Commentary – TheMinotVoice.com

What Happens When The World Starts Paying Closer Attention?

by: MinotVoice | April 13, 2025

For decades, Iceland has thrived by staying small, steady, and out of the spotlight — a bridge between continents, a quiet leader in renewable energy, and a model of resilient democracy. But the Arctic is changing fast, and so is the world’s attention. With global powers eyeing Greenland and jockeying for influence in the region,

Read & Share sourced from: Reykjavik Grapevine

Port: The NDGOP’s endorsement process has been corrupted, and the party is powerless to do anything about it

by: MinotVoice | April 9, 2025

In North Dakota politics, winning the Republican endorsement is often the same as winning the election. So it matters—deeply—how those endorsements are decided. But right now, there’s no single rulebook. Local party districts are skirting state GOP guidelines, locking out challengers and keeping party leadership from enforcing transparency. Even in Minot, we’ve seen it: candidates

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Chris Klieman says college football ‘a disaster’

by: MinotVoice | April 9, 2025

When Chris Klieman speaks up, people in college football tend to listen—and right now, he’s sounding the alarm. The former NDSU coach and current Kansas State head man isn’t just venting about wins or losses. He’s calling out the system itself. Between looming roster limits tied to the NCAA’s legal settlement and the chaos of

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Our opinion: Public comment law is a good idea, but should be happening already

by: MinotVoice | April 6, 2025

It shouldn’t take a state law to guarantee public comment at local government meetings—but that’s exactly what’s moving through the North Dakota Legislature. Senate Bill 2180 would require city councils, school boards, and other local bodies to set aside time for public input at every regular meeting. Most already do. Some still don’t. That’s the

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Counterpoint: Crackdown on International Students Is a Self-Inflicted Wound

By: Yehuda Lukacs, Inside Sources | April 6, 2025

Recent detentions and deportations of international students have sparked controversy, raising concerns about the long-term damage to the United States’ reputation as the global leader in higher education. Meanwhile, the increasing number of U.S. students studying abroad underscores the importance of international academic exchanges. Several high-profile cases have highlighted the chilling effects of the Trump

Read & Share sourced from: Inside Sources

Point: Deport Aliens Advocating Evil

By: George Fishman, Inside Sources | April 6, 2025

In then-President Joe Biden’s words, Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli civilians was an act of “pure, unadulterated evil,” resulting in “the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” with “more than 1,000 civilians slaughtered,” “stomach-turning reports of … babies being killed.” Yet, over the last year and a half, we have witnessed brazen

Read & Share sourced from: Inside Sources

What the Health? American Health Gets a Pink Slip

by: MinotVoice | April 5, 2025

A quiet earthquake just hit the nation’s health institutions. In a sweeping move, thousands of federal health officials—scientists, regulators, and career public servants—were fired, reassigned, or sent packing to remote posts. The official reason? Efficiency. The real effect? Decades of expertise, gone overnight. On this week’s What the Health? podcast, Julie Rovner and a panel

Read & Share sourced from: KFF Health News

Letter: A bill in Congress threatens every American’s right to vote

By: Denise A. Dykeman, Minot | April 3, 2025

Right now, Congress is considering a bill that could make it much harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote—including you. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require every voter to provide specific citizenship documents, such as a passport or an original birth certificate, not just when registering but also when updating voter registration

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The 51st State? Don’t Bet the Crown Royal on It

by: Jim Maxson | April 2, 2025

Having just returned from Vancouver, British Columbia, a frequent destination due to family ties, here are a few observations. Unlike many past trips, one notices a significant proliferation of the display of the Canadian flag. As has been reported, the Liberal party has gone from being down twenty percentage points or more in the polls

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Democracies need more voting, not less

By: George Ayoub, Nebraska Examiner | March 31, 2025

Nebraska voters should be confident their Xs go where they are intended and are counted in the right pile. We know this from the state’s previous elections being free and fair. Yet, despite the results and the facts and the accurate tabulation of votes, tinkerers remain — those who insist a sky full of hanging

Read & Share sourced from: Nebraska Examiner

North Carolina May End Parking Mandates—Minot Should Be Next

By: Strong Towns, Strong Towns | March 29, 2025

The ripple effects of outdated parking mandates are felt everywhere. Whether they’re blocking a new business from opening, a church from expanding, or new housing from being built, these rules often get in the way of the kind of communities people want and need. Parking mandates can also worsen financial stress for cities, as they

Read & Share sourced from: Strong Towns

Students will thrive in phone-free schools

By: Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden | March 29, 2025

When we stood up this week in support of legislation to require phone-free schools in North Dakota, we approached it as giving something back to students: the freedom to learn and grow with far less distraction and stress. As parents of a combined six children who have attended 15 different schools in several districts, we’ve

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Port: Should Nichole Rice have even been on trial?

by: MinotVoice | March 29, 2025

Nichole Rice’s acquittal in the 2007 murder of her college roommate, Anita Knutson, wasn’t just a courtroom drama — it exposed deeper problems within Ward County’s prosecution system. Despite weak evidence and years of delays, prosecutors pushed forward, only to see the case unravel in hours. But Rice’s trial is just one example. With a

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

A revolution is happening in the heartland — are you paying attention?

by: MinotVoice | March 27, 2025

For too long, America’s heartland has been overlooked by venture capitalists chasing the next big thing on the coasts. But while Silicon Valley pitches another AI platform and New York backs the latest fintech app, entrepreneurs in middle America are solving real problems—problems that impact millions of Americans. These founders aren’t just innovating for profit;

Read & Share sourced from: Route Fifty

Port: Attorney General Drew Wrigley is selling snake oil

by: Josh Wolsky | March 27, 2025

Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s push for stricter sentencing laws in North Dakota isn’t about making communities safer—it’s about politics. His proposed legislation, Senate Bill 2128, promises harsher sentences but ignores the steep financial costs and strains on an already overburdened corrections system. Studies show that such policies don’t reduce crime, yet Wrigley continues to sell

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Herald Opinion: Annual sessions are needed in today’s fast-paced world of government

by: MinotVoice | March 27, 2025

North Dakota’s biennial legislative schedule may have served its purpose in a slower, simpler era, but that time has passed. The Grand Forks Herald Editorial Board argues that House Bill 1408, which proposes moving to annual legislative sessions, is the right move to keep pace with the state’s rapidly evolving economy. With billion-dollar budgets, global

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald