North Dakota Monitor

Subscribe to a new weekly podcast by the North Dakota Monitor and Prairie Public with a new episode out each Friday giving listeners a closer look at a major story from the week. buff.ly/M8mssah

More than two dozen North Dakota school districts reported referring parents to debt collection agencies for unpaid lunch debt, according to a state survey. At least one district withholds school transcripts from students who haven’t paid off their account balance. buff.ly/iQrnmRo

Voter backlash against data centers consumes midterm elections across the US By @ashleymurray.bsky.social of @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/Fv2Z5zG

President Donald Trump’s eleventh-hour campaign to intervene in California’s vote counting encountered the first signs of resistance in federal court over the weekend, with appellate judges expressing deep skepticism over the legality of the effort. By @jonshorman.bsky.social buff.ly/mmFgSSU

An analysis of 164 ballot measures across 40 states shows they are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level. See how North Dakota's stack up. Via @stateline.org buff.ly/K7duPlD

North Dakota voters have a choice for the state’s tax commissioner between the incumbent who says he wants to explore more tax reductions and a challenger who says the Republican-dominated state government is moving in the wrong direction. buff.ly/ek2AuhG

An accounting firm’s investigation into the financial management and reporting at Dickinson State University has yielded a group of recommendations, including more support and oversight from the North Dakota University System. buff.ly/TCgnieI

The percentage of working-age adults without health insurance has increased in the past two years, according to a new analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, a health policy and philanthropic nonprofit. By @chatlanis.bsky.social of @stateline.org buff.ly/aY3Apsd

The chair of the North Dakota Public Service Commission on Friday expressed concerns that a large battery storage project in Cass County would have to rely on Casselton for fire protection without Casselton having any say in the project’s approval. buff.ly/ZyvIQyS

Some supporters of a ballot measure to require at least 60% voter support to change North Dakota’s constitution say the move would help block a potential abortion rights initiative in the future. buff.ly/NrGegmo

The U.S. Department of Justice is stepping up its legal campaign over the midterm elections, suing Alaska over its U.S. Senate election and appealing a lawsuit against suspected noncitizen voters in California. By @jonshorman.bsky.social of @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/SnACrKQ

Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by a top political analysis as truly competitive heading into November’s midterm elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years. Via @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/4yMrnkd

🎧️ New podcast episode: Deer season changes and data center rules take shape A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public. buff.ly/flYSapB

A challenger for a seat on the Public Service Commission says North Dakotans do not feel like they are being heard by state regulators, while the incumbent defended the processes used by the state agency. buff.ly/0IUtgDi

Early in-person voting begins in certain counties throughout North Dakota during the next week, an opportunity one Bismarck-area group is highlighting to encourage Indigenous people to vote. buff.ly/IFIjAnp

The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by KFF. buff.ly/0Nvai6q

Candidates for North Dakota attorney general say artificial intelligence will be transformative for society but is not a replacement for humans in investigations or legal matters. buff.ly/XoOBt1i

A coalition of North Dakota-based advocacy groups has formed to oppose Measure 1, which asks voters whether constitutional amendments need at least 60% of the vote to pass. buff.ly/I5YvQZg

Justices of North Dakota’s Supreme Court appeared skeptical during arguments Wednesday over why they should overturn the will of the voters in a case that asks them to basically void the election results if any of four challenged Republican House nominees is elected this fall. buff.ly/DPkfDZr

Environmental quality regulators are now taking public comment on a pig iron plant proposed near Minot. The public can also request a public hearing on the project. buff.ly/2nswXNh

A lawmaker from North Dakota’s coal country is working on proposed legislation to regulate some of the more controversial aspects of data centers in the state. buff.ly/IE8SAEt

North Dakota’s new State Lab officially opened Tuesday with public health and environmental quality officials praising the enhanced safety equipment and testing capabilities. By @machterling.bsky.social buff.ly/S52UZq2

Farmers will be eligible to receive one-time payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide relief for high fuel and input costs. Via @iowacapitaldispatch.com buff.ly/LRlrTlI

North Dakota voters will decide this fall whether to approve free school meals for K-12 students in a ballot measure proponents see as a way to ease costs for families while opponents view it as a wrong addition to the state constitution. buff.ly/WABXRqI

In many states, the rosters of public defenders have been shrinking at an alarming rate, often leaving defendants in jail for days, weeks or months without access to an attorney. Via @stateline.org buff.ly/mIBijgf

With 2 weeks until midterms, analysts say Dems still on track to win US House majority By @fischler.bsky.social of @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/0GXICRu

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a Women’s Health Division within the National Institutes of Health. Via @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/1ctnBHw

North Dakota voters will decide this fall whether to require at least 60% approval of future amendments to the state constitution, a move supporters say would protect the foundational document, but opponents say would make it harder for citizens to enact changes. buff.ly/c8jrbBS

North Dakota officials on Monday announced the state is shutting down white-tailed doe hunting this fall in parts of southern North Dakota due to an ongoing disease outbreak, weeks before the state’s popular deer gun season opens. buff.ly/oe5fv0Z

Immigrants living in the United States with humanitarian status from Ukraine and Sudan will retain their deportation protections and work authorizations for now, the Department of Homeland Security said over the weekend. By @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social of @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/WDwnou0

The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Via @stateline.org buff.ly/6I2v4lx

Hundreds rallied across North Dakota on Saturday to encourage early voting in the Nov. 3 election, joining similar No Kings events across the country. buff.ly/LCs230Q

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., is working with Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit, a Tioga native, to unlock $400 million in federal loan guarantees to help fund the next phase of enhanced oil recovery research. buff.ly/oZpd1UE

The North Dakota ag commissioner debate showed differences in how the two candidates view the role of government when it comes to overseeing the development of data centers and other industries. buff.ly/7sVPt0n

President Donald Trump's travel plans include visits to Iowa and Kansas. buff.ly/K8CJApm

Ukrainians and Sudanese first received Temporary Protected Status in 2022. buff.ly/AwtewR6

The tribal ID events will start with Standing Rock on Monday. buff.ly/zMaEzzD

Bipartisan permitting bill in Congress could speed energy projects, but draws green critics Via @stateline.org buff.ly/vZ9QFzx

🎧️ New podcast episode: North Dakota gives certain low-producing oil wells a tax break, but the designation is permanent even if a well later produces much more oil. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public. buff.ly/Wvg3OiR

A pipeline spill contaminated a dry creek bed this week in northwest North Dakota. buff.ly/UcDvuk4

Candidates for superintendent of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction discussed teacher bonuses, tech in the classroom and funding public schools during a debate this week. By @machterling.bsky.social buff.ly/PQezSeJ

Thousands of No Kings events are planned nationwide Saturday to encourage early voting in this year’s midterm elections. North Dakota has events scheduled in seven cities. By @ashleymurray.bsky.social of @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/8eikDzW

President Donald Trump Thursday announced that the execution of a man convicted of the Fort Hood shooting will not be livestreamed, a reversal after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that Nidal Hasan’s death by firing squad would be public. Via @statesnewsroom.com buff.ly/3WnAyFM

There’s no way of stopping the development of data centers and artificial intelligence, a North Dakota State University researcher said Wednesday, adding that attempts to slow development would only push it to other areas. buff.ly/vKd2CnV

Inflation grew to a 3.7% annual rate in September, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, up from 3.4% in August. Via @stateline.org buff.ly/sBKFVWo

North Dakota’s Republican and Democratic-NPL candidates for U.S. House debated the national debt, surging healthcare costs and farming concerns during their first – and probably only – debate of the 2026 election. buff.ly/gEbhWLu

A long-awaited federal grant has come through for the only fair housing organization in the Dakotas, prompting the center to bring back staff who had been furloughed due to the delay. buff.ly/T29oFyq

As the nation’s physician shortage worsens, some fear the Trump administration’s immigration policies will dissuade or prevent doctors who earned their medical degrees in foreign countries from practicing in the United States. By @chatlanis.bsky.social of @stateline.org buff.ly/H9CX9uG

Ethics questions arise for North Dakota lawmaker who also leads charitable gambling group buff.ly/9kndDhq

North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread on Monday released health insurance premium rate changes for Affordable Care Act plans for 2027. buff.ly/nRpeMZi

A Minot student will represent North Dakota this week in the National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C., which will be televised for the first time. buff.ly/zslMe9r