Judge orders new North Dakota legislative district for 2 Native American tribes
A federal judge has ordered a new legislative district for two Native American tribes who successfully challenged North Dakotaโs 2021 redistricting map as violating the Voting Rights Act in diluting Native American votersโ strength.
Court ruling backs tribesโ effort to force lawmakers to redraw North Dakota legislative boundaries
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from North Dakota's secretary of state to delay a federal judge's ruling that found the state's 2021 redistricting map violated the Voting Rights Act in diluting the voting strength of two Native American tribes.
Fox News reaches 12.8 million viewers for GOP primary debate, despite Donald Trump's absence
Fox News reached an estimated 12.8 million viewers on two television channels and its streaming network for the first GOP presidential primary debate of the 2024 season, even though former President Donald Trump skipped it.
Man who ambushed Fargo officers likely had bigger and bloodier attack in mind, attorney general says
Authorities say the heavily armed man who ambushed Fargo police officers investigating a fender bender likely had a bloodier attack in mind, with at least two fairs taking place at the time in and around the city.
US officials: report on oil and gas sale ban due by summer
โ The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will deliver an interim report on its suspension of oil and gas sales from federal lands and waters by summer, but officials declined to state how long the moratorium could remain in place. Oil and gas from federal reserves in western states and the Gulf of Mexico make up about a quarter of U.S. production. โThe federal oil and gas program is not serving the American public well,โ Interior Department Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis said in a statement. โThe oil and gas leasing program is broken, plain and simple,โ said Jenny Rowland with the Center for American Progress, a liberal, Washington-based policy group that has been supportive of Biden's agenda. A report outlining initial findings and the next steps in the review will be completed by early summer, officials said.
B-52s again fly over Mideast in US military warning to Iran
A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, March 7, 2021, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Josh W. Strickland via AP)DUBAI โ A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. military's Central Command said the two B-52s flew over the region accompanied by military aircraft from nations including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The U.S. Navyโs Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast and often has tense encounters with Iran, declined to comment on the footage. However, the Gulf of Oman saw a series of similar attacks in 2019 that the U.S. Navy then blamed on Iran.
Biden weighs pick for agriculture chief from diverse slate
Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota are in the running for the Cabinet position. (House Television via AP)WASHINGTON โ One leading candidate for agriculture secretary hails from Cleveland, has the backing of progressives and has worked for years to boost food stamp programs. Tom Vilsack, who served as Obamaโs agriculture secretary for eight years, is also being considered. Biden has said he wants a diverse Cabinet, and some Black leaders have said he needs to do more to achieve that. โYou won't find a better person thant Heidi Heitkamp,โ Manchin said in a statement, adding that she would make a โtremendousโ agriculture secretary.
Farm Rescue shifts to help farmers sickened by coronavirus
In this photo provided by Farm Rescue, volunteers plant crops on Paul Ivesdal's farm June 3, 2020 in Edmore, N.D. Thanks to Farm Rescue, Ivesdal got his crop in even as he was rushed to a hospital and spend eight days on a ventilator. But in 2005, he launched Farm Rescue, inspired by the 1980s farm crisis that forced his parents to sell land and most of their cattle. โThey're prideful, hard-working people and typically don't want to ask for help,โ Gross said. Viewers can watch the event for free, but all donations will go to Farm Rescue.
Surging virus cases get a shrug in many Midwestern towns
It's not that people in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and elsewhere don't realize their states are leading the nation in new cases per capita. โThey donโt think itโs real," she said. Like most people, Jay Stibbe, 52, of Fargo, North Dakota, said he and his family are respectful of COVID-19 protocols and wear masks where required. However, Stibbe said he doesnโt see enough โconcrete informationโ about the virus to stop him from going about his normal life, even though North Dakota leads the nation in the number of virus cases per capita. ___Associated Press writers David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, and Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota, contributed to this story.
West Coast governors urge COVID quarantine after travel
Travelers wear face masks at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. โCalifornia just surpassed a sobering threshold โ one million COVID-19 cases โ with no signs of the virus slowing down,โ California Gov. She said if cases remain at the current level, the travel advisory will likely become a requirement. โNobody wants to become North Dakota.โThe travel advisory is not as strict as rules implemented in June by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. ___Associated Press writers Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, John Antczak in Los Angeles and Sara Cline in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report.
Doctors fear more death as Dakotas experience virus 'sorrow'
North Dakota and South Dakota have the nation's worst rate of deaths per capita over the last 30 days. The rush of virus patients has dialed up the emotional and physical stress on hospital staff, even as they try to stay free from infections. โThe devastation that Iโm seeing from people is just so disheartening,โ said Mike Henriksen, a South Dakota sports broadcaster who knew five people who died. North Dakota Gov. In South Dakota, Noem has cast doubt on whether wearing masks in public is effective, saying that she'll leave it up to the people to decide.
Leaders in US, Europe divided on response to surging virus
Virus cases are surging across Europe and many U.S. states, but responses by leaders are miles apart, with officials in Ireland, France and elsewhere imposing curfews and restricting gatherings even as some U.S. governors resist mask mandates or more aggressive measures. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, reiterated Tuesday that he has no plans to do so and would instead leave such decisions to local officials. Doug Burgumโs approach of leaving management of the virus to local officials. Mahoney, himself, cast the deciding vote against a city mask mandate early this month. Associated Press writers Adam Causey in Oklahoma City, Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota, and Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this story.
GOP governors in spiking states strain for silver linings
But that's not the message coming from a number of Republican governors in the region, who are working to find silver linings in the ominous health data as outbreaks surge in their states. North Dakota's governor has called his state's test positivity rate an achievement, even though its rate of new cases tops the nation. Kim Reynolds, however, has defended the state's decision to reopen bars and send students back into classrooms without masks required. Some governors are even pushing back against Trump's own advisers for giving blunter assessments of their states' situations. Hutchinson has continued resisting calls to roll back some of the state's reopening, saying he's relying more on personal responsibility.
North Dakota womanโs fast food trip goes viral
BISMARCK, N.D. โ Jodi Butz wouldโve never guessed a week ago she and her car would be in the national spotlight. A picture of this North Dakota woman in a fast-food drive-thru has been shared on dozens of social media sites and racked up tens of thousands of likes and shares. With a license plate like โHMBRGLRโ to commemorate McDonaldโs character The Hamburglar, thereโs no avoiding a viral snap. Every weekend like clock-work she visits her favorite fast food restaurant: McDonaldโs. Cookies jars, Little Tikes McDonaldโs everything,โ Butz says.
As virus rises in the Dakotas, freedom argument trumps masks
The argument over masks raged this week in Brookings, South Dakota, as the city council considered requiring face coverings in businesses. I worry about that.โOver 1,000 students at the states' four largest universities (the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota) left campus to quarantine after being exposed to the virus, according to data released by the schools. North Dakota Gov. North Dakota's average rate of test positivity has been nearly 22% over the last seven days, according to the the COVID Tracking Project; South Dakota's has been 17%. "They are worried about being overwhelmed.โ___Kolpack reported from Fargo, North Dakota.
Judge orders Dakota Access pipeline shut down pending review
FARGO, N.D. A federal judge on Monday sided with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and ordered the Dakota Access pipeline to shut down until more environmental review is done. Boasberg had ordered both parties to submit briefs on whether the pipeline should continue operating during the new environmental review. The pipeline was the subject of months of protests, sometimes violent, during its construction near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. The Standing Rock tribe presses litigation against the pipeline even after it began carrying oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa and to a shipping point in Illinois in June 2017. The $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile (1,886 kilometer) underground pipeline crosses beneath the Missouri River, just north of the reservation.
Tech privacy firm warns contact tracing app violates policy
The Care19 app, developed by ProudCrowd, of North Dakota, was one of the first contact tracing apps endorsed by state governments in response to the coronavirus. But tech privacy company Jumbo Privacy reported this week that developers included lines of code that send users' location and identification data to third-party companies including Foursquare, BugFender and Google. The Care19 app shared location data with Foursquare, an advertising company that markets to people based on their location. The Jumbo Privacy report noted that the code, along with the phone's identification, was sent to BugFender, a Barcelona-based company that helps developers track malfunctions. Its really an oversight from them, said Jumbo Privacy CEO Pierre Valade.
Largest yet: $1.3 billion contract for border wall awarded
PHOENIX A North Dakota construction company favored by President Donald Trump has received the largest contract to date to build a section of Trumps signature wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota confirmed the $1.3 billion contract for building the 42-mile section of wall through really tough terrain in the mountains in Arizona. Trump has promised to build 450 miles of wall along the border with Mexico by the end of the year. Democratic members of Congress raised concerns in December after Fisher was awarded a $400 million contract for border wall construction. Environmentalists have also long criticized the border wall, saying it cuts off protected wildlife and destroys important ecosystems.
Tech-assisted COVID-19 tracking is having some issues
A second wave of tech-assisted pandemic surveillance tools is on its way, this time with the imprimatur of tech giants Apple and Google. It's traditionally conducted by trained public health workers who interview those who may have been exposed, then urge them to get tested and isolate themselves. She urged governments to set rules addressing both privacy and efficacy so that surveillance tools don't interfere with more conventional public health methods. As early as this week, Rhode Island has said it is set to launch a one-stop pandemic response phone app. It was updated on May 19, 2020, to correct information about the usage of COVID-19 contact-tracking apps.
What Effects Will Keystone Pipeline Leak Have in Area? Environmental Advocates Fear the Worst
Crews shut down the pipeline after the leak was discovered, but an estimated 9,120 barrels of oil were released into a wetlands area, officials said. Our emergency response team contained the impacted area, and oil has not migrated beyond the immediately affected area, TC Energy said. TC Energy is seeking to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would span from Hardisty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska. The Obama administration rejected the Keystone XL proposal in 2015, but the Trump administration approved it in 2017. [The] Keystone XL Pipeline will be the safest and most advanced pipeline operation in North America.
Amid fall flood woes, North Dakota declares statewide emergency
FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signed an executive order declaring a statewide flood emergency as he and other officials held meetings in communities affected by high water. Burgum said North Dakota was experiencing conditions "we haven't seen before across the whole state." And Goehring had these words for farmers worried about what the future might bring:"Take a deep breath, and hold on," Goehring said. "There's an economic hardship that we're facing here relative to this fall's harvest that is likely unprecedented," Burgum said. As of Monday morning, eight counties and four cities in North Dakota had issued flood emergency declarations, with more expected.
North Dakota cleaning up after 'potentially historic' October snowstorm
BISMARCK, N.D. - A powerful winter storm has moved into the Great Plains. Bismarck, North Dakota, is one of the hardest-hit areas, closing schools and causing travel concerns. Storm warnings were issued in multiple states including Wyoming, Montana, western Nebraska and the Dakotas. Strong winds and snowfall surpassing 10 inches are expected through Friday. Some forecasters are calling the storm a "potentially historic October winter storm" in the making.
Judge sides with doctors, blocks N. Dakota abortion counseling law
iStock/junial(CNN) - A federal judge has temporarily blocked a North Dakota law that would require physicians to give patients what doctors say is inaccurate information about abortion -- specifically, that the effects of abortion drugs can be reversed. The decision marks another win for abortion rights advocates, who are challenging a slew of state laws restricting abortion access nationwide. The lawsuit names North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Cass County State Attorney Birch Burdick in their official capacities. North Dakota is not alone in its law. Nebraska, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arkansas have also codified measures this year requiring abortion providers to tell patients that medication abortion could be reversed.
17-Year-Old Gored by Bison, Flung in the Air While at North Dakota National Park
A Colorado teenager was hospitalized Saturday after being attacked by a bison and thrown in the air during a visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The National Park Service told NBC News that the teen was thrown about 6 feet in the air and gored in the right thigh after being struck in the back by the bison. As the teen ran away, the bison struck, goring and tossing the victim in the air. The victim was released Monday, with the hospital arranging for a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator to come cheer up the teen. Parks officials also gave the victim a teddy bear dressed like Teddy Roosevelt to take home.
Teen gored after walking between two fighting bison in North Dakota
Wildlife Conservation Society via CNN(CNN) - A 17-year-old from Colorado was gored by a bison Saturday at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, officials said. The teen was stabbed in the thigh and is in stable condition, park officials said Monday, declining to name the youth. It's the second time a bison has charged a visitor in a national park this month. The girl was taken to an onsite clinic and released, park officials said. Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other animal, according to the National Park Service.
Historic bridge collapses under trailer carrying 42 tons of beans
A North Dakota bridge built more than 100 years ago collapsed under the weight of a trailer carrying 42 tons of dry beans. (CNN) - A historic bridge in North Dakota collapsed under the weight of 42 tons of dry beans. A tractor-trailer carrying more than 84,560 pounds of beans brought down a steel bridge near Northwood on Monday afternoon, according to the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office. They fined him $11,400 for exceeding the weight limit of the bridge, which could safely support only 14 tons. The historic bridge was built in 1906 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
College student finds triceratops skull
A triceratops fossil on display at the Institute of Human Paleontology in Paris, France. (CNN) - A college student made the discovery of a lifetime on a recent paleontology dig when he unearthed a partial Triceratops skull. Harrison Duran, a fifth-year biology student at the University of California, Merced, uncovered the 65 million-year-old skull in the badlands of North Dakota. "I can't quite express my excitement in that moment when we uncovered the skull," Duran said in a news release from the school on Wednesday. Last year, he found another Triceratops skull around the same area that is currently being excavated.