You know where it is in your kitchen. It rests comfortably inside a drawer or cupboard. It might be a baking pan. It might be a mixing bowl. It might be a pot or pan. Whatever it is, somewhere in your kitchen[...]
Category: Commentary
Commentary |
What to Watch in Minot’s 2026 Legislative Races
2026 will be an important election year for the city of Minot. This column will not address the mayoral race because it is supposed to be a nonpartisan race. The jury is out on whether or not nonpartisanship will be fact or[...]
Commentary |
The Dollar Is Facing an End to Its Dominance | WIRED
The dollar isn’t going to collapse in 2026. But it might start to matter less. Countries are building alternatives—new payment systems, digital currencies, trade deals that bypass the greenback entirely. China’s cross-border system now handles more than half of its trade. Central[...]
Commentary |
Embrace the Winter
Early winter in North Dakota is unlike anything else – a time of transition, not just in the weather, but in mindset. The landscape quiets. The urgency of fall – hunting seasons, harvest, migration – fades and the brown turns white. Christmas[...]
Commentary |
Property Tax Relief Is Working—and We’re Just Getting Started
What a difference a year — and a bold policy change — makes. Across North Dakota, property tax statements have been arriving in mailboxes ahead of today’s deadline for counties to mail them to homeowners. And while it’s not a Christmas miracle,[...]
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Commentary |
Our built environment is exacerbating the loneliness crisis
Nearly half of American adults say they sometimes or always feel alone. One contributor you might not expect: zoning laws. Post-war land use planning spread everything apart—work here, school there, shopping somewhere else—then built roads that make it dangerous to do anything[...]
Commentary |
Shaw: A huge step backwards
In the early 1990s, North Dakota was the only state in the country without a single measles case. Today, it has the highest measles rate in the nation. That’s the backdrop for the latest blow: a federal panel, stacked with appointees from[...]
Commentary |
America Is Better Than ‘Shoot First, Ask Questions Later’
magine walking out of a grocery store into flashing police lights. Two suspects are kneeling with their hands up, visibly unarmed. Someone nearby says a drug sale may have taken place. Yet, despite the lack of threat, an officer suddenly shoots and[...]
Commentary |
When it comes to a community, ‘just say no’ doesn’t work
There’s a pattern playing out across resource-rich communities: towns that once said yes to libraries, rec leagues, and big ideas are now governed by people who inherited what others built—and mistake it for something that just exists. They shout no to diversification,[...]
Commentary |
Rethinking What We Choose to Measure in Schools
Sitting in a recent district administrator meeting, I found myself excited about a new student data platform my district is rolling out. This new tool, called by a catchy acronym and presented on a flashy dashboard, would collect a variety of information[...]
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Commentary |
Trapped in Uber’s Maze
If you’ve ever signed up for a service in seconds and then struggled to cancel it, this lawsuit may sound familiar. A coalition of 21 states, Washington, D.C., and the Federal Trade Commission is accusing Uber of steering users into unwanted paid[...]
Commentary |
Some States Are Economic ‘Liberators’; Some Are ‘Repressors.’ How Are They Faring? (North Dakota Included)
A new Fraser Institute report reaffirms just how much more economically free some states are compared with others. These are places where citizens are allowed to make more of their economic choices. Their taxes are lighter, and their regulatory burdens are easier.[...]
Commentary |
Goodbye to the Age of the Book
Reading hasn’t disappeared, but its place in American life is quietly shifting. Long, demanding books are giving way to snippets, screens, audio, and video—and with that shift comes a deeper question about how we think, argue, and learn. What once required patience[...]
Commentary |
Port: Gov. Tim Walz should resign
Political systems are supposed to reward competence, but they’re far better at rewarding survival. Party loyalty, fear of giving the other side an opening, and tribal reflexes often keep leaders in place long after their performance has failed the public. Minnesota’s recent[...]
Commentary |
US oil industry doesn’t see profit in Trump’s ‘pro-petroleum’ moves
As the Trump administration makes announcement after announcement about its efforts to promote the U.S. fossil fuel industry, the industry isn’t exactly jumping at new opportunities. Some high-profile oil and gas industry leaders and organizations have objected to changes to long-standing government[...]
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Commentary |
The drone threat is here. Is our community ready?
Drone sightings are no longer a distant military concern—they’re disrupting airports, hovering near sensitive sites, and creeping into everyday public spaces. As major global events approach in the U.S., the risk isn’t hypothetical anymore. This piece makes the case that the front[...]