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The Scouting Lounge Podcast

The Scouting Lounge is a weekly podcast from The Dakota Scout, where award-winning reporters Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis ditch the gotcha journalism to bring candid, behind-the-scenes conversations with South Dakota’s political leaders, celebrities and newsmakers.

Blending sharp insight with dry humor, the show offers a refreshingly human take on the headlines — plus a peek into the newsroom as Sneve and Ellis wrestle with the challenges of fair reporting in a polarized world. From the state Capitol to backstage passes, The Scouting Lounge is where South Dakota’s biggest stories meet its most honest voices.

No scripts. No spin. Just real talk.

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges  | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

Oct 4, 2026

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Sep 27, 2026

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Sep 19, 2026

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Sep 12, 2026

  English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

Sep 5, 2026

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Aug 29, 2026

LATEST EPISODES

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges  | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

Oct 4, 2026

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Sep 27, 2026

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Sep 19, 2026

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Sep 12, 2026

  English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

Sep 5, 2026

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Aug 29, 2026

Room for improvement | ‘Back to normal ... what we have here is good’ | A big job | The Democrats most winnable race? | Using AI to improve record keeping | Online & early voter registration

Room for improvement | ‘Back to normal ... what we have here is good’ | A big job | The Democrats most winnable race? | Using AI to improve record keeping | Online & early voter registration

Aug 22, 2026

Asking hard questions | Connecting dots | Clinging to leadership | Flock camera hype | Surveying Smithfield | Surviving a fire | Hiring the right person

Asking hard questions | Connecting dots | Clinging to leadership | Flock camera hype | Surveying Smithfield | Surviving a fire | Hiring the right person

Aug 15, 2026

LATEST EPISODES

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges  | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

The Trump drag | Democracy, populism & ruling South Dakota | A viral confrontation | Is he a liberal? | 50%+1's two edges | Caring for neighbors | Oct. 3, 2026 - Brian Bengs, Ned Horstad, Elizabeth Schenkel

Oct 4, 2026

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Election integrity | About Monea's endorsement | The auditors' admiral? | The political spark | Sept. 26, 2026 Heather Baxter

Sep 27, 2026

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Heavy reading | Energy ethics | DWIs spike | Asking the right PUC questions | World exploration & getting eaten | Asking for chains? | Sept 19, 2026 Don Haggar

Sep 19, 2026

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Horse slaughter & smoking | 13 inches | 25 years since 9/11 | Commissioning public utility politics | Staying dry | Data center outrage & Chi-coms | Sept. 12, 2026 Frank Kloucek

Sep 12, 2026

  English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

English origins | Coming to America | Coaching success | Data center lobbying | Defending the Flock | Zoo ask | Turfing a field | Sept. 5, 2026 James Oppenheimer

Sep 5, 2026

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Beating a dead pandemic | Banking on journalism's future with The Collegian | Marijuana markets | The Scout's next big step | Aug. 29, 2026 Ben Nesselhuf

Aug 29, 2026

Room for improvement | ‘Back to normal ... what we have here is good’ | A big job | The Democrats most winnable race? | Using AI to improve record keeping | Online & early voter registration

Room for improvement | ‘Back to normal ... what we have here is good’ | A big job | The Democrats most winnable race? | Using AI to improve record keeping | Online & early voter registration

Aug 22, 2026

Asking hard questions | Connecting dots | Clinging to leadership | Flock camera hype | Surveying Smithfield | Surviving a fire | Hiring the right person

Asking hard questions | Connecting dots | Clinging to leadership | Flock camera hype | Surveying Smithfield | Surviving a fire | Hiring the right person

Aug 15, 2026

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