Advertise on podcast: A Closer Look with the Monitor

State officials are curtailing some hunting in southern North Dakota because of a disease  outbreak. North Dakota Monitor reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to explain what hunters need to know. Also this week, lawmakers began discussing possible legislation to address data center development that focuses on electricity costs, water use and what happens when a facility is no longer operating. Reporter Jacob Orledge describes the proposal and where lawmakers might have differing views. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

North Dakota gives certain low-producing oil wells a tax break intended to help them keep  operating, but the designation is permanent even if a well later produces much more oil.  Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss his recent reporting, which found that North Dakota is on pace to miss out on about $66 million this year in tax revenue from wells that no longer meet the criteria for the tax break. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

The state-owned Bank of North Dakota has launched a pilot program for Roughrider Coin, a dollar-backed digital asset that uses blockchain technology.  Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss how the stablecoin technology may help complete financial transactions more quickly and the four North Dakota banks and credit unions that are participating.  But questions remain about how the technology will work, what risks it may carry, and whether it will eventually affect everyday banking customers.  A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Three Republican Party officials this week filed a petition to the North Dakota Supreme Court challenging the eligibility of four legislative candidates. Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the arguments in the court case and the secretary of state’s position. Also, Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about the power demand for a proposed Cass County data center, and editor Amy Dalrymple describes the Monitor’s Voter Guide. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Two stories this week put a spotlight on institutions that depend heavily on public trust.  Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss a recent audit of the North Dakota Development Fund, a state-backed program that provides loans and  investments to businesses. Dura also talks about his recent reporting on a contested North Dakota Supreme Court race that is nonpartisan but has involved endorsements and events from Republicans. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

North Dakota farmers are heading into harvest season facing another major expense – record high diesel prices.  Diesel has climbed above $6 a gallon in parts of the state, roughly double what some farmers paid last fall. Monitor Deputy Editor Jeff Beach joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss the impact of the high prices on North Dakota producers. Also, Monitor reporter Michael Achterling talks about his recent reporting on a new tribal law enforcement program in North Dakota that gives recruits a basic training option much closer to home. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

North Dakota raised its top interstate speed limit to 80 mph about a year ago. Today, Highway Patrol data shows shifts in where speeding tickets are being written. Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks with host Craig Blumenshine about the impact of lowering interstate speed limits around North Dakota cities. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

The state is working with an archaeologist and funeral home to investigate human remains found near the North Dakota governor’s residence and relocate them to Bismarck cemeteries. Reporter Michael Achterling talks to host Craig Blumenshine about the anomalies discovered while crews were installing a fence and driveway extension on the Capitol grounds. One Bismarck historian questions why the state didn’t investigate sooner, as the area was known to be the site of one of the capital city’s oldest cemeteries. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

In this two-part episode of A Closer Look with the Monitor, we preview North Dakota’s special legislative session and how citizens can make their voices heard. North Dakota Monitor editor Amy Dalrymple joins host Craig Blumenshine to highlight what legislation will be considered next week and how the public can participate. Monitor contributor Ceilidh Kern brings an update to the state’s plan to prohibit people from using food assistance to buy soda, candy and other unhealthy foods. The policy was set to take effect Sept. 1, but is postponed until Nov. 1.  A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

A year after North Dakota’s cellphone ban took effect in public schools, policymakers are eyeing how to approach artificial intelligence and school-issued devices. North Dakota Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach describes how a state education official is urging lawmakers to let schools retain flexibility on deciding how to use AI. Reporter Michael Achterling joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about a recent survey about technology in schools and a lawmaker's plan to bring new legislation in 2027 to place limits on screen time in school and other guardrails. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

An organization that helps people confront housing discrimination across the Dakotas is facing an uncertain future.  The Grand Forks-based High Plains Fair Housing Center is waiting on a federal grant that was expected in May. If the funding doesn’t arrive by September, the nonprofit will be forced to furlough half of its eight staff members. Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the impact the cuts could have for people seeking help with housing issues. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

More than 186,000 people in North Dakota and a neighboring county in Minnesota sought food assistance in the past year, a record for the Great Plains Food Bank. Monitor reporter Michael Achterling talks to host Craig Blumenshine about the increase and the impacts from cuts to federal programs. In the second half of this week’s podcast episode, deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about his recent reporting on low water levels at Lake Sakakawea and impacts to recreation. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

A team led by the North Dakota Geological Survey is excavating a mammoth skeleton that’s been hidden under a garage in the northwest part of the state. The mammoth was first discovered in the 1980s, but paleontology crews have spent weeks this summer working to recover it. North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling talks to host Craig Blumenshine about the rare find, which is the most complete mammoth discovered in the state. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Artificial intelligence is changing so quickly that lawmakers across the country are struggling to keep up.  Now, North Dakota has created a new legislative committee to study whether the state needs additional safeguards, and if so, what they should look like. The committee is not writing legislation just yet, but instead members are gathering information, hearing from experts, and looking at how other states are balancing innovation with consumer protection, free speech and  public trust.  North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the committee’s work, including a recent standing-room-only hearing. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Two recent stories deal with how state regulators handle environmental protection of permitting of major development projects.  One covers the legal challenges surrounding the permit for what could become North Dakota's largest dairy operation, where opponents argue state regulators failed to adequately evaluate  potential environmental impacts.  Another is the ongoing courtroom dispute over the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, where attorneys debated whether the North Dakota Public Service Commission can even consider public safety when approving pipeline routes. North Dakota Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about those stories in this episode of A Closer Look with the Monitor. The weekly podcast is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street hosted by Craig Blumenshine.