“Every few weeks,” wrote one of our more interesting critics, Walt Zlotow, on his Substack last spring, “the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board publishes an editorial misrepresenting the war in Ukraine.”

Zlotow’s complaints included this statement in an editorial, also published last April: “We have never wavered in our support for the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression, stretching back to the beginning of Putin’s brutal, illegal war. We’ve never heard any reasonable argument to the contrary.”

In that piece, we lauded Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, for potentially risking his job by pushing continued Ukraine aid over the objections of Republican “firebrands.”

Zlotow disagreed, writing: “It’s the Trib Editorial Board Members that wear the moniker ‘firebrands’ for engaging in radical promotion of endless war destroying Ukraine.”

Since the election of Donald J. Trump, a president with far too cozy a relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zlotow’s views have become more common, especially in MAGA circles. Zlotow makes the ascendent point of view better than most: The Tribune editorial board “knows the war is hopeless. It knows that continued war will simply kill hundreds of thousands more Ukrainian soldiers. It knows negotiations are the only way this war will end.”

Well, it’s been more than a few weeks and we are back again, in a city that has quietly welcomed thousands of Ukrainian refugees, to reaffirm the statement of our never wavering support for the people of Ukraine.

And, for that matter, for the people of the Republic of Georgia, who have been watching the war in Ukraine with growing horror, realizing that their own fledgling democracy is yet more vulnerable to the same force, to the same man with a friend now back in one of the world’s highest places, if not the highest.

Yes, we know that war extracts a terrible price. We don’t view Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as some kind of saint, nor do we doubt for a moment that some of the money America sent to defend Ukraine has been wasted or siphoned away by bad actors. It was ever thus. And Zlotow is right when he says that negotiations will be necessary to end the war, just as has been the case with most any war humans have ever fought.

We’re glad Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others are engaging in that process and we’re even open to the notion that whatever special relationship Trump claims to have with Putin might be helpful in weaning him away from China and back more into a place where his name does not strike fear and loathing into so many. All true.

But let’s not engage in some Orwellian rewriting of history to do so. And let’s not forget that if tyrants are allowed to send tanks rolling across borders not their own without invitation and with expansionist ambitions, the world must rise up in support of their quarry, lest said tyrants decide a few more borders could also fall with the right kind of violent coaxing. The MAGA crowd are very conscious of the movements of unauthorized migrants; why must they be so enabling of Putin’s far more dangerous excursions? It defies logic.

So when the U.S. voted with Russia against a United Nations General Assembly resolution Monday that was criticizing Russia for its aggression against Ukraine of three years ago, we say “for shame.” All peace-loving people should want an end to this war, and the realities of Realpolitik means that will come with a price we will have to swallow, but it’s a bridge way too far for the U.S. to formally balk at the notion that Putin started this war.

So let’s be clear. Again.

Russia invaded a sovereign nation. Period. Any zeal to end the war must not compromise a fair and full acknowledgment of how this particular war began. If this was a tactical appeasement decision on the part of Trump, Rubio or anyone else, and there can be no other explanation not too terrible to contemplate, it was both a dangerous and a morally bankrupt one.

All Americans with actual, functioning memories know that. So do the Ukrainian and Russian people. And so do we.

— The Chicago Tribune

By MEG KINNARD and KEVIN S. VINEYS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Civilian federal jobs are being cut by the thousands, as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency continues to shrink the government workforce at the behest of President Donald Trump.

That’s brought a lot of churn and uncertainty in the nation’s capital, where 20% of the country’s more than 2 million civilian — or nonmilitary — federal workers are located.

It’s also affecting workers and communities outside the Washington, D.C. area, where about 80% of that workforce is based. Those cuts mean that members of Congress are now facing potential angst among the out-of-work federal employees in their districts across the country.

The precise locations of all of the thousands of federal employees now out of work isn’t yet known, but a look at the areas with the highest concentrations of civilian U.S. government jobs gives a glimpse at some places that could be most affected.

Here’s a breakdown of federal government jobs across the country by the numbers, surveying data from a Congressional Research Service analysis of Census Bureau estimates, as of 2023:

D.C. area, represented by Democrats, has highest federal worker concentration

It’s no surprise that the District of Columbia has the highest percentage of federal workers, who account for 18.5% of the total workforce.

And the areas immediately outside the city, in what’s known as the DMV — which includes Washington and parts of Maryland and Virginia — are next up with the highest concentrations of federal workers, with the top nine districts where percentages of federal workers range from 18.2% down to 8.4%. Most of those districts are represented by Democrats, meaning that some of the areas — albeit those in the D.C. area — likely to have the most significant impacts from DOGE cuts are represented by that party in the U.S. House.

The one with the highest percentage of federal workforce is Maryland’s 5th District, represented by Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer. There, about 18.2% of all workers are employed by the federal government.

Republican districts are affected, too

After the districts closest to Washington, D.C., there are GOP-represented areas with high federal worker percentages.

Virginia’s 2nd District, represented by Republican Rep. Jennifer Kiggans — along the state’s southeastern border with North Carolina — is the GOP area with the highest concentration of federal workers, at 8.1%. Home to Virginia Beach, and a large U.S. Navy presence, it’s considered among the nation’s most politically competitive districts.

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Central Oklahoma’s 4th District, represented by GOP Rep. Tom Cole, has a workforce where 7.7% is employed by the federal government. The district is home to Fort Sill Army Post and Tinker Air Force Base, the latter of which includes the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer, according to Tinker’s website, the complex provides support for dozens of other Air Force Bases.

Federal employees make up 7.6% of the workforce in Alabama’s 5th District, which includes Huntsville and is represented by Republican Rep. Dale Strong. The area encompasses NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which has had a role in rocket engineering and U.S. space exploration efforts from the Saturn rockets integral to moon missions, the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station’s laboratory modules.

The data examined here doesn’t pertain directly to military jobs. Thousands of civilian government employees across the country work in areas near or attached to military installations.

Alaska, represented by an at-large Republican, has a high concentration

Alaska’s sole U.S. House member, Rep. Nick Begich, represents a state with a total federal worker percentage of 6.3%.

Scott Goldsmith, an economist at the University of Alaska Anchorage, has described the state’s economy as a “three-legged stool” kept balanced by three components: the oil and gas industry, the federal government, and then all other industries combined.

The federal government manages a significant amount of land in Alaska. Workers are employed by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service, among others.

New Mexico has highest percentage of federal workers across all districts

All three of New Mexico’s House districts are represented by Democrats, and all of them have significant federal workforces.

Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory, two major federal research institutions, are located in the state, where the federal government is the No. 2 largest employer, according to the New Mexico Partnership.

Percentages of federal workers across the districts range from 6.3% in Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez’s 3rd District to 6.2% in Rep. Gabriel Vasquez’s 2nd District. In the 1st District, represented by Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury, the workforce is 6.8% federal employees.

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press

A new government report adds to evidence that the HPV vaccine, once called dangerous by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is preventing cervical cancer in young women.

The report comes after Kennedy pledged to give a family member any fees he might earn from HPV vaccine litigation. In a 2019 video posted on the anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense website, Kennedy called Gardasil “the most dangerous vaccine ever invented.”

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The new report found that from 2008 to 2022, rates for precancerous lesions decreased about 80% among 20- to 24-year-old women who were screened for cervical cancer. The estimates were published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common and is spread through sex. Most HPV infections cause no symptoms and clear up without treatment. Others develop into cancer, about 37,000 cases a year, according to the CDC.

Women in their 20s are the group most likely to have been given the HPV vaccine, which has been recommended in the U.S. since 2006 for girls at age 11 or 12 and since 2011 for boys the same age. Catch-up shots are recommended for anyone through age 26 who hasn’t been vaccinated.

Jane Montealegre of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who was not involved in the study, called the decline dramatic and said it can be attributed to the increasing use of the safe and effective HPV vaccine.

“This should reassure parents that they’re doing the right thing in getting their children vaccinated against HPV,” said Montealegre, a cancer-prevention researcher.

Other countries also have reported declining rates of cervical precancer in younger and more vaccinated cohorts, she said. The U.S. doesn’t have a national registry but estimates what’s happening across the country by monitoring five sites.

Kennedy’s financial relationship with litigation against the maker of the HPV vaccine came under scrutiny during his confirmation hearings. The health secretary has since told lawmakers that he has referred hundreds of clients to the law firm suing vaccine-maker Merck in an arrangement where he would be entitled to 10% of contingency fees awarded.

One of Kennedy’s sons, Conor, is an attorney at that law firm, WisnerBaum. In an amended ethics agreement, Kennedy said he will give any fees he earns from litigation over the HPV vaccine to “a nondependent adult family member.”

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.

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s no secret that head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to improve the interior of the offensive line.

After the Vikings got manhandled up front in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, O’Connell momentarily let the emotions get the best of him as he reflected on the performance in real time.

“We’ve got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket,” he said after a 29-9 loss on Jan. 14. “It’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”

Though he tried to walk back the intensity of those comments this week at the 2025 NFL Combine, O’Connell didn’t back down from the fact that the Vikings desperately need to get better in the trenches.

“It was more an emphasis on how I believe we need to play,” O’Connell said. “We need to be able to have a level of execution and a level of physicality that holds up.”

Now, arguably the best player in the upcoming free agent class is off the market.

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs intend to place the franchise tag on star guard Trey Smith, which means the Vikings will need to pivot with free agency looming next month.

Here are the best guards available in free agency:

Will Fries

After being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of 2021 NFL Draft, Fries developed from a depth backup into a bona fide starter.

He has started 31 games in his career and was well on his way to establishing himself among the best guards in the NFL last season before suffering a fractured right tibia. He was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 7, 2024, which limited his most recent sample size.

That shouldn’t hurt Fries, 26, from garnering interest from many teams. He still appears to be on an upward trajectory, so the Vikings are going to have to pay up if they want his services.

Teven Jenkins

Originally selected by the Chicago Bears as a tackle in the second round of the 2021 draft, Jenkins has taken the next step since switching to guard. Though he has struggled with injuries at difference points in his career, Jenkins, 26, has still started 38 games.

The biggest issue with Jenkins for the Vikings is the fact that the Bears might be more motivated to re-sign him after missing out on the opportunity to negotiate with Smith.

Kevin Zeitler

A veteran of the trade, Zeitler was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 Draft. He has started 197 games in his career and would bring a well of knowledge to the Vikings.

Most recently, Zeitler balled out for the Detroit Lions, playing a key role on an offensive line that many believed to be the best in the NFL. Not only would signing Zeitler, 34, be a viable option for the Vikings, it would weaken an NFC North rival.

Mekhi Becton

It looked as if Becton might never pan out after being selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He battled through a major injury and was on the verge of being considered a bust before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of last season. That decision helped him revitalize his career.

After making the switch from tackle to guard, Becton, 25, was named a starter for the Eagles, and he served in that role all the way to a Super Bowl victory.

Now, will Becton have interest in the Vikings? That remains to be seen.

James Daniels

After being selected by the Bears in the 2018 NFL Draft, Daniels has most recently made a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He has started 84 games in his career while playing various position on the interior of the offensive line. The most concerning part about Daniels, 27, is that he’s coming off a torn Achilles tendon, so he will need some time to work himself back to 100 percent.

That might be enough to scare the Vikings away.

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