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Valentina Cruz / AI:Nvidia-backed Microducks Surge as Holiday Toy ContenderA viral keynote demo propelled the open-source robot to 20,000 preorders, positioning it as a potential top seller for the upcoming holiday season.

Emily Carter / Washington:Federal Prosecutors Target Virginia Powerhouse in Midterm Eve CrackdownAn 82-year-old state senator and top Democratic figure faces racketeering and money laundering charges tied to a cannabis venture, sparking debate over the timing of the indictment just weeks before the midterms.

More: Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas Charged in Federal Racketeering and Marijuana Case, Auburn, Illinois State, Tulsa and New Mexico Reach NIT Final Four in Indianapolis

Fatima Zayed / Tech:Pentagon Protocol: Hegseth Curbs Prediction Market Bets Amid Security ConcernsThe Secretary of Defense has directed military staff to avoid wagering on geopolitical outcomes to prevent enemy intelligence from deciphering strategic moves.

Gabriela Flores / Atlanta:Kremlin Greenlights Three-Way Ukraine Talks After Witkoff VisitMoscow has agreed to restart technical negotiations with Washington and Kyiv in mid-November, signaling a potential shift in the diplomatic landscape for the ongoing conflict.

More: Falcons' Throwback Profile Picture Revives Nazi-Imagery Comparisons Online, Family Pleads for Answers After Teen Fatally Shot at Clayton County Apartment Complex

Camila Rodriguez / Honolulu:Ground Broken on Hawaii's Largest Public Housing Redevelopment at Mayor Wright HomesState and city leaders marked the start of a mixed-income project in Kalihi-Palama that will replace the aging Honolulu complex with more than 2,400 homes in 10 towers.

Arjun Patel / Parker:Emails Show Air Academy Coach Refused to Risk 'Racial Abuse' Against Lutheran, as District Stayed QuietInternal Academy District 20 emails show a football coach declined to play Parker's Lutheran High School over alleged racist conduct, even as the district's public explanation cited only staffing.

Mariana Delgado / Madison:Team of Madison Dads Takes Top Prize at Red Bull Chariot Race on Langdon StreetMore than 3,000 spectators watched 24 teams race homemade chariots near Memorial Union on Oct. 17, with a crib-themed entry from four Madison men winning the $1,500 prize.

More: UW-Madison Students Look for Cheaper, Greener Ways to Dress for Halloween, Student Judiciary Dismisses Second Brief Alleging Violations in ASM Chair Election

Ama Boateng / Madison:Wisconsin men's tennis beats Penn at home, falls to Middle Tennessee State in a decisive third setThe Badgers moved to 6-6 after a 6-1 win over Pennsylvania in Madison and a narrow loss at Middle Tennessee State, leaving them still looking for a first road win.

More: UW-Madison Students Look for Cheaper, Greener Ways to Dress for Halloween, Student Judiciary Dismisses Second Brief Alleging Violations in ASM Chair Election

Chinedu Okafor / Dallas:Struggling Cowboys and Eagles Meet Monday With NFC East Lead Still Within ReachBoth 2-4 teams head into a Monday night game in Philadelphia in a division where the Giants lead at 3-2-1 and no one has pulled away.

More: Teen From McKinney Arrested in Alleged Plot Against Rep. Keith Self, Campaign Says, Property Brothers and Home Design Creators to Headline Inaugural DIY CON at Fair Park

Valentina Cruz / Corpus Christi:Downtown Corpus Christi Hosts 19th Día de los Muertos Festival Amid Weekend of Halloween EventsThe free Día de los Muertos Street Festival returns Saturday, joined by costume, race, pumpkin-painting and trick-or-treating events across the Coastal Bend.

More: State Letter Says Robstown-Area Water District Topped Arsenic and Dissolved-Solids Limits

Khalid Rahman / Cincinnati:Century-Old Dayton Gas Station Becomes Neighborhood Gathering Spot as Elliott CoffeeA family-founded café in a former gas station and mechanic shop in Dayton, Kentucky, is drawing long lines and fostering a small-town feel about 10 minutes from downtown Cincinnati.

More: Cincinnati Marks the Legacy of Silent-Film Star Theda Bara With Sold-Out Mariemont Screening, Madisonville Seniors Still Waiting on Speed Humps Near Medpace Parking Garage

Ama Boateng / Madison:Students Race to Secure Housing as Madison Rents ClimbWith rents near campus rising and high-rise apartments replacing older houses, University of Wisconsin-Madison students say the search for next year's housing now begins as early as summer.

More: UW-Madison Students Look for Cheaper, Greener Ways to Dress for Halloween, Student Judiciary Dismisses Second Brief Alleging Violations in ASM Chair Election

Ivan Petrov / Raleigh:Maggiano's, Millie's Ice Cream and South Block Headed to Raleigh as Triangle Dining Scene GrowsNew restaurant openings, Michelin Guide recognition and a busy slate of food events are shaping the Triangle's dining calendar heading into November.

Miguel Hernandez / Miami:Havana Harry's Reopens in Coral Gables After Year-Long RenovationThe Cuban restaurant, a Coral Gables fixture for more than three decades, has returned with a redesigned interior and its familiar menu intact.

More: Man, 67, Gets Six Years in Prison After Drunken Crash That Killed Sleeping Homeowner in Miami, Daughters of Slain Miami Springs Officer to Hear Their Father's Voice for the First Time