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Trump closed out the primary election season with wins in South Dakota, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana, and California. While Sen. Bernie Sanders remains actively campaigning for the Democratic nomination against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump became the GOP’s presumptive nominee shortly after winning Indiana’s May 3 primary election. The American businessman surpassed 2012 nominee Mitt Romney’s and 2008 nominee John McCain’s primary election vote totals by late in April according to Politico calculations. Previous record holder George W. Bush received just 10.8 million votes in 2000, a number far surpassed by Trump’s over 13 million votes with...

Tuesday, June 7th primaries California – 546 delegates Montana – 27 delegates New Jersey – 142 delegates New Mexico – 43 delegates South Dakota – 25 delegates North Dakota – D Caucus – 25 D delegates

You are cordially invited to attend a post-election press conference with Donald J. Trump When: Tuesday, June 7, 2016 @ 9PM EDT Where: Trump National Golf Club Westchester in Westchester, NY Attire: PJs (Black Tie Optional) Dom Perignon and a selection of appetizers and French pastries with be served. R.S.V.P @ nikos1121

Hillary Clinton is on the cusp of clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, and could move closer as Puerto Rico's primary results are announced Sunday night. The former secretary of state is competing with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to win a majority of Puerto Rico's 60 delegates. Clinton began the day 60 delegates shy of the 2,383 she needs to win the Democratic nomination -- with 1,776 pledged delegates and another 547 superdelegates. Sanders, meanwhile, started Sunday with 1,547 delegates total: 1,501 pledged delegates and another 46 superdelegates. Clinton is closing in on a historic nomination as the first female presidential...

Interesting. I was just polled by a national firm and given a somewhat extensive poll about my reaction if Ted Cruz un-suspended his campaign. Someone thinks it’s an idea worth exploring. At least, enough to run a poll on.

Lobbyists in Washington say they are being flooded with questions and concerns from foreign governments about the rise of Donald Trump. Officials around the globe are closely following the U.S. presidential race, to the point where some have asked their American lobbyists to explain, in great detail, what a contested GOP convention would look like. The questions about Trump are “almost all-consuming,” said Richard Mintz, the managing director of Washington-based firm The Harbour Group, whose client list includes the governments of Georgia and the United Arab Emirates. After a recent trip to London, Abu Dhabi and Beijing, “it’s fair to...

It’s funny how the tables turn over time. Ted Cruz is the only one left who can pose any real challenge to Donald Trump‘s Republican nomination, and now, figures from the political establishment are asking him to make nice with them before they agree to coalesce around his campaign. While his uncompromising stances distinguished Cruz as the junior U.S. Senator from Texas, years of stunts like shutting down the government and calling Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar have caused many of his colleagues to dislike him. According to CNN, Sen. John Cornyn and others have called on Cruz, after...

South Dakota just became the next state to protect unborn babies from painful, late-term abortions. On Thursday, Gov. Dennis Gaugaard signed into law a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks and penalize doctors who do late-term abortions in non-emergency situations, the Argus Leader reports. Penalties for violations of the law include up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to the report. The only exceptions would be in certain medical emergency cases, the report states. “It’s a great day for South Dakota,” said Debbie Pease, lobbyist for South Dakota Right to Life. “Our hope is that...

State legislators are moving to make South Dakota the ninth state to protect unborn babies from abortions when they begin to feel pain. The South Dakota state House overwhelmingly approved a 20-week abortion ban on Monday in a 59-7 vote, according to the Associated Press. The bill would end abortions at the 20 week mark when unborn babies can feel pain, and it would penalize abortionists who violate the law with up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to the report. The only exceptions would be in certain medical emergency cases, the report states. “These are...

I’ve become jaded enough by this point in my life that political stories rarely shock me, but I must confess that this one caught me off guard. The South Dakota legislature recently passed a common sense bill which would ensure that students attending public schools could retain their privacy in gender separated bathrooms, locker rooms and showers. It was obviously designed to stop the expansion of the SJW movement to force the concept of “transgender students” on everyone else, allowing boys to use the girls’ facilities. But on Tuesday, Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard vetoed the bill. (Time) South Dakota’s...

Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard shocked conservatives Tuesday when he vetoed legislation that would have prohibited students in South Dakota public schools from using opposite-sex restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities. The decision is a boon for transgender advocates who lobbied the governor to reject the bill, arguing it was discriminatory and would have harmed the emotional well-being of transgender students. Proponents of the legislation contended it’s inappropriate to have adolescent boys and girls showering and changing in the same room. “Do you feel it appropriate for a 13-year-old girl to be exposed to the anatomy of a boy? Or for...

South Dakota would be the first state in the U.S. to approve a law requiring transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their sex at birth if the governor signs a bill passed Tuesday by the state Senate. The Senate voted 20-15 to send the bill to Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who initially responded positively to the measure but said last week he'd need to study it more before making a decision. Advocates say the bill is meant to protect the privacy of students, but opponents say it discriminates against vulnerable adolescents. [...] The American Civil...

Gov. Dennis Daugaard says a measure to require some welfare applicants to pass drug tests would be a waste of money and "somewhat insulting." Daugaard said Friday that he hasn't previously been enthusiastic about similar proposals. Republican Rep. Lynne DiSanto is the measure's main House sponsor. Her plan would require applicants under 65 to be drug tested before receiving food stamps or cash assistance.

The recent post about the Battle of Guadalcanal by Freeper DuncanWaring reminded me of Calvin Graham's story. Graham lied about his age to enlist, and was aboard the battleship South Dakota during the battle. He was wounded in action, and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Graham was twelve years old at the time!

HARRISBURG, S.D. (AP) — A shooting at a South Dakota high school that left the principal with a minor injury may have turned out far worse if not for staff members who tackled the student suspected of firing at the administrator, authorities said Wednesday. Just moments afterward, Harrisburg High School Principal Kevin Lein took to the intercom to announce a lockdown and tell students he had been hit, "but was fine," senior Aanna Okerlund said. Other than Lein, who was struck in the arm, no one was reported hurt....

FLANDREAU, S.D. — The Santee Sioux tribe has already proven its business acumen, running a successful casino, a 120-room hotel and a 240-head buffalo ranch on the plains of South Dakota. But those enterprises have not been immune to competition and the lingering effects of the Great Recession, so the small tribe of 400 is undertaking a new venture — opening the nation's first marijuana resort on its reservation. The experiment could offer a new money-making model for tribes nationwide seeking economic opportunities beyond casinos. Santee Sioux leaders plan to grow their own pot and sell it in a smoking...

The Pentagon has responded to a globally-released ‘Kill List’, asking law enforcement to give extra protection for military personnel whose personal information was released,News Channel 10 reports. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Pentagon spent the weekend notifying the soldiers who appeared on the list, and urged city police departments and military police to increase patrol in the neighborhoods where the targeted live. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk....

Ted Cruz says his hard-line strategy to defund Planned Parenthood and risk a government shutdown is about doing the “right thing” and following through on Republicans' vows to conservative voters. But many of his Republican colleagues say it’s really all about Cruz. Even some of his closest allies from past battles— fellow tried and true tea party Republicans like Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — aren’t exactly jumping to join Cruz’s latest crusade. Same goes for Cruz’s onetime allies-turned-presidential rivals, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky. As the Texas Republican prepares for a potentially decisive month...

STURGIS, S.D. — A South Dakota saloon that billed itself as the “world’s largest biker bar” and was the subject of a reality TV show was destroyed early Tuesday by a fire that may have gained momentum when it hit an adjoining distillery containing 500 gallons of grain alcohol. Volunteer firefighters found heavy smoke when they responded to the Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis around 12:30 a.m., and the main building was gutted less than three hours later. No injuries were reported. The bar, which featured such amenities as zip lines, musical stages and rental cabins, had been the subject...

The bar, which featured such amenities as zip lines, musical stages and rental cabins, had been the subject of a reality television series. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.