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North Dakota history includes decades of controversy and division over restrictions on Sunday shopping. The state began its existence with these so-called “Blue Laws” that included a ban on the sale of alcohol.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 - In an excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, we hear from Dr. Nicholas Christakis, director of Yale’s Human Nature Lab and an expert on the influence of social networks on health and behavior. In his recent book, Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live, he examines the patterns of pandemics throughout human history, putting the current pandemic in perspective. ~~~ Harvest Public media has prepared a series of reports on the trend of corporations getting involved with universities, especially within agriculture departments. Today’s story reports on one example of how that can become controversial. Dana Cronin reports. ~~~ Prairie Public’s Education Services manager, Dr. Tim Wollenzien, joins us for a discussion on Youth Media. What is it and why is it important? He’ll explain how regional teachers join an effort to teach media literacy.

News this week in 1943 was a mix of Yuletide and interesting moments. World War II was raging, yet everyday life continued. Today we share a number of the stories one would find in the paper that year

Wednesday, December 15, 2021 – The year 2020 was unlike any other in America, and among the kids who suffered were the student-athletes who had to give up a year of competition in high school and college. Forum Communications sports writer Jeff Kolpack has been covering their stories and he realized the theme deserved to be documented as a book. The result is COVID Kids. He joins us to discuss how the pandemic affected kids, parents and coaches. More than a medical problem, the pandemic has also been a lifestyle issue. ~~~ The Community Violence Intervention Center recently released a special publication about the work being done in greater Grand Forks to end interpersonal violence. The book, “Two-Generation Guardians,” features community leaders and partners who have contributed to the effort. Joining us is the book’s author, CVIC president and CEO Coiya Tompkins.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 – President George Washington died on this date 222 years ago. Today we share a story of the late president as guest host Rick Collin visits with Nathaniel Philbrick, the author of “Travels With George, in Search of Washington and His Legacy.” In the fall of 1789, George Washington, six months into his presidency, set out on the first of four road trips as he attempted to unite the states into a single nation. To research the story, Philbrick retraced Washington’s route.

On this date in 1968 the Bismarck Tribune reported on Dr. Lowell Gess and his family. Lowell, his wife Ruth, and three of their six children had recently moved to Bismarck and were excited to have the remaining children join them by Christmas. Normally such an event would not make the news, but the Gess family was a bit unusual. The family had just moved to North Dakota from Sierra Leone, where Dr. Gess served as a medical missionary.

In 1914, Germany declared war on France, and then invaded Belgium to avoid the French fortifications along their shared border. Belgium was neutral, and the invasion by Germany violated the Treaty of London. Belgium would remain occupied by Germany until the Armistice in 1918.

Thursday, December 16, 2021 – “The Brotherhood” by Tim Kevin Doyle of Fargo puts you in the middle of a centuries-old fight as Irish freedom fighters oppose English oppression. Doyle, a former railroad engineer, brings that conflict into 1970s North Dakota as Irish activists use drug smuggling on trains to support the fight. Doyle takes the reader on a trip that includes fast trains, fast times and fast women. ~~~ NDSU history professor Tom Isern expands on the popularity of oysters in the region in a Plains Folk essay titled “Oyster Crackers.” ~~~ In an episode of Natural North Dakota, Chuck Lura discusses conifers in winter. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with some gift ideas for foodies.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021 – Gary Cohen, is the founder of Health Care Without Harm, an award-winning global non-profit seeking to create an environmentally-responsible health system. In this excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, he discusses the recent UN Climate summit in Glasgow and why de-carbonizing the nation's health industry would build healthier communities and address health inequity. ~~~ On this anniversary of Pearl Harbor we share an episode of Tell Tale, Dakota Folklife and Stories that features Raydene Winnegge, a World War II war bride. ~~~ We look at the holidays from a horticultural perspective as Ron Smith drops by to discuss house plants, Christmas trees, and gifts for your green-thumbed loved ones.

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, World War II came to American territory. On December 12th, the University of North Dakota's student newspaper, the Dakota Student, printed this editorial about the arrival of World War II.