Author: DawnSherine Bernard
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A South Dakota Digital Loophole Closed: How SB 41 Arms Law Enforcement to Take Down Creators & Distributors of AI Deepfakes
Why This Concerns You When hyper-realistic, explicit deepfakes of celebrities like Taylor Swift flooded the internet, it brought federal outrage to the deepfake crisis. But pop stars aren’t the reason South Dakota is finally rewriting its criminal code. While the cameras were focused on Hollywood, the actual casualties were piling up in local high schools…
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The Summer Nights Political Sandbox: Don’t Cry Over Closed Streets, Cry Over Broken Ethics
Let’s get one thing straight about the Summer Nights relocation to 6th and Kansas City Street: a temporary road closure is not the end of the world. In Rapid City, we shut down roads for car shows, kids’ carnivals, and parades all the time. It is a fundamental part of small-town living. If a business…
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Your DNA For Sale : How SB 49 Empowers South Dakotans on the Genetic Frontier
Just a few decades ago, human DNA was a mystery unraveled only in highly secured, sterile laboratories. The first Human Genome Project took 13 years and billions of dollars just to map a single genetic sequence. Today? You can spit half a teaspoon of raw saliva into a plastic tube, mail it to a tech…
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What South Dakota’s New Crypto ATM Law Means: Breaking Down SB 98
What is the Bill? On July 1st, the “Wild West” era of cryptocurrency in South Dakota officially comes to an end. Under Senate Bill 98, any business operating a cryptocurrency ATM in the state must play by a strict new set of rules. New Crypto ATM Mandates Why is the Bill Needed Cryptocurrency might be…
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In the Shadow of The Presidents: The Rogue Economy Exploiting Seasonal Labor in the Black Hills
So it Begins As the weather warms and the Black Hills prepare for the massive influx of summer tourism, the shadow economy is already operating at peak capacity. Right now – months before the first major wave of tourists arrives- “shadow recruiters” are actively hunting for this season’s vulnerable workforce. The lure is often set…
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The End of the Data Broker Era: Taking Back Your Shadow Data From Big Tech
What South Dakota’s new digital privacy law actually means for you Picture this: It’s 8:00 p.m. on a Tuesday in Rapid City. The family is sitting on the couch, watching a movie on the Roku or Apple TV. The commercial break hits, and suddenly, the 65-inch screen fills with a hyper-targeted, undeniably embarrassing ad. Maybe…
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Psychedelic Legislation: The Clinical Reality of HB 1099
Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed House Bill 1099 into law, preemptively reshaping the future of mental health treatment in South Dakota. The legislation acts as a “trigger law.” It does not legalize the recreational possession or foraging of magic mushrooms. Instead, it guarantees that the moment the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a…