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Rapid City Council Approves Citizen Committee to Oversee $12 Million Vision Fund Despite Opposition
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Council on Monday voted to form a citizen committee that will oversee $12 million dollars of Vision Fund money. Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun says he hopes the committee will include people living in each part of the city. He says the council will confirm his appointments and will have final say on fund allocations. Applications will become available soon and will be located on the City of Rapid City website. The vote to approve the committee was not unanimous as Ward 2 Alderman Bill Evans voted no. Evans says he wanted more citizen input before changing a successful 50-year plan.
Piedmont Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Teach and Display Ten Commandments in Public Schools
RAPID CITY, S.D. – A state lawmaker from Piedmont has introduced a bill that would require the Ten Commandments not only be posted, but taught in the state’s public schools. Senator John Carley says it’s important to recognize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in U.S. history. Carley hopes the Christian document is taught alongside other prominent documents, including the United States and South Dakota Constitutions, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. He said the mention of God does not equate to a push of a religion and points to the Christian God’s role in prominent documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta.
What to know about wildfires raining embers onto the Los Angeles area
LOS ANGELES — Fierce wildfires are raging in the Los Angeles area, with fast-moving flames burning through homes and businesses. Residents are fleeing smoke-filled canyons. Flaming embers are landing on homes and businesses in picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities. Many of the towering fires began Tuesday and they burned uncontained Wednesday. They were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gusted more than 70 mph in some spots. The winds made it too dangerous for aircraft to attack the fires from the sky, furthering hampering their efforts.
Southern US shivers as new winter storm threatens snow for Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
NORFOLK, Va. — A developing winter storm is threatening to drop snow, sleet and freezing rain on parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. National Weather Service meteorologists predicted wintry precipitation across the southern Plains region starting Wednesday night. The new storm comes on the heels of an arctic blast that descended on much of the country east of the Rockies over the weekend. The wintry weather caused car accidents, flight cancellations and school closures. Crews in Arlington, Texas, were preparing the roads for an expected snowstorm Thursday that could make driving tricky ahead of Friday’s Cotton Bowl game between Ohio State and Texas.
Trump transition
President-elect Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the Middle East could face severe consequences if hostages still held in Gaza are not returned before his January 20 inauguration. “It will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said during a news conference. In the same remarks, Trump discussed his second-term agenda, including not ruling out military action to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. He also suggested using “economic force” to potentially make Canada the 51st U.S. state and proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
Cybertruck explosion
A Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas last week was planned with the use of artificial intelligence, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities say the driver, an active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret, utilized ChatGPT to gather information for his plot. Police did not disclose the specific responses the chatbot provided to his searches on explosives, firearms, or anonymous cell phone purchases. The soldier fatally shot himself shortly before the explosion, which injured seven others.
Meta Replaces Fact Checkers with Community Notes in Major Content Moderation Overhaul
Meta announced significant changes to content moderation on Facebook and Instagram, including the removal of fact checkers in favor of user-generated “community notes,” similar to Elon Musk’s X. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that fact checkers have been “too politically biased,” undermining trust rather than fostering it. “What started as a movement to be more inclusive has been used to silence differing opinions, and it’s gone too far,” Zuckerberg stated. However, he acknowledged a “tradeoff,” admitting the changes could lead to an increase in harmful content on the platform. The company also updated its hateful conduct policy, broadening the types of content users can now post.
