Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson joins host Mike McFeely to, in a break from grim reality for Mike, talk about North Dakota State football. The Bison appear to be putting the wraps on the 2025 recruiting class and, on paper, it looks pretty good. 

The guys also get into how the Bison are sitting midsummer with the fall rapidly approaching. That includes, of course, some thoughts on NDSU's season opener at Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders.

Former Forum editorial page editor Jack Zaleski joins host Mike McFeely to preview this week's crucial presidential debate between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Donald Trump. They talk about what to expect and how North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a running mate hopeful for Trump, fits into the picture. Also, some chatter about Devils Lake, North Dakota, and the great walleye fishing up there.

Forum reporter Patrick Springer joins host Mike McFeely to talk about the controversy over wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. The National Park Service for years has wanted to remove the horses, saying they aren't native, while horse advocates and park visitors overwhelmingly want the creatures to stay. 

The issue came to a head the last couple of years when it became apparent current park administration was intent on removing the entire herd. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota finally announced in April the horses would stay, after he used some powerful levers to pressure the Park Service.

Springer has covered the story intently for years. He says the issue might not be completely resolved even yet. 

Forum columnist and former TV reporter and news director Jim Shaw joins host Mike McFeely to discuss the results of this week's North Dakota primary election. Voters chose Julie Fedorchak to be the Republican candidate for U.S. House, Kelly Armstrong to be the GOP candidate for governor and locally former TV anchor Michelle Turnberg was the surprising top vote-getter in the Fargo City Commission race. 

Shaw and McFeely break down what the results mean and how the winners will affect the political process in the state.

KFGO and "News and Views" radio network host Joel Heitkamp joins host Mike McFeely to talk about North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's indefensible defense of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and what spurred Burgum to go from a seemingly independent thinker politically to a MAGA mouthpiece.

Also, Joel handicaps the North Dakota primary races coming up June 11 and explains what he believes were the keys to those expected winners coming out on top.

And Joel and Mike (briefly) discuss tattoos.

Sam Herder, Football Championship Subdivision national analyst for HERO Sports, joins podcast host Mike McFeely for a wide-ranging interview about the state of FCS. What does it mean that four teams are likely to dominate the subdivision for the foreseeable future? Who are the next programs that could rise up? Was Missouri State right to leave FCS for FBS?

And, of course, how does Sam view the aspirations of some at North Dakota State to move up a level if possible, and the apparent comfort South Dakota State feels in FCS.

Also, Mike can't resist a couple of hot takes.

Ben Portnoy, reporter for the Sports Business Journal, joins host Mike McFeely to give a 101 level class on the massive House vs. NCAA lawsuit settlement that will be announced this week. It has the potential to be one of the most ground-shaking outcomes in college sports history.

At issue is a settlement the NCAA and Power Five conferences reached with former college athletes who sought "back pay" for missed opportunities to get paid for their name, image and likeness. Critics say the NCAA and Power Five leagues are looking out for their best interests while dumping on the other Division I conferences and schools. 

Portnoy says a counter-proposal by those "lower" leagues is being discussed right now.

Apologies from the start: This podcast recording is rough because Clay Jenkinson was in the woods of Vermont when we reached him and his Internet connection cuts out for long stretches, which means there are long stretches of silence when he is supposed to be talking. 

Also, host Mike McFeely recorded it from home and his dogs chose to bark wildly at a couple of different junctures during the discussion with Clay.

So there's that. 

Instead of re-recording or heavy editing or deleting the podcast altogether, the McFeely Mess staff (Mike) made the decision to run with it.

Listen at your own risk. 

That said, the North Dakota scholar wanted to weigh in on Gov. Doug Burgum kissing up to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. 

If you can make it through, good stuff.

Forum business reporter and columnist Tammy Swift joins podcast host Mike McFeely to chat about a story Tammy wrote about world-famous Dot's Pretzels leaving little Velva, North Dakota, after the company was purchased by food giant Hershey's Company. The two dozen or so jobs the move eliminated is bad, but the small town near Minot in north central North Dakota also lost a big part of its identity when Hershey's closed the Dot's production plant and moved operations to Pennsylvania. Tammy wrote about it all in a story that appeared on the InForum.com website recently. 

Aaron Rupar, publisher of the Public Notice newsletter and longtime political commentator and Trump follower on social media, joins host Mike McFeely to chat about how Aaron can keep his sanity having to watch and dissect so many rallies and press conferences of former president Donald Trump. They talk about this fall's election and its potential consequences.

Trump and President Joe Biden are, of course, the gist of the conversation, but former U.S. congresswoman Michele Bachmann's name makes a cameo, too. And Mike couldn't resist talking a little Minnesota Timberwolves with Aaron, who is a super-fan of the rising NBA team.