The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Rapid City Planning Commission Denies Conditional Use Permit for Warming Center at First Presbyterian Church
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Planning Commission voted last week to deny a conditional use permit to operate a warming center at First Presbyterian Church on the corner of 7th and Kansas City Street. The warming center would have been operated by the He Sapa Community Alliance and intended to provide the unhoused population with overnight shelter in the winter months. Members of First Presbyterian Church and the He Sapa Community Alliance were unhappy with the decision, stating that it will further harm the unhoused community. The Alliance has until 4pm on January 16th to submit an appeal.
South Dakota Senator Proposes Bill Requiring Ten Commandments to Be Posted and Taught in Public Schools
PIERRE, S.D. – One South Dakota banking expert is speaking out about a recent federal ruling that will remove certain debt from consumer credit reports, affecting about 15 million people. South Dakota Bankers Association President Karl Adam says the change to remove medical debt is not as good as it sounds. Adam says it’s important to have all debt information listed because, if not, the bank could give a loan that would realistically be difficult for that person to pay back. Close to 18 percent of South Dakota adults have medical debt, which is the highest percentage of any state.
Los Angeles wildfire deaths rise to 24 as more fierce winds are forecast
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters are preparing for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area. Crews made some progress battling the flames this weekend. The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. But even as containment increased in the worst of the fires, more bad news emerged from the ashes: The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing. Authorities said that number was also likely to rise. And the forecast was worrying. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday.
Progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say
CAIRO — Officials say U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal has not been reached yet. Four officials said Monday that progress has been made and that the coming days would be critical for ending more than 15 months of fighting that has destabilized the Middle East. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks. On several occasions over the past year, U.S. officials have said they were on the verge of reaching a deal, only to have the talks stall.
Firefighters hope for a break from fierce winds fueling devastating blazes in Los Angeles area
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters are hoping for a break from fierce winds fueling massive blazes in the Los Angeles area, killing 10 people, obliterating whole neighborhoods and setting the nation’s second-largest city on edge. The fires have burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday, when they first began popping up around a densely populated expanse north of downtown Los Angeles. No cause has been identified for the largest fires. The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. Dozens of blocks of scenic Pacific Palisades were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.
Russian forces bypass a key stronghold in a bid to cut off its supplies, a Ukrainian officer says
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian official says Russian forces are bypassing a key stronghold in eastern Ukraine that they have fought for months to capture and are focusing instead on cutting supply lines to it. Maj. Viktor Trehubov, a local Ukrainian army spokesperson, told The Associated Press on Monday that Russian troops are going around the vital logistics hub of Pokrovsk, where a steadfast Ukrainian defense has kept them at bay. He says the Russians are taking aim at a highway that leads from there to the central Ukraine city of Dnipro. That route is crucial for supplies feeding Ukrainian forces in the entire region. Cutting the highway traffic would also severely weaken Pokrovsk.
Incoming Trump team is questioning civil servants at National Security Council about their loyaltyWASHINGTON — Incoming senior Trump officials have begun questioning career civil servants serving on the White House National Security Council about who they voted for, their political contributions in the 2024 election and whether they’ve made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by the Trump team. That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with the issue who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Trump’s pick to serve as his national security adviser, Republican Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, tells Breitbart News he wants the NSC staffed by personnel who are “100 percent aligned” with Trump’s agenda. Some of these nonpolitical employees have begun packing up their belongings since being asked about their loyalty.
