Great Plains News Digest
The following AP stories are planned for today or have moved. For text, photos, video, live and audio plans beyond the next 24 hours, please visit Coverage Plan.
——————————
IOWA – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
——————————
US–GENDER IDENTITY-IOWA
Judge OKs Iowa limits on K-6 gender identity, sexual orientation teaching but not elective programs
SUMMARY: Iowa can continue to restrict instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools up through the sixth grade. But a federal judge’s Thursday decision says the state has to allow nonmandatory programs related to the topics as a lawsuit proceeds. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher’s split decision sides in part with a LGBTQ advocacy organization, teachers and students who sued the state. A separate ruling in March blocks enforcement of a measure to prohibit school libraries from carrying books that depict sex acts.
WORDS: 709 – MOVED: 05/16/2025 11:57 a.m. CDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:405c20b5913e56bd6a8dcdd1b382d1d6&mediaType=text
___
——————————
MINNESOTA – UPCOMING – SPORTS
——————————
BKL–LYNX-WINGS
DESCRIPTION: DALLAS — Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx visit Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings in the teams’ WNBA season openers. By Schuyler Dixon. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos. Game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET — With: BKL–Wings-Buecker’s Debut
UPCOMING: By 05/16/2025 6:30 p.m. CDT, Text
___
BBO–TWINS-BREWERS
DESCRIPTION: Minnesota plays Milwaukee at American Family Field. 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 05/16/2025 7:10 p.m. CDT, Text
___
BKL–WINGS-BUECKERS DEBUT
DESCRIPTION: ARLINGTON, Texas — The hype finally hits the court as No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers makes her WNBA debut with the Dallas Wings against the Minnesota Lynx. By Schuyler Dixon. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. With BKL–Lynx-Wings.
UPCOMING: By 05/16/2025 10:00 p.m. CDT, Text, Photo
___
——————————
MISSOURI – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
——————————
US–SEVERE-WEATHER
Severe thunderstorms down trees, knock out power to thousands across parts of Great Lakes region
SUMMARY: Storms accompanied by deep, booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan overnight — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power. The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings and watches across the region Thursday night into early Friday morning. Several tornadoes touched down Thursday in central Wisconsin. No injuries have been reported. Weather service meteorologist Steven Freitag says surveys were underway Friday of damage in Michigan to determine if any tornadoes touched down there. He says the storms were fueled by temperatures in the lower 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and were activated by a cold front that pushed through.
WORDS: 637 – MOVED: 05/16/2025 12:36 p.m. CDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:22395202a65b0c37cc06c541ea772172&mediaType=text
___
——————————
MISSOURI – UPCOMING – SPORTS
——————————
BBO–CARDINALS-ROYALS
DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — St. Louis plays Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. UPCOMING: 200 words, more on merits. Game starts 6:40 p.m. CT.
UPCOMING: By 05/16/2025 6:40 p.m. CDT, Text
___
——————————
NEBRASKA – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
——————————
NE–PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT-PURCHASE
Nebraska Public Power District bought land for $5 million — from NPPD executives
SUMMARY: The Nebraska Public Power District paid $5 million for a piece of land in rural Lancaster County owned by two executives of the agency. The amount was around five times the assessed value of the 202 acres of farmland. In interviews, Power District General Counsel John McClure defended the purchase, saying the land was crucial to meeting Nebraska’s future energy needs and that the transaction was transparent and objective. The price of the land was determined by the assessment and an offer from a private developer for part of the land. No conflict of interest statement was filed with the state, but McClure said that state law didn’t require one.
SOURCE: Flatwater Free Press
WORDS: 1439 – MOVED: 05/16/2025 11:11 a.m. CDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:46261eb85d37a17e8c66544e9ccf30b0&mediaType=text
___
——————————
OKLAHOMA – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
——————————
US–EXECUTIONS-GLANCE
A look at the status of US executions in 2025
SUMMARY: Sixteen men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 12 other people are scheduled to be put to death in nine states during the remainder of 2025. Glen Rogers died by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday. Executions are scheduled in Texas and Indiana on May 20 and Tennessee on May 22. Other states with scheduled executions this year are Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina, though Ohio’s governor has been routinely postponing the actions as their dates near. So far this year, executions have been carried out in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
WORDS: 1129 – MOVED: 05/16/2025 12:14 p.m. CDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:18805a290e5f7822c854ab0305a09a1b&mediaType=text
___
US–ALUMINUM SMELTER-OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma inks deal with UAE company to build $4B aluminum smelting facility
SUMMARY: Oklahoma state officials have announced a deal with a private company in the United Arab Emirates for a $4 billion aluminum manufacturing facility in northeast Oklahoma. Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma Department of Commerce officials announced the deal with Emirates Global Aluminum on Friday. State officials say it would be the first aluminum production facility to be built in the U.S. in 45 years. The project is expected to create 1,000 direct jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs. The facility would be constructed on more than 350 acres at the Port of Inola, east of Tulsa. The agreement is contingent upon the Oklahoma Legislature approving a package of financial incentives.
WORDS: 170 – MOVED: 05/16/2025 11:21 a.m. CDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ab8c6c382691245a5098d3ea8fb88586&mediaType=text
___
