herbert looked like a man on a mission for the Chargers. When he wasn’t using his right arm to carve up the Vikings, especially in the middle of the field, he was gaining chunks of yardage with his legs. The exotic scheme that defensive coordinator Brian Flores runs has garnered a reputation of being able to confuse signal callers. That wasn’t the case for Herbert as he picked apart the defense seemingly at will. It also helped that whenever Herbert needed a break he could hand off to running back Kimani Vidal. He finished with 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t a good look for the Vikings on defense as they surrendered more than 400 yards of total offense.

Why does it feel like this season is on the brink?

After falling below .500 for the first time this season, the Vikings are about to find out if they’re made of right stuff. They are in desperate need of a win and have tough games against the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens coming up on their schedule. If the Vikings are going to turn it around, they have to start by upsetting either the Lions or the Ravens at a minimum. If the Vikings lose the next couple of games, they can start thinking about a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The fate of the franchise suddenly rests on the shoulders of quarterback J.J. McCarthy as long as he’s healthy enough to start under center. He’s a beacon of hope right now with a lot of darkness surrounding the Vikings.

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Today is Friday, Oct. 24, the 297th day of 2025. There are 68 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations formally came into existence as the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by 51 nations, took effect. The date is now observed as United Nations Day.

Also on this date:

In 1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of England’s King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI.

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Trump issues disaster declarations for Alaska and other states but denies Illinois and Maryland

In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.

In 1929, a massive sell-off at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange led to chaos as stockbrokers couldn’t keep up with trade requests. Though the market recovered some losses by the end of the day, “Black Thursday” marked the beginning of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

In 1931, the George Washington Bridge, connecting New York City with New Jersey, was dedicated. It was the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time.

In 1952, Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower vowed to go to Korea as he promised to end the ongoing conflict there. (Eisenhower would indeed visit Korea in December, after winning the election but before his inauguration.)

In 2002, authorities arrested John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo near Myersville, Maryland, in the Washington-area sniper attacks that killed 10 people and wounded three that month. (Malvo was later sentenced to life in prison. Muhammad was sentenced to death and executed in 2009.)

In 2003, a British Airways flight from New York to London marked the final commercial flight of the supersonic Concorde jet.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy roared across Jamaica and headed toward Cuba on its way to the eastern United States; what became known as Superstorm Sandy was a combination of the hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas, killing 147 people, 72 in the eastern U.S.

In 2024, the owner and manager of the cargo ship Dali agreed to pay more than $102 million in cleanup costs to settle a federal government lawsuit stemming from the 2023 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Dali had crashed into a supporting column, destroying the 1.6-mile span and killing six members of a roadwork crew.

Today’s Birthdays:

Rock musician Bill Wyman is 89.
Actor F. Murray Abraham is 86.
Actor Kevin Kline is 78.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., is 71.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., is 69.
Actor B.D. Wong is 65.
English soccer manager and former star midfielder Wayne Rooney is 40.
Singer Monica Arnold is 45.
Fashion designer Zac Posen is 45.
Singer-rapper Drake is 39.
Actor Ashton Sanders is 30.
NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown is 29.
Actor Hudson Yang is 22.

President Donald Trump approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe late Wednesday, while denying requests from Vermont, Illinois and Maryland and leaving other states still waiting for answers.

The decisions fell mostly along party lines, with Trump touting on social media Wednesday that he had “won BIG” in Alaska in the last three presidential elections and that it was his “honor” to deliver for the “incredible Patriots” of Missouri, a state he also won three times.

The disaster declarations authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support recipients with federal financial assistance to repair public infrastructure damaged by disasters and, in some cases, provide survivors money for repairs and temporary housing.

While Trump has approved more disaster declarations than he’s denied this year, he has also repeatedly floated the idea of “phasing out ” FEMA, saying he wants states to take more responsibility for disaster response and recovery. States already take the lead in disasters, but depend on federal assistance when the needs exceed what they can manage alone.

Trump has also taken longer to approve disaster declaration requests than in any previous administration, including his first, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Approvals fell mostly along party lines

The states approved for disaster declarations include Alaska, which filed an expedited request after experiencing back-to-back storms this month that wrecked coastal villages, displaced 2,000 residents and killed at least one person. Trump approved a 100% cost share of disaster-related expenses for 90 days.

North Dakota and Nebraska will also receive public assistance for August severe weather, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota was approved for both public and individual assistance for a June storm that felled thousands of trees across its tribal lands.

Trump denied four requests, including Maryland’s appeal for reconsideration after the state was denied a disaster declaration for May flooding that severely impacted the state’s two westernmost counties.

Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, denounced the decision in a statement Thursday, calling the final denial “deeply frustrating.”

“President Trump and his Administration have politicized disaster relief, and our communities are the ones who will pay the price,” said Moore. The state has been supporting impacted individuals itself, deploying over $450,000 for the first time from its State Disaster Recovery Fund.

Maryland met the conditions necessary to qualify for public assistance, according to a preliminary damage assessment, but Trump, who has the final decision on the declarations, denied the state’s July request. Maryland appealed in August with further data showing the counties experienced $33.7 million in damage, according to the state, more than three times its threshold for federal assistance.

Trump also denied Vermont a major disaster declaration for July 10 floods after the state waited over nine weeks for a decision. The damages far exceed what some of the small towns impacted can afford on their own, said Eric Forand, Vermont’s emergency management director.

“It’s well over the annual budget or two years’ budget (of some towns), to fix those roads,” Forand said.

The other denials included an application from Illinois for individual assistance for three counties impacted in July by severe storms and flooding, and one from Alaska to rebuild a public safety building that burned in a July electrical fire.

Asked why the states were denied, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “President Trump provides a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him.” She said Trump was “ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”

Leech Lake’s wait

Several states and one tribe still await decisions on their requests.

Not knowing whether public assistance is coming can delay crucial projects, especially for small jurisdictions with tight budgets, and sometimes leaves survivors without any help to secure temporary housing or repair homes now too dangerous to live in.

Before its approval Wednesday, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe was straining to cover the costs of clearing thousands of trees felled across its reservation by a June thunderstorm. As a tribe, it is entitled to apply for assistance independently of the state where it is located. Emergency management officials said that hard-hit Beltrami County itself fell $800,000 short of damages needed to be eligible to request federal assistance.

The tribe had spent about $1.5 million of its own funds so far, said Duane Oothoudt, emergency operations manager for the Leech Lake Police Department.

The tribe was “doing a lot of juggling, using reserve funding to operate and continue paying our contractors,” Oothoudt said just hours before being notified of the disaster declaration, nine weeks after submitting the request.

With federal funding approved for both public and individual assistance, Oothoudt said Thursday his one-man emergency management department would focus on helping survivors first.

“There’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “People were hurt by the storm.”