Is It Insanity That Drives Congressional Approval Ratings?

The present approval rating of Congress, especially the House of Representatives, has a well-deserved abysmal approval rating with the American public. For those who think this may be a modern phenomenon, let’s take a trip back in time to the 1840s. At that time, classic American poet, Walt Whitman, was a journalist in New York

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Will God Be in the Voting Booth With You?

Our founders wrote separation of church and state into our constitution. Our constitution is subject to interpretation. American religion is also subject to interpretation according to the actions of its citizens. According to the Minot phone book, there are 44 different churches in Minot. There are 16 miscellaneous Protestant churches of various ideologies. Additionally, there

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A Republican Primary Process Predicament?

Polls are somewhat similar to a carpenter’s tool. They are as valuable as the skills of the artisan utilizing them. I recall a very pleasant one on one dinner in 1995 with the head of a “special interest” group based out of Washington, D.C. My dinner companion was a self-made man who due to talent,

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The Real Results of Proposed Property Tax Reforms?

The many questions I have asked about the elimination of real estate taxes have not been answered. There are more which were not included in a prior article. Minot has a high percentage of sales tax revenue for obvious reasons. Thanks to the grace of God and industrious citizens, Minot is the regional center for

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This is a Flawed Location for a Transit Center; We Can Do Better!

At tonight’s City Council meeting, the Council will take up the proposed location of a downtown transit center. If you’re not familiar with that idea, that’s a central hub to which all the public transportation routes eventually return. It’s basically a start, and end, and a transfer station to other routes. The location proposed by

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City Council Agenda, December 18, 2023

Minot’s City Council will meet tonight at 5:30 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The following agenda will be considered. Minot City Council meetings are live-streamed through the City’s Youtube Channel found here. The meeting will consider the agenda attached below. Notable items include consideration of a suspension of a liquor license for The Spot,

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Begrudgingly, I’m Recycling

Nuance Alert: If you see the world in clear cases of right and wrong, black and white, us and them, you’re going to be confused by what you read next. I color myself fully for the environment. Climate change is real, human impacts are pushing the global environment out of balance, and we should absolutely

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Weighing In for the Battle for Local Control

In 2024, North Dakota voters will probably vote whether or not to eliminate real estate property taxes. It looks like it will be a proxy war between the obvious factions within the North Dakota Republican party. Republicans in recent history have comprised roughly 75% of North Dakota voters. Is the Republican party still the party

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It’s Time to Open Up the North Dakota State Fair

His name is Eric Johnson. His trade name is Eric the Sour. If you see him on the street, you might even say he looks like a Viking. But he’s not a Viking; he’s a brewer. His beer Gin & Spruce won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2022. Inspired by Juniper

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Road Trip Reflections & Minot’s Path to Progress

A couple of years ago I brought a car back from Florida. I used the trip as an opportunity to see how Minot measured up. I wanted to see how we compared to other places. I didn’t have a lot of time, so my stops were brief. Most were maybe an hour – just enough

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Is The Twilight Zone Our New American Reality?

Imagine a science fiction episode in the classic old black and white series, The Twilight Zone. The main character is a middle class woman in a middle class town in the Midwest called Lake Flaccid. The woman has a toothache. She goes to her dentist. Her dentist doesn’t treat her but instead offers her his

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Lessons on Ukraine from 1778

Almost 250 years ago, the American Colonies were fighting for our independence from an imperialistic world power. We were an emerging democracy; we were also on the brink. In our moment of need, another world power, France, lent aid, arms, and even troops. It was critical support in a moment of extraordinary need. Undoubtedly, it

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Something’s Not Right

There is now a petition being passed around with the stated goal of protecting election integrity in future North Dakota elections. There are several questions the citizens of our state may wish to consider. County auditors are the boots on the ground regarding North Dakota elections. Do they think there is a problem? The North

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Burgum’s ND Values on the National Political Stage is Good For All Of Us

I lived in the South. I learned an important lesson there. Before doing something stupid that may end up either horrific or just entertaining, you have to say, “y’all hold my beer and watch this.” Consider it said. Let’s get to it. I’m grabbing the third rail. National politics. On the Internet. And for the

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Which States Will Win the Doctors?

For half of you, this may be hard. Imagine you’re a 30-year-old woman. But you’re not just any woman. Eight years ago, you got your undergraduate degree in biology; it was the recommended major for those pursuing a career in medicine. After college, you applied, got accepted, and then completed medical school. Four years ago,

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ND Game & Fish Releases New Outdoor Mobile App

Need a last-minute fishing license? Want to double-check the law while you’re out in the field? North Dakota Game and Fish has developed a mobile to make both and a whole lot more easier. Check out the video below to get the details. The App is available in the Google Play and Apple app stores.

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