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South Dakota Searchlight
Dusty Johnson wrong about Jordan, right about Republicans
Let’s give Rep. Dusty Johnson the benefit of the doubt, and excuse him for delivering a nominating speech for Rep. Jim Jordan during Jordan’s quest to become the speaker of the House. With the way the world is right now, it’s easy to believe that Johnson thought it best to get someone, anyone, elected. As […] The post Dusty Johnson wrong about Jordan, right about Republicans appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Millions of grassland acres lost in Great Plains, new research report says
The Great Plains lost 1.6 million acres of grasslands in 2021. That’s according to a World Wildlife Fund report released on Thursday, detailing the loss of grasslands in the U.S. and Canadian Great Plains. From 2012 to 2021, grassland conversion in the Great Plains totaled 32 million acres, or 50,000 square miles. The Plowprint report […] The post Millions of grassland acres lost in Great Plains, new research report says appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Mike Johnson of Louisiana elected speaker of the U.S. House after three weeks of stalemate
UPDATED 4:40 p.m. Central, 10/25/23 WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday voted for Louisiana’s Mike Johnson as speaker in a chamber that has been frozen for more than three weeks after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted. In a 220-209 party-line vote, all Republicans present backed Johnson, 51, a strongly conservative lawyer who represents […] The post Mike Johnson of Louisiana elected speaker of the U.S. House after three weeks of stalemate appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Regulators vote to release Dakota Access Pipeline’s road bond and public liaison officer
South Dakota utility regulators voted Tuesday in Pierre to release the road bond and the public liaison officer associated with a controversial crude oil pipeline. The Public Utilities Commission move comes six years after the Dakota Access Pipeline’s completion in 2017. The road bond is a financial guarantee requiring the pipeline company to cover any […] The post Regulators vote to release Dakota Access Pipeline’s road bond and public liaison officer appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Feds pledge $2.3 billion to boost ag exports amid farm bill uncertainty
Federal agricultural officials plan to spend up to $2.3 billion to promote farm exports and to send U.S. grain to countries that are suffering food shortages. “This will complement existing trade promotion programs as we await Congress’ action on both the budget and the farm bill,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tuesday. The […] The post Feds pledge $2.3 billion to boost ag exports amid farm bill uncertainty appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Emmer nominated for U.S. House speaker but drops out after Trump opposition
UPDATED 4:15 p.m. Central, 10/24/23 WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans Tuesday voted to tap Minnesota’s Tom Emmer as speaker following five rounds of ballots — but Emmer quit the race just four hours later, after he was attacked by the GOP’s most powerful figure, former President Donald Trump. After beating six candidates, Emmer, the No. […] The post Emmer nominated for U.S. House speaker but drops out after Trump opposition appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State joins lawsuit accusing Meta of fueling children’s social media addiction
South Dakota has joined 32 other states in a federal lawsuit that accuses Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to intentionally addict children and teens, in violation of state and federal laws that protect consumers and children’s online privacy. The states say that Meta knew its platforms psychologically harmed youth but hid those harms and […] The post State joins lawsuit accusing Meta of fueling children’s social media addiction appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Mysterious monument for mountain man Hugh Glass has been moved to Nebraska
BANCROFT, Nebraska — A 3,200-pound concrete “altar of courage,” holding a mysterious and possibly valuable literary manuscript, found a new home Monday in this northeast Nebraska farm town. With the help of a powerful forklift, the monument, built by poet/author John Neihardt and others to honor the heroic crawl of mountain man Hugh Glass after […] The post Mysterious monument for mountain man Hugh Glass has been moved to Nebraska appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Eight Republicans are running for U.S. House speaker. Here’s your guide to the field.
UPDATED 7 p.m. Central, 10/23/23 WASHINGTON — The eight Republican candidates to be speaker of the U.S. House were set to make their cases to their colleagues Monday evening, as the House Republican Conference restarted its process to choose a candidate. Nine had filed on Sunday to run for speaker but on Monday night Pennsylvania […] The post Eight Republicans are running for U.S. House speaker. Here’s your guide to the field. appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
South Dakota taxpayer dollars spent to make governor look good
Gov. Kristi Noem is a little young to be suffering from long-term memory loss, but she seems to be forgetting this statement she made to the Legislature during her 2022 budget address: “I recognize that taxpayer dollars are not our own – they belong to the people of South Dakota. We all must remember throughout […] The post South Dakota taxpayer dollars spent to make governor look good appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Baltic controversy serves as cautionary tale about big development in small towns
BALTIC — Mayor Deborah McIsaac said she was shocked when she took office in 2022 and discovered a housing development in town had been given the green light without basic paperwork ensuring accountability. “I’m like, ‘seriously?’” McIsaac said. The situation evolved into a political crisis — including a failed mayoral recall — for the town […] The post Baltic controversy serves as cautionary tale about big development in small towns appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Navigator cancels its carbon pipeline project
A company that sought to build a $3 billion carbon sequestration pipeline in South Dakota and several other states announced Friday that it’s giving up on the plan. “Given the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa, the Company has decided to cancel its pipeline project,” said […] The post Navigator cancels its carbon pipeline project appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Biden in address to nation calls for support for both Israel and Ukraine
President Joe Biden reasserted his support for Israel and Ukraine in their conflicts, saying in an Oval Office address Thursday evening that those countries’ wars against terrorist and tyrannical opponents were crucial to U.S. and world interests and asking Congress to fund a military aid package. After nearly two weeks focusing almost entirely on Israel, […] The post Biden in address to nation calls for support for both Israel and Ukraine appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Advocates express patience as Medicaid expansion enrollments trail projections
Expanded Medicaid eligibility is attracting fewer enrollments so far than the state anticipated, but some industry insiders say that’s to be expected. Projections indicated about 52,000 people would be eligible for coverage under the expansion. The number of expansion enrollees reached somewhere between 11,000 and 12,000 as of Tuesday’s Board of Social Services meeting in […] The post Advocates express patience as Medicaid expansion enrollments trail projections appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Federal agency clarifies it would permit a replacement marker in South Dakota for mountain man
LINCOLN, Nebraska — A federal agency is clarifying its stance on allowing a replacement marker to be installed after the removal this upcoming weekend of a monument to the heroic odyssey of a 1800s mountain man in a remote corner of South Dakota. Elizabeth Smith, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said Wednesday […] The post Federal agency clarifies it would permit a replacement marker in South Dakota for mountain man appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
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We use our journalistic searchlight to illuminate critical issues facing South Dakota, dissect the decisions made by state leaders, and explain the consequences of their policies and the role of politics on South Dakotans. We publish news and commentary that prioritizes accuracy, fairness, insight and civility. There is no charge to access our content, or to subscribe to our email newsletter. We invite and publish guest commentary that contributes to productive public discourse and adheres to our editorial policies. South Dakota Searchlight launched in 2022. We’re an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The staff of the Searchlight retains full editorial independence.
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