WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Nineteen State Attorneys General submitted a public comment letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supporting its proposed rule on "Air Plan Approval; South Dakota; Regional Haze Plan for the Second Implementation Period." The Attorneys General stated that the agency's policy for evaluating state plans respects the Clean Air Act, state sovereignty, and furthers a commonsense approach to energy generation. The Attorneys General affirmed that a state's plan pre  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, July 30 -- The American Soybean Association issued the following news release on July 29, 2025: * * * ASA Testifies on Critical Role of U.S. Grain Standards in Global Soy Trade Brandon Wipf, American Soybean Association director and soybean farmer from Huron, South Dakota, testified today before the Senate Agriculture Committee during a hearing on reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act. Wipf emphasized the critical role the law has in supporting U.S. ag exports   more

SPEARFISH, South Dakota, Aug. 1 -- Black Hills State University issued the following news: * * * BHSU Awarded $700,000 to Launch Germanium-Based Research The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Black Hills State University (BHSU) $700,000 to launch germanium-based research, with promising applications in dark matter detection and medical imaging. BHSU is part of the Ge-STAR: Germanium-based Science and Technology Advancement Research consortium of six South Dakota universities that   more

SPEARFISH, South Dakota, July 31 -- Black Hills State University issued the following news: * * * BHSU Exercise Science Program Receives CAAHEP Accreditation The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has accredited the exercise science program at Black Hills State University (BHSU). The accreditation affirms the program meets the highest standards for quality in health education and represents a milestone in BHSU's mission to prepare students for excellence   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45997) on July 31, 2025, entitled "Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities - Structural Features and Function:" (Continued from Part 3 of 5) * * * Northern Great Plains Regional Authority The Northern Great Plains Regional Authority (NGPRA) was created by the 2002 farm bill./163 The NGPRA was created to address economic distress in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri (other than counties included   more

RAPID CITY, South Dakota, July 31 -- The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology issued the following news release: * * * High School Students Explore STEM Careers Through Research Program at South Dakota Mines From micrometeorites to biomedical materials, high school students participating in the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) at South Dakota Mines are gaining hands-on experience in cutting-edge STEM research. This summer, students are working alongside undergraduate and gradu  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Johnson Honors the Isakson Family with the "Angels in Adoption" Award * Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) congratulated Marcus and Jackie Isakson of Hill City for being chosen as South Dakota's 2025 Angels in Adoption honorees. "It's evident the Isaksons have a big heart for fostering and adoption, providing a loving home for kids who need one," said Johnso  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Johnson Safeguards U.S. Infrastructure from Chinese Spy Technology * Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, re-introduced his legislation to prohibit the Department of Transportation from using foreign adversary digital 3-D mapping technology  more

RAPID CITY, South Dakota, July 31 -- The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology issued the following news release: * * * Mines Professor Builds Smarter Models to Decode Material Performance Under Extreme Conditions What happens when cutting-edge materials reach their breaking point? A new research project at South Dakota Mines is tackling that question head-on--developing smarter computer models to predict how ultra-strong, metal-ceramic composites fail under extreme conditions. From j  more

RAPID CITY, South Dakota, Aug. 2 -- NDN Collective, an indigenous-led organization dedicated to building indigenous power, issued the following news release on Aug. 1, 2025: * * * Nick Tilsen's Evidentiary Hearing Concludes, Case Taken Under Advisement Rapid City, SD - Today, after three days of evidentiary hearings around a case involving NDN Collective founder and CEO Nick Tilsen - two days occurring in June and one taking place today - the judge has taken the case under advisement, request  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Rounds Advances Major Housing Wins for South Dakota in Committee Markup * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today successfully advanced key housing priorities for South Dakota during a bipartisan markup in the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. As part of the Road to Housing Act, Rounds secured the inclusion of four of his bills, delivering the first major update   more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Rounds Delivers Opening Remarks at Securities, Insurance and Investments Subcommittee Hearing * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investments, today delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled "Guardrails and Growth: AI's Role in Capital and Insurance Markets." This  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Rounds Introduces Legislation to Modernize Veteran Burial Scheduling System, Provide Clarity to Families * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today introduced legislation to modernize the Veterans' Administration's National Cemetery Administration's (NCA) burial scheduling system and provide   more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Rounds Reintroduces Legislation Supporting AI Innovation in Financial Services * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and U.S. Representatives French Hill (R-Ark.), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) today reintroduced bipart  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The U.S. Senate conducted seven committee hearings on July 29, 2025: * * * U.S. GRAIN STANDARDS ACT Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a hearing to examine perspectives on reauthorization of the United States Grain Standards Act, after receiving testimony from Nick Friant, Cargill, Inc., Chanhassen, Minnesota, on behalf of the National Grain and Feed Association; Kia Mikesh, American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agenci  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune Welcomes South Dakota Soybean Farmer to Testify at Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today welcomed Brandon Wipf, a soybean farmer from Huron, South Dakota, to testify on the importance of reauthorizing the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) at a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition he  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune, Klobuchar, Moran, Smith Introduce Legislation to Bolster Conservation Reserve Program * WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today introduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Improvement and Flexibility Act. The legislation would bolster CRP by improving access to grazing, maximizing enrollment options f  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune: Democrats Are Wasting Time and Losing Ground * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune's remarks below (as delivered): "Mr. President, appropriations season is well underway. "The Senate Appropriations Committee has so far passed six bipartisan appropriations bills,  more

WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune: Democrats' Historic Obstruction Sets Dangerous and Ugly Precedent * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune's remarks below (as delivered): "Mr. President, I know that August is approaching, but we still have some serious work to do here in Washington. "We need to m  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune: The One Big Beautiful Bill Delivers for America's Farmers and Ranchers * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune's remarks below (as delivered): "Madam President, the last few years have been some of the most challenging in recent memory for America's farmers and ranc  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune: The One Big Beautiful Bill Makes Life Better for Hardworking Americans * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune's remarks below (as delivered): "Mr. President, we're coming up on the one-month anniversary of Senate passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill. "And there'  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Thune: The Only Thing Democrats Are Confirming Is Their Trump Derangement Syndrome * Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership: Thune's remarks below (as delivered): "Well, good afternoon, everyone. "As you all know, we are spending a good amount of our time and energy he  more

WAYNE, Nebraska, July 30 -- Wayne State College issued the following news release: * * * Nelsen Selected for CASE's Mid-Career Fellowship Program The year-long fellowship provides an immersive professional development experience with a strong focus on mentorship, career planning, leadership development, and networking. Melissa Nelsen, director of major gifts for the Wayne State Foundation, has been selected as one of 10 professionals by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's   more