A driver died after his vehicle went off a highway, into a center median ditch and struck a tree in St. Paul, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

The 53-year-old from Hastings was heading north on U.S. 61 near Lower Afton Road when the crash happened about 4:30 a.m. Monday. The man was not wearing a seatbelt, the State Patrol said. He died at the scene.

The State Patrol plans to release the man’s name in the coming days.

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There’s still a lot of time for players to make a name for themselves over the next couple of weeks. That said, the Vikings are slowly starting to piece together their team, with the recent exhibition game against the Las Vegas Raiders serving as a good measuring stick.

There were a number of standout performances on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, including J.J. McCarthy balling out in his first game, Trishton Jackson hauling in a long touchdown, and Bo Richter wreaking havoc in the backfield to put himself on the map.

Now the Vikings will shift their focus ahead to joint practices with the Cleveland Browns this week.

Here’s our initial 53-man roster projection. The Pioneer Press will make updates to this list after the preseason games against the Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback (3)

In: Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens

Out: Jaren Hall

Analysis: It was a good showing by Darnold in his only series over the weekend. It was an even better showing by McCarthy as he exemplified all the traits needed to succeed at the highest level. It seems like Mullens will be kept around for insurance purposes, so that leaves Hall as the odd man out.

Running Back (3)

In: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu

Out: Myles Gaskin, DeWayne McBride

Analysis: The backfield seems set in stone at this point with the combination of Jones and Chandler in line for most of the work. As for Nwangwu, his best quality is his elite speed, and he could potentially work himself into more touches down the road.

Fullback (1)

In: C.J. Ham

Out: N/A

Analysis: There’s no other fullback on the roster, paving the way for Ham to play a key role once again.

Receiver (6)

In: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, Trishton Jackson

Out: Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas, Malik Knowles, Jeshaun Jones, Ty James

Analysis: The competition behind Jefferson and Addison for the No. 3 receiver spot is Nailor’s to lose at this point. There’s also more than likely a place reserved for Powell. That leaves a handful of players to battle for an unknown number of spots. After the way they performed over the weekend, Sherfield and Jackson are in pretty good shape.

Tight End (3)

In: T.J. Hockenson (IR), Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse

Out: Robert Tonyan, Trey Knox, Sammis Reyes

Analysis: Though he’s ahead of schedule in the recovery process, Hockenson will likely start on injured reserve. That will create opportunity for some of his peers with Oliver and Mundt expected to fill the void. The emergence of Muse over the past few weeks has been promising. The fact that Tonyan has recently missed some time doesn’t bode well for him.

Offensive Line (10)

In: Christian Darrisaw (LT), Blake Brandel (LG), Garrett Bradbury (C), Ed Ingram (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT), David Quessenberry (OT), Dalton Risner (OG), Dan Feeney (C/OG), Walter Rouse (OT), Michael Jurgens (C/OG)

Out: Tyrese Robinson (OG), Henry Byrd (OG), Jeremy Flax (OG), Doug Nester (OG), Spencer Rolland (OG),

Analysis: Not only has the starting offensive line remained intact, so has the rotation of some of the key reserves. That only leaves room for a couple of players, and Rouse and Jurgens make the cut as recent draft picks.

Defensive Line (5)

In: Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tillery, Jonah Williams, Levi Drake Rodriguez

Out: James Lynch, Jaquelin Roy, Jalen Redmond, Tyler Manoa, Taki Taimani

Analysis: There are reliable players up front led by Phillips as the man in the middle. Still, this group could use an injection of youth, which is why Rodriguez gets the nod over some of his peers.

Edge Rusher (5)

In: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Jihad Ward, Pat Jones II

Out: Andre Carter II, Gabe Murphy, Bo Richter, Owen Porter

Analysis: The fringe players are the most intriguing here. It appeared that Murphy had the inside track a few days ago, for example, then he missed the Raiders game and Richter made a big splash. There might be room for another player in addition to Greenard, Van Ginkel, Turner, Ward, and Jones.

Linebackers (4)

In: Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Kamu Grugier-Hill, Brian Asamoah

Out: Jabril Cox, Dallas Gant

Analysis: The starters will be Cashman and Pace. The reserves will be Grugier-Hill and Asamoah. Not much room for debate about anybody else.

Cornerback (6)

In: Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin, Akayleb Evans, Fabian Moreau, Jay Ward, NaJee Thompson

Out: Duke Shelley, Jaylin Williams, Dwight McGlothern, Nahshon Wright, A.J. Green III, Jacobi Francis

Analysis: This is the most difficult position to figure out largely because of the reports that veteran Stephon Gilmore is visiting Minnesota. As of right now, Murphy, Griffin, Evans, and Moreau seem like locks. Everybody else will be waiting to see if Gilmore signs.

Safety (4)

In: Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson

Out: Lewis Cine, Bobby McCain

Analysis: The only argument here is that McCain’s versatility might be enough for him to crack the roster. He would be a good addition to a deep group that includes Smith, Bynum, Metellus, and Jackson.

Specialists (3)

In: Will Reichard (K), Ryan Wright (P), Andrew DePaola (LS)

Out: Seth Vernon (P)

Analysis: The punting competition was fun while it lasted. That said, Wright vastly outperformed Vernon over the weekend, and that should be enough to win him the job.

J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings passes the ball in the second quarter of the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 10, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Dan Feeney #69 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Kene Nwangwu #26 after he scored a rushing touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 10, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance used a round of Sunday news show appearances to disparage the Democratic ticket and promote Donald Trump’s record and second-term plans and defend himself from criticism over past remarks that have become a campaign issue.

The Ohio senator, in a series of taped interviews, said there was merit to Trump’s suggestion that presidents have more control of U.S. monetary policy and kept up the GOP line that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, had exaggerated his military record.

Vance, who shadowed Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz during their visits to several battleground states last week, was quizzed about abortion and his past comments about American family life, among other topics.

Some highlights from his appearances:

Trump is right on Fed independence, Vance says

Trump recently suggested that presidents “should have at least a say” on monetary policy set by the Federal Reserve. He did not offer specific proposals.

Curtailing the Fed’s independence from political interference as it determines interest rates would be a fundamental change. Even as he tried to argue that Trump said nothing about taking “direct” control of rates, Vance endorsed Trump’s general idea.

“President Trump is saying I think something that’s really important and actually profound, which is that the political leadership of this country should have more say over the monetary policy of this country,” Vance said. “I agree with him. That should fundamentally be a political decision. Agree or disagree, we should have America’s elected leaders having input about the most important decisions confronting our country.”

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan questioned the wisdom of such a major change. “I think if you look around the world’s economies and you see where Fed central banks are independent and operate freely,” he said, “they tend to fare better than the ones that don’t.”

Mining Walz’s military record

Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard and was once deployed to Europe, though never to an active war zone. In a video from 2018, he referred to carrying weapons “in war.” The Harris campaign said last week that Walz misspoke.

“Scandalous behavior,” said Vance, a military veteran.

When it was noted that Trump avoided Vietnam with dubious claims of bone spurs, Vance said that “obviously a lot of people have reasons for not serving. I criticize somebody for embellishing their record, for lying, saying, ‘I went to war.’”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a combat veteran and a top Harris ally, said Republicans are circulating “the one time” that a long-serving veteran “slipped up” talking about his military service.

Medical abortion and Florida’s referendum

Vance dodged when asked about his position on an upcoming Florida referendum that would repeal Republican-passed abortion restrictions and ensure more access to abortion services.

Speaking broadly about states and reproductive rights, Vance said Trump “has said explicitly they’re going to make this decision on a state-by-state level.”

Vance struggled to clarify Trump’s position on whether he would support federal limits on the medical abortion drug mifepristone.

Trump said in his June debate with Biden that he would not block it. At his Florida news conference last week, he offered a disjointed answer and said, “You also have to give a vote” on the matter. Vance suggested that “maybe” Trump had difficulty hearing and understanding a reporter’s question.

Walz responded in a statement through the Harris campaign that Trump and Vance “are going to ban medication abortion. … Vice President Harris and I will make sure that you make your health care decisions because we have a rule, whether you’d make the same decision as someone else: Just mind your own damn business.”

Vance and Buttigieg’s back-and-forth on family

During Vance’s Senate campaign in 2021, he said in a Fox News interview that “we are effectively run in this country via the Democrats,” and referred to them as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

He said that included Harris, who has two adult children, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is gay and a married father of twins but had no children at the time of Vance’s comment.

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The senator said a “sarcastic remark I made three years ago” has obscured a serious debate about “pro-family” policies, explaining that “I criticize people for being anti-child” in their policy pursuits.

Vance also in the past has suggested giving extra votes for people with children.

“It’s not a policy proposal. It’s a thought experiment, right?” he said in a Sunday interview, arguing he was reacting to others’ ideas to lower the voting age.

“Anybody who disagrees with him is anti-child?” Buttigieg countered in a news show appearance. “He seems incapable of talking about a vision for this country in terms of lifting people up. … It’s always about disparagement.”

Vance appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” ABC’s “This Week” and CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Buttigieg was on CNN and Moynihan was on CBS.

By JENNA FRYER, AP National Writer

PARIS (AP) — Not long after the Algerian boxer at the center of a gender misconceptions controversy won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Donald Trump pounced on the achievement at a rally more than 7,000 miles away in Bozeman, Montana.

The former president has used the saga surrounding Imane Khelif as part of the culture wars raging through America ahead of November’s election. Khelif faced an extraordinary amount of scrutiny from world leaders, celebrities and social media warriors who questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man.

She won gold Friday night, not long before Trump’s speech in Montana.

“I’d like to congratulate the young woman who transitioned from a man into a boxer. If you saw, he won, she won, the gold medal,” said Trump, who imitated the Italian boxer who quit her match against Khelif because she was overwhelmed.

Trump repeatedly incorrectly referred to Khelif as “he.”

There’s no such thing as an apolitical Olympics, and that was very clear from the dazzling opening ceremony in Paris that offended religious groups and also drew Trump criticism. And just like that, the two-week sporting spectacle was pulled into the political discourse pulsating throughout the United States.

It isn’t a new phenomenon as the connection between politics and the Olympics have gone hand-in-hand dating back to when they resumed in the late 19th century – optimistically billed as a way for nations to compete without going to war.

“The Olympics are always pulled into political discourse because of the nature of the competition, in which nations compete against each other for dominance. This foundation in nationalism means that at its core, the Olympics is about nationalism first and athletics second,” said Zein Murib, associate professor of political science at Fordham University.

“Additionally, the Olympics have been used to condone or punish nations, as is the case with Germany in 1936, when the Olympics were held in Nazi Germany despite global protest that doing so would condone the regime, or 2024 when Russian athletes were excluded due to the invasion of Ukraine.”

For the Paris Games, the International Olympic Committee banned Russian athletes who are in the military or publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. The IOC also blocked Russians from team sports, while track and field enforced its own blanket ban.

In gymnastics and weightlifting, Russia’s teams skipped qualifying events in protest of being forced to compete as neutrals or to undergo vetting, including checks of their social media.

There are 32 “neutral” athletes at these Games, 17 of whom previously represented Belarus and 15 representing Russia. They are competing under the status of “Individual Neutral Athletes” and were not permitted to participate in the opening ceremony. The Summer Games in Tokyo three years ago had more than 300 Russian athletes.

One political swipe against these Games came in the form of a video that portrayed Paris as a crime-ridden cesspool and mocked the Olympics. The video spread quickly on social media as 30,000 social media bots linked to a notorious Russian disinformation group. Within days, the video was available in 13 languages, thanks to quick translation by AI.

It was a way for Moscow to make its presence felt in Paris as groups linked to Russia’s government using online disinformation and state propaganda to attack France. It was evidence that global events like the Olympics are now high-profile targets for online disinformation and propaganda.

Murib said the political tension tied to this year’s Olympics is heightened because a coordinated group of “bad actors” has grown significantly and gained massive global reach over the past decade.

The tension was high going into the opening of the Games, as high-speed rail in France was disrupted by coordinated arson attacks. Even before the Olympics, French officials said they disrupted several sabotage plots, including arresting a Russian man who planned to destabilize the Games

“I think people on all sides of the political spectrum look to athletic competition as a barometer of the legitimacy of governing logics, and many will take wins — and losses — as lessons for the viability of democracy or authoritarianism,” Murib said. “We can see this at play in the ways that Trump immediately weighed in on Imane Khelif’s Olympic eligibility with the far right trope of keeping men out of women’s sports.”

Khelif filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment.

Despite the dramas, these Games will be remembered as an overwhelming success. Paris was on full display with breathtaking — and accessible by public transportation — venues, star performances by the athletes and spectators back for the first time since before the 2020 global pandemic.

NBC across all platforms set viewership records as millions tuned in daily despite declarations on social media that individuals were “ boycotting ” the Olympics either because of the “ woke ” opening ceremony or Khelif.

Paris on Sunday night handed the Olympic flag off to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who on Monday flew it back to California for preparations ahead of the 2028 Games. Bass and LA 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman have acknowledged that the outcome of the November presidential election will have some effect on their Games, but aren’t concerned the winner will create issues for them.

The LA 2028 organizers watched the Paris Games carefully and know they will be closely watched by the public — both to criticize and praise.

“More than anything, what I have learned here, and I give the French team a lot of credit for, is they were willing to do things differently and take chances,” Wasserman said. “It didn’t mean they were all going to be perfect or work, and most of them did, and they’ve been spectacular. But they really thought outside the box, obviously starting with the opening ceremony.”

Wasserman said the approach of Paris organizers has made him step back and ask “how can we do things differently and do things right for our city and our communities?”

“An Olympics are a daunting project, and you need to be willing to take chances and swings, big swings,” Wasserman added. “It’s a good lesson for us to really take a very intentional, thoughtful way, to take some chances on things that we may not have.”

___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games