Opinion

Dear editor, Government Can Do Bad #2 In July Congressional Republicans passed and Trump signed the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill“ (BBB), the contents of which were the subject of my July 2 “Government Can Do Bad #1” letter. In a letter entitled “Promises made, promises kept with new tax bill” published in the July 9 edition of the Mitchell Republic, our South Dakota Congressional Senator John Thune casts this budget bill in a completely positive – even glorious – light, proclaiming the BBB fulfills the Republican and Trump promise to make America more prosperous. Today I take issue with Sen. Thune, focusing on his extremely narrow point of reference of what constitutes “more prosperous” and the public deception contained therein.

The Dakota Farmers’ Leader (Canton) of August 14, 1896, on page two; contained the following headline: “All the “Blind Pigs” at Huron Have Gone Out of Business - Trade Did Not Justify Keeping Open and Paying $40 Per Month Fine.” The story went on to explain that all the ‘Blind Pigs’ at Huron had gone out of business.

Strong, safe, and free—our state is all three of those things, and it’s my mission as your Governor to keep it that way. When it comes to safety, one of our biggest opportunities to move the needle is in Sioux Falls—and that’s what my administration will accomplish with Operation: Prairie Thunder.

On July 18, 2025, Governor Larry Rhoden announced the date of the special session to consider and pass legislation for a new prison. The special session will be on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. CT. Governor Rhoden signed an Executive Proclamation formally announcing the special session.

ERSPECTIVE Dear Editor, The 2024 Nobel Prize in physics was jointly awarded to John Hopfield of Princeton University and Geoffrey Hinton of the University of Toronto for their work on AI. Hopfield was called the godfather of AI when he resigned from Google and, in 2023, issued warnings about the potential risks of its misuse. We are all in the world of AI, when we watch TV ads where squirrels talk to pigeons, if we watch TV shows and movies, and when we make payments over our mobile devices, where we deal with AI assistants. AI is great at making multiple math calculations, in managing repetitive computer guidance decisions like in manufacturing and when I do these talk-to-text articles, AI suggests the next grammatically correct word or phrase. The danger Hopfield was referring to is in this world of AI-generated communication services on your device, where you get your news, like Facebook or True Social, or TikTok. Can you really trust the truth of that news? My answer is to check multiple sources. Trump stopped federal regulation of AI in his B.B,Bill. We are also in a world of AI-generated scams on our devices.

Fort Pierre Chouteau, also just Fort Pierre, was a major trading post and military outpost in the mid-19th century on the west bank of the Missouri River in what is now central South Dakota. Established in 1832 by Pierre Chouteau, Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, whose family were major fur traders, this facility operated through the 1850s.

For years, South Dakota has grappled with the fact that its 144-year-old State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls needs replacement, yet consensus on where and how to build it has remained elusive. Governor Larry Rhoden created the Project Prison Reset task force earlier this year to achieve consensus to solve this problem.

George Catlin was an American painter and traveler who spent much of his career studying the customs of Native Americans under threat from the expansion of the United States of America. Catlin made numerous trips on steamers up and down the Missouri River where he came into contact with countless natives which he recorded on canvas. He is most famous for his portraits of Native American leaders, many of which are now in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

After the Bronco fundraiser, a matching pledge challenge up to $200,000 was issued, beginning July 9, 2024. Since that time, various fundraisers have been held, and the total amount of money toward the matching funds is currently at $79,867.30, but this does not include any donations made during the month of July.

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced July 22, 2025, that Richard Alan Kucera, age 67, of Winner, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child and two counts of Production of Child Pornography following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 18, 2025.