After a highly competitive training camp, the Vikings have finally settled on their initial 53-man roster.

There were a number of undrafted free agents that proved to be success stories, including quarterback Max Brosmer, receiver Myles Price, tight end Ben Yurosek, offensive guard Joe Huber, defensive tackle Elijah Williams, linebacker Austin Keys, and edge rusher Chaz Chambliss.

There were also some surprising cuts, including receiver Lucky Jackson, who was taking reps with the starters in training camp, and edge rusher Gabe Murphy, who looked like he had worked himself into the rotation.

It’s almost a certainty that the 53-man roster will end up looking much different when the Vikings take on the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8 at Soldier Field.

You should expect the Vikings to make some additional moves in the near future.

Will they find a way to trade for veteran receiver Adam Thielen? Will they add depth in the secondary by signing veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore? Will they seek out a reliable returner veteran receiver Mecole Hardman?

All of those questions will be answered soon enough.

Here’s a look at where everything stands for the Vikings right now:

Quarterback (3)

J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer

Running Back (4)

Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Ty Chandler, Zavier Scott

Fullback (0)

(C.J. Ham ham was placed on injured reserve designated for return)

Receiver (5)

Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Tim Jones, Myles Price

Tight End (3)

T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek

Offensive Line (10)

Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Brian O’Neill, Justin Skule, Walter Rouse, Blake Brandel, Joe Huber, Michael Jurgens

Defensive Line (6)

Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Elijah Williams

Edge Rusher (5)

Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss

(Tyler Batty was placed on injured reserve designated for return)

Linebacker (5)

Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Kobe King, Austin Keys

Cornerback (4)

Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern

Safety (5)

Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Tavierre Thomas

Specialists (3)

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

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Stillwater will be the site of the 2026 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener.

Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday announced that the event — a way to highlight tourism and angling in the state — will take place on the St. Croix River at Stillwater May 8 and 9.

“Stillwater is a beautiful and historic town, and I am excited to bring the Governor’s Fishing Opener to the banks of the St. Croix River,” Walz said in a statement. “This event provides an opportunity to celebrate what makes Minnesota special and bring Minnesotans together to experience our exceptional fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities.”

It marks the first time Stillwater has been chosen to host the opener. It’ll mark the 78th governor’s opener. Last year the opener was held at Cross Lake.

“I’m just super excited,” said Stillwater Mayor Ted Kozlowski. “I think the river is such a great asset for us in Minnesota. We are the land of 10,000 lakes but we have a few really, really cool rivers!”

While he knew that Stillwater was in the running and that Discover Stillwater had done a “great job” putting together the application, Kozlowski said he didn’t have much hope that Stillwater would be chosen since many openers are held on northern Minnesota lakes.

Kozlowski said the community of Stillwater really steps up for big events.

“It’s really where Stillwater shines,” he said. “We all come together to put on these big statewide events. We couldn’t be more excited.”

He also offered a prediction: “This is going to be the year that we will have amazing weather for the fishing opener. I’m predicting it!”

Home to walleye, muskellunge, catfish

The St. Croix River, a nationally designated Wild and Scenic River, is home to species such as walleye, muskellunge, lake sturgeon, flathead and channel catfish, white bass, and smallmouth bass.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources operates public water access points along the Lower St. Croix River at the St. Croix Boomsite in Stillwater, within Interstate and William O’Brien state parks, and a new one that opened last spring at Oak Park Heights directly north of the St. Croix Crossing Bridge.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, with First Lady Mary Pawlenty, holds a 17-inch walleye he caught during the Governor’s 60th Annual Fishing Opener on the north end of Pelican Lake in Breezy Point, Minn. in 2008. (Courtesy / Minnesota Governor’s Office)

“Discover Stillwater is incredibly excited to welcome the 2026 Governor’s Fishing Opener to Stillwater,” said Kelly Nygaard, president/CEO of Discover Stillwater, in a statement. “This event is a celebration of Minnesota’s fishing tradition, and an opportunity to introduce visitors to the charm and history that make Stillwater such a special place.”

Highlighting the state’s outdoor opportunities

Fishing guide Terry Tuma of Lakeville holds up the 10-inch sauger caught by Gov. Arne Carlson, right, on the state’s opening day of fishing Saturday, May 9, 1998. (John Doman / Pioneer Press)

Lauren Bennett McGinty, executive director of Explore Minnesota, said in a statement that the opener serves to highlight Minnesota’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

“Stillwater offers the perfect blend of natural beauty, vibrant downtown charm and rich history, all set against the stunning backdrop of the St. Croix River,” she said. “We’re thrilled to work with local partners to showcase the area’s tourism appeal and kick off the summer season in a place that truly embodies the spirit of Minnesota hospitality and recreation.”

DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen noted in a statement that the St. Croix River “offers fantastic fishing for Minnesota’s beloved walleye and also for many other fish like big lake sturgeon and flathead catfish.”

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Two people have died of the West Nile virus in Minnesota this year out of 20 reported cases and the state is warning people to protect against mosquito bites.

The number of cases each year depends on variables such as heat and rainfall. The recent increase in cases has prompted the Minnesota Department of Health to issue a warning.

The disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. In most cases, state health officials said, people bitten by an infected mosquito will have no symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms. However, less than 1% of those infected develop encephalitis or meningitis within one to two weeks. There is no treatment for the illness other than supportive care, health official said.

Elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk, followed by those who work outside or engage in outdoor activities.

Although cases of the virus have been found throughout the state, the highest risk areas are agricultural regions in western and central Minnesota.

“This is a high-risk time of year for West Nile virus transmission,” said Elizabeth Schiffman, supervisor of the Health Department’s Vectorborne Diseases Unit. “It’s important to prevent mosquito bites when people are enjoying time outside while the weather is still nice. That’s the best way to avoid getting West Nile virus.”

State health officials provided the following tips to protect against infection:

Use insect repellents that are registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and contain up to 30% DEET.
Pre-treat clothing and gear with permethrin-based products.
Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Be extra cautious or avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, the peak feeding time for many mosquitoes, particularly from July through September.
Keep mosquitoes out of your home by maintaining screens on windows and doors.

For more information, visit health.state.mn.us/diseases/westnile.

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By ALI SWENSON, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A conservative election researcher whose faulty findings on voter data were cited by President Donald Trump as he tried to overturn his 2020 election loss has been appointed to an election integrity role at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Pennsylvania activist Heather Honey is now serving as the deputy assistant secretary for election integrity in the department’s Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans, an organizational chart on its website shows.

The political appointment, first reported by Democracy Docket, shows how self-styled election investigators who have thrown themselves into election conspiracy theories since 2020 are now being celebrated by a presidential administration that indulges their false claims.

Her new role, which didn’t exist under President Joe Biden, also comes as Trump has used election integrity concerns as a pretext to try to give his administration power over how elections are run in the U.S.

The president has ordered sweeping changes to election processes and vowed to do away with mail ballots and voting machines to promote “honesty” in the 2026 midterms, despite a lack of constitutional authority to do so. Trump’s Department of Justice also has demanded complete state voter lists, raising concerns about voter privacy and questions about how the federal government plans to use the sensitive data.

Neither Honey nor DHS immediately responded to requests for comment on Tuesday.

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Honey runs an investigations and auditing consulting firm called Haystack Investigations, according to contact information provided on her LinkedIn profile. Since 2020, she also has led a variety of election research groups whose flawed analyses of election data have fueled right-wing attacks on voting procedures, including in battleground states Pennsylvania and Arizona.

In 2020, her election research misrepresented incomplete state voter data to falsely claim that Pennsylvania had more votes reported than voters. Trump echoed the falsehood during his speech to supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, saying Pennsylvania “had 205,000 more votes than you had voters.” Shortly after, his supporters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Biden from becoming president.

In 2021, Honey was involved in the Arizona Senate’s partisan audit of election results in the state’s largest county, she confirmed in a podcast interview with a GOP lawyer. That review, which spent six months searching for evidence of fraud, was described by experts as riddled with errors, bias and flawed methodology. Even still, it came up with a vote tally that would not have altered the outcome, finding that Biden actually won by more votes than the official results certified in 2020.

In 2022, Honey’s organization Verity Vote issued a report claiming that Pennsylvania had sent some 250,000 “unverified” mail ballots to voters who provided invalid identification or no identification at all.

Officials in Pennsylvania said the claim flagrantly misrepresented the way the state classified applications for mail-in and absentee ballots. The “not verified” designation did not mean the voter didn’t provide accurate identification information, nor did it mean their ID wasn’t later verified.

Honey’s hiring at the Department of Homeland Security comes amid reports that Trump’s administration has met with several other election conspiracy theorists in recent months. Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and one of the most prominent election conspiracy theorists, said in an email to supporters in June that he had met with the president twice in the previous eight weeks. In June, a federal jury in Colorado found that Lindell had defamed a former worker for a company that makes election equipment by making false claims related to the 2020 election.

Seth Keshel, an election modeler whose work on the 2020 election prompted challenges that were later dismissed, presented his research to White House personnel in May, he said on his Substack account.

David Becker, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, said DHS used to have real credibility in its advisory role on elections. Its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency had collaborated with states to shore up their elections from foreign attacks and disinformation, he said.

Now, the agency has fired its “real experts” on elections, he said. Trump’s administration also has done away with much of its work tracking foreign influence campaigns targeting voters, both at CISA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“What I’m concerned about is that it seems like DHS is being poised to use the vast power and megaphone of the federal government to spread disinformation rather than combat it,” Becker said. “It’s going to really harm DHS’s credibility overall.”