Luke Eckardt and Xavier Smith were excited about the prospect of playing for Deion Sanders

Nearly the entire field of 2024 Republican candidates and likely contenders will flip pork chops and mingle with a crowd of politically plugged-in caucus-goers Saturday in Iowa as they participate in GOP Sen. Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" event.

As Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear prepares for what could be the most hotly contested election of the year, the first-term Democrat insisted on Wednesday that he would not cede so-called family values issues to his Republican opponent. In his first sit-down interview since Tuesday's primary, Beshear also tried to contrast his steady leadership with the just-concluded bitter GOP campaign in which state Attorney General Daniel Cameron prevailed in a 12-candidate field. The governor told The Associated Press that he intends to make the general election race about helping families and not trying to “rile people up,” and he accused Cameron of doing just that in his victory speech. “I think sadly from the other side, what we saw last night and what we’ll see is name-calling, stoking division, trying to incite fear or anger or maybe even hatred. And that’s not how we’re supposed to run these elections,” Beshear said. Cameron, buoyed by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, finished 26 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, Kelly Craft, was a disappointing third after a campaign that mostly centered around her and Cameron. The much scrutinized off-year matchup between Beshear and Cameron in November could provide insight about voter sentiment heading into the 2024 elections that will determine control of the White House and Congress. The race will test the strength of a popular Democratic governor in a Republican-dominated state who hopes the reputation he forged as the state’s consoler in chief during a tumultuous four years will be enough to propel him to a second term. Cameron, one of the most prominent Black Republicans in the country, came out swinging in a primary night speech. “The new religion of the left casts doubt on the greatness of America,” Cameron said. “They embrace a picture of this country and this commonwealth that is rooted in division, that is hostile to faith and that is committed to the erosion of our education system.” The AP reached out to Cameron for an interview, but his campaign did not immediately make him available. Beshear said he sees similarities between this year’s race and his run in 2019, when he defeated GOP Gov. Matt Bevin. "If you look at this last primary, I think that you are seeing the same nastiness, the same turning people against each other,” Beshear said. Much like that contest, Beshear said he has no plans to campaign with national Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Beshear relies on his family’s strong political brand in Kentucky, where his father, Steve Beshear, is a former two-term governor. “This is about us, not Washington, D.C. Everything you’re going to hear me talk about in this election is about our families and how we move them ahead — not right, not left, but forward," Beshear said. Biden joined Beshear to console the victims of tornadoes and flooding that hit Kentucky during the governor's first term. Asked if he was bracing for opposition ads showing pictures of him and Biden together, Beshear said, “It would be pretty callous, I think, for somebody to use photos of showing up at the toughest of times against somebody.” In his speech Tuesday night, Cameron tried to tie Beshear to Biden's immigration policies, lambasted the governor's record on crime and drugs and criticized him for vetoing legislation barring transgender girls and women from participating in school sports matching their gender identity. The Republican-led legislature overrode Beshear's veto. “A governor who will not speak out on these issues, and who will not stand up for your interests, has abdicated his responsibility to the commonwealth and is not fit to lead it any longer,” Cameron said. This year, Beshear vetoed a bill banning transgender young people from receiving gender-affirming health care. That veto also was overridden. Beshear has come under GOP criticism for the veto. Beshear said Wednesday that every youngster should be treated “as a child of God.” “At the end of the day, I think what’s been done here attacks parents’ rights, and I believe medical decisions for children are best left to their parents and not big government stepping in,” he said. Beshear said he is ready to run on a record of economic growth, support for public schools and increased help for people battling drug addiction. The governor noted that hundreds of Kentucky National Guard soldiers have been deployed to the nation’s southwest border during his term in office. Kentucky will continue to “do our part when asked,” he said, declaring that “border security is national security.” He pointed to advances in providing clean drinking water to Kentuckians and getting a new Ohio River bridge built to ease traffic congestion between Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. A bridge “isn’t red or blue, it’s just really important for our families,” the governor said. Beshear now faces an electorate that has turned increasingly Republican since he won the office. He said voters will hear a message from him driven by faith and values, not partisan politics. “For me, my values are rooted in my faith,” Beshear said. “And my faith teaches me that we’re supposed to live with love and compassion, not anger and division." Cameron is the first major-party Black nominee for governor in Kentucky’s history. "To anyone who looks like me, know that you can achieve anything," he said after winning the nomination. To Beshear, "it's taken far too long to have a Black nominee of either party for governor. But I think what the attorney general said last night is right, that in this campaign people are going to judge us by our record and our values." Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide VIDEO FOR YOU: Kentucky Gov. Beshear discusses jobs, his campaign and abortion AP News Digest 3:30 am AP News Digest 3:20 am

Oman plans to launch a $5 billion public investment fund to support plans to overhaul the economy in the Arab Gulf nation over the next two decades

With a flood of visitors and tourists expected, officials in the nation’s capital are mobilizing additional police officers and dozens of teams of civilian peacekeepers in an attempt to keep rising violent crime rates from marring the holiday weekend

Joe Pesci's damning SNL speech about Sinead O'Connor has resurfaced following the singer's death. In the monologue delivered in the weeks following her ripping up a photo of the Pope, the actor pieces the photo back together and expresses his dismay. "I would've grabbed her by her... eyebrows. Ah, what am I doing? I'm making myself crazy, for what?", he rants. "I mean, she's just a kid, why should I care? Anyway, the Pope has probably forgiven her already, he forgave that guy that shot him, right?" Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Andrew Tate commented on women's driving skills in a recent post on X, inviting social media backlash

“This one goes out to all the lost carrots over the years that have been just cut into rounds and boiled,” says chef Poppy O’Toole, who goes by Poppy Cooks on social media. “I’m sorry you went out like that. We will do better. Here’s to more carrots being roasted in honey and going out in style. They deserve it.” To make this dish vegan, replace honey with maple syrup and use a dairy-free alternative to butter – and you can boost the flavour even more by adding a crushed garlic clove to the honey and butter mix. Honey roast carrots Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthways Vegetable oil, for spraying 2 tbsp runny honey 1 tsp butter Salt and ground black pepper Method: 1. Heat the air fryer to 180C/350F. 2. Get the carrots in the air-fryer basket and spray them with the vegetable oil. Then cook them for 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, in a microwaveable bowl, melt the honey and butter together for about 30 seconds, until liquidy, then season well. 4. When the carrots have been in the air fryer for 10 minutes, tip them into the honey and butter mixture and mix well so that they are all coated, then pop them back into the air fryer for a further 10 minutes, until sticky, glazed and tender. Depending on the size of your carrots, you may need to cook them for a little longer, so cook in five-minute intervals until tender. Roast potatoes “Believe it or not, I’m no stranger to a roast potato or two (or seven), and I’ve made it my life’s work to ensure you have the best potatoes on your plate every time,” says O’Toole. “With an air fryer, the process is much quicker, which means potato gets to your mouth in half the time – always a good thing. “For me, the perfect roast potato has a crispy exterior while still maintaining a beautifully fluffy interior, and this recipe does exactly that.” Serves: 2-4, depending on greed Ingredients: 4 Maris Piper, russet or red skin potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp fine salt Method: 1. Heat the air fryer to 160C/325F. 2. In a mixing bowl, toss the potatoes in the oil and salt, and tip them into the air-fryer basket. 3. Cook for 30 minutes, giving them a proper aggressive toss every 10 minutes, and even poke them with a fork if you want to fluff up the insides further. 4. Increase the heat to 200C/400F and cook for a further six minutes, until golden and crispy. Chestnut and bacon sprouts “Sprouts are underrated and can be such a delicious vegetable side. When they are cooked right, and not pure mush, they add texture, flavour and colour to any dish,” says O’Toole. You can easily customise this dish to your guests’ dietary requirements – skip the bacon if anyone is vegetarian, and swap out for vegan butter if necessary. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 50g butter, melted 500g fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts (if fresh, cut in half) 100g bacon lardons 50g pre-cooked chestnuts, chopped Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper Method: 1. Heat the air fryer to 180C/350F. 2. In a large bowl, mix the butter with the sprouts, season with salt and pepper and place in the air-fryer basket. Just chuck over the bacon lardons. 3. Cook for five minutes then add in the chestnuts. Cook for another five to 10 minutes, checking at five-minute intervals until cooked to your liking. ‘Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook’ (Bloomsbury Publishing, £20). Read More Beauty advent calendars 2021: Our guide to this year’s top treats 13 best tech gifts to spoil a gadget geek this Christmas 10 best luxury Christmas crackers for dressing up your dining table Why restaurant influencers have just ruined your dinner The Independent high street Christmas sandwich and drink taste test Seasonal affective disorder: Can you eat to improve your mood?

Soul legend Dionne Warwick is not interested in creating music with the help of AI in the future, even if she was offered the chance to sing with her late cousin Whitney Houston.

Johnny Sexton's son Luca accompanied his father round a rugby pitch for the final time after his stellar career ended in bitter disappointment with a 28-24 defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and...

On Tuesday night, Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was subject to a controversial call against the White Sox. On Wednesday, he called it back after a 3-run homer.Bruce Bochy and the majority of the Texas Rangers team were left apoplectic on Tuesday night over a call against catcher Jonah Heim.Afte...

Prosecutors in the Georgia election subversion case involving ex-President Donald Trump say a trial would likely take four months