Thursday’s ND Talk featured a wide-ranging episode with Dr. Jake Schmitz and Mike Sian breaking down hot-button state and national issues. Dr. Jake tackled the controversy surrounding HB 1450 and concerns over HB 1318's pesticide protections. In the second half, former special forces operative Mike Sian offered sharp insight on national topics like term limits, the Signal Chat scandal, Trump's tariffs, and whether a U.S.–Russia alliance could ever become reality. It's an hour of deep policy dives and thought-provoking takes you won't want to miss.
North Dakota broke ground Wednesday on its first prison specifically designed for women—Heart River Correctional Center in Mandan. The $166.8 million facility, set to open in 2027, will focus on rehabilitation, education, and support services. Officials, including Gov. Kelly Armstrong, emphasized the importance of second chances and signed a new law allowing newborns to stay with incarcerated mothers for up to 18 months. The project reflects a decades-long shift toward more humane and effective approaches to incarceration for women.
The North Dakota Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1176, a major property tax relief bill, but not without key amendments that reduce the proposed credit from $1,450 to $1,250 and cap it at 75% of a homeowner's tax liability. Gov. Kelly Armstrong supports the original House version and is now pinning hopes on a conference committee to restore the higher credit. With lawmakers split and alternative tax bills still in play, the stage is set for high-stakes negotiations over one of the session’s top priorities.
A disciplinary hearing for two Minot police officers who unlawfully entered a condominium building has reignited public discussion on officer training and accountability. Initially suspended for two days, the officers’ punishment was reduced to written reprimands after the Civil Service Commission cited unclear departmental guidance. The case has prompted renewed calls for improved training and clearer protocols to maintain public trust.
Governor Kelly Armstrong has signed House Bill 1503—dubbed “Tyanna’s Law”—which doubles the maximum prison sentence for DUI-related crashes causing serious injury from five to ten years. The law, inspired by teen crash survivor Tyanna Weeks, reclassifies the offense from a Class C to a Class B felony and ensures it cannot be treated as a misdemeanor. Backed by emotional testimony and alarming crash statistics, the bill passed both chambers with overwhelming support.
U.S. stocks suffered their steepest single-day losses in years Thursday, with the Dow plunging nearly 1,700 points after President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs roiled global markets. The Nasdaq fell 6%, tech giants like Apple and Nvidia were slammed, and over $900 billion in market value vanished from the “Magnificent Seven” stocks alone. Investors fear global retaliation and economic slowdown, as Trump downplays the chaos and insists markets will “boom.”
In response to President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have introduced the Trade Review Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that would reassert congressional authority over trade policy. The bill requires presidential tariffs to be reviewed by Congress within 60 days or expire—signaling growing concern over the economic fallout from Trump’s aggressive trade strategy.
