Today in Minot

When the Crookston Times printed its last issue earlier this year, it marked the quiet end of nearly 140 years of local storytelling — and a warning for towns everywhere. As National Newspaper Week arrives, it’s a reminder that communities without local journalism lose more than headlines; they lose connection, accountability, and shared understanding. Facebook rumors can’t replace facts, and algorithms won’t attend city council meetings. If local news matters, it’s up to readers — and advertisers — to keep the presses turning. That’s the gist; the full opinion form the Grand Forks Herald is linked below.

A pipeline that could reshape North Dakota’s industrial future is inching closer to reality. WBI Energy’s proposed natural gas line from the Bakken to the state’s eastern edge would connect cities like Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo — and, in doing so, unlock opportunities for major industrial and ag projects that can’t happen without large-scale gas access. Backed by state funding and strong local support, the project’s success could determine how — and where — North Dakota grows over the next decade. Jill Schramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

Artificial intelligence has swept into classrooms faster than the rules to govern it. A new RAND report shows more than half of students — and just as many teachers — now use AI for schoolwork, lesson planning, or grading. Yet fewer than 40% of schools have clear policies on how that technology should be used. With states like Ohio and Tennessee taking first steps to set standards, the question now isn’t whether AI belongs in education — it’s how to teach with it responsibly.

For an alternate viewpoint, see “Point: Why We Should Ban Single-Use Plastics.” Nobody wants plastic pollution. That doesn’t mean poorly considered and heavy-handed governmental actions are the solution. This includes misguided single-use plastic bans (e.g., bans on plastic straws and single-use plastic bags). The primary concern...

For an alternate viewpoint, see “Counterpoint: Single-Use Plastic Bans Make No Sense.” Plastics are woven into every aspect of our lives, but what was once the poster child for convenience is fast becoming a pariah product. The era of single-use plastic must end; banning it is...

Here’s what’s actually in the water we’re all swimming in: cars. They kill over a million people annually, fuel climate change, wreck ecosystems, and make our neighborhoods worse places to live. Yet most of us barely notice. Three new books argue it’s time we did, pushing back against “car brain”—the inability to imagine life beyond the windshield. The authors make a compelling case about automobiles’ hidden costs, but face a daunting challenge: convincing a car-dependent public that the problem even exists, let alone that change is possible. David Zipper with Bloomberg has the full story.

If you’re interested, the three books are:

Saving Ourselves from Big Car by David Obst (Columbia University Press, Sept. 16)

Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship With Cars by Henrietta Moore and Arthur Kay (Wiley, Sept. 16)

Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile by Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon and Aaron Naparstek (Penguin Random House, Oct. 21)

For the first time in history, renewable energy has outpaced coal in global electricity generation — a milestone that signals just how fast the energy landscape is changing. Solar power, in particular, has more than doubled its share in just four years, helping renewables meet all new demand so far this year. Coal still dominates as a single source, but it’s no longer growing. The momentum has shifted — and if this trajectory holds, the clean-energy future is no longer theoretical. It’s underway. Dan McCarthy with Canary Media has the full story.

Chris Jones has seen America’s health care system from every angle — in North Dakota, in Washington, and now from the inside of a system he calls “broken.” In a new episode of Plain Talk, the former state health chief argues that the real problem isn’t how care is paid for — it’s what it costs. From price transparency to Medicaid work requirements, Jones offers a blunt assessment of how complexity and politics have obscured what should be simple: affordable care for everyone. Rob Port with InForum has recap or you can watch below.

When federal auditors arrived at Drumgoon Dairy this spring, they didn’t just check paperwork — they upended an entire operation. In a single sweep, 38 longtime employees were gone, leaving owner Dorothy Elliott scrambling to keep 6,500 cows fed and milked. Her story captures a growing crisis in American agriculture: farms built on immigrant labor but constrained by immigration law. Without reform, Elliott warns, the country’s dairy shelves may stay full — but only because the milk will come from somewhere else. Makenzie Huber with South Dakota Searchlight has the full story.

Duck hunting in North Dakota has always been more than sport — it’s a reflection of who’s doing the hunting, and why. When writer Tom Isern arrived in 1992, he found the local style puzzling: no decoys, no blinds, just patient pass-shooters at the marsh’s edge. Tracing that habit back through the decades, he uncovered a townsman’s tradition — professionals from Fargo and Grand Forks chasing ducks for sport and status, not survival. It’s a reminder that every landscape carries its own unwritten culture.

Ireland’s basic income program for artists — once a bold experiment — is about to become permanent. Starting next year, 2,000 creatives will receive €325 a week, with plans to slowly expand access to more disciplines and participants. The move marks a rare moment of certainty in a budget season otherwise defined by tense negotiations over housing, health, and education spending. For the arts community, it’s both validation and relief — a recognition that creative work is, quite literally, work, and worthy of investment. Jack Horgan-Jones with The Irish Times has the full story.