The Scouting Report: A weekly digest

Firework fights, Noem defends Mount Rushmore, Voter registration record, Biden's judges

The arrival of Independence Day brought a host of controversies, some of them even focused on South Dakota.

The governor continued to kick a hornet’s nest of controversy after her office announced that it applied to the National Parks Service to stage a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore in 2024. While Gov. Kristi Noem knows the application is going to be denied, just as it was in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the application highlights the 2020 fireworks extravaganza that featured former President Trump and the governor. At the time, she was at the zenith of her national exposure – particularly because South Dakota was open during the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, the annual application to the Biden administration stirs up her political opponents, which the governor seems to enjoy.

Mount Rushmore made national headlines when the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company posted a column demanding that the U.S. return “stolen” land, starting with Mount Rushmore. Presumably, the company means the return of the entire western hemisphere and Australia, which were all conquered by various Europeans. The company, which has a long history of liberal activism, focused on Lakota Sioux claims to the Black Hills.

NEWS: Impeached Attorney General launches political action committee in South Dakota