Plain Talk

When you think about the film industry in North Dakota, it would be understandable if what comes to mind are people making movies. That's what films are, basically, right? But Matt Fern, executive director of Film North Dakota, said on this episode of Plain Talk that it's a lot more than that. There are so many platforms, and so many different types of content, like podcasts, and TikTok videos, and YouTube documentaries. Fern himself is actually the producer of Plain Talk. There is a large amount of interest in this field of work. "There's a new study from the University of Wisconsin that over 60% of middle and high school students want to be content creators," he told us. But the problem is that those sort of jobs are thin on the ground in North Dakota. "I've been part of the industry for 15 years and I've seen all the talent that we have here, but I've also seen a lot of people leave the state thinking that there are no opportunities here to pursue that career," he said. "We have a really experienced multi-talented workforce here in North Dakota," he continued. "69% have over 5 years of industry experience, but 54% had to leave North Dakota for film and media work. Not saying that they had to move, but to find opportunities for this profession, more than half have to leave the state. And I think that's really concerning." What can the state do about it? "I think so many times people have looked at" helping the film industry "as as an act of tourism and marketing for the state," he said. "I think that's a small aspect of it. I think the big thing is workforce development and industry development, economic development. If we look just to our neighbors, and not saying we need to copy Montana or Minnesota, but both of them, even Canada have very lucrative options for film and media professionals and here in North Dakota we are not competing at all." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the Lake Ontario/Lake America controversy, U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer's quiet campaign (so far), and listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

When you think about the film industry in North Dakota, it would be understandable if what comes to mind are people making movies. That's what films are, basically, right? But Matt Fern, executive director of Film North Dakota, said on this episode of Plain Talk that it's a lot more than that. There are so many platforms, and so many different types of content, like podcasts, and TikTok videos, and YouTube documentaries. Fern himself is actually the producer of Plain Talk. There is a large amount of interest in this field of work. "There's a new study from the University of Wisconsin that over 60% of middle and high school students want to be content creators," he told us. But the problem is that those sort of jobs are thin on the ground in North Dakota. "I've been part of the industry for 15 years and I've seen all the talent that we have here, but I've also seen a lot of people leave the state thinking that there are no opportunities here to pursue that career," he said. "We have a really experienced multi-talented workforce here in North Dakota," he continued. "69% have over 5 years of industry experience, but 54% had to leave North Dakota for film and media work. Not saying that they had to move, but to find opportunities for this profession, more than half have to leave the state. And I think that's really concerning." What can the state do about it? "I think so many times people have looked at" helping the film industry "as an act of tourism and marketing for the state," he said. "I think that's a small aspect of it. I think the big thing is workforce development and industry development, economic development. If we look just to our neighbors, and not saying we need to copy Montana or Minnesota, but both of them, even Canada, have very lucrative options for film and media professionals and here in North Dakota we are not competing at all." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the Lake Ontario/Lake America controversy, U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer's quiet campaign (so far), and listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Oliver County has become one of the epicenters in the fight over data centers in North Dakota, and county State's Attorney Patrick Waters has become a lightening rod in that fight. His is a fascinating anecdote illustrating how overheated the data center debate has become. "If you look at the data center issue in Oliver County, there are a couple Facebook pages that are solely designed to create a discourse about data centers," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "On these Facebook pages, there is an unbelievable amount of threatening behavior going on." "I am talking about people that are posting threatening to shoot people, threatening to attack workers who are working on the data center. Posting photos of firearms and of guillotines," he continued. "And these people have become so emboldened that they think that this is appropriate behavior." Waters denounced these behaviors, and the invective and name-calling in these debates, but has also used some of his own. When controversy came up over his stepson, and employee, operating a purported news website that has published articles about his private practice client, and data centers, he called the critic in an email to the newsmedia a "cowardly, anonymous, unscrupulous, bent, keyboard warrior." He also called them a "sub-creature" and a "timid and gossip-ridden snake." Asked about that language, in the context of his own criticism of intemperate behavior, Waters said it was justified by what he perceived as an attack on his stepson, particularly because the critic brought up his stepson's criminal record. "People are free to have their own opinions about anything. People are free to report things to the media and people are free to ask difficult questions. And I respect that," he said. "What I don't respect is this idea that because I'm unpopular in Oliver County because I advise the county commissioners to follow the law that they can then do everything that I do and say becomes a target of attack. And by bringing my family into this, I thought that that was low." Waters is also the subject of a removal petition that is currently under investigation by Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office. Wrigley will send a recommendation on removal to Gov. Kelly Armstrong when that process is completed. "The petition to remove me is full of lies," Waters said. "I fully expect the governor to to clear me, and I suspect that there'll be a decision made this week." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the beginning of this week's special legislative session, including the debate over banning kratom, banning nondisclosure agreements for data center projects, and unwinding the financial mess around a stalled military museum project. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Oliver County has become one of the epicenters in the fight over data centers in North Dakota, and county State's Attorney Patrick Waters has become a lightening rod in that fight. His is a fascinating anecdote illustrating how overheated the data center debate has become. "If you look at the data center issue in Oliver County, there are a couple Facebook pages that are solely designed to create a discourse about data centers," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. "On these Facebook pages, there is an unbelievable amount of threatening behavior going on." "I am talking about people that are posting threatening to shoot people, threatening to attack workers who are working on the data center. Posting photos of firearms and of guillotines," he continued. "And these people have become so emboldened that they think that this is appropriate behavior." Waters denounced these behaviors, and the invective and name-calling in these debates, but has also used some of his own. When controversy came up over his stepson, and employee, operating a purported news website that has published articles about his private practice client, and data centers, he called the critic in an email to the newsmedia a "cowardly, anonymous, unscrupulous, bent, keyboard warrior." He also called them a "sub-creature" and a "timid and gossip-ridden snake." Asked about that language, in the context of his own criticism of intemperate behavior, Waters said it was justified by what he perceived as an attack on his stepson, particularly because the critic brought up his stepson's criminal record. "People are free to have their own opinions about anything. People are free to report things to the media and people are free to ask difficult questions. And I respect that," he said. "What I don't respect is this idea that because I'm unpopular in Oliver County because I advise the county commissioners to follow the law that they can then do everything that I do and say becomes a target of attack. And by bringing my family into this, I thought that that was low." Waters is also the subject of a removal petition that is currently under investigation by Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office. Wrigley will send a recommendation on removal to Gov. Kelly Armstrong when that process is completed. "The petition to remove me is full of lies," Waters said. "I fully expect the governor to to clear me, and I suspect that there'll be a decision made this week." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the beginning of this week's special legislative session, including the debate over banning kratom, banning nondisclosure agreements for data center projects, and unwinding the financial mess around a stalled military museum project. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Martha Njolomole is an economist with the American Experiment North Dakota and the author of a new report on North Dakota's budget trends called "From Boom to Balance: Smart Spending for an Uncertain Future." Her argument is that North Dakota is spending too much money. "We've seen in the last couple years that North Dakota is spending more money than it is collecting particularly in the general fund budget which is really what most people refer to as as the budget," she said on this episode of Plain Talk. She said this "structured deficit" has been obscured by balances from the state's various funds, but contends "that at a certain point you're going to run out of those balances and you won't be able to maintain your current spending trends." "It's pretty much like a family that earns $3,000 a month but they're living at $4,000 a month," she contends. North Dakotans have been feeling the impact of this, she says, "I think probably because of the oil and gas industry a lot of taxpayers...don't feel the pain and the cost of big government in North Dakota." Njolomole and her group aren't alone in flagging this spending trend. In April, when Gov. Kelly Armstrong released his budget guidelines for the coming biennium, he called the state's spending growth "unsustainable." Particularly in that a lot of the state's spending is based on reserve funds and not ongoing revenues. In fact, in every budget cycle since the 2017-2019 biennium, most of the state's spending has come from these so-called "special funds" as opposed to general fund revenues from things like the sales and income taxes. Despite this, the American Experiment North Dakota report also calls for eliminating North Dakota's income tax, something we challenged Njolomole on. How can you advocate reducing revenues at a time when spending is exceeding revenues? This report also criticizes North Dakota for being too dependent on revenues from oil and gas activity, but wouldn't eliminating the income tax make the state more dependent on those revenues? We asked Njolomole about it. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the Protect College Sports Act, and whether or not the status quo in college sports deserves to be protected. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Martha Njolomole is an economist with the American Experiment North Dakota and the author of a new report on North Dakota's budget trends called "From Boom to Balance: Smart Spending for an Uncertain Future." Her argument is that North Dakota is spending too much money. "We've seen in the last couple years that North Dakota is spending more money than it is collecting particularly in the general fund budget which is really what most people refer to as as the budget," she said on this episode of Plain Talk. She said this "structured deficit" has been obscured by balances from the state's various funds, but contends "that at a certain point you're going to run out of those balances and you won't be able to maintain your current spending trends." "It's pretty much like a family that earns $3,000 a month but they're living at $4,000 a month," she contends. North Dakotans have been feeling the impact of this, she says, "I think probably because of the oil and gas industry a lot of taxpayers...don't feel the pain and the cost of big government in North Dakota." Njolomole and her group aren't alone in flagging this spending trend. In April, when Gov. Kelly Armstrong released his budget guidelines for the coming biennium, he called the state's spending growth "unsustainable." Particularly in that a lot of the state's spending is based on reserve funds and not ongoing revenues. In fact, in every budget cycle since the 2017-2019 biennium, most of the state's spending has come from these so-called "special funds" as opposed to general fund revenues from things like the sales and income taxes. Despite this, the American Experiment North Dakota report also calls for eliminating North Dakota's income tax, something we challenged Njolomole on. How can you advocate reducing revenues at a time when spending is exceeding revenues? This report also criticizes North Dakota for being too dependent on revenues from oil and gas activity, but wouldn't eliminating the income tax make the state more dependent on those revenues? We asked Njolomole about it. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the Protect College Sports Act, and whether or not the status quo in college sports deserves to be protected. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Gov. Kelly Armstrong was asked recently on a talk radio program about bigoted comments made by state Rep. Desiree Morton, a fellow Republican. "That's dumb," he said of her attacks on Somali immigrants and Muslims. On this episode of Plain Talk, we dive into correspondence Rep. Morton had with one of her constituents in which she continues to stand by those bigoted comments. "They have taken over city after city and have instituted Sharia Law in many areas. In their own words they have said that they hate America and everything she stands for," Morton wrote to her constituent. "They hate our Constitution and defy our laws. Their goal is to take over America and institute Sharia Law just as they have done in other countries around the world.  This isn't just true for Somalians, but for many who hold to the ideology of Islam." Also, co-host Chad Oban and I take some feedback from a listener who says that we're wrong when we say that Flock cameras are not a constitutional violation, and we discuss Sen. Kevin Cramer pushing back on President Donald Trump's administration harder than he ever has in the past. The issue is wetlands policy from President Joe Biden's time in office, which have been allowed to linger under the Trump administration, and Cramer has taken a hard stand, putting a hold on confirmation all of President Trump's nominees until he addresses the matter. We also discuss whether Cramer will seek re-election when he's on the ballot again in 2030. The Senator says he isn't sure. We discuss the implications. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Gov. Kelly Armstrong was asked recently on a talk radio program about bigoted comments made by state Rep. Desiree Morton, a fellow Republican. "That's dumb," he said of her attacks on Somali immigrants and Muslims. On this episode of Plain Talk, we dive into correspondence Rep. Morton had with one of her constituents in which she continues to stand by those bigoted comments. "They have taken over city after city and have instituted Sharia Law in many areas. In their own words they have said that they hate America and everything she stands for," Morton wrote to her constituent. "They hate our Constitution and defy our laws. Their goal is to take over America and institute Sharia Law just as they have done in other countries around the world.  This isn't just true for Somalians, but for many who hold to the ideology of Islam." Also, co-host Chad Oban and I take some feedback from a listener who says that we're wrong when we say that Flock cameras are not a constitutional violation, and we discuss Sen. Kevin Cramer pushing back on President Donald Trump's administration harder than he ever has in the past. The issue is wetlands policy from President Joe Biden's time in office, which have been allowed to linger under the Trump administration, and Cramer has taken a hard stand, putting a hold on confirmation all of President Trump's nominees until he addresses the matter. We also discuss whether Cramer will seek re-election when he's on the ballot again in 2030. The Senator says he isn't sure. We discuss the implications. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

As North Dakota's charitable gaming industry as exploded into what can more fairly be called the casino industry, there's been a trend toward nonprofits buying up for-profit hospitality establishments -- bars and restaurants -- to protect turf for games like electronic pull tab machines and blackjack tables. How does the hospitality industry feel about that? "We have members on both sides of the issue, and so we don't have the luxury of picking a side, and I don't necessarily think we should," Terry Effertz said on this episode of Plain Talk. Effertz is the executive director of the North Dakota Hospitality Association, which represents the state's bars, restaurants and hotels. She said in many ways, the growth in charitable gaming has been a boon to many small businesses in her industry. "We went from about $156 million in pre-electronic pull tab gaming proceeds, gross proceeds to $2.3 billion now," she said. "And so, in less than a decade, look at that explosive growth. There's a lot of opportunities. When you see a small business that may not make it, they might take that option. The rent proceeds have helped keep the lights on in some of those small town bars as well." One thing that would help, and might serve as a buttress against nonprofits buying up bars and restaurants, is some changes to the state's caps on how much an establishment owner can receive in rent from a gaming operation. "They're more interested in what the rent proceeds are," Effertz said of her membership, "because they see, in some cases millions, of dollars filtering through their business through the gaming and they're making a couple grand a month off of their rent proceeds. And so I think that there is some feeling of inequity in some places." But she acknowledged that this might be a tough sell, politically. "It's hard for us to go in and say, 'Hey, we're the purveyors of your vices. Give us some of that charity's money.' Right?' Like, it's a hard thing to say we deserve more when it's going for a charitable purpose." Also on this episode, we discuss the Flock camera debate in North Dakota's communities, and react to listener feedback from someone who has been struggling with kratom addiction. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

As North Dakota's charitable gaming industry as exploded into what can more fairly be called the casino industry, there's been a trend toward nonprofits buying up for-profit hospitality establishments -- bars and restaurants -- to protect turf for games like electronic pull tab machines and blackjack tables. How does the hospitality industry feel about that? "We have members on both sides of the issue, and so we don't have the luxury of picking a side, and I don't necessarily think we should," Terry Effertz said on this episode of Plain Talk. Effertz is the executive director of the North Dakota Hospitality Association, which represents the state's bars, restaurants and hotels. She said in many ways, the growth in charitable gaming has been a boon to many small businesses in her industry. "We went from about $156 million in pre-electronic pull tab gaming proceeds, gross proceeds to $2.3 billion now," she said. "And so, in less than a decade, look at that explosive growth. There's a lot of opportunities. When you see a small business that may not make it, they might take that option. The rent proceeds have helped keep the lights on in some of those small town bars as well." One thing that would help, and might serve as a buttress against nonprofits buying up bars and restaurants, is some changes to the state's caps on how much an establishment owner can receive in rent from a gaming operation. "They're more interested in what the rent proceeds are," Effertz said of her membership, "because they see, in some cases millions, of dollars filtering through their business through the gaming and they're making a couple grand a month off of their rent proceeds. And so I think that there is some feeling of inequity in some places." But she acknowledged that this might be a tough sell, politically. "It's hard for us to go in and say, 'Hey, we're the purveyors of your vices. Give us some of that charity's money.' Right?' Like, it's a hard thing to say we deserve more when it's going for a charitable purpose." Also on this episode, we discuss the Flock camera debate in North Dakota's communities, and react to listener feedback from someone who has been struggling with kratom addiction. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"Over 80% of North Dotans who took this think that that we need to do a better job," Superintendent of Public Schools Levi Bachmeier said on this episode of Plain Talk. "And I can't help but agree when I visit schools and we have a critical workforce shortage." He's referring to a recent survey conducted by his department. One way Bachmeier thinks schools can do a better job, and something that's backed up by sentiments from North Dakotans in the survey, is teacher pay. "I'll be the first to say that pay doesn't solve every problem. We've got to make sure that teachers feel like their work is sustainable and meaningful," he said. "Money can't ever be a replacement for leadership, but at the same time, that gap--if you compare what teachers make to others who hold a bachelor's degree, I mean, that's a problem." "And it isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more," he continued. "It's a problem because we have schools across our state that don't have teachers in the classroom." Bachmeier said he's heard "from juniors in Wishek who wanted to be reading books and working on projects together in English class" but "they're forced to be taking an asynchronous online class." Bachmeier also talked about other results from the survey and their implications for education policy, including technology in the classroom, and whether virtual learning is really the best way to address snow days during harsh winter weather. On that last, Bachmeier thinks it may be better to just let the kids have a day off.  "I'm a big believer in as many quality minutes as possible, and I'll bet on kids in a class classroom with each other and a teacher versus trying to log on a device any day of the week," he said. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the list of bills lawmakers on the Legislative Management Committee forwarded for the upcoming special session in September, and one resolution, calling for clemency for the extremists jailed after their murderous involvement in the infamous Medina shootout, which wasn't forwarded. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"Over 80% of North Dotans who took this think that that we need to do a better job," Superintendent of Public Schools Levi Bachmeier said on this episode of Plain Talk. "And I can't help but agree when I visit schools and we have a critical workforce shortage." He's referring to a recent survey conducted by his department. One way Bachmeier thinks schools can do a better job, and something that's backed up by sentiments from North Dakotans in the survey, is teacher pay. "I'll be the first to say that pay doesn't solve every problem. We've got to make sure that teachers feel like their work is sustainable and meaningful," he said. "Money can't ever be a replacement for leadership, but at the same time, that gap--if you compare what teachers make to others who hold a bachelor's degree, I mean, that's a problem." "And it isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more," he continued. "It's a problem because we have schools across our state that don't have teachers in the classroom." Bachmeier said he's heard "from juniors in Wishek who wanted to be reading books and working on projects together in English class" but "they're forced to be taking an asynchronous online class." Bachmeier also talked about other results from the survey and their implications for education policy, including technology in the classroom, and whether virtual learning is really the best way to address snow days during harsh winter weather. On that last, Bachmeier thinks it may be better to just let the kids have a day off.  "I'm a big believer in as many quality minutes as possible, and I'll bet on kids in a class classroom with each other and a teacher versus trying to log on a device any day of the week," he said. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the list of bills lawmakers on the Legislative Management Committee forwarded for the upcoming special session in September, and one resolution, calling for clemency for the extremists jailed after their murderous involvement in the infamous Medina shootout, which wasn't forwarded. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Gov. Kelly Armstrong called a special session to address what he and public health officials say is a crisis related to unregulated says of kratom in its natural and synthetic forms. Sen. Tim Mathern, a Fargo Democrat, says the session is unneccessary, but if we're going to have it, he'd rather it be focused on data centers. "Should we deal with kratom? Yes. Are there people who are hurt by it? Yes. There are many other substances that people are hurt by," he said. "Hundreds more persons per year die of alcohol. Hundreds more die per year of tobacco use and all kinds of other issues. So, let's address this fine, but we should be dealing with other issues also." "Most citizens of North Dakota want attention on data centers, not on kratum," he continued. "Most citizens don't even know what it's about." Mathern is trying to get two bills into consideration during the session. One would impose a one-year moratorium on data center construction, while the other would ban data center companies from seeking nondisclosure agreements with public officials. But the latter would only apply to data center companies. The legislation "basically sets forth the concerns we have about data centers," Mathern said. "It clearly defines what a data center is, what a developer is, what a non-disclosure agreement is. It actually prohibits from any government official whether they're staff or elected any political subdivision or the state from signing or participating in a non-disclosure agreement." Mathern also addressed the financial controversy around a stalled military museum project on the state capitol grounds which could cost taxpayes tens of millions of dollars. "This is the wrong way of making decisions," Mathern said, noting that lawmakers "made a deal" to build the museum that would have it receive public funding that would match private fundraising. But construction on the project began without the private fundraising in place, and now it's out of money. "I'm thinking this is more of a management issue, and this session should not be used to bail out management decisions or we're going down a path that is destructive to legislative decision making," Mathern said. Also on this session, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss North Dakota's problems with charitable gaming which, these days, is beginning to look less and less charitable all the time, and more and more like a deeply lucrative casino industry. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Gov. Kelly Armstrong called a special session to address what he and public health officials say is a crisis related to unregulated says of kratom in its natural and synthetic forms. Sen. Tim Mathern, a Fargo Democrat, says the session is unneccessary, but if we're going to have it, he'd rather it be focused on data centers. "Should we deal with kratom? Yes. Are there people who are hurt by it? Yes. There are many other substances that people are hurt by," he said. "Hundreds more persons per year die of alcohol. Hundreds more die per year of tobacco use and all kinds of other issues. So, let's address this fine, but we should be dealing with other issues also." "Most citizens of North Dakota want attention on data centers, not on kratum," he continued. "Most citizens don't even know what it's about." Mathern is trying to get two bills into consideration during the session. One would impose a one-year moratorium on data center construction, while the other would ban data center companies from seeking nondisclosure agreements with public officials. But the latter would only apply to data center companies. The legislation "basically sets forth the concerns we have about data centers," Mathern said. "It clearly defines what a data center is, what a developer is, what a non-disclosure agreement is. It actually prohibits from any government official whether they're staff or elected any political subdivision or the state from signing or participating in a non-disclosure agreement." Mathern also addressed the financial controversy around a stalled military museum project on the state capitol grounds which could cost taxpayes tens of millions of dollars. "This is the wrong way of making decisions," Mathern said, noting that lawmakers "made a deal" to build the museum that would have it receive public funding that would match private fundraising. But construction on the project began without the private fundraising in place, and now it's out of money. "I'm thinking this is more of a management issue, and this session should not be used to bail out management decisions or we're going down a path that is destructive to legislative decision making," Mathern said. Also on this session, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss North Dakota's problems with charitable gaming which, these days, is beginning to look less and less charitable all the time, and more and more like a deeply lucrative casino industry. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

There's been a lot of talk in North Dakota in recent weeks about kratom after Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued executive orders banning the substance and called lawmakers into a special session in Bismarck with an eye toward making that ban permanent. But what does the kratom industry think about it? "We agree with the governor in part and we disagree in another part," Mac Haddow said on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's a lot like being married, right? We have to get it right at the end." Haddow is a former state lawmaker, and a Reagan-era chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, he's a senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, and where he and his organization agree with Armstrong is on synthetic kratom. He said that colloquial descriptors like "gas station heroin" are accurate. "There's no question it's the same as an opioid." But on a previous episode of Plain Talk, Armstrong said the natural, botanical variety of kratom should be banned too, and that's where Haddow and his group diverge. Natural kratom is a different animal. "This is akin to what happened during Prohibition," he argued. "We don't call moonshine corn and we certainly don't call caffeine coffee. These are things that need to be closely examined and properly regulated." Haddow argues that good policy coming out of this session would ban synthetic kratom and regulate the natural variety to ensure that it's only available to adults and is transparent about things like ingredients and dosage. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I responded to listener feedback and talked about renewed controversy around Fargo-area state lawmaker Rep. Desiree Morton. In June, Morton attacked fellow lawmakers for allowing Somali volunteers on their campaigns. More recently, in private messages, Morton insinuated that a ward proposal for Fargo's city government would allow "imports" to take over the city. Morton said in her message that she's "not a hater," but Oban disagrees. "She is a hater," he said. "She's a bigot. She's a racist." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

There's been a lot of talk in North Dakota in recent weeks about kratom after Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued executive orders banning the substance and called lawmakers into a special session in Bismarck with an eye toward making that ban permanent. But what does the kratom industry think about it? "We agree with the governor in part and we disagree in another part," Mac Haddow said on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's a lot like being married, right? We have to get it right at the end." Haddow is a former state lawmaker, and a Reagan-era chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, he's a senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, and where he and his organization agree with Armstrong is on synthetic kratom. He said that colloquial descriptors like "gas station heroin" are accurate. "There's no question it's the same as an opioid." But on a previous episode of Plain Talk, Armstrong said the natural, botanical variety of kratom should be banned too, and that's where Haddow and his group diverge. Natural kratom is a different animal. "This is akin to what happened during Prohibition," he argued. "We don't call moonshine corn and we certainly don't call caffeine coffee. These are things that need to be closely examined and properly regulated." Haddow argues that good policy coming out of this session would ban synthetic kratom and regulate the natural variety to ensure that it's only available to adults and is transparent about things like ingredients and dosage. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I responded to listener feedback and talked about renewed controversy around Fargo-area state lawmaker Rep. Desiree Morton. In June, Morton attacked fellow lawmakers for allowing Somali volunteers on their campaigns. More recently, in private messages, Morton insinuated that a ward proposal for Fargo's city government would allow "imports" to take over the city. Morton said in her message that she's "not a hater," but Oban disagrees. "She is a hater," he said. "She's a bigot. She's a racist." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this episode of Plain Talk, recorded on location inside Brewhalla at the TedXFargo event, we talked about a deeply uncomfortable topic. Suicide, namely. Our guest was Haley DeGreve, founder of the Gray Matters Collective, an advocacy group focused on mental health issues which also provides training for the public on how to recognize mental health episodes and health. We think about CPR training, and first aid training, but what about someone who is having a manic episode, or contemplating suicide? "Where our organization has leaned into that gray area is there are people like you and I who care, but we don't know how to help," DeGreve told us. "We're not trained in this. And so, we actually spend a lot of our funding on training to get people trained so, if you're in the grocery store and you see someone having a mental breakdown, you know what to do. You know how to connect them." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed a recent, tacit acknowledgement that property tax exemptions have a real cost for the public. "The true thing is that when we give away an exemption, there's a cost," I argued. "Maybe the cost is worth paying, right? We can have a debate about that, but it is a cost and we can't ignore it." We also discussed the back lash against data centers, and how the public's shift towards online populism has influenced that. "This is what happens when there's an issue that's very complicated and you have a fringe that's sort of running the messaging on this that everything is terrible," I said. The real threat of AI, I argue, is that it can make nonsense arguments seem plausible. "Any moron can sound like Hemingway with ChatGPT," I said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this episode of Plain Talk, recorded on location inside Brewhalla at the TedXFargo event, we talked about a deeply uncomfortable topic. Suicide, namely. Our guest was Haley DeGreve, founder of the Gray Matters Collective, an advocacy group focused on mental health issues which also provides training for the public on how to recognize mental health episodes and health. We think about CPR training, and first aid training, but what about someone who is having a manic episode, or contemplating suicide? "Where our organization has leaned into that gray area is there are people like you and I who care, but we don't know how to help," DeGreve told us. "We're not trained in this. And so, we actually spend a lot of our funding on training to get people trained so, if you're in the grocery store and you see someone having a mental breakdown, you know what to do. You know how to connect them." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed a recent, tacit acknowledgement that property tax exemptions have a real cost for the public. "The true thing is that when we give away an exemption, there's a cost," I argued. "Maybe the cost is worth paying, right? We can have a debate about that, but it is a cost and we can't ignore it." We also discussed the back lash against data centers, and how the public's shift towards online populism has influenced that. "This is what happens when there's an issue that's very complicated and you have a fringe that's sort of running the messaging on this that everything is terrible," I said. The real threat of AI, I argue, is that it can make nonsense arguments seem plausible. "Any moron can sound like Hemingway with ChatGPT," I said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"We know of at least 23 deaths in North Dakota where it's listed as a primary cause," Gov. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to the substance kratom. Armstrong made headlines this week when he announced a temporary executive order banning kratom, and that he was calling lawmakers to Bismarck for a special session to pass more permanent policy. Some claimed that kratom is a ruse intended to cover other issues, such as the red-hot data center debate, or the financial disaster that is a military museum on the capitol grounds, but Armstrong made it clear that the session is very much about kratom. "We've basically only started testing for this stuff since September of last year, nd everybody I talked to in this space that knows what it is from the health perspective says this stuff is really, really addictive and it's really bad news and it's completely unregulated right now in North Dakota," he said. "If we have to overreact to something this addictive, I'm comfortable overreacting," he added. But Armstrong did indicate that he hopes lawmakers do something about the military museum mess while in Bismarck, even if it just means appropriating the dollars needed to winterize the project, buying some time for the legislature to come up with a way to address it during their regular session beginning in January. He also indicated that, while he has no control over what bills lawmakers consider, he would be very skeptical of signing any sort of a data center moratorium. "I'm not a huge moratorium guy," he said. "If the argument is we have to make sure there's more local control, doesn't a moratorium take all local control away? I don't see that as being a real viable scenario at this point." Also on this super-sized episode of Plain Talk, Signe Snortland, a candidate for the state Senate in District 33 said that if she were participating in the special session, she'd vote for a moratorium. The district she lives in touches on four counties, each of which have at least one proposed data center project in them. She acknowledges that the data centers are needed, but said North Dakota needs more time to consider the policies around them. One thing she'd like to see on the table is a requirement for reclamation bonds, in case the markets turn and the data centers are abandoned. "We're worried what will happen if the bubble bursts and people walk away from these plants," she said. "What happens in the county and the city? How do they reclaim the land?" Co-host Chad Oban and I also discussed the ways in which Doug Burgum is overshadowing his strong legacy as a leader and businessman in North Dakota by carrying President Donald Trump's rancid political water, the controversy over pride flags in Detroit Lakes, and political shakeups in Fargo-area legislative districts, including the possibility that Rep. Jim Kasper, an elderly lawmaker who has been out of the public eye for some time after suffering a brain bleed, could soon be replaced. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"We know of at least 23 deaths in North Dakota where it's listed as a primary cause," Gov. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to the substance kratom. Armstrong made headlines this week when he announced a temporary executive order banning kratom, and that he was calling lawmakers to Bismarck for a special session to pass more permanent policy. Some claimed that kratom is a ruse intended to cover other issues, such as the red-hot data center debate, or the financial disaster that is a military museum on the capitol grounds, but Armstrong made it clear that the session is very much about kratom. "We've basically only started testing for this stuff since September of last year, nd everybody I talked to in this space that knows what it is from the health perspective says this stuff is really, really addictive and it's really bad news and it's completely unregulated right now in North Dakota," he said. "If we have to overreact to something this addictive, I'm comfortable overreacting," he added. But Armstrong did indicate that he hopes lawmakers do something about the military museum mess while in Bismarck, even if it just means appropriating the dollars needed to winterize the project, buying some time for the legislature to come up with a way to address it during their regular session beginning in January. He also indicated that, while he has no control over what bills lawmakers consider, he would be very skeptical of signing any sort of a data center moratorium. "I'm not a huge moratorium guy," he said. "If the argument is we have to make sure there's more local control, doesn't a moratorium take all local control away? I don't see that as being a real viable scenario at this point." Also on this super-sized episode of Plain Talk, Signe Snortland, a candidate for the state Senate in District 33 said that if she were participating in the special session, she'd vote for a moratorium. The district she lives in touches on four counties, each of which have at least one proposed data center project in them. She acknowledges that the data centers are needed, but said North Dakota needs more time to consider the policies around them. One thing she'd like to see on the table is a requirement for reclamation bonds, in case the markets turn and the data centers are abandoned. "We're worried what will happen if the bubble bursts and people walk away from these plants," she said. "What happens in the county and the city? How do they reclaim the land?" Co-host Chad Oban and I also discussed the ways in which Doug Burgum is overshadowing his strong legacy as a leader and businessman in North Dakota by carrying President Donald Trump's rancid political water, the controversy over pride flags in Detroit Lakes, and political shakeups in Fargo-area legislative districts, including the possibility that Rep. Jim Kasper, an elderly lawmaker who has been out of the public eye for some time after suffering a brain bleed, could soon be replaced. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this Plain Talk, recorded live from TedXFargo, me and co-host Chad Oban talked about the rationalizations and excuses we make for ourselves in politics. Which also just happened to be the subject of my talk at the event. The decisions we're making politically — who we vote for, who we give money to, who we oppose — are what's driving what's happening to our country. But when things go poorly, we like to blame others. The lobbyists. The billionaires. The media. I'll not defend those things, but we also have to look in the mirror. We have to point the finger at ourselves. We are defending people who don't deserve a defense. We are attacking people who don't deserve to be attacked.  Also on this episode, we interviewed Jen Burgard, founder and executive director of Haven, a Fargo-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families navigating pregnancy or infant loss. Burgard was also a speaker at TedXFargo, and talked about her group's efforts to guide families through loss and grief. She also discussed the way her organization was victimized by a woman who faked a pregnancy, and the loss of an infant, and embezzled a significant amount of money, something Burgard chronicled in her blog False Hope. That incident nearly ended Haven, but Burgard kept it alive. "I decided that if this organization was going to fail, it wasn't going to be because of her," she said. "That's it. If it fails, it fails. Just like any business, right? Sometimes things don't work out. But it was not going to be because of her." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts. #northdakota #tedxfargo

On this Plain Talk, recorded live from TedXFargo, me and co-host Chad Oban talked about the rationalizations and excuses we make for ourselves in politics. Which also just happened to be the subject of my talk at the event. The decisions we're making politically — who we vote for, who we give money to, who we oppose — are what's driving what's happening to our country. But when things go poorly, we like to blame others. The lobbyists. The billionaires. The media. I'll not defend those things, but we also have to look in the mirror. We have to point the finger at ourselves. We are defending people who don't deserve a defense. We are attacking people who don't deserve to be attacked. Also on this episode, we interviewed Jen Burgard, founder and executive director of Haven, a Fargo-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families navigating pregnancy or infant loss. Burgard was also a speaker at TedXFargo, and talked about her group's efforts to guide families through loss and grief. She also discussed the way her organization was victimized by a woman who faked a pregnancy, and the loss of an infant, and embezzled a significant amount of money, something Burgard chronicled in her blog False Hope. That incident nearly ended Haven, but Burgard kept it alive. "I decided that if this organization was going to fail, it wasn't going to be because of her," she said. "That's it. If it fails, it fails. Just like any business, right? Sometimes things don't work out. But it was not going to be because of her." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

While Rob and Chad are at TEDxFargo this week, we're revisiting one of our most talked-about conversations. North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread joins Plain Talk to discuss the future of health insurance subsidies, what happens if Congress fails to extend them, and why rising healthcare costs remain one of the biggest challenges facing families in North Dakota and across the country. He also shares why he believes lawmakers need to act now and what long-term reforms could help bring costs under control. Rob and Chad also discuss ongoing issues at the North Dakota Commerce Department, the federal government shutdown, and other political headlines from around the state and nation. We'll be back next week with new episodes from TEDxFargo.

While Rob and Chad are at TEDxFargo this week, we're revisiting one of our most talked-about conversations. North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread joins Plain Talk to discuss the future of health insurance subsidies, what happens if Congress fails to extend them, and why rising healthcare costs remain one of the biggest challenges facing families in North Dakota and across the country. He also shares why he believes lawmakers need to act now and what long-term reforms could help bring costs under control. Rob and Chad also discuss ongoing issues at the North Dakota Commerce Department, the federal government shutdown, and other political headlines from around the state and nation. We'll be back next week with new episodes from TEDxFargo.

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL had a strong recruitment season for legislative candidates. Among them is Dr. Chris Tiongson, a pediatrician seeking a seat in the state House of Representatives in Fargo-area District 41. Running for elected office is a daunting task. It's a lot of work and it comes with a public spotlight, and the public can be cruel, so why did Tiongson decide to take time away from his medical practice to run? "As I've seen over the years, almost 30 years in pediatrics now, there are so many things that are happening outside the exam room that parents and families really don't have control over that affect their health," he told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "Like pollution, poverty, housing insecurity, food insecurity, racism, bullying, all that kind of stuff. And I felt like I can have a greater impact helping the health of our community working on public policy as opposed to just one patient at a time in the exam room or one patient at a time in a in a hospital bed." But Tiongson says he understand the push and pull of governance, and that there "are costs to every sort of decision that you make." "What makes difficult decisions is when there are competing virtues that are both good, like being fiscally responsible as a government and providing for basic needs for people who need them," he told us. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss the "brutal gauntlet" first-time candidates face as they enter the political arena and how many more of them will need to brave it as term limits for state lawmakers kick in. We also discuss Gov. Kelly Armstrong's decision to vote against the school meals constitutional amendment that will appear on the November ballot, despite backing similar statutory language during a special legislative session earlier this year, as well as the upcoming TedX event in Fargo next week. Plain Talk's schedule will be distrupted a bit next week. I'm speaking at the TedX event, but we'll also be recording an episode of the show from the venue in Fargo. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL had a strong recruitment season for legislative candidates. Among them is Dr. Chris Tiongson, a pediatrician seeking a seat in the state House of Representatives in Fargo-area District 41. Running for elected office is a daunting task. It's a lot of work and it comes with a public spotlight, and the public can be cruel, so why did Tiongson decide to take time away from his medical practice to run? "As I've seen over the years, almost 30 years in pediatrics now, there are so many things that are happening outside the exam room that parents and families really don't have control over that affect their health," he told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "Like pollution, poverty, housing insecurity, food insecurity, racism, bullying, all that kind of stuff. And I felt like I can have a greater impact helping the health of our community working on public policy as opposed to just one patient at a time in the exam room or one patient at a time in a in a hospital bed." But Tiongson says he understand the push and pull of governance, and that there "are costs to every sort of decision that you make." "What makes difficult decisions is when there are competing virtues that are both good, like being fiscally responsible as a government and providing for basic needs for people who need them," he told us. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss the "brutal gauntlet" first-time candidates face as they enter the political arena and how many more of them will need to brave it as term limits for state lawmakers kick in. We also discuss Gov. Kelly Armstrong's decision to vote against the school meals constitutional amendment that will appear on the November ballot, despite backing similar statutory language during a special legislative session earlier this year, as well as the upcoming TedX event in Fargo next week. Plain Talk's schedule will be distrupted a bit next week. I'm speaking at the TedX event, but we'll also be recording an episode of the show from the venue in Fargo. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Housing issues may be among the most complicated and important issues policymakers face. In order for local economies to grow, they need workers, and those workers need places to live. And they can't just be any old place. They need to be places they can afford to live, and want to live. But that's not easy. A home or apartment building built today might stand for a century or more, but the housing expectations of the public shift from generation to generation. That's one point Adrian Cummings, president of the Grand Forks-based Forx Builders Assocation, made on this episode of Plain Talk. He pointed out that, while North Dakota isn't yet a state where most people rent, rather than own, their homes, we're moving in that direction, particularly among younger generations. Where older generations prioritized the traditional "white picket fence" dream of owning a single-family home, both as a place to live and a way to secure an asset that can provide financial security for later in their lives, younger generations invest for their future differently, and are trending toward eschewing the burdens of homeownership in favor of renting. "I think that, for a long time, your home was your investment policy, and it was your retirement policy, for particularly people even older than my parents," he said. "I think that there are other investment opportunities available to young professionals where they don't feel as large of a rush to get into a home as a retirement asset because they have other options." Cummings talked about the workforce and economic challenges builders are facing, and the struggle to build affordable -- he prefers the term "attainable" -- housing, and how he feels the state can help. He thinks a Bank of North Dakota program that facilitates the financing of development would go a long way to help, since one of the biggest friction points to development now is how cost-intensive it is. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss President Donald Trump's renewed hostilities toward Canada and their potential impacts on North Dakota, and we respond to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Housing issues may be among the most complicated and important issues policymakers face. In order for local economies to grow, they need workers, and those workers need places to live. And they can't just be any old place. They need to be places they can afford to live, and want to live. But that's not easy. A home or apartment building built today might stand for a century or more, but the housing expectations of the public shift from generation to generation. That's one point Adrian Cummings, president of the Grand Forks-based Forx Builders Assocation, made on this episode of Plain Talk. He pointed out that, while North Dakota isn't yet a state where most people rent, rather than own, their homes, we're moving in that direction, particularly among younger generations. Where older generations prioritized the traditional "white picket fence" dream of owning a single-family home, both as a place to live and a way to secure an asset that can provide financial security for later in their lives, younger generations invest for their future differently, and are trending toward eschewing the burdens of homeownership in favor of renting. "I think that, for a long time, your home was your investment policy, and it was your retirement policy, for particularly people even older than my parents," he said. "I think that there are other investment opportunities available to young professionals where they don't feel as large of a rush to get into a home as a retirement asset because they have other options." Cummings talked about the workforce and economic challenges builders are facing, and the struggle to build affordable -- he prefers the term "attainable" -- housing, and how he feels the state can help. He thinks a Bank of North Dakota program that facilitates the financing of development would go a long way to help, since one of the biggest friction points to development now is how cost-intensive it is. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss President Donald Trump's renewed hostilities toward Canada and their potential impacts on North Dakota, and we respond to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Some time before the November general election, Fargo voters will have a special election concerning a proposal to city government from an at-large commission, where each member of the commission (except for the mayor) is elected by the whole city, to a ward system, where the city is split into jurisdictions each with a specific representative. "It would establish six wards and one person elected from each ward," former city commissioner Arlette Preston, an organizer behind this issue, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "The candidate would have to live inside the ward and be elected by people in the ward. So, it would also change from a commission form of government to a council form, which that will remove the commissioners as they are currently assigned certain portfolios and daily interactions with certain departments. It would remove them from that and allow for the city administrator to actually have direct oversight." Former Mayor Tim Mahoney has opposed this proposal, and one of his complaints is the cost. He's said it could cost the taxpayers as much as $500,000 to make the switch, but Preston dismissed that claim. "I have no idea where he got his numbers and he never really specified where they came from," she said. "There would be two additional people on the council versus what is currently the commission. So there'd be a total of seven people including the mayor versus now it's five. So those two additional people would add probably around 80,000 total in salary and benefits for two of them. That would be an annual cost." She also pushed back on Mahoney's claim that the proposal would lead to a weak mayor. She said that state law actually defines a system like this as promoting a strong mayor, because while the mayor would only participate in council votes as a tie breaker, he or she would have veto power. Also, with the mayor's job already having moved to a full-time position, whoever is elected to that position will be more involved in day-to-day administration. Preston says the change toward wards would make Fargo's leaders more accountable. "What this allows is to make sure that somebody does advocate for you," she explained. "Right now, when communications come into the commission, it goes to all five people." Living in a district that has a specific member of the city council to represent your area means they should be more responsive. "It really, I think, establishes a stronger sense of accountability to the constituents," Preston told us. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the fundraising failure for the proposed military museum at the state capitol in Bismarck, the decline in Canadian tourism, youth sports and extreme heat, the outcome of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce's recent civics bee, and fatherhood. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Some time before the November general election, Fargo voters will have a special election concerning a proposal to city government from an at-large commission, where each member of the commission (except for the mayor) is elected by the whole city, to a ward system, where the city is split into jurisdictions each with a specific representative. "It would establish six wards and one person elected from each ward," former city commissioner Arlette Preston, an organizer behind this issue, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "The candidate would have to live inside the ward and be elected by people in the ward. So, it would also change from a commission form of government to a council form, which that will remove the commissioners as they are currently assigned certain portfolios and daily interactions with certain departments. It would remove them from that and allow for the city administrator to actually have direct oversight." Former Mayor Tim Mahoney has opposed this proposal, and one of his complaints is the cost. He's said it could cost the taxpayers as much as $500,000 to make the switch, but Preston dismissed that claim. "I have no idea where he got his numbers and he never really specified where they came from," she said. "There would be two additional people on the council versus what is currently the commission. So there'd be a total of seven people including the mayor versus now it's five. So those two additional people would add probably around 80,000 total in salary and benefits for two of them. That would be an annual cost." She also pushed back on Mahoney's claim that the proposal would lead to a weak mayor. She said that state law actually defines a system like this as promoting a strong mayor, because while the mayor would only participate in council votes as a tie breaker, he or she would have veto power. Also, with the mayor's job already having moved to a full-time position, whoever is elected to that position will be more involved in day-to-day administration. Preston says the change toward wards would make Fargo's leaders more accountable. "What this allows is to make sure that somebody does advocate for you," she explained. "Right now, when communications come into the commission, it goes to all five people." Living in a district that has a specific member of the city council to represent your area means they should be more responsive. "It really, I think, establishes a stronger sense of accountability to the constituents," Preston told us. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the fundraising failure for the proposed military museum at the state capitol in Bismarck, the decline in Canadian tourism, youth sports and extreme heat, the outcome of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce's recent civics bee, and fatherhood. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Is North Dakota still open for business? That's a question we asked during an interview with Brooks Burgum, co-founder and CEO of Longwater, a private equity and alternative asset management firm. What prompts that question is what seems to be a growing, anti-development attitude among some political factionsin North Dakota. The state once marketed itself as an easy place to do business, but increasingly building things like transmission lines, pipelines, and data centers has become a fraught business. "Where would we be if no one built a railroad?" Burgum, who is the former governor's cousin, asked us. "We want to grow this country, we want to grow this state," he continued. "We've got to have pipelines. We've got to have railroads. We've got to have interstate highways. This concept of not on my land, not in my backyard, this NIMBY idea, yeah, it's scary to think about." But Burgum thinks the backlash against data centers may be less about the centers themselves than the economic and cultural change they represent. "If you think about all the fears we all have around AI, and it can be scary, and it's real, and there's so many things happening, the only physical manifestation of that, that people lash out at, is a physical data center, he said. "Like, 'I'm scared of AI. I don't know what's going to happen to my job, to my life, all sorts of different things.' There's one physical thing that has the shape and form of AI and it's a data center." Burgum also spoke about North Dakota's efforts to steer public dollars toward in-state investments, arguing for an expansive view of those efforts that includes, not just investing in companies in North Dakota, but creating opportunities for North Dakota-based investment managers. Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban discuss the need for "proof of life" laws for politicians, the timing of Fargo Mayor Josh Boschee's resignation from the Legislature, and we responded to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Is North Dakota still open for business? That's a question we asked during an interview with Brooks Burgum, co-founder and CEO of Longwater, a private equity and alternative asset management firm. What prompts that question is what seems to be a growing, anti-development attitude among some political factionsin North Dakota. The state once marketed itself as an easy place to do business, but increasingly building things like transmission lines, pipelines, and data centers has become a fraught business. "Where would we be if no one built a railroad?" Burgum, who is the former governor's cousin, asked. "We want to grow this country, we want to grow this state," he continued. "We've got to have pipelines. We've got to have railroads. We've got to have interstate highways. This concept of not on my land, not in my backyard, this NIMBY idea, yeah, it's scary to think about." But Burgum thinks the backlash against data centers may be less about the centers themselves than the economic and cultural change they represent. "If you think about all the fears we all have around AI, and it can be scary, and it's real, and there's so many things happening, the only physical manifestation of that, that people lash out at, is a physical data center, he said. "Like, 'I'm scared of AI. I don't know what's going to happen to my job, to my life, all sorts of different things.' There's one physical thing that has the shape and form of AI and it's a data center." Burgum also spoke about North Dakota's efforts to steer public dollars toward in-state investments, arguing for an expansive view of those efforts that includes, not just investing in companies in North Dakota, but creating opportunities for North Dakota-based investment managers. Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban discuss the need for "proof of life" laws for politicians, the timing of Fargo Mayor Josh Boschee's resignation from the Legislature, and we responded to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

North Dakota got a new crime report from Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office, and the numbers look pretty good. The rate of incidents per 100,000 citizens for the most serious "Group A" crimes was down 7.4% from 2024 to 2025. Crimes against persons (murder, assault, etc.) were down 3%, crimes against property were down 12.2%, crimes against society (drug and gun violations, etc.) were down 3.2%, and total statewide arrests were down 3.7%. But to hear Wrigley tell it, that's merely the plateau at the top of a rise in crime that he says necessitates the reform to sentencing laws he's been furiously campaigning for during multiple legislative sessions since taking office. He'll be pushing hard for it once again in the upcoming legislative session (there's no real doubt that he'll be easily re-elected in November over Democratic-NPL challenger tim Lamb), though he says he's asking for something different this time. "The proposal going forward, this is not the same we've done in the past," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. He says he's not asking for mandatory minimum sentences this time. Rather, he's asking for "truth in sentencing," or the requirement that some types sentences come with a prohibition on any sort of release before 85% of the sentence is served. "I lost," he said, referring to the debates over legislation he's backed in previous legislative sessions. "They don't want to have long mandatory sentences. They don't want to extend existing sentences. And so, Drew Wrigley lost that battle." During the interivew, Wrigley kept up his pattern of verbal assaults on the honesty and integrity of officials in Gov. Kelly Armstrong's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He accused them of "well-doumented prevarication" and even at one point used his fingers to do air quotes when he used the word "professionalism" for DOCR. When challenged about that, Wrigley walked it back, saying that DOCR's personnel are professionals, but insisted "they have shown no capacity to deal with recidivism" and, furthermore, do not have the "constitutional responsibility" for it. "They are the executive branch. They are to carry out the sentence the judicial judicial branch gave them. That's to be carried out by the executive branch, not altered as it is day one," he said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

North Dakota got a new crime report from Attorney General Drew Wrigley's office, and the numbers look pretty good. The rate of incidents per 100,000 citizens for the most serious "Group A" crimes was down 7.4% from 2024 to 2025. Crimes against persons (murder, assault, etc.) were down 3%, crimes against property were down 12.2%, crimes against society (drug and gun violations, etc.) were down 3.2%, and total statewide arrests were down 3.7%. But to hear Wrigley tell it, that's merely the plateau at the top of a rise in crime that he says necessitates the reform to sentencing laws he's been furiously campaigning for during multiple legislative sessions since taking office. He'll be pushing hard for it once again in the upcoming legislative session (there's no real doubt that he'll be easily re-elected in November over Democratic-NPL challenger tim Lamb), though he says he's asking for something different this time. "The proposal going forward, this is not the same we've done in the past," he said on this episode of Plain Talk. He says he's not asking for mandatory minimum sentences this time. Rather, he's asking for "truth in sentencing," or the requirement that some types sentences come with a prohibition on any sort of release before 85% of the sentence is served. "I lost," he said, referring to the debates over legislation he's backed in previous legislative sessions. "They don't want to have long mandatory sentences. They don't want to extend existing sentences. And so, Drew Wrigley lost that battle." During the interivew, Wrigley kept up his pattern of verbal assaults on the honesty and integrity of officials in Gov. Kelly Armstrong's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He accused them of "well-doumented prevarication" and even at one point used his fingers to do air quotes when he used the word "professionalism" for DOCR. When challenged about that, Wrigley walked it back, saying that DOCR's personnel are professionals, but insisted "they have shown no capacity to deal with recidivism" and, furthermore, do not have the "constitutional responsibility" for it. "They are the executive branch. They are to carry out the sentence the judicial judicial branch gave them. That's to be carried out by the executive branch, not altered as it is day one," he said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

You know what would be a big help to the level of discourse we're having around politics in North Dakota and the rest of the country? If more citizens had a stronger grasp on how their government works. Or, at least, had the honesty to admit when they don't understand the process. I've been reporting and commentating on politics for going on two and a half decades, and I can tell you that the state of civics education in this country is abysmal. It's hard enough to debate an issue with someone you disagree with. Now try it with someone who doesn't understand how the process unfolds. That's why we wanted to talk about the civics bee put on by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. Local competitions have already happened, and the state competition is scheduled to take place at the capitol building in Bismarck on July 10 with Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban as the master of ceremonies. "Having been the former mayor of Horace, North Dakota, I understand the whole civics thing," Kory Peterson, government affairs specialist for the GNDC, said on this episode. "The conversations about all the different aspects of things, having that political discourse of things like that, the kids, unfortunately, are seeing a lot of the negative that comes with the civil discourse. And this is a way to kind of promote a positive experience with civil, civic engagement." Peterson tested out some of the civics questions on us. Chad got them all right. I went 4 for 5 (that Supreme Court question was a tough one). Also on this episode, we talked about the odd far-right, far-left coalition the North Dakota Democratic-NPL seems to be trying to build for its candidates this election year. Plus, a conversation about ailing, aging politicians on the national level, and right here in North Dakota, clinging to office long past the point when they should have resigned. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

You know what would be a big help to the level of discourse we're having around politics in North Dakota and the rest of the country? If more citizens had a stronger grasp on how their government works. Or, at least, had the honesty to admit when they don't understand the process. I've been reporting and commentating on politics for going on two and a half decades, and I can tell you that the state of civics education in this country is abysmal. It's hard enough to debate an issue with someone you disagree with. Now try it with someone who doesn't understand how the process unfolds. That's why we wanted to talk about the civics bee put on by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. Local competitions have already happened, and the state competition is scheduled to take place at the capitol building in Bismarck on July 10 with Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban as the master of ceremonies. "Having been the former mayor of Horace, North Dakota, I understand the whole civics thing," Kory Peterson, government affairs specialist for the GNDC, said on this episode. "The conversations about all the different aspects of things, having that political discourse of things like that, the kids, unfortunately, are seeing a lot of the negative that comes with the civil discourse. And this is a way to kind of promote a positive experience with civil, civic engagement." Peterson tested out some of the civics questions on us. Chad got them all right. I went 4 for 5 (that Supreme Court question was a tough one). Also on this episode, we talked about the odd far-right, far-left coalition the North Dakota Democratic-NPL seems to be trying to build for its candidates this election year. Plus, a conversation about ailing, aging politicians on the national level, and right here in North Dakota, clinging to office long past the point when they should have resigned. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

With artificial intelligence issues -- and, specifically, the question of data centers -- set to be a top issue this election season and beyond, lawmakers in Bismarck have created a committee (not, specifically, a task force) to gather information and establish facts. Why a committee and not a task force? "We want it to be an official committee so it can all be on public record," Rep. Jonathan Warrey, who is chairing the committee, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "We can have public input and it becomes part of the legislative record in organizational session going into the next session." Warrey said that was an important first step given the amount of mistrust and conspiracy mongering around this issue. The goal of the committee is to cut through the noise of public opinion and get to facts. "Many people have passion or they've been impacted deeply by something," he said, "and I want to respect their opinion, but we have a job to do, and we really want it filtered through a lens of what are your credentials? What are your sources?"  "I want to make sure that anybody presenting information can source it and they've got some credential with it, too," he continued. Warrey, a Republican from District 22, said that one thing he, personally, isn't ready to accept is a moratorium on data center development that Democratic-NPL candidates like Vern Thompson and Trygve Hammer (along with a horseshoe coalition of far-right populists) have been calling for. "I don't like moratoriums and I don't like the symbol they send off to say 'nope we we dug our heels in we're not developing we're closed for business," he said. "And yet I appreciate and respect the feeling behind that too much too fast. Let's go to work and get this framework out for our decision makers and give them some resources around legal environmental structural power so that they can be informed." To achieve that goal, Warrey says he'd like this committee to produce a "playbook" to help local elected leaders understand the legal and regulatory issues around data centers. "So many of our township officers, our county commissioners, our city council members, they're not experienced with this," he said. "Developing a playbook to help our communities would be paramount, I think." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about how artificial intelligence has made it so that there are no experts any more, because everybody is an expert. People with actual expertise are now drowned out by online mobs who can generate massive amounts of content in support of their ill-informed opinions and amplify it through social media. Also, with the 4th of July, and America's 250th birthday upon us, we talk about why patriotism shouldn't be partisan. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

With artificial intelligence issues -- and, specifically, the question of data centers -- set to be a top issue this election season and beyond, lawmakers in Bismarck have created a committee (not, specifically, a task force) to gather information and establish facts. Why a committee and not a task force? "We want it to be an official committee so it can all be on public record," Rep. Jonathan Warrey, who is chairing the committee, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "We can have public input and it becomes part of the legislative record in organizational session going into the next session." Warrey said that was an important first step given the amount of mistrust and conspiracy mongering around this issue. The goal of the committee is to cut through the noise of public opinion and get to facts. "Many people have passion or they've been impacted deeply by something," he said, "and I want to respect their opinion, but we have a job to do, and we really want it filtered through a lens of what are your credentials? What are your sources?"  "I want to make sure that anybody presenting information can source it and they've got some credential with it, too," he continued. Warrey, a Republican from District 22, said that one thing he, personally, isn't ready to accept is a moratorium on data center development that Democratic-NPL candidates like Vern Thompson and Trygve Hammer (along with a horseshoe coalition of far-right populists) have been calling for. "I don't like moratoriums and I don't like the symbol they send off to say 'nope we we dug our heels in we're not developing we're closed for business," he said. "And yet I appreciate and respect the feeling behind that too much too fast. Let's go to work and get this framework out for our decision makers and give them some resources around legal environmental structural power so that they can be informed." To achieve that goal, Warrey says he'd like this committee to produce a "playbook" to help local elected leaders understand the legal and regulatory issues around data centers. "So many of our township officers, our county commissioners, our city council members, they're not experienced with this," he said. "Developing a playbook to help our communities would be paramount, I think." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about how artificial intelligence has made it so that there are no experts any more, because everybody is an expert. People with actual expertise are now drowned out by online mobs who can generate massive amounts of content in support of their ill-informed opinions and amplify it through social media. Also, with the 4th of July, and America's 250th birthday upon us, we talk about why patriotism shouldn't be partisan. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Some conservation advocates say political leaders like Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak are betraying Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy even as they attend the opening of a presdiential library dedicated to him. "When you see the attacks on national monuments, when you see national park staff being cut all across the board, it's hard to say, yes, these people are TR champions," John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, said in this episode of Plain Talk. "TR ended the Gilded Age, and it seems to be that we're right back in a Gilded Age where people with money and people with power and influence can run roughshod on our public lands, our national narrative," he continued. Bradley says that what his organization wants is balance. "We have an approach that it's not one or the other," he said. "It's not 'our public lands must be protected in in pristine wilderness,'" he said. "What we're seeing, though, is just a shift from a more balanced approach to this administration with their their drill baby drill policies." Brock Wahl, chair of the North Dakota chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said North Dakota's leaders aren't listening to his organization. "If they're not talking to us hunters in North Dakota, us residents, then whose opinions are they listening to?" he asked. Also on this episode, we discuss the complicated legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, and respond to listsener feedback on tuition waivers, the property rights issues around data centers, and a controversial survey conducted by the North Dakota Ethics Commission. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Some conservation advocates say political leaders like Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak are betraying Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy even as they attend the opening of a presdiential library dedicated to him. "When you see the attacks on national monuments, when you see national park staff being cut all across the board, it's hard to say, yes, these people are TR champions," John Bradley, executive director of the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, said in this episode of Plain Talk. "TR ended the Gilded Age, and it seems to be that we're right back in a Gilded Age where people with money and people with power and influence can run roughshod on our public lands, our national narrative," he continued. Bradley says that what his organization wants is balance. "We have an approach that it's not one or the other," he said. "It's not 'our public lands must be protected in in pristine wilderness,'" he said. "What we're seeing, though, is just a shift from a more balanced approach to this administration with their their drill baby drill policies." Brock Wahl, chair of the North Dakota chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said North Dakota's leaders aren't listening to his organization. "If they're not talking to us hunters in North Dakota, us residents, then whose opinions are they listening to?" he asked. Also on this episode, we discuss the complicated legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, and respond to listsener feedback on tuition waivers, the property rights issues around data centers, and a controversial survey conducted by the North Dakota Ethics Commission. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

There will be a lot to see when the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens in Medora next month. There will be traditional exhibits and artifacts and eight "adventure galleries" where visitors can learn from Theodore Roosevelt instead of just about him. Among the experiences available will be sitting around a camp fire and talking to characters from Roosevelt's era, a train ride experience simulating Roosevelt's frantic trip back to New York to be with his suffering family, a 14-minute canoe ride down the "River of Doubt," and an opportunity to interact with an AI-simulated version of Roosevelt himself. But one of Robbie Lauf's favorite features, he told us on this episode of Plain Talk, is the building itself. "We built what I think is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world," he said. Lauf is the executive director of the library, which he says will help change the shape of tourism in North Dakota, moving it from being, somewhat infamously, the last place people think to visit in the United States to perhaps a spot much higher on the list. "I hope this is an incredible story of what our state can do and when we dare greatly and put big ideas out there," he said. He also said the library is in a strong fiscal position, and hasn't yet touched the funds made available by the State of North Dakota. "The state of North Dakota put the first $50 million as a challenge grant to raise $100 million to access that 50. That is an endowment," he said. "So zero dollars of that $50 million has been spent on construction. Zero dollars of the earnings, frankly, have been spent. We have it siphoned off in a separate fund where it hasn't been touched, because that, for us, in the legislative intent, was for the operations and maintenance of a facility." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the potentially divisive distraction President Donald Trump's visit to the library opening festivities could cause. We also talk about some of the misguided partisan analysis around Fargo's recent local elections, and respond to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

There will be a lot to see when the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens in Medora next month. There will be traditional exhibits and artifacts and eight "adventure galleries" where visitors can learn from Theodore Roosevelt instead of just about him. Among the experiences available will be sitting around a camp fire and talking to characters from Roosevelt's era, a train ride experience simulating Roosevelt's frantic trip back to New York to be with his suffering family, a 14-minute canoe ride down the "River of Doubt," and an opportunity to interact with an AI-simulated version of Roosevelt himself. But one of Robbie Lauf's favorite features, he told us on this episode of Plain Talk, is the building itself. "We built what I think is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world," he said. Lauf is the executive director of the library, which he says will help change the shape of tourism in North Dakota, moving it from being, somewhat infamously, the last place people think to visit in the United States to perhaps a spot much higher on the list. "I hope this is an incredible story of what our state can do and when we dare greatly and put big ideas out there," he said. He also said the library is in a strong fiscal position, and hasn't yet touched the funds made available by the State of North Dakota. "The state of North Dakota put the first $50 million as a challenge grant to raise $100 million to access that 50. That is an endowment," he said. "So zero dollars of that $50 million has been spent on construction. Zero dollars of the earnings, frankly, have been spent. We have it siphoned off in a separate fund where it hasn't been touched, because that, for us, in the legislative intent, was for the operations and maintenance of a facility." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the potentially divisive distraction President Donald Trump's visit to the library opening festivities could cause. We also talk about some of the misguided partisan analysis around Fargo's recent local elections, and respond to listener feedback. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Vern Thompson began this political cycle running for the U.S. House, but when delegates to the Democratic-NPL convention gave their endorsement to Trygve Hammer instead, he shifted his focus to a race for Agriculture Commissioner. It also marked a shift in Thompson's strategy. Of late he, and Hammer, have been courting votes from the far-right populist wing of the North Dakota Republican Party, which is feeling disaffected after their candidates were trounced by more moderate Republicans in the state's recent primary. "I'm going after any vote that's out there," Thompson said of the strategy on this episode of Plain Talk. Thompson also took questions on his very vocal opposition to data centers. He's calling for the state to implement a one-year moratorium on the projects "so we can give communities the time they need to make informed decisions and weigh the benefits and the impacts." Though Thompson, who referred to the decision by some North Dakotans to support data centers as "greed" and a desire to "go take all the money they can get," claims he's not necessarily against the projects. "I'm not against industrial development. I'm all for it. We own a business. But the fact is, this is being pushed down our throats so fast by a lot of out-of-state multi-billionaire corporations and I just think we have to slow down." He also accused his opponent, Republican incumbent Doug Goehring, of being more loyal to those interests than North Dakota voters. "He's just going along with whatever the the big money out of state multi-billionaires want," Thompson said. "He's he's kind of gotten to be a corporate shill." Also on this episode, we discuss the controversy around long-time state lawmaker Rep. Jim Kasper, who suffered a brain bleed more than a year ago and still hasn't fully returned to work. Is it time for him to step aside so that someone more capable can represent the voters of District 46? If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Vern Thompson began this political cycle running for the U.S. House, but when delegates to the Democratic-NPL convention gave their endorsement to Trygve Hammer instead, he shifted his focus to a race for Agriculture Commissioner. It also marked a shift in Thompson's strategy. Of late he, and Hammer, have been courting votes from the far-right populist wing of the North Dakota Republican Party, which is feeling disaffected after their candidates were trounced by more moderate Republicans in the state's recent primary. "I'm going after any vote that's out there," Thompson said of the strategy on this episode of Plain Talk. Thompson also took questions on his very vocal opposition to data centers. He's calling for the state to implement a one-year moratorium on the projects "so we can give communities the time they need to make informed decisions and weigh the benefits and the impacts." Though Thompson, who referred to the decision by some North Dakotans to support data centers as "greed" and a desire to "go take all the money they can get," claims he's not necessarily against the projects. "I'm not against industrial development. I'm all for it. We own a business. But the fact is, this is being pushed down our throats so fast by a lot of out-of-state multi-billionaire corporations and I just think we have to slow down." He also accused his opponent, Republican incumbent Doug Goehring, of being more loyal to those interests than North Dakota voters. "He's just going along with whatever the the big money out of state multi-billionaires want," Thompson said. "He's he's kind of gotten to be a corporate shill." Also on this episode, we discuss the controversy around long-time state lawmaker Rep. Jim Kasper, who suffered a brain bleed more than a year ago and still hasn't fully returned to work. Is it time for him to step aside so that someone more capable can represent the voters of District 46? If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"The public schools are state-run schools, and the state can certainly impose licensing requirements on the schools that it runs. It can have hiring qualifications for the teachers that it deems fit to teach in the public schools," Michael Bindas said on this episode of Plain Talk. "But private schools are meant to provide an alternative to the public school system. Something different. And this licensing regime makes it very difficult for private schools to do that." Bindas is a senior attorney for the Institute for Justice, which is representing the Capstone Academy, a Fargo-based private school, in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of North dakota's teacher licensing. Though the plaintiff's filings in the case do reference a cost burden, Bindas said that's not the primary argument. The larger issue, he claims, is that state licensing requirements for teachers ultimately restricts how they teach, and even what courses can be taught. As an example of the latter issue, Bindas alleged that a private school in the state couldn't offer a course in logic because the state didn't offer something like that as a subject matter choice teachers seeking a license. "They couldn't do it because the state didn't have a box for logic to be taught. And so therefore, the state says no teacher in the in the school was eligible to teach that course. That is absurd," he said. Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban talk about that survey released by the Ethics Commission purporting to show that a strong majority of North Dakotans think their elected officials are unethical, something that clashes with the results of polls conducted with scientific rigor, not to mention the outcomes of recent elections. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"The public schools are state-run schools, and the state can certainly impose licensing requirements on the schools that it runs. It can have hiring qualifications for the teachers that it deems fit to teach in the public schools," Michael Bindas said on this episode of Plain Talk. "But private schools are meant to provide an alternative to the public school system. Something different. And this licensing regime makes it very difficult for private schools to do that." Bindas is a senior attorney for the Institute for Justice, which is representing the Capstone Academy, a Fargo-based private school, in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of North dakota's teacher licensing. Though the plaintiff's filings in the case do reference a cost burden, Bindas said that's not the primary argument. The larger issue, he claims, is that state licensing requirements for teachers ultimately restricts how they teach, and even what courses can be taught. As an example of the latter issue, Bindas alleged that a private school in the state couldn't offer a course in logic because the state didn't offer something like that as a subject matter choice teachers seeking a license. "They couldn't do it because the state didn't have a box for logic to be taught. And so therefore, the state says no teacher in the in the school was eligible to teach that course. That is absurd," he said. Also on this episode, me and co-host Chad Oban talk about that survey released by the Ethics Commission purporting to show that a strong majority of North Dakotans think their elected officials are unethical, something that clashes with the results of polls conducted with scientific rigor, not to mention the outcomes of recent elections. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

When we asked Mike Thiesen why he's seeking a state Senate seat in Minot-area District 3, he told us that it stems back to being a "glutton for punishment." Thiesen is an electrician by trade -- he did his interview with us from a work trailer on a job site -- and currently serves as the mayor of Surrey, a community on the periphery of Minot. He's a candidate for the Democrat-NPL (he stressed the NPL part when I mentioned his partisan affiliation) and like most Democrats in North Dakota he's campaigning in a heavily Republican area. He says he can overcome that by bringing issues home. "I feel in Bismarck they get caught up in the national politics thing," he said. "I want to bring it closer to home and just make sure everything works." "I thoroughly enjoy being part of a community and I got this weird thing where I think I can help people," he said in another part of the interview. "I work really good as a team and I just think I can help. That's the gist of it." Thiesen is young, by political standards, and he thinks the perspective of someone who has school-age children, and is in the prime of their career, is missing in the legislature. If elected, he said school issues are one thing he'd like to take on. "We currently have $180 million worth of deferred maintenance in our schools across the state," he said. "That is an issue that's kind of near and dear to my heart, because living in Surrey, we're having issues with our school right now with some maintenance issues." Thiesen is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Bob Paulson. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I respond to reader feedback, and talk about whether Matthew Simon, current chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, should resign after the populist faction that gave him that just got wiped out in the June primary. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

When we asked Mike Thiesen why he's seeking a state Senate seat in Minot-area District 3, he told us that it stems back to being a "glutton for punishment." Thiesen is an electrician by trade -- he did his interview with us from a work trailer on a job site -- and currently serves as the mayor of Surrey, a community on the periphery of Minot. He's a candidate for the Democrat-NPL (he stressed the NPL part when I mentioned his partisan affiliation) and like most Democrats in North Dakota he's campaigning in a heavily Republican area. He says he can overcome that by bringing issues home. "I feel in Bismarck they get caught up in the national politics thing," he said. "I want to bring it closer to home and just make sure everything works." "I thoroughly enjoy being part of a community and I got this weird thing where I think I can help people," he said in another part of the interview. "I work really good as a team and I just think I can help. That's the gist of it." Thiesen is young, by political standards, and he thinks the perspective of someone who has school-age children, and is in the prime of their career, is missing in the legislature. If elected, he said school issues are one thing he'd like to take on. "We currently have $180 million worth of deferred maintenance in our schools across the state," he said. "That is an issue that's kind of near and dear to my heart, because living in Surrey, we're having issues with our school right now with some maintenance issues." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I respond to reader feedback, and talk about whether Matthew Simon, current chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, should resign after the populist faction that gave him that just got wiped out in the June primary. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

If there were a throughline for North Dakota's recent primary vote that ran from the top-of-the-ticket statewide races to local competitions like the Fargo mayoral race, it would be the rejection of belligerent ideologues in favor of pragmatic public servants. That's the argument Fargo's mayor-elect Josh Boschee made on this episode of Plain Talk. "North Dakotans want people who are going to get to work," Boschee said, as opposed to candidates who are "hung up on ideology." Voters want public servants, not talk radio hosts and influencers, it seems. Boschee, a long-time Democratic state Senator, won the nonpartisan race over City Commissioner Michelle Turnberg, a self-described "conservative" who has adopted a belligerent approach to elected office and remains in her current office. How will the new mayor contend with that sort of friction, which, in recent years, has become routine in Fargo's city government? He says he's ready for it. "I think some people want to frame it as, because we were two opponents, and we'll be working together, that there might be a lot of conflict, and that certainly may end up being true. But as you guys have seen me in the legislature, I mean, there are plenty of legislators that use a similar leadership style as Commissioner Turnberg, and I've been able to work with them, especially when we focus on the issues that we share." Boschee says he's focused on being a mayor for everyone in Fargo, including those who voted against him. "I've been in a lot of elections, and what I've learned, for one thing, is elections are about addition and not subtraction," he said. "And when you only focus on your base, you only focus on the people who are cheerleading you or pat you on the back every time you say something  or comment on Facebook, you're not going to grow your coalition." In his victory speech after the election, Boschee made reference to a recent Facebook post made by Fargo-area Rep. Desiree Morton, objecting to volunteers of Somali heritage volunteering to help the campaigns of Republican U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak and local legislative candidates. He told us he thought it was something important to highlight. "20% of Fargo are people of color. A good number of them are folks who come from other parts of the world," he said. "I've stood up to my legislative colleagues when they've said inappropriate things about other North Dotans, and that's not going to change in the mayor's office." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed the similarities between Boschee and Gov. Kelly Armstrong, despite their obvious ideological differences, as well as the decline of North Dakota's populist movement. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

If there were a throughline for North Dakota's recent primary vote that ran from the top-of-the-ticket statewide races to local competitions like the Fargo mayoral race, it would be the rejection of belligerent ideologues in favor of pragmatic public servants. That's the argument Fargo's mayor-elect Josh Boschee made on this episode of Plain Talk. "North Dakotans want people who are going to get to work," Boschee said, as opposed to candidates who are "hung up on ideology." Voters want public servants, not talk radio hosts and influencers, it seems. Boschee, a long-time Democratic state Senator, won the nonpartisan race over City Commissioner Michelle Turnberg, a self-described "conservative" who has adopted a belligerent approach to elected office and remains in her current office. How will the new mayor contend with that sort of friction, which, in recent years, has become routine in Fargo's city government? He says he's ready for it. "I think some people want to frame it as, because we were two opponents, and we'll be working together, that there might be a lot of conflict, and that certainly may end up being true. But as you guys have seen me in the legislature, I mean, there are plenty of legislators that use a similar leadership style as Commissioner Turnberg, and I've been able to work with them, especially when we focus on the issues that we share." Boschee says he's focused on being a mayor for everyone in Fargo, including those who voted against him. "I've been in a lot of elections, and what I've learned, for one thing, is elections are about addition and not subtraction," he said. "And when you only focus on your base, you only focus on the people who are cheerleading you or pat you on the back every time you say something  or comment on Facebook, you're not going to grow your coalition." In his victory speech after the election, Boschee made reference to a recent Facebook post made by Fargo-area Rep. Desiree Morton, objecting to volunteers of Somali heritage volunteering to help the campaigns of Republican U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak and local legislative candidates. He told us he thought it was something important to highlight. "20% of Fargo are people of color. A good number of them are folks who come from other parts of the world," he said. "I've stood up to my legislative colleagues when they've said inappropriate things about other North Dotans, and that's not going to change in the mayor's office." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed the similarities between Boschee and Gov. Kelly Armstrong, despite their obvious ideological differences, as well as the decline of North Dakota's populist movement. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive