A federal court order to effectively axe a Biden-era student loan repayment plan capped years of chaos for more than 7 million student borrowers enrolled in the program. Here’s what borrowers need to know as they navigate next steps:

#Greenpeace has asked for a second trial after a judge entered a $345 million judgment against the organization in a landmark case brought by the developer of the #DakotaAccessPipeline. Via @northdakotamonitor.com

In a primetime address about his war in #Iran, President Trump largely recycled statements that he and Cabinet officials have been making for several weeks, claiming "there’s never been anything like it, militarily,” and "everyone is talking about it."

Democrats and other opponents of President Donald Trump’s executive order clamping down on mail ballots prepared to challenge the directive, signaling the start of another fight between states and the White House over elections. Via @statesnewsroom.com

The officials who manage South Dakota’s public employee retirement system said if current investment trends continue, retirees are likely to see a July 2027 cost-of-living benefit adjustment similar to the 1.56% increase they will get this July.

The U.S. Supreme Court seemed poised to reject the Trump administration’s attempt to redefine the constitutional right to #BirthrightCitizenship, and instead uphold the country’s long understanding of citizenship by birth on American soil. Via @statesnewsroom.com

Gevo, which purchased the former Red Trail Energy #ethanol plant in North Dakota, announced it will double production capacity at the site. Gevo has shelved plans for a sustainable jet fuel plant in South Dakota, focusing instead on North Dakota. Via @northdakotamonitor.com

The four Republican candidates for governor of South Dakota clashed over tax policies in their first debate, as the leading candidate in the polls criticized two others for their support of higher sales taxes.

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order that attempts to restrict mail-in voting, a White House priority certain to face significant legal challenges. Via @statesnewsroom.com

South Dakota lawmakers plan to learn more about emergency medical services, Native American health care and services for disabled people ahead of the next legislative session. More about a committee and two task forces created by lawmakers:

The White House defended skyrocketing gas prices as a “short-term disruption” during the ongoing war in #Iran, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the administration will not “foreclose any option” in the conflict, including boots on the ground. Via @statesnewsroom.com

#SummitCarbonSolutions, the company behind a proposed Midwest carbon dioxide pipeline, has quietly shifted its focus from carbon sequestration to fossil fuel extraction. Summit now says its pipeline will be used for enhanced oil recovery. Via @insideclimatenews.org

Most #TSA officers received a paycheck covering four weeks of back wages that were held up by the funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, a spokesperson said. The lack of pay had produced long lines for security at some airports after officers quit or called out sick.

“If a catastrophic failure would occur, there is, in fact, people’s lives in danger." A plan to replace the dam and spillway at a northeast South Dakota lake will receive $8.2 million in additional state funding, lawmakers decided.

South Dakota lawmakers failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override Gov. Larry Rhoden’s vetoes of a lab-grown meat ban and regulations on non-medical home care providers.

Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding on July 4, @stateline.org is exploring how the Trump era is transforming the relationship between the states and the federal government. The first in an occasional series, The 50 vs. The One ⬇️

South Dakota officials are trying to strengthen trade relationships with Japan and South Korea as soybean farmers look to diversify beyond China, which has reduced its purchases.

Interviews from a #NoKings protest, what new voters will need to know about proving their citizenship, the subject a lawmaker says was neglected in this year’s legislative session, and “a South Dakotan everyone can be proud of.” Episode 10 of the 🎧️ Searchlight Report 🎧️ podcast: buff.ly/AAmcNKd

#NoKings protesters took to the streets in multiple South Dakota cities, including Pierre, where one protester said, “Gas prices going up, food prices going up, fertilizer prices going up for the farmers. I think people are just getting tired of the chaos.”

@statesnewsroom.com is posting live updates from No Kings protests, gathered by our network of reporters across the country. With 39 bureaus and feeds from our 11 content partners, we touch all 50 states. www.newsfromthestates.com/live-feed/no...

Large crowds were gathering Saturday morning in the nation’s capital for the third #NoKings protest, rallying with others across the United States against what organizers say is an unprecedented expansion of power by President Donald Trump.

The South Dakota Department of Corrections hired a Virginia prison official as warden of the $87 million women's prison under construction in Rapid City.

New U.S. Environmental Protection Agency goals call for an all-time high volume of biofuels such as #ethanol to be blended into gasoline and diesel. Via @statesnewsroom.com

Former #NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis told an audience at Augustana University that the war with Iran is “not going well” strategically, and America’s leaders are stretched too thin with conflicts around the globe.

U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson announced the House will not consider a Senate-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, likely prolonging the shutdown that began in mid-February. Via @statesnewsroom.com

South Dakota’s Republican governor pledged to sign legislation that will provide state funding to relieve families and schools of costs for reduced-price #SchoolMeals.

As the weekend promises massive crowds and spectacle at #NoKings protests across the nation, political observers and protesters alike wonder whether the demonstrations signal a coming wave of change at the polls, or whether momentum will fizzle. Via @stateline.org buff.ly/Ldjxrr5

"#Iran is more than 6,000 miles from the U.S., but South Dakota #farmers, as all American ag producers, are intimately feeling the catastrophic potential of our current war with that rogue Mideast nation." COMMENTARY: buff.ly/hIubfvg

The U.S. Senate approved funding for the vast majority of the Department of Homeland Security, sending a bill to the House that could end the #shutdown that began in mid-February. Via @statesnewsroom.com

President Donald Trump announced that he will sign an order allowing the Department of Homeland Security to pay airport security workers who have gone without a full paycheck since the shutdown began in mid-February. Via @statesnewsroom.com

President Donald Trump, who wants to ban mail-in #voting, said he had the right to vote by mail-in ballot in Florida’s special election “because I’m president of the United States.” Via @statesnewsroom.com

Senate Democratic leaders are reading a new Republican offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security that could end a #shutdown that began nearly six weeks ago. "We did everything we could to accommodate,” said Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD.

South Dakota's governor signed a bill into law that will require people to prove their #citizenship when they register to vote in South Dakota state and local #elections.

A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators from the Midwest asked the Commerce Department to investigate major agricultural machinery manufacturers, saying they paid shareholders handsomely while offshoring jobs. Via @statesnewsroom.com

The U.S. Senate was unable to agree whether to require photo identification to vote in federal elections, as the chamber debated a larger bill, the #SAVEAct, that would make several changes to how Americans register and cast ballots. Via @statesnewsroom.com

The number of South Dakotans who died from drug #overdoses continued to decrease in 2025, but many of those deaths were potentially preventable, according to data presented to the state Opioid Advisory Committee.

Wish somebody would sort through the day's national and South Dakota news and deliver it to you? We do that. ✉️ Sign up for our free email newsletter: buff.ly/ZLx0O6a

U.S. senators showed no movement toward a deal to end the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, despite the problems it’s causing for the thousands of federal workers set to miss yet another paycheck and travelers waiting hours to get through airport security lines. buff.ly/sfcUzTT

South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden issued his second veto of the year on a bill that would require state licensing of non-medical home care agencies. buff.ly/pnGcqJ8

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow gas stations to sell a blended fuel containing 15% #ethanol into the summer season in an effort to lower gas prices, Administrator Lee Zeldin said. #E15 buff.ly/hcBfo8v

A new plaque in the South Dakota Capitol building honors 100-year-old E. Royce Williams, who recently received the #MedalofHonor for actions during his Navy service that had been classified for decades. buff.ly/v64zQeF

Although legislators thought an existing law already required it, a new state law more clearly mandates state departments that are considering an aircraft purchase to consult with the state's Aeronautics Commission. southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/25/t...

U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday were waiting to hear back from Democrats after they sent them a new offer to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February. Details: buff.ly/A6tgAvF

Former U.S. Sen. #MarkwayneMullin was sworn in as the new leader of the Department of Homeland Security. "At the end of the day," he said, "my job is to be secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same. And we will do that." Via @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/ZFMfVkf

After lawmakers rejected proposals to incentivize the construction of large #DataCenters in South Dakota, the governor signed a bill into law that will place new limits on the industry. buff.ly/9T5Dxaz

A state loan fund intended to incentivize housing construction will soon be available for airport improvement and maintenance projects in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. buff.ly/8vpFlu1

U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed split on whether the Trump administration should be allowed to turn away #asylum seekers who present themselves at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. Via @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/Lnkjagm

“There are moments where I break down, especially when my 9-year-old asks, ‘Where’s daddy?’ and ‘When is he coming back?’" A now-single mother from Huron, South Dakota, shares the story of her husband's sudden removal and #deportation.

With yes votes from South Dakota's John Thune and Mike Rounds, the U.S. Senate confirmed #MarkwayneMullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Via @statesnewsroom.com

The South Dakota Humanities Council announced the 2026 One Book South Dakota selection: "A Biography of a Mountain," by Matthew Davis. Each year, the One Book program invites readers to engage with a book that sparks meaningful conversations. Read an excerpt here: