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South Dakota Lawmakers Push Forward Amended Bill to Aid Childcare Workers
RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota lawmakers have advanced an amended version of House Bill 1132 to help childcare workers find care for their own children. This bill would expand eligibility for the state’s childcare assistance program to workers earning up to three times the federal poverty level, which, for a single parent, is $63,000. South Dakota District 32 Representative Nicole Uhre-Balk emphasizes that this bill isn’t appropriating any extra funds. She called South Dakota’s childcare situation a “crisis” and hopes this bill will be an incentive to get more childcare workers into the workforce.
Attorney General Jackley Clarifies South Dakota’s Role in Section 504 Lawsuit
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley wants to clear up some concerns over South Dakota’s position in a multi-state lawsuit involving Section 504. Jackley said that the lawsuit will not eliminate school disability accommodations. According to Jackley, the lawsuit challenges the Biden administration’s categorization of gender dysphoria as a disability under Section 504. He emphasized it will not impact South Dakota school-age children with disabilities. Jackley says disabled students will continue to receive the services they were provided before the lawsuit was filed. South Dakota was one of 17 states that joined the Texas lawsuit in 2024. Last month, President Trump signed an executive order removing “gender identity disorders” from Section 504.
South Dakota Lawmakers Support Amtrak Expansion Through State
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota lawmakers are engineering a push for Amtrak expansion in the state. The State House has laid out a resolution in show of support for the passenger rail service to come through South Dakota in the near future. House Resolution 60-08 gives approval to a route connecting Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul that would pass through Rapid City, Pierre, and Sioux Falls. It also cites the energy efficiency and economic benefit of passenger rail service. There’s no request for any state funding to support the expansion in the resolution.
Delta jet flips upside down on a snowy Toronto runway and all 80 aboard survive
TORONTO (AP) — A Delta Air Lines plane has flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and ended up on its roof, injuring 18 people. The airport’s chief executive says all 80 people on board survived and those hurt had relatively minor injuries. The flight from Minneapolis attempted to land on a dry runway at around 2:15 p.m. Monday in Toronto. Wind gusts of up to 40 mph were blowing snow at the time. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Video from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR upside down on the snowy tarmac as emergency workers hosed it down. The plane was somewhat obscured by snow from a winter storm that hit Toronto over the weekend.
Russia and the US agree to work towards improving ties and ending the Ukraine war in landmark talks
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Russia and the U.S. have agreed to start working towards ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties. That came after talks between the top diplomats from Russia and the U.S. They reflected an extraordinary about-face in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the two sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks, and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation. He stressed that the talks marked the beginning of a conversation, and more work needs to be done down the road.
Hamas says it will free 6 living hostages and hand over four bodies, accelerating Gaza releases
CAIRO (AP) — A top Hamas leader says the militant group will release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and the bodies of four others on Thursday. The surprise increase in releases is apparently in return for Israel allowing long-requested mobile homes and construction equipment into the Gaza Strip. The six are the last living hostages set to be freed under the ceasefire’s first phase. The sides have yet to negotiate the second and more difficult phase, in which Hamas says it will only release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Elon Musk’s DOGE Targets IRS Amid Legal Scrutiny and Resignations
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is pushing ahead with federal workforce reductions despite facing multiple legal challenges. The IRS is the latest agency in DOGE’s crosshairs, as the department seeks to cut government size and eliminate what it calls waste, fraud, and abuse. The agency holds sensitive taxpayer data, including Social Security numbers and banking information, raising concerns about privacy and security. Meanwhile, several high-ranking officials have resigned, citing worries over DOGE staffers potentially accessing private taxpayer information unlawfully.
