Fargo’s newest trail isn’t just about biking or walking — it’s about what happens when a family decides to make their city better. The All American Trail North, opening Saturday at Dike East Park, connects more of the metro’s patchwork paths into[...]
Category: Commentary
Commentary |
Good news! These ‘positive tipping points’ will help save the world
Earlier this month, scientists announced that humanity has kicked off the first major “tipping point” — in which an Earth system dramatically transforms, often permanently — as warm-water corals die en masse due to relentlessly rising temperatures. Think of such events like[...]
Commentary |
How Small Zoning Code Changes Can Unlock Big Opportunity
For over 20 years, Norman, Oklahoma, debated the role of parking in its zoning code. Like many cities, it struggled to make comprehensive changes, facing political resistance, technical hurdles, and community concerns. After years of debate that led to inaction, city officials[...]
Commentary |
Port: Where is North Dakota’s crime report?
North Dakota’s crime debate has been loud in 2025—but oddly, the numbers have been silent. Nearly a year after 2024 ended, the Attorney General’s office still hasn’t released the statewide crime report, even as Drew Wrigley continues to call for tougher sentencing[...]
Commentary |
How Mayors Can Reclaim Government Efficiency
In Washington, “efficiency” has become a cynical buzzword — a pretext for cutting, sidelining, and demoralizing public servants. But in America’s cities, a different vision is taking shape. Cara Eckholm argues that mayors have a chance to reclaim the term, using it[...]
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Commentary |
Port: The trolling is the point
In North Dakota’s ongoing tug-of-war within the Republican Party, a failed petition drive tells a larger story than the numbers alone. A populist wing, angered by the appointment of Dustin McNally to a legislative seat, fell short in its bid to force[...]
Commentary |
New, old ideas do nothing for election integrity
Some ideas just don’t age well — and Nebraska is being asked to revisit two of them. A new petition drive aims to hand-count every ballot and scrap the state’s split electoral vote system in favor of a winner-take-all approach. Critics say[...]
Commentary |
Herald opinion: So far, so good with North Dakota’s school cellphone ban
North Dakota banned cellphones in schools this year, and two months in, the sky hasn’t fallen. Governor Armstrong saw what parents and teachers already knew: students are more anxious, less focused, constantly distracted. Similar bans show improved test scores and engagement—Florida’s results[...]
Commentary |
Port: What will it take for farmers to change how they vote?
North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are feeling the pinch — not from drought or hail, but from politics. Years of tariffs, inflation, and low crop prices have pushed many to the brink, and now farm bankruptcies are soaring. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring[...]
Commentary |
American Roads Are Paved With Inefficiency
North and South Carolina share borders, weather, and soil — but not the same highway costs. Repaving a mile of road in South Carolina costs more than twice what it does just across the state line. Yale law and economics professor Zachary[...]
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Commentary |
Bipartisan Scrutiny Grows Over Nonprofit Hospitals’ Billions in Tax Benefits
How do you get conservative anti-DEI activist Dr. Stanley Goldfarb and New York’s socialist mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani on the same page? Ask them about nonprofit hospitals and the abuse of billions in tax breaks meant to support community health care. “These[...]
Commentary |
Port: ‘Gamblers will find us. They always do.’
North Dakota’s “charitable” gambling industry has grown into something almost unrecognizable. What began as pull-tab jars for good causes now fuels billion-dollar revenues — and blurred lines between charity and commerce. As nonprofits buy up bars and open venues built entirely around[...]
Commentary |
Port: I remember when Kevin Cramer was against belittling his constituents
Fifteen years ago, Kevin Cramer stood shoulder to shoulder with North Dakotans who felt dismissed by Washington elites. Back then, he spoke at tea party rallies defending the same kind of grassroots anger now fueling the “No Kings” protests. But this time,[...]
Commentary |
Children Thrive When Teachers and Parents Act Like Allies
When a frustrated parent took to social media to complain about an unreturned email from her child’s teacher, something surprising happened — the internet didn’t pile on. Instead, parents filled the comments with empathy and perspective, reminding everyone how chaotic the first[...]
Commentary |
McFeely: Jacks’ QB intrigue aside, Dakota Marker game again about much more than the rock
Saturday’s Dakota Marker showdown has everything you’d want in a college football rivalry — No. 1 vs. No. 2, playoff implications, and a quarterback question that could shift the balance. South Dakota State’s Chase Mason is listed day-to-day after leaving last week’s[...]
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Commentary |
What is happening to the economy right now, according to the SF Fed president
The Federal Reserve often feels like a distant force—moving interest rates, shaping markets, and influencing everything from mortgages to job growth. But in this conversation, Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Fed, pulls back the curtain. She explains how decisions made[...]