In the hours before the prime minister was taken by motorcade to the White House, he and his team were in a secure room at the nearby British Embassy.

This is a room designed for conversations spies are not meant to hear, however sophisticated their techniques for eavesdropping and intercepting digital exchanges.

The Downing Street team were talking to British government staff in Ukraine and Russia, assembling their briefing and approach for their forthcoming conversation with President Biden.

They arrived at the White House in the late afternoon Washington time, the president showing Sir Keir Starmer around the Rose Garden before heading for the Blue Room.

On each side of a long rectangular table, the two delegations, the prime minister and president with seven colleagues each alongside them.

For just a few minutes, we reporters were invited in too.

Warm words from the leaders followed by loud questions and prompt ejection for the journalists.

What followed was about 90 minutes of conversation in private.

Ukraine dominated, but not to the exclusion of other issues – not least the Middle East, China and Iran.

Downing Street had sought in advance to portray this as an opportunity for a deeper conversation than the usual round of international summits often allow.

But why bother when President Biden is soon to be yesterday’s man, out of office, power and influence in four months time?

The urgency of the issues on the table, I am told.

Take Ukraine: an ally of both the UK and the US, still in desperate need of ongoing help as its friends weigh up how best to provide it – and at what cost.

The UK has been “forward facing” as it was put to me in making the case to others to agree to Kyiv’s request to be allowed to fire western missiles into Russia.

President Biden is sceptical, fearful it could drag America and Europe into direct conflict with Moscow.

That is just what Vladimir Putin has been hinting at in the last few days.

Then again his sabre rattling in the past hasn’t come to much, so perhaps it wouldn’t again?

But maybe, this time, it would.

Diplomacy and intelligence turning to the psychology of a leader at war, attempting to second guess how he might react.

Would he really contemplate a military attack on a Nato member state – with the frightening potential of hauling the whole western alliance into war with Russia?

And, if not that, would Ukraine’s allies stomach lower level aggression in retaliation, such as cyber attacks or damaging sub-sea communication cables?

There was little expectation this meeting would resolve the question about western missiles, not least because further conversations with others at the United Nations are expected shortly.

Afterwards, the prime minister wouldn’t be drawn on whether he had persuaded the president to change his mind.

This is a conflict without obvious end which presents too no end of thorny dilemmas based around a recurring theme: how to defeat Russia without provoking Moscow.

What could be the consequences of action?

And what could be the consequences of inaction?

It is the essence of the West’s challenge since the full scale invasion of Ukraine two and a half years ago.

LARAMIE, Wyo. — The most iconic bar in town may surprise you.

It hangs from the ceiling at the Buck Horn, a popular watering hole in downtown Laramie just a half mile away from the University of Wyoming campus, ripped from a football goal post with a simple, framed explanation hanging below:

Nov. 13, 1999. Wyoming 31, BYU 17.

On an unusually warm autumn evening a quarter-century ago, upon toppling the No. 15-ranked Cougars (and preventing them from earning an outright conference championship), a rowdy sea of Cowboy fans spilled onto the field at War Memorial Stadium in hysteria, tearing down a goal post and marching it down Grand Avenue through the heart of Laramie.

“They don’t like it when you do that now,” Wyoming student government representative Rece Robertson said of the impromptu goal post removal. “But there will be a lot of energy and hype around town if Wyoming beats BYU this weekend.”

There’s already a palpable buzz throughout Cowboy country as the Cougars come to visit for the first time since 2009. The Buck Horn’s famous crossbar is just one reminder of how hot the historic rivalry once burned, and those fiery feelings toward BYU have never been forgotten.

“It was always such a dark, good rivalry,” Wyoming alumna Erin Rumsey said. “The whole state felt that BYU was a team we couldn’t beat. Sometimes we did, but usually we didn’t. Winning against BYU is a huge deal.”

The Cougars and Cowboys shared four conferences — the Rocky Mountain, Skyline, WAC and Mountain West — over an 88-year span. They’ve faced off on 79 occasions, with BYU holding a 46-30-3 series advantage along with a current nine-game win streak.

With Saturday’s contest between the two teams being just the third since 2010, I set out to gauge the rivalry’s current temperature around Laramie, mingling with dozens of students, alumni and locals around town to see if any hostility toward BYU still remains.

Long story short: It does.

Many individuals I spoke with declined to be quoted, though their colorful vocabulary would have been impossible to print anyway. While not every conversation was R-rated, the overwhelming consensus suggested widespread contempt for the Cougars even after all these years.

“I could never forget our chants against BYU — they should never be repeated or printed,” said Lee Feather, a ′77 Wyoming grad who traveled from the northern part of the state for Saturday’s game. “I honestly don’t know why we don’t like BYU. It’s just always been that way. … Disliking BYU is just part of being a Cowboys fan, even still today.”

Though Wyoming students still consider Colorado State to be their foremost foe, BYU still and will always register as a rival on campus, where hundreds of alumni are returning from all across the country to catch Saturday’s action. Given the excitement, you would hardly realize the Cowboys are 0-2 thus far on the season.

“I think it will always be a rivalry and the students will always consider it like that, just given the history of these two teams,” said Mason Riding, the sports editor for Wyoming’s campus publication the Branding Iron. “It just makes sense. There’s a lot of passion here when it comes to rivalries, and we get really excited for these games … especially just because it’s been so long since BYU has come to town, and it will probably be a really long time if they even come back again.”

I received a number of explanations for the continued angst against the Cougars. The win-loss record over the years is one thing, but BYU’s perceived arrogance in bolting from the Mountain West more than a decade ago is still a sore subject. Others claimed that LaVell Edwards-led teams played dirty or “held the refs in their pocket.”

“That 1981 game was so much fun,” Feather said of Wyoming’s 33-20 win over the No. 13-ranked Cougars. “Jim McMahon was such a turkey, I really hated him. Wins against BYU just stick with you.”

And then there is religion. “Christians in our community have a hard time with (BYU) for whatever reason,” Rumsey explains.

The Black 14 scandal is still a heavy chapter in school lore. Fraternity houses are currently flying flags with mild digs, and Wyoming’s Western Thunder Marching Band plans to change the lyrics to its famous “Beer Song” to poke light fun at BYU’s stone-cold sober status. “It’s out of love,” a band member insists.

One woman even took issue with BYU’s pregame alumni tailgate sponsoring a food drive to give back to underprivileged individuals in Laramie. “They think they’re so much holier than us, and it’s fake,” she ranted.

“(Wyoming fans) are not shy or afraid of talking trash,” said one male student who wished to remain anonymous. “You’re going to hear a lot of banter from the student section about that (religious) aspect, and there may be chants that are mocking the religion. … I don’t think it’s necessarily hate speech or anything like that, I just think it’s part of the rivalry that people get really into and (religion) is an aspect that plays into it.”

Even with all of the animosity, wherever it may be coming from, the Cougars’ return to War Memorial Stadium feels almost perfectly timed. With the Pac-12′s addition of four Mountain West schools — including Colorado State — Wyoming’s future seems to be in flux. Both its conference and rivalry outlooks are murky, and it would be easy for the Cowboys to be counted out of the new college football landscape.

“We’re definitely a much smaller campus and don’t generally get as many superstars; we’re always kind of (nationally) treated like the bottom of the barrel, which I don’t always think is fair,” Robertson said. “It will be a good feeling for the college and the community to have somebody in town (like BYU) that we’ve played constantly over the years.”

To many, BYU being back in town is an appreciated distraction from Wyoming’s uncertainty ahead, along with a reminder of torn-down goal posts, beating McMahon and other warm memories from the good ol’ days.

Clinging to such memories will be needed in a place like Laramie.

“Wyoming is never in the (realignment) conversation, their name doesn’t ever really get thrown around there,” Riding added. “With BYU coming in, it’s rejuvenating for everyone, especially if Wyoming wins.”

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — There are some signs of improvement in San Francisco’s Union Square, which has seen a significant loss of retailers in the past four years.

The area is now seeing an uptick in new businesses moving in. Several big-name stores have just opened and more are expected by the end of the month.

If you are looking for a Rolex watch, you can now find it on Post Street in Union Square.

The new Rolex store opened last month.

Despite the many “for lease” signs in the Union Square area, Kazuko Morgan, executive vice chair for commercial real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, says there’s a lot going on there right now.

MORE: SF’s Saks Fifth Avenue shifting to ‘appointment-only’ shopping, announces layoffs, report says

“There are several other tenants that have signed leases or are in lease negotiations in Union Square,” Morgan said.

Morgan helps find tenants for exclusive retail spaces in Union Square.

“Rolex opened a few weeks ago. Patek Phillip is opening this month. St. John’s relocated from the Four Seasons to Post Street,” Morgan said.

Christopher Clark gallery relocated from Geary Street to Post Street. Max Mara is under construction and will open by the end of the month.

Morgan says a lot of new businesses are expanding or moving into Union Square.

MORE: SF’s Union Square: How it’s doing 1 year after new zoning regulations went into effect

“A lot of work was done over the last year in terms of getting leases done,” Morgan said.

Downtown San Francisco continues to grapple with record-high office vacancy rates. During the second quarter of this year, it was nearly 37%.

In Union Square though, the vacancy rate during the same period was nearly 22% according to Cushman and Wakefield.

Morgan says spaces are leased or in negotiation, even though the signs have not been taken down.

Next year, a new Nintendo store will go up at 331 Powell Street in Union Square.

MORE: SF Union Square on path to economic recovery: Here are the signs and roadblocks

As for the San Francisco Macy’s flagship store, that’s expected to stay open until the property is sold.

Macy’s released this statement saying:

“Macy’s Union Square remains open as the Fall and Holiday Season draws near…We are working in close partnership with the Mayor’s Office and others as we explore options for this location.”

Morgan says people often think San Francisco is a challenging market to enter, that it’s expensive or that the best locations have been taken.

But not now.

MORE: SF’s Saks Fifth Avenue shifting to ‘appointment-only’ shopping, announces layoffs, report says

“For the first time in my career, there’s a lot of good opportunity for brands, and landlords are most flexible we’ve ever seen,” Morgan said.

Mayor London Breed’s Office released this statement Friday saying:

“Mayor Breed looks forward to continue to build on the momentum we are seeing from businesses and corporations that are investing in Union Square and in San Francisco’s future, including Breitling, Nintendo, and Visa.”

Morgan and others hope the momentum continues for business to survive and thrive in Union Square.