Great Plains News Digest
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MINNESOTA
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UnitedHealth-Results
UnitedHealth falls short of second quarter expectations and offers weak outlook for 2025
SUMMARY: UnitedHealth delivered disappointing second-quarter earnings and went conservative with its 2025 forecast as soaring medical costs continue to swamp insurers. The health care giant said Tuesday expenses that have jumped beyond what it expected when it set coverage prices will continue to pressure its performance. But the company expects a return to earnings growth in 2026. UnitedHealth now expects adjusted earnings of at least $16 per share in 2025 after withdrawing its previous forecast in May. It had started 2025 with expectations of making up to $30 per share. FactSet says analysts forecast $20.64 per share for the full year.
WORDS: 512 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 5:21 a.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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US–Boeing-Results
Boeing’s 2Q loss narrows and revenue rises, topping Wall Street’s expectations
SUMMARY: Boeing’s second-quarter loss narrowed and revenue improved as the aircraft manufacturer delivered more commercial planes in the period. Boeing Co. lost $611 million, or 92 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30. A year earlier it lost $1.44 billion, or $2.33 per share. Adjusting for one-time gains, Boeing lost $1.24 per share. This was better than the loss of $1.54 per share that analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research expected.
WORDS: 531 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 6:49 a.m. CDT
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US–Extreme Weather-Heat
Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US
SUMMARY: Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to hot weather in the summertime, but the sweltering heat this week set at least one record, and forecasters urged residents to limit being outside if possible and to hydrate. The all-time high temperature record at Tampa International Airport was broken on Sunday when the thermometer hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). The previous record had been 99 degrees Fahrenheit ( 37.2 degrees Celsius) set in June 2020. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that the prolonged heat wave was expected to peak in the southeast U.S. at mid-week.
WORDS: 543 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 12:51 p.m. CDT
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NEBRASKA
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US–Transcontinental Railroad Merger
Union Pacific and Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through a massive merger
SUMMARY: Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in a $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers across the country. The proposed merger, announced Tuesday, would marry Union Pacific’s rail network in the West with Norfolk’s rails that snake across Eastern states. The nation was first linked by rail in 1869, when a golden railroad spike was driven in Utah to symbolize the connection of East and West Coasts. Yet no single entity has controlled that coast-to-coast passage that so many businesses rely on.
WORDS: 1188 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 6:20 a.m. CDT
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NORTH DAKOTA
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US–Voting Rights Act-Private Lawsuits
Court restricts who can bring voting rights challenges in a case involving voters with disabilities
SUMMARY: A federal appeals court panel has ruled that private individuals and organizations cannot bring voting rights cases under a section of the law that allows others to assist voters who are blind, have disabilities or are unable to read. It’s the latest ruling from the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, saying only the government can bring lawsuits alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act. The findings upend decades of precedent and will likely be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Monday’s ruling followed the reasoning of another 8th Circuit panel in a previous case from 2023.
WORDS: 680 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 5:40 p.m. CDT
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SPORTS
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IOWA
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BKL–Caitlin Clark-Stalking
Texas man pleads guilty to stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark and gets 2 1/2 years in prison
SUMMARY: A 55-year-old Texas man who told police he was in “an imaginary relationship” with WNBA star Caitlin Clark was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing the Indiana Fever guard. Michael Lewis, from Denton, Texas, reached a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. He will get credit for time served. Lewis was arrested in January after authorities alleged he sent hundreds of “threats and sexually explicit messages” to Clark between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025.
WORDS: 276 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 4:05 p.m. CDT
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KANSAS
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BBO–MLB-Trade-Deadline
MLB trade deadline: Eugenio Suárez, Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly among prized players who could move
SUMMARY: The market is heating up in the last week before the July 31 trade deadline. Arizona sent Josh Naylor to Seattle on Thursday. The Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies on Friday while the Mets added left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles. More Diamondbacks could be traded, including slugger Eugenio Suárez and starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Mitch Keller and Sandy Alcantara could also be dealt.
WORDS: 896 – MOVED: 07/25/2025 2:58 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-Bubic
Royals pitcher Kris Bubic to miss rest of season with rotator cuff injury
SUMMARY: Kansas City Royals All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic will miss the rest of the season with a strained rotator cuff. The 27-year-old Bubic is 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA this season, earning his first All-Star selection. He gave up three runs and recorded just one out in the Midsummer Classic. Then he left Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians after allowing three earned runs on three hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. He said, “Physically, something’s not right.” Bubic was placed on the injured list Sunday.
WORDS: 109 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 7:03 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-Lugo
Pitcher Seth Lugo gets $46 million guaranteed by Kansas City Royals for 2026 and ’27
SUMMARY: The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $46 million, two-year contract with right-hander Seth Lugo for 2026 and 2027, a move that signals their intention to push for a second consecutive playoff appearance. The deal includes a $3 million signing bonus, annual salaries of $20 million and a $17 million club option for 2028. The 35-year-old could have become a free agent after this year’s World Series. Last season, he made his first All-Star Game and won his first Gold Glove. The Royals are four games back of the final AL wild card spot.
WORDS: 594 – MOVED: 07/27/2025 9:26 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Braves-Royals
Acuña, Ozuna and Riley homer as Braves end 5-game skid and Royals tie club mark with 14 walks
SUMMARY: Ronald Acuña Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley homered as the Atlanta Braves snapped a five-game losing streak with a 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals, who equaled a club record by walking 14 batters. It was the fourth time the Royals walked 14 and the first since 2006. Acuña hit a two-run homer, his 14th, in the third and an inning later Ozuna added another two-run shot, also his 14th. Riley hit a solo homer, his 15th, in the seventh — and his three-run double in the eighth made it 9-3. Spencer Strider pitched five innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Raisel Iglesias squelched a Royals rally in the ninth for his 12th save.
WORDS: 336 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 10:23 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Chiefs-Injuries
Chiefs’ Marquise Brown among several players injured in sweltering training camp practice
SUMMARY: Marquise Brown was among several Kansas City Chiefs players who left practice with injuries on Tuesday. The nearly 2 1/2-hour session took place in extreme heat. Coach Andy Reid said Brown hurt his ankle early in practice. Brown missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Reid mentioned that second-year standout Xavier Worthy also got injured but returned to practice. Skyy Moore left with a hamstring issue. Other players, including Jeffrey Bassa and Jake Briningstool, missed time because of injuries.
WORDS: 351 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 12:53 p.m. CDT
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MINNESOTA
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BBO–Twins-Tigers Trade
Tigers acquire Paddack from division rival Twins to plug rotation hole from Olson’s injury
SUMMARY: The Detroit Tigers have acquired starting pitcher Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins in a three-player trade. The Tigers announced that right-hander Reese Olson will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Paddack will debut for Detroit on Wednesday against Arizona. The Twins received catcher Enrique Jimenez, the Tigers’ 14th-best prospect, in exchange. Paddack went 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA for the Twins this season. The Tigers have struggled to find a fifth starter since Jackson Jobe needed surgery in May. Rookie Troy Melton is expected to move into a long-relief role.
WORDS: 844 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 5:05 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Red Sox-Twins
Twins top Red Sox 5-4 on 2-run single in 9th by Brooks Lee after 90-minute rain delay
SUMMARY: Brooks Lee hit a two-run single off Jordan Hicks in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox after a 90-minute rain delay. Roman Anthony put Boston in front with an RBI single off Twins closer Jhoan Duran. Hicks warmed up before the delay. He allowed a single to DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and hit Mickey Gasper and Willi Castro with consecutive pitches. Lee delivered his third walk-off hit this season. Alex Bregman homered for the second straight game with a three-run shot for the Red Sox in the fifth.
WORDS: 356 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 11:36 p.m. CDT
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BKL–Around the WNBA
Los Angeles Sparks riding five-game winning streak as 2nd half of season is underway
SUMMARY: No team has been playing better since the All-Star break then the Los Angeles Sparks and they’ve been doing it with a stellar offense. The team has won five straight games, including three on the road, heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Las Vegas Aces. It’s only the third time in the past five years that the team has won five or more games in a row. The Sparks had a nine-game winning streak in 2020 and a six-game one in 2023. Sparks coach Lynne Roberts says “we don’t play a traditional style, there’s a lot of freedom.”
WORDS: 484 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 11:53 a.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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BBO–MLB-Trade-Deadline
MLB trade deadline: Eugenio Suárez, Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly among prized players who could move
SUMMARY: The market is heating up in the last week before the July 31 trade deadline. Arizona sent Josh Naylor to Seattle on Thursday. The Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies on Friday while the Mets added left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles. More Diamondbacks could be traded, including slugger Eugenio Suárez and starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Mitch Keller and Sandy Alcantara could also be dealt.
WORDS: 896 – MOVED: 07/25/2025 2:58 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-Bubic
Royals pitcher Kris Bubic to miss rest of season with rotator cuff injury
SUMMARY: Kansas City Royals All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic will miss the rest of the season with a strained rotator cuff. The 27-year-old Bubic is 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA this season, earning his first All-Star selection. He gave up three runs and recorded just one out in the Midsummer Classic. Then he left Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians after allowing three earned runs on three hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. He said, “Physically, something’s not right.” Bubic was placed on the injured list Sunday.
WORDS: 109 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 7:03 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-Lugo
Pitcher Seth Lugo gets $46 million guaranteed by Kansas City Royals for 2026 and ’27
SUMMARY: The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $46 million, two-year contract with right-hander Seth Lugo for 2026 and 2027, a move that signals their intention to push for a second consecutive playoff appearance. The deal includes a $3 million signing bonus, annual salaries of $20 million and a $17 million club option for 2028. The 35-year-old could have become a free agent after this year’s World Series. Last season, he made his first All-Star Game and won his first Gold Glove. The Royals are four games back of the final AL wild card spot.
WORDS: 594 – MOVED: 07/27/2025 9:26 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Marlins-Cardinals
Andre Pallante allows 1 hit in 7 innings as Cardinals beat Marlins 7-1
SUMMARY: Andre Pallante allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 7-1. Pallante retired the first 10 batters before walking Jesús Sánchez in the fourth. Graham Pauley singled in the sixth for the Marlins’ lone hit against the St. Louis right-hander. Pallante struck out four, walked one and threw 49 of his 81 pitches for strikes. Alec Burleson homered for the Cardinals. Edward Cabrera pitched six solid innings for the Marlins but took the loss. He allowed two runs, one earned.
WORDS: 331 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 9:26 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Braves-Royals
Acuña, Ozuna and Riley homer as Braves end 5-game skid and Royals tie club mark with 14 walks
SUMMARY: Ronald Acuña Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley homered as the Atlanta Braves snapped a five-game losing streak with a 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals, who equaled a club record by walking 14 batters. It was the fourth time the Royals walked 14 and the first since 2006. Acuña hit a two-run homer, his 14th, in the third and an inning later Ozuna added another two-run shot, also his 14th. Riley hit a solo homer, his 15th, in the seventh — and his three-run double in the eighth made it 9-3. Spencer Strider pitched five innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Raisel Iglesias squelched a Royals rally in the ninth for his 12th save.
WORDS: 336 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 10:23 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Cardinals-Pallante
Cardinals’ Andre Pallante takes a no-hit bid into the 6th inning vs. Marlins
SUMMARY: St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante didn’t change his approach, even though he knew what was brewing as the innings rolled by without allowing a hit. Pallante took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins on Monday night. Graham Pauley broke up the no-hit bid with an infield single in the sixth. Pallante got out of that inning and worked a scoreless seventh. He had been 0-3 with a 9.76 ERA in his previous three starts.
WORDS: 536 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 10:39 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-Perez Out
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez hit by pitch on left elbow, leaves game with bruise
SUMMARY: Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch in the left elbow during Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves. The incident occurred in the third inning when Spencer Strider threw a 94 mph fastball. Perez stayed in the game until the fifth inning before being replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez is a nine-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove recipient. He was the 2015 World Series MVP and is currently batting .293 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs.
WORDS: 119 – MOVED: 07/28/2025 8:24 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Chiefs-Injuries
Chiefs’ Marquise Brown among several players injured in sweltering training camp practice
SUMMARY: Marquise Brown was among several Kansas City Chiefs players who left practice with injuries on Tuesday. The nearly 2 1/2-hour session took place in extreme heat. Coach Andy Reid said Brown hurt his ankle early in practice. Brown missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Reid mentioned that second-year standout Xavier Worthy also got injured but returned to practice. Skyy Moore left with a hamstring issue. Other players, including Jeffrey Bassa and Jake Briningstool, missed time because of injuries.
WORDS: 351 – MOVED: 07/29/2025 12:53 p.m. CDT
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