Prairie Beat

Hazy skies, poor visibility, thick smoke. It might sound like summer in Southern California, but it’s becoming all too familiar in North Dakota and Minnesota. In this episode of the Prairie Beat, the growing impact of wildfire smoke in the Upper Midwest.

With Memorial Day weekend behind us, The Prairie Beat looks at the early indicators from the holiday’s traffic trends. While final numbers on vehicle fatalities are still pending, some recent crash data offer a glimmer of hope for public safety advocates. As the unofficial start to the summer travel season kicks off, we explore what these numbers mean, and why officials urge caution, even amid optimistic signs. The road ahead may not be smooth.

Danielle and Erik dive into a rare unifier in today's divided times: the weather. North Dakotans have seen a serious soaking this week, but has it done enough to stave off summer drought and fire risks?

Our last episode of In Session, co-hosts Erik Deatherage and Ann Alquist catch up with podcaster, columnist and journalist Rob Port about the 69th legislative session, what to watch out for in North Dakota politics and what it means to be a conservative in 2025.

In the first episode of Prairie Public's new regional news podcast, Danielle Webster and Erik Deatherage bring you up-to-date on a once-dormant childhood disease making an unfortunate comeback in North Dakota. They'll dive into the latest measles numbers and how health officials are addressing vaccine skepticism.

At 4am May 3, the 69th legislative session ended. Erik and Ann go through the big property tax bill, and also recap what happened to a few bills that had been debated.

Governor Armstrong’s determination to pass property tax reform has stalled in conference committee. Co-hosts Erik Deatherage and Ann Alquist share what’s holding it up.

Can a commission hold public officials accountable and be a check on corruption? This episode we look at the history of North Dakota’s Ethics Commission and why former state senator Ray Holmberg’s sentencing has put it in front of legislators as a place that could check power in Bismarck.

Charter schools, public and school library regulation, eminent domain, public notices in newspapers. Co-hosts Erik Deatherage and Ann Alquist recap the bills that have, and haven’t made it to as we get ever closer to the end of the 69th legislative session.

In the waning weeks of the legislative session, legislators are spending long hours hammering out amendments to get bills into reconciliation and on the governor’s desk for signature. This week we look at property tax relief, and how the devil isn’t in the details, but in amendments.