NATIONAL NEWS

Reporter pleads guilty to prank using Noem’s cell number

May 9, 2023, 2:37 PM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A broadcast reporter pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge filed after he made a prank phone call using South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s personal cell phone number.

Reporter Austin Goss pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor that stemmed from a pre-recorded prank call he made Jan. 22 to Dan Lederman, the former chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party. The call, which came from a website called PrankDial, made it appear it was coming from Noem’s cell phone.

Goss was fired from his job as the Capitol bureau reporter for Dakota News Now after the news organization learned of the matter. He initially was charged with a misdemeanor count of making threatening, harassing or misleading contacts, which carried a maximum penalty of one year’s imprisonment and $2,000 in fines.

Goss’ lawyer, Jason Glodt, called the call a “practical joke” between Goss and a friend.

“The Court granted Mr. Goss a suspended imposition of sentence so there will be no conviction on his record,” Glodt said in a statement. “I believe it is unfortunate he was charged in the first place, but appreciate the willingness of the State’s Attorney to reduce the charge.”

Reached by phone, Goss declined to give a comment about the call or his plea.

A spokesperson for Noem said the governor wouldn’t have a comment about the matter.

National News

Associated Press

Columbia University cites progress with Gaza war protesters after encampment arrests

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University said early Wednesday that it was making “important progress” with pro-Palestinian student protesters who set up a tent encampment and was extending a deadline to clear out, yet standoffs remained tense on campus. Student protesters “have committed to dismantling and removing a significant number of tents,” the Ivy League […]

8 hours ago

Associated Press

What to listen for during Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump and presidential immunity

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court hears arguments Thursday over whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s a historic day for the court, with the justices having an opportunity to decide once and for all whether former presidents […]

10 hours ago

Associated Press

USPS commits to rerouting Reno-area mail despite bipartisan pushback and mail ballot concerns

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The USPS announced on Tuesday it will follow through with its plan to reroute Reno-area mail processing to Sacramento, a move that drew bipartisan ire from Nevada lawmakers while raising questions about the rate at which mail ballots can be processed in a populous part of a crucial swing state. Postmaster […]

12 hours ago

Associated Press

The Rev. Cecil Williams, who turned San Francisco’s Glide Church into a refuge for many, has died

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Rev. Cecil Williams, who with his late wife turned Glide Church in San Francisco into a world-renowned haven for people suffering from poverty and homelessness and living on the margins, has died. He was 94. Williams and his wife, Janice Marikitami, who passed away in 2021, appeared in Will Smith’s […]

14 hours ago

Associated Press

Alabama lawmakers advance bill to ensure Biden is on the state’s ballot

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Senate voted Tuesday for legislation meant to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot, mirroring accommodations made four years ago for then-President Donald Trump. The issue of Biden’s ballot access has arisen in Alabama and Ohio as Republican secretaries of state warn that certification deadlines […]

15 hours ago

Associated Press

Transgender Tennessee woman sues over state’s refusal to change the sex designation on her license

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A transgender Tennessee woman sued the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security on Tuesday after officials refused to change the sex on her driver’s license to match her gender identity. The lawsuit was filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville under the pseudonym Jane Doe by the American Civil […]

15 hours ago

Reporter pleads guilty to prank using Noem’s cell number