Podcast
Plain Talk
Hosted by Forum Communications Co. · EN
Plain Talk is a podcast hosted by Rob Port and Chad Oban focusing on political news and current events in North Dakota. Port is a columnist for the Forum News Service published in papers including the Fargo Forum, Grand Forks Herald, Jamestown Sun, and the Dickinson Press. Oban is a long-time political consultant.
108episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
728: 'Any moron can sound like Hemingway with ChatGPT'
1w ago00:57:59Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Plain Talk, recorded on location inside Brewhalla at the TedXFargo event, we talked about a deeply uncomfortable topic. Suicide, namely. Our guest was Haley DeGreve, founder of the Gray Matters Collective, an advocacy group focused on mental health issues which also provides training for the public on how to recognize mental health episodes and health. We think about CPR training, and first aid training, but what about someone who is having a manic episode, or contemplating suicide? "Where our organization has leaned into that gray area is there are people like you and I who care, but we don't know how to help," DeGreve told us. "We're not trained in this. And so, we actually spend a lot of our funding on training to get people trained so, if you're in the grocery store and you see someone having a mental breakdown, you know what to do. You know how to connect them." Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discussed a recent, tacit acknowledgement that property tax exemptions have a real cost for the public. "The true thing is that when we give away an exemption, there's a cost," I argued. "Maybe the cost is worth paying, right? We can have a debate about that, but it is a cost and we can't ignore it." We also discussed the back lash against data centers, and how the public's shift towards online populism has influenced that. "This is what happens when there's an issue that's very complicated and you have a fringe that's sort of running the messaging on this that everything is terrible," I said. The real threat of AI, I argue, is that it can make nonsense arguments seem plausible. "Any moron can sound like Hemingway with ChatGPT," I 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
Transcribe →
727: 'I'm comfortable overreacting'
1w ago01:58:06Tap to summarize"We know of at least 23 deaths in North Dakota where it's listed as a primary cause," Gov. Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to the substance kratom. Armstrong made headlines this week when he announced a temporary executive order banning kratom, and that he was calling lawmakers to Bismarck for a special session to pass more permanent policy. Some claimed that kratom is a ruse intended to cover other issues, such as the red-hot data center debate, or the financial disaster that is a military museum on the capitol grounds, but Armstrong made it clear that the session is very much about kratom. "We've basically only started testing for this stuff since September of last year, nd everybody I talked to in this space that knows what it is from the health perspective says this stuff is really, really addictive and it's really bad news and it's completely unregulated right now in North Dakota," he said. "If we have to overreact to something this addictive, I'm comfortable overreacting," he added. But Armstrong did indicate that he hopes lawmakers do something about the military museum mess while in Bismarck, even if it just means appropriating the dollars needed to winterize the project, buying some time for the legislature to come up with a way to address it during their regular session beginning in January. He also indicated that, while he has no control over what bills lawmakers consider, he would be very skeptical of signing any sort of a data center moratorium. "I'm not a huge moratorium guy," he said. "If the argument is we have to make sure there's more local control, doesn't a moratorium take all local control away? I don't see that as being a real viable scenario at this point." Also on this super-sized episode of Plain Talk, Signe Snortland, a candidate for the state Senate in District 33 said that if she were participating in the special session, she'd vote for a moratorium. The district she lives in touches on four counties, each of which have at least one proposed data center project in them. She acknowledges that the data centers are needed, but said North Dakota needs more time to consider the policies around them. One thing she'd like to see on the table is a requirement for reclamation bonds, in case the markets turn and the data centers are abandoned. "We're worried what will happen if the bubble bursts and people walk away from these plants," she said. "What happens in the county and the city? How do they reclaim the land?" Co-host Chad Oban and I also discussed the ways in which Doug Burgum is overshadowing his strong legacy as a leader and businessman in North Dakota by carrying President Donald Trump's rancid political water, the controversy over pride flags in Detroit Lakes, and political shakeups in Fargo-area legislative districts, including the possibility that Rep. Jim Kasper, an elderly lawmaker who has been out of the public eye for some time after suffering a brain bleed, could soon be replaced. 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
Transcribe →
726: 'We are defending people who don't deserve to be defended' (Video)
2w ago00:53:52Tap to summarizeOn this Plain Talk, recorded live from TedXFargo, me and co-host Chad Oban talked about the rationalizations and excuses we make for ourselves in politics. Which also just happened to be the subject of my talk at the event. The decisions we're making politically — who we vote for, who we give money to, who we oppose — are what's driving what's happening to our country. But when things go poorly, we like to blame others. The lobbyists. The billionaires. The media. I'll not defend those things, but we also have to look in the mirror. We have to point the finger at ourselves. We are defending people who don't deserve a defense. We are attacking people who don't deserve to be attacked. Also on this episode, we interviewed Jen Burgard, founder and executive director of Haven, a Fargo-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families navigating pregnancy or infant loss. Burgard was also a speaker at TedXFargo, and talked about her group's efforts to guide families through loss and grief. She also discussed the way her organization was victimized by a woman who faked a pregnancy, and the loss of an infant, and embezzled a significant amount of money, something Burgard chronicled in her blog False Hope. That incident nearly ended Haven, but Burgard kept it alive. "I decided that if this organization was going to fail, it wasn't going to be because of her," she said. "That's it. If it fails, it fails. Just like any business, right? Sometimes things don't work out. But it was not going to be because of her." 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. #northdakota #tedxfargo
Transcribe →
726: 'We are defending people who don't deserve to be defended'
2w ago00:53:52Tap to summarizeOn this Plain Talk, recorded live from TedXFargo, me and co-host Chad Oban talked about the rationalizations and excuses we make for ourselves in politics. Which also just happened to be the subject of my talk at the event. The decisions we're making politically — who we vote for, who we give money to, who we oppose — are what's driving what's happening to our country. But when things go poorly, we like to blame others. The lobbyists. The billionaires. The media. I'll not defend those things, but we also have to look in the mirror. We have to point the finger at ourselves. We are defending people who don't deserve a defense. We are attacking people who don't deserve to be attacked. Also on this episode, we interviewed Jen Burgard, founder and executive director of Haven, a Fargo-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families navigating pregnancy or infant loss. Burgard was also a speaker at TedXFargo, and talked about her group's efforts to guide families through loss and grief. She also discussed the way her organization was victimized by a woman who faked a pregnancy, and the loss of an infant, and embezzled a significant amount of money, something Burgard chronicled in her blog False Hope. That incident nearly ended Haven, but Burgard kept it alive. "I decided that if this organization was going to fail, it wasn't going to be because of her," she said. "That's it. If it fails, it fails. Just like any business, right? Sometimes things don't work out. But it was not going to be because of her." 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
Transcribe →
'Somebody has to lose, and nobody wants to lose' (REPLAY) (Video)
2w ago00:59:17Tap to summarizeWhile Rob and Chad are at TEDxFargo this week, we're revisiting one of our most talked-about conversations. North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread joins Plain Talk to discuss the future of health insurance subsidies, what happens if Congress fails to extend them, and why rising healthcare costs remain one of the biggest challenges facing families in North Dakota and across the country. He also shares why he believes lawmakers need to act now and what long-term reforms could help bring costs under control. Rob and Chad also discuss ongoing issues at the North Dakota Commerce Department, the federal government shutdown, and other political headlines from around the state and nation. We'll be back next week with new episodes from TEDxFargo.
Transcribe →
'Somebody has to lose, and nobody wants to lose' (REPLAY)
2w ago00:59:17Tap to summarizeWhile Rob and Chad are at TEDxFargo this week, we're revisiting one of our most talked-about conversations. North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread joins Plain Talk to discuss the future of health insurance subsidies, what happens if Congress fails to extend them, and why rising healthcare costs remain one of the biggest challenges facing families in North Dakota and across the country. He also shares why he believes lawmakers need to act now and what long-term reforms could help bring costs under control. Rob and Chad also discuss ongoing issues at the North Dakota Commerce Department, the federal government shutdown, and other political headlines from around the state and nation. We'll be back next week with new episodes from TEDxFargo.
Transcribe →
724: 'A healer instead of just a technician' (Video)
3w ago00:57:14Tap to summarizeThe North Dakota Democratic-NPL had a strong recruitment season for legislative candidates. Among them is Dr. Chris Tiongson, a pediatrician seeking a seat in the state House of Representatives in Fargo-area District 41. Running for elected office is a daunting task. It's a lot of work and it comes with a public spotlight, and the public can be cruel, so why did Tiongson decide to take time away from his medical practice to run? "As I've seen over the years, almost 30 years in pediatrics now, there are so many things that are happening outside the exam room that parents and families really don't have control over that affect their health," he told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "Like pollution, poverty, housing insecurity, food insecurity, racism, bullying, all that kind of stuff. And I felt like I can have a greater impact helping the health of our community working on public policy as opposed to just one patient at a time in the exam room or one patient at a time in a in a hospital bed." But Tiongson says he understand the push and pull of governance, and that there "are costs to every sort of decision that you make." "What makes difficult decisions is when there are competing virtues that are both good, like being fiscally responsible as a government and providing for basic needs for people who need them," he told us. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss the "brutal gauntlet" first-time candidates face as they enter the political arena and how many more of them will need to brave it as term limits for state lawmakers kick in. We also discuss Gov. Kelly Armstrong's decision to vote against the school meals constitutional amendment that will appear on the November ballot, despite backing similar statutory language during a special legislative session earlier this year, as well as the upcoming TedX event in Fargo next week. Plain Talk's schedule will be distrupted a bit next week. I'm speaking at the TedX event, but we'll also be recording an episode of the show from the venue in Fargo. 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
Transcribe →
724: 'A healer instead of just a technician'
3w ago00:57:14Tap to summarizeThe North Dakota Democratic-NPL had a strong recruitment season for legislative candidates. Among them is Dr. Chris Tiongson, a pediatrician seeking a seat in the state House of Representatives in Fargo-area District 41. Running for elected office is a daunting task. It's a lot of work and it comes with a public spotlight, and the public can be cruel, so why did Tiongson decide to take time away from his medical practice to run? "As I've seen over the years, almost 30 years in pediatrics now, there are so many things that are happening outside the exam room that parents and families really don't have control over that affect their health," he told us on this episode of Plain Talk. "Like pollution, poverty, housing insecurity, food insecurity, racism, bullying, all that kind of stuff. And I felt like I can have a greater impact helping the health of our community working on public policy as opposed to just one patient at a time in the exam room or one patient at a time in a in a hospital bed." But Tiongson says he understand the push and pull of governance, and that there "are costs to every sort of decision that you make." "What makes difficult decisions is when there are competing virtues that are both good, like being fiscally responsible as a government and providing for basic needs for people who need them," he told us. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss the "brutal gauntlet" first-time candidates face as they enter the political arena and how many more of them will need to brave it as term limits for state lawmakers kick in. We also discuss Gov. Kelly Armstrong's decision to vote against the school meals constitutional amendment that will appear on the November ballot, despite backing similar statutory language during a special legislative session earlier this year, as well as the upcoming TedX event in Fargo next week. Plain Talk's schedule will be distrupted a bit next week. I'm speaking at the TedX event, but we'll also be recording an episode of the show from the venue in Fargo. 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
Transcribe →
723: The young people want to rent, not own (Video)
3w ago00:55:29Tap to summarizeHousing issues may be among the most complicated and important issues policymakers face. In order for local economies to grow, they need workers, and those workers need places to live. And they can't just be any old place. They need to be places they can afford to live, and want to live. But that's not easy. A home or apartment building built today might stand for a century or more, but the housing expectations of the public shift from generation to generation. That's one point Adrian Cummings, president of the Grand Forks-based Forx Builders Assocation, made on this episode of Plain Talk. He pointed out that, while North Dakota isn't yet a state where most people rent, rather than own, their homes, we're moving in that direction, particularly among younger generations. Where older generations prioritized the traditional "white picket fence" dream of owning a single-family home, both as a place to live and a way to secure an asset that can provide financial security for later in their lives, younger generations invest for their future differently, and are trending toward eschewing the burdens of homeownership in favor of renting. "I think that, for a long time, your home was your investment policy, and it was your retirement policy, for particularly people even older than my parents," he said. "I think that there are other investment opportunities available to young professionals where they don't feel as large of a rush to get into a home as a retirement asset because they have other options." Cummings talked about the workforce and economic challenges builders are facing, and the struggle to build affordable -- he prefers the term "attainable" -- housing, and how he feels the state can help. He thinks a Bank of North Dakota program that facilitates the financing of development would go a long way to help, since one of the biggest friction points to development now is how cost-intensive it is. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss President Donald Trump's renewed hostilities toward Canada and their potential impacts on North Dakota, 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
Transcribe →
723: The young people want to rent, not own
3w ago00:55:29Tap to summarizeHousing issues may be among the most complicated and important issues policymakers face. In order for local economies to grow, they need workers, and those workers need places to live. And they can't just be any old place. They need to be places they can afford to live, and want to live. But that's not easy. A home or apartment building built today might stand for a century or more, but the housing expectations of the public shift from generation to generation. That's one point Adrian Cummings, president of the Grand Forks-based Forx Builders Assocation, made on this episode of Plain Talk. He pointed out that, while North Dakota isn't yet a state where most people rent, rather than own, their homes, we're moving in that direction, particularly among younger generations. Where older generations prioritized the traditional "white picket fence" dream of owning a single-family home, both as a place to live and a way to secure an asset that can provide financial security for later in their lives, younger generations invest for their future differently, and are trending toward eschewing the burdens of homeownership in favor of renting. "I think that, for a long time, your home was your investment policy, and it was your retirement policy, for particularly people even older than my parents," he said. "I think that there are other investment opportunities available to young professionals where they don't feel as large of a rush to get into a home as a retirement asset because they have other options." Cummings talked about the workforce and economic challenges builders are facing, and the struggle to build affordable -- he prefers the term "attainable" -- housing, and how he feels the state can help. He thinks a Bank of North Dakota program that facilitates the financing of development would go a long way to help, since one of the biggest friction points to development now is how cost-intensive it is. Also on this episode, guest co-host Rep. Zac Ista and I discuss President Donald Trump's renewed hostilities toward Canada and their potential impacts on North Dakota, 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
Transcribe →