A Closer Look with the Monitor

State officials are curtailing some hunting in southern North Dakota because of a disease  outbreak. North Dakota Monitor reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to explain what hunters need to know.Also this week, lawmakers began discussing possible legislation to address data center development that focuses on electricity costs, water use and what happens when a facility is no longer operating. Reporter Jacob Orledge describes the proposal and where lawmakers might have differing views.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

North Dakota gives certain low-producing oil wells a tax break intended to help them keep  operating, but the designation is permanent even if a well later produces much more oil. Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss his recent reporting, which found that North Dakota is on pace to miss out on about $66 million this year in tax revenue from wells that no longer meet the criteria for the tax break.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

The state-owned Bank of North Dakota has launched a pilot program for Roughrider Coin, a dollar-backed digital asset that uses blockchain technology. Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss how the stablecoin technology may help complete financial transactions more quickly and the four North Dakota banks and credit unions that are participating. But questions remain about how the technology will work, what risks it may carry, and whether it will eventually affect everyday banking customers. A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Three Republican Party officials this week filed a petition to the North Dakota Supreme Court challenging the eligibility of four legislative candidates.Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to talk about the arguments in the court case and the secretary of state’s position.Also, Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach talks about the power demand for a proposed Cass County data center, and editor Amy Dalrymple describes the Monitor’s Voter Guide.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.

Two stories this week put a spotlight on institutions that depend heavily on public trust. Reporter Jack Dura joins host Craig Blumenshine to discuss a recent audit of the North Dakota Development Fund, a state-backed program that provides loans and  investments to businesses.Dura also talks about his recent reporting on a contested North Dakota Supreme Court race that is nonpartisan but has involved endorsements and events from Republicans.A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.