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Governor Burgum for President! Why not?

Setting partisan differences aside and speaking as a political scientist, Governor Doug Burgum has done a good job of protecting the role of the executive branch of state government. He has stood up to the encroachment of the legislative branch by using his veto. Through the years, the legislature has been engaged in a relentless campaign to crowd into the jurisdiction of the executive branch by passing laws to put themselves on executive committees and boards. The key “founding fathers” – Hamilton and Madison – had a few observations in The Federalist Papers about the ...

Recounting Mike Morell’s Deep State blues

Lifetime CIA spook Michael Morell’s name has been popping up a lot recently due to him spilling his beans about the misinformation campaign he orchestrated at the behest of the Biden presidential campaign to influence the election’s outcome. I’ve beaten that dead horse into the ground, but it occurred to me this would be far from the first time this committed deep state agent has taken deliberate action to malignly insert himself into the democratic process. A 33-year veteran of the CIA, Morell shows up like Forrest Gump in several significant moments of note in recent U.S. ...

Meeting state’s greatest need through trees

Here we immigrants have been in North Dakota officially as a recognized territory since 1861 and our wind swept prairies are still suffering from an embarrassing nakedness. It seems appropriate to bring the subject up since May is Arbor month and there is no one more romantic about trees than Joyce Kilmer: I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that in summer may wear A nest of robins in ...

Graduation day and a fantastic 2022-23 at MSU

Today is a momentous day at Minot State University as we are celebrating the graduation of nearly 700 students who have completed their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. MSU’s 2023 graduating class has much for which to be proud! We join with their families, friends, and supporters in congratulating the fantastic accomplishments of these new graduates and wish them all the very best with their next endeavors in life. Reflecting back on 2022-23, it has been a busy year at MSU with a number of important accomplishments and milestones. Two major renovation projects are underway on ...

Learning to love Roko’s Basilisk

The following text contains an information hazard, which could inspire dread and existential discomfort. Read at your own risk: Recently, I took a chance on a Peacock streaming series called “Mrs. Davis,” which is the latest offering from former “Lost” showrunner Damon Lindelof, a man whose name usually sends me in the other direction given how that experience ended. Despite my trepidation, there’s something about its first few episodes I can’t shake. Its gonzo premise is focused on a renegade Catholic nun named Sister Simone who makes a deal with the titular Mrs. ...

Legislator-citizen gap unhealthy for state

There is an unhealthy gap between the North Dakota legislature and the citizenry. This should not be. Legislators are elected to represent the views of the people. North Dakota has just gone through a legislative session that veered off course. Governor Douglas Burgum saved the state on a couple of onerous bills that failed to reflect the opinion of the citizenry. One of his vetoes would have prevented public money from going to parochial schools. Then there was the measure to provide free school lunches to all children. Under public pressure, the measure was brought back to ...