US National Weather Services warns of ‘widespread’ winter storm hazards

More than 15 million people under winter advisory while several areas in midwest and Great Plains face intense snowstorms

More than 15 million people are under a winter advisory as of Tuesday, as several areas in the midwest and Great Plains face intense snowstorms, Axios reported.

Storm warnings are in effect across a dozen states, including parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota.

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Marijuana, abortion, climate crisis: what was down the ballot in the midterm

The ‘green wave’ expanded to Maryland with voters opting for recreational cannabis while California voted to enshrine abortion

Voters across the US weighed in on a variety of ballot measures during the US midterms on Tuesday, passing judgement on everything from recreational drugs to abortion rights, to sports betting and the climate crisis.

Multiple states voted on whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana, part of a growing “green wave” that has already seen many relax their laws on cannabis use.

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South Dakota investigates governor’s use of state airplane

County prosecutor will decide whether Republican Kristi Noem broke an untested law to rein in questionable use of state plane

South Dakota’s governor, Kristi Noem, was returning from an official appearance in Rapid City in 2019 when she faced a decision: overnight in the capital of Pierre, where another trip would start the next day, or head home and see her son attend his high school prom?

The Republican governor chose the latter, a decision that eventually cost taxpayers about $3,700 when the state airplane dropped her off near her home and then returned the next day to pick her up.

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South Dakota teachers scramble for dollar bills to buy classroom supplies in half-time game – video

A competition pitting 10 teachers against each other to scramble for dollar bills to fund school supplies in a city in South Dakota has been described as ‘demeaning’ and drawn comparisons with the hit Netflix series Squid Game.

The local Argus Leader newspaper reported that $5,000 (£3,770) in single dollar bills was laid out on the ice skating ring during the Sioux Falls Stampede hockey game on Saturday night, and the teachers from nearby schools competed to grab as many as possible in less than five minutes

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Republicans in six states rush to mimic Texas anti-abortion law

North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas and Florida eye similar measures to new Texas ban after six weeks

Republican leaders in as many as six US states are rushing to follow the lead of Texas in adopting an extreme abortion ban that critics, including Joe Biden, have slammed as unconstitutional and built to encourage vigilantism among the public.

Abortion rights advocates are bracing to resist a flurry of initiatives from Florida to North Dakota in the wake of the new Texas law, the most extreme in the US, which the conservative majority on the supreme court refused to block.

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Thousands of bikers heading to South Dakota rally to be blocked at tribal land checkpoints

Clampdown comes as fears mount that mask-free bikers headed to large gathering could spread coronavirus to tribal groups

Thousands of bikers heading to South Dakota’s 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will not be allowed through Cheyenne River Sioux checkpoints, a spokesman for the Native American group said on Saturday.

The decision to prevent access across tribal lands to the annual rally, which could attract as many as 250,000 bikers amid fears it could lead to a massive, regional coronavirus outbreak, comes as part of larger Covid-19 prevention policy. The policy has pitted seven tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation against federal and state authorities, which both claim the checkpoints are illegal.

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‘It’s just madness’: bikers throng South Dakota town despite Covid threat

  • At least 100,000 expected for Sturgis rally in state’s Black Hills
  • Worker at local bar says crowd seems larger than usual

At least 100,000 people are expected to attend the 10-day annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills from Friday, as opportunities for the local economy have overridden concerns it could become a coronavirus superspreading event.

Related: Coronavirus US: death toll tops 160,000 as relief package impasse continues – live updates

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‘I believe in our freedoms’: the governor who resists lockdown and stresses American liberty

South Dakota’s Kristi Noem refuses to impose a stay-at-home order, citing a deeply held ideology – one supported by many in the midwest

To much of the rest of the country, South Dakota’s governor looks awfully like an ideologue sacrificing lives on the anvil of Trumpology.

Related: Coronavirus live news: global confirmed cases pass 2.5m, as Sweden reports its highest daily death toll

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Who is the South Dakota man linked to alleged Russian agent Maria Butina? Source: Cox Media Group

The South Dakota man who helped shepherd an alleged Russian operative to National Rifle Association and conservative political group meetings had a front-row seat to history and a less than stellar reputation in South Dakota politics. Once a political provocateur, Paul Erickson virtually disappeared from the state's political scene in recent years despite having residences in both Sioux Falls and the Washington, D.C. area and boasting a Rolodex that allegedly contained some of the biggest names in the conservative universe.

Economic optimism makes its way through South Dakota as the nation’s economy adds jobs

"In April, unemployment fell to an 18-year low, and wages are up steadily over the past year," said U.S. Senator from South Dakota John Thune in a released statement from his office. "A few months ago, Congress passed historic tax reform, and since then nearly 800,000 jobs have been created, and more than 500 companies have announced pay raises, bonuses, 401 match increases, and cuts to utility rates as a result.

Nebraska’s Keystone XL vote may not be a clear yes or no

Nebraska regulators are set to decide Monday whether to approve or deny an in-state route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. It's the last major regulatory hurdle facing project operator TransCanada Corp. The Nebraska Public Service Commission's ruling is on the Nebraska route TransCanada has proposed to complete the $8 billion, 1,179-mile pipeline to deliver oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

Polygamous sect leader Lyle Jeffs captured after 1 year

Polygamous sect leader Lyle Jeffs was captured Wednesday at a marina in southeast South Dakota after being on the run for nearly a year after escaping from home confinement in Utah pending trial on food stamp fraud charges. The FBI announced the capture Thursday morning with a Tweet: "#ARRESTED: FLDS leader Lyle Jeffs in custody after nearly a year on the lam."

Military veteran recognized for service decades after death

A South Dakota businessman who served in the Spanish-American War is finally receiving military recognition nearly half a century after his death. The Aberdeen News reports Thomas Jefferson Henegar's family will be able to place a military marker on his headstone at Riverside Memorial Cemetery in May after a lengthy journey to verify his military service.

What’s next for the Dakota Access, Keystone XL pipelines?

President Donald Trump's executive actions on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are aimed at turning the much-protested pipelines into reality. Here's a look at what may be next for the two pipelines: The $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois is nearly complete other than a stretch underneath Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota.

Republican Thune, Democrat Williams meet in Senate debate

In this Jan. 16, 2015 file photo, South Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune speaks in Rapid City, S.D. Thune, who is seeking a third term, faces off against Democratic challenger Jay Williams, a businessman from Yankton, in their first debate Thursday night, Oct. 13, 2016.