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Stories from October 8, 2025

Israel and Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting and release hostages, Trump says

Israel and Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting and release hostages, Trump says

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza. That paves the way for a pause in the fighting and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
by The Associated Press

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Former state trooper admits to sexually assaulting baby, creating videos

Former state trooper admits to sexually assaulting baby, creating videos

A former Minnesota state trooper pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of producing and distributing child sex abuse images. In April, FBI agents identified Jeremy Francis Plonski as the person seen in videos sexually assaulting a baby.
by Matt Sepic

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Annunciation victim count increases; Legislative special session possibility

Minneapolis police say they've identified more people who were hurt in the August shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, bringing the total count to 30 victims. Gov. Tim Walz is walking back prior remarks that he'd call a special legislative session with or without an agreement with lawmakers.

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Faith leaders denounce mosque fire and break-in, temple vandalism

Faith leaders denounce mosque fire and break-in, temple vandalism

Wednesday morning, security guards at Temple Israel discovered the synagogue had been vandalized. Days earlier, there was a break-in at Alhikmah Islamic Center. Authorities are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime.
by Nina Moini, Ellie Roth and Matt Sepic

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An AI tool is generating police reports for some Minnesota departments, prompting legal concerns

An AI tool is generating police reports for some Minnesota departments, prompting legal concerns

Investigative reporter Kirsten Swanson joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition Wednesday with her findings on who’s using the generative AI tool, the legal concerns and what it means for law and order in Minnesota.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

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Morning Announcements for Oct. 8

Morning Announcements for Oct. 8

These are the Morning Announcements for Wednesday, Oct. 8. Tell us what you’re celebrating!
by MPR News Staff

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National Guard troops are outside Chicago and could be in Memphis soon in Trump's latest deployment

National Guard troops are outside Chicago and could be in Memphis soon in Trump's latest deployment

National Guard troops are positioned outside Chicago and could soon be in Memphis as President Donald Trump's administration pushes ahead with an aggressive policy toward big-city crime, whether local leaders support it or not.
by The Associated Press

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Comey pleads not guilty to Trump Justice Department case accusing him of lying to Congress

Comey pleads not guilty to Trump Justice Department case accusing him of lying to Congress

Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to lying to Congress five years ago. The plea kick-starts a process of legal wrangling in which defense lawyers will almost certainly move to get the indictment dismissed before trial, possibly by arguing the case amounts to a selective or vindictive prosecution.
by The Associated Press

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MPR News' regional reporters on the importance of living where they report

MPR News' regional reporters on the importance of living where they report

MPR News guest host Catharine Richert talks with some of our regional reporters about what it means to report on the communities they live in and why that connection matters. 
by Catharine Richert and Cari Dwyer

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These numbers show how 2 years of war have devastated Palestinian lives in Gaza

These numbers show how 2 years of war have devastated Palestinian lives in Gaza

It’s been two years since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israeli leaders promised a punishing offensive. Here are some numbers showing the war’s toll.
by The Associated Press

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Research on metal-organic frameworks gets the chemistry Nobel Prize

Research on metal-organic frameworks gets the chemistry Nobel Prize

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi will share the prize. Their structures can “capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyse chemical reactions,” the committee said.
by The Associated Press

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Michigan creates additional marijuana tax to fund Whitmer’s plan to ’fix the damn roads’

Michigan creates additional marijuana tax to fund Whitmer’s plan to ’fix the damn roads’

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed into law a new 24 percent tax on marijuana to create new revenue that will help fund long-promised major road repairs. The new wholesale tax will be levied on the sale of marijuana from producers to retailers.
by The Associated Press

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Vandalism at Minneapolis synagogue leads to hate crime investigation

Minneapolis police and federal officials are investigating vandalism at a Minneapolis synagogue as a hate crime. And Gov. Tim Walz says state leaders are preparing for a possible National Guard deployment in Minnesota.
by Phil Picardi

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Democrats take legal aim at ‘the Radical Left’ language during shutdown

Democrats take legal aim at ‘the Radical Left’ language during shutdown

Democrats and a federal union argue that Trump administration language posted on federal agency websites and some emails blaming a shutdown on the “Radical Left Democrats” violates a 1939 federal law.
by Kirk Siegler

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Chilly start, but sunshine and warmer temperatures ahead

Chilly start, but sunshine and warmer temperatures ahead

After a cold start, we’ll see lots of sun with seasonable temperatures near normal Wednesday. Temperatures will trend upward Thursday and into the weekend. 
by Sven Sundgaard

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Russian strike seriously damages Ukrainian power plant as winter approaches, officials say

Russian strike seriously damages Ukrainian power plant as winter approaches, officials say

Ukrainian authorities say a Russian strike has seriously damaged one of Ukraine’s thermal power plants in an overnight attack, as Moscow pursued its campaign to deny Ukrainians heat, light and running water as winter approaches. DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest electricity operator, said Wednesday that two workers were injured in the attack.
by The Associated Press

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Clean energy tax credits are ending, but higher electricity costs still driving interest in solar

Clean energy tax credits are ending, but higher electricity costs still driving interest in solar

President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill did away with several clean energy incentives, including tax credits that helped lower the cost of installing solar, batteries, heat pumps and making homes more energy efficient. Some homeowners are moving forward with energy projects anyway.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Property taxes are headed up in Minnesota. What’s behind the spike?

Property taxes are headed up in Minnesota. What’s behind the spike?

As local governments set their budgets, many are leaning on higher property taxes to deal with inflation, new state requirements or drawdowns in federal program backing.
by Peter Cox

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A play, a pandemic — and 5 years later, a new Minnesota film

A play, a pandemic — and 5 years later, a new Minnesota film

From Zoom-era beginnings to a festival-ready feature, “What You Can’t Keep” shows how one Minnesota theater reinvented itself on film.
by Jacob Aloi

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Rapidan Dam failure still harms the Blue Earth River while most other Minnesota waters improve

Rapidan Dam failure still harms the Blue Earth River while most other Minnesota waters improve

Minnesota’s rivers and lakes are slowly getting healthier, according to the latest water quality report by the state's Pollution Control Agency, but the pollution still threatens many of the state’s waterways. And the Blue Earth River is one that is hurting and is in need of intensive care. 
by Hannah Yang

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