<a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT </a>K-State Research and Extension news service

Cereal rye grain possesses many uses within crop and livestock production. Growers make rye part of their corn-soybean crop rotation to boost yields, while ranchers needing an alternative feed might hay it for their livestock.

Recently, a listener who plants rye as a cover crop asked the hosts of&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/08/16/listener-question-ffar-icasa-grant-listener-question/" target="_blank">K-State’s Cattle Chat podcast</a>&nbsp;if rye grain can be included in cattle rations. Kansas State University beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said “yes,” noting it depends on the class of cattle.

“Cattle can have rye grain in their diets,” he said. “It is nutritionally similar to other cereal grains like oats and barley, with a higher fiber content than wheat.”

Producers often plant rye for its cold tolerance and relatively low soil and moisture requirements. Lancaster said an after-harvest benefit includes rye grain’s ability to replace corn (one of the more expensive feedstuffs) in certain cattle diets.

“There is a study that looked at growing cattle on rye instead of corn as a grain source and those researchers saw no difference in cattle performance,” he said.

“Whether it is growing replacement heifers or backgrounding feeder cattle, I think a producer could pretty much substitute all of the corn in a diet with whole rye grain.”

On the other hand, producers may not want to feed rye grain to cattle in the finishing phase of the feeding period.

“Another part of that research evaluated finishing cattle on rye grain rather than corn,” Lancaster said. “Overall, the cattle that had rye grain in their diet had a lower dry matter intake, their average daily gain was lower and feed conversion was worse.”

Producers who elect to feed rye grain do not need to have it processed before feeding, according to Lancaster.

“The same study assessed hammer milling rye versus feeding it whole. Processing did not seem to improve cattle performance, so I do not think producers need to spend the money to have it milled,” he said.

Additionally, producers should scout the rye seed heads in a field prior to feeding, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said, to avoid health problems caused by ergot fungus.

“Rye is at a bigger risk for ergot fungus than other cereal grains,” he said. “It can be quite damaging to animals that consume it. The arteries in their body constrict, and the blood flow to their tails and feet can be restricted to a degree where they are damaged and may even fall off.”

“Go out and walk through that field you are planning on feeding rye from and look at the seed heads. The fungus is a little bigger than a rye seed and will be a dark black or brown.”

Larson said even if only a portion of a field has ergot fungus, a producer should not feed any grain from that crop to livestock.

K-State veterinarian Brad White wrapped up the conversation, saying: “I think with that caution (regarding ergot toxicity) in mind – and depending on the kind of cattle you are feeding – rye can certainly be a component of a ration.”

To hear the full discussion,&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/08/16/listener-question-ffar-icasa-grant-listener-question/" target="_blank">listen to Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724177925597.png" alt="K-State beef cattle experts received a listener question about rye grain on the most recently released Cattle Chat episode. They examine whether producers should feed whole rye grain to cattle. Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>K-State beef cattle experts received a listener question about rye grain on the most recently released Cattle Chat episode. They examine whether producers should feed whole rye grain to cattle. Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:jbklaudt@ksu.edu">By JACOB KLAUDT </a>K-State Research and Extension news serviceCereal rye grain possesses many uses within crop and livestock production. Growers make rye part of their corn-soybean crop rotation to boost yields, while ranchers needing an alternative feed might hay it for their livestock.Recently, a listener who plants rye as a cover crop asked the hosts of&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/08/16/listener-question-ffar-icasa-grant-listener-question/" target="_blank">K-State’s Cattle Chat podcast</a>&nbsp;if rye grain can be included in cattle rations. Kansas State University beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said “yes,” noting it depends on the class of cattle.“Cattle can have rye grain in their diets,” he said. “It is nutritionally similar to other cereal grains like oats and barley, with a higher fiber content than wheat.”Producers often plant rye for its cold tolerance and relatively low soil and moisture requirements. Lancaster said an after-harvest benefit includes rye grain’s ability to replace corn (one of the more expensive feedstuffs) in certain cattle diets.“There is a study that looked at growing cattle on rye instead of corn as a grain source and those researchers saw no difference in cattle performance,” he said.“Whether it is growing replacement heifers or backgrounding feeder cattle, I think a producer could pretty much substitute all of the corn in a diet with whole rye grain.”On the other hand, producers may not want to feed rye grain to cattle in the finishing phase of the feeding period.“Another part of that research evaluated finishing cattle on rye grain rather than corn,” Lancaster said. “Overall, the cattle that had rye grain in their diet had a lower dry matter intake, their average daily gain was lower and feed conversion was worse.”Producers who elect to feed rye grain do not need to have it processed before feeding, according to Lancaster.“The same study assessed hammer milling rye versus feeding it whole. Processing did not seem to improve cattle performance, so I do not think producers need to spend the money to have it milled,” he said.Additionally, producers should scout the rye seed heads in a field prior to feeding, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said, to avoid health problems caused by ergot fungus.“Rye is at a bigger risk for ergot fungus than other cereal grains,” he said. “It can be quite damaging to animals that consume it. The arteries in their body constrict, and the blood flow to their tails and feet can be restricted to a degree where they are damaged and may even fall off.”“Go out and walk through that field you are planning on feeding rye from and look at the seed heads. The fungus is a little bigger than a rye seed and will be a dark black or brown.”Larson said even if only a portion of a field has ergot fungus, a producer should not feed any grain from that crop to livestock.K-State veterinarian Brad White wrapped up the conversation, saying: “I think with that caution (regarding ergot toxicity) in mind – and depending on the kind of cattle you are feeding – rye can certainly be a component of a ration.”To hear the full discussion,&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2024/08/16/listener-question-ffar-icasa-grant-listener-question/" target="_blank">listen to Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

KSRE Cattle Chat: To feed or not to feed rye grain

By TRACEY MANN U.S. Congressman (KS-01)

Last week, I completed my fourth annual 60-county Mann Listening Tour. Each year that I have served in Congress, I have hosted at least one town hall in every county of the Big First District. If an issue matters to Kansan, it matters to me, and those of you who show up to my town halls give me valuable insights to best serve you in Congress.

Over the past eight months I have consistently heard Kansans’ concerns about passing a fiscally conservative Farm Bill, reining in the weaponization of our federal government, cutting our reckless government spending, protecting the integrity of our nation’s elections, and securing America’s wide-open borders. These concerns have been a guide to how I develop solutions in Congress, and they will continue to be my pilot light in Washington, D.C.

As I concluded my annual listening tour last week, I could not help but to think about how our nation’s capital could benefit from more Kansas values.

Senator Bob Dole once told me about the “Kansas approach”—honesty, hard work, respect for your roots, common sense, service, simplicity, and genuine, thoughtful care for people. That is the Kansas spirit that so many of our fellow Kansans want to see more of in the nation’s capital. Sadly, that approach has dwindled and been forgotten by too many over the years.

Since the Biden-Harris Administration was sworn in, more than 12 million illegal immigrants have illegally entered the country. America begged Congress to come up with a solution, so House Republicans drafted H.R. 2, the strongest border security legislation passed in decades. Rather than coming to the table and finding commonsense solutions, Senate Majority Leader Schumer buried the bill in his legislative graveyard and refused to work with House Republicans to develop a solution.

When Americans rightly expressed their concerns about illegal immigrants voting in our national elections, House Republicans passed the SAVE Act, which requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. 198 of my Democrat colleagues voted against this commonsense legislation, and President Biden and Vice President Harris came out against it.

The House Agriculture Committee heard the demands from farm country for a fiscally conservative Farm Bill that provides certainty as they work to feed, fuel, and clothe world. We passed the Food, Farm, and National Security Act of 2024 out of committee with bipartisan support, and again, our Senate Democrat colleagues have responded with silence and failed to develop their own Farm Bill.

When President Biden was sworn in, he inherited a strong economy from the Trump Administration. However, President Biden was hyper-focused on massive government spending and expansion. For the first two years, Washington Democrats shoved their partisan, reckless tax-and-spend packages through Congress, which ultimately led to skyrocketing inflation and a declining U.S. economy. They senselessly taxed hardworking Americans and spent those dollars in an irresponsible manner. They have ignored the financial burden this spending put on American families, all while implementing burdensome regulations that handcuff hardworking Americans and drive-up costs even further.

Rather than resolving these issues, the Biden-Harris Administration spent more time using the federal government as a weapon against its political opponents. From using federal agencies to register voters at official events to attacking former President Trump in our federal courts, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been more committed to abusing their power than serving the American people.

Meanwhile, Kansans are just asking for some sort of commonsense policy solutions that bring them a degree of relief from the hardships of the past four years.

Ad Astra per Aspera, “to the stars through difficulty”. This isn’t just our state motto – it’s our way of life. Since our state’s founding, Kansans have endured and embraced hardships as we reached for the stars. We work hard to solve difficult problems, we keep our word, and we take pride in being a loyal and dedicated people. Our government would be a lot more productive and efficient if our nation’s capital embraced these values.

When I laid out my Commitment to the Big First District at the beginning of the 118th&nbsp;Congress, I promised Kansans to fight for an economy that’s strong, a future that’s built on freedom, a nation that’s safe, and a government that is accountable. Throughout my town halls it was clear – Kansans want me to continue that fight and to get our nation back on track.

I do not serve in Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America- I serve to fight and work to make it stronger. I will not give up on bringing our conservative Kansas values to our nation’s capital or believing our brightest days are yet to come.

The views and opinions expressed in this op-editorial article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Communications. The editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713283946373.jpeg" alt="Tracey Mann Farm Bill April 15, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Tracey Mann Farm Bill April 15, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>By TRACEY MANN U.S. Congressman (KS-01)Last week, I completed my fourth annual 60-county Mann Listening Tour. Each year that I have served in Congress, I have hosted at least one town hall in every county of the Big First District. If an issue matters to Kansan, it matters to me, and those of you who show up to my town halls give me valuable insights to best serve you in Congress.Over the past eight months I have consistently heard Kansans’ concerns about passing a fiscally conservative Farm Bill, reining in the weaponization of our federal government, cutting our reckless government spending, protecting the integrity of our nation’s elections, and securing America’s wide-open borders. These concerns have been a guide to how I develop solutions in Congress, and they will continue to be my pilot light in Washington, D.C.As I concluded my annual listening tour last week, I could not help but to think about how our nation’s capital could benefit from more Kansas values.Senator Bob Dole once told me about the “Kansas approach”—honesty, hard work, respect for your roots, common sense, service, simplicity, and genuine, thoughtful care for people. That is the Kansas spirit that so many of our fellow Kansans want to see more of in the nation’s capital. Sadly, that approach has dwindled and been forgotten by too many over the years.Since the Biden-Harris Administration was sworn in, more than 12 million illegal immigrants have illegally entered the country. America begged Congress to come up with a solution, so House Republicans drafted H.R. 2, the strongest border security legislation passed in decades. Rather than coming to the table and finding commonsense solutions, Senate Majority Leader Schumer buried the bill in his legislative graveyard and refused to work with House Republicans to develop a solution.When Americans rightly expressed their concerns about illegal immigrants voting in our national elections, House Republicans passed the SAVE Act, which requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. 198 of my Democrat colleagues voted against this commonsense legislation, and President Biden and Vice President Harris came out against it.The House Agriculture Committee heard the demands from farm country for a fiscally conservative Farm Bill that provides certainty as they work to feed, fuel, and clothe world. We passed the Food, Farm, and National Security Act of 2024 out of committee with bipartisan support, and again, our Senate Democrat colleagues have responded with silence and failed to develop their own Farm Bill.When President Biden was sworn in, he inherited a strong economy from the Trump Administration. However, President Biden was hyper-focused on massive government spending and expansion. For the first two years, Washington Democrats shoved their partisan, reckless tax-and-spend packages through Congress, which ultimately led to skyrocketing inflation and a declining U.S. economy. They senselessly taxed hardworking Americans and spent those dollars in an irresponsible manner. They have ignored the financial burden this spending put on American families, all while implementing burdensome regulations that handcuff hardworking Americans and drive-up costs even further.Rather than resolving these issues, the Biden-Harris Administration spent more time using the federal government as a weapon against its political opponents. From using federal agencies to register voters at official events to attacking former President Trump in our federal courts, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been more committed to abusing their power than serving the American people.Meanwhile, Kansans are just asking for some sort of commonsense policy solutions that bring them a degree of relief from the hardships of the past four years.Ad Astra per Aspera, “to the stars through difficulty”. This isn’t just our state motto – it’s our way of life. Since our state’s founding, Kansans have endured and embraced hardships as we reached for the stars. We work hard to solve difficult problems, we keep our word, and we take pride in being a loyal and dedicated people. Our government would be a lot more productive and efficient if our nation’s capital embraced these values.When I laid out my Commitment to the Big First District at the beginning of the 118th&nbsp;Congress, I promised Kansans to fight for an economy that’s strong, a future that’s built on freedom, a nation that’s safe, and a government that is accountable. Throughout my town halls it was clear – Kansans want me to continue that fight and to get our nation back on track.I do not serve in Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America- I serve to fight and work to make it stronger. I will not give up on bringing our conservative Kansas values to our nation’s capital or believing our brightest days are yet to come.The views and opinions expressed in this op-editorial article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Communications. The editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.

U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann — More Kansas values in our nation’s capital

Long, long ago in a land far, far away, bread wheat came into existence. Researchers are still unlocking the secrets of the wild relatives of that ancient wheat to improve modern-day varieties - and a collection of seeds housed on Kimball Avenue in Manhattan is key to this work.&nbsp;

Bikram Gill and John Raupp with K-State’s Wheat Genetics Resource Center sat down with Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations, on a recent episode of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast to share wheat’s origin story and how the collection continues to provide valuable genetic resources for modern wheat breeding programs.&nbsp;

To understand this potential, one must go way back to the origin of wheat as a species in the Fertile Crescent - where the crop helped start human civilization more than 10,000 years ago. At that time, wheat did not yet exist. It would take two major evolutionary events that mixed three different grass species to make the first bread wheat genome.&nbsp;

The first stop on this timeline was the merger of two wild ancestors that resulted in the eventual creation of wild emmer wheat (genome formula AB).&nbsp;

“As a species in nature, nature produced bread wheat around half a million years ago,” Gill said. “Two grasses, they happened to have fun. They hybridized - and that produced bread wheat.”&nbsp;

The second stop on the timeline came more than 10,000 years ago when that wild emmer wheat was combined with an ancient goatgrass (genome formula D). That genetic mix resulted in the first crop cultivated by humankind.&nbsp;

“In some farmer’s field, some goat grass hybridized with emmer wheat, which originated in Syria,” Gill said. “And that farmer was smart enough, he selected that plant. And that’s our bread wheat.”&nbsp;

From there, Mother Nature kept mixing in wild wheat relatives to this new bread wheat - and farmers selected the most successful versions to plant again.&nbsp;

“After wheat originated, these wild wheats kept cross-hybridizing with domesticated wheat,” Gill said. “There were no breeders, but nature was doing breeding for the first 10,000 years. They were cross-pollinating and farmers were selecting new types out of that.”&nbsp;

This origin story is important because it explains why the wheat genome is so complex. Wheat is a hexaploid, meaning it has six sets of seven chromosomes. Most genes in wheat exist in three copies - one each from those A, B and D genomes. As a result, there are 16 billion DNA letters in the wheat genome - the human genome has three billion letters - meaning you could type out the genetic code of wheat in 12-point font and the type will go around the world.&nbsp;

This triplication and redundancy make wheat very hard to genetically analyze.&nbsp;

“It’s essentially three different genomes coexisting in one,” Gill said. “It’s like three married people living in one house. Each can be independent, so that causes the problem. How do you sleep in one room without messing it up? Wheat is a very elegant genetic system.”&nbsp;

While hard to pick through, that complexity also makes wheat a more durable crop.&nbsp;

“This is called genetic buffering,” Gill said. “It’s almost like there are three soldiers or three genes. So, one goes out, the second one is there. The second goes out, the third one is there. Wheat can tolerate the extremes of environment because of this buffering caused by the redundancy of the genes.”&nbsp;

With this understanding of the origin and complexity of wheat - how does that relate to wheat breeding programs? Fast forward to 1979 when Gill did a postdoctoral fellowship at K-State and was first exposed to the genetic stocks used to map genes and breed wheat. He took that experience with him to his second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California-Riverside, where he was blown away by the genetic diversity of a collection of wild weeds.&nbsp;

Gill started to form a vision of a resource that would combine the two - a collection of wild wheat relatives with unlocked genetic potential and a wheat breeding program that could replicate Mother Nature’s process of pulling in traits to make better varieties for farmers to plant.&nbsp;

In 1980, Gill wrote a grant and flew on a small plane to Hutchinson, the then-headquarters of the Kansas Wheat Commission to pitch his idea.&nbsp;

“They had never funded K-State until then,” Gill said. “I presented my vision - we want to establish the Wheat Genetics Resource Center because that’s where we’re going next. A yield bump is going to come from this because of that genetic diversity. Nobody knew what wild wheats were in the Great Plains at that time. I said I know that this is where the next big evolution is.”&nbsp;

Backed by approval from K-State’s wheat breeder at the time, the commissioners agreed to provide the seed money. Gill gathered an initial collection of 500 genetic lines, including seeds from collections in Japan, Israel, Russia and other countries. He immediately dove into early projects identifying Hessian fly resistance and leaf rust resistance in lines of Aegilops tauschii (Tausch's goatgrass), which was relatively easy to cross into wheat.&nbsp;

“We are just doing what happened in nature,” Gill said. “That’s how bread wheat arose, so we are essentially repeating the same process except we’re doing it in the lab.”&nbsp;

Raupp has served as the curator of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center since August 1980. He noted the collection is up to about 4,200 lines, ranging from Aegilops tauschii which grows anywhere from Turkey to western China to one species that is only found in the Sinai peninsula of Egypt and a little bit into Israel.&nbsp;

It’s his job to maintain the stocks of this genetic material, making sure scientists and breeders have access to the seeds they need to complete projects. That doesn’t mean these seeds only sit in a gigantic refrigerator. To maintain their integrity, the seeds must be planted, grown either in a greenhouse or an outdoor plot and often hand-harvested to replenish seeds before they are no longer viable.&nbsp;

“While they’re easy to grow, they require a lot of time to clean and maintain,” Raupp said. “My biggest job is just maintaining the collection so we have enough seed on hand to provide the researchers so that they can do their work.”

Today, Raupp noted he annually fulfills about 100 different requests for those seeds from researchers in neighboring states to those in countries on the other side of the planet. Aided by modern research techniques like genetic sequencing and CRISPR, these researchers continue to unlock more of that ancient genetic potential to improve the wheat varieties of tomorrow - from sawfly resistance to higher protein content to how root morphologies aid drought resistance.&nbsp;

“It’s been a gold mine,” Harries said. “You go treasure hunting in this collection that you’ve created here. A lot of the traits that we have for stripe rust, leaf rust and viral traits all come from those wild wheat relatives. And that work is far from over.”&nbsp;

Learn more about wheat’s origin story and K-State’s Wheat Genetics Resource Center by listening to the full “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast episode at&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001JuOekSeJQqvEsujwaZSZNxLe0ZyeBIEgstQoJpvLmFuUXIi29D2C02uDZ499BedEw7UHcLBpWTLslTbhkJdw5X3g96NAyiBolKzO5SNJTvA95NJFULCjpFVGT9lR8dAbhKRaBUBHKt52n3u7DvwBXuGjC4KCcJoj&amp;c=_vSML-JiDS3UeUXxIsJZG3AAvstNyFEni-W1wV9-9geQdUQVesCckA==&amp;ch=WLRsVm7FG9bLo0mk_PgAAcaCK9pwJOgM6DkI2ypFg5Rwy25VpvmPHA==" target="_blank">WheatsOnYourMind.com</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655426692793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JULIA DEBES Kansas WheatLong, long ago in a land far, far away, bread wheat came into existence. Researchers are still unlocking the secrets of the wild relatives of that ancient wheat to improve modern-day varieties - and a collection of seeds housed on Kimball Avenue in Manhattan is key to this work.&nbsp;Bikram Gill and John Raupp with K-State’s Wheat Genetics Resource Center sat down with Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations, on a recent episode of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast to share wheat’s origin story and how the collection continues to provide valuable genetic resources for modern wheat breeding programs.&nbsp;To understand this potential, one must go way back to the origin of wheat as a species in the Fertile Crescent - where the crop helped start human civilization more than 10,000 years ago. At that time, wheat did not yet exist. It would take two major evolutionary events that mixed three different grass species to make the first bread wheat genome.&nbsp;The first stop on this timeline was the merger of two wild ancestors that resulted in the eventual creation of wild emmer wheat (genome formula AB).&nbsp;“As a species in nature, nature produced bread wheat around half a million years ago,” Gill said. “Two grasses, they happened to have fun. They hybridized - and that produced bread wheat.”&nbsp;The second stop on the timeline came more than 10,000 years ago when that wild emmer wheat was combined with an ancient goatgrass (genome formula D). That genetic mix resulted in the first crop cultivated by humankind.&nbsp;“In some farmer’s field, some goat grass hybridized with emmer wheat, which originated in Syria,” Gill said. “And that farmer was smart enough, he selected that plant. And that’s our bread wheat.”&nbsp;From there, Mother Nature kept mixing in wild wheat relatives to this new bread wheat - and farmers selected the most successful versions to plant again.&nbsp;“After wheat originated, these wild wheats kept cross-hybridizing with domesticated wheat,” Gill said. “There were no breeders, but nature was doing breeding for the first 10,000 years. They were cross-pollinating and farmers were selecting new types out of that.”&nbsp;This origin story is important because it explains why the wheat genome is so complex. Wheat is a hexaploid, meaning it has six sets of seven chromosomes. Most genes in wheat exist in three copies - one each from those A, B and D genomes. As a result, there are 16 billion DNA letters in the wheat genome - the human genome has three billion letters - meaning you could type out the genetic code of wheat in 12-point font and the type will go around the world.&nbsp;This triplication and redundancy make wheat very hard to genetically analyze.&nbsp;“It’s essentially three different genomes coexisting in one,” Gill said. “It’s like three married people living in one house. Each can be independent, so that causes the problem. How do you sleep in one room without messing it up? Wheat is a very elegant genetic system.”&nbsp;While hard to pick through, that complexity also makes wheat a more durable crop.&nbsp;“This is called genetic buffering,” Gill said. “It’s almost like there are three soldiers or three genes. So, one goes out, the second one is there. The second goes out, the third one is there. Wheat can tolerate the extremes of environment because of this buffering caused by the redundancy of the genes.”&nbsp;With this understanding of the origin and complexity of wheat - how does that relate to wheat breeding programs? Fast forward to 1979 when Gill did a postdoctoral fellowship at K-State and was first exposed to the genetic stocks used to map genes and breed wheat. He took that experience with him to his second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California-Riverside, where he was blown away by the genetic diversity of a collection of wild weeds.&nbsp;Gill started to form a vision of a resource that would combine the two - a collection of wild wheat relatives with unlocked genetic potential and a wheat breeding program that could replicate Mother Nature’s process of pulling in traits to make better varieties for farmers to plant.&nbsp;In 1980, Gill wrote a grant and flew on a small plane to Hutchinson, the then-headquarters of the Kansas Wheat Commission to pitch his idea.&nbsp;“They had never funded K-State until then,” Gill said. “I presented my vision - we want to establish the Wheat Genetics Resource Center because that’s where we’re going next. A yield bump is going to come from this because of that genetic diversity. Nobody knew what wild wheats were in the Great Plains at that time. I said I know that this is where the next big evolution is.”&nbsp;Backed by approval from K-State’s wheat breeder at the time, the commissioners agreed to provide the seed money. Gill gathered an initial collection of 500 genetic lines, including seeds from collections in Japan, Israel, Russia and other countries. He immediately dove into early projects identifying Hessian fly resistance and leaf rust resistance in lines of Aegilops tauschii (Tausch's goatgrass), which was relatively easy to cross into wheat.&nbsp;“We are just doing what happened in nature,” Gill said. “That’s how bread wheat arose, so we are essentially repeating the same process except we’re doing it in the lab.”&nbsp;Raupp has served as the curator of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center since August 1980. He noted the collection is up to about 4,200 lines, ranging from Aegilops tauschii which grows anywhere from Turkey to western China to one species that is only found in the Sinai peninsula of Egypt and a little bit into Israel.&nbsp;It’s his job to maintain the stocks of this genetic material, making sure scientists and breeders have access to the seeds they need to complete projects. That doesn’t mean these seeds only sit in a gigantic refrigerator. To maintain their integrity, the seeds must be planted, grown either in a greenhouse or an outdoor plot and often hand-harvested to replenish seeds before they are no longer viable.&nbsp;“While they’re easy to grow, they require a lot of time to clean and maintain,” Raupp said. “My biggest job is just maintaining the collection so we have enough seed on hand to provide the researchers so that they can do their work.”Today, Raupp noted he annually fulfills about 100 different requests for those seeds from researchers in neighboring states to those in countries on the other side of the planet. Aided by modern research techniques like genetic sequencing and CRISPR, these researchers continue to unlock more of that ancient genetic potential to improve the wheat varieties of tomorrow - from sawfly resistance to higher protein content to how root morphologies aid drought resistance.&nbsp;“It’s been a gold mine,” Harries said. “You go treasure hunting in this collection that you’ve created here. A lot of the traits that we have for stripe rust, leaf rust and viral traits all come from those wild wheat relatives. And that work is far from over.”&nbsp;Learn more about wheat’s origin story and K-State’s Wheat Genetics Resource Center by listening to the full “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast episode at&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001JuOekSeJQqvEsujwaZSZNxLe0ZyeBIEgstQoJpvLmFuUXIi29D2C02uDZ499BedEw7UHcLBpWTLslTbhkJdw5X3g96NAyiBolKzO5SNJTvA95NJFULCjpFVGT9lR8dAbhKRaBUBHKt52n3u7DvwBXuGjC4KCcJoj&amp;c=_vSML-JiDS3UeUXxIsJZG3AAvstNyFEni-W1wV9-9geQdUQVesCckA==&amp;ch=WLRsVm7FG9bLo0mk_PgAAcaCK9pwJOgM6DkI2ypFg5Rwy25VpvmPHA==" target="_blank">WheatsOnYourMind.com</a>.&nbsp;

Wheat Scoop: Wheat's origin story

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, don’t have any updates on injuries, we’ll get those to you – (Vice President of Football Communications) Brad Gee will get them to you later. As far as the play time goes, the ones will take a half and then we’ll kind of fill in after that, we’ll just see how the rest of that goes – after the third and fourth quarters. It’s great to have the military out here, so important to all of us players, coaches (and) you guys right here to do what we do. I had a chance, I told them I had a chance to go to Afghanistan a few years back and kind of see the guys in action and what a confidence builder that was, just to know how dedicated they are and obviously giving us that chance to do all of this over here and protect us. Then the people of St. Joe here at Missouri Western State University - we appreciate all their hospitality. What a great job they did in taking care of us. There were people that were making our beds, to the people that were cooking the food, to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here and everybody was just first class and on the ball. We appreciate that. It makes it a lot easier when we’re all pulling in the same direction. It was a great thing. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”

Q: Will Joe Thuney get some reps in the Lions game?

REID:&nbsp;“I’m just kind of going to see on that. I’m not going to force it. (We’ll) see how he (Joe Thuney) feels after today, but we’ll let you know on that.”

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t think Jaylen (Watson) will play.”

Q: Will Carson Wentz get some reps with the starters?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah there’s a chance, there’s a chance we’ll get him (Carson Wentz) in there. (We’ll) just see how that goes, I’m just going to play it by ear but he’ll be ready to do that.”

Q: How involved would you like Xavier Worthy? Would you like to get him jumpstarted?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re not going to force that but I just want him (Xavier Worthy) to play. You play in this thing, somewhere it’ll come to you but we’re not forcing anything in there, no.”

Q: Would you be open to him returning a punt?

REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance, small chance.”

Q: Is Jawaan Taylor’s injury long term?

REID:&nbsp;“No, he (Jawaan Taylor) won’t go this weekend, but I think he’s going to be ok.”

Q: What does staying in the dorms do for you?

REID:&nbsp;“I was telling somebody that in this day and age when everybody is on their cellphones and doing that it kind of brings everybody together. You can’t help but talk to the person sitting next to you there, and I think that’s a positive - staying in the same dorms and I think it just develops a comradery and I think that’s a positive.”

Q: What’s the significance to the bracelet you’re wearing?

REID:&nbsp;“You know what, they just gave them to me – the military. So, I threw them on, I didn’t even notice but it has me name on it, appreciate that.”

Q: From the first day of training camp to now, what has this group improved on and how have they gelled together?

REID:&nbsp;“I think the – I mean you’ve been able to see the growth. We’ve added a ton in the last few days up here and the guys have digested it but have been able to spit it back, retain it, that’s a positive. Maybe most of all is just get yourself in football shape – kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens. We still have a couple weeks ahead of us here before all of that takes place, but we’ll keep working at it. So, we’re not ready yet, but we’ll keep working and get ourselves sharpened up a little bit to play. I appreciated the attitude the guys had; we caught a break with the weather. I mean I think this is the first year that we didn’t have a rain out where we had to go inside, I think that’s a positive.”

Q: How is Clyde Edwards-Helaire doing?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) doing good, he was actually feeling a little bit better last night which is good. We’ll just keep an eye on him. He’s in good hands, so we’ll keep an eye on him.”

Q: What was your reaction to Hollywood Brown’s injury? What will you guys miss while he’s out?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, (it’s) unfortunate. I guess we’re lucky that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He’s (Hollywood Brown) in good spirits. He’s doing well, so just kind of getting him back going again – back moving around. Obviously, we lose a little bit of that veteran type (of) receiver in that room. I mean, we have other guys that kind of replace a little bit but to have that much talent (and) have a good understanding of what I want but he’s in the room, I think that’s what’s awesome. He’s talking to those guys and everything like that. Hopefully, we’re getting him back sooner rather than later, but we’ve got to just keep pushing those young guys to keep getting better and better every day.”

Q: Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy said that Justin Watson would have to step up a little bit more. How confident are you in Justin?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Very confident. A guy (Justin Watson) that’s knows everything, can play all three (wide receiver) positions, can block, can catch, can stretch the field deep and can work a little bit underneath as well. That’s the type of guys that are going to have to step up while he’s (Hollywood Brown) out. Like I said, we’re lucky that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long. So, J Wat will come in and fill that role and right when Hollywood (Brown) gets back we’ll throw him right back in there and he’ll be ready to go.”

Q: What position groups stood out during camp?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I thought it was a competitive camp. I think that was the best thing. (It’s) more than just standouts, I thought every day, you just didn’t know if the offense or defense was going to win. That’s when it’s a great camp is that you want to compete. There are days (that) the defense gets after us (and) there’s days that I feel like we had the advantage. I think that was the most positive thing that I took from camp. Obviously, players had (good) days and stuff like that but I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best part about it.”

Q: What led to the behind the back pass to Isiah Pacheco in the redzone period? Is there a possibility of that during the season?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There definitely is a possibility of it. If you do it (the behind the back pass), it’s got to work. It was a similar play to the one in the Super Bowl and I wasn’t going to do it in that situation. It was a good day for the offense, especially the last period. I had kind of got it going (with) two completions and then once you’re having a good day, you have the freedom to kind of try stuff like that. Obviously, when stuff’s not working out well, you don’t have that opportunity. It was cool that I completed it and it’s just that you want to get it in like a live type (of) atmosphere and that’s as live as you’re going to get in practice.”

Q: What did Head Coach Andy Reid think of the behind the back pass?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“The first thing that he (Head Coach Andy Reid) said was ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while.’ That’s all he said. He said, ‘that’s one of the plays that I’ve been telling you that you could do it (the behind the back pass).’ I’m telling you, he’s all for it. It’s me the one that’s hesitant to do it in a game.”

Q: You said you wanted to be better than last year. Do you think that you’ve taken the steps at this camp to do it?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball down the field, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset but at the same time, find that right balance. There’s been days that we connected on a lot of deep passes (and) there’s days that we’ve missed them. That’s what this (training camp) is for. For us to see what we can try to get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody’s great at. I thought we had a great camp, like I said, but it’s not done now. We have to continue into this preseason game against the Lions (which) will be a great test. They play hard (and they’re) a great football team. Then, going back to KC, you can’t let off the gas, you have to keep pushing because the beginning of our schedule is tough (and) you have to be ready for it.”

Q:&nbsp;On getting Xavier Worthy involved.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We obviously want to get him some catches. We called a play for him, that first play in this last preseason game. Obviously, they brought pressure. I got it out to Hollywood (Brown.) Obviously, we want to try to see what he can do in the live – as live as you can get before the season. You’ve got to take what’s there, but you want to give him chances to go out there and make plays and get that live action at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but you know defenses are accounting for that as well, too. It’s trying to find that balance. You want to get those young guys those plays – him, (Jared) Wiley, some of these guys that haven’t got a ton of reps – Justyn Ross, stuff like that – Skyy Moore but at the same time you have to play within yourself and within the offense.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you observed from those extra sessions with the wide receivers?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just watching the extra film with them, you see those positive things happen almost the next day. Just talking through stuff. In this offense, I mean y’all know, it’s so much of freedom within structure. I think them hearing me talk, hearing Travis (Kelce) talk and then them having their input as well, I feel like it helps them have their stamp on the offense. I think that’s important. Obviously, I started a couple years ago with Trav (Travis Kelce), and then it kind of went to JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and 11 (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) last year. Now, all these young guys are kind of taking it on themselves – Skyy (Moore), Rashee (Rice), Nikko (Remigio) and Justyn Ross, they’re coming in those meetings, they’re listening, they’re talking through it and making those adjustments the next day.”

Q:&nbsp;Could you share how brotherhood has been built by staying in the dorms?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“For me, it’s – even more than the dorms, we always go to Il Lazzarone a couple times. We take the guys. We get some pizzas. I usually do it like the second padded day before the 10-10-10, so we were there yesterday. Don’t remember that for next year and try to storm our party. We go there and you just eat and joke around. I think Ian Book had like nine pieces of pizza yesterday. I had to calm him down. The first time we went, the o line – he only got one piece because the o line ate all his pizza, so he went in this last day. Stuff like that is where you build that bond and then you have those jokes and stuff for the rest of the year and that’s what builds the great culture that we have.

Q:&nbsp;How has Head Coach Andy Reid’s evolution of practice affected you?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think the best thing about (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is he pushes you to be great and he pushes himself to be great. He always is trying to just be more creative. What else can you do to help the offense out, help players out, help with different motions or different plays and he challenges the coaches to do that as well. When you see that they’re working that hard and they’re challenging themselves, whenever they ask you to try something that might be a little different, they want you to work on – you can say, ‘Alright, I’ll try it. If y’all are trying new stuff, we can all try it. We’ll see if we can get better together. I think that’s important because he could be – I mean, he’s one of the best coaches of all time. He could just go out saying, ‘This is how we do it. This is how I’m going to coach it, and this is how it works.’ He’s pushing himself to be better and then he asks a lot of us, but he also asks a lot of himself. I think that’s super important.”

Q:&nbsp;What kind of training camp did you think Travis Kelce had and what allows him to be effective?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesAugust 15, 2024OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, don’t have any updates on injuries, we’ll get those to you – (Vice President of Football Communications) Brad Gee will get them to you later. As far as the play time goes, the ones will take a half and then we’ll kind of fill in after that, we’ll just see how the rest of that goes – after the third and fourth quarters. It’s great to have the military out here, so important to all of us players, coaches (and) you guys right here to do what we do. I had a chance, I told them I had a chance to go to Afghanistan a few years back and kind of see the guys in action and what a confidence builder that was, just to know how dedicated they are and obviously giving us that chance to do all of this over here and protect us. Then the people of St. Joe here at Missouri Western State University - we appreciate all their hospitality. What a great job they did in taking care of us. There were people that were making our beds, to the people that were cooking the food, to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here and everybody was just first class and on the ball. We appreciate that. It makes it a lot easier when we’re all pulling in the same direction. It was a great thing. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”Q: Will Joe Thuney get some reps in the Lions game?REID:&nbsp;“I’m just kind of going to see on that. I’m not going to force it. (We’ll) see how he (Joe Thuney) feels after today, but we’ll let you know on that.”Q: What about Jaylen Watson?REID:&nbsp;“I don’t think Jaylen (Watson) will play.”Q: Will Carson Wentz get some reps with the starters?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah there’s a chance, there’s a chance we’ll get him (Carson Wentz) in there. (We’ll) just see how that goes, I’m just going to play it by ear but he’ll be ready to do that.”Q: How involved would you like Xavier Worthy? Would you like to get him jumpstarted?REID:&nbsp;“We’re not going to force that but I just want him (Xavier Worthy) to play. You play in this thing, somewhere it’ll come to you but we’re not forcing anything in there, no.”Q: Would you be open to him returning a punt?REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance, small chance.”Q: Is Jawaan Taylor’s injury long term?REID:&nbsp;“No, he (Jawaan Taylor) won’t go this weekend, but I think he’s going to be ok.”Q: What does staying in the dorms do for you?REID:&nbsp;“I was telling somebody that in this day and age when everybody is on their cellphones and doing that it kind of brings everybody together. You can’t help but talk to the person sitting next to you there, and I think that’s a positive - staying in the same dorms and I think it just develops a comradery and I think that’s a positive.”Q: What’s the significance to the bracelet you’re wearing?REID:&nbsp;“You know what, they just gave them to me – the military. So, I threw them on, I didn’t even notice but it has me name on it, appreciate that.”Q: From the first day of training camp to now, what has this group improved on and how have they gelled together?REID:&nbsp;“I think the – I mean you’ve been able to see the growth. We’ve added a ton in the last few days up here and the guys have digested it but have been able to spit it back, retain it, that’s a positive. Maybe most of all is just get yourself in football shape – kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens. We still have a couple weeks ahead of us here before all of that takes place, but we’ll keep working at it. So, we’re not ready yet, but we’ll keep working and get ourselves sharpened up a little bit to play. I appreciated the attitude the guys had; we caught a break with the weather. I mean I think this is the first year that we didn’t have a rain out where we had to go inside, I think that’s a positive.”Q: How is Clyde Edwards-Helaire doing?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) doing good, he was actually feeling a little bit better last night which is good. We’ll just keep an eye on him. He’s in good hands, so we’ll keep an eye on him.”Chiefs Player QuotesAugust 15, 2024QB PATRICK MAHOMESQ: What was your reaction to Hollywood Brown’s injury? What will you guys miss while he’s out?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, (it’s) unfortunate. I guess we’re lucky that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He’s (Hollywood Brown) in good spirits. He’s doing well, so just kind of getting him back going again – back moving around. Obviously, we lose a little bit of that veteran type (of) receiver in that room. I mean, we have other guys that kind of replace a little bit but to have that much talent (and) have a good understanding of what I want but he’s in the room, I think that’s what’s awesome. He’s talking to those guys and everything like that. Hopefully, we’re getting him back sooner rather than later, but we’ve got to just keep pushing those young guys to keep getting better and better every day.”Q: Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy said that Justin Watson would have to step up a little bit more. How confident are you in Justin?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Very confident. A guy (Justin Watson) that’s knows everything, can play all three (wide receiver) positions, can block, can catch, can stretch the field deep and can work a little bit underneath as well. That’s the type of guys that are going to have to step up while he’s (Hollywood Brown) out. Like I said, we’re lucky that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long. So, J Wat will come in and fill that role and right when Hollywood (Brown) gets back we’ll throw him right back in there and he’ll be ready to go.”Q: What position groups stood out during camp?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I thought it was a competitive camp. I think that was the best thing. (It’s) more than just standouts, I thought every day, you just didn’t know if the offense or defense was going to win. That’s when it’s a great camp is that you want to compete. There are days (that) the defense gets after us (and) there’s days that I feel like we had the advantage. I think that was the most positive thing that I took from camp. Obviously, players had (good) days and stuff like that but I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best part about it.”Q: What led to the behind the back pass to Isiah Pacheco in the redzone period? Is there a possibility of that during the season?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There definitely is a possibility of it. If you do it (the behind the back pass), it’s got to work. It was a similar play to the one in the Super Bowl and I wasn’t going to do it in that situation. It was a good day for the offense, especially the last period. I had kind of got it going (with) two completions and then once you’re having a good day, you have the freedom to kind of try stuff like that. Obviously, when stuff’s not working out well, you don’t have that opportunity. It was cool that I completed it and it’s just that you want to get it in like a live type (of) atmosphere and that’s as live as you’re going to get in practice.”Q: What did Head Coach Andy Reid think of the behind the back pass?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“The first thing that he (Head Coach Andy Reid) said was ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while.’ That’s all he said. He said, ‘that’s one of the plays that I’ve been telling you that you could do it (the behind the back pass).’ I’m telling you, he’s all for it. It’s me the one that’s hesitant to do it in a game.”Q: You said you wanted to be better than last year. Do you think that you’ve taken the steps at this camp to do it?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball down the field, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset but at the same time, find that right balance. There’s been days that we connected on a lot of deep passes (and) there’s days that we’ve missed them. That’s what this (training camp) is for. For us to see what we can try to get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody’s great at. I thought we had a great camp, like I said, but it’s not done now. We have to continue into this preseason game against the Lions (which) will be a great test. They play hard (and they’re) a great football team. Then, going back to KC, you can’t let off the gas, you have to keep pushing because the beginning of our schedule is tough (and) you have to be ready for it.”Q:&nbsp;On getting Xavier Worthy involved.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We obviously want to get him some catches. We called a play for him, that first play in this last preseason game. Obviously, they brought pressure. I got it out to Hollywood (Brown.) Obviously, we want to try to see what he can do in the live – as live as you can get before the season. You’ve got to take what’s there, but you want to give him chances to go out there and make plays and get that live action at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but you know defenses are accounting for that as well, too. It’s trying to find that balance. You want to get those young guys those plays – him, (Jared) Wiley, some of these guys that haven’t got a ton of reps – Justyn Ross, stuff like that – Skyy Moore but at the same time you have to play within yourself and within the offense.”Q:&nbsp;What have you observed from those extra sessions with the wide receivers?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just watching the extra film with them, you see those positive things happen almost the next day. Just talking through stuff. In this offense, I mean y’all know, it’s so much of freedom within structure. I think them hearing me talk, hearing Travis (Kelce) talk and then them having their input as well, I feel like it helps them have their stamp on the offense. I think that’s important. Obviously, I started a couple years ago with Trav (Travis Kelce), and then it kind of went to JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and 11 (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) last year. Now, all these young guys are kind of taking it on themselves – Skyy (Moore), Rashee (Rice), Nikko (Remigio) and Justyn Ross, they’re coming in those meetings, they’re listening, they’re talking through it and making those adjustments the next day.”Q:&nbsp;Could you share how brotherhood has been built by staying in the dorms?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“For me, it’s – even more than the dorms, we always go to Il Lazzarone a couple times. We take the guys. We get some pizzas. I usually do it like the second padded day before the 10-10-10, so we were there yesterday. Don’t remember that for next year and try to storm our party. We go there and you just eat and joke around. I think Ian Book had like nine pieces of pizza yesterday. I had to calm him down. The first time we went, the o line – he only got one piece because the o line ate all his pizza, so he went in this last day. Stuff like that is where you build that bond and then you have those jokes and stuff for the rest of the year and that’s what builds the great culture that we have.Q:&nbsp;How has Head Coach Andy Reid’s evolution of practice affected you?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think the best thing about (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is he pushes you to be great and he pushes himself to be great. He always is trying to just be more creative. What else can you do to help the offense out, help players out, help with different motions or different plays and he challenges the coaches to do that as well. When you see that they’re working that hard and they’re challenging themselves, whenever they ask you to try something that might be a little different, they want you to work on – you can say, ‘Alright, I’ll try it. If y’all are trying new stuff, we can all try it. We’ll see if we can get better together. I think that’s important because he could be – I mean, he’s one of the best coaches of all time. He could just go out saying, ‘This is how we do it. This is how I’m going to coach it, and this is how it works.’ He’s pushing himself to be better and then he asks a lot of us, but he also asks a lot of himself. I think that’s super important.”Q:&nbsp;What kind of training camp did you think Travis Kelce had and what allows him to be effective?

Chiefs Quotes: 8-15-24

WASHINGTON (AP) — In some corners of the Democratic Party, last week felt like déjà vu.

The party's vice-presidential nominee’s military record was under assault from Republicans — attacks reminiscent of those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">leveled two decades earlier on Sen. John Kerry</a>&nbsp;during his run for the White House.

Democratic strategists who lived through the Kerry onslaught, however, say the political landscape has changed so much since 2004 that they do not believe the attacks will land with the same resonance.

“It is a very different world,” said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Kerry’s 2004 campaign.

Former President Donald Trump's campaign responded to the selection earlier this month of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee by attempting to pick apart his military record. Walz served for 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, but Trump's campaign has criticized him for using imprecise language to describe how he carried a weapon in war and when he retired from service.

Kamala Harris' campaign has pushed back against the attacks, but some Democrats worry Republicans might succeed in turning Walz's military service into a liability. Others accused Republicans of attempting to “swift boat” Walz, a reference to the 2004 campaign and a sign of the campaign's continued relevance.

Kerry’s campaign was caught flatfooted in the summer of 2004 by attacks that questioned whether the presidential candidate had earned his many commendations as a commander of a swift boat during the Vietnam War. Kerry received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

By 2004, America was involved in two wars — in Iraq and Afghanistan — following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, had made his military service a centerpiece of the hard-fought presidential primary campaign, to the point of starting his nomination speech by saying he was “reporting for duty."

Republicans sought to undermine that selling point by raising questions about his Vietnam War service. An outside political group, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, led the anti-Kerry campaign, spending millions of dollars on hard-hitting television ads. One&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">spot</a>&nbsp;featured men who served in Vietnam questioning Kerry's leadership and heroism, as well as his fitness to lead the country;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183495-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">another</a>&nbsp;blasted Kerry’s participation in later anti-war protests.

“I remember being in Ohio and listening to that ad. And I called my campaign headquarters and said, guys, I just heard an ad. And if I heard that ad, I wouldn’t vote for me,” Kerry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/644830886">told NPR in 2018</a>.

Some in Kerry’s campaign wanted to respond more forcefully, while others wanted to take a more cautious approach, concerned that focusing on the attacks would elevate them.

The campaign pushed back in the press but spent little money on costly television ads to address the controversy.

That trepidation, one-time Kerry advisers said, ensured that the public began to question the candidate's ability to handle national security matters.

Chris LaCivita — a top Trump campaign adviser — was one of the top Republican operatives behind the “swift boat” campaign. When Democrats compared the attacks on Walz to those on Kerry, LaCivita posted on X that the 2004 allegations “were never disproven.”

“Two things you don’t do is lie about the medals you received and whether or not you saw combat. Those are the two big sins. And he’s guilty of at least one of them,” LaCivita told The Associated Press last week.

Multiple veterans who served with Kerry refuted the accusations in 2004. Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for the Bush campaign in 2004, said last week that the “swift boat” allegations were “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/matthewjdowd/status/1821607421804212429">nearly all lies</a>.”

The Trump campaign has sought to take a similar approach in criticizing Walz's service. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has led the charge, accusing Walz of lying about his record. Vance, a Marine veteran, also accused Walz of abandoning his unit before it deployed to Iraq.

The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the criticism. A campaign spokesperson told the AP that Walz “misspoke” in 2018 when he attempted to make a point on gun control by saying he carried weapons in a war. Walz did not see combat during his tenure in the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz’s first congressional campaign in March 2005&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">issued a statement saying</a>&nbsp;he planned to run despite a possible mobilization that might send his soldiers to Iraq. According to the Guard, Walz retired from service in May 2005. Three months later, the Army issued a mobilization order for Walz’s unit. It was sent to Iraq in March 2006. The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the Republican characterizations that Walz retired to avoid deploying to a war zone.

Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major. But because he did not finish certain coursework before his retirement after 24 years in the National Guard, he retired as a master sergeant, a lower rank, for benefits purposes.

It is unclear how effective these GOP attacks will be. Democrats who worked on the Kerry campaign said they are likely not going to be as potent because so much has changed since 2004.

The main reason: Campaigns are now flush with cash, making it easier to fight back.

In 2004, Kerry and President George W. Bush, the Republican nominee, took public funding,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/updates/2004-presidential-campaign-finance-activity-summarized/">receiving $74.6 million each</a>&nbsp;from the government, barring them from private donations. The decision, said Devine and others, handcuffed a campaign that wanted to focus on its preferred message.

“We were living in a world of limited resources where we had to make decisions about should we go on the air now, should we go on later,” said Steve Elmendorf, Kerry’s deputy campaign manager. The Harris-Walz campaign "doesn’t have those constraints.”

Public funding is a thing of the past, and Harris' operation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-fundraising-democrats-trump-fbc14aa926444b4f961f579c63811766">raised</a>&nbsp;a staggering $310 million in July. The Democratic campaign, aided by what President Joe Biden collected before he stepped aside, is expected to raise well over $1 billion.

“If we were going to respond to those attacks in the paid media, we were going to need to spend money that we were going to need in October,” said Devine.

The strategists pointed to other differences in today's environment.

Whereas the “swift boat” attacks were generated by an outside group relying on advertising, Republicans have largely hit Walz on social media and in interviews. Such broadsides may reach the GOP base but not the independent voters who will decide the election.

Walz is also not the presidential nominee — as Kerry was. Voters tend to focus on the candidates at the top of a ticket,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vp-pick-no-impact-jd-vance-political-experts-disagree-2024-8">something Trump himself has noted.</a>

And then there is the issue of Trump. Could attacks on Walz’s 24 years of military service boomerang on the Republican standard-bearer? The former president has been criticized for avoiding military service over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html">claims he suffered from bone spurs</a>.

Despite the differences in the two campaigns, veterans of Kerry's run said Democrats should take to heart a lesson they learned the hard way: They waited too long to counterattack. Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, said Democrats should be particularly concerned about attacks on Walz's integrity, a key selling point of his candidacy. “To the extent that image is damaged,” Mellman said, “it can be quite problematic.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723596135448.png" alt="Gov. Tim Walz spoke at the Government Employee Union Convention in Los Angeles Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Tim Walz spoke at the Government Employee Union Convention in Los Angeles Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In some corners of the Democratic Party, last week felt like déjà vu.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let me be clear: I am damn proud of my service to this country. <a href="https://t.co/9a9rJSQurQ">pic.twitter.com/9a9rJSQurQ</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1823469160891855266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The party's vice-presidential nominee’s military record was under assault from Republicans — attacks reminiscent of those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">leveled two decades earlier on Sen. John Kerry</a>&nbsp;during his run for the White House.Democratic strategists who lived through the Kerry onslaught, however, say the political landscape has changed so much since 2004 that they do not believe the attacks will land with the same resonance.“It is a very different world,” said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Kerry’s 2004 campaign.Former President Donald Trump's campaign responded to the selection earlier this month of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee by attempting to pick apart his military record. Walz served for 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, but Trump's campaign has criticized him for using imprecise language to describe how he carried a weapon in war and when he retired from service.Kamala Harris' campaign has pushed back against the attacks, but some Democrats worry Republicans might succeed in turning Walz's military service into a liability. Others accused Republicans of attempting to “swift boat” Walz, a reference to the 2004 campaign and a sign of the campaign's continued relevance.<h2>The origin of "swift boating"</h2>Kerry’s campaign was caught flatfooted in the summer of 2004 by attacks that questioned whether the presidential candidate had earned his many commendations as a commander of a swift boat during the Vietnam War. Kerry received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.By 2004, America was involved in two wars — in Iraq and Afghanistan — following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, had made his military service a centerpiece of the hard-fought presidential primary campaign, to the point of starting his nomination speech by saying he was “reporting for duty."Republicans sought to undermine that selling point by raising questions about his Vietnam War service. An outside political group, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, led the anti-Kerry campaign, spending millions of dollars on hard-hitting television ads. One&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">spot</a>&nbsp;featured men who served in Vietnam questioning Kerry's leadership and heroism, as well as his fitness to lead the country;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183495-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">another</a>&nbsp;blasted Kerry’s participation in later anti-war protests.The ads were effective.“I remember being in Ohio and listening to that ad. And I called my campaign headquarters and said, guys, I just heard an ad. And if I heard that ad, I wouldn’t vote for me,” Kerry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/644830886">told NPR in 2018</a>.Some in Kerry’s campaign wanted to respond more forcefully, while others wanted to take a more cautious approach, concerned that focusing on the attacks would elevate them.The campaign pushed back in the press but spent little money on costly television ads to address the controversy.That trepidation, one-time Kerry advisers said, ensured that the public began to question the candidate's ability to handle national security matters.Chris LaCivita — a top Trump campaign adviser — was one of the top Republican operatives behind the “swift boat” campaign. When Democrats compared the attacks on Walz to those on Kerry, LaCivita posted on X that the 2004 allegations “were never disproven.”“Two things you don’t do is lie about the medals you received and whether or not you saw combat. Those are the two big sins. And he’s guilty of at least one of them,” LaCivita told The Associated Press last week.Multiple veterans who served with Kerry refuted the accusations in 2004. Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for the Bush campaign in 2004, said last week that the “swift boat” allegations were “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/matthewjdowd/status/1821607421804212429">nearly all lies</a>.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723596192711.png" alt="Gov. Tim Walz image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Tim Walz image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Walz pushes back</h2>The Trump campaign has sought to take a similar approach in criticizing Walz's service. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has led the charge, accusing Walz of lying about his record. Vance, a Marine veteran, also accused Walz of abandoning his unit before it deployed to Iraq.The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the criticism. A campaign spokesperson told the AP that Walz “misspoke” in 2018 when he attempted to make a point on gun control by saying he carried weapons in a war. Walz did not see combat during his tenure in the Minnesota National Guard.Walz’s first congressional campaign in March 2005&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">issued a statement saying</a>&nbsp;he planned to run despite a possible mobilization that might send his soldiers to Iraq. According to the Guard, Walz retired from service in May 2005. Three months later, the Army issued a mobilization order for Walz’s unit. It was sent to Iraq in March 2006. The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the Republican characterizations that Walz retired to avoid deploying to a war zone.Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major. But because he did not finish certain coursework before his retirement after 24 years in the National Guard, he retired as a master sergeant, a lower rank, for benefits purposes.It is unclear how effective these GOP attacks will be. Democrats who worked on the Kerry campaign said they are likely not going to be as potent because so much has changed since 2004.<h2>Flush with cash</h2>The main reason: Campaigns are now flush with cash, making it easier to fight back.In 2004, Kerry and President George W. Bush, the Republican nominee, took public funding,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/updates/2004-presidential-campaign-finance-activity-summarized/">receiving $74.6 million each</a>&nbsp;from the government, barring them from private donations. The decision, said Devine and others, handcuffed a campaign that wanted to focus on its preferred message.“We were living in a world of limited resources where we had to make decisions about should we go on the air now, should we go on later,” said Steve Elmendorf, Kerry’s deputy campaign manager. The Harris-Walz campaign "doesn’t have those constraints.”Public funding is a thing of the past, and Harris' operation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-fundraising-democrats-trump-fbc14aa926444b4f961f579c63811766">raised</a>&nbsp;a staggering $310 million in July. The Democratic campaign, aided by what President Joe Biden collected before he stepped aside, is expected to raise well over $1 billion.“If we were going to respond to those attacks in the paid media, we were going to need to spend money that we were going to need in October,” said Devine.<h2>Walz is not the presidential nominee</h2>The strategists pointed to other differences in today's environment.Whereas the “swift boat” attacks were generated by an outside group relying on advertising, Republicans have largely hit Walz on social media and in interviews. Such broadsides may reach the GOP base but not the independent voters who will decide the election.Walz is also not the presidential nominee — as Kerry was. Voters tend to focus on the candidates at the top of a ticket,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vp-pick-no-impact-jd-vance-political-experts-disagree-2024-8">something Trump himself has noted.</a>And then there is the issue of Trump. Could attacks on Walz’s 24 years of military service boomerang on the Republican standard-bearer? The former president has been criticized for avoiding military service over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html">claims he suffered from bone spurs</a>.Despite the differences in the two campaigns, veterans of Kerry's run said Democrats should take to heart a lesson they learned the hard way: They waited too long to counterattack. Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, said Democrats should be particularly concerned about attacks on Walz's integrity, a key selling point of his candidacy. “To the extent that image is damaged,” Mellman said, “it can be quite problematic.”___

🎥 Harris-Walz push back against criticism of his military service 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.

“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.

Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.

“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”

The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.

Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.

Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”

The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.

With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."

Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.

“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.

Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.

The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.

Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.

“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.

Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”

Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.

Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.

During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”

“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”

Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.

Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.

Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.

Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.

Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.

In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.

Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723512136730.png" alt="Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/cPUMFx9Qu5">pic.twitter.com/cPUMFx9Qu5</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823254086126608862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Combined views of the conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and subsequent discussion by other accounts now ~1 billion <a href="https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY">https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823249070296797515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723514711398.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.It did not begin as planned.With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.Trump supporters were openly frustrated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723546138094.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

🎥 A billion combined views: The Trump-Musk full conversation

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright fellas – or people here – ladies and gentlemen. So, this is the injury part of this. Hollywood (Brown), they were able to get the joint back into place – without surgery, which is a positive and then we’ll just see on the recovery. He’s back in Kansas City now, he stayed over in Jacksonville until they got that thing (the joint) situated. Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) was sick today, (Jaaron) Hayek is still – you know about his shoulder, nothing’s changed there. Chris Jones, shoulder – both of those guys are making progress. McKade (Mettauer) had a tear in the MCL – it wasn’t the ACL, so that’s a positive. (There’s) no surgery required. We’ll just see how he does here in the next few days (and) how that thing (the knee) works out. It might be longer than that, but we’ll see. Wanya (Morris) had a bone bruise on his knee. Those (bone bruises) are pretty painful things, but he’s working through that. Other than that, everybody worked today in some form or another and we’ll just see how they did. Whether it was the (Nick) Boltons (or) the (Justin) Reids – we’ll just see how they made (it) out through this (practice). As far as the game goes, there were some good things. There’s plenty that we can work on. The ones we’re fairly productive there for the short time that they had. We’re on top of the kickoff and the (new kickoff) rule – it’s a little different than last year, so the ball normally goes in the endzone (and) it’s a dead ball and that’s not how it is this year. (The ball) goes in and comes back out (and) you can’t scoop it back in, obviously. Again, they’re (the league) still looking at all of this, so we’ll see where it goes from here. I think it was good for the officials to see it (and) I think it was good for us to see it. We understood the part of it where if it (the ball) goes in, it’s still alive. Again, that’s similar to the sideline where you can be outside (of the lines) and reach back in – that part got clarified, it’s not like that, so that’s a live ball. That’s where we’re at. Other than that, it’s open to you guys here.”

Q: What should the returner have done?

REID:&nbsp;“34 (Deneric Prince) should have taken it and gone. Then, Mecole (Hardman) was trying to make it right, but what Mecole should have done was picked it up and gone but listen, that’s not his – that’s our responsibility for making sure that it’s clarified.”

Q: What’s Bryan Cook’s status?

REID:&nbsp;“Yes, he (Bryan Cook) was not there. (He had) personal matters. (He has a) baby on the way.”

Q: What did you see from Kingsley Suamataia?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought he did a nice job in there. His (Kingsley Suamataia) feet (and) his sets we’re good, he was aggressive. I thought for the short time that he was in, he did a nice job. It was a good start for him. He’s got to, obviously, build on it (with) the more time he gets and so on, but I thought it was a very productive start.”

Q: You have a deep wide receiver room. Are you sensing some urgency from Kadarius Toney to get back on the field considering the competition?

REID:&nbsp;“He (Kadarius Toney) was out here today, working. It’s just consistency. It’s just the matter that – and with the competition, I tell all of them (the wide receivers) that. There’s a ton of competition and you’ve got to be on your game with that.”

REID:&nbsp;“The positive there, Adam (Teicher), is that he’s (Hollywood Brown) going to be back. Without him in there, his experience and that in the league, but we’ve also got other guys that can step in and play. We’ll be okay there. It’s just we’re pulling for him to get back, obviously.”

Q: Is it reasonable to think that Hollywood Brown could play against Baltimore?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see how that goes.”

Q: Did you miss not having a fullback last year? Does Carson Steele look like a guy who could be a fullback and a running back?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, you saw what he was as a running back and then he’s learning the fullback spot, as needed. We used Noah (Gray) there last year, who can still do that (play fullback). He’s (Carson Steele) got to be a good special teams player if he’s going to make the team. He’s got to be a good special teams player, and he’s got to be able to carry the football, stay aggressive like he’s doing right now but he had a productive day.”

Q: Did not having a full back hamper you in the redzone?

REID:&nbsp;“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. We adapted and I thought Noah (Gray) gave us some good snaps in there.”

Q: What jumped out to you about Louis Rees-Zammit on tape? Where can he improve from game one to game two?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, it was exciting for him (Louis Rees-Zammit) to have a chance to get in there and play. It’s faster than what he’s seen in practice, so I think from an experience standpoint, it was great for him. I think that was a positive and then (he just has to) build on it.”

Q: How eager are you to get looks in the backfield, reverses and go sections?

WORTHY:&nbsp;“It's huge. Obviously, in college, I kind of had the freedom to get the ball anywhere on the field. Reverses, bubbles, deep passes, intermediate (passes). So just being able to have that here – just get the ball in my hands. I feel like I’d be a threat with the ball in my hands.”

Q: Did anything about the speed of the first preseason game surprise you?

WORTHY:&nbsp;“Coming into the league, it's different speeds at all levels. High school has their own speed, college has their own speed. Obviously, in the NFL everybody is smarter, they move, they adjust better. So just me knowing that I kind of just – if I feel like I had more plays, I’d be able to get a rhythm going into the game, but I feel like I adapted to the game speed pretty well.”

Q: With training camp ending soon, what have you learned about yourself and what has been the toughest challenge to get through this camp?

WORTHY:&nbsp;“The toughest challenge for the camp I feel like, just the playbook. I feel like I got really adapted to it. I’ve been in the playbook really all day (and) all night. Understanding the little bits, the formations, the motions. Understanding what everybody else has just so I could – what if I am in that position? So, just understanding all of that I feel like that really helped me in this training camp.”

Q:&nbsp;Were you happy with your performance in your first time being out there?

HICKS:&nbsp;“I would say I’m content with it. There are some plays that I could have made – still plays to be out there. Overall, I think I did alright.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s been your comfort level as you are learning multiple positions on defense but also trying to make an impact on special teams?

HICKS:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean just running down there using my abilities. With the new kickoff rule, that’s a bit of an adjustment with close spacing and stuff like that. Learning all the roles and plays on the defense, that’s going pretty smooth so far. I’m just looking to keep learning from that and keep going from here.”

Q:&nbsp;What was your takeaway from your first performance and are there things you want to work on?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesAugust 12, 2024OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright fellas – or people here – ladies and gentlemen. So, this is the injury part of this. Hollywood (Brown), they were able to get the joint back into place – without surgery, which is a positive and then we’ll just see on the recovery. He’s back in Kansas City now, he stayed over in Jacksonville until they got that thing (the joint) situated. Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) was sick today, (Jaaron) Hayek is still – you know about his shoulder, nothing’s changed there. Chris Jones, shoulder – both of those guys are making progress. McKade (Mettauer) had a tear in the MCL – it wasn’t the ACL, so that’s a positive. (There’s) no surgery required. We’ll just see how he does here in the next few days (and) how that thing (the knee) works out. It might be longer than that, but we’ll see. Wanya (Morris) had a bone bruise on his knee. Those (bone bruises) are pretty painful things, but he’s working through that. Other than that, everybody worked today in some form or another and we’ll just see how they did. Whether it was the (Nick) Boltons (or) the (Justin) Reids – we’ll just see how they made (it) out through this (practice). As far as the game goes, there were some good things. There’s plenty that we can work on. The ones we’re fairly productive there for the short time that they had. We’re on top of the kickoff and the (new kickoff) rule – it’s a little different than last year, so the ball normally goes in the endzone (and) it’s a dead ball and that’s not how it is this year. (The ball) goes in and comes back out (and) you can’t scoop it back in, obviously. Again, they’re (the league) still looking at all of this, so we’ll see where it goes from here. I think it was good for the officials to see it (and) I think it was good for us to see it. We understood the part of it where if it (the ball) goes in, it’s still alive. Again, that’s similar to the sideline where you can be outside (of the lines) and reach back in – that part got clarified, it’s not like that, so that’s a live ball. That’s where we’re at. Other than that, it’s open to you guys here.”Q: What should the returner have done?REID:&nbsp;“34 (Deneric Prince) should have taken it and gone. Then, Mecole (Hardman) was trying to make it right, but what Mecole should have done was picked it up and gone but listen, that’s not his – that’s our responsibility for making sure that it’s clarified.”Q: What’s Bryan Cook’s status?REID:&nbsp;“Yes, he (Bryan Cook) was not there. (He had) personal matters. (He has a) baby on the way.”Q: What did you see from Kingsley Suamataia?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought he did a nice job in there. His (Kingsley Suamataia) feet (and) his sets we’re good, he was aggressive. I thought for the short time that he was in, he did a nice job. It was a good start for him. He’s got to, obviously, build on it (with) the more time he gets and so on, but I thought it was a very productive start.”Q: You have a deep wide receiver room. Are you sensing some urgency from Kadarius Toney to get back on the field considering the competition?REID:&nbsp;“He (Kadarius Toney) was out here today, working. It’s just consistency. It’s just the matter that – and with the competition, I tell all of them (the wide receivers) that. There’s a ton of competition and you’ve got to be on your game with that.”Q: On Hollywood Brown.REID:&nbsp;“The positive there, Adam (Teicher), is that he’s (Hollywood Brown) going to be back. Without him in there, his experience and that in the league, but we’ve also got other guys that can step in and play. We’ll be okay there. It’s just we’re pulling for him to get back, obviously.”Q: Is it reasonable to think that Hollywood Brown could play against Baltimore?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see how that goes.”Q: Did you miss not having a fullback last year? Does Carson Steele look like a guy who could be a fullback and a running back?REID:&nbsp;“Well, you saw what he was as a running back and then he’s learning the fullback spot, as needed. We used Noah (Gray) there last year, who can still do that (play fullback). He’s (Carson Steele) got to be a good special teams player if he’s going to make the team. He’s got to be a good special teams player, and he’s got to be able to carry the football, stay aggressive like he’s doing right now but he had a productive day.”Q: Did not having a full back hamper you in the redzone?REID:&nbsp;“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. We adapted and I thought Noah (Gray) gave us some good snaps in there.”Q: What jumped out to you about Louis Rees-Zammit on tape? Where can he improve from game one to game two?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, it was exciting for him (Louis Rees-Zammit) to have a chance to get in there and play. It’s faster than what he’s seen in practice, so I think from an experience standpoint, it was great for him. I think that was a positive and then (he just has to) build on it.”Chiefs Player QuotesAugust 12, 2024WR XAVIER WORTHYQ: How eager are you to get looks in the backfield, reverses and go sections?WORTHY:&nbsp;“It's huge. Obviously, in college, I kind of had the freedom to get the ball anywhere on the field. Reverses, bubbles, deep passes, intermediate (passes). So just being able to have that here – just get the ball in my hands. I feel like I’d be a threat with the ball in my hands.”Q: Did anything about the speed of the first preseason game surprise you?WORTHY:&nbsp;“Coming into the league, it's different speeds at all levels. High school has their own speed, college has their own speed. Obviously, in the NFL everybody is smarter, they move, they adjust better. So just me knowing that I kind of just – if I feel like I had more plays, I’d be able to get a rhythm going into the game, but I feel like I adapted to the game speed pretty well.”Q: With training camp ending soon, what have you learned about yourself and what has been the toughest challenge to get through this camp?WORTHY:&nbsp;“The toughest challenge for the camp I feel like, just the playbook. I feel like I got really adapted to it. I’ve been in the playbook really all day (and) all night. Understanding the little bits, the formations, the motions. Understanding what everybody else has just so I could – what if I am in that position? So, just understanding all of that I feel like that really helped me in this training camp.”DB JADEN HICKSQ:&nbsp;Were you happy with your performance in your first time being out there?HICKS:&nbsp;“I would say I’m content with it. There are some plays that I could have made – still plays to be out there. Overall, I think I did alright.”Q:&nbsp;What’s been your comfort level as you are learning multiple positions on defense but also trying to make an impact on special teams?HICKS:&nbsp;“Yeah, I mean just running down there using my abilities. With the new kickoff rule, that’s a bit of an adjustment with close spacing and stuff like that. Learning all the roles and plays on the defense, that’s going pretty smooth so far. I’m just looking to keep learning from that and keep going from here.”Q:&nbsp;What was your takeaway from your first performance and are there things you want to work on?HICKS:&nbsp;“Things I need to work on, I would just say – overall, I would just say keep playing hard through the whistle. Some plays I was getting a little tired, but I mean playing on special teams and stuff like that at the end of the day. Yeah, just keep going straight through the whistle.”RB CARSON STEELEQ:&nbsp;What do you think would make you a good fit for the fullback role?STEELE:&nbsp;“Honestly, that was kind of like my main goal coming into camp. There was a little bit of talks here and there. My main goal was trying to be like a Swiss Army Knife – try to do it all type of deal. Wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in. Like they were saying, implementing the fullback in there as well, being able to block, especially catch out of the backfield too, not only just being able to run.”Q:&nbsp;Did you get any feedback from the coaches on how you played?STEELE:&nbsp;“Personally, I did a little bit. We’re really onto the next game. That’s kind of how we go. I was excited – celebrated that night a little bit (after) scoring our first touchdown, but after that it was kind of go time for the next week.”Q:&nbsp;As an undrafted guy, you can pick your team. What was attractive about Kansas City?