Our President has presented our citizens, not to mention the world, with a blizzard of ideas and actions, the legality of which in many cases are yet to be finally determined. One of the issues is “an old friend,” that being whether[...]
When free speech came under fire in 1798 with the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson and Madison didn’t turn to revolution—they turned to the Constitution and the states. Convinced that the best defense against federal overreach lay in public[...]
In politics, what should matter and what does matter aren’t always the same. Democrats—especially in North Dakota—are learning that the hard way. Warnings about threats to democracy or Republican ethics scandals aren’t moving voters nearly as much as the cost of groceries[...]
There’s a quiet moment in every classroom when a teacher realizes a student has taken a shortcut—and something deeper than rules or grades is at stake. In this reflection, a teacher grapples not with plagiarism, but with a lost opportunity: a moment[...]
The Great Plains have long produced more than farmers and builders—they’ve nurtured polymaths, people whose talents cross boundaries of art, literature, and place. Clell Gannon, Bismarck painter, poet, and cultural voice, is one such figure. Nearly a century after its first publication,[...]
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As a new school year begins across North Dakota, students from Wahpeton to Williston, and from Bathgate to Bowman are back in our schools, making them hum with the excitement and promise of another year of learning. The return of students to[...]
Nonprofit hospitals sit at the heart of many communities, especially in rural America, where they are often the only providers of emergency rooms, maternity wards, and essential care. Yet a growing movement is calling to strip these hospitals of their tax-exempt status,[...]
Leaving home and then returning has a way of reshaping how you see a place. For Icelanders, moving between the Nordics and Iceland is almost a rite of passage, offering perspective on what works smoothly elsewhere and what holds together differently on[...]
Americans have always been quick to sense the faintest whiff of tyranny, a trait Edmund Burke observed long before the nation was born. That instinct once served as a safeguard, but it now feeds a cycle where each party excuses its own[...]
The management of about 38% of Montana’s national forest lands is guided by the 2001 Roadless Rule, which generally prevents new road construction while allowing for a multitude of other uses, including Off Highway Vehicle riding on motorized trails, firewood cutting, grazing,[...]
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North Dakota’s gambling landscape has transformed from small blackjack tables in corner bars to a booming, $2.4 billion industry driven by electronic pull tabs. Supporters point to charities as the beneficiaries, but critics see nonprofits operating more like casinos with tax exemptions.[...]
When politics feels like little more than a shouting match, it’s easy to forget that the health of democracy depends on something deeper than laws and institutions. Integrity—not policy positions or partisan wins—is the true safeguard of the Constitution. Without it, even[...]
A childhood acquaintance landing in a mugshot is jarring, but the story behind it is more than personal—it’s a warning. Steve Lyon’s theft from the West Fargo Hockey Association began with small gambling losses that spiraled into nearly $70,000 embezzled. His case[...]
North Dakota has a habit of hiring outsiders to fill top jobs, often after paying consultants six figures to conduct “national searches.” State Board of Higher Education chair Kevin Black is suggesting a different path: skip the search and keep Brent Sanford,[...]
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” — Sir Winston Churchill Churchill made this point in 1943 as Parliament debated how to rebuild the bombed-out House of Commons. He insisted it be restored to its original, narrow form — not for[...]
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Trustworthy economic data is the backbone of financial markets and government policy — and right now, that trust is under strain. The firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer and the nomination of Heritage Foundation economist EJ Antoni have raised[...]