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‘Hope is making a comeback’: The Obamas make the case for Kamala Harris • South Dakota Searchlight

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‘Hope is making a comeback’: The Obamas make the case for Kamala Harris • South Dakota Searchlight


CHICAGO — As he did in his first speech to a Democratic National Convention 20 years ago, former President Barack Obama emphasized the connections binding Americans together and called for a more positive national atmosphere on the second night of this year’s convention Tuesday, while rallying Democrats to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.

At the United Center, in a convention hosted by their hometown, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who spoke immediately before the former president, scattered references to the 2008 and 2012 White House races he won as they made the case for Harris.

“America, hope is making a comeback,” Michelle Obama said, referring to the theme of her husband’s 2008 campaign and tying it to Harris.

Former first lady Michelle Obama seen on the jumbotron while speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20, 2024. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)
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The energy among the Democrats since Harris became a presidential candidate a month ago could be described as “the contagious power of hope,” she said.

The couple also trained criticism on Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, painting him as an agent of division and calling for voters to reject him in favor of a more inclusive nation.

“Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them,” Barack Obama said. “Between the real Americans, who of course support him, and the outsiders who don’t.”

He called for Americans to turn aside that point of view.

Republicans in their response also sought to tie Harris to Obama.

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“Democrats want to evoke memories of 2008,” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a written statement. “But this isn’t Barack Obama’s Democrat Party — Kamala Harris is even more dangerously liberal.”

Michelle Obama’s change in tone

In a marked shift from her convention speeches eight and four years ago, when she encouraged Democrats to take the moral high road in response to Trump’s attacks, Michelle Obama took a much more confrontational tone Tuesday night toward the Republican nominee.

“Who’s gonna tell him the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?” she said, in reference to a comment Trump had made about immigrants taking “Black jobs.”

Harris would be the second Black president, after Obama.

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Earlier, with veiled shots at Trump, the former first lady contrasted him with Harris.

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Harris “understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward,” she said. “Who will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance.”

Some Republicans have called Harris, a Black and South Asian woman, a “DEI hire,” an implication that her race and gender were more important than her career and character qualifications. Trump gained an inheritance from his father, who was also a real estate developer.

Trump oversaw bankrupted businesses before he entered politics. And Democrats have said he bungled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barack Obama also leveled attacks on Trump, calling him “a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he came down off his golden escalator” when he announced his 2016 presidential bid.

Trump alternative

Both Obamas said Harris provided a strong alternative to Trump.

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Not born into privilege like Trump, she has the empathy he lacks, Barack Obama said.

“In other words, Kamala Harris won’t be focused on her problems,” he said. “She’ll be focused on yours.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, also provided a counterbalance to Trump, Obama said, adding that he loved Walz’s authentic Midwestern persona.

Both Obamas called on Democrats to work hard for Harris’ cause over the 11 weeks until Election Day.

Michelle Obama made “do something” a refrain of her speech.

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“You know what we need to do,” the former first lady said. “Michelle Obama is asking you — no I’m telling y’all — to do something. This election is going to be close. In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner.”

Biden tribute

Barack Obama dedicated the first portion of his roughly half-hour speech to honoring his vice president, President Joe Biden.

Biden guided the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic and led a strong economic recovery while lowering health care costs, Obama said.

And Biden deserved credit for sacrificing his political ambition by bowing out of his reelection race, he said.

“At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady, and brought people together and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country,” Obama said. “History will remember Joe Biden as a president who defended democracy at a time of great danger.”

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He nodded along as the crowd chanted “Thank you, Joe.”

Appealing to unity

Both Obamas repeated slogans from campaigns that had his name on the ballot and his presidency, seeking to tie his historic election victory to Harris’ campaign.

“On health care, we should all be proud of the progress we made through the Affordable Care Act,” Barack Obama said, referring to the major health care law he championed in his first term. “I noticed, by the way, that since it became popular they don’t call it Obamacare no more.”

Harris “knows we can’t stop there,” he continued, and would work to lower drug costs.

Biden delivers late-night farewell to Democrats as he passes the torch to Harris

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He also called for Americans to focus on common bonds.

“The ties that bind us together are still there,” he said. “We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and synagogues and temples.”

In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama also invoked Little League to stress national unity.

“The vast majority of us do not want to live in a country this bitter and divided,” he said Tuesday. “We want something better. We want to be better.”

The excitement for the Harris campaign showed that was a popular idea, he added.

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To close his speech, he invoked the first president nominated at a Chicago convention, elected in the most bitterly divided period of American history — Abraham Lincoln.

“As much as any policy or program, I believe that’s what we yearn for: A return to an America where we work together and look out for each other, a restoration of what Lincoln called, on the eve of civil war, ‘our bonds of affection,’ when America taps what he called ‘the better angels of our nature,’” he said. “That’s what this election is all about.”



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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for June 9, 2025

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at June 9, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 9 drawing

30-33-40-43-52, Powerball: 25, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from June 9 drawing

03-07-17-29-46, Lucky Ball: 15

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from June 9 drawing

06-14-35-44-49, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Komet Caisen Thome Commits to South Dakota

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Komet Caisen Thome Commits to South Dakota


The major local, regional and national news events, sports, weather conditions and traffic are examined and reported by the ABC 6 News Team.

(ABC 6 News) — After a strong senior campaign with the Kasson-Mantorville Komets, Caisen Thome will continue to play football at the Division I level, joining the University of South Dakota.

Thome originally signed with Iowa Western, but switched to follow in his father’s footsteps as a coyote. Caisen was featured as a Prep Athelte of the Week this past football season, you can watch his story here.

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A strictly free market would make businesses free to ignore South Dakota | Opinion

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A strictly free market would make businesses free to ignore South Dakota | Opinion


South Dakota Republicans could be choosing from a crowded field when they make their choice for governor in the 2026 primary. With as many as five candidates in the race, would-be governors will need to find a way to distinguish themselves from the pack. 

The first announced candidate for that race was Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, a Dell Rapids attorney. He declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in April. 

Hansen was the first candidate for governor to come from the new MAGA wing of the South Dakota Republican Party—referred to as “grassroots patriots” in his announcement speech. His campaign platform contains many of the topics his wing of the party has made a priority: cutting government spending, allowing school choice, protecting private property rights, opposing abortion and tightening election laws.

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Another topic that Hansen touched on was ending “corporate welfare.” That’s the name he has given to the practice of using taxpayer dollars to boost private business. His example of corporate welfare gone bad was Tru Shrimp. The company was given a $6.5 million loan of state and local funds six years ago to build a facility in Madison. While the company did manage to change its name to Iterro, it has yet to break ground. 

“I think it’s just unnecessary government mingling, and it’s risky business, and they’re wasting our taxpayer dollars to do it,” Hansen said in a South Dakota Searchlight story. “It’s the sort of stuff that we want to say ‘no more’ to. Let’s get back to the free market, low tax and low regulation.”

South Dakota got serious about using state dollars to entice and build business in 1987 when Gov. George Mickelson helped to create the Revolving Economic Development and Initiative Fund. Mickelson was able to convince the Legislature to implement a 1% sales tax increase that would sunset once it had raised $40 million for the REDI Fund. Since then the Governor’s Office of Economic Development has made loans and grants worth millions of dollars to new and existing businesses and industries in the state. 

Taking state government loans and grants out of the marketplace would certainly be one way Hansen could approach his new role if he were elected governor. That tactic, however, fails to consider the fact that a financial boost from the state is sometimes what it takes to get the free market interested in investing in South Dakota. 

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Putting an end to low-interest government loans would certainly put the state at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with other states for business and industry.

A recent news release from the GOED showed just how invested the state has become in helping businesses grow. The news release noted a $3.4 million grant for the Big Stone Energy Storage Project thermal energy facility, a $2.6 million grant for a Bel Brands expansion and a $250,682 grant to Dakota Line Energy for a lagoon digester. 

The news release said the grants would result in $419 million in capital expenditures and create 180 full-time jobs. In essence, the state is betting $6 million in hopes of getting a $419 million payoff. That kind of “government mingling,” as Hansen called it, seems to offer pretty good odds. It is, however, as he noted, “risky business.”

At its heart, investing in economic development will always be a bit of a gamble. That’s why we expect government officials to place safe bets, though there is always the chance for a bust like Tru Shrimp. That’s the nature of any gamble.

Hansen won’t be the only “patriot” in the Republican primary for governor, with Aberdeen businessman and political influencer Toby Doeden also declaring his candidacy. If “corporate welfare” is going to be an issue in the GOP primary, the people who like to use state loans and grants to boost their local economies have got to do a better job of telling about the benefits of government investment. 

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One way to do that would be to keep telling their story after the initial news release has been issued. Beyond the cliched photo of local officials with hardhats and shovels for a groundbreaking, taxpayers deserve regular updates on capital expenditures and job creation. This would add a layer of government transparency to the use of tax dollars. It would also soften the criticism from people like Hansen when an outfit like Tru Shrimp is slow to pay off on its state investment. 

Politicians often like to tout the benefits of the “free market.” By curtailing state grants and low-interest loans, that market will be free to invest in states that are more financially welcoming. 

In 1987, the state’s economy was badly in need of a jump-start, and it got one from Gov. Mickelson and the REDI Fund. Since then, that gamble has paid off more often than it’s gone bust. What Hansen calls “corporate welfare” has been a usually sound investment for South Dakota. 

Dana Hess spent more than 25 years in South Dakota journalism, editing newspapers in Redfield, Milbank and Pierre. He’s retired and lives in Brookings, working occasionally as a freelance writer.



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