Today in Minot

A national debate over artificial intelligence is colliding with a very local concern: where to put the servers. Buried in President Trump’s sweeping “Big Beautiful Bill” is a 10-year ban on state-level AI regulation—now drawing backlash from lawmakers who say it could weaken local control over data center development. While intended to streamline federal oversight of AI models, critics warn the moratorium could override community input on noise, water use, and land rights. The tension reveals how AI’s footprint isn’t just digital—it’s physical, and increasingly political. Molly Taft with WIRED has the story on one of the big fights that’s just started brewing.

If the canary warned coal miners of unseen danger, the emperor penguin may be sounding a similar alarm for the planet. New satellite data shows their populations have dropped 22% in just 15 years—twice as bad as previous estimates. With no industry to blame—no fishing, no pollution—climate change is the clear culprit. As Antarctic ice thins beneath their feet, entire colonies are losing their young. The message isn’t subtle: the ice is breaking, but you have to be in Antarctica to hear it clearly.

North Dakota’s attorney general said Wednesday Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s veto was “sound,” dismissing a differing conclusion by legislative staff that his intent was unclear and the Legislature should hold a special session to fix the error. The opinion by Attorney General Drew Wrigley means $35 million...

Three months after launching its own trade countermeasures, the Saskatchewan government is quietly stepping back. Policies aimed at pushing back against U.S. tariffs—like favoring Canadian suppliers and halting U.S. alcohol purchases—are being dropped, with officials citing reduced red tape and more consumer choice. But with U.S. tariffs still in place and other provinces holding their lines, critics say Saskatchewan’s retreat feels premature. The government didn’t announce the change publicly—just a few targeted emails and a return to “standard procedures.” Alec Salloum with Regina Leader Post has the full story.

There’s a reason Yellowstone and Teddy Roosevelt National Parks posts those warning signs—and it’s not just for show. On Tuesday morning near Old Faithful, a 30-year-old man learned that lesson the hard way after getting too close to a bison. He survived with minor injuries, but it’s the second such incident this year, reinforcing what park rangers constantly preach: bison may look calm, but they’re anything but tame. The takeaway? Admire from a distance—at least 25 yards—or risk a painful reminder of nature’s boundaries.

A new report linking pesticide overuse to children’s health issues has ignited a battle within President Donald Trump’s circle of support, pitting powerful agrichemical giants against some organic food advocates. Last month, the Make America Healthy Again commission, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert...

The debate over coal-fired power isn’t just back—it’s front and center. The Trump administration’s EPA is moving to repeal federal rules that limited greenhouse gas and toxic emissions from power plants, undoing key Biden-era climate policies. Supporters, especially in coal-heavy Wyoming, call it a win for energy affordability and grid reliability. Critics see a rollback of hard-fought environmental safeguards. As utilities weigh aging infrastructure, shifting markets, and customer demand, this repeal reopens a national question: what role should coal play in America’s energy future? And with the Trump administration’s actions, energy producers will have one less requirement to meet as they consider the question.

As Los Angeles erupts in protest and the Trump administration sends in the National Guard without state consent, Rob Port is reflecting on a quieter kind of leadership. During the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests, then-Governor Jack Dalrymple faced similar pressure to escalate—but chose restraint. Instead of turning a tense standoff into a militarized clash, he kept the Guard in support roles. This article draws a sharp contrast between that decision and today’s headlines, raising a pointed question: when does force solve a problem, and when does it fuel the fire? Read Mr. Port’s full commentary on InForum linked below.

Visitors to Theodore Roosevelt National Park will soon find a new kind of trail marker—not pointing to wildlife or overlooks, but to a QR code inviting them to report signage that’s too critical of Americans or too muted in its praise of the land. It’s part of a sweeping federal directive aimed at reshaping how public lands tell the American story. Park staff must overhaul interpretive materials and solicit public input by July—moves critics warn could politicize park narratives and strain already stretched rangers. James B. Miller, Jr. with theDickinson Press has the full story.

Florida has taken a firm stance: starting this fall, phones are out of reach in K-8 classrooms statewide. But the debate over school cellphone bans is far from settled—and the voices often left out are those of the students themselves. A new survey of 11- to 13-year-olds reveals a more complex picture than many adults assume. Some kids feel relief without their phones. Others show signs of deeper anxiety. The data points in all directions, reminding us: tech policy in schools may need more nuance than a simple yes or no. Justin D. Martin with The Conversation has the full story with results we’ll watch in real time; North Dakota implemented it’s own instructional-time ban on cellphones in the most recent legislative session.

Without fail, when I think about bighorn sheep in North Dakota, big game biologist Brett Weidmann pops into my head. For good reason. Brett is the Game and Fish Department’s bighorn guru and has forgotten more about bighorn sheep than I’ll ever know. Brett is one...