Main Street

Friday, June 8 – Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to preview this month’s episode of “Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life.” This month he visits with Jason Hill in a conversation titled “An Immigrant Defends America.” ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Great Plains Bison.” ~~~ Our weekly news chat with news director Dave Thompson. ~~~ Matt Olien has this week’s movie review: “The Rider,” which was filmed in South Dakota.

Thursday, June 7 – Almost daily the Alberta oil sands make the news across Canada with pro-pipeline and anti-pipeline stories. In the ultimate power move, the Canadian government recently (end of May) purchased the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, allowing the national government to sidestep opposition from the government of British Columbia. The province had objected to the proposed route across the Rockies. Today we share an interview with Chris Turner, author of The Patch: The People, Pipelines, and Politics of the Oil Sands.

We visit with Sue Balcom of the “Root Sellers” farm near Mandan.

Wednesday, June 6 – PBS’ Great American Read event is underway, with voters choosing America’s favorite book. Today we’re visiting with avid readers Greg Danz and Val Stadik. Danz owns Zandbroz, an independent variety and bookstore in Fargo. Stadik owns Main Street Books in Minot. ~~~ In this week’s Natural North Dakota, Chuck Lura discusses Scorpius and other summer constellations.

Tuesday, June 5 – “We Proceeded On” is a publication of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The new issue is characterized as “A Very Special Issue.”  That’s because it features a 10-page discussion of a map that only recently has been recognized for its importance. Joining us to discuss the map’s relationship to Lewis and Clark is Lewis and Clark scholar Clay Jenkinson.

Monday, June 4 – Prairie Public’s Christine McClellan joins us to share clips from the North Dakota winners in the PBS Kids Writers’ Contest. Bill Thomas does an interview with winner Jacob Day about his story, “The Adventures of Chicken,” and we also hear from winners Kennedy Riggins of Watford City; Cole Anderson of Marion; and Caleb Zerr in Grand Forks. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on Fort Stevens State Park. ~~~ Building human rights museums, lecturing on rape culture...not what you expect high school English students to be doing.

Friday, June 1 – Joining Doug and news director Dave Thompson for this month’s Editors’ Roundtable show are Jim Shaw, Forum Communications columnist; and Renée Jean, assistant managing editor of the Williston Herald. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

Thursday, May 31 – John Harris visits with Neil Litton, North Dakota Boys State director, in this excerpt from the Prairie Pulse TV show, which airs this Friday at 7:30.  ~~~ NDSU historian Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Summer Reading.” ~~~ We get an update on the Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center from the center’s director, Daniel Budzyn.  The Minot center is increasing its partnerships and training options.

“Coping with Climate Change on the Farm” was the theme of a recent keynote address given by National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson. He spoke last week at NDSU, and he joins us to reprise his thoughts on what a warming climate means for agriculture. ~~~ We've been airing excerpts from The Cutting Ed podcast about what teacher and administrations are doing to change how we educate kids. Today we hear from a student. Jackson Holm is a senior at Grand Forks Red River High School.