Somehow, the Lynx just became even more difficult to score against.

The WNBA’s top defense by a wide margin added to its defensive arsenal Sunday, acquiring Dallas wing DiJonai Carrington in a trade that sent wing Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson and Minnesota’s 2027 second-round draft pick to the Wings.

Carrington was a WNBA All-Defense selection and the League’s Most Improved Player in 2024 while serving as the perimeter defensive ace for a Connecticut team that led the league in defense and pushed Minnesota to five games in the WNBA semifinals.

Carrington was traded to Dallas in February, and the inexperienced, youthful Wings have fallen well out of playoff contention, making Dallas a seller ahead of the trade deadline. Carrington is in the final year of her current deal and will be a free agent this winter.

Whether Carrington signs with Minnesota long term is still to be determined, but in the present, she’s a major boost for the current heavy title favorite.

With the Lynx, Carrington rejoins Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, with whom she previously shared a backcourt in Connecticut.

Minnesota is the runaway No. 1 seed at the moment, largely thanks to the fact it allows just 95.1 points per 100 possessions — three points better than Seattle, who entered Sunday’s play with the second-best defensive rating.

Clear-cut MVP candidate Napheesa Collier is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and remains the best in the world on that end. But Carrington gives Minnesota another perimeter stopper who can lighten the burden on that end of the floor for the likes of Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton.

Carrington gives Minnesota another option now and, more importantly, in the playoffs, to defend star scoring guards such as Atlanta’s Allisha Gray or New York’s Sabrina Ionescu. The Fever feature multiple all-star guards in Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark, and this addition allows the Lynx to put someone like McBride on one of those players and Carrington on the other.

One of the few cracks in Minnesota’s defensive armor this season has occasionally been slowing down back-to-the-basket bigs, but great defensive wing play can be part of that antidote, as well, as perimeter pressure limits the opponent’s ability to effectively enter the ball into the post.

Minnesota selected Miller with the No. 2 overall pick out of Maryland in 2023, but the wing never quite hit her stride with the Lynx, though she did contribute in some key spots off the bench this summer.

The 24-year-old wing could benefit from a fresh start on an up-and-coming Dallas team.

Carrington figures to assume all of Miller and Samuelson’s minutes, but the 27 year old — who averaged nearly 30 minutes a game last year for Connecticut — can also ease the burden on Minnesota’s top five, all of whom are averaging 26 to 32 minutes a game. And there will also be plenty of minutes to redistribute should Collier have to miss any time with the ankle injury she suffered in the second half of Saturday’s blowout win over the Aces.

With the Lynx in such a strong position in the standings, Minnesota should be operating with its playoff prospects in mind over the final month of the regular season.

This team’s goal is to win a title. Sunday’s acquisition seems to move Minnesota one step closer in that pursuit.

MEDIA

Marilyn Carlson Nelson

Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, announced that Dr. Sameer Badlani and Marilyn Carlson Nelson have been elected to its board of trustees. Badlani is executive vice president, chief strategy Officer and chief digital officer for Fairview Health Services; Carlson Nelson is former CEO and chair of Carlson Inc., a Minnetonka-based global travel and hospitality brand.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Haberman, Minneapolis, announced that Dole Packaged Foods has named it as creative and media strategic lead for the new Dole Whip frozen fruit treat, including creative, paid media, public relations, influencer partnerships and full-funnel strategy.

AIRPORTS

The Metropolitan Airports Commission announced it has selected Alyssa Carlson as assistant director, concessions and business development. Carlson previously was director of strategic planning for global real estate brokerage Engel & Völkers for the Minneapolis market. MAC owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and six general aviation airports in the Twin Cities.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Barr Engineering Co., Minneapolis, announced plans to relocate its headquarters to One Meridian Crossings, Richfield, in late 2026.

CANNABIS

Lake Leaf Cultivation, a cannabis business owned by Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, announced the opening of a second dispensary off Interstate 35 near Grand Casino, Hinckley.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul, announced the hiring of Ashley Ryan as vice president of marketing and sales. Ryan joins the Ordway after serving as in a similar role at First Avenue Productions, Minneapolis.

LAW

Danny A. Bihrle has been appointed to the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Advisory Council, supporting the mental illness-advisory work of the Minnesota Disability Law Center. Bihrle is an attorney at Fredrikson, Minneapolis, which announced the appointment. … Faegre Drinker, Minneapolis, announced that Cynthia Lee has rejoined the firm’s benefits and executive compensation group as counsel. Lee rejoins from Allianz Life, Golden Valley, where she served as senior counsel of benefits. … Maslon, Minneapolis, announced the addition of counsel Kelley Scrocca to the firm’s Estate Planning Group. … The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Washington, D.C, announced the swearing in of Andrew S. Birrell as president. Birrell is senior partner of Birrell Law Firm, Minneapolis.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Preceptis Medical, a Golden Valley company specializing in pediatric ENT care, announced the appointment of Dave Carey as chief executive officer. The company is nearing full market release of its flagship Hummingbird Tympanostomy Tube System, enabling in-office ear tube placement for young children without the need for general anesthesia.

NONPROFITS

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud announced it has named Andrew Johannes as chief financial officer. Johannes previously served as president and CEO of C4 Welding in Sauk Rapids.

OPENINGS

Mall of America, Bloomington, announced that Canada-based Asian food chain Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodle is opening a location. … Miller Hill Mall, Duluth, announced the upcoming openings of Perfumania, a national fragrance retailer, and Windsor, a fashion destination for women’s apparel.

REAL ESTATE

Grasons, a national franchised estate sale and business liquidation service provider, announced the opening of Grasons of Northeast 7-County Metro. The franchise is owned and operated by Laurie Miller and her husband and business partner Steve Heutmaker.

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EMAIL ITEMS to businessnews@pioneerpress.com.

By ELENA BECATOROS, Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — They wandered through the museum, listening attentively as their guide explained the antiquities in display cabinets. It could have been any tour group, anywhere in the world. But there was something unusual about this one.

The group of foreigners visiting the National Museum of Afghanistan was made up only of women. Its guide was a woman, too — one of the first Afghan female tour guides in a country whose Taliban rulers impose the severest restrictions on girls and women anywhere in the world.

Somaya Moniry, 24, hadn’t known that tour guides existed, as a profession or even as a concept. But while browsing the internet for help on improving her English language skills, she stumbled upon Couchsurfing, an app where travelers connect with locals and stay in their homes.

After hosting a traveler, “I became very passionate about it and it was very interesting for me,” Moniry said. “It was very unique. I have never heard about it before, so I said: ‘Why not (do) this?’”

Maryam, a young Afghan on her first day of training to become a tour guide, helps 82-year-old Australian tourist Suzanne Sandral adjust her hijab in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Looking for the positive

As she showed that first visitor around her hometown in western Afghanistan, she saw a new side to her country.

“Most of the things that we have heard (about Afghanistan) was just … negativity. The focus of the people, focus of the media, focus of headlines, all of them were just the negativity. And definitely we get influenced by that,” Moniry said.

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But for her, Afghanistan is far more nuanced. While there are undoubtedly problems in a place recovering from decades of war and chaos, there is also another side to the complex, stunning country. Her love for her homeland runs deep, and she is eager to share it. She hopes to gradually change people’s perceptions.

“Whenever … I saw all of that natures, all those beauty, all those positivity, it changed my view totally,” Moniry said in her enthusiastic English. “And definitely this can be also for other people.”

One of those visitors is Australian Suzanne Sandral. She originally wanted to see Afghanistan in the 1960s but the pressures of having a family kept her away. Now at 82, she was part of Moniry’s women-only tour group in Kabul.

Afghanistan surprised her.

“It’s not what I expected at all. I expected to feel rather fearful. I expected to be given a lot of … accusatory looks. Not at all,” she said during a pause in sightseeing. “Wherever you go in the streets, if you smile at someone and give them a little nod or say hello, you get a terrific response. So it’s very different.”

Jackie Birov, a 35-year-old independent traveler from Chicago who was not part of the tour group, called the Afghan people “unbelievably hospitable.”

However, “I’m very aware that I have a lot more freedom than local women,” she said.

Three foreign, female tourists, two at right, and second from left, visit Darul Aman Palace accompanied by three female tour guides in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

A fledgling industry

Four decades of war have kept tourists away from Afghanistan. But while the Taliban’s takeover of power in August 2021 sent thousands of Afghans fleeing and shocked the world, the end of its insurgency against the previous U.S.-backed government also marked a sharp drop in violence.

Attacks still occasionally occur, mainly by an Islamic State affiliate, and Western countries advise against all travel to Afghanistan. Still, the improved security is increasingly attracting foreign visitors drawn by the dramatic scenery, millennia of history and a deeply ingrained culture of hospitality.

Tourism is a fledgling industry, with annual visitors in the low thousands. Most are independent adventure travelers. But guided package tours are increasing from countries as diverse as China, Greece, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government is keen to welcome them. Isolated on the international stage — officially recognized only by Russia, which did so in July — the government sees how potentially lucrative tourism could be.

Tourist visas, typically single-entry ones valid for stays of up to 30 days, have become relatively simple to obtain from the few embassies that issue them. Regular flights connect Kabul with major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul.

Afghan tour guide Somaya Moniry, 24, right, and Maryam, a local trainee tour guide, center, accompany 82-year-old Australian tourist Suzanne Sandral, left, during a visit to the National Museum in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

A question of ethics

For some, the idea of visiting Afghanistan as a tourist is morally abhorrent, particularly given the government’s treatment of women.

Girls are banned from education above primary school level, and women live under myriad restrictions. The government dictates what they can wear in public, where they can go and who they can go with. They cannot walk in parks or eat in restaurants. Beauty salons are banned. A very limited number of professions, such as teaching and carpet weaving, are open to them.

And the rules can change quickly.

But those involved in tourism point to the positive effects that visiting Afghanistan can have.

“I truly believe in ethical tourism,” said Zoe Stephens, 31, a British tour leader at Koryo Tours, a company specializing in unusual destinations. “I believe that you can divide politics and people, and that is the main thing for me. … A country is not a sum of its politics. It’s a sum of so much more, it’s a sum of its culture, its history, its food, and especially in Afghanistan, its people.”

Afghan tour guide Somaya Moniry, 24, left, and 82-year-old Australian tourist Suzanne Sandral pose for a photo next to a military helicopter during a visit to the War Museum in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Glimpses into the women’s world

Of the three recent tours Stephens led in Afghanistan, two were women-only. Working with local female guides, including Moniry, they combine key attractions with visits to women’s centers and cooking and embroidery classes from local women — worlds that are closed to male travelers.

“We always try and do something a little bit different that really makes our tours unique, as well as something that kind of gives back to the community,” Stephens said. “So I felt that working with the female tour guides does both of those things really well.”

The groups are small — one had eight women, the other three — but the company is looking to build a network of female guides across Afghanistan.

“What we try and do with this tour, especially the women’s tour, is conquer those ethical concerns,” Stephens said. “The idea is to learn about the lives of Afghan women in context.”

By CALEIGH WELLS, Associated Press

Most of what goes into U.S. landfills is organic waste, ranging from household food scraps to yard trimmings. That’s a problem because in that environment, organic waste is deprived of oxygen, which helps break material down.

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In a miniature world, climate change and environmental issues loom large

The result: the release of a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Consumers can curb their environmental impact by composting, which helps break material down in ways that reduce the release of methane. This can be done whether someone lives in a home with a yard or in an apartment without outside space. Composting also alleviates pressure on landfill space and results in a nutrient-rich substance that help soil.

Robert Reed, with the recycling and composting company Recology, said that applying compost makes soil better at retaining moisture, which makes it resilient against droughts, wildfires and erosion.

For people who want someone else to compost their food scraps, some local governments offer curbside pickup. Otherwise, nonprofits, farmers markets and community gardens often fill that gap. Companies in some areas also will pick up the food waste to be taken away for composting for a fee.

For those who want to try composting at home, here’s how to get started.

Food scraps sit in a residential compost bin, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

If you’ve got a yard

Composting doesn’t necessarily require much space. Even 4 square feet — roughly the size of a standard office desk — can do the trick. Common receptacles include open wooden bins or large barrel-shaped tumblers that you can rotate on a metal rod. Free-standing piles also work.

Some people follow a strict schedule of turning the pile, often with a hoe or shovel, or adding to it regularly. Backyard composting typically relies on microbes to break down the waste, which can bring a pile’s temperature up to 130-160 degrees Fahrenheit (54-71 degrees Celsius). Others follow a more passive approach.

Experts break the composting recipe down into four main ingredients: water, oxygen, nitrogen-rich “greens” (food scraps, grass clippings) and carbon-rich “browns” (cardboard, dead leaves, shredded paper). Typically compost has two or three times as much “brown” material as “green.”

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends against meat, bones, dairy, fats and oils in backyard compost piles because they typically don’t get hot enough to fully break them down, and because they’re more likely to attract pests. The agency also says to steer clear of treated wood, glossy paper, pet waste and compostable dishware or bags.

Experts say composters can experiment with what works and what doesn’t. Rodale Institute Senior Farm Director Rick Carr said he’s tried animal products and just about everything in his household. Hair from the hair brush and fully cotton swabs break down great. Cotton T-shirts? Not at all.

“If you’re unsure if it’ll break down, put it in there and you’ll find out,” he said.

The bacteria and fungi feed on the pile of organic waste and turn it into compost. The finished product looks like moist, dark soil. The EPA says a well-tended pile can produce finished compost in three to five months, while a more passive pile that doesn’t reach high temperatures may take up to a year.

Bob Shaffer, who owns a company called Soil Culture Consulting, said that for him, the process can take closer to nine months, but it’s easy to tell when it’s finished.

“When you look at compost, what you should not be able to see is, oh, there’s a leaf. There’s that carrot top that I put in there 10 months ago. You shouldn’t be able to discern what the material is,” he said.

Common pitfalls

Most composting problems happen when the ingredients get out of whack.

One way to make sure you’ve got the right balance of “greens” and “browns” is a “squeeze test,” by reaching into the pile and grabbing a handful then letting it go, said Nora Goldstein, editor of the organics recycling magazine, Biocycle.

“If it just kind of crumbles off your hand, it’s too dry. If you squeeze and get a little bit of drips, it’s a little wet. But what you want is to squeeze it, let it go, and have kind of a coating on your hand.”

When the pile gets too dry, the composting process slows down or stops. The answer: Hose it down or add more food scraps.

Another common problem is the opposite: there isn’t enough air, or there are too many nitrogen-rich “greens.” The first sign of trouble is when the compost pile smells. That typically means the microorganisms are dying and the pile is releasing methane, like in a landfill. The solution: stir the pile to get more air inside and allow it to cool down. Then add some cardboard or paper. A pile that’s too wet can also attract flies, maggots and rodents.

“As long as you’re mixing in enough amendment or browns, you’ll stay out of trouble,” Goldstein said.

A community compost bin sits outside a building Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

If you lack outdoor space

Composting indoors is possible through what’s known as vermicomposting, a process that relies on worms. People can buy premade worm bins, make their own out of untreated wood or use plastic storage bins with a few modifications, according to the EPA. The containers should have tight-fitting lids and keep out the light. Only certain types of worms will work, and they can be obtained from a worm grower or a neighbor who’s already started vermicomposting.

Goldstein said that the process isn’t always easy: “You really have to know what you’re doing.”

Instead of relying on microbes, worms feed on the carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic matter. They poop out almost-black castings. That’s the finished product. The EPA says it takes about three to six months, which can be faster than backyard composting. They can create a more nutritious end product than in traditional compost.

But Goldstein said that it can be tricky to ensure conditions are right for the worms.

“You want to make sure those worms are very happy, because if they’re not, they will leave the bin. And they’re not harmful, it’s just a little freaky,” said Goldstein.

Traditional composting, whether indoors or outdoors, is typically a process that takes place over months, not days, Goldstein said. Electric countertop devices that promise to break down food in hours or days don’t use the same process. Goldstein said those devices produce material that can be used in gardens, but it’s “not completely broken down” and should be mixed with soil.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.