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Minneapolis, MN (MinnPost) WASHINGTON -- When this year began, Gov. Tim Walz's election as the new head of the Democratic Governors Association set him on a course to raise his profile - but who knew he would be at the center of the biggest political story of the year? Walz began 2024 focused on duties typical of a Minnesota governor: naming judicial appointments, announcing a new state infrastructure plan and naming the eight winners of the 2023-24 Name a Snowplow contest. The governor had problems, sure. He had to deal with the fallout of the $250 million "Feeding our Future" scandal, in which dodgy nonprofit groups claimed to distribute meals to schoolchildren during the pandemic. Instead, more than two dozen people involved were convicted or pleaded guilty to charges including fraud, bribery and money laundering. Walz also had to defend state spending that could lead to a future budget deficit and was concerned the DFL might not be able to hang on to its majorities in the state Legislature. But he faced a unique challenge in July when a group of Democratic governors wanted to meet with President Joe Biden to discuss concerns about the president's rocky debate performance with Donald Trump. As head of the DGA, Walz was in charge of trying to arrange a meeting between the governors and Biden, who had not reached out to those Democrats as concerns about the president's health escalated. Some of those governors, like Maryland's Wes Moore and Rhode Island's Dan McKee were Biden boosters. But others, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, had been floated as potential presidential candidates themselves. Walz walked out of the meeting with Moore and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, another Biden ally, and claimed all was well. "Yes, fit for office," the governor said in response to a question from a reporter, tamping down Democratic fears about Biden's ability to lead the nation. Walz's calming of the political waters became a turning point in his political career. How he handled the sensitive visit to the White House was appreciated by the Biden-Harris campaign team - and it put him on the radar when Biden decided he would not seek a second term. There were plenty of good VP candidates Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, could have chosen as running mates, especially Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. In fact, Las Vegas bettors gave Walz low odds at becoming the Democratic vice presidential pick. But no one campaigned harder than Walz. He took to social media and cable news shows. Americans who had never heard of him warmed to his Midwesternisms and his interactions with his daughter Hope, who became an internet star in her own right. Walz also came up with a popular insult to Donald Trump and his camp, calling them "weird" and boosting his candidacy as an effective communicator. Walz's Midwestern roots and his progressive record as governor also had an appeal to the new Harris for President campaign. Eventually, after what was characterized as a successful interview with Harris, Walz got the job. That's when his political and personal life zoomed in a totally different direction. No longer would Walz spend his days on the more predictable job of governing Minnesota. Now he was on the national stage, giving stump speeches across the country and enlisting his wife, Gwen, and daughter Hope to help during a compressed campaign for the White House. He also drew white-hot media attention, which resurrected his misstatements about his rank when he retired from the National Guard, the fertility treatments he and Gwen used to conceive their children and the timing of his visit to China's Tiananmen Square (he was not there during a military crackdown on protesters, as he has said.) Under pressure during his debate with Sen. JD Vance, Walz called himself a "knucklehead" for his misstatements. The governor was deployed to reach out to small-town and rural America, and try to connect with male voters who were cool to Harris. Gwen Walz also proved to be adept at giving political speeches. Like her husband, she deployed to key swing states that would decide the election. But the furious effort to win the White House failed, and Walz is now back home working out of the State Capitol in St. Paul. He has joined a long list of losing vice-presidential candidates, a list that includes Teddy Roosevelt, Walter Mondale, John Edwards, Sarah Palin, Paul Ryan and Tim Kaine. Most never won a national election after their attempt to become vice president. Walz was philosophical after his loss, saying the campaign gave him a good tour of the nation. But he also said he was "a little surprised" Americans rejected the Harris-Walz ticket. "It felt like at the rallies, at the things I was going to, the shops I was going in, that the momentum was going our way," Walz told Tom Hauser of KTSP-TV earlier this month. "And it obviously wasn't at the end of time." In an interview with MPR News, he also rued why he, the least wealthy candidate for vice president, did not connect with voters who preferred Trump. "I thought it was a real flex when the Wall Street Journal pointed out that I might have been the least wealthy person to ever run for vice president," Walz said on MPR. "And I thought that would be something people say, "Well, this guy knows where we're coming from. He's had to pay his bills, he had to and still does."" Walz, who had to leave his job as the head of the DGA when he became a vice-presidential candidate, is now one of the 23 Democratic governors who will, in one way or another, be forced to contend with Trump's agenda, which is likely to clash with their policies on health care, immigration, LGTBQ rights, education and other issues. In that interview with MPR News, Walz said there are redlines where he would fight against the policies of a Trump presidency and a GOP Congress, including any that restrict abortion access or those aimed at ending vaccine requirements in Minnesota's public schools Will he run for reelection? Walz says he hasn't decided yet. This story is provided as a service of the Institute for Nonprofit News’ On the Ground news wire. The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is a network of more than 475 independent, nonprofit newsrooms serving communities throughout the US, Canada, and globally. On the Ground is a service of INN, which aggregates the best of its members’ elections and political content, and provides it free for republication. Read more about INN here: https://inn.org/ . Please coordinate with edunbar@minnpost.com should you want to publish photos for this piece. This content cannot be modified, apart from rewriting the headline. To view the original version, visit: http://www.minnpost.com/national/2024/12/a-2024-lookback-gov-tim-walzs-very-weird-year/21 co uk live casino 。

Trump offers inauguration invites to foreign leaders through calls and back channels

Seattle Seahawks receiver is DK Metcalf is just fine when he doesn't have the the ball because it means he gets to showcase his blocking skills. “I just look at it as a sign of respect that I’ve gained from other defensive coordinators and just continue to do my job with it as blocking or being a decoy,” the two-time Pro Bowler said. While opposing defenses have keyed in on Metcalf, other aspects of Seattle's offense have surfaced during its four-game winning streak. The run has the Seahawks (8-5) sitting atop the NFC West heading into Sunday night's game against the visiting Green Bay Packers (9-4). Geno Smith's new top target is second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who needs 89 receiving yards for his first career 1,000-yard season. Smith-Njigba has 75 catches for 911 yards and five touchdowns, while Metcalf, often dealing with double coverage, has 54 catches for 812 yards and two scores. Metcalf says he feels the pride of a “proud parent or a big brother” when it comes to Smith-Njigba's success. Seattle's offense also got a boost from the ground game in a 30-18 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend . Zach Charbonnet, filling in for the injured Kenneth Walker III, ran for a career-best 134 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks face another hot team in the Packers (9-4), who have won seven of nine. Green Bay's two losses over that stretch have come against NFC-best Detroit (12-1), including a 34-31 victory by the Lions on Dec. 5, which means the NFC North title is likely out of reach for the Packers. The Packers are well-positioned for a playoff berth, but that almost certainly won't come this weekend. They would need a win, a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons and a tie between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Metcalf, who learned to block from his father, former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf, says he tries to take blocking seriously to set himself apart from other receivers. His priorities are simple when he's getting double-teamed and the ball goes elsewhere. “Trying to block my (butt) off and trying to get pancakes on defensive backs,” he said. When the Packers surged their way into the playoffs last season, quarterback Jordan Love was a major reason why. He had 18 touchdown passes and one interception during Green Bay's final eight games. During the last four games of this season, Love ranks third in the NFL with a 118.9 passer rating with six touchdowns, one interception and a league-best 10.3 yards per attempt. “I always feel like I can put the ball where I want to — and that’s part of it, too, having that confidence to be able to throw those passes,” Love said. “There’s always like I said a handful of plays that might not come off or be in the exact spot that you wanted it to or the throw might be a little bit off. So, that’s where you’ve just got to try to be at your best every play, be consistent and accurate as possible.” Green Bay’s pass defense has been picked apart the last two weeks. First, it was torched by Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins in a Packers win. Next, it allowed Jared Goff to complete his final 13 passes as the Lions rallied to victory. It won’t get any easier this week. Smith is second in the NFL in attempts, completions and passing yards and is fifth in completion percentage. “It’s been a remarkable turnaround for him in terms of just where he started,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s not always where you start, but where you finish. And it tells me a lot about the person in terms of his resiliency and ability to fight through some adversity. He’s a dangerous quarterback.” The potential return of former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) could help the Packers. Will the Packers break out their head-to-toe white uniforms? The last time Green Bay wore the winter white look was in a 24-22 win over Houston in October. The Packers asked fans to weigh in on social media . As for the Seahawks, they'll be sporting their “Action Green” uniforms. Metcalf is a fan. “I would say this about the Action Green, I love them personally in my opinion, but the big guys hate them. I don’t know why, don’t ask me," he said. “Hopefully, the Packers wear all white, so it’ll be a fun-looking game.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

TUCSON, Ariz. — Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music. The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football broadcasts and his son, Cordell Broadus, played Division I football. When Snoop took his latest step, becoming the sponsor of a bowl game, he had a demand: Find a way for all players in the game to receive name, image and likeness (NIL) money. “This was Snoop’s idea,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice. “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that’s what we did.” The beneficiaries are Colorado State and Miami (Ohio), who will conclude their seasons Saturday at Arizona Stadium in the Arizona Bowl. The bowl is classified as a 501©(3), so all revenue goes to charity. And, being one of the few bowls not tied to ESPN, it opens the door for unique sponsorship opportunities. The bowl was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports and the digital media company used its own cast of characters on the broadcast, which was streamed on its digital platforms. Snoop Dogg takes over this year. The rapper/entertainer is the latest celebrity to sponsor a bowl, following the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski at the LA Bowl. And, Snoop being Snoop, he wanted to put his own spin on his own bowl. “College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted on social media. “So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry.” With that will be an NIL component. The bowl can’t pay players just for playing in the bowl, but both teams participated in football clinics on Friday and will get paid for their services. Other bowls have given single players NIL opportunities, but this is believed to be the first to offer it to every player on both teams. “I love the fact that the Arizona Bowl is unique and tries new things, and obviously having Snoop here is unique,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “The NIL component, it’s the future. It’s what football has become now. We think it’s fantastic for our kids and then the interaction with the kids is the hidden gem of the whole thing.” The NIL component of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl comes a month after a similar effort in The Players Era Festival basketball tournament in Las Vegas. The eight-team tournament said it paid out $9 million in NIL money to participating players for activities outside the competition. It also offered $50 million in NIL opportunities over the next three years for services and activities compliant with NCAA regulations. Are the Players Era Festival and Arizona Bowl the start of a new future? It is not out of the question in big-time college athletics, where schools are already preparing for the era of revenue sharing with players next year. “Revenue sharing between the players and the athletic departments is already on the horizon, so whether that takes the place of these types of arrangements or they’re completely separate has yet to be determined,” Adair said. “We’re just trying to be flexible, ahead of the curve and make an impact any way we can.” Just the way Snoop wants it.As Love Island star Maura Higgins and author Reverend Richard Coles join fellow celebrities Down Under. The latecomers were revealed on Wednesday, November 20 and have yet to join the other campmates. The two are currently in their own private camp as hosts Ant and Dec told viewers they would be living in the 'Junkyard' camp for the next few days. Thinking it would be really bad living conditions, the camp transformed with a mattress bed, bubble bath, grill and more. Maura influencing a priest was not on my 2024 bingo card #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/ZFCl2buUuC However, the two had to complete a mission by convincing the celebrities in the other camp that they were living in awful conditions. Despite not yet being with the other celebrities, fans of the ITV show have said that they are already loving them. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one I’m A Celeb viewer said: “These two are like polar opposites but so funny together." As another added: “Richard and Maura are MY WINNERS ALREADY." A further said: ““Sorry Father.” HAHAHAHAHA adding Maura to an already 10/10 camp is ridiculously brilliant!" While one said: “Aww I’ve missed Maura, I love her! I saw her on Love Island USA but I still have missed her." The reason celebrities no longer have their phone numbers printed on their uniforms is because ITV has changed the way viewers vote this year. Usually, viewers can vote for celebrities to take part in trials or to leave camp by calling the phone numbers assigned to each of them. However, this year, the ITV show is not accepting votes via phone calls. Therefore, viewers must use the app to make their votes. RECOMMENDED READING I'm A Celeb's Danny Jones in tears as he shares mental health journey GK Barry and Dean branded ‘awful’ on I’m A Celebrity I'm A Celebrity's Melvin Odoom was on this hit TV show - do you remember him? The app is available to download either via the App Store or Play Store. One viewer took to X (formerly Twitter) to say they didn't like the change: "Don’t like how they no longer stick phone numbers on the back of their shirts on I’m A Celeb. "Some things should never change, even with technological advances."