How do locals decide where to build roads? How are federal dollars distributed to veterans, rural towns or job training programs? How do businesses decide where to locate, expand or offer products and services? There’s one little-appreciated source of information behind it[...]
Category: Commentary
Commentary |
Don’t Let Data Centers Stick Us With the Bill
In an era where artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize everything from healthcare to entertainment, one inconvenient truth is emerging: The massive data centers powering this tech boom are driving up electricity costs for Americans. From skyrocketing capacity prices in regional grids like[...]
Commentary |
Abundance and the Infrastructure Litmus Test
Back in June, I wrote a column about “Abundance,” the new book by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein. I found much to admire in it, but I also came away uneasy. My primary concern was with the technocratic flavor of the argument,[...]
Commentary |
On Budgets, Inflation, and Opting Out Locally
The Minot City Council is attempting to either hold the line on or reduce property taxes here in the Magic City. That is an admirable and difficult goal. According to the Wall Street Journal, inflation is currently at 2.9 percent. There is[...]
Commentary |
Tips for Hunting Waterfowl Safely
I’m reminded that some of the most memorable duck hunts often involve more than just decoys and camouflage. They include early mornings pushing off from shore, a dog pacing at the bow, and the quiet thrill of hunting from a boat. Hunting[...]
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Commentary |
Plain Talk: ‘We have to be concerned about people not even liking or wanting to read’
The news business isn’t disappearing—it’s adapting. Cecile Wehrman, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, says the real challenge isn’t just subscription fatigue or competition from social media, but something more fundamental: too many Americans don’t like to read. With reading[...]
Commentary |
Port: North Dakota’s MAGA faction fails to lock out moderate voters
In North Dakota’s Republican Party, a small but determined faction has managed to wield outsized influence by tightening the rules on who gets to participate. That strategy was on full display during the recent fight to fill Rep. Emily O’Brien’s vacant District[...]
Commentary |
Explaining 2025 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations
There’s been plenty of discussion in coffee shops, gas stations, online and more about the changes to this fall’s nonresident waterfowl regulations. Here’s key points addressed by Bill Haase, Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, and John Palarski, department waterfowl biologist:[...]
Commentary |
Zoning broke our brains
Our neighborhoods don’t just shape traffic patterns — they shape how we feel. For decades, local planning rules have spread homes, jobs, and shops far apart, leaving cars as the default way to connect the dots. That convenience has a hidden cost:[...]
Commentary |
Port: Our nihilism, our disgrace
The murder of Charlie Kirk was shocking enough on its own — a man gunned down while speaking on a college campus. But what followed has been just as troubling: a rush to justify, excuse, or weaponize the killing for partisan gain.[...]
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Commentary |
Prairie Fare: Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away?
“Are there any apples on our tree this year?” my older daughter recently asked. “There are lots of ripe apples high in the tree,” my husband responded. I thought about past autumns when she and our other two kids used an apple[...]
Commentary |
If We’re Better Than This, Let’s Prove It | Part II
Part I of Mr. Maxson’s commentary on political violence in America can be found here. As recently as June 18th, I commented on the sad situation of two Minnesota legislators having been shot, one murdered and one severely wounded. Now we have[...]
Commentary |
Clean air is essential to outdoor recreation and tourism industry
For decades, Americans have trusted the Clean Air Act to protect skies, lungs, and livelihoods. Now that safeguard is at risk. The EPA is considering repealing its endangerment finding—the very ruling that requires regulation of greenhouse gases—despite overwhelming scientific evidence of their[...]
Commentary |
Port: We do not have Fourth Amendment rights if the government can punish us for exercising them
North Dakota’s Supreme Court is weighing a case that cuts to the heart of constitutional protections. At issue is whether a man charged in a fatal crash could be threatened with an added criminal charge for refusing a breath test. His defense[...]
Commentary |
Jelly Beans for Grapes: How AI Can Erode Students’ Creativity
For teachers, the rise of AI in classrooms is less about convenience and more about what’s being lost. Essays generated by machines may look polished, but educators describe them as hollow—words without the spark of human thought. Research now backs that concern,[...]
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Commentary |
What’s Happening to the Economy Is Obvious to Anyone Paying Attention
The latest jobs report delivered another jolt to the U.S. economy—just a month after the last one cost the BLS commissioner his job. August saw only 22,000 new positions, with revisions showing June actually lost jobs, the first decline since the pandemic.[...]