Podcasts about Bismarck

Bad Kissingen gehört heute zu den berühmtesten Kurorten Deutschlands. Doch im 19. Jahrhundert war die Stadt weit mehr als ein Ort für Erholung und Heilwasser. Jeden Sommer verwandelte sie sich in eine europäische Bühne: Kaiser, Könige, Politiker, Künstler und wohlhabende Bürger trafen sich in den Parkanlagen, an den Quellen und in den eleganten Gesellschaftsräumen. Mitten in dieser Welt erscheint Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich. Sisi kommt nicht nur als berühmte Monarchin nach Bad Kissingen, sondern vor allem als Patientin. Der Wiener Hof, das strenge Zeremoniell und die ständige öffentliche Beobachtung setzen ihr immer stärker zu. Sie leidet unter Migräne, Schlafstörungen, Erschöpfung und innerer Unruhe.Die Ärzte empfehlen Bewegung, frische Luft, geregelte Tagesabläufe – und eine Kur. Doch was bedeutete eine Kur im 19. Jahrhundert eigentlich?Wir tauchen ein in eine Welt aus Trinkkuren, Spaziergängen, Badeanwendungen, Kurkonzerten und gesellschaftlichen Begegnungen. Eine Kur war damals nicht nur Medizin. Sie war Rückzug, Begegnungsort, gesellschaftliches Ereignis und manchmal sogar eine politische Bühne.Bad Kissingen wurde für Elisabeth zu einem weiteren Ort ihrer lebenslangen Suche nach Freiheit. Wie Possenhofen, Madeira, Korfu oder Ungarn versprach auch dieser fränkische Kurort Abstand vom Wiener Hof. Doch selbst hier blieb sie die berühmteste Frau Europas – beobachtet, erkannt und von den Erwartungen ihrer Zeit eingeholt.

Continuing our summer series "One Three Nine," guest speaker Walter Fisher unpacks the breathtaking truths found in Psalm 139:15–16. Pulling back the curtain on how we are formed, Walter reminds us that we are not random accidents; we are God's unique handiwork—meticulously embroidered in secret and given a distinct identity to make an eternal impact. Because God intimately designed your frame and intentionally purposed every single one of your days before you drew your first breath, He wants to strategically deploy your unique desires and gifts to advance His Kingdom right where you are planted. STAY CONNECTED 

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageA signature can look like safety, right up until the day it becomes worthless ink. We take you back to 1933 Germany to watch a deal get made with Adolf Hitler and then dismantled piece by piece, revealing why legal guarantees cannot protect anyone when an authoritarian regime treats law as theater.We set the context most people miss: German Catholics had lived through decades of hostility stretching back to Bismarck's Kulturkampf, and the chaos of Weimar Germany made the desire for a binding national promise feel urgent. When Hitler needs the Center Party's votes to lock in power, he offers a trade that sounds “practical” on paper: the Reichskonkordat will protect Catholic schools, parishes, and legal standing, and in return the Church steps out of politics. Then the reality hits. Youth groups disappear, priests are surveilled, and the regime's attacks on human dignity keep escalating.From there, we draw a clear modern parallel to the Vatican's agreement with the Chinese Communist government over bishop appointments, renewed through 2028, and Cardinal Joseph Zen's public warnings about the underground Church being left behind. The question underneath both stories is the same: what actually protects the vulnerable when the people in power do not believe truth is real?We end with the turning point in 1937, when Pope Pius XI releases Mit Brennender Sorge, smuggled into Germany and read from pulpits under the Gestapo's nose, calling Catholics to spiritual resistance and naming the poison even when politics refuses to. If you care about religious freedom, church-state relations, and the limits of diplomacy under authoritarianism, this one will stay with you. Key Points from the Episode:• German Catholics shaped by decades of harassment under Kulturkampf  • Weimar instability fueling a desire for national legal guarantees  • Hitler trading “protection” for the Church's silence in politics  • The Reichskonkordat's promises contrasted with immediate Nazi violations  • Why agreements fail when leaders reject truth and justice  • Parallels to the Vatican's China agreement and Cardinal Joseph Zen's warnings  • Mit Brennender Sorge as a shift from diplomacy to defiance  • The covert distribution effort and the risk taken by clergy and laity  • The persecution that followed, including imprisonment and deaths at Dachau  Be sure to check out our show page at TeamMojoAcademy.com, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources.  Links

Some time before the November general election, Fargo voters will have a special election concerning a proposal to city government from an at-large commission, where each member of the commission (except for the mayor) is elected by the whole city, to a ward system, where the city is split into jurisdictions each with a specific representative. "It would establish six wards and one person elected from each ward," former city commissioner Arlette Preston, an organizer behind this issue, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "The candidate would have to live inside the ward and be elected by people in the ward. So, it would also change from a commission form of government to a council form, which that will remove the commissioners as they are currently assigned certain portfolios and daily interactions with certain departments. It would remove them from that and allow for the city administrator to actually have direct oversight." Former Mayor Tim Mahoney has opposed this proposal, and one of his complaints is the cost. He's said it could cost the taxpayers as much as $500,000 to make the switch, but Preston dismissed that claim. "I have no idea where he got his numbers and he never really specified where they came from," she said. "There would be two additional people on the council versus what is currently the commission. So there'd be a total of seven people including the mayor versus now it's five. So those two additional people would add probably around 80,000 total in salary and benefits for two of them. That would be an annual cost." She also pushed back on Mahoney's claim that the proposal would lead to a weak mayor. She said that state law actually defines a system like this as promoting a strong mayor, because while the mayor would only participate in council votes as a tie breaker, he or she would have veto power. Also, with the mayor's job already having moved to a full-time position, whoever is elected to that position will be more involved in day-to-day administration. Preston says the change toward wards would make Fargo's leaders more accountable. "What this allows is to make sure that somebody does advocate for you," she explained. "Right now, when communications come into the commission, it goes to all five people." Living in a district that has a specific member of the city council to represent your area means they should be more responsive. "It really, I think, establishes a stronger sense of accountability to the constituents," Preston told us. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the fundraising failure for the proposed military museum at the state capitol in Bismarck, the decline in Canadian tourism, youth sports and extreme heat, the outcome of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce's recent civics bee, and fatherhood. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Some time before the November general election, Fargo voters will have a special election concerning a proposal to city government from an at-large commission, where each member of the commission (except for the mayor) is elected by the whole city, to a ward system, where the city is split into jurisdictions each with a specific representative. "It would establish six wards and one person elected from each ward," former city commissioner Arlette Preston, an organizer behind this issue, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "The candidate would have to live inside the ward and be elected by people in the ward. So, it would also change from a commission form of government to a council form, which that will remove the commissioners as they are currently assigned certain portfolios and daily interactions with certain departments. It would remove them from that and allow for the city administrator to actually have direct oversight." Former Mayor Tim Mahoney has opposed this proposal, and one of his complaints is the cost. He's said it could cost the taxpayers as much as $500,000 to make the switch, but Preston dismissed that claim. "I have no idea where he got his numbers and he never really specified where they came from," she said. "There would be two additional people on the council versus what is currently the commission. So there'd be a total of seven people including the mayor versus now it's five. So those two additional people would add probably around 80,000 total in salary and benefits for two of them. That would be an annual cost." She also pushed back on Mahoney's claim that the proposal would lead to a weak mayor. She said that state law actually defines a system like this as promoting a strong mayor, because while the mayor would only participate in council votes as a tie breaker, he or she would have veto power. Also, with the mayor's job already having moved to a full-time position, whoever is elected to that position will be more involved in day-to-day administration. Preston says the change toward wards would make Fargo's leaders more accountable. "What this allows is to make sure that somebody does advocate for you," she explained. "Right now, when communications come into the commission, it goes to all five people." Living in a district that has a specific member of the city council to represent your area means they should be more responsive. "It really, I think, establishes a stronger sense of accountability to the constituents," Preston told us. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the fundraising failure for the proposed military museum at the state capitol in Bismarck, the decline in Canadian tourism, youth sports and extreme heat, the outcome of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce's recent civics bee, and fatherhood. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The podcast is making another visit to Wasatch County. UIAAA Connection #289– Wade Discher, Director of Athletics – Wasatch High School – is now available. Wade reflects on a career built through service, relationships, and a lifelong loveof athletics. Growing up in Absaraka, North Dakota, he graduated from high school in 1989 before attending the University of Mary in Bismarck. As a young athlete, Wade participated in at least seven sports, experiences that fueledhis passion for educational athletics. Throughout his career, he has worked in schools with memorable nicknames, including the Wasps, Crows, and Brickmakers. He also discusses Wasatch High School's upcoming split with the opening of Deer Creek High School this fall. His advice: find an experienced mentor and intentionally create a positive culture by being the sunshine for everyone.https://open.spotify.com/show/2L2ERXOxQcuHl5GE1vjOiHThis podcast is also available on Amazon Music, ApplePodcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Continuing our summer series "One Three Nine," guest speaker Hannah Venable dives into Psalm 139:13–14 to unpack the deep intentionality behind how God created us. Hannah explores the Hebrew imagery of being "knitted together," reminding us that our design wasn't an instant zap, but a careful process that gives every human being ultimate dignity, value, and worth. Made in the image of God and designed to be temples of the Holy Spirit, looking inward at how we are made ultimately pushes us outward in wonder and praise toward our Creator. STAY CONNECTED 

Welcome back to the History of South Africa podcast with me your host, Des Latham. Episode 283 and it's 1885. And boy! Do we have a plethora of happenings to report. This is a year before the discovery of gold in the Transvaal, and global events are full of war, innovation, ethnic carnage, economic ups and downs, world firsts, medicine, and a dose of snot and trauma. The year 1885 opened with a strange and ironic trial by fire across England, balancing state-sanctioned progress against lawless destruction. In January, Irish rebels shattered the peace by detonating dynamite inside Westminster Hall and the Tower of London, raining literal fire and brimstone upon the ancient symbols of British authority. Amidst this chaotic violence, a far more orderly kind of incineration took place. That same year, the widowed painter Jeanette Pickersgill of London, a lady "well known in literary and scientific circles," became the first person to be legally cremated in England by the Cremation Society at Woking, Surrey. It was a classic Victorian paradox: while the state scrambled to suppress the lawless Irish bombs threatening to burn the old order down, it was simultaneously finalizing the bureaucratic regulations on how its most respectable citizens could legally burn themselves to ashes. In Southern Africa, 1885 saw two major geopolitical moves - In March the United Kingdom Established the Bechuanaland Protectorate - modern day Botswana. The second event was the incorporation of the tiny Boer republic of Stellaland into Bechuanaland. It was all part of a grand plan partly initiated by Transvaal president Paul Kruger. He had sailed to London in 1884 and met Secretary of State of the Colonies Lord Derby where the two struck a deal. Derby would drop the British claim to suzerainty over the Transvaal and reduce the Transvaal's debt, and reduce the powers of the British representative in Pretoria, in exchange Kruger agreed to decrease tariffs on imported goods and to drop claims to Stellaland and Goshen, thus opening up Cecil John Rhodes' important North Road. The agreement promised a rare season of peace and stability for the fractured region. Yet, its true survival rested entirely on whether both sides would honor the principles they had so recently espoused. They did not. Or to be more accurate, Pro-Boer and Pro-Imperial activists did not. Transvaal commandos rode into Zululand and into Bechuanaland, cocking a snook at their own leadership. On the British side, all manner of colonials looked askance at the Kruger/Derby Deal. One was missionary and humanitarian, Reverend John Mackenzie, a prominent member of the London Missionary Society. He had spent most of his adult life proselytizing amongst the Tswana people at Kuruman and Shoshong. Mackenzie was the Boer's arch enemy, denouncing incursions from the pulpit in South Africa, then back in the UK when he was on leave in 1882 and 1883. The Road to the North worried him because of how dominant the Transvaal Boers were in this region.As King Leopold of Belgium, the French, Bismarck of Germany and others met to finalise who got what in Africa, the British Foreign Office suddenly woke up. They were concerned about the Transvaal and German South West Africa. The British Government did a volte-farce, and sent a powerful army up the North Road. Four thousand regular troops, including the famous Inniskilling Dragoons cavalry regiment from Ulster in Northern Ireland, along with three observation balloons, all headed towards Stellaland from Kimberley.

Bienvenidos a Calamares en su Tinta! El fútbol y el Mundial de la Selección Colombia son el pretexto perfecto para abrir el mapa del mundo y analizar la geopolítica, la literatura y la historia profunda. En este episodio, viajamos a las raíces de la identidad de Bélgica —desde los conflictos religiosos entre católicos y protestantes, el Tratado de Utrecht y el Congreso de Viena de 1815— para entender cómo surge esta monarquía constitucional y cómo el rey Leopoldo II terminó convirtiendo al Congo en su "finca privada". Hablamos de la exploración de Henry Morton Stanley, el cinismo del Congreso de Berlín (1884-1885) convocado por Bismarck, y los horrores de la explotación del caucho y el marfil que inspiraron a Joseph Conrad a escribir su obra maestra: El corazón de las tinieblas. Además, analizamos el papel clave de Roger Casement al revelar al mundo la verdad de este infierno y cómo el territorio pasó de ser el "Estado Libre" al "Congo Belga" en 1908. Una historia desgarradora de poder, codicia y la falsa doctrina de la "misión civilizadora" del hombre blanco que aún hoy genera debates morales en Europa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolfgang und Stefan besprechen die Lektüren des Juni 2026

Ryan McMaken dismantles three persistent myths of American healthcare before tracing the origins of social insurance to Bismarck's deliberate scheme to bind citizens to the state "by the chains of gratitude" and closing with Mises' 1944 prediction that a population half-dependent on government healthcare would never vote to dismantle it..Recorded in Windham, New Hampshire, on June 27, 2026. Special thanks to Joe and Tracy Matarese for sponsoring this event.

You know what would be a big help to the level of discourse we're having around politics in North Dakota and the rest of the country? If more citizens had a stronger grasp on how their government works. Or, at least, had the honesty to admit when they don't understand the process. I've been reporting and commentating on politics for going on two and a half decades, and I can tell you that the state of civics education in this country is abysmal. It's hard enough to debate an issue with someone you disagree with. Now try it with someone who doesn't understand how the process unfolds. That's why we wanted to talk about the civics bee put on by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. Local competitions have already happened, and the state competition is scheduled to take place at the capitol building in Bismarck on July 10 with Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban as the master of ceremonies. "Having been the former mayor of Horace, North Dakota, I understand the whole civics thing," Kory Peterson, government affairs specialist for the GNDC, said on this episode. "The conversations about all the different aspects of things, having that political discourse of things like that, the kids, unfortunately, are seeing a lot of the negative that comes with the civil discourse. And this is a way to kind of promote a positive experience with civil, civic engagement." Peterson tested out some of the civics questions on us. Chad got them all right. I went 4 for 5 (that Supreme Court question was a tough one). Also on this episode, we talked about the odd far-right, far-left coalition the North Dakota Democratic-NPL seems to be trying to build for its candidates this election year. Plus, a conversation about ailing, aging politicians on the national level, and right here in North Dakota, clinging to office long past the point when they should have resigned. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

You know what would be a big help to the level of discourse we're having around politics in North Dakota and the rest of the country? If more citizens had a stronger grasp on how their government works. Or, at least, had the honesty to admit when they don't understand the process. I've been reporting and commentating on politics for going on two and a half decades, and I can tell you that the state of civics education in this country is abysmal. It's hard enough to debate an issue with someone you disagree with. Now try it with someone who doesn't understand how the process unfolds. That's why we wanted to talk about the civics bee put on by the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. Local competitions have already happened, and the state competition is scheduled to take place at the capitol building in Bismarck on July 10 with Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban as the master of ceremonies. "Having been the former mayor of Horace, North Dakota, I understand the whole civics thing," Kory Peterson, government affairs specialist for the GNDC, said on this episode. "The conversations about all the different aspects of things, having that political discourse of things like that, the kids, unfortunately, are seeing a lot of the negative that comes with the civil discourse. And this is a way to kind of promote a positive experience with civil, civic engagement." Peterson tested out some of the civics questions on us. Chad got them all right. I went 4 for 5 (that Supreme Court question was a tough one). Also on this episode, we talked about the odd far-right, far-left coalition the North Dakota Democratic-NPL seems to be trying to build for its candidates this election year. Plus, a conversation about ailing, aging politicians on the national level, and right here in North Dakota, clinging to office long past the point when they should have resigned. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Continuing our summer series "One Three Nine," guest speaker Dennis Sailer dives into Psalm 139:11–12 to explore how we navigate the difficult, dark seasons of life. Dennis reminds us of the profound truth that to God, the darkness shines as bright as the day. When we feel overwhelmed by difficult circumstances, God's omnipresence breaks through to deliver us from the domain of darkness. By anchoring ourselves in His purity, truth, and divine presence, we discover that living in His light can actually bring us closer to Him than ever before. STAY CONNECTED 

There are many correlations and connections in this episode, so hang on tight as we toboggan down the slippery slopes of history bumping into all manner of bizarre and simultaneously heinous characters. Keeping in mind that we're dealing with men and women of their age, nevertheless, the tale is one of intrigue, ego, treasure hunting, not to mention, madness. Belgium by 1882 was barely half a century old, becoming independent in 1830, ruled by King Leopold the Second, who sported a spade shaped beard and a giant colonial chip on his shoulder. Because he led a respectable European country, he was a king, but how he'd become a king was a sleight of hand. His father was a German prince, related to the British Royal family, Leopold the First. This trembling nation had been pasted together — an uneasy amalgam as Adam Hothschild writes — of French and Flemish, a version of Dutch spoken in northern Belgium. King Leopold the Second was fluent in French, German, like his father and later, English. He never bothered to learn Flemish, spoken by more than half his people. A snob, some said, bitterly, as bitter as the division created by language and class. French was the language of the bourgeois, the educated, Flemish was working class. Even the professionals of northern Belgium spoke French instead of Flemish, the perceived language of the farm labourer and factory worker. As a teen, Leopold the Second was a gangly youth, his head too big for his body, his clothes hanging off his spindly shoulders — a callow boy who's mother tended to write him threatening letters about his lack of interest in studies rather than speak to him directly. He was useless in most subjects except for Geography. Leopold the Second was a Geography freak, and from the age of ten, his education was based in military lore. By fifteen he was a lieutenant of the Belgian army, 16 he was a captain, 18, a major, 19, a colonel, and a year later, at 20, a major general. This pencil thin spindle of a boy had to apply for an audience with his father - who spoke to his son through messengers. As this alienated boy aged, he surrounded himself with men who explained how government worked, and plied him with maps.When the elder Leopold died, Leopold exclaimed : “Petit pays, pettis gens”. — small country, ordinary people. Belgium, just for the record, is about the same geographic size as Lesotho and squeezed between France and Germany, the grand nations of Europe in the late 19th Century. Leopold was peeved by his puniness, something had to be done to rouge up the petit pays. Recognizing growing domestic pressure and the strategic need to split British and French alliances, Bismarck plunged Germany into the colonial race. In 1884, he hosted the Berlin Conference, with a hazy goal at formalizing something about the European partition of the African continent. The main aim of Berlin Conference was to deal with the growing pressure of European claims over West Africa, but it was much more than that. It began formally on Saturday 15th November 1884, as winter snow which had arrived early cloaked Berlin. The plenipotentiaries had their brief - but what was Bismarck planning? Was this a free trade conference to safeguard German business in the Congo and Niger? Or was Bismarck about to wield a hefty cake slicer, to carve up the whole African continent?

The podcast begins with the US-Bosnia World Cup match (SEC championships as the definitive metric), then open the Phoebe Draper Palmer Brown mailbag. Jerry from North Dakota earns a heartfelt thank-you and an unnecessary swipe at the Bismarck capitol building, plus a Roosevelt-in-the-Badlands tangent and BYU's windowless MARB building. Elder Ballard (the Nauvoo Mississippi River mission one) requests a new segment: ranking the top apostates.   Enter the debut of the "The Great Apostate Hall of Shame." First up, outside-looking-in: Joseph Wakefield, a powerhouse early missionary who baptized George A. Smith, then apostatized, joined Kirtland's anti-Mormon committee, and helped hire Philastus Hurlbut.   Reason for Apostasy: He couldn't accept D&C 76's expansive vision of heaven. The Takeaway: Don't let any belief become the one that separates you from the prophet.   If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171   Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

With artificial intelligence issues -- and, specifically, the question of data centers -- set to be a top issue this election season and beyond, lawmakers in Bismarck have created a committee (not, specifically, a task force) to gather information and establish facts. Why a committee and not a task force? "We want it to be an official committee so it can all be on public record," Rep. Jonathan Warrey, who is chairing the committee, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "We can have public input and it becomes part of the legislative record in organizational session going into the next session." Warrey said that was an important first step given the amount of mistrust and conspiracy mongering around this issue. The goal of the committee is to cut through the noise of public opinion and get to facts. "Many people have passion or they've been impacted deeply by something," he said, "and I want to respect their opinion, but we have a job to do, and we really want it filtered through a lens of what are your credentials? What are your sources?"  "I want to make sure that anybody presenting information can source it and they've got some credential with it, too," he continued. Warrey, a Republican from District 22, said that one thing he, personally, isn't ready to accept is a moratorium on data center development that Democratic-NPL candidates like Vern Thompson and Trygve Hammer (along with a horseshoe coalition of far-right populists) have been calling for. "I don't like moratoriums and I don't like the symbol they send off to say 'nope we we dug our heels in we're not developing we're closed for business," he said. "And yet I appreciate and respect the feeling behind that too much too fast. Let's go to work and get this framework out for our decision makers and give them some resources around legal environmental structural power so that they can be informed." To achieve that goal, Warrey says he'd like this committee to produce a "playbook" to help local elected leaders understand the legal and regulatory issues around data centers. "So many of our township officers, our county commissioners, our city council members, they're not experienced with this," he said. "Developing a playbook to help our communities would be paramount, I think." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about how artificial intelligence has made it so that there are no experts any more, because everybody is an expert. People with actual expertise are now drowned out by online mobs who can generate massive amounts of content in support of their ill-informed opinions and amplify it through social media. Also, with the 4th of July, and America's 250th birthday upon us, we talk about why patriotism shouldn't be partisan. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

With artificial intelligence issues -- and, specifically, the question of data centers -- set to be a top issue this election season and beyond, lawmakers in Bismarck have created a committee (not, specifically, a task force) to gather information and establish facts. Why a committee and not a task force? "We want it to be an official committee so it can all be on public record," Rep. Jonathan Warrey, who is chairing the committee, said on this episode of Plain Talk. "We can have public input and it becomes part of the legislative record in organizational session going into the next session." Warrey said that was an important first step given the amount of mistrust and conspiracy mongering around this issue. The goal of the committee is to cut through the noise of public opinion and get to facts. "Many people have passion or they've been impacted deeply by something," he said, "and I want to respect their opinion, but we have a job to do, and we really want it filtered through a lens of what are your credentials? What are your sources?"  "I want to make sure that anybody presenting information can source it and they've got some credential with it, too," he continued. Warrey, a Republican from District 22, said that one thing he, personally, isn't ready to accept is a moratorium on data center development that Democratic-NPL candidates like Vern Thompson and Trygve Hammer (along with a horseshoe coalition of far-right populists) have been calling for. "I don't like moratoriums and I don't like the symbol they send off to say 'nope we we dug our heels in we're not developing we're closed for business," he said. "And yet I appreciate and respect the feeling behind that too much too fast. Let's go to work and get this framework out for our decision makers and give them some resources around legal environmental structural power so that they can be informed." To achieve that goal, Warrey says he'd like this committee to produce a "playbook" to help local elected leaders understand the legal and regulatory issues around data centers. "So many of our township officers, our county commissioners, our city council members, they're not experienced with this," he said. "Developing a playbook to help our communities would be paramount, I think." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I talk about how artificial intelligence has made it so that there are no experts any more, because everybody is an expert. People with actual expertise are now drowned out by online mobs who can generate massive amounts of content in support of their ill-informed opinions and amplify it through social media. Also, with the 4th of July, and America's 250th birthday upon us, we talk about why patriotism shouldn't be partisan. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

For America's 250th birthday, Heidi and Joel skip the fireworks and head for the ballpark, and they bring their guest, Bob Kendrick, along. He is the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. The museum is just a few blocks away from where the team owners established a league of their own in 1920. Bob has spent three decades making sure that the players and the stories of the Negro League are not forgotten.Bob walks Heidi and Joel through why some of the best baseball in the country got played on fields most fans never read about, how a club from Jamestown, North Dakota beat a lineup of big-league stars, and what happened to the Negro Leagues the day Jackie Robinson finally got his shot. Bob has answers and a lot of good stories to go with them.In this episode:How Jim Crow forced Black players into their own leagues, and how they answered on the fieldSatchel Paige, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and careers the majors delayed or erasedWhy Negro Leagues games often outdrew the majors, and the talent gap that never existedLarry Doby and the different fight the American League's first Black player facedHow World War II shifted the country's willingness to integrate its pastimeResources & LinksNegro Leagues Baseball MuseumConnect with Bob Kendrick on:LinkedinTwitterTwo hundred fifty years in, America's pastime still has a few chapters that are not told enough. Tune in. The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project. To learn more, visit OneCountryProject.org, or find us on Substack (Onecountryproject.substack.com), and on YouTube, Bluesky, and Facebook (@onecountryproject). (00:00) - - Americana, baseball, and the show's focus (00:43) - - Kansas City, birthplace of the Negro Leagues (01:36) - - Bob Kendrick on the leagues' history (02:12) - - North Dakota's early integration (03:07) - - Bismarck and Jamestown's integrated teams (05:27) - - The Bismarck-Jamestown rivalry (07:03) - - Teaching the discrimination players faced (11:20) - - How long the leagues lasted after integration (12:30) - - Team geography and migration patterns (14:13) - - The East-West All-Star Game (17:10) - - Segregation's overt and covert forms (18:10) - - Satchel Paige's legend and skill (20:22) - - WWII, Willie Mays, and Henry Aaron (21:20) - - Jackie Robinson's courage and burden (24:13) - - Hank Aaron's rise to stardom (25:50) - - Baseball as a unifying force (32:00) - - The museum's future and mission (33:50) - - Positional barriers in early integration (38:01) - - Roy Campanella and other Hall of Famers who started in the leagues (43:27) - - Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

NPR's Steve Inskeep and Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library's Robbie Lauf discuss Roosevelt, leadership, journalism and the new library at a live Bismarck event.

Gabe Brown didn't set out to revolutionize agriculture. He set out to survive it.After four consecutive years of crop disasters left him $1.5 million in debt, he had no choice but to question everything he'd been taught. What emerged from that reckoning became one of the most influential farms in the regenerative agriculture movement, and eventually two organizations working to spread those lessons globally: Understanding Ag, now consulting on over 37 million acres worldwide, and Regenified, a verification company built to cut through the greenwashing.In this episode, we look forward. Where is regenerative agriculture headed? Who's driving it, and what's standing in the way?In this episode, we dive into: How four years of disaster became the foundation of a regenerative farming philosophy What it actually means to farm in synchrony with nature, and why it works anywhere Why farmers care more about the land than they're given credit for How to become a price maker instead of a price taker The role of banks, insurers, and major brands in accelerating the regenerative transition Why Gabe thinks regenerative will be the norm within 25 years What the next generation of farmers looks like, and where they're coming fromMore about Gabe Brown:Gabe, along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, own and operate Brown's Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota. The ranch consists of several thousand acres of native perennial rangeland along with perennial pastureland and cropland. Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature's image.Over 2,000 people visit the Brown's Ranch annually to see this unique operation. They have had visitors from all fifty states and twenty-four foreign countries.Gabe and Brown's Ranch have received many forms of recognition for their work, including a Growing Green award from the Natural Resource Defense Council, an Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and a Zero-Till Producer of the Year Award, to name a few. Gabe has also been named one of the twenty-five most influential agricultural leaders in the United States.Gabe recently authored the book, “Dirt to Soil, One Family's Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.”Links to Gabe's Work:Brown's RanchRegenifiedUnderstanding AgAgrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller. This episode was edited by Drew O'Doherty.

Send us Fan MailTHIS IS A CELEBREATION OF BOUNDLESS BODY RADIO'S 1000TH EPISODE!!I decided to let me dad interview me for this occasion, and I wanted to get his thoughts on his retirement, effective when this episode comes out!Wesley Ruff is a returning guest on our show! Be sure to check out his first appearances on episodes 66 and 690 of Boundless Body Radio!Wesley Ruff came to ABC4 in October of 1985 and has been going strong ever since, starting as the weekend sports reporter and weekday sports anchor. In 2002, he took over as the sports director and weekday sports anchor. Wesley was born and raised in Springville, Utah, and graduated with honors, where he played basketball, golf and ran track for the Red Devils. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1982.He started his career at KFYR-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he worked from 1982-1985 as the weekend sports anchor, weekday sports reporter and as the sports photographer. He was absolutely honored to welcome his incredible son, me, into the world while he was there.Wesley has earned numerous awards for his reporting and anchoring- He has been named the Utah Sportscaster of the year as voted by his peers 5 times and was named the Bill Howard Golf Citizen of the Year by the Utah Section PGA three times. After his third win, the organization renamed the award as the Wesley Ruff Golf Citizen of the Year. He has also won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.He enjoys golf, biking, golf, water skiing, golf, crossword puzzles, and of course, golf. He is FINALLY set to retire very soon, after spending more than 40 years with ABC4!Find Boundless Body at-myboundlessbody.comBook a session with us here! 

Robin, Adam, & Bismarck proudly present Episode 332 of Scary(ish)! Bismarck completes his personal Storytime episode be telling a story of his travels to South America and how he managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Listen, Share, Subscribe, and Review!

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Coming to you from the Summit Responsible Solutions Studios.   Better Lawns and Gardens host emeritus Tom MacCubbin talks with garden writer and landscape expert, Lance Walheim, about his newly revised Citrus: A Gardeners' & Fruit Lovers' Guide. Lance has great news for homeowners who want to grow citrus. Tom's Dirty Word of the Day is “aphid,” and answers a garden variety of questions. Garden topics and questions include colorful red, white, and blue, patriotic annuals, tomatoes, mangos, when to harvest pineapples, citrus, Bismarck palm winter damage, and more. https://rb.gy/0hzjxx  Sign up for Teresa's monthly gardening newsletter, “In Your Backyard” where you can read Teresa's what to do in your landscape tips, Landscape Malpractice: How to know when to fire your landscaper,” Teresa's Design Tips; and more. https://www.she-consulting.com/Teresa leads new and bucket list garden tours announced! Florida Spring Break for Gardeners, Newport Flower Show, The Artiste Gardens of France, Chelsea Flower Show, Highland Gardens of Scotland, the Fall Foliage and Gardens of North Carolina, and more! Come join Teresa on incredible garden adventures! Art in Bloom Garden Tours Graphic credit: Teresa Watkins, Lance Walheim, Wikicommons Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7. https://rb.gy/gf8k3s Join me on Facebook, Instagram. #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #Deland #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #podcast #syndicated #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKowManure

When we asked Mike Thiesen why he's seeking a state Senate seat in Minot-area District 3, he told us that it stems back to being a "glutton for punishment." Thiesen is an electrician by trade -- he did his interview with us from a work trailer on a job site -- and currently serves as the mayor of Surrey, a community on the periphery of Minot. He's a candidate for the Democrat-NPL (he stressed the NPL part when I mentioned his partisan affiliation) and like most Democrats in North Dakota he's campaigning in a heavily Republican area. He says he can overcome that by bringing issues home. "I feel in Bismarck they get caught up in the national politics thing," he said. "I want to bring it closer to home and just make sure everything works." "I thoroughly enjoy being part of a community and I got this weird thing where I think I can help people," he said in another part of the interview. "I work really good as a team and I just think I can help. That's the gist of it." Thiesen is young, by political standards, and he thinks the perspective of someone who has school-age children, and is in the prime of their career, is missing in the legislature. If elected, he said school issues are one thing he'd like to take on. "We currently have $180 million worth of deferred maintenance in our schools across the state," he said. "That is an issue that's kind of near and dear to my heart, because living in Surrey, we're having issues with our school right now with some maintenance issues." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I respond to reader feedback, and talk about whether Matthew Simon, current chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, should resign after the populist faction that gave him that just got wiped out in the June primary. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

When we asked Mike Thiesen why he's seeking a state Senate seat in Minot-area District 3, he told us that it stems back to being a "glutton for punishment." Thiesen is an electrician by trade -- he did his interview with us from a work trailer on a job site -- and currently serves as the mayor of Surrey, a community on the periphery of Minot. He's a candidate for the Democrat-NPL (he stressed the NPL part when I mentioned his partisan affiliation) and like most Democrats in North Dakota he's campaigning in a heavily Republican area. He says he can overcome that by bringing issues home. "I feel in Bismarck they get caught up in the national politics thing," he said. "I want to bring it closer to home and just make sure everything works." "I thoroughly enjoy being part of a community and I got this weird thing where I think I can help people," he said in another part of the interview. "I work really good as a team and I just think I can help. That's the gist of it." Thiesen is young, by political standards, and he thinks the perspective of someone who has school-age children, and is in the prime of their career, is missing in the legislature. If elected, he said school issues are one thing he'd like to take on. "We currently have $180 million worth of deferred maintenance in our schools across the state," he said. "That is an issue that's kind of near and dear to my heart, because living in Surrey, we're having issues with our school right now with some maintenance issues." Thiesen is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Bob Paulson. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I respond to reader feedback, and talk about whether Matthew Simon, current chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, should resign after the populist faction that gave him that just got wiped out in the June primary. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode.

Aquesta setmana, A les Portes de Troia, repassem el procés de la unificació alemanya: del fracàs del Parlament de Frankfurt el 1848 a la proclamació imperial al Saló dels Miralls de Versalles el 18 de gener de 1871. Analitzem el paper del Zollverein, el fracàs liberal, l'ascens de Bismarck i la seva "realpolitik", les tres guerres d'unificació i les conseqüències que van transformar el mapa d'Europa per sempre.

Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 2 – Broadcasting live from the Summit Responsible Solutions Studios.  Landscape designer and garden expert, Teresa Watkins interviews Heather Stickney, Summit Responsible Solutions National Sales Manager on the science behind Mosquito Bits™ and Mosquito Dunks™.  Lizzie updates on her turkeys. The Dirty Word of the Day is helpful in making organic and synthetic pesticides more efficient. Gardening questions include decline of a frozen Frangipani; struggling Bismarck; ants in container pots; dealing with different types of Bahiagrass, and more.  https://rb.gy/0hzjxx Sign up for Teresa's monthly gardening newsletter, “In Your Backyard” where you can read Teresa's what to do in your landscape tips, Landscape Malpractice: How to know when to fire your landscaper,” Teresa's Design Tips; and more. https://tinyurl.com/4xzaa985Art in Bloom Garden Tours offers unforgettable destinations, beautiful landscapes, exceptional gardens, and iconic cultural experiences in Buffalo, NY, Canada, and New Orleans. Join Teresa for inspiring garden adventures! https://www.artinbloomgardentours.com/Graphic credit: Teresa Watkins, Summit Responsible SolutionsListen to Better Lawns and Gardens, Florida's most popular syndicated garden show Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Catch the podcast anywhere you listen to podcast 24/7. https://rb.gy/gf8k3sJoin me on Facebook, Instagram.#WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #Deland #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #podcast #syndicated #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKowmanure #gardens #Gardentours #artinbloom #travel #travelphotography #landscapephotography #beauty #flowers #design #photography #flowersonInstagram #gardenson #Instagram

Episode 72 features an interview with folk singer Mason Jennings, a live session with songwriter Lexie, Americana band Matt Jones and the Bobs, and Bismarck country singer Peyton Lily. Plus, we spotlight summer shows in Medora, North Dakota, with Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation venue manager Todd Bruse.

Erik Deatherage speaks with Dakota OutRight President Jeigh Stewart and Past President Erin Pringle about the Bismarck-based LGBTQ nonprofit. Then, we hear from Heart-N-Soul Community Café founder Leola Daul about their "pay what you can" structure, and the café's 10-year anniversary celebration.

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year , Europe finds itself facing a monumental geopolitical shift. With the United States under an erratic presidency taking a highly transactional, unpredictable approach to its historic alliances , the transatlantic network that has guaranteed Western security for eighty years is under profound strain. Can Europe truly step up to secure its own future , or is the dream of "strategic autonomy" just a lot of hot air?In this episode, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse sit down with historian, author, and political commentator Dr. Helene von Bismarck. Together, they unpack the fragile state of European diplomacy, the erosion of international norms , and the rising tide of populism that threatens to derail Western resolve.They also dive into Helene's latest book, Fantastic Kingdom: A Foreigner's Portrait of the United Kingdom. Helene offers a sharp, constructive, yet brutally honest perspective on Britain's current grand strategic blindness, its inward-looking political debate, and the dangerous intersection between the global security crisis and the domestic crisis of liberal democracy.In this episode, we discuss:The Transatlantic Rift: Why European governments—from Berlin to Paris to London—are terrified of a fracturing NATO and how they are struggling to prepare for an unpredictable White House.The Power of Historical Memory: How ancient rivalries are being rewritten in lockstep cooperation (such as Poland and Germany) , and how visiting a Latvian museum reveals the deep-seated trauma that still shapes European responses to Russia.The Danger of Stereotypes: How crises like Brexit revive lazy national clichés just when we can least afford them.The Inward-Looking Kingdom: Helene's deep disappointment with the current Labor government's fear of bold reform, and why ignoring international affairs to appease domestic populism is a losing strategy for any government.Security vs. Welfare: Why the modern debate around cutting social spending to fund defence is fundamentally flawed, and why protecting democracy and protecting state security are two sides of the same coin.Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.comFollow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Fact-Checked: Weather with Enthusiasm – (June 9, 2026)This episode has been independently fact-checked. Here's what held up — and what didn't.**✅ Confirmed Accurate**- St. Louis heat advisory (noon–10 PM CDT) and heat index values for the metro area- Cape Girardeau, MO dew points in the upper 70s and heat index near 108°F- Scott City, MO heat index up to 115°F (consistent with 83°F dew point + 91°F temp); 115°F = 46°C conversion is correct- SPC Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for the Northern Plains, including Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, Mandan, Jamestown, Devils Lake, and Sioux Falls- 10% hatched tornado risk (EF2+ possible) and 45% damaging wind probability for the Northern Plains- Elevated Mixed Layer (EML), triple point, and CAPE/shear explanations are meteorologically accurate- Portugal's Mora reaching 40.3°C (104.5°F) — confirmed as a national May record by IPMA- Kew Gardens, London hitting 35.1°C on May 26 — confirmed as UK's hottest May day on record- WHO formally flagged extreme heat as a permanent public health crisis in Europe (June 2, 2026)- Heat is the #1 U.S. weather-related killer on a 30-year average — confirmed by NOAA data Minor Notes**- In the intro, "590 decimeters" should be "590 **decameters**" (dam) — the correct unit for 500 mb geopotential heights. The AI-voiced segment uses the right term.- Seville and Córdoba temperatures were forecast at ~36°C; 37°C is at the very top of the range. "Fito, France, 39°C" during the late-May European heat wave could not be confirmed. France's documented peak for that event was ~37.8°C (Angoulême-La Couronne).Podcast Title: Weather with Enthusiasm: Midwest Inferno & Global Heatwave Timestamp Breakdown:00:00 - 00:15: Introduction and current date/time.00:16 - 01:22: Overview of the powerful summer air mass, high dew points, and severe weather outbreak in the Midwest. Specific mentions of high dew points in Texas and Missouri.01:23 - 02:22: Detailed breakdown of specific locations in Missouri and Illinois with extreme temperatures, dew points, and heat indexes (St. Louis, University City, Maconda, Eden Park, Cape Girardeau, Scott City).02:23 - 03:25: Continued extreme heat data for Scott City, Paducah (brief mention), Chicago, and the presence of a heat dome to the south suppressing thunderstorms.03:26 - 04:18: Discussion of the heat dome's impact on thunderstorm development and a transition to the AI-voiced segment covering global heat.04:19 - 05:21: AI voice introduces the dynamic atmospheric setup, brutal Midwest humidity, multi-day severe weather threat, and European heatwave. Explanation of the heat dome and its impact on bringing tropical air north.05:22 - 06:25: Deep dive into the danger of high dew points, specifically in Cape Girardeau and Scott City, Missouri, with heat indexes pushing life-threatening levels. Mentions of model verification.06:26 - 07:26: Official heat advisories and major heat risk levels from NWS Paducah, emphasizing the likelihood of heat illness.07:27 - 08:31: NWS St. Louis and Chicago forecast discussions, including heat advisories, heat index predictions, and the potential extension of advisories.08:32 - 09:32: Explanation of the Elevated Mixed Layer (EML) and its role as a "secret ingredient" for severe weather, capping the atmosphere and providing steep lapse rates for thunderstorm fuel.09:33 - 10:34: Severe weather environment details, including high CAPE values and shear. Discussion of the Storm Prediction Center's outlook for the Northern Plains (enhanced risk, widespread damage, tornado risk).10:35 - 11:48: Location of the "triple point" for severe weather in the Dakotas, dry line, and warm front interaction. Looking ahead to Wednesday's enhanced risk in Northern Illinois (damaging winds, hail, tornado).11:49 - 12:50: NWS St. Louis and Chicago forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday, detailing the evolution of severe weather from supercells to quasi-linear convective systems (QLCF) with various hazards.12:51 - 13:28: Crucial safety reminders for tornado watches and warnings, including seeking shelter and avoiding vehicles/mobile homes. Heat safety advice (hydration, checking on others).13:29 - 14:00: International weather update: Spain's split temperatures with sizzling heat in the south and an upcoming heatwave forecast.14:01 - 15:03: Broader European heat pattern, historic events in May, and the World Health Organization's classification of heat as a public health crisis. UK's upcoming humid heatwave.15:04 - 15:39: US heat dome shifting westward into the desert Southwest.15:40 - 16:16: Relief for the Midwest expected by Friday, with cooler temperatures and lower humidity. A recap of extreme heat index numbers from earlier.16:17 - 17:19: Conclusion: Summary of active weather stretch, brutal humidity, multi-day severe weather, and the persistent heat dome. Call to action for listeners to stay alert, hydrated, and check on loved ones. Podcast outro and supporter club mention.17:20 - 18:33: Bonus segment on extreme heat in the Arctic, including high temperatures, rapid warming, and a heat dome interacting with an atmospheric river. Promotion of another podcast.20 Hashtags:#WeatherWithEnthusiasm#MidwestHeatwave#SevereWeather#HeatDome#DewPointDanger#HeatAdvisory#TornadoRisk#EML#GlobalWarming#EuropeanHeat#ClimateChange#StormPrediction#Meteorology#WeatherPodcast#ClimateCrisis#HeatIndex#StayHydrated#WeatherSafety#ArcticHeat#ExtremeWeatherBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weather-with-enthusiasm--4911017/support.Weather with Enthusiasm is produced by Kol Simcha Productions.New episodes drop daily (B'N)— a morning forecast at 7 AM and historical deep dives Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact: kolsimchaproductions@outlook.comHistorical content is thoroughly researched and factually verified. After it has been factually verified it often will say so in the description. Should you find any mistakes, please email kolsimchaproductions@outlook.com so we can look into it and correct it. Not affiliated with any government agency or academic institution. Presented for educational and entertainment purposes — with meaning.Support the show — exclusive bonus episodes available to subscribers for just $2/month at spreaker.com/organization/kol-simcha

Former Prairie Public Director of Radio Bill Thomas shares audio from some of the participants of this year's Poetry Out Loud competition, which was held February 23, 2026 at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck, including winner Aspen Geist of Wyndmere.

North Dakota is in the midst of a heated, divisive primary between traditional Republicans and populists. Who will win in key legislative races around the state? Who will advance to the general election in some of the competitive statewide races? Who will be the next mayor of Fargo, and will that ballot measure implementing a single-subject rule for proposed constitutional amendments pass? Me and co-host Chad Oban make our predictions. Also on this episode, Sen. Michelle Axtman, who is in the midst of one of those heated primaries in Bismarck-area District 7, talks about a new survey about technology in schools. Lawmakers passed legislation to ban cell phone use in schools by students, but what about technology that's provided by the schools? Are students on Chromebooks and tablets too much? Axtman and a coalition of other state leaders -- including Superintendent Levi Bachmeier, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, and First Lady Kjersti Armstrong -- have commissioned a study asking for input from educators, administrators, parents, and the public. "I'm a STEM person as a pilot. Technology is a big part of learning that industry as well," she said. "None of us want to get rid of technology, wipe it out of the classrooms." But they are trying to find out what the right balance is. As for her primary race, Axtman admitted to being "nervous" about it, but added that nobody running for elected office should take it for granted. She says she's happy with the race she's running. "I'm really proud of the fact that we've focused on what things we are going to do if elected rather than slamming our opponents or doing anything like that," she said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

North Dakota is in the midst of a heated, divisive primary between traditional Republicans and populists. Who will win in key legislative races around the state? Who will advance to the general election in some of the competitive statewide races? Who will be the next mayor of Fargo, and will that ballot measure implementing a single-subject rule for proposed constitutional amendments pass? Me and co-host Chad Oban make our predictions. Also on this episode, Sen. Michelle Axtman, who is in the midst of one of those heated primaries in Bismarck-area District 7, talks about a new survey about technology in schools. Lawmakers passed legislation to ban cell phone use in schools by students, but what about technology that's provided by the schools? Are students on Chromebooks and tablets too much? Axtman and a coalition of other state leaders -- including Superintendent Levi Bachmeier, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, and First Lady Kjersti Armstrong -- have commissioned a study asking for input from educators, administrators, parents, and the public. "I'm a STEM person as a pilot. Technology is a big part of learning that industry as well," she said. "None of us want to get rid of technology, wipe it out of the classrooms." But they are trying to find out what the right balance is. As for her primary race, Axtman admitted to being "nervous" about it, but added that nobody running for elected office should take it for granted. She says she's happy with the race she's running. "I'm really proud of the fact that we've focused on what things we are going to do if elected rather than slamming our opponents or doing anything like that," she said. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

In this episode, Patrick and Roger dive into what has officially become the new reality: Ukraine has gained the upper hand in the war against Russia. We break down the stunning and deeply embarrassing Ukrainian drone strikes on St Petersburg and the Kronstadt naval base—timed perfectly to shatter Vladimir Putin's illusion of stability right as he hosted his flagship economic forum. Not only did these strikes degrade Russia's crucial energy sector, but they successfully sank a Russian Navy corvette, the Boikiy, right in the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet.As Russia resorts to press-ganging occupied citizens and faces a widening budget deficit due to unsustainable military spending, we ask a critical question: With the US under Donald Trump seemingly losing interest and stepping back, can Europe fill the diplomatic and military vacuum to maintain this forward momentum?To help answer this, we are joined by renowned historian, author, and political commentator Dr. Helene von Bismarck. We get her expert diplomatic perspective on a weakening Russia, a strengthening Ukraine, and what comes next for European security.Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.comFollow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin, Adam, & Bismarck proudly present Episode 331 of Scary(ish)! Robin and Adam welcome Bismarck to the show this week to talk about one of the craziest cryptid Homegrown Horrors we've ever heard. Listen, Share, Subscribe, and Review!

Julie Nelson and Chris Magruder sit down with Stephanie Parks — Director of Campus Ministry at Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines and co-author of Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering (written with Patti Armstrong) — to tell the story of a modern woman whose life and death are captivating the Church. Who Was Michelle Duppong? Born in 1984 and raised on a North Dakota farm, Michelle was a faithful Catholic who experienced a powerful conversion through FOCUS and Eagle Eye Ministries summer camp. After graduating from North Dakota State University in Fargo, she served six years as a FOCUS missionary — opening campuses and discipling students — before joining the Diocese of Bismarck for adult faith formation. In late 2014, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given two months to live. She lived a full year more, transforming everyone around her — hospital staff, nurses, cafeteria workers — through her contagious joy. She died on Christmas Day, 2015, surrounded by her family. Her cause for canonization was officially opened in 2022, and she now holds the title Servant of God. The Book Stephanie co-authored Michelle Duppong: Hope in the Depths of Suffering with Patti Armstrong, whose connection to Michelle's family in Bismarck perfectly complemented Stephanie's perspective from inside FOCUS. The book covers Michelle's life, her heroic suffering, and the signs of hope her family experienced after her death — including a beautiful account from her sister Lisa. How to Support Michelle's Cause Prayer cards are available. If you experience a grace through Michelle's intercession, report it to the Guild overseeing her cause. Also in This Episode — Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 2026 June 11th: The USCCB will consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence — a first in American history. Enthronement resources: WelcomeHisHeart.com Film: Sacred Heart: His Reign Has No End — screening in Des Moines, Waukee, and Waterloo on June 9, 11, and 12. For family consecration guidance, revisit the Catholic Women Now episode with Emily Jaminet from January. Episode Contributors Julie Nelson, Chris Magruder, Stephanie Parks #CatholicWomenNow #MichelleDuppong #ServantOfGod #HopeInThDepthsOfSuffering #CatholicSaints #FOCUS #RedemptiveSuffering #SacredHeartOfJesus #CatholicRadio #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicWomen #NewSaints #CatholicFaith #DowlingCatholic #StephanieParks Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows:Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid in Spanish with Fr. Fabian MoncadaCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonMaking It Personal with Bishop William JoensenMan Up! with Joe StopulosSunday Dive with Katie PatrizioThe Catholic Morning Show with Dr. Bo BonnerThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daren Schneider from Bismarck, North Dakota joins the podcast once again. He is the owner operator of HDS Rods and is a fully functioning fishoholic. Schneider spends an impressive amount of days chasing trophy walleyes in the pothole region of North Dakota. Many anglers in the midwest are familiar with the multi species opportunities in these small North Dakota lakes but for Daren they can be incredible trophy destinations. In this interview we hear the details of Daren's experiences and what it takes to capitalize on these hidden gems. OnX Fish - https://www.onxmaps.com/fish/app PROMO CODE: “JMO” for 20% offTKI CNC - https://www.youtube.com/@tkicnc6255 www.tkicnc.comDevils Lake Tourism - www.devilslakend.comNorth Dakota Game and Fish - www.gf.nd.govInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_jmopodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JMOFishingPodcastWebsite - https://jmopodcast.com

Question of Ethics: A Conversation of Courts and Ethics:June 2nd Court ManagerThis episode of the Question of Ethics Conversation examines a fundamental ethical challenge facing court professionals today: how are their ethical responsibilities evolving inan age of social media with an increasingly politicization? Canon Four of the Model Code focuses on conduct that is unmistakably political: attending campaign rallies, canvassing for judges running for election, or advocating for ballot initiatives within the courthouse. We now operate in a landscape where nearly every issue is viewed through a political lens. Statements that once would have been considered civic, educational, or banal are now often interpreted as partisan. Today, they can trigger assumptions of perceived bias.At its core, Canon Four rests on a critical assumption: that court professionals can maintain a private sphere in which they exercise their First Amendment rights, separate from their official role. Nearly 40 years later, that assumption is severely strained.In an era defined by social media and the always-on visibility of the digital world, personal expression is no longer private. Opinions, political or otherwise, are broadcast instantly, permanently, and often without context. Anonymity isfragile at best. Even attempts to separate identities through pseudonyms or multiple accounts are increasingly common and increasingly ineffective. This episode does not claim to offer definitive answers. Instead, it confronts the complexity of the moment and frames questions that court professionals and the professionitself, must now grapple with:        Can we, as court professionals, realistically be held accountable for navigating an ever-expanding universe of “political” issues, even down to opinions aboutcultural events or entertainment? ·              To what extent can we express our personal views without creating a perception of bias that undermines public trust? ·                                       How do we reconcile widely differing ethical standards across jurisdictions, roles, and court systems?   What emerges is not just an ethics question, but a question of professional survival and institutional trust. One possible path forward is not to attempt an ever-expanding list of prohibitions, but to shift toward practical, principle-based guidance. This could include developing best practices, strengthening commentary within the Code, and emphasizing leadership judgment, mentorship, and open dialogue. Above all, the goal remains constant: to ensure that court professionals, regardless of personal beliefs, are perceived as fair, impartial, and worthy of the public's trust. In a world where neutrality is harder to demonstrate, that responsibility has never been more important.On the CallToday:Creadell Webb, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer for the 1st Judicial District Court in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaKarl Thoennes, Court Administrator, 2nd Judicial Circuit Court in Sioux Falls, South DakotaTeshrie Kalisharan, Alternative Dispute Resolution  Coordinator for the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Orlando, Florida Norman Meyer, Retired Clerk of Court for the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New MexicoRoger Rand, IT Manager for the Multnomah County Court in Portland, OregonNathaniel Mingo, Director of Court Services for the Municipal Court in Riverdale, GeorgiaKelly Hutton, Deputy State Court Administrator for the North Dakota State Court System in Bismarck, North DakotaAccess the episode by going to the NACM website podcast link: ⁠⁠https://www.nacmnet.org/podcasts⁠⁠Become part of the Conversation. Submit your comments and questions to: ⁠⁠ethics@nacmnet.org⁠Join the Question of Ethics Conversation held after the Subcommittee meetings every fourth Thursday of the month at 4:00 pm ET.

Welcome to the second part of a Warships Pod special, with returning guest Lee Pilgrim and host Iain Ballantyne diving into the state of the Royal Navy today, its decline since the 1990s and where next.Also in this episode, Iain and Lee consider the failure of strategic vision in the UK when it comes to its navy. They ask what can be learned from a crucial oceanic struggle during the Second World War.The future of Britannia Royal Naval College (BRBC) Dartmouth – the officers' training academy of the Royal Navy - is discussed along with a shake-up in training for both officers and ratings. Among other topics tackled is a decision to commit a British destroyer to operations East of Suez during a time of war between the USA, Israel and Iran.*For more on navies and their activities worldwide, get the magazine! Web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 The June 2026 edition of Warships IFR is now out and among its features are: the Black Sea mine menace; Australia's naval boost; the Royal Navy countering Russian intrusions into seas off the UK; the Iran War and its global consequences; the second part of a series on the ill-fated Dardanelles-Gallipoli campaign on WW1.To ensure you get the magazine in hard copy and/or digital subscribe now!  https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/•Lee Pilgrim has worked in defence and intelligence - for government and industry - for over 30 years, in the UK and overseas, so has some useful insights into a broad spectrum of topics. His social media posts on X are well worth a read, so follow him on there @MtarfaL He has also written numerous articles for Warships IFR and contributed to its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy 2026'.•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR' magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (both published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him onX @IBallantyn Instagram.com/iballantynBluesky iainballantyne.bsky.social

Í Heimsglugganum heyrðum við í Burkard von Müllenheim-Rechberg sem var hæst settur þeirra sjóliðsforingja sem komust lífs af er orrustuskipinu Bismarck var sökkt 1941. Hann var fyrsti ræðismaður Vestur-Þýskalands á Íslandi eftir stríðið. Peter Murrell, fyrrverandi framkvæmdastjóri Skoska þjóðarflokksins, og eiginmaður Nicolu Sturgeon, fyrsta ráðherra Skotlands, hefur viðurkennt fjárdrátt upp á 166 milljónir króna. Hjónabandi Murrells og Sturgeon er lokið og hún kveðst ekki hafa vitað um fjárdrátt eiginmannsins og rannsókn hafi leitt í ljós sakleysi hennar. Í Svíþjóð hefur stjórnarandstaðan tæplega 10 prósentustiga forskot á stjórnarflokkana en kosið verður til þings 13. september. 53,9 prósent segjast styðja stjórnarandstöðuflokka í nýrri könnun, 44,2 prósent kveðast ætla að kjósa einhvern stjórnarflokkanna. Í lokin var rætt um stöðuna í átökum Bandaríkjanna og Írans og möguleika á friðarsamningum.

In this episode, we travel to Bismarck, North Dakota, where the faithful of St. Michael's are building a new Romanesque church on a hill overlooking the city. Fr. Dominic May walks us through the remarkable history of Tradition in North Dakota, from the legacy of Fr. Frederick Nelson and Powers Lake, to the first Society Masses offered in a living room, to the growth of a chapel serving faithful across the Dakotas and parts of Montana. After years of outgrowing their current church in Mandan, the parish purchased 20 acres on the edge of Bismarck and began raising a beautiful new house of God, with salvaged marble altars, restored pews, and countless hours of parishioner labor. With construction well underway, St. Michael's is preparing a new home for the Mass – and for generations of Catholic families to come. See all the episodes: https://sspxpodcast.com/sacred-restorations-series/ We'd love your feedback on this series! podcast@sspx.org – – – – – – View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-DBdEg9VyEU?si=ShXCRLay0DVLSwYe – – – – – – – The Society of Saint Pius X offers this series and all of its content free of charge. If you are able to offer a one time or a small monthly recurring donation, it will assist us greatly in continuing to provide these videos for the good of the Church and Catholic Tradition. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> – – – – – – – Explore more: Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ – – – – – What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  – – – – – – What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

En este capítulo de Historia para tontos hablamos de la vida de Otto von Bismarck desde que se convirtió en canciller de Prusia hasta su caída y muerte. Las guerras contra Dinamarca, Austria y Francia, la creación del Imperio alemán, la diplomacia europea, el juego de alianzas, el miedo al socialismo y cómo el “Canciller de Hierro” cambió para siempre el mapa de Europa.  Del ascenso del nacionalismo alemán al equilibrio de poder que terminó explotando años después en la Primera Guerra Mundial.  ✨️

Bismarck is home to a house inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. The beige brick house built in 1963 and 1964 is of the Usonian design. These “modest” houses, represent Wright's ideals in construction, in part because they are “bound to nature, and responsive to the lives of their inhabitants.”

At the end of the 19th century, the great European empires are the most powerful nations in the history of mankind. To fuel their growing industrial economies, they expand into Africa, settling, buying, and outright seizing whatever land they can. In Britain, men like Cecil Rhodes dream of a united British African Empire extending “from Cape to Cairo.” In France, explorers like Jean-Baptiste Marchand aim to beat Britain to the punch, creating their own continent-spanning empire from Senegal to Djibouti. Meanwhile, in South Africa, the independent Boer republics are fighting their own battle against British imperialism. WARNING: Some strong racial language.   TABLE OF CONTENTS: Chapter One: Flashback - The English Civil War – 00:04:08 Chapter Two: Why Else Was Victorian-Era Britain So Powerful? – 00:40:42 Chapter Three: The British Empire Enters Africa – 00:50:02 Chapter Four: The Rhodes Colossus – 01:28:53 Chapter Five: France Before the Scramble – 02:12:13 Chapter Six: The French Scramble for West Africa – 02:28:38 Chapter Seven: The Fashoda Incident – 02:50:57 Chapter Eight: Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium – 03:13:09 Chapter Nine: A Brief History of Bismarck's Germany – 03:31:52 Chapter Ten: The Berlin Conference, Belgian Neutrality, and Germany's African Empire – 04:00:36 Chapter Eleven: The Second Boer War – 04:23:40 Chapter Twelve: The Siege of Kimberley – 04:41:20 Chapter Thirteen: The Empire Strikes Back – 05:08:04 Chapter Fourteen: Guerilla War in the Transvaal – 05:27:49 Chapter Fifteen: The End of the Scramble – 06:03:39   SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Any Platform: https://bit.ly/RelHistSub Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Relevant History on X: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm   Episode transcript (90% accurate, includes bibliography): https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vR5yy3nbsD9_n8ySLibMMtDJpWQgGqTdwT6jq9MtHFYjwL5VgPUaiwOtNn6GnQm8aPsd1WYXm7g3hnC/pub/ Complete list of Season Two sources: https://bit.ly/418JbI6/   Music courtesy of: https://www.youtube.com/@publicdomainclassicalmusic3961/   SOURCES: Ackroyd, Peter - The History of England, Volume III: Civil War Barraclough, Geoffrey (ed.) - Harper Collins Atlas of World History Benjamin, Thomas (ed.) - Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism Since 1450 Brendon, Piers - The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997 Christiansen, Eric - The Northern Crusades Churchill, Randolph S. - Winston S. Churchill, Volume I: Youth, 1874-1900 Churchill, Winston - A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Volume II: The New World Davidson, Apollon - Cecil Rhodes and His Time Davies, Norman - Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations D'Este, Carlo - Warlord: A Life of Churchill at War, 1874-1945 Erickson, Edward J. - A Global History of Relocation in Counterinsurgency Warfare Farwell, Byron - The Great Anglo-Boer War Fremont-Barnes, Gregory - The Boer War, 1899-1902 Gilbert, Martin - Churchill and the Jews Hobsbawm, Eric - Industry and Empire: From 1750 to the Present Day Holmes, Richard - The Little Field Marshal: A Life of Sir John French Horne, Allistair - La Belle France: A Short History Jenkins, Roy - Churchill: A Biography Lewis, David Levering - The Race to Fashoda: European Colonialism and African Resistance in the Scramble for Africa Lockhart, J.G., Cecil Rhodes Manchester, William - The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 Maylam, Paul - The Cult of Rhodes: Remembering an Imperialist in Africa Nasson, Bill - The War for South Africa: The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 Overy, Richard - A History of War in 100 Battles Overy, Richard (ed.) - The Times Complete History of the World Pakenham, Thomas (1982) - The Boer War Pakenham, Thomas (1991) - The Scramble for Africa: The White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 Prochaska, David - Making Algeria French: Colonialism in Bône, 1870-1920 Quigley, Carroll - The Anglo-American Establishment Rhodes, Cecil - Confession of Faith Roberts, Andrew - Churchill: Walking With Destiny Rotberg, Robert I.; Shore, Miles F. - The Founder: Cecil Rhodes and the Pursuit of Power Schama, Simon - A History of Britain, Volume II: The British Wars 1603-1776 Seward, Desmond - The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders Smith, Leonard V. - French Colonialism: From the Ancien Régime to the Present Stanley, Henry Morton - The Congo and the Founding of Its Free State: A Story of Work and Exploration, Volume I Steinberg, Jonathan - Bismarck: A Life Stone, Norman - Europe Transformed, 1878-1919 Taylor, A.J.P. - Germany's First Bid for Colonies, 1884-1885: A Move in Bismarck's European Policy

El “Canciller de Hierro” no solo unificó a Alemania… también cambió para siempre el equilibrio de poder en Europa.  En este episodio de Historia para Tontos hablamos de la vida y obra de Otto von Bismarck: las guerras que utilizó para unir a los estados alemanes, su habilidad política, el nacimiento del Imperio Alemán y cómo sus decisiones sembraron parte del camino hacia los grandes conflictos del siglo XX.  ✨️

In this episode of Chronicles, Luca and Dan discuss Royal Flash. They explore Flashman's life after Afghanistan, his affair with Lola Montez, and how he becomes a pawn in the game of Otto von Bismarck.

If North America's duck populations are the engine of waterfowl hunting, the Prairie Pothole Region is its factory—and keeping that factory running requires permanence, partnerships, and people on the land.In this episode, DU Senior Waterfowl Scientist and host, Dr. Mike Brasher, continues the regional operations series with Dr. Johann Walker, Director of Operations for the Great Plains Region, based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Johann brings more than two decades of experience working in the heart of the prairie duck factory and offers a candid, detailed look at habitat conditions, conservation delivery, and the role of permanent easements in sustaining duck populations and rural communities.The conversation covers current wetland conditions across the Dakotas, migration timing, and how improved spring moisture may influence breeding distribution this year. From there, it dives deep into DU's most important conservation tool in the prairies: voluntary grassland and wetland easements.In this episode, listeners will hear about:Spring habitat conditions across the Prairie Pothole RegionWet years vs. dry years and what Johann has seen over 22 years on the prairiesHow migration timing interacts with available wetland conditionsWhy permanent grassland and wetland easements are critical for the future of duck productionHow the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Small Wetlands Acquisition Program worksWhy easements are voluntary, minimally restrictive, and landowner‑drivenHow Duck Stamp dollars directly fund prairie easementsThreats to conservation easements and what DU is doing to defend them Why permanence matters for both wildlife and working ranchesThe rancher's perspective on protecting grassland for future generationsPhilanthropic support accelerating large‑scale habitat protectionAdditional DU programs restoring grasslands, wetlands, and migration habitatExpanding public access while supporting private landownersWhy protecting prairies today matters for hunters tomorrowThis episode offers one of the clearest explanations yet of how Ducks Unlimited protects the prairie duck factory—and how every duck stamp buyer plays a role in that success.SPONSORS:Purina Pro Plan: The official performance dog food of Ducks UnlimitedWhether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails:Whether you're winding down with your best friend, or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award-winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.