8 Dec 2025

Takeaways from the Vikings’ 31-0 win over the Commanders

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It started to feel like the Vikings might not win another game this season. That’s how overmatched they looked in consecutive blowout losses to the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.

That makes the response on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium that much more impressive as the Vikings rolled to a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders.

The biggest storyline was young quarterback J.J. McCarthy showing improvement amid a simplified game plan. That said, the Vikings had a bunch of key contributors that played a role in the win over the Commanders.

Here are some takeaways from the game:

J.J. McCarthy built some confidence

The main talking point for the Vikings heading into the matchup was how head coach Kevin O’Connell was going to pare down the playbook to help McCarthy function in the confines of the offense.

The result was McCarthy playing his best game in recent memory, completing 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards for a trio of touchdowns. He got into a rhythm from the onset with some easy completions on the opening drive. That helped him play with conviction throughout the game en route to leading the Vikings to a convincing win over the Commanders.

If anything is clear about McCarthy by now, it’s that confidence is extremely important to his success. He’s put both sides of the spectrum on display amid the roster coaster that has been this season.

The good news for the Vikings? It appears that McCarthy has built some confidence heading into the home stretch.

Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason balled out

It helped that McCarthy got to hand the ball off to running back Aaron Jones and fellow running back Jordan Mason. The dynamic duo in the backfield shouldered the load for the Vikings against the Commanders.

The production spoke for itself, as Jones finished with 14 carries for 76 yards and Mason finished with 11 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. That took some pressure off of McCarthy while also opening up the playbook for O’Connell.

It would behoove the Vikings to continue to lean on Jones and Mason. That’s going to be a recipe for success, even if the Vikings are bound to face opposing units more stout than the Commanders.

Justin Jefferson had another quiet game

After struggling through the worst game of his career last weekend, star receiver Justin Jefferson wasn’t much better this weekend. He was basically nonexistent for the Vikings, finishing with a pair of receptions for a 11 yards while consistently navigating double coverage from the Commanders.

The stat line for Jefferson could’ve looked much better had he been able to haul in a jump ball in the end zone. It went down as a harmless incompletion instead of a 36-yard touchdown that would’ve served as an exclamation point.

To his credit, Jefferson was all smiles after the game, noting that he cares more about the win than putting up big numbers. Nonetheless, the Vikings need to find a way to get Jefferson going moving forward.

Andrew Van Ginkel struck again

It’s become commonplace for edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel to intercept screen passes. He has an innate feel at the line of scrimmage that allows him to snuff out those types of plays as they’re happening in real time.

That’s exactly what Van Ginkel did for the Vikings against the Commanders. He read the eyes of quarterback Jayden Daniels shortly halftime, tipped the ball into the air, and hauled it in for an interception.

That helped the Vikings keep the Commanders off the scoreboard before they added to their lead on the other end.

Harrison Smith turned back the clock

It’s fitting that veteran safety Harrison Smith hauled in an interception in the same game that former linebacker Anthony Barr led the Skol Chant before kickoff. They were teammates for the better part of a decade and always brought out the best in each other.

Asked about having his good friend in attendance, Smith joked that Barr’s presence motivated him turn back the clock. It was an impressive effort from Smith as he hauled in an interception for the Vikings while constantly toying with the Commanders before the snap.

It’s still unclear what Smith plans to do after this season. If he ends up deciding to hang up the cleats for good, this is a performance that won’t soon be forgotten.

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8 Dec 2025

East metro watershed districts giving away chicken grit as sidewalk salt alternative

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As Minnesota has officially entered the season it’s best known for, local watershed districts are encouraging community members to use a sidewalk salt alternative that can help reduce chloride pollution in the environment.

“Make a simple switch that has the same benefit but doesn’t have the same negative impact on local water, and that’s grit,” Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District communications and engagement program manager Lauren Hazenson said. “Just simple chicken grit.”

Chicken grit is what’s fed to poultry to help them digest their feed. It also can provide traction on your sidewalk or driveway.

To promote their Get Gritty campaign, the Ramsey-Washington Metro, Rice Creek and Coon Creek watershed districts and Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization are partnering with 10 local hardware stores to give free bags of chicken grit to anyone interested in trying a reusable salt alternative this winter. The bags will be available until Jan. 16, Hazenson said.

About 42% of the chloride that enters the environment in Minnesota comes from road salt, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Chloride, which finds its way into groundwater once the ice and snow melts, is harmful to local bodies of water, can kill birds and fish and sicken pets. It negatively impacts the water quality, which includes drinking water, according to Hazenson.

“You think about how much salt people are applying in a given season, and you compound that over 10, 20, 25 years, it starts becoming a real problem,” Hazenson said.

Hazenson said people understand that salt can melt ice, but it doesn’t actually work as well as most probably imagine. When the temperature falls below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, salt becomes ineffective at melting and only adds some traction, she said.

Grit, on the other hand, does not melt ice, but it is an effective traction alternative that is reusable, Hazenson said. Her recommendation is to shovel the snow, use an ice chipper to help remove ice, then lay down the grit. At the end of the season it can be swept up and reused.

Because it does not melt ice, Hazenson said the districts are not recommending that grit be a large-scale solution for local roads, but rather that small businesses, residences and properties try it out instead.

“There’s no limit on the amount of grit that you can put down, and it works incredibly well,” Hazenson said.

Hazenson said many people have been coming out to try the alternative this winter. The districts plan to expand the initiative in the future and give away more free bags.

The free chicken grit is available in St. Paul at Kendall’s Ace Hardware, 840 Payne Ave., and Noll Hardware, 789 Raymond Ave. It’s also available at Frattallone’s Hardware locations in Andover, Arden Hills, Blaine, Circle Pines, Little Canada, Mahtomedi-White Bear Lake, White Bear Lake and Woodbury.

To learn more about Get Gritty and see a map of participating hardware stores, visit getgrittymn.org.

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8 Dec 2025

Today in History: December 8, John Lennon shot to death

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Today is Monday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2025. There are 23 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 8, 1980, rock star and former Beatle John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman.

Also on this date:

In 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Imperial Japan a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty at the White House calling for the destruction of intermediate-range missiles.

In 2012, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

In 2014, the U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government.

In 2016, John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died in Columbus, Ohio, at 95.

In 2017, Japanese pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani announced that he would sign with the Los Angeles Angels.

In 2022, Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. that released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner had been detained for nearly 10 months.

In 2024, insurgents completed their occupation of the Syrian capital of Damascus as a half-century of Assad family rule swiftly crumbled. Russian state media reported that President Bashar Assad was in Moscow after fleeing the rebel advance.

Today’s Birthdays:

Flutist James Galway is 86.
Author Bill Bryson is 74.
Actor Kim Basinger (BAY’-sing-ur) is 72.
Commentator and columnist Ann Coulter is 64.
Actor Wendell Pierce is 63.
Actor Teri Hatcher is 61.
Basketball Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon is 60.
Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Mussina is 57.
Actor Dominic Monaghan is 49.
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman is 48.
Singer Nicki Minaj is 43.
Country singer Sam Hunt is 41.
Actor AnnaSophia Robb is 32.

8 Dec 2025

Congress Gears Up to Pass $900 Billion Defense Policy Bill

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WASHINGTON — The House is expected to take up legislation this week that would authorize about $900 billion for the military, providing an increase over the White House’s annual budget request.

The bicameral version of the bill released Sunday includes $8 billion more than what the Trump administration had requested and what the House allotted in a version of the bill that it passed earlier this year. The additional funding in the legislation marked a modest but rare divergence for Republican lawmakers from President Donald Trump, after a year of largely ceding authority as he made dramatic cuts to the government.

Both chambers are racing to pass the annual defense policy bill before the end of the year and deliver it to the president’s desk.

One overarching goal of the bill, which authorizes spending for the 2026 fiscal year, is to streamline how the Defense Department meets its needs through research, contracting and manufacturing.

The bill would authorize an overhaul of how the department buys weapons. It also seeks to shore up the network of public and private organizations that provide a range of materials, products and services to the military.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the House Armed Services Committee chair, said in a statement that the legislation was focused on “building out critical warfighting capabilities.”

“I’m eager to send this to President Trump’s desk so we can give our military the tools they need to remain the most ready, capable, and lethal force in the world,” he added.

Troops across the military will receive a 3.8% annual pay raise under the bill.

The legislation also seeks to codify more than a dozen of Trump’s executive orders, including those aimed at accelerating U.S. manufacturing of military drones, transforming the country’s air and missile defense system into a “Golden Dome” to intercept foreign attacks, and authorizing the use of active-duty troops to patrol the southern border.

The final bill includes some House Republican provisions about gender in the military that echo the Trump administration’s efforts to end “woke” ideology, including a ban on transgender women participating in women’s athletic programs at U.S. service academies.

The bill, however, does not rename the Defense Department the “Department of War,” as Trump and his defense secretary have called it. Instead, the legislation sticks with the already codified “Department of Defense” and “secretary of defense” throughout the roughly 3,000-page bill.

The legislation would also roll back Biden-era climate policies, including by restricting the Defense Department’s use of electric or hybrid vehicles.

Aid for Ukraine is included in the bill, with a reauthorization of $400 million in security assistance annually through the 2027 fiscal year for the country as it faces a worsening position in its war with Russia.

Negotiators also included in the final text new guardrails on U.S. investments in certain technology in China. The language is a bipartisan attempt to stem the flow of American capital into China’s development of, among other sectors, artificial intelligence and military tech.

The bill would also repeal authorizations for the use of military force from 1991 and 2002. There was strong bipartisan support to eliminate the Iraq and Persian Gulf War-era authorizations that presidents for decades, in both parties, have used to justify overseas military operations.

A permanent repeal of U.S. sanctions on Syria is also included in the latest version of the bill, building on steps Trump has taken. Lawmakers say the repeal is necessary if Syria is going to recover from the civil war that ravaged the country for more than a decade.

Both the House and Senate versions of the bill that passed earlier this year would have approved expanding health insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for service members and their family members. The provision was removed by Speaker Mike Johnson at the eleventh hour last year, but its sponsors had hoped that Trump’s pledge to improve access to IVF would pressure Republicans to support the proposal this year.

The Defense Department only covers fertility treatment for those who can prove a difficulty in becoming pregnant is because of “a serious or severe illness or injury while on active duty,” leaving those who cannot to pay out of pocket for the expensive procedure.

His office said in a statement that Johnson has “clearly and repeatedly stated he is supportive of access to IVF when sufficient pro-life protections are in place.”

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., one of the sponsors of the IVF proposal, said in a statement that Johnson had put his “personal beliefs” over the needs of service members, and that she was disappointed that the president had “failed to do anything” to change the speaker’s position.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.