MINOT, N.D. — On Jan. 6, 2021, as rioters were infiltrating the U.S. Capitol building, New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin was in the building with many of our national leaders, such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Kevin Cramer. He and co-author Alexander Burns tell that story in a new book, just released this…
Democrats, how can it be that you’re losing?
MINOT, N.D. — “Federal judge rejects RNC lawsuit against Jan. 6 panel,” reads a headline from The Hill that went online just before I began writing this column. The congressional committee investigating the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol building perpetrated by Trump supporters had requested emails from the RNC. The committee wants to measure the RNC’s…
Democratic-NPL rips leaked Roe v. Wade opinion as ‘vile’ but their House candidate supports it
MINOT, N.D. — The political reaction to a leaked draft opinion that would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade precedent has set off a furious political reaction. Much of it, here in North Dakota as elsewhere, breaking down on start partisan lines. For instance, House Minority Leader Josh Boschee, a Democratic state representative…
What happens in North Dakota if Roe v. Wade is overturned?
MINOT, N.D. — For the first time in American history, a Supreme Court draft opinion has been leaked to the press prior to the court’s final ruling. And, of course, it pertains to one of the most intractable political issues in our country’s history. First, let’s acknowledge that this is a terrible thing. Continue reading…
Plain Talk: Nobel laureate says Biden canceling Keystone pipeline was ‘symbol’ that led to higher gas prices
MINOT, N.D. — When President Joe Biden, as one of his first moves in office, canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, it was “a symbol” for the oil and gas industry that the political situation would be hostile to them in the coming years. That lead them to curtail their investments in new production capacity, something…
On Jan. 6, Sen. Cramer seemed to blame Trump for the riot
MINOT, N.D. — As a congressional committee continues to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, riot — a Trump appointee on the federal bench just ruled a subpoena for the Republican National Committee’s emails to be valid — Americans are confronted with some dissonance from Republicans between how they felt about the riot on the day it happened…
Republicans must find the courage to speak out loud about Donald Trump
MINOT, N.D. — Many Republicans know that disgraced former President Donald Trump, and the political movement loyal to him, are a threat to our nation. We know this because many of them have said as much in private. The most recent example is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy who, immediately after Trump’s supporters attacked Congress…
Plain Talk: Landowners want a better deal on the Midwest Carbon Express pipeline
MINOT, N.D. — Carbon capture and storage is a big deal for North Dakota. Not just because our state’s economy is dominated by commodity-based industries — energy and agriculture — that emit a lot of carbon, but because the geology under our feet lends itself to storing captured carbon. There are billions in investments lined…
The dumbest thing about the new Disinformation Governance Board is that anyone thinks it will work
MINOT, N.D. — President Joe Biden’s administration has announced a new agency within the Department of Homeland Security aimed at combating misinformation. It’s called the Disinformation Governance Board, or DGB, and since this idea comes from a Democratic administration, the winds of outrage it has inspired are blowing from places like Fox News where commentators have been…
Port: Tharaldson Ethanol deserves your mockery and derision
MINOT, N.D. — In Casselton, North Dakota, there is hot local debate about a proposed soybean crushing plant to be built on the community’s edge. Most of that debate has focused on perfectly reasonable zoning concerns. Will the plant be too loud? Too smelly? Will it create too much traffic for the community? I’ve written…