FARGO — Put yourself in the shoes of 19-year-old Norwegian immigrant Knute Gullickson (K.G.) Hagen as he stepped off the ship at New York Harbor in May of 1873. He was probably exhausted after being aboard the ship for more than a month with hundreds of other immigrants. He was also probably a little scared to be leaving everything he knew behind in Norway while simultaneously being a little exhilarated at what America had in store for him. Listen to the podcast here: Like so many immigrants he dreamed of bigger thing — a better life — and he got it. But unfortunately his dream ended befor ..read more

MINOT — In an unusual turn of events, many traditionally conservative Republican legislative incumbents across North Dakota are facing a campaign against them organized by one of their colleagues. State Rep. Brandon Prichard, a first term lawmaker just a few years removed from high school, is also the executive director of a federal political action committee called the Citizens Alliance of North Dakota. Prichard raised funds through the group in a misleading way. He got thousands of dollars from North Dakotan citizens — including some of his legislative colleagues — for a different committ ..read more

Want to know what will be on your election ballot? A new voter guide for North Dakota’s elections is now available on the League of Women Voters’ Vote411 website. Enter your address, and the website will put together the complete list of candidates and measures you can expect to see at the polls June 11. It also includes candidates’ answers to a handful of questions about their platforms. Those in the race for governor of North Dakota, for example, were asked for their views on abortion, housing, the economy and more. Not all candidates have responded to outreach from the organization ..read more

MINOT — "I like debates," Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorhcak told me and co-host Chad Oban on this episode of Plain Talk. Fedorchak has come under fire from some of her opponents in the Republican U.S. House primary. Three of them — Rick Becker, Cara Mund and Alex Balazs — participated in a recent debate sponsored by BEK Television. Fedorchak did not. "Last weekend was a balancing act," she said, noting that she's already participated in one debate with her opponents, with two more planned. She told us the night of the debate was also her son's graduation party. "I wanted to devote ..read more

MINOT — We live in the post-shame era, especially when it comes to politics. I wouldn't say the political class has ever been eager to take responsibility for their words and actions. Still, there was a time that, when confronted with their misdeeds, the politicians would accept responsibility. They'd apologize. Sometimes, they'd even resign from office to make room for someone who hadn't disgraced themselves. That happens now less than it used to. Disgraced former President Donald Trump is campaigning for a second term in the White House despite being found by a jury to be civilly liable ..read more

MINOT — U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York who chairs the GOP caucus in the House of Representatives, has just announced that she's endorsing Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak. Fedorchak is in a heated, five-way primary race to replace incumbent Rep. Kelly Armstrong, who is campaigning for governor. Recent polling commissioned by North Dakota United, a union representing public workers and teachers, indicated that Fedorchak is currently tied with former state lawmaker Rick Becker, with the other three candidates in the race trailing by large margins. "I’m proud to ..read more

BISMARCK — North Dakota Chief Information Officer Kuldip Mohanty has submitted his resignation effective May 31, according to a release from Gov. Doug Burgum's office. Mohanty, who started in the role on Feb. 23, 2023, cited family reasons in his resignation. “It has been a privilege and honor to be a part of your administration in serving the citizens of North Dakota,” he said in a release. “I had the utmost pleasure of leading an amazing team of leaders within North Dakota Information Technology in delivering value to our citizens in collaboration with our agency partners.” “Kuldip brou ..read more

MINOT — I knew it was just a matter of time before Gov. Doug Burgum would number among the strivers and sycophants attending disgraced former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York City to show their support for him. I predicted it on a recent episode of Plain Talk. Attending this trial is the hot new fad among Trump toadies. Nobody was going to keep Burgum away. But when reports indicated that Burgum was in fact doing it, the first person I thought of was his wife, North Dakota first lady Kathryn Burgum. Can you imagine what's going through her head right now? https://twi ..read more

GRAND FORKS — Changes to the Grand Forks and Bismarck post offices will be postponed until at least January, according to a letter sent by the United States postmaster general in response to concerns by U.S. senators about the agency's facility review process. In the May 9 letter, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said any changes stemming from its facility reviews would be put on pause until at least 2025. In North Dakota, the proposed changes would mean that almost all regional and package mail processing for the entire state would be centralized in Fargo, with Grand Forks and Bismarck being r ..read more

MINOT — Polling released by North Dakota United, a union for teachers and public workers, seems to confirm another survey released by gubernatorial candidate Kelly Armstrong's campaign last week: He has a commanding lead over his primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller. The North Dakota United poll also shows a dead heat in the Republican U.S. House primary. Former lawmaker Rick Becker and Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak are essentially tied in the five-way race, while former Miss America Cara Mund trails as a distant third. DFM Research of St. Paul, Minnesota, conducted the surv ..read more