690: 'Life's good in North Dakota' (Video)
Plain Talk
In the world of journalism, it's a truth that we can tend to focus on the negative. "Safe airplane landings aren't news," the adage goes. There's a reason for that. The proverbial airplanes are supposed to land safely. When they don't, and when people and property are hurt, we want to know what happened, and why it happened, and who is responsible. Sometimes, though, it behooves us to talk about the planes that land safely. When we report about economic development programs, we tend to focus on the fails. The marginal companies that gobbled up lots of public dollars and then went out of...
info_outline
690: 'Life's good in North Dakota'
Plain Talk
In the world of journalism, it's a truth that we can tend to focus on the negative. "Safe airplane landings aren't news," the adage goes. There's a reason for that. The proverbial airplanes are supposed to land safely. When they don't, and when people and property are hurt, we want to know what happened, and why it happened, and who is responsible. Sometimes, though, it behooves us to talk about the planes that land safely. When we report about economic development programs, we tend to focus on the fails. The marginal companies that gobbled up lots of public dollars and then went out of...
info_outline
689: It's opening day of baseball! (Video)
Plain Talk
Today marks the first official day of the Major League Baseball -- opening day! It's become a tradition on the Plain Talk podcast that Kelly Armstrong, first as a member of Congress, and now as governor of the great state of North Dakota, comes on the show to talk about baseball -- and just baseball -- on opening day. Armstrong is a fan of the Mets, and says that started when he was 10 years old, watching the famous (some might say infamous) 1986 Mets win the World Series. "If you couldn't fall in love with the New York Mets in 1986, you were doing it wrong," he said, "and I didn't even...
info_outline
689: It's opening day of baseball!
Plain Talk
Today marks the first official day of the Major League Baseball -- opening day! It's become a tradition on the Plain Talk podcast that Kelly Armstrong, first as a member of Congress, and now as governor of the great state of North Dakota, comes on the show to talk about baseball -- and just baseball -- on opening day. Armstrong is a fan of the Mets, and says that started when he was 10 years old, watching the famous (some might say infamous) 1986 Mets win the World Series. "If you couldn't fall in love with the New York Mets in 1986, you were doing it wrong," he said, "and I didn't even know...
info_outline
688: 'We clean our voter rolls every single night in the state of North Dakota' (Video)
Plain Talk
There is a furious national debate about the SAVE Act -- federal legislation backed by Republicans aimed at creating tough new national standards for election security -- and North Dakota occupies a unique role in it. Our state is the only state without voter registration. The SAVE Act, as it is presently amended, contains exemptions to maintain that status, and Sec. of State Michael Howe says that's appropriate, because current North Dakota laws already make our elections very secure. "I like to tell people North Dakota's been dealing with election integrity well before it was cool," he said...
info_outline
688: 'We clean our voter rolls every single night in the state of North Dakota'
Plain Talk
There is a furious national debate about the SAVE Act -- federal legislation backed by Republicans aimed at creating tough new national standards for election security -- and North Dakota occupies a unique role in it. Our state is the only state without voter registration. The SAVE Act, as it is presently amended, contains exemptions to maintain that status, and Sec. of State Michael Howe says that's appropriate, because current North Dakota laws already make our elections very secure. "I like to tell people North Dakota's been dealing with election integrity well before it was cool," he said...
info_outline
687: 'The best case scenario for the Fargo PD is a nightmare' (Video)
Plain Talk
Angela Lipps is a Tennesee grandmother who, through no fault of her own, is making headlines in North Dakota, and the region, and the nation, for something you don't want to make headlines for. She was subjected to arrest at gun point, months of detainment during the extradition process, all because the Fargo Police Department used an artificial intelligence facial recognition tool to match her to security camera footage of a suspect who allegedly defrauded banks in North Dakota. Lipps was quickly released when her Fargo-based defense attorney, Jay Greenwood, submitted finaicial records and...
info_outline
687: 'The best case scenario for the Fargo PD is a nightmare'
Plain Talk
Angela Lipps is a Tennesee grandmother who, through no fault of her own, is making headlines in North Dakota, and the region, and the nation, for something you don't want to make headlines for. She was subjected to arrest at gun point, months of detainment during the extradition process, all because the Fargo Police Department used an artificial intelligence facial recognition tool to match her to security camera footage of a suspect who allegedly defrauded banks in North Dakota. Lipps was quickly released when her Fargo-based defense attorney, Jay Greenwood, submitted finaicial records and...
info_outline
686: 'It was just a weird pitch for Cramer to swing at' (Video)
Plain Talk
According to an AI analysis touted by thrice-failed statewide candidate Rick Becker, who is currently seeking a seat in the state Legislature in District 7, because I write too many articles about him. Is that an accurate diagnosis, or is this a case of yet another whiny politician trying to throw dirt on apt criticisms? We discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk, and whille me and co-host Chad Oban didn't agree with the criticism, we did find Becker's method to be a creative one, if perhaps more reflective of his mental state than mine. Also, Sen. Kevin Cramer recently criticizing...
info_outline
686: 'It was just a weird pitch for Cramer to swing at'
Plain Talk
According to an AI analysis touted by thrice-failed statewide candidate Rick Becker, who is currently seeking a seat in the state Legislature in District 7, because I write too many articles about him. Is that an accurate diagnosis, or is this a case of yet another whiny politician trying to throw dirt on apt criticisms? We discussed it on this episode of Plain Talk, and whille me and co-host Chad Oban didn't agree with the criticism, we did find Becker's method to be a creative one, if perhaps more reflective of his mental state than mine. Also, Sen. Kevin Cramer recently criticizing...
info_outlineAngela Lipps is a Tennesee grandmother who, through no fault of her own, is making headlines in North Dakota, and the region, and the nation, for something you don't want to make headlines for.
She was subjected to arrest at gun point, months of detainment during the extradition process, all because the Fargo Police Department used an artificial intelligence facial recognition tool to match her to security camera footage of a suspect who allegedly defrauded banks in North Dakota.
Lipps was quickly released when her Fargo-based defense attorney, Jay Greenwood, submitted finaicial records and other evidence to authorities showing that she was in Tennessee when they allege she was in North Dakota committing fraud.
"Imagine what the best case scenario in in this situation for the Fargo PD is," Greenwood said on this episode of Plain Talk. "Let's say they have some new evidence and they discover that Angela Lips was the one that actually did do this. I don't think she did based on what I've seen. But let's say they do that and they say, 'Nope, we're going to recharge her.' So, they have to start this entire process over again, having screwed this entire thing up the first time because they didn't have the evidence that they needed before they charged her."
"They brought her to Tennessee. They held her in Tennessee. They flew her on an airplane to North Dakota. They held her in North Dakota. Paid for all of that stuff," he continued. "Then they got some information, dismissed the case instead of, you know, using all this new evidence. And now she's back in Tennessee. And if they find something new, now we start the process all over again. And in addition to that, after all this uproar and the ineffective way that the Fargo police went about this, imagine trying to empanel a 12 person jury in Cass County that is going to listen to any of this.
"It's just the best case scenario for the Fargo PD is a nightmare."
Also on this episode, me and guest co-host Jessica Bell weigh in on the ongoing debate over data centers -- two central North Dakota counties in coal country have instituted moratoriums against the facilities -- and we respond to listener feedback.
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