Eric Ramsay rarely airs public criticisms on a certain game’s officiating. Minnesota United head coach almost always tells reporters postgame he will first take another look at a given sequence before sharing his opinion.

But Ramsay didn’t need to rewind footage of Monday’s MLS Cup Playoffs match against Seattle to share his view on whether Sounders defender Jackson Ragen pushed Loons forward Bongi Hlongwane in the ninth minute. In the box on a breakaway, Ragen’s hand connected with Hlongwane’s back; Hlongwane’s shot went wide left as he fell to the grass.

“As clear cut a penalty as I’ve seen not given over the course of this year,” Ramsay said. “I’d be amazed if 99 referees out of 100 don’t look at that for five seconds and think that’s a penalty. It’s a real shame, in a sense, because you have to be able to trust officials in those moments that you’re going to get stuff like that, particularly with VAR these days.”

The ninth-minute no call from referee Alexis Da Silva loomed large — especially in a potential red-card situation for a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity — and how Seattle and Minnesota played 90 scoreless minutes at Allianz Field.

In the end, MNUFC edged Sounders 3-2 in a penalty kick shootout, giving United a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. Game 2 is Monday in Seattle.

“I’m glad I can stand here as the winning coach because, with that not being the case, that would have been a real tough pill to swallow.” Ramsay added.

Ramsay might face a fine from MLS for these criticisms.

The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) responded to two written questions on the situation, saying “level of force was not enough to warrant a foul, and (Hlongwane) had a clear opportunity to shoot on goal. The contact did not rise to the level of a penalty kick and red card offense.”

PRO said Video Assistant Referee (VAR) “did not see a clear and obvious error with the on-field decision, (so) there was no (further) review recommended” to Da Silva on the field.

For how measured Ramsay has been across his two seasons in charge, he previously critiqued Da Silva when he officiated the U.S. Open Cup seminal in September. He was critical of how Austin FC’s winger Osman Bukari was not given a red card for kicking Loons defender Anthony Markanich in the Loons’ 2-1 loss.

Given how that decision came in a loss, it stung more. “It was as clear as could possibly be,” Ramsay said in September. “I feel like that is one that we will rue and question. I’m sure we will lose some sleep over that one.”

On Monday after the no-call on Ragen, Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair was issued a yellow card for dissent for a verbal exchange with Da Silva. St. Clair said he was calling for consistency.

“It’s hard as a player because you don’t know what’s a foul and what’s not,” St. Clair said. “You are trying to (walk) the line. Some of them are judgement calls, but especially early on you want to kind of know.

“You push a player in the back, it’s not an attempt at the ball, so it would be a red card as well, which would obviously be a huge advantage.”

The Loons were whistled for four fouls before the no-call on Ragen. In the end, Minnesota players were issued five yellow cards, while no Seattle players were booked. Across the match, Seattle committed 16 fouls to 11 for Minnesota.

By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

With the federal government shutdown nearing the one-month mark, Americans are starting to see the cascading effects of programs shuttered by lapses in federal funding. Some states are scrambling to find ways to account for shortfalls in food and child development assistance, and members of the military are also about to miss their first paychecks.

Some federal workers have already gone without pay for weeks. But nearly a month in, reserves that had kept some programs afloat since the shutdown began are dwindling, meaning new layers of complications as Congress remains unable to reach a new agreement to fund the federal government.

A look at what millions of Americans can expect this week:

Friday

According to the Trump administration, funding will run out for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected using more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program flowing into November.

SNAP helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries using debit cards normally loaded each month by the federal government. Some states have pledged to keep the benefits flowing even if the federal program halts payments, but a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — which administers the program — says states would not be reimbursed for temporarily picking up the cost.

Another program that helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples, like baby formula, will likely run out of funds the following week. Earlier this month, WIC received a $300 million infusion from the Trump administration, but those funds are running out, too.

Also on Friday, the nation’s 1.3 million active-duty service members are at risk of missing a paycheck. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. But it is unclear if the Trump administration is willing — or able — to shift money again.

Last week, the Pentagon confirmed that it had accepted an anonymous $130 million gift to help pay military members during the shutdown, a bequest that amounted to a small contribution toward the billions needed to cover service member paychecks.

Saturday

More than 130 Head Start preschool programs won’t receive their annual federal grants on Nov. 1 if the government remains shut down, according to the National Head Start Association.

Centers are scrambling to assess how long they can stay open, since nearly all their funding comes from federal taxpayers. Head Start provides education and child care for the nation’s neediest preschoolers. When a center is closed, families may have to miss work or school.

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With new grants on hold, a half-dozen Head Start programs have already missed federal disbursements they were expecting Oct. 1 but have stayed open with fast-dwindling reserves or with help from local governments. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

Also Saturday, the window opens for enrolling in Affordable Care Act health plans. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed consumers to preview their health coverage options about a week before open enrollment. But as of this week, Healthcare.gov appeared to show 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices, instead of next year’s options.

Sarah Bahari, The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, accusing the companies of failing to warn consumers about risks of taking the drug while pregnant.

In the suit filed Tuesday, Paxton, a Republican, said the Johnson & Johnson and spinoff company Kenvue hid information about the drug’s link to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The suit follows warnings from President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. last month that using Tylenol during pregnancy can cause autism. Scientists say that link is not proven.

“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement Tuesday. “These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets.”

In a statement Tuesday to The Dallas Morning News, Johnson & Johnson said it “divested its consumer health business years ago, and all rights and liabilities associated with the sale of its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol (acetaminophen), are owned by Kenvue.”

Kenvue said Paxton’s accusations “lack legal merit and scientific support.”

“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” the company said in an email to The News. “We are deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children.”

The Trump administration’s warnings last month caused widespread confusion among pregnant women trying to navigate how to manage pain and fever during pregnancy.

Medical groups rejected the Trump administration’s warning and said Tylenol is one of the few safe options available for pregnant women.

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“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy,” Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said last month in a statement.

Paxton’s suit is the first of its kind by a state and comes as he is challenging incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary next year. He has been aggressive in launching investigations and filing lawsuits that align with the Trump administration, including challenging the results of the 2020 election and investigating cereal makers for using artificial dyes.

©2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By STAN CHOE, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is drifting near its record heights on Tuesday.

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The S&P 500 added 0.1% in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 227 points, or 0.5%, as of 11 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher. All three indexes are coming off their latest all-time highs.

Moves were also modest in the bond market as Wall Street waits for a few events that could shake things up. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on interest rates, while some of the stock market’s most influential companies will report how much profit they made during the summer. On Thursday, President Donald Trump will meet China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in hopes of smoothing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Until then, profit reports from overnight and the morning were the main drivers of Tuesday’s action.

United Parcel Service rallied 7.8% after delivering stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. UPS also gave a forecast for revenue in the all-important holiday shipping season that was slightly above analysts’ expectations.

PayPal jumped 9.6% after saying it made a bigger profit during the summer than analysts expected. It also said it plans to pay its shareholders a dividend every three months, while announcing a deal where internet users will be able to pay for purchases through OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Skyworks Solutions leaped 12.6% after saying it would merge with Qorvo in a cash-and-stock deal where Skyworks shareholders will own roughly 63% of the combined company, valued at $22 billion. Qorvo’s stock rose nearly as much, 11.3%.

Skyworks also reported stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

On the losing end of Wall Street was Royal Caribbean, which lost 7.5% despite reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. Its revenue for the latest quarter fell short of expectations. The cruise operator also said it’s seen a “minimal” hit to its business this quarter because of bad weather, along with the temporary closure of one of its exclusive destinations in Haiti.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton sank 1.7% after reporting a weaker profit for the summer than analysts expected. Executive Chairman David Auld said his company is still dealing with homebuyers finding it challenging to afford a house, along with cautious consumer sentiment. He said D.R. Horton will likely have to keep offering incentives in the upcoming fiscal year to attract buyers.

Amazon, meanwhile, ticked up by 0.1% after saying it will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs, or about 4% of its corporate workforce, as it ramps up spending on artificial intelligence while cutting costs elsewhere.

A slowing job market is one of the main reasons Wall Street is expecting the Fed will announce another cut to interest rates on Wednesday. If it does, it would be the second time this year where it’s lowered the federal funds rate in hopes of helping the job market.

The widespread expectation is that the Fed will cut rates for a third time at its final meeting of the year. A lot is riding on that, in part because U.S. stock prices have already rallied to records on expectations for it. That’s why the most important part of Wednesday’s announcement for Wall Street will be whether Fed Chair Jerome Powell gives any hints about upcoming moves.

Fed officials have indicated that they’re likely to keep cutting interest rates into next year, but they may have to change course if inflation accelerates beyond its still-high level. That’s because low interest rates can make inflation worse.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 3.98% from 4.01% late Monday. A report showing confidence among U.S. consumers is a smidgen better than economists expected had little effect on the market.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following modest losses in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% from its record high. South Korea’s Kospi sank 0.8% for another one of the world’s larger moves.

Some of the strongest action in financial markets was again for the price of gold. It’s been struggling after an astonishing run this year, setting records and nearly reaching $4,400 per ounce last week. It’s since sunk toward $3,960 per ounce, and its gain for the year so far has trimmed to roughly 50%.

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.