In an alternate universe, quarterback J.J. McCarthy didn’t suffer a small hairline fracture in his right hand, which meant he was able to continue his upward trajectory for the Vikings last weekend in a win over the New York Giants.

Let’s continue to play out the string.

If that were indeed the case, McCarthy would be able to start for the Vikings on Thursday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Detroit Lions. Then, assuming he got out of that game unscathed, once more next weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

That would pave the way for the Vikings to bring in a veteran quarterback in free agency as insurance on McCarthy, who, for all the strides he’s taken, has not yet proven he can be consistently available.

As much as that hypothetical scenario might’ve been great for McCarthy, the butterfly effect could have resulted in rookie quarterback Max Brosmer never playing in the NFL again.

The only line on Brosmer’s résumé would’ve been his start for the Vikings last month, when they got demolished by the Seahawks in Seattle. He looked completely overwhelmed by the moment amid a disastrous display that threatened to shake his confidence. He wasn’t going to let that happen.

“My dream has been to play in the NFL,” Brosmer said. “To define myself by that game wouldn’t be fair to the younger me.”

Luckily for Brosmer, he has been given a chance to atone. Coming on in relief last weekend, he showed the composure that earned him a roster spot after initially signing as an undrafted free agent. Not only did Brosmer effectively manage the game last Sunday, completing 7 of 9 passes for 52 yards, he led the Vikings down the field in the final minutes for a scoring drive that held up as the difference in a 16-13 win.

“It was a good feeling to be in the huddle with the guys,” Brosmer said. “We’ve got to see the fruits of our labor a little bit towards the end.”

Now, Brosmer is in line to to start for the Vikings against the Lions in a nationally televised game on Christmas, and perhaps even against the Packers depending on how McCarthy’s hand responds to treatment over the next week or so.

It’s a crossroads for Brosmer that has the potential to shape his life in the NFL. If he plays well over the next couple of games, he could carve out a niche as a reliable backup with room to grow. If he struggles, he might not be given another chance to prove himself.

There is precedence to suggests Brosmer will only get better the more he plays.

You don’t have to go back far to find the last time Brosmer made a pretty bad first impression. He was largely ineffective in his debut with the Gophers on Aug. 29, 2024, when his play contributed to a disappointing loss to North Carolina. He completed only 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards, got sacked a handful of times, and had a costly fumble in the final frame.

It was fair to wonder if Brosmer had bitten off more than he could chew as a graduate transfer jumping from the FCS level to the FBS level. His response was immediate, however, as he led the Gophers to a pair of wins to close out the nonconference schedule before he and the Gophers upset Southern Cal.

It was a steady build from there as Brosmer went on to put together the best campaign the program had seen from a quarterback in more than a decade. It would not have been possible had he not been given the chance to push through adversity early.

That mental toughness has been apparent with the Vikings.

“There are going to be games throughout the rest of my career where I might have a few picks, or we might lose a game where I felt like maybe I could’ve done something better,” Brosmer said. “I’m going to use that and continue to build and know that whenever that comes, next time in my career I’ll be ready to handle that.”

Is that easier said than done?

“It’s way easier said than done,” Brosmer said with a laugh. “I’ve had some really helpful people in my ear a little bit continuing to push me along and make sure that I’m staying on the right track.”

That tenacity has led Brosmer to this point. Perhaps this NFL journey is just beginning.

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By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER

HONOLULU (AP) — A federal judge’s ruling clears the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help cope with climate change, a levy set to go into effect at the start of 2026.

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U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake on Tuesday denied a request seeking to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruises.

In the nation’s first such levy to help cope with a warming planet, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed legislation in May that raises tax revenue to deal with eroding shorelines, wildfires and other climate problems. Officials estimate the tax will generate nearly $100 million annually.

The levy increases rates on hotel room and vacation rental stays but also imposes a new 11% tax on the gross fares paid by a cruise ship’s passengers, starting next year, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports.

Cruise Lines International Association challenged the tax in a lawsuit, along with a Honolulu company that provides supplies and provisions to cruise ships and tour businesses out of Kauai and the Big Island that rely on cruise ship passengers. Among their arguments is that the new law violates the Constitution by taxing cruise ships for the privilege of entering Hawaii ports.

Plaintiff lawyers also argued that the tax would hurt tourism by making cruises more expensive. The lawsuit notes the law authorizes counties to collect an additional 3% surcharge, bringing the total to 14% of prorated fares.

“Cruise tourism generates nearly $1 billion in total economic impact for Hawai‘i and supports thousands of local jobs, and we remain focused on ensuring that success continues on a lawful, sustainable foundation,” association spokesperson Jim McCarthy said in a statement.

According to court records, plaintiffs will appeal. They asked the judge to grant an injunction pending an appeal and requested a ruling by Saturday afternoon given the law takes effect Jan. 1.

Hawaii will continue to defend the law, which requires cruise operators to pay their share of transient accommodation tax to address climate change threats to the state, state Attorney General Anne Lopez said in a statement.

The U.S. government intervened in the case, calling the tax a “scheme to extort American citizens and businesses solely to benefit Hawaii” in conflict with federal law.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Wednesday that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a “few more weeks,” further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress.

The department said the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, as well as the FBI, found more than a million more documents that could be relevant to the Epstein case. It did not say in its statement when it was informed of those new files.

The Justice Department insisted that its lawyers are “working around the clock” to review the documents and make the redactions required under the law, passed nearly unanimously by Congress last month.

“We will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A dozen U.S. senators are calling on the Justice Department’s watchdog to examine the department’s failure to release all records pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by last Friday’s congressionally mandated deadline, saying victims “deserve full disclosure” and the “peace of mind” of an independent audit.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined 11 Democrats in signing a letter Wednesday urging Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume to audit the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Given the (Trump) Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,” the senators wrote. Full transparency, they said, “is essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes.”

Murkowski and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., led the letter writing group. Others included Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota., Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, a co-sponsor of the transparency act, posted Wednesday on X: “DOJ did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline.”

Despite the deadline, the Justice Department has said it plans to release records on a rolling basis. It blamed the delay on the time-consuming process of obscuring survivors’ names and other identifying information. More batches of records were posted over the weekend and on Tuesday. The department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.

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“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply that to protect victims,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “So the same individuals that are out there complaining about the lack of documents that were produced on Friday are the same individuals who apparently don’t want us to protect victims.”

Records that have been released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. Records that hadn’t been seen before include transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.

Other records made public in recent days include a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known and emails between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial “A.” They contain other references that suggest the writer was Britain’s former Prince Andrew. In one, “A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

The senators’ call Wednesday for an inspector general audit comes days after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the disclosure and deadline requirements. In a statement, he called the staggered, heavily redacted release “a blatant cover-up.”

By MELANIE LIDMAN

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve as families heralded a much-needed boost of holiday spirit. The giant Christmas tree that was absent during the Israel-Hamas war returned on Wednesday.

The city where Christians believe Jesus was born had cancelled Christmas celebrations for the past two years. Manger Square instead had featured a nativity scene of baby Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire in homage to the situation in Gaza.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, kicked off this year’s celebrations during the traditional procession from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, calling for “a Christmas full of light.”

Arriving in Manger Square, Pizzaballa said he came bearing greetings from Gaza’s tiny Christian community, where he held a pre-Christmas Mass on Sunday. In the devastation, he saw a desire to rebuild.

“We, all together, we decide to be the light, and the light of Bethlehem is the light of the world,” he told thousands of people, Christian and Muslim.

Despite the holiday cheer, the impact of the war in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is acute, especially in Bethlehem, where around 80% of the Muslim-majority city’s residents depend upon tourism-related businesses, according to the local government.

The vast majority of people celebrating were residents, with a handful of foreigners. But some residents said they are starting to see signs of change as tourism slowly returns.

‘Hope in very dark situations’

“Today is a day of joy, a day of hope, the beginning of the return of normal life here,” said Bethlehem resident Georgette Jackaman, a tour guide. She and her husband, Michael Jackaman, another guide, are from Christian Bethlehem families that stretch back generations.

This is the first real Christmas celebration for their two children, aged 2 1/2 and 10 months.

During the war, the Jackamans pivoted to create a website selling Palestinian handicrafts to support others who lost their livelihoods. The unemployment rate in the city jumped from 14% to 65%, Bethlehem Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati said earlier this month.

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A visitor from France, Mona Riewer, said that “I came because I wanted to better understand what people in Palestine are going through, and you can sense people have been through a very hard time.”

Friends and family cautioned her against coming due to the volatile situation, but Riewer said being in Bethlehem helped her appreciate the meaning of the holiday.

“Christmas is like hope in very dark situations,” she said.

Despite the Gaza ceasefire that began in October, tensions remain high across much of the West Bank.

Israel’s military continues to carry out raids in what it calls a crackdown on militants. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have reached their highest level since the United Nations humanitarian office started collecting data in 2006. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in parts of the territory, including Bethlehem.

As poverty and unemployment have soared, about 4,000 people have left Bethlehem in search of work, the mayor said. It’s part of a worrying trend for Christians, who are leaving the region in droves. Christians account for less than 2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents.

The beginning of a return to normal life

Fadi Zoughbi, who previously worked overseeing logistics for tour groups, said his children were ecstatic to see marching bands streaming through Bethlehem’s streets.

The scouts represent cities and towns across the West Bank, with Palestinian flags and tartan draped on their bagpipes. For the past two years, the scouts marched silently as a protest against the war.

Irene Kirmiz, who grew up in Bethlehem and lives in Ramallah, said the scout parade is among her favorite Christmas traditions. Her 15-year-old daughter plays the tenor drum with the Ramallah scouts.

But her family had to wake up at 5 a.m. to arrive for the parade and waited upwards of three hours at Israeli checkpoints. The drive previously took 40 minutes without the checkpoints that have increasingly made travel difficult for Palestinians, she said.

“It’s very emotional seeing people trying to bounce back, trying to celebrate peace and love,” Kirmiz said.

During the previous two years, the heads of churches in Jerusalem urged congregations to forgo “any unnecessarily festive activities.” They encouraged priests and the faithful to focus on Christmas’ spiritual meaning and called for “fervent prayers for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”

Other Middle East events mark the faithful’s resilience

Santas were everywhere as the traditional parade returned to Nazareth in northern Israel, revered by Christians as the place where the archangel Gabriel announced to Mary she would give birth to Jesus.

The hilltop town filled with children. Some starred in live Nativity scenes, and others lined the route waiting for floats and candy under a bright, warm sun.

On the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, hundreds of congregants planned to return for Christmas Masses at a Greek Orthodox church where a suicide attack killed 25 people in June. On Tuesday, they gathered to light a neon image of a Christmas tree in its courtyard.

Festivities around the world

Along Florida’s Space Coast, Santas hopped on surfboards, not sleighs. Hundreds of surfers dressed as Santa took to the waves off Cocoa Beach in what has become an annual tradition for the past 17 years.

The Santa-surfing brought to the beach thousands of spectators dressed in Christmas costumes who danced to live music and took part in a holiday costume contest.

The event raises money for the Florida Surf Museum and a nonprofit that helps people with cancer.

Associated Press journalists Abby Sewell in Beirut, Ariel Schalit in Nazareth, Israel, and Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report.