Should we care that much if teen’s vape? It’s a question I asked in a recent print column – my conclusion is that the vaping “epidemic” is yet another in a long line of moral panics and that the rise of vape technology is a net gain for public health – and it drew a…
Public Service Commission Says North Dakotans Can Be Charged for Green Energy Policies in Other States
The Public Service Commission, in a split decision, recently gave the go-ahead to Xcel Energy to inflate power bills here in North Dakota to recover the cost of building wind energy capacity in compliance with green energy policy in other states. Commissioner Randy Christmann, who voted no, made it clear why this was a terrible…
Podcast: MN House Candidate Dave Hughes, a Health Care Discussion, and Opposition to North Dakota’s New Tourism Logo
On the radio show today Jordan Loftis, the organizer of an open letter with more than 700 signatories asking Governor Doug Burgum to undo a “brand refresh” he announced for the state’s tourism logo, explains why so many people are upset about it. Loftis says the logo will be used in tens of millions of…
Minnesota Has Been Refusing to Return a Captured Confederate Flag to Virginia for More Than a Century
Here’s a fun bit of history for a Wednesday morning that you might have been aware of but I wasn’t. Last night I stumbled across this City Pages article about the presence of Confederate flags at the Minnesota State Fair despite Minnesota a) fighting on the side of the Union in the war between the…
Minnesota’s Falling Health Insurance Premiums Are Hardly a Sign of Obamacare Stability
“Minnesota health insurers propose lower premiums,” read a headline from the Minneapolis StarTribune late last week. According to the reporting under the headline there will be some premium drops for individual health insurance plans in that state’s market, and supposedly this is a sign of stability. from Obamacare. “Health insurers in Minnesota’s individual market say they…
Podcast: Stenhejem Talks Opioids Lawsuit, Line 3 Supporter Talks Pipeline, Cramer Takes Calls
Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem joined me on the radio show to discuss the lawsuit he’s filed on behalf of the State of North Dakota against Purdue Pharma, the company which introduced America to Oxycontin. Stenehjem contends that the company committed “consumer fraud” in lying about how addictive the drug is, among other things. He said…
Pipeline Companies Shouldn’t Have to Pay for the Costs of Protests Against Them
Over in Minnesota the opponents of Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement project have promised protests akin to what we here in North Dakota saw against the Dakota Access Pipeline. If that’s true, what Minnesotans will suffer is violence and vandalism. That’s the legacy of the #NoDAPL movement. There is absolutely nothing wrong with peacefully assembling on…
There Is No Other Word for This Than Censorship
Student leaders at Concordia College in Moorhead have censored prominent conservative speaker Ben Shapiro. Specifically, they have voted to rescind funding for Shapiro’s speech which had previously been approved back in November as my colleagues Kim Hyatt and Patrick Springer report in the Fargo Forum. The cost of the speech was $7,080. A vote of…
What if Al Franken Isn’t Really Resigning?
When Senator Al Franken, amid calls for resignation from his fellow Democrats, announced that he’d be making an announcement on the floor of the Senate it was obvious that he’d strike a defiant tone. People resigning in disgrace send out a press release. They don’t deliver a floor speech. As expected, Franken was defiant. Not…
Rick Olson: Senator Al Franken Has to Go
Minnesota’s junior U.S. Senator, Democrat Al Franken, has recently been accused of inappropriate behavior by at least four different women. These women detailed four separate incidents dating back to before he was first elected to the Senate in 2008. Their stories have been deemed to be credible. Accordingly, I believe that Sen. Franken has lost…