By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday accused foreign-owned meat packers of driving up the price of beef in the U.S. and asked the Department of Justice to open an investigation.

The Republican president announced the move on social media days after his party suffered losses in key elections in which the winning Democratic candidates focused relentlessly on the public’s concerns about the cost of living.

“I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who are driving up the price of Beef through Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation,” Trump wrote in the social media post.

“We will always protect our American Ranchers, and they are being blamed for what is being done by Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers, who artificially inflate prices, and jeopardize the security of our Nation’s food supply,” he continued.

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Trump offered no proof to support his allegations.

“Action must be taken immediately to protect Consumers, combat Illegal Monopolies, and ensure these Corporations are not criminally profiting at the expense of the American People,” he said.

Last month, Trump suggested the U.S. would buy Argentine beef to bring down stubbornly high prices for American consumers, angering U.S. cattle ranchers.

Beef prices have soared in part after drought and years of low prices led to the smallest U.S. herd size in decades. Trump’s tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter, have also curbed imports.

Trump’s accusations have renewed a bipartisan presidential fight against rising food prices.

Then-President Joe Biden talked with independent farmers and ranchers about initiatives to reduce food prices by increasing competition within the meat industry. And then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump defeated in winning reelection last year, used her campaign to vow to crackdown on food producers and major supermarkets “price gouging.”

By JOE REEDY, Associated Press

Fox Sports has let go of NFL analyst Mark Sanchez and hired Drew Brees in his place.

“We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network. There will be no further comment at this time,” a Fox Sports spokesman told The Associated Press on Friday.

Sanchez has been off the air since police said he was stabbed during a fight with a truck driver outside an Indianapolis hotel on Oct. 4. He was in Indianapolis for Fox’s coverage of the Oct. 5 game between the Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders. Sanchez faces a felony battery charge, along with three misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking. Sanchez and Fox Sports also face a civil lawsuit filed by the driver, 69-year-old Perry Tole.

“It’s been a long month for Mark as he continues to recover from serious injuries while also grieving the loss of a close friend. While the recent news — and its timing — is understandably disappointing, our priority remains his continued healing and recovery,” Sanchez’s brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., said in a statement released Friday. “Mark deeply values his time at FOX and the exceptional colleagues he’s had the privilege to work with. Those relationships are meaningful and will endure.”

FILE – Former quarterback Drew Brees waves to the crowd during the first half of an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Carrie Giordano, File)

Brees will replace Sanchez on Fox’s No. 4 NFL crew and will team up with play-by-play announcer Adam Amin and sideline reporter Kristina Pink. Brees’ first game will be Nov. 16.

Brees retired from the NFL following the 2020 season after a 20-year career with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans, including leading the Saints to their only Super Bowl title during the 2009 season.

He joined NBC in 2021 as an analyst for Notre Dame college football games and was in the studio most Sundays for “Football Night in America.” Brees called a wild-card game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals but noticeably struggled. NBC and Brees parted ways a couple months later.

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Brees made a studio appearance during “Fox NFL Sunday” earlier this season and is slated to be an analyst for one of Netflix’s two Christmas Day games.

“Drew is one of the best to ever play the game, and we couldn’t be more excited to have his prolific credentials and unique insights as part of our coverage on Sundays,” said Brad Zager, Fox Sports president of production & operations and executive producer. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Fox Sports family.”

Brees added in a statement that he appreciated the opportunity to join Fox and that “I hope my passion for this game is reflected in the knowledge and insights I provide to the fans each Sunday.”

In his first year of eligibility, Brees is among the list of 52 modern-era players being considered for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Brees remains second all-time in league history in passing yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571).

While Brees joins the Fox Sports team, Sanchez’s legal issues will go on.

An Indianapolis judge scheduled his trial to begin on Dec. 11, though the date may change.

This undated image provided by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows former NFL quarterback and sports analyst Mark Sanchez. (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department via AP)

A police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted Tole, who had backed his truck into a hotel’s loading docks in downtown Indianapolis on Oct. 4. Tole claims in his lawsuit that Sanchez entered the truck without permission, then physically blocked and shoved Tole, who then doused Sanchez with pepper spray.

When Sanchez advanced after being sprayed, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself, authorities said.

Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso, according to a police affidavit. A picture of Tole circulating online shows him in a neck brace on a hospital bed, covered in blood with a deep slash to the side of his face.

Sanchez had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2019. He spent four seasons with the New York Jets and also appeared in games with Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.

He appeared on ABC and ESPN for two years before joining Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021.

Minnesota United vs. Seattle Sounders

What: MLS Cup Playoffs, Game 3
When: 3:14 p.m. Saturday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+
Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500
Weather: 35 degrees, mostly cloudy, 9 mph south wind
Betting line: MNUFC plus-185; draw plus-260; Seattle plus-130

Format: The best-of-three series is knotted at 1-1. Fourth-seeded Minnesota maintained home-field advantage, winning Game 1 in penalty kicks after a scoreless 90 minutes on Oct. 27. Fifth-seeded Seattle stormed out to a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes in a 4-2 win at Lumen Field on Monday.

Look-ahead: The series winner will play either top-seeded San Diego or eighth-seeded Portland in the conference semifinals on Nov. 22 or 23. Game 3 in that series is Sunday.

Absences: Loons are not expected to list any players as unavailable for Saturday. Defender Jefferson Diaz limped off the in Game 2, but trained in full Friday. Striker Kelvin Yeboah (hamstring) has been improving and should play more than his 19 minutes in Game 1 and 25 in Game 2.

Scouting report: MNUFC head coach Eric Ramsay pointed out that “we lacked a little bit of conviction, particularly on our left-hand side as (Game 1) went on.”

For Game 2, Ramsay said they anticipated more attacks from the Sounders down the Loons’ left flank, and Seattle’s second and third goals came via that route.

“We talked a lot about how we would deal with some of those problems, and ultimately we weren’t able to do so,” he said Monday. “… If you watch the goals back, there aren’t glaring individual errors, Seattle moved the ball really well on that side. … They showed some real high-level work on that side, quick combinations, real athleticism, real pace in behind.”

It will be another emphasis going into Game 3, with lineup changes possible. “A baseline level of competitiveness, athleticism, organization, the distances being right; I think that gives you a good chance,” Ramsay said.

Note: Cal Williams and Kyndra de St. Aubin will commentate Game 3 on Apple TV+; it will be the first Loons match for the broadcast pair since they called nearly every game for the club since it joined MLS in 2017 and through 2022.

Update: MNUFC spent a $2 million transfer fee and earmarked a substantial $853,000 salary to bring in attacking midfielder Dominik Fitz from Austria during the summer transfer window.  But when the Loons needed to unlock an equalizing goal Monday, five players subbed in and Fitz remained on the bench. He also didn’t play in Game 1.

“He’s still well and truly in that adaptation period,” Ramsay said. “I think it has been probably tougher than he anticipated and tougher than we anticipated. … The minutes that he has had on the pitch so far haven’t … been all that convincing in terms of showing that ability to cope at the moment with the physical demands of MLS.”

Ramsay said Fitz, 26, could still play a role in Game 3.

Stats: In Game 2, Seattle continued to dominate possession (59-41%) and expected goals (1.9-0.8), but those margins were smaller than in Game 1.

Prediction: The Sounders are the favorite and have been more convincing in the series — outside off a lull before halftime in Game 2 — and they will keep Minnesota from reaching the Western Conference semifinals for a second straight season. Sounders, 2-1.

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The St. Paul Downtown Development Corporation has purchased the condemned Capital City Plaza parking ramp from Madison Equities with the goal of having it fully reopened by late 2026.

The ramp is located at 50 Fourth St. near the Alliance Bank Center, which the nonprofit corporation took full ownership over and site control of in October. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, but a spokesperson for the nonprofit said the purchase was fully funded by private investment “and will prevent the city from spending public funds to secure the property.”

The ramp, situated near the Green Line’s Central Station, was condemned by the city in April 2025. The corporation “will immediately begin evaluating the work necessary to correct safety violations, with the goal of reopening it as a public parking ramp by the end of 2026,” reads a prepared statement from the corporation.

Dave Higgins, president of the corporation, said in the statement that “reviving this property fits our mission to take on catalytic projects that strengthen the downtown core and support future investments.”

Both the ramp and the Alliance Bank Center will remain closed to the public for the “foreseeable future,” according to the corporation. Skyway connections to Osborn370 and Treasure Island Center remain open.

The nonprofit, which formed a year ago under the auspices of the Downtown Alliance, plans a public engagement process to examine key wants and needs downtown and inform a long-term improvement strategy.

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