A look at some of Friday’s top high school football games involving East Metro teams:

Eagan (3-1) at Lakeville North (4-0), 7 p.m.

It’s an odd thing to say in Week 5, but there’s a very good chance this game determines the section’s all-important No. 1 seed in the Class 6A tournament bracket. Yes, the Wildcats are competing for such a distinction, a credit to the patience and perseverance demonstrated by coach Nick Johnson and his players.

Both the Panthers and Wildcats had gantlets to clear to open the season. Both have beaten Rosemount and Lakeville South. Both faced difficult Week 1 opponents (Lakeville North topped Stillwater, while Eagan fell to Edina). That Lakeville North had an extra day off in preparation for this one after its game against Farmington last Thursday could prove to be a key advantage. OUR PICK: Lakeville North 24, Eagan 16

St. Thomas Academy (3-1) at Robbinsdale Armstrong (4-0), 7 p.m.

It’s all systems go right now for. St. Thomas Academy, whose offense appears to be finding a rhythm at a good point in the season. Credit to Robbinsdale Armstrong for its undefeated start, which has the Hawks up to No. 5 in the current Class 5A state rankings, but this figures to be their stiffest test to date by a wide margin. OUR PICK: St. Thomas Academy 30, Robbinsdale Armstrong 14

Andover (3-1) at Spring Lake Park (2-2), 7 p.m.

The Panthers are fresh off the sting of a late-game loss to Rogers last week, but there’s plenty to be optimistic about. Spring Lake Park’s rushing attack is proving to be up to the program’s traditionally high standards, led by junior running back Larami Brown, who is up to 494 yards on the ground already this season. The question for Friday is whether Spring Lake Park’s defense can limit Andover’s lethal passing attack enough for the Panthers to continue to be able to run the ball. OUR PICK: Andover 34, Spring Lake Park 24

South St. Paul (2-2) vs. Simley (1-3), at TCO Stadium in Eagan, 7 p.m.

Winners of two of their past three games, perhaps things are starting to click for the Packers, who may have found a recipe for success last week in leaning on running back Nasir Robinson. Simley is still in search of such a formula. It is a young team with a lot of developing talent, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Spartans find their groove over the next month. OUR PICK: Simley 24, South St. Paul 20

WISCONSIN

New Richmond (5-0) at Rice Lake (5-0), 7 p.m.

The two teams that have separated themselves as the powers in this year’s Big Rivers Conference duel for the inside track in the title race. New Richmond is physical and touts a strong running game in its own right, but no one has been remotely close to slowing the defending Division 3 state champion Warriors on the ground to date. Rice Lake is averaging 346 rushing yards per game on a gaudy 7.6 yards per carry. That’s with wins over the likes of Menomonie and Chippewa Falls already in its pocket. OUR PICK: Rice Lake 34, New Richmond 27

Prescott (5-0) at St. Croix Central (4-1), 7 p.m.

This type of season felt as though it was coming for Prescott, with a slew of young, talented players coming into their own with added age and experience. The current product is an explosive offense capable of running, passing and putting up points at a high level. Now the Cardinals will see if they can continue that amount of success while facing leveled-up competition. OUR PICK: Prescott 35, St. Croix Central 28

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By JOHN HANNA

Lawmakers said during a contentious congressional hearing Thursday they are uneasy about the U.S. Postal Service’s readiness for a crush of mail ballots for the November election because some of them feel burned by other Postal Service actions.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy sought to reassure a House Appropriations subcommittee that the Postal Service is well-positioned for an extraordinary effort to deliver mail ballots to election officials on time to be counted and that close to 100% will make it promptly. In recent weeks, DeJoy has pushed back on suggestions from state and local election officials that the Postal Service has not addressed problems that led to mail ballots arriving too late or without postmarks.

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But as subcommittee members asked DeJoy about how the Postal Service has addressed election officials concerns, they criticized a larger, longer-term plan to make the mail delivery system more efficient and less costly by consolidating mail processing centers, suggesting it could slow mail delivery, particularly in rural areas. DeJoy disputed that.

DeJoy has said repeatedly that the Postal Service’s larger plans won’t affect the handling of potentially tens of millions of mail ballots for the Nov. 5 election because the plan is on hold for October and the first half of November. But subcommittee Chair David Joyce, an Ohio Republican, told him in opening the hearing that broader problems with mail delivery are on constituents’ minds as the presidential election approaches.

“Many of our constituents have expressed concerns about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver election ballots securely and on time,” Joyce said. ”It is imperative that the Postal Service get this right.”

DeJoy told the lawmakers that the Postal Service’s 650,000 employees will be sifting through 300 million pieces of mail to capture stray ballots and ensure they arrive on time. He said the Postal Service has improved its training.

“We’re doing very well at this — just not perfect,” he said.

Legendary Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer took to social media this week to announce that he has been diagnosed with dementia.

In a lengthy post on his X account, Kramer, 69, said he was officially diagnosed a little more than a year ago at the Cleveland Clinic. He said he recently had his annual checkup and the doctors told him his dementia hasn’t advanced. He added that he has stopped drinking alcohol.

“Please, no sympathy,” Kramer wrote.” I’ve lived a great life and wouldn’t change a thing.”

The announcement from Kramer came after Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who starred for the Green Bay Packers and Vikings, announced that he has Parkinson’s disease earlier this week. That motivated Kramer to share his story with hopes of shedding light on other former players dealing with similar situations.

“I know there are players out there who I played with that need all the help they can get,” Kramer wrote. “I’m hoping to bring some awareness so the NFL will be able to help others and future players who are battling illnesses like myself.”

After being selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft, Kramer went on to play more than a decade in Minnesota. He earned the nickname “Two-Minute Tommy” because of his propensity for leading comebacks.

In total, Kramer led 20 comeback victories during his time with the Vikings, which included the iconic Miracle at the Met. After erasing a 14-point deficit down the stretch in that particular game, Kramer completed a 46-yard Hail Mary to receiver Ahmad Rashad on the final play, which propelled the Vikings to an impossible 28-23 win over the Cleveland Browns.

“Nobody wanted to win more than me,” Kramer wrote. “I never gave up.”

Naturally, Kramer vowed to carry that same tenacity into his battle with dementia.

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By DAVID KOENIG

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines executives on Thursday unveiled their vision for Southwest 2.0, an airline that for the first time will give passengers assigned seats, charge them extra for more legroom and offer red-eye flights but bags still will fly free.

The airline announced that it plans to end the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and start flights with assigned seats during the first half of 2026 as it responds to shifting consumer tastes and tries to reverse a three-year slump in profits.

CEO Robert Jordan and other Southwest executives outlined the future refresh during an investor meeting in Dallas where they tried to convince shareholders that they can increase revenue by winning over younger and more affluent customers.

The moves away from Southwest’s simple business model and quirky traditions come as airline management faces pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management. The hedge fund blames management for Southwest’s recent underperformance compared with its closest rivals, and wants to replace Jordan and most of the Southwest board.

Along with introducing assigned seats, the airline will make about one-third of them higher-priced premium seats with up to five inches of extra legroom. That will require removing a row of seats on some planes. Work to retrofit the fleet will start in the first half of next year and be completed by the end of 2026, executives said.

Southwest said those moves, along with changes to its network, will add about $1.5 billion in pretax earnings in 2027.

Before Thursday’s event started, Southwest announced a $2.5 billion share-buyback program designed to make existing shares more valuable. It also said that a third-quarter revenue ratio will rise by up to 3% instead of being between flat and down 2%.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. rose 8% in midday trading.

Southwest is trying to fend off a possible proxy fight as early as next week with Elliott, which is the airline’s second-largest shareholder.

“We do not support the company’s current course, which is being charted in a haphazard manner by a group of executives in full self-preservation mode,” the hedge fund said this week in a letter to other shareholders.

Jordan argued that the plan laid out Thursday should satisfy investors.

“We do not believe that a proxy fight is in the best interest of the company, and we remain willing to work with Elliott on a cooperative approach,” he said.

Jordan said the refresh plan had been in the works a long time. “For Elliott to call that plan rushed and haphazard, in my opinion, is inane.

Elliott did not immediately comment on Jordan’s remarks.

In dumping open seating, Southwest said its surveys show that 80% of its customers now want to know their seat before they get to the airport instead of having to search for open seats when they board the plane.

As part of the switch, the airline will have four airfare tiers, each offering more convenience and comfort. Southwest officials said the premium product will appeal to business travelers.

Southwest stopped short of changing another of its longtime characteristics: letting passengers check up to two bags for free, a break from fees that are charged by all other leading U.S. airlines. Executives said it’s the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals.

U.S. airlines brought in more than $7 billion in revenue from bag fees last year, with American and United reaping more than $1 billion apiece. Wall Street has long argued that Southwest is leaving money behind.

Southwest, which has built years of advertising campaigns around bags-fly-free, estimated that bag fees would raise about $1.5 billion a year, but eliminating the perk could drive away passengers, costing the airline $1.8 billion, or a net loss of $300 million a year.

Southwest has been contemplating an overhaul for months, but the push for radical change became even more important to management this summer, when Elliott Investment Management targeted the company for its dismal stock performance since early 2021.

Company management headed into the investor day having angered an important interest group: its own workforce. The airline told employees Wednesday that it will make sharp cuts to service in Atlanta next year, resulting in the loss of 340 pilot and flight attendant positions.

Employee unions are watching the fight between Elliott Investment Management and airline management, but they are not taking sides. “That’s between Southwest and Elliott, and we’ll see how it plays out,” Alison Head, a flight attendant and union official in Atlanta, said.

However, the unions are concerned that more of their members could be forced to relocate or commute long distances to keep their jobs. Southwest’s chief operating officer told employees last week that the airline will have to make “difficult decisions” about its network to improve its financial performance.

Elliott seized on that comment, saying that Southwest leaders are now “taking any action – no matter how short-sighted – that they believe will preserve their own jobs.”

The hedge fund controlled by billionaire financier Paul Singer now owns more than 10% of Southwest shares and is the airline’s second-biggest shareholder. It wants to fireCEO Jordan and Chairman Gary Kelly and replace two-thirds of Southwest’s board. Elliott has a slate of 10 director candidates, including former airline CEOs.

Southwest gave ground this month, when it announced that six directors will leave in November and Kelly will step down next year. On Thursday, it named And it named a former AirTran and Spirit Airlines CEO to its board.

The airline is digging in to protect Jordan, however.

Shawn Cole, a founding partner of executive search firm Cowen Partners, whose firm has worked for other airlines but not Southwest, believes Southwest is too insular and should follow the recent examples of Starbucks and Boeing and hire an outsider as CEO. He thinks many qualified executives would be interested in the job.

“It would be a challenge, no doubt, but Southwest is a storied airline that a lot of people think fondly of,” Cole said. “If Boeing can do it, Southwest can do it.”