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.
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IOWA – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKW–BIG 12 PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An unpredictable season in the Big 12 reaches the conferences tournament, where top-seeded TCU tries to take another big step amid a dream season and Iowa State and Kansas State try to make good on seasons of high expectations that went through serious road bumps during the regular season. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 5 p.m. CT.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 2:00 p.m. CST, Text
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BKC–T25-BYU-IOWA STATE
DESCRIPTION: AMES, Iowa — No. 10 Iowa State hosts No. 23 BYU in the home finale at Hilton Coliseum. By Pavle Markovic. 300 words, photos. Game starts 9 p.m.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 8:00 p.m. CST, Text
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KANSAS – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
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US–CONGRESS-TOWN HALLS
Speaker Johnson tells GOP lawmakers to skip town halls after an onslaught of protests
SUMMARY: House Speaker Mike Johnson is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been rife with protesters. The speaker’s advice on Tuesday comes as GOP lawmakers often find themselves at a loss to explain the Trump administration cuts led by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. As workers are being fired coast to coast, Democrats are jumping in to shine a bright light on what is happening. Johnson said lawmakers could meet in small venues or on telephone town halls. He echoed President Donald Trump’s claim that the demonstrations are just paid protesters. Democrats say Republicans are afraid to speak honestly about cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs.
WORDS: 943 – MOVED: 03/04/2025 11:35 a.m. CST
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:749d91ea516284057e4c7bcb1615527e&mediaType=text
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KANSAS – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKW–BIG 12 PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An unpredictable season in the Big 12 reaches the conferences tournament, where top-seeded TCU tries to take another big step amid a dream season and Iowa State and Kansas State try to make good on seasons of high expectations that went through serious road bumps during the regular season. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 5 p.m. CT.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 2:00 p.m. CST, Text
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MINNESOTA – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
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US–TARGET-RESULTS
Target posts strong Q4 profits and sales, but warns of cautious spending as tariffs take hold
SUMMARY: Sales and profits slipped for Target during the crucial holiday quarter as customers held back on spending. Target said there will be “meaningful pressure” on its profits to start the year because of tariffs and other costs. Shares of the company fell in midday trading even as the retailer’s results beat estimates. Target reported net income of $1.1 billion, or $2.41 per share, far better than the $2.26 that Wall Street was expecting. That is down from the $1.38 billion profit the company reported in the same period the prior year, though the most recent quarter had one fewer week. Sales fell to $30.91 billion from $31.9 billion but also beat expectations.
WORDS: 903 – MOVED: 03/04/2025 11:55 a.m. CST
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b&mediaType=text
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US–OBIT-JOEY MOLLAND
Joey Molland, a guitarist with 1970s Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger, dies at 77
SUMMARY: Joey Molland, a guitarist with the Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger that was known for such 1970s hits as “No Matter What” and “Day After Day,” has died at age 77. Badfinger was a quartet that also included singer-guitarist Pete Ham, bassist Tom Evans and drummer Tom Gibbins. They were among the first acts signed to Apple after the Beatles launched it in 1968 and would remain closely associated with the Beatles throughout their brief years of success. Molland even grew up near Liverpool’s Penny Lane, immortalized in the Beatles song of the same name. Molland’s death was confirmed Tuesday by Sam Sheffield-West, the funeral director at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels in Edina, Minnesota. Molland had lived in the state for decades.
WORDS: 490 – MOVED: 03/04/2025 10:24 a.m. CST
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a375f367c6aac87c97aa3a0da71e9256&mediaType=text
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MINNESOTA – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKN–76ERS-TIMBERWOLVES
DESCRIPTION: MINNEAPOLIS — The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Minnesota Timberwolves. By Brian Hall. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 7:00 p.m. CST, Photo, Text
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HKN–WILD-KRAKEN
DESCRIPTION: The Minnesota Wild visit the Seattle Kraken. 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 9:00 p.m. CST, Text
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MISSOURI – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
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US–SEVERE WEATHER
Powerful US storms bring threats ranging from critical fire weather to blizzard conditions
SUMMARY: Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest. Forecasts on Tuesday also predicted dust storms in the southwest, tornadoes in the South and blizzard conditions in the Central Plains, and were forcing some changes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The storms are among the first big tests for meteorologists at the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired under President Donald Trump. New Orleans moved up its two biggest Mardi Gras Day parades and cut down their routes to try to avoid the potentially destructive weather.
WORDS: 855 – MOVED: 03/04/2025 12:14 p.m. CST
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:579b9ec79b2c5f08e977e018a73aab81&mediaType=text
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MISSOURI – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKW–BIG 12 PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An unpredictable season in the Big 12 reaches the conferences tournament, where top-seeded TCU tries to take another big step amid a dream season and Iowa State and Kansas State try to make good on seasons of high expectations that went through serious road bumps during the regular season. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 5 p.m. CT.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 2:00 p.m. CST, Text
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BKC–SAINT LOUIS-DAYTON
DESCRIPTION: Saint Louis plays Dayton at UD Arena. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 6:00 p.m. CST, Text
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NEBRASKA – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKC–CREIGHTON-SETON HALL
DESCRIPTION: Creighton plays Seton Hall at Prudential Center. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 6:00 p.m. CST, Text
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BKC–NEBRASKA-OHIO STATE
DESCRIPTION: Nebraska plays Ohio State at Value City Arena. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 8:00 p.m. CST, Text
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OKLAHOMA – NEW AND DEVELOPING – NEWS
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US–SEVERE WEATHER
Powerful US storms bring threats ranging from critical fire weather to blizzard conditions
SUMMARY: Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest. Forecasts on Tuesday also predicted dust storms in the southwest, tornadoes in the South and blizzard conditions in the Central Plains, and were forcing some changes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The storms are among the first big tests for meteorologists at the National Weather Service after hundreds of forecasters were fired under President Donald Trump. New Orleans moved up its two biggest Mardi Gras Day parades and cut down their routes to try to avoid the potentially destructive weather.
WORDS: 855 – MOVED: 03/04/2025 12:14 p.m. CST
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:579b9ec79b2c5f08e977e018a73aab81&mediaType=text
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OKLAHOMA – UPCOMING – SPORTS
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BKW–BIG 12 PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An unpredictable season in the Big 12 reaches the conferences tournament, where top-seeded TCU tries to take another big step amid a dream season and Iowa State and Kansas State try to make good on seasons of high expectations that went through serious road bumps during the regular season. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 5 p.m. CT.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 2:00 p.m. CST, Text
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BKW–SEC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
DESCRIPTION: GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dawn Staley has won eight SEC titles since taking over as head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team. She said winning a ninth will be tougher than the others. The SEC has five teams ranked in the top 12 in the country, including No. 1 Texas. The addition of Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma makes winning the SEC tourney for a third straight year a daunting task for the two-time defending champion Gamecocks. By Steve Reed. 750 words, photos by 3 p.m. EST
SENT: By 03/04/2025 2:00 p.m. CST, Text
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BKC–TEMPLE-TULSA
DESCRIPTION: Temple plays Tulsa at Donald W. Reynolds Center. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merit.
UPCOMING: By 03/04/2025 7:00 p.m. CST, Text
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