Today in Minot

Minot Public Schools approved a $131 million budget that will bring a small but welcome drop in property taxes for most landowners. The change amounts to about $2 less per $100,000 in residential or commercial property value, though individual bills will still depend on updated valuations. Business manager Laura Dokken said the district is using its full 3% cap on property tax growth while projecting a modest deficit, noting future adjustments may hinge on state aid figures and upcoming facility maintenance needs. Jill Schramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

North Dakota is stepping into the future of finance with a frontier name to match. The Bank of North Dakota announced plans to launch the “Roughrider coin,” a state-backed stablecoin designed to speed up bank-to-bank transfers and modernize the state’s financial system. Unlike bitcoin, it’s tied to the U.S. dollar, making it stable and predictable. Officials say it’s about keeping North Dakota’s hometown banks competitive in a fast-changing digital economy. For more on the story including an introduction to what the “stablecoin” is, Jacob Orledge with North Dakota Monitor has the coverage.

Major League Baseball stepped into the future with its recent announcement that “robotic umpires” will be introduced next season. Under MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, teams will have the opportunity to contest pitches they believe were called incorrectly, with an artificial intelligence system determining the...

A North Dakota judge has upheld the state’s 2023 ban on gender-affirming care for minors, ruling that lawmakers acted within their authority to restrict treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The decision follows a weeklong trial that featured testimony from doctors, parents, and transgender teens. Critics say the ruling deepens the strain on families forced to seek care out of state, while supporters argue it protects children from uncertain medical risks. An appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court remains possible. Amy Dalrymple with North Dakota Monitor has the full story.

Bayer’s long legal battle over Roundup took a decisive turn this week when the Missouri Supreme Court refused to hear the company’s appeal, cementing a $600 million judgment that links its popular weed killer to cancer. The decision leaves Bayer with few legal options and mounting pressure to phase out the product entirely. While the company warns of economic fallout, plaintiffs and their attorneys call the ruling long overdue accountability for a product used worldwide and blamed for thousands of cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Rudi Keller with Missouri Independent has the full story.

Centuries after Thomas Paine’s Common Sense helped spark a revolution, his words still burn hot against the chill of complacency. In revisiting Paine’s radical call for liberty, writer Matthew Redmond reminds us that skepticism — not obedience — is America’s oldest inheritance. From mocking monarchs to warning against blind allegiance, Paine’s pen carved out a vision of freedom that demanded courage, clarity, and conscience. His challenge endures: to say “no” not out of defiance alone, but out of devotion to equality itself. Matthew Redmond with The Conversation has the full story.

In Washington this week, a coalition of family farmers and small meat producers made their case for a more humane food system — and against federal efforts to roll back state animal welfare laws. At the center of the fight is California’s Proposition 12, which bans cramped, inhumane housing for pigs, hens, and calves. Large agribusinesses say it drives up costs; smaller producers say it drives trust. The debate now before Congress could decide whether states keep the right to set their own animal welfare standards.

Minot’s police and fire chiefs are trading radio calls for microphones. Michael Frye and Kelli Kronschnabel are teaming up to launch a new podcast that blends public safety with a bit of personality — and they’re asking the community to help name it. The show aims to pull back the curtain on local law enforcement and firefighting, highlighting partnerships, community resources, and the human side of leadership. Expect serious topics, a few laughs, and maybe even some “smoked bacon” humor along the way.

During office hours last week, one of my University of Kansas journalism students asked a great question. I am paraphrasing: “What do we do with all of these journalism companies bending to the Trump administration? It seems like it’s time to discard them and move on...

Even if you’ve never been a hunter, you’re likely familiar with the term poaching. Poaching is theft, plain and simple. It’s the illegal taking or killing of fish and wildlife. It’s stealing from legal hunters and trampling on the public trust. It might be shooting before...

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in cooperation with state and federal partners and local stakeholders, have finalized a plan to eradicate zebra mussels from Smishek Lake. “This decision was not an easy one, but we feel this plan is absolutely necessary to protect the...