Weekly Column
At the end of summer, many eighteen-year-olds head off to continue their education. Some go to vocational schools, community college, or four-year universities. But a unique set of individuals head to a different “college” in June.
By Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 9, 1972, started out as a typical rainy summer day in the Black Hills. While the rain was heavy that Friday evening, there was no cause for alarm as residents went about their normal routines. Fifty years later, we look back and remember the devastation that would soon follow.
On Monday, I was honored to provide some remarks at the Sioux Falls Memorial Day commemoration. Memorial Day rightfully honors those who have died in service to their country, acknowledging their tremendous sacrifice.
Our nation’s Armed Forces know the weight of sacrifice. Each servicemember sacrificed something to protect our freedoms and fight for America’s values.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) announced the border numbers for April this week. Last month, there were 234,088 illegal crossings at our southern border. This is the worst month on record.
Our moms and babies are facing a huge—and dangerous—problem. The nationwide baby formula supply out-of-stock level is 43%—but in South Dakota, our out-of-stock levels are over 50%. Store shelves are empty.
This week marked the annual National Week of Action for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
Between 85-90% of the beef processing in this country is done at just 30 plants – in fact, 12 plants do more than half of all the beef processing. Having such a large percentage of meat packing done at such a small number of plants is a vulnerability in our markets.
South Dakota is blessed to be the home of many state and national parks and forests. From Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, our parks are truly one of our greatest natural resources. Our state offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors. My family and I love getting outside any way we can.