Great Plains News Digest
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IOWA
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US–Immigration-Des Moines-Schools Superintendent
Iowa district hired superintendent despite false Morgan State doctorate claim on his resume
SUMMARY: The superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, who was detained last week by immigration agents, falsely claimed a doctoral degree when applying for the job two years ago but was hired even after the school board learned about the misrepresentation. Ian Roberts, who immigration authorities say was living and working in the U.S. illegally and who resigned this week as Des Moines’ superintendent of schools, claimed in his 2023 application that he received a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in 2007, according to documents The Associated Press obtained through a public records request. Although Roberts was enrolled in that doctorate program from 2002 to 2007, the school confirmed that he didn’t receive that degree.
WORDS: 1320 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 12:53 p.m. CDT
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MINNESOTA
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US–Trump-Clean Energy
Trump administration cuts nearly $8B in clean energy projects in blue states
SUMMARY: The Trump administration has announced the cancellation of $7.6 billion in funding for clean energy projects across 16 states. These states supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president. The cuts likely affect battery plants, hydrogen technology projects, and more. The announcement came on the first day of a government shutdown. The Republican administration claims the projects do not align with national energy needs. Critics argue the move is politically motivated and could raise energy costs.
WORDS: 557 – MOVED: 10/02/2025 12:08 p.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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US–Beloved Saint-Relics Tour
St. Thérèse’s relics begin tour of US with stop at Michigan parish named for beloved French nun
SUMMARY: The sacred bones of a much-loved French Carmelite nun began a tour of the U.S. at a suburban Detroit parish named in her honor. Many worshippers arrived hours in advance to catch a glimpse of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. They will be display at the National Shrine of The Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, Michigan, through Oct. 8, before moving on to California and other states. St. Thérèse’s relics also came from France to the U.S. in 1999. Tens of thousands visited Royal Oak that year during a one-day stay. Now, a quarter-century later, they are back on The Little Flower’s feast day.
WORDS: 443 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 1:23 p.m. CDT
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NEBRASKA
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US–STB Firing-Rail Merger
Fired Surface Transportation Board member sues Trump over his dismissal ahead of rail merger review
SUMMARY: A former Democratic member of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board has filed a lawsuit challenging his dismissal by President Donald Trump. Robert Primus claims his firing on Aug. 27 was illegal and threatens the board’s independence. The White House has not responded to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday. Primus was dismissed just before the board was to consider Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern. Critics argue that Trump’s actions undermine the board’s independence. Primus, who served since 2001, was the only member to oppose a previous major railroad merger.
WORDS: 561 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 4:04 p.m. CDT
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US–Warren Buffett’s Last Deal?
Berkshire Hathaway to pay $9.7 billion for OxyChem, potentially Buffett’s last big deal
SUMMARY: Berkshire Hathaway is buying Occidental Petroleum’s chemical division for $9.7 billion in what may be one of the last big deals of Warren Buffett.Buffett wasn’t mentioned anywhere in materials released by Berkshire Hathaway on Thursday, seemingly signaling the passing of the torch to Greg Abel. Berkshire’s cash pile has been steadily growing for years to hit $344 billion because Buffett has been unable to find any major acquisitions at attractive prices since completing the $11.6 billion acquisition of Alleghany Insurance in 2022. OxyChem will fit nicely within Berkshire alongside Lubrizol, which Buffett bought in 2011 for $9 billion, but Berkshire generally doesn’t consolidate its subsidiaries, so OxyChem will likely continue operating independently.
WORDS: 557 – MOVED: 10/02/2025 6:22 a.m. CDT
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SOUTH DAKOTA
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US–Government Shutdown-How Does It End?
Democrats voted for a shutdown. Now they have to find a way out
SUMMARY: Senate Democrats kept their promise to reject any Republican spending bill that didn’t extend or restore health care benefits, choosing instead to force a government shutdown. Now they have to figure out how to get out of it. Just hours after the shutdown began, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said that if the Republicans work with them, “the shutdown could go away very quickly.” But that won’t be easy. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump have said that they won’t negotiate or be “held hostage” by Democrats demanding concessions to reopen the government.
WORDS: 1090 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 5:02 p.m. CDT
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SPORTS
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IOWA
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BBO–Padres-Bullpen
Mason Miller reaches 104.5 mph as San Diego’s bullpen shuts down the Cubs in Game 2 victory
SUMMARY: Mason Miller’s last two pitches to Seiya Suzuki in the seventh inning were clocked at 102.1 and 102.7 mph. Suzuki swung and missed at the last one for strike three. It turns out Miller was only warming up. The 6-foot-5 right-hander played a starring role in a dominant performance by San Diego’s bullpen in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs, sending their NL Wild Card Series to a decisive third game. Miller came in after Adrian Morejon pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings in relief of Dylan Cease. After fanning Suzuki, he reached 104.5 mph on a called third strike to Carson Kelly that was the fastest pitch in the postseason since Statcast started tracking in 2008.
WORDS: 509 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 7:25 p.m. CDT
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FBC–Big 12 This Week
Big 12 takes 4 undefeated teams into October, No. 11 Texas Tech or Houston will lose for 1st time
SUMMARY: Four Big 12 teams have started at least 4-0 for the first time since 2015. Eleventh-ranked Texas Tech or Houston will lose for the first time because the 4-0 teams play each other Saturday night. Houston won in overtime at Oregon State after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech hasn’t trailed while winning by an average margin of 41 points. Houston has already matched its win totals from both 2023 and 2024 after going 4-8 in each of its first two Big 12 seasons. Iowa State, 5-0 and ranked 14th, has trailed only 28 seconds this season going into a game at Cincinnati.
WORDS: 681 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:51 p.m. CDT
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BKL–Fever-Clark
Caitlin Clark says Collier made valid points and Commissioner Engelbert hasn’t contacted her
SUMMARY: Caitlin Clark says WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert hasn’t reached out to her in the aftermath of Napheesa Collier’s statement about an alleged private conversation in which the league’s leader made comments about Clark. The Indiana Fever guard spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since the league’s All-Star Game in July. Clark said Minnesota Lynx star Collier made valid points in her lengthy statement that criticized league officials, particularly Engelbert, for what Collier portrayed as a lack of accountability and care for WNBA players.
WORDS: 281 – MOVED: 10/02/2025 11:29 a.m. CDT
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KANSAS
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FBC–Big 12-Wembley Stadium
London’s Wembley Stadium will host Big 12 teams Arizona State and Kansas for its 1st college game
SUMMARY: Arizona State and Kansas will play in the first college football game at London’s Wembley Stadium next year. The Big 12 Conference announced Wednesday that the Sun Devils and Jayhawks will meet in the first Union Jack Classic on Sept. 19. It will be the league’s third game in Europe over two seasons. Iowa State opened this season with a 24-21 win over Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin. TCU will face North Carolina in the same event to open next season. Kansas will be the designated home team for the game at Wembley Stadium.
WORDS: 225 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:38 a.m. CDT
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CAR–NASCAR-Hocevar Fined
NASCAR fines Carson Hocevar $50,000 for endangering safety officials at Kansas Speedway
SUMMARY: NASCAR has fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 for endangering safety officials during the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The penalty is for a behavioral violation. Hocevar revved and spun his tires while safety workers attended to his car after he spun the No. 77 Chevrolet. The Spire Motorsports driver was involved in several incidents late in Sunday’s race, including a spin on the backstretch. He had flat tires and couldn’t get the car moving. Hocevar had a chance at a top-10 finish but ended up 29th. Spire previously fined him for derogatory comments made in Mexico City.
WORDS: 243 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 2:01 p.m. CDT
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GYM–World Championships-US Team
Newcomer Caylor joins veterans Blakely, Wong and Roberson on USA Gymnastics world championship team
SUMMARY: USA Gymnastics is sending a mix of seasoned and new athletes to the world championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, later this month. Dulcy Caylor, Leanne Wong, Skye Blakely and Joscelyn Roberson will make up the four-woman team. Caylor, 17, secured her spot by earning the top score at the selection camp on Tuesday. Wong is a four-time world championship medalist, while Blakely returns after recovering from an Achilles injury. Roberson was part of the gold-winning team in 2023. The championships will not include a team event, which is typical the year after the Olympics.
WORDS: 323 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 4:40 p.m. CDT
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FBC–Big 12 This Week
Big 12 takes 4 undefeated teams into October, No. 11 Texas Tech or Houston will lose for 1st time
SUMMARY: Four Big 12 teams have started at least 4-0 for the first time since 2015. Eleventh-ranked Texas Tech or Houston will lose for the first time because the 4-0 teams play each other Saturday night. Houston won in overtime at Oregon State after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech hasn’t trailed while winning by an average margin of 41 points. Houston has already matched its win totals from both 2023 and 2024 after going 4-8 in each of its first two Big 12 seasons. Iowa State, 5-0 and ranked 14th, has trailed only 28 seconds this season going into a game at Cincinnati.
WORDS: 681 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:51 p.m. CDT
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MINNESOTA
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FBN–Vikings-Injuries
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in ‘next phase’ of rehab but ankle still not fully healed
SUMMARY: Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell says quarterback J.J. McCarthy will begin to get “a little bit more active” but won’t be rushed back from a sprained right ankle. Carson Wentz is set to start his third straight game when Minnesota faces Cleveland on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. McCarthy is “entering the next phase of his rehab where he can get a little bit more active.” The coach adds he wants to “make sure we let that high ankle fully heal.” Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) missed Sunday’s game in Dublin — a 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and is not expected to practice this week.
WORDS: 338 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 1:12 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Browns-Gabriel
Rookie Dillon Gabriel selected as Browns starting QB after Joe Flacco is benched
SUMMARY: Rookie Dillon Gabriel will get his first NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in London. The Browns are benching Joe Flacco after he struggled to lead the offense in the first four games. Cleveland is 1-3 and ranked next-to-last in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. The team has scored 17 points or fewer in nine straight games. Gabriel will be the fifth different starting QB in 10 games. Gabriel was selected in the third round of April’s draft. He has seen action in two games and has completed three of four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.
WORDS: 851 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 8:17 a.m. CDT
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HKN–Avalanche-Johnson Retires
Erik Johnson retires after 17-season NHL career, highlighted by 2022 Stanley Cup win with Avalanche
SUMMARY: Defenseman Erik Johnson has announced his retirement after a 17-season NHL career, highlighted by a 2022 Stanley Cup win with the Colorado Avalanche. Johnson, the first pick in the 2006 draft by St. Louis, was traded to Colorado in 2011. He played 1,023 regular-season games with the Blues, Avalanche, Sabres and Flyers. Johnson missed the 2008-09 season with the Blues after suffering a serious knee injury in a golf cart accident. The 37-year-old spent portions of 14 seasons in Denver and became a fan favorite. He holds franchise records for blocked shots and ranks third in hits among the franchise’s defensemen. Johnson expressed gratitude to fans, teammates, coaches and staff members, saying, “Hockey has been my life.”
WORDS: 422 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 1:52 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Twins-Manager Search
Twins make young player development a clear focus in the search for their next manager
SUMMARY: The new manager of the Minnesota Twins will inherit an uncertain outlook for next season with no determination yet what the payroll will be. President Derek Falvey said the question about whether certain players will remain on the roster shouldn’t affect the search. The Twins are sharply focused on young player development as they evaluate their entire baseball operation and move forward after firing manager Rocco Baldelli this week. Falvey said the blame for the stagnation or regression of top prospects should not be placed on Baldelli. But Twins leadership determined earlier this year that a different voice was needed.
WORDS: 554 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 5:38 p.m. CDT
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BKL–Collier-CBA Negotiations
Napheesa Collier slammed the WNBA’s leadership. Here’s why that matters
SUMMARY: Napheesa Collier, a Minnesota Lynx player and vice president of the WNBA players union, is preparing for tense negotiations with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The talks aim to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by Oct. 31. Players across the league, including MVP A’ja Wilson, support Collier’s recent criticism of the WNBA and its leadership. The negotiations could impact free agency, with nearly every player not on a rookie contract becoming a free agent this offseason.
WORDS: 837 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 2:00 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Browns-British Backers
Mind the gap: British fans of Cleveland Browns know the risks but stay loyal to hard-luck underdog
SUMMARY: There are sexier NFL teams to support, but Browns fans in Britain say they’re drawn to Cleveland’s ethos of loyalty and passion and clearly the team’s win-loss record is not a factor. Some just like the colors, too. They’ve made their London-based fan club, the British Bulldawgs Browns Backers, not only the largest of the team’s 29 international chapters, but also one of the biggest overall. They’ll be out in force Sunday when the Browns face the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
WORDS: 827 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:52 p.m. CDT
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FBC–Big 12 This Week
Big 12 takes 4 undefeated teams into October, No. 11 Texas Tech or Houston will lose for 1st time
SUMMARY: Four Big 12 teams have started at least 4-0 for the first time since 2015. Eleventh-ranked Texas Tech or Houston will lose for the first time because the 4-0 teams play each other Saturday night. Houston won in overtime at Oregon State after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech hasn’t trailed while winning by an average margin of 41 points. Houston has already matched its win totals from both 2023 and 2024 after going 4-8 in each of its first two Big 12 seasons. Iowa State, 5-0 and ranked 14th, has trailed only 28 seconds this season going into a game at Cincinnati.
WORDS: 681 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:51 p.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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CAR–NASCAR-Hocevar Fined
NASCAR fines Carson Hocevar $50,000 for endangering safety officials at Kansas Speedway
SUMMARY: NASCAR has fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 for endangering safety officials during the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The penalty is for a behavioral violation. Hocevar revved and spun his tires while safety workers attended to his car after he spun the No. 77 Chevrolet. The Spire Motorsports driver was involved in several incidents late in Sunday’s race, including a spin on the backstretch. He had flat tires and couldn’t get the car moving. Hocevar had a chance at a top-10 finish but ended up 29th. Spire previously fined him for derogatory comments made in Mexico City.
WORDS: 243 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 2:01 p.m. CDT
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HKN–Olympic Bubble
Start to the NHL season is crucial for players on the Olympic bubble
SUMMARY: Utah’s Clayton Keller and Buffalo’s Tage Thompson were left off the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The same happened to St. Louis’ Robert Thomas and Montreal’s Nick Suzuki. The first few months of this NHL season are critical to them and others on the Olympic bubble with the Games in Milan coming up. Keller and Thompson went to world championships and helped the Americans win the tournament for the first time since 1933. San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini played at worlds for Canada and boosted his case by skating alongside likely captain and two-time gold medalist Sidney Crosby.
WORDS: 1017 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 2:11 p.m. CDT
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HKN–Avalanche-Johnson Retires
Erik Johnson retires after 17-season NHL career, highlighted by 2022 Stanley Cup win with Avalanche
SUMMARY: Defenseman Erik Johnson has announced his retirement after a 17-season NHL career, highlighted by a 2022 Stanley Cup win with the Colorado Avalanche. Johnson, the first pick in the 2006 draft by St. Louis, was traded to Colorado in 2011. He played 1,023 regular-season games with the Blues, Avalanche, Sabres and Flyers. Johnson missed the 2008-09 season with the Blues after suffering a serious knee injury in a golf cart accident. The 37-year-old spent portions of 14 seasons in Denver and became a fan favorite. He holds franchise records for blocked shots and ranks third in hits among the franchise’s defensemen. Johnson expressed gratitude to fans, teammates, coaches and staff members, saying, “Hockey has been my life.”
WORDS: 422 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 1:52 p.m. CDT
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OKLAHOMA
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FBC–Big 12 This Week
Big 12 takes 4 undefeated teams into October, No. 11 Texas Tech or Houston will lose for 1st time
SUMMARY: Four Big 12 teams have started at least 4-0 for the first time since 2015. Eleventh-ranked Texas Tech or Houston will lose for the first time because the 4-0 teams play each other Saturday night. Houston won in overtime at Oregon State after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech hasn’t trailed while winning by an average margin of 41 points. Houston has already matched its win totals from both 2023 and 2024 after going 4-8 in each of its first two Big 12 seasons. Iowa State, 5-0 and ranked 14th, has trailed only 28 seconds this season going into a game at Cincinnati.
WORDS: 681 – MOVED: 10/01/2025 11:51 p.m. CDT
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