Vikings go big on defense in the NFL draft, particularly up front

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — TheMinnesota Vikingsmight not know for some time whether this rookie class will get them back on track with theNFL draft, after recent years have not yielded enough quality depth for the roster and forced them to spend big in free agency.

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Even if the dividends don't immediately pay off for him, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was clearly one of the biggest winners from the weekend.

Starting with Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks in thefirst round, the Vikings as directed by interim general manager Rob Brzezinski wound up with five top-100 picks and used four of them on defensive players.

Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, who can play on the edge as well as inside, came in the second round. Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange went in the third round, as did Miami safety Jakobe Thomas.

Then among their four picks on Saturday, the Vikings used a fifth-rounder on Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings. Granted, Flores had to part withedge rusher Jonathan Greenardin a cap-relief trade with Philadelphia on Friday that netted two third-round picks. But the emergence of 2024 first-round draft pick Dallas Turner last season made parting with Greenard more palatable.

The upside of bulk and athleticism with Banks and Orange joining budding standout Jalen Redmond on the inside gives the Vikings more confidence they're building an interior that can't be easily bulldozed.

“Brian Flores has talked about it. I’ve talked about it: This is a big man’s game," coach Kevin O'Connell said.

Banks might be bringing a crowd

Banks during his introductory news conference at team headquarters revealed that he has four pets and plans to acquire more — two pythons, a chameleon and a dog. He said he plans to bring them with him to Minnesota, with more snakes, another dog, a tarantula and frogs on his radar for expanding the roster.

His love for animals was developed through an affinity for koala bears. He said he would've even majored in zoology at Florida if the time demands of those course didn't conflict with football practice.

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“Yeah, I'm different," Banks said. “I'm telling you, you'd be surprised.”

A special guest at the Bredeson family gathering

The first pick the Vikings made on Saturday was Michigan's Max Bredeson at 159th overall in the fifth round, targeting a blocking specialist who lined up in several places in the formation in college as a successor to recently retired fullback C.J. Ham.

When Bredeson's video conference call with Minnesota reporters began from his family's home in Hartland, Wisconsin, one of his former Michigan teammates popped on the screen: J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings quarterback was in the same recruiting class as Bredeson when they joined the Wolverines, and they've remained close friends. They even had the same private quarterback coach as youths, before Bredeson wisely made a position switch. Landing on the same NFL team was quite a

“I'm a Midwest kid, so it's awesome to be in the Midwest,” Bredeson said. “All the time I've spent with anyone in the Vikings organization, it always felt real.”

Playing hot potato with the 198th overall pick

The Vikings selected Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne in the sixth round on Saturday with a pick that became one of the most popular in the draft. That originally belonged to the Vikings, who first sent it to Houston in 2024 for running back Cam Akers. They reacquired it in a subsequent trade with the Texans, then sent it to San Francisco last year for running back Jordan Mason. The 49ers wound up dealing it to New England. Then the Patriots sent it back to the Vikings on Saturday for one of their seventh-round selections (234th overall) and a sixth-rounder in 2027.

Nine picks in, nine picks out

The Vikings were less active on the trade market than usual, though the Greenard deal was the headline of the weekend. They got a third-rounder from Philadelphia, plus another one in 2027, for Greenard and one of their seventh-rounders. They made a minor move with Carolina in the second round on Friday to drop two spots and upgrade a sixth-rounder to a fifth-rounder. In the end, they made nine selections — the same amount they started with — and got five top-100 picks after starting with four.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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April 26, 2026

Vikings go big on defense in the NFL draft, particularly up front

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — TheMinnesota Vikingsmight not know for some time whether this rookie class will get them back on track with theNFL d...

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Flesh-eating parasitic fly once eradicated from US now near the border

Cases of aflesh-eating infectionmiles from Texas’ border with Mexico are alarming officials about the return of a parasitic fly that was once eradicated.

Earlier this week, theU.S. Department of Agriculture reported active casesof New World screwworm in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. In anApril 20 statement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said one infected calf, about 62 miles from the border, was the northernmost active case from the parasitic New World screwworm fly to date, calling it a “flashing red warning sign.”

Latest available USDA data, as of April 21, showed more recent active cases among cattle in Tamaulipas, a Mexican state bordering Texas. USDA has said there’s no current risk to livestock, pets or people in the United States.American officials have closedsouthern ports of entry to livestock trade.

New World screwworm flies feed on warm-blooded animals and humans to create painful, foul-smelling wounds, according to theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They spread when female flies lay eggs in an open wound − sometimes as small as a tick bite − or in an animal's nose, eyes, ears or mouth. Then, eggs hatch maggots that burrow and eat live tissue. After a few days, larvae drop and burrow into soil, later emerging as mature flies.

USDA declared the United Statesfree of indigenous screwworms beginning in 1966, using a technique of sterilizing male flies.North America eradicatedNew World screwworm by the 2000s.

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In the following decades, New World screwworm has steadily returned northward from endemic regions in South America. Parasitic flies have caused outbreaks in Central America and Mexico, which is a primary supplier of cattle to the United States.

ANature studypublished in July said climate change contributes to its re-emergence due to hotter temperatures and changing weather. This creates more favorable conditions for flies to spread in Texas, home to the nation's largest cattle industry, as well as other parts of the southern United States. Economic losses by the return of New World screwworm could run into billions of dollars, the study found.

There have beenisolated cases of people infectedwith New World screwworm who have returned to the United States from international travel. A small outbreak last occurred in2017 in the Florida Keys.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email atemcuevas1@usatoday.comor on Signal at emcuevas.01.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Flesh-eating New World screwworm moves closer to US in alarming return

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April 26, 2026

Flesh-eating parasitic fly once eradicated from US now near the border

Cases of aflesh-eating infectionmiles from Texas’ border with Mexico are alarming officials about the return of a parasitic fly that wa...

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Mahmood considers talks with Taliban to deport failed Afghan asylum seekers

TheUKcould seek talks with the Taliban to sendfailed asylum seekers backtoAfghanistanfor the first time since the fall of Kabul, the home secretary has signalled.

Shabana Mahmoodsaid theUKwas “monitoring very closely” what other countries were planning to do amid reports that European nations are planning to explore talks with theTalibanabout possible deportations.

Afghans were the most common nationality arriving by small boat to the UK in the year ending June 2025, with the number of arrivals at 6,360, 18 per cent higher than the previous year.

Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 30,000 Afghan nationals claimed asylum in the UK.

The UK government does not recognise the Taliban administration, which is a barrier to sending back those not granted refugee status.

But speaking to reporters, Ms Mahmood said: “We’re monitoring very closely what is happening in terms of other countries, whether that’s European partners or others, and conversations they are having with other countries, including Afghanistan.

“I’m not going to get into any additional discussions that are happening in government – we’ll have more to say about that in the future – but of course we monitor closely and we work with our partners in terms of the efforts that we all need to make collectively to try to get agreements.

“I’m not ruling it in or out. I’m not going to give a running commentary on additional conversations that are happening.”

Such a move, which would be an active reversal of current policy, would spark outrage from humanitarian groups.

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Just last month, the United Nations warned Afghanistan was a “graveyard for human rights” that enforces “gender apartheid” using torture and corporal punishment, with women and girls over the age of 11 excluded from formal education and banned from most paid employment.

But the government is facing growing pressure to take drastic measures tobring down migration in the face of growing public anger over the issueand the growing political threat posed by Reform UK.

So far this year, more than 6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after making the journey, down 36 per cent on the number this time last year.

As part of an attempt to escalate the migration crackdown, the home secretary on Thursday signed a new three-year £662 million agreement with France, which the government hopes will see French police removing hundreds of migrants from French beaches every year.

The latest developments come despite the High Court this week hearing that families trapped in Afghanistan approved for sanctuary in Britain have stopped being evacuated, despite thedefence secretary’spledge to honour the UK’s debt to them.

Afghans found eligible for relocation to the UK as a result of their previous work alongside the British are no longer being helped to flee the Taliban-run country, according to lawyers and caseworkers supporting those in limbo.

The claims emerged in a case involving two Afghans, who have been approved for UK relocation and who are named FRY and BNM1 to protect their safety. They are challenging the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the delays to their evacuation.

In a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, Tim Owen KC, barrister for claimant FRY, told the judge that “on the face of it, it appears there is a freeze on relocations from Afghanistan”.

Resettlement schemes for Afghans to come to the UK after the Taliban takeover wereclosed suddenly in July last year,just before a judge lifted anunprecedented MoD superinjunctionused to hide a serious data breach affecting thousands of applicants to the Afghan resettlement schemes.

In his statement to parliament after the news of the data breach broke, defence secretaryJohn Healeycommitted to honour invitations already made to “any named person still in Afghanistan and their immediate family”, adding: “When this nation makes a promise, we should keep it.”

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April 26, 2026

Mahmood considers talks with Taliban to deport failed Afghan asylum seekers

TheUKcould seek talks with the Taliban to sendfailed asylum seekers backtoAfghanistanfor the first time since the fall of Kabul, the ho...

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The NFL Draft opened with a gamble, a surprise and a sign of things to come

The NFL draft kicked off with its first round on Thursday night, as most teams made their initial selection in what’s become a multi-day affair.

The Las Vegas Raiders began the festivities by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. While Mendoza’s selection was a foregone solution, what happened next had plenty of twists and turns.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the draft’s opening night.

Biggest surprise: QB Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams made perhaps the biggest reach of the first round, taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick. For context, NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers had Simpson ranked as the42nd-best prospect in the drafton his big board.

So why Simpson? Well, if anyone can coax the most out of him, it should be Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay, a quarterback whisperer whose play-action heavy offense could unlock Simpson. Remember, before he was making the Super Bowl or winning double-digit games with the Detroit Lions, Jared Goff was seen as a potential bust until McVay became his head coach.

Simpson will definitely be a project. He was only a one-season starter for the Crimson Tide, and he faded down the stretch of his final collegiate season. In his last five games at Alabama, Simpson failed to complete 20 passes in any of them. He also threw only six touchdowns in those five contests, compared with three interceptions. In his final start for the Tide, Simpson threw for just 67 yards in a playoff loss to Indiana.

Los Angeles may have the luxury of time, though. Unlike most first-round quarterbacks, Simpson almost certainly won’t be expected to start any time soon. Matthew Stafford will be the top QB for at least the next season, and there are far worse players Simpson could learn from until he’s ready to take the reins.

Biggest slide: DE Rueben Bain Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Though it wasn’t a foregone conclusion Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. would go in the top 10, many considered him worthy of such a selection. NBC Sports’ Rogers had him eighth on his big board, while NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked seventh. Instead, Bain Jr. fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15.

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The elephant in the room was Bain Jr.’s arm length of 30 ⅞ inches. No pass rusher with arms shorter than 31 inches has been picked in the first round since 2003, which could explain his slide.

What Bain Jr. lacked in measurables he made up for in production, however.

He had 20.5 sacks in three years with the Hurricanes, including 9.5 in his final season. Bain Jr.’s ability to create pressure from the edge was a key factor in Miami’s run to the national championship game. If he can bring that same intensity to Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers may have picked up one of the biggest steals of the first round.

Biggest gamble: RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

Teams rarely spend top-five picks on running backs and when they do, they rarely pan out — see Trent Richardson, a No. 3 pick in 2012 who lasted just three years, and Saquon Barkley, whom the Giants took second overall in 2018 and opted against retaining before a breakout 2024 season. Even last year, Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall) struggled in his rookie season behind a patchwork offensive line in Las Vegas.

Arizona, though, was undaunted in taking Notre Dame’s Love third overall Thursday, and disregarding conventional wisdom that quality running backs can be plucked much later, and at much lower cost, in the draft. Many analysts consider Love the best pure player in the entire 2026 draft class but running backs are largely dependent on teammates for their success, and the Cardinals ended last season a mess. They will not have a dynamic quarterback to reduce pressure on the run game this season, meaning opponents may be able to stack the box to stop Love.

Biggest sign of what’s to come: WR Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles

“A.J. Brown is an Eagle,” Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman said earlier this month. Yet the question after Thursday night’s first round is, for how much longer? With Brown the subject of trade talks, the Eagles traded up to select USC receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th pick to juice an offense that last season scored on the seventh-lowest percentage of its drives.

The choice to draft a player at Brown’s position wasn’t Philadelphia taking a flyer. The Eagles wanted him enough to swoop ahead of Pittsburgh in the draft order, even as the Steelers were already talking with Lemon on the phone, according to the NFL Network. It will only fuel speculation that Brown’s time in Philadelphia is coming to a close. At his best, Brown was a dynamic weapon who helped open the field for the rest of Philadelphia’s offense during its 2024 Super Bowl run. But Brown has seemed to often be frustrated by his role in the team’s offense, which continued last fall as his production dipped and the offense as a whole sputtered.

The selection of Lemon is yet another signal that Philadelphia is planning for life after Brown. The Eagles also acquired three other receivers earlier this offseason, too.

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April 26, 2026

The NFL Draft opened with a gamble, a surprise and a sign of things to come

The NFL draft kicked off with its first round on Thursday night, as most teams made their initial selection in what’s become a multi-da...

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FDA declines Grace's stroke drug over manufacturing and packaging issues

April 23 (Reuters) - Grace Therapeutics said on Thursday the ‌U.S. Food and Drug ‌Administration declined to approve its drug ​for a rare type of stroke, citing deficiencies in chemistry, manufacturing and controls and ‌non-clinical data.

In ⁠its complete response letter, the FDA referenced specific ⁠issues in the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) and non-clinical ​sections of ​the company's ​application. Grace said ‌it can address these in a resubmission.

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Those items relate to leachables data for product packaging, non-clinical product toxicology risk ‌assessments and product ​manufacturing deficiencies ​at the ​contract manufacturing organization, ‌the company said.

Leachables are ​chemical compounds ​that migrate from packaging, manufacturing equipment or delivery ​systems into ‌a drug.

(Reporting by Puyaan ​Singh in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Tasim Zahid)

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April 25, 2026

FDA declines Grace's stroke drug over manufacturing and packaging issues

April 23 (Reuters) - Grace Therapeutics said on Thursday the ‌U.S. Food and Drug ‌Administration declined to approve its drug ​for a ra...

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Paramount hosts private dinner with Trump and his top DOJ official while awaiting federal approval to buy CNN: report

Paramount Skydanceexecutives hosted President Donald Trump and other top administration officials for a private dinner in the nation’s capital on Thursday — as the corporation awaits federal approval ona deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a new report.

Trump spoke to guests for almost an hour, as business titans and federal brassmingled at mixed tablesinside the U.S. Institute of Peace,The New York Timesreported, citing people informed of the exclusive gathering.

Among those in attendance were: Paramount CEO David Ellison,CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The antitrust division within Blanche’s Justice Department is set to scrutinize the proposed $111 billion purchase of Warner Bros., which would hand CNN and other outlets to Ellison — who already controls CBS News. Warner Bros. shareholderssigned off on the dealearlier this week, but it won’t be finalized until the government approves.

Such a summit between federal officials and corporate leaders — on the cusp of a titanic transaction — is considered rare,The NYTnoted.

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Multiple unnamed CBS News reporters expressed shock at the dinner, fearing it may fuel perceptions of undue friendliness between the newsroom and the administration.

Critics argue this perception is already well-entrenched. Since Weiss became editor-in-chief last year, she's faced accusations oftilting CBS News coverage to favor the administration. In early 2026, she spiked a “60 Minutes” segment on abrutal Salvadoran prisonwhere the administration sent deported immigrants.

Weiss, the founder ofThe Free Press, has said her editorial decisions are hers alone and that she has not been influenced by Ellison of the administration.

Following the dinner, some Democrats were quick to express outrage.

“Ellison and the information oligarchs should enjoy it while they can because when Democrats win power we are going to break these anti-consumer, anti-free speech media conglomerates into pieces,” Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy wrote on X.

Representatives for Paramount and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment fromThe Independent.

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April 25, 2026

Paramount hosts private dinner with Trump and his top DOJ official while awaiting federal approval to buy CNN: report

Paramount Skydanceexecutives hosted President Donald Trump and other top administration officials for a private dinner in the nation’s ...

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10 MLB Rookies from Opening Week 2026 Who Already Look Like Future Stars

Opening Week offers a limited sample, but it can highlight players who are ready for the next level. Across the first few games of 2026, several rookies stood out with impactful at-bats, dominant pitches, and sharp defensive plays. Early performances are not definitive, but they can signal readiness. These rookies have already shown traits that suggest they can handle the demands of the major leagues.

Kevin McGonigle Didn't Blink

Credit: Instagram

Four hits on Opening Day is a sure way to turn heads, but doing it at 21, in a debut, signals talent. Kevin McGonigle jumped on the first pitch he saw for a two-run double, then later worked through a long at-bat before delivering again. He remained calm the entire time, without the rush a rookie his age would show. Such composure usually takes time to develop.

Chase DeLauter Made Pitchers Adjust First

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The early stretch forced a quick response from Chase DeLauter, who rose to the challenge by opening with a two-homer debut and reaching fourhome runswithin his first three games. Even while pitchers changed their locations and speeds to match his energy, he still found barrels. Players who show power grab attention, but their swing decisions matter just as much.

JJ Wetherholt Keeps Landing Timely Hits

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A home run in his second at-bat got things rolling, but the timing of his production stood out more. JJ Wetherholt delivered a walk-off early, then added a multi-homer game as the schedule moved forward. While the situations changed, the results didn't, and his consistency across different moments says a lot about his ability to read the game and make the right plays.

Sal Stewart's Bat Stayed Busy

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Sal Stewart stacked multi-hit games and reached base at a rate that looked unreal for a rookie. Yet, the early box scores kept filling up. One moment that stood out beyond the numbers was when he took a 110 mph line drive off the arm and stayed in the game. He didn't stop hitting after that. His quick reactions and clean contact are enough to prove this kid's got guts.

Carson Benge Figured It Out Mid-Game

Credit: Instagram

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The audience almost lost faith when Carson Benge's first swings didn't land. Thankfully, he adjusted quickly. Benge added two walks and a stolen base before the night ended. That's the kind of in-game correction we usually see in experienced players.

Samuel Basallo Hits It A Long Way

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Samuel Basallo's power is easy to track. He hit a 437-foot home run on April 1, 2026, and followed with another 432-foot homer on April 14, 2026. Pitchers don't need a scouting report to notice such elite power.

Moisés Ballesteros Keeps Adding Value Quietly

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The numbers tell the real story for Moisés Ballesteros. He opened the season hitting .294, adding two home runs and six RBIs early on. His contact quality backed it up, with exit velocity metrics sitting in the top percentiles during that stretch. He mostly worked as a designated hitter while also providing depth at first base.

Nolan McLean Went Right After Hitters

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With seven innings, one run allowed, and no hesitation in his approach, Nolan McLean attacked a strong lineup with a fastball that pushes into the upper 90s. Hitters knew it was coming and still had trouble squaring it up. The tempo of his plays stayed consistent, and the strikeouts followed.

Bubba Chandler's Fastball Sets The Tone

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Bubba Chandler unleashed a barrage of high-velocity fastballs that left hitters swinging at the air during the opening games. While his command wavered into deep counts, the sheer quality of his raw stuff kept opponents off balance. It's hard not to acknowledge the improvements we'll see once he fine-tunes his approach on the mound.

Connelly Early Took The Long Route In

Credit: Instagram

Nothing in Connelly Early's path came easy. Aggressive execution defined his leap into the starting rotation after a dominantspring training. He bypassed the usual rookie nerves by attacking major league lineups head-on. While high pitch counts occasionally challenged his stamina, his ability to rack up strikeouts kept him in command during high-pressure counts. Early's bold approach proves he belongs at the highest level.

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April 25, 2026

10 MLB Rookies from Opening Week 2026 Who Already Look Like Future Stars

Opening Week offers a limited sample, but it can highlight players who are ready for the next level. Across the first few games of 2026...

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