Artificial intelligence is changing so quickly that lawmakers across the country are struggling to keep up. Now, North Dakota has created a new legislative committee to study whether the state needs additional safeguards, and if so, what they should look like. The committee is not writing legislation just yet, but instead members are gathering information, hearing from experts, and looking at how other states are balancing innovation with consumer protection, free speech and public trust. North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the committee’s work, including a recent standing-room-only hearing.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Two recent stories deal with how state regulators handle environmental protection of permitting of major development projects. One covers the legal challenges surrounding the permit for what could become North Dakota's largest dairy operation, where opponents argue state regulators failed to adequately evaluate potential environmental impacts. Another is the ongoing courtroom dispute over the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, where attorneys debated whether the North Dakota Public Service Commission can even consider public safety when approving pipeline routes.North Dakota Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about those stories in this episode of A Closer Look with the Monitor. The weekly podcast is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street hosted by Craig Blumenshine.

The North Dakota Military Gallery was envisioned as a world-class addition to the State Heritage Center in Bismarck, a place to honor veterans, preserve military history and attract visitors from across the country.But just one year after groundbreaking, construction has stopped. The project, which depends on a combination of public and private donations, has raised only a fraction of its fundraising goal, prompting lawmakers to question what comes next. North Dakota Monitor editor Amy Dalrymple joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about her reporting. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will open its doors to the public this Saturday on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence. The library will explore the former president’s legacy and his transformational years in the Badlands of North Dakota in the 1880s. But it will also confront Roosevelt’s history of racist remarks and the policies he supported that continue to have a detrimental effect on Native Americans across the country. North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss his reporting on the subject and what he learned from speaking to Native American leaders, historians and a member of the Roosevelt family. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street.

The proposed JETx transmission line took two significant turns this week. JETx is a proposed 92-mile-long, high-voltage electric transmission line connecting substations near Jamestown and Ellendale through Stutsman, LaMoure and Dickey Counties. Companies Otter Tail Power and MDU Resources say it’s designed to improve the reliability and capacity of the regional power grid. On Tuesday, the North Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments from landowners and townships who say they were denied proper notice and participation during an earlier approval process. Then, on Wednesday, the North Dakota Public Service Commission unanimously approved the project's final route permit. North Dakota Monitor reporters Jacob Orledge and North Dakota Monitor contributor Mary Steurer join host Craig Blumenshine to unpack the latest developments.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public Main Street.

North Dakota continues to explore opportunities in emerging energy technologies, including advanced nuclear power.This week on A Closer Look with the Monitor, reporter Jacob Orledge talks to host Craig Blumenshine about why state officials recently highlighted the Missouri River as the state's best source of water for potential nuclear energy projects.Orledge also discusses his new reporting about turnover on the Ethics Commission and the results of an informal survey on ethics in government distributed by the commission. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public’s Main Street program.

Uncertainty around federal grants forced layoffs of some employees at the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota and furloughs of even more. But Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach discusses how some of those workers are returning along with federal research dollars. Plus, on Tuesday, North Dakota voters will decide a constitutional measure in the June 9th primary election. Monitor reporter Mary Steurer describes how that could change future constitutional amendments are written and presented to voters.A Closer Look with the Monitor, hosted by Craig Blumenshine, is a partnership with Prairie Public’s Main Street program.

This week on A Closer Look with the Monitor, Deputy Editor Jeff Beach talks to host Craig Blumenshine about some absentee ballots he saw get rejected in 2024 because of issues related to the voter’s signature. Jeff explains why it’s important for voters who vote by mail to make sure they use a consistent signature when they apply for a ballot and again on the envelope as they submit their ballot. He also talks about the process counties use to help voters rectify any potential issues with their ballot, and a new rule this year that requires absentee ballots to be received by Election Day.Monitor Editor Amy Dalrymple talks to Craig about Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s donations to legislative and statewide campaigns this primary and criticism from some Republican lawmakers and candidates.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public’s Main Street program.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed more than $150 million in funding cuts to tribal colleges, universities and postsecondary programs.This week on A Closer Look with the Monitor, host Craig Blumenshine speaks with Monitor reporter Mary Steurer about the proposed cuts, and what students and administrators at North Dakota tribal colleges say Tribal Nations would lose if the plan is approved.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public’s Main Street program.

Rural grocers are facing growing pressures from changing customer habits, rising costs and workforce shortages. This week on A Closer Look with the Monitor, host Craig Blumenshine speaks with Monitor Deputy Editor Jeff Beach about food deserts, efforts to help grocery stores remain viable and the creativity of store owners to serve their communities. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public’s Main Street program.