South Dakota News

Watch: Zelenskyy tells Congress ‘We need you right now’

Zelenskyy is rallying support against Russia’s crushing invasion.

WASHINGTON – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Pearl Harbor and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on Wednesday in appealing to the U.S. Congress to do more to help Ukraine’s fight against Russia. We need you right now,” Zelenskyy said in remarks livestreamed at the U.S. Capitol. He added, “I call on you to do more.” Lawmakers gave him…

Regulators to consider Keystone XL pipeline’s exit

PIERRE, S.D. – More than a year after President Biden revoked the federal permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, lawyers for the project are asking South Dakota regulators to consider nearly all activities in the state officially ended. Parent company TC Energy has filed a motion with the state’s Public Utilities Commission asking the three-member panel to release a…

Watch: Biden bans Russian oil imports

WASHINGTON – President Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports. Energy exports have kept a steady influx of cash flowing…

Man guilty in sex trafficking sting gets 14 years in prison

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man indicted in an undercover sex trafficking sting during the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Christopher Truax was found guilty last November of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet, a federal charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. According to prosecutors,…

Abortion pill limit headed to South Dakota Senate

South Dakota CapitolPIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Republican senators advanced a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem that would make the state one of the most difficult to get abortion pills. A vote on the Senate floor has not been scheduled. But its actual enactment depends on a federal court ruling. Every Republican on the Senate Health and Human Services committee…

South Dakota House committee rejects recreational pot bill

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota House Republicans have dismissed a proposal to legalize recreational pot for adults. The bill that was tossed Monday narrowly passed the Republican-controlled Senate last week. Lawmakers reasoned they should try to stay ahead of a campaign to get recreational marijuana back on the ballot this November. But lawmakers on the House State Affairs committee dismissed…

CDC says most Americans can take a break from masks

WASHINGTON  – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most Americans, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new guidelines released Friday. The CDC outlined the new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing its grip, with less of a focus on positive test results and more on what’s happening at…

Cramer, Hoeven introduce TRUCKERS Act

FARGO (KVRR) – North Dakota U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven are co-sponsoring a bill that would exempt non-U.S. citizen commercial truck drivers from vaccination requirements when temporarily entering the United States from Canada or Mexico. The bill is called the Terminating Reckless and Unnecessary Checks Known to Erode Regular Shipping (TRUCKERS) Act. “Vaccine mandates for truckers to enter…