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Trump pressures senators, including Thune, vying to be U.S. Senate GOP leader • South Dakota Searchlight

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Trump pressures senators, including Thune, vying to be U.S. Senate GOP leader • South Dakota Searchlight


WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is making demands of the next Senate Republican leader ahead of a closed-door election this week, writing on social media that whoever is chosen should recess the chamber early next year so he can appoint whoever he wants without having to go through the confirmation process.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again.”

If the Senate were to recess for an extended period after Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, it would ensure Trump could freely make appointments to top-ranking positions in government, including the secretary of Defense and Treasury secretary, without needing the support of centrist GOP lawmakers. Senate Republicans are on track for a majority of 53 seats, with one race, in Arizona, still undecided.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and South Dakota Sen. John Thune — who are competing for the majority leader post — all quickly got in line with social media posts of their own about what are called recess appointments.

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“It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President  @realDonaldTrump’s cabinet appointments,” Cornyn wrote on social media. “If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.

“Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

Thune wrote: “We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people.” Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, is the Senate majority leader.

Scott commented on Trump’s original post, saying that he agreed “100%”

“I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible,” Scott said.

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Skipping over the Senate’s advice and consent power would likely mean no committee hearings for nominees named through recess appointments, preventing them from having to answer lawmakers’ questions about their experience and policy goals.

It would also prevent senators from having to take what might be difficult floor votes on possibly controversial Trump nominees.

Trump has just started to announce who he’s selecting for posts in his next administration, naming a “border czar,” ambassador to the United Nations and EPA administrator as of Monday afternoon. 

Supreme Court ruling

The Senate has avoided recessing for more than three days in the middle of a session for years, under both Republican and Democratic majorities.

Instead, when the Senate leaves Capitol Hill for weeks at a time, the chamber holds what’s known as a pro forma session every three days to prevent recess appointments. Those usually last just a few minutes and don’t typically include any legislative business. 

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The pro forma sessions, in part, stem from a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in June 2014 that held a president could fill vacancies during a congressional recess if it lasted more than 10 days.

“In light of historical practice, a recess of more than 3 days but less than 10 days is presumptively too short to fall within the Clause,” the justices wrote in National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning. 

That case began after then-President Barack Obama made three appointments to the National Labor Relations Board in 2012, even though the Democratic-controlled Senate was holding pro forma sessions every few days.

Opposition to Obama recess appointments

Republicans in Congress, including Thune and Cornyn, praised the Supreme Court’s decision at the time, sharply criticizing Obama for having tried to get around the Senate.

Thune released a written statement, saying the Supreme Court had blocked Obama from attempting “to violate the separation of powers.”

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“When the president couldn’t get his appointments through the Senate, he decided to ignore the law and attempt an end run around Congress,” Thune wrote. “I am pleased that the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the president’s attempt to circumvent the Constitution. Today’s decision reaffirms the fact that Congress, not the president, has the authority to determine its own rules.”

Cornyn criticized Obama for making “unilateral actions” that gave “the perception he doesn’t care what Congress says.”

“As a matter of fact, this morning the Supreme Court rebuked the President on an illegal recess appointment — unconstitutional recess appointment,” Cornyn said during a floor speech, according to the Congressional Record.

Scott was not a member of Congress when the Supreme Court issued its ruling.

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley at the time praised “the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Obama’s illegal recess appointments.”

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“Article II, section 2 of the Constitution provides for only two ways in which Presidents may appoint certain officers: First, it provides that the President nominates and, by and with the advice of the Senate, appoints various officers,” Grassley said. “Second, it permits the President to make temporary appointments when a vacancy in one of those offices happens when the Senate is in recess.”

During Trump’s first term in office, Senate Republicans held pro forma sessions as a way to avoid recess appointments and ensure the chamber had the time to vet the people Trump wanted to run some of the most powerful institutions in the country, including the Defense Department.

Any recess appointments Trump might make in the future would expire at the end of the Senate’s “next session,” meaning he would need to go through the process all over again within two years, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Election planned Wednesday

Senate Republicans will hold closed-door, secret ballot leadership elections Wednesday to select new colleagues to fill the top positions.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has held the Republican leader title since 2007, opted not to continue in that role once the new Congress begins, leading to a three-way race between Cornyn, Scott and Thune.

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Whoever Republicans elect as their next leader, along with the other members of the leadership team, will have a significant role determining the Senate’s agenda for the next two years as well as setting the tone with the incoming Trump administration.

They’ll also need to broker deals with Democrats on must-pass legislation, like the annual government funding bills and yearly defense policy bill.

Wyoming’s John Barrasso is running unopposed for the whip position, currently held by Thune and previously held by Cornyn.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Iowa’s Joni Ernst are competing to hold the No. 3 leadership position of Conference Chair, currently held by Barrasso.

Republicans will also elect a Policy Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman of the Conference and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee to round out the six-person Senate leadership team.

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Last updated 3:06 p.m., Nov. 11, 2024



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South Dakota

South Dakota Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 27, 2024

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South Dakota Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 27, 2024


The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 27, 2024, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

03-07-37-49-55, Mega Ball: 06, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

15-21-24-32-43, Lucky Ball: 11

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Check Lucky For Life 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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South Dakota

No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide play the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on 4-game win streak

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No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide play the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on 4-game win streak


Associated Press

South Dakota State Jackrabbits (9-5) at Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)

Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Sunday, 3 p.m. EST

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BOTTOM LINE: No. 5 Alabama heads into a matchup with South Dakota State as winners of four games in a row.

The Crimson Tide are 5-0 on their home court. Alabama is 2-0 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 12.5 turnovers per game.

The Jackrabbits are 0-3 on the road. South Dakota State is the Summit League leader with 27.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Oscar Cluff averaging 7.5.

Alabama makes 47.1% of its shots from the field this season, which is 6.0 percentage points higher than South Dakota State has allowed to its opponents (41.1%). South Dakota State has shot at a 47.1% clip from the field this season, 7.0 percentage points greater than the 40.1% shooting opponents of Alabama have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Sears averages 2.2 made 3-pointers per game for the Crimson Tide, scoring 17.8 points while shooting 32.9% from beyond the arc.

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Cluff is averaging 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Jackrabbits.

LAST 10 GAMES: Crimson Tide: 8-2, averaging 86.6 points, 39.5 rebounds, 16.7 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 78.9 points per game.

Jackrabbits: 6-4, averaging 76.8 points, 36.2 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 5.5 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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South Dakota

Man dies in crash with semi near Hot Springs

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Man dies in crash with semi near Hot Springs


Fall River County, S.D. – A 26-year-old Hot Springs man died Friday in a collision with a semi-truck near Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Authorities have withheld the names of those involved pending notification of their families.

Preliminary investigation by the South Dakota Highway Patrol indicates the crash occurred on U.S. Highway 18 near mile marker 25. The driver of a 2003 Honda Accord was traveling eastbound, attempting to pass another vehicle in the same direction. While doing so, the driver lost control of the Honda, veered into the westbound lane, and collided with an oncoming semi.

The driver of the Honda, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The semi-truck driver was uninjured.

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The South Dakota Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. Officials stress that all details released so far are preliminary and subject to change as the investigation continues.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.





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