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The 69th Legislative Assembly has come to an end! Please help us improve our newsletter with your feedback! If you would like to have something added to the newsletter, email us at laura.dronen@demnpl.com. Spread the word about our newsletter by sharing our sign-up link today: https://demnpl.com/join-our-newsletter/.
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Looking for a way to help those affected by the devastating flooding in Texas? The Texas Democratic Party has assembled a list of organizations and individuals who are working on the ground in Kerrville, Hunt, Center Point and the surrounding areas impacted by flooding to deliver badly-needed resources to flood victims. Please consider donating to support the efforts of these groups!
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District 21 Summer Connection Series - July Coffee and Connect
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Sat, Jul 19, 9:00am-10:30am CDT
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Sweet Dreams Confections
4101 13th Ave S 1000, Fargo
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Join us at Sweet Confections for D21's July Summer Connection!
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Enjoy coffee and conversation with our local representatives! We will be there from 9:00-10:30am
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Walk With District 24 Dems in the Wimbledon Palooza Parade!
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Walk with the District 24 Democrats in the Wimbledon Palooza Parade!
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Century Club Appreciation Event 4e Winery 2025
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Sun, Jul 20, 3:00pm-5:00pm CDT
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4e Winery
3766 156th Ave SE, Mapleton
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Join us for a lovely afternoon at 4e Winery!
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District 45 Monthly Meeting
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Tue, Jul 22, 6:30pm-7:30pm CDT
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Fargo Public Library – Northport Library
2714 Broadway N, Fargo
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District 45 Monthly Meeting (North Fargo, Reile's Acres, Harwood, and Argusville)
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District 25 Summer Picnic
Bagg Bonanza Farm
8025 169th Ave SE, Mooreton
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Join us for our Summer Picnic with special guests Joel Heitkamp and Rep. Alisa Mitskog along with a pie auction and taco bar. Everyone Welcome!
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RSVP appreciated but not required, call 701-899-1463
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District 1 and 23 July Monthly Meeting
Sagas
18 2nd St E, Williston
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Come join like-minded people at the District 1 and 23 Dem-NPL July meeting on July 30 at 6 pm at Saga's in downtown Williston!
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How to Democrat in the Age of Trump Book Study
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Wed, Jul 30, 7:00pm-8:30pm CDT
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Fargo Public Library – Main Library
101 4th St N, Fargo
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The District 44 & 45 Dems are hosting a book study and all are welcome to join! We’ll be reading How to Democrat in the Age of Trump by Mike Lux. It’s a short but impactful book to guide where we go from here.
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People's Townhall with Trygve Hammer - Minot
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Thu, Jul 31, 7:00pm-8:30pm CDT
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Carnegie Center
105 2nd Ave SE, Minot, ND 58701
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Real change starts with real conversations. Trygve Hammer, 2024 Democratic-NPL Congressional Candidate, is a retired Marine Corps officer and a veteran of the Global War on Terror. In his civilian life, he's taught 7-12 grade science in a rural school, worked as a roughneck on oil rigs in the Bakken, as a freight rail conductor, and as a counselor for Job Corps in Minot, aiming to give young people a hand up in starting their lives. On Thursday, July 31, 7 pm at Carnegie Center in Minot, he'll answer your questions about the issues our nation faces today.
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People’s Town Halls are happening in all 50 states and 7 territories! They are your chance to connect with neighbors, community leaders, and organizers to discuss the issues that matter most. These events are open, inclusive, and built to amplify your voice! Check out more here: https://democrats.org/peoples-town-halls/
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Cass County Dem-NPL Summerfest
Lindenwood Park
1905 Roger Maris Dr, Fargo
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It's always a great time at Summerfest with food, friends, and fun!
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Souris Valley Dem-NPL August Monthly Meeting
Parker Center
21 1st Ave SE, Minot
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Join the Souris Valley Dem-NPL at our August Monthly Meeting!
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All Democrats and Nonpartisan Leaguers in Minot and the surrounding area are welcome as we discuss news and upcoming events.
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We will be meeting at the Parker Center (21 1st Ave SE, Minot, ND) on Tuesday, August 12th. There will be a social from 6PM - 6:30PM followed by the meeting from 6:30PM - 7:30PM.
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We look forward to seeing you there!
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Mandan Community Picnic
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Thu, Aug 14, 5:30pm-7:30pm CDT
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Legion Park, Shelter 1
1111 10th Ave SW, Mandan
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It's picnic time! Join the Bismarck-Mandan Dem-NPL for our Mandan Community Picnic at Legion Park, Shelter 1 on Thursday, August 14!
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Cass County Dem-NPL Softball Tournament
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Sat, Aug 16, 9:00am-5:00pm CDT
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Mickelson Field Area
901 Oak St N
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Cass County Dem-NPL's 2nd Summerfest Softball Tournament will take place on August 16th 2025! Let’s see which Democratic District has the best softball team! Please join us on Saturday, August 16th at Mickelson Fields in Fargo to find out!
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This multi-round tournament will likely take place from 9am to 5pm, with exact times and schedules to follow, depending on the number of enrolled teams. If there is enough interest we can extend the tournament to two days to cover the weekend. The suggested donation to participate is $30 per player. All donations are appreciated and go towards electing Democrats in upcoming competitive elections.
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We’ll also be holding a free-will donation cook-out with burgers and ice cream during lunch time (1130am-130pm) (“Free will” means pay what you can.)
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In addition to food and games, there will be a bouncy house for kids and there is a playground on site. We intend to set some time aside for speakers to announce their candidacies for 2026 and share news, or perspective on current events, so there will be plenty of reasons to show up even if you are not into softball!
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You can sign up as a team or as an individual and we will place you on a team!
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Letter: We oppose the bill because it's bad
It’s projected to cut $1.42 billion from Medicaid, leaving almost 20,000 North Dakotans without health care and resulting in up to 50,000 preventable deaths a year nationally; it will result in rural hospital closures, higher insurance premiums, more medical debt.
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It will deprive thousands of North Dakotans of desperately needed food through cuts to SNAP.
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It provides no new investments in the Indian Health Service or other tribal needs such as housing or infrastructure and also threatens North Dakota’s position as a global energy leader through cuts to clean energy subsidies.
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And what do we get? An extra two to three trillion dollars added to the national debt; permanent tax cuts Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the richest among us. Not to mention a society that is poorer, hungrier, sicker, less economically competitive and more likely to die from preventable illnesses.
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Shaw: Hoeven, Cramer, Fedorchak and Fischbach missed their calling
If the four of them had any courage, they would have voted against this bill because it harms so many. If they had any courage, they would have voted against it because it adds trillions to our whopping $36 trillion national debt. The courage would have been to stand for fiscal responsibility, instead of tax giveaways that we can’t afford. However, they are all afraid of Donald Trump, whose desires are more important than the needy people they represent.
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U.S. funding issues threaten the future federal public defender work - with Mark Friese and Jason Tupman
Joel Heitkamp is joined in the KFGO studio by Mark Friese, a North Dakota CJA (Criminal Justice Act) Panel Representative, and on the phone by Jason Tupman, the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of South Dakota and North Dakota.
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The U.S. Constitution protects criminal defendants’ right to an attorney. When federal defendants can’t afford a lawyer, they are typically assigned a federal public defender. About 40% of the time, however, federal defenders must pass the case to a private lawyer due to a conflict of interest, according to the judicial branch.
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But the federal judiciary says that as of July 3, it has no more money to pay outside attorneys for these services. The judicial branch has asked Congress for roughly $116 million to sustain the program until the fiscal year turns over on Oct. 1.
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Supreme Court says Trump's efforts to close the Education Department can continue
Joel Heitkamp is joined by CBS News Corespondent, Scott MacFarlane, to have a conversation on the recent decision from the Supreme Court regarding the Department of Education.
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume dismantling the Department of Education, part of his bid to shrink the federal government’s role in education in favor of more control by the states.
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ND Farmers Union, Mark Watne, breaks down ag impacts from "big, beautiful bill"
Joel Heitkamp is joined in the KFGO studio by the President of North Dakota Farmers Union. Mark was elected President in 2013 and announced earlier this year that he won't be seeking reelection. He joins Joel on "News and Views" to discuss President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" from an ag perspective.
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Tribune editorial: Beautiful Bill might hurt health care
It’s estimated that about 45,000 North Dakotans on the ACA marketplace would pay higher premiums or drop coverage if they can’t afford it under the bill. People without coverage are more likely to delay care, and end up going to hospitals and clinics later than they should be.
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Mayor Mahoney and State Rep. Karla Rose Hanson are live from the Downtown Street Fair!
Joel Heitkamp is broadcasting from the Jasper Hotel for the Downtown Fargo Street Fair, and is joined by the Mayor of Fargo, Tim Mahoney, and the State Representative from District 44, Karla Rose Hanson. They talk about the benefits of Downtown Fargo, but also dive into homelessness, President Trump's budget bill, and more.
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ND Medicaid recipient concerned about cuts
“And to our federal delegation, you don’t reach out to us enough as individuals. You’ll talk to the state people and all these, but I haven’t heard one thing from Senator Hoeven or Representative Fedorchak’s office. All we get is ‘leave a message.’ We’re people too. Have a conversation because we don’t want to lose Medicaid. We deserve dignity and respect,” said Vannett.
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Prairie Public expects ‘significant hit’ from federal cuts to PBS, NPR
John Harris, president of Prairie Public, said Wednesday he is pessimistic about federal funds continuing to flow to PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to advance a bill that claws back previously approved funding.
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“It’s just a high potential that we’re going to take a significant hit,” Harris said. He said the elimination of the federal funds adds up to about $2 million of Prairie Public’s budget over the next two years.
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Discussing the Potential of President Trump's Budget
Guest host Jim Shaw is joined in studio by Lyn Dockter-Pinnick and Katie Christensen Mineer to discuss the local impact of some of the newly passed and signed federal budget. Katie is wearing two hats in this discussion as she is both the president of the Fargo School Board and North Dakota State Director of Planned Parenthood, and Lyn is a longtime advocate and board member of Red River Valley League of Women Voters.
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There’s a list and you know it
The question is pretty simple: Is there a Jeffrey Epstein list? The people closest to Donald Trump for years have said there was, including Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Pam Bondi. That means the Head and Deputy of the FBI, as well as the United States Attorney General, all agreed that all those people going to Epstein’s island to abuse girls are documented on a list.
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That is, until now. Attorney General Bondi has gone from “the list is on my desk,” to “there is no list at all.” She says there’s nothing to investigate and nothing more to talk about.
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North Dakota legislative district map to remain in place for now, Supreme Court decides
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Spirit Lake Nation and three tribal members filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging that North Dakota’s 2021 redistricting map was discriminatory and diluted the power of Indigenous voters.
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North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Peter Welte in 2023 sided with the plaintiffs and ordered the state to adopt a different map, but the 8th Circuit reversed his decision in May. The appellate court ruled that private citizens cannot file lawsuits under Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which outlaws racially discriminatory voting practices.
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Bill axing 20% of Prairie Public's funding passes Senate; ND delegation votes help passage
"It's a direct impact of, say, roughly $2 million, but it's a much bigger impact on the system when you talk about it," Harris said. "I realize Congress doesn't pay for news, and I know that's been an issue of -- there are fractions of Congress that believe that NPR and PBS news reporting is biased ... I don't know how to really answer that one per se, except that we're more than the media. We're education, especially for young children and lifelong learning, and we're public safety."
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North Dakota Ethics Commissioners to evaluate ‘strained’ relationship with Attorney General’s Office
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The North Dakota Ethics Commission is looking into whether strongly worded communications from the state Attorney General’s Office have negatively impacted commission staff.
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The decision follows a July 3 letter addressed to the commission from Attorney General Drew Wrigley that harshly criticized the commission’s recent investigation report on ethics violations by Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck.
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Former Republican Chair, Chris Gibbs, joins Joel to chat about the "big, beautiful bill"
Chris Gibbs is an Ohio Farmer, and former Chair of the Republican Party in Selby County Ohio, serving for seven years until 2015. He was then elected as the Chair of the Democratic Party in Selby County in Ohio. He’s also the Chair of Rural Voices USA and the Chair of Gateway Arts.
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Check out these messages from national Democrats
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Trump mired in Epstein controversy as Wall Street Journal reports on 2003 letter
The letter revealed by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump. The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper. The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely.
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Energy Cuts in ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Raise Costs, Threaten Jobs, Investment in Rural Communities Across U.S.
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In the mountains of western North Carolina, local renewable energy company Sugar Hollow Solar is already working through contingency plans to avoid laying off staff.
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Despite five new hires coming on board in June to install panels in rural communities throughout the region, circumstances have changed for the Asheville, North Carolina, business after the July 4 signing of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), the signature piece of legislation of President Donald Trump’s second term.
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The law includes sweeping cuts to a renewable energy incentive structure established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) under President Joe Biden in 2022. Tax credits for commercial wind and solar projects will phase out five years ahead of schedule, with the 30% rebate accessible only to projects that either break ground by next summer or come online by the end of 2027.
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Marc Andreessen and the Billionaire Victims Club
Tim Miller and JVL discuss how Marc Andreessen unleashes a full-throated rant against DEI, immigration, the media, and what he sees as a cultural takeover by the left. Despite being one of the wealthiest and most influential people in tech, Andreessen frames himself as a victim of systemic bias—sparking a conversation about billionaire grievance, hypocrisy, and the broader culture war within Silicon Valley.
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US hospitals see stark decline of obstetric services, study shows
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Using data from the American Hospital Association and federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the researchers analyzed obstetric services at short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022.
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The study included 4,964 hospitals.
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Rural states saw the most profound losses. The states with the highest percentage of all hospitals lacking obstetrics by 2022 were: North Dakota (73%), Oklahoma (63%), West Virginia (62%), Louisiana (60%), South Dakota (60%) and Mississippi (60%).
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Democrats challenge whether Emil Bove's judicial nomination advanced after they walked out of vote
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., complained that Republicans had already refused to allow testimony from a whistleblower who had told the senators that Bove had said to him and other Justice Department officials that they might have to defy court orders to implement Trump's mass deportation agenda.
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"I haven’t seen anything like it in 15 years in the United States Senate, just overriding roughshod the rules of the committee to silence members in this way on nominees for lifetime appointments on the federal court who are unfit and unqualified," Blumenthal said.
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ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 8.2 million people who get ACA insurance now will become uninsured due to the expiration of the enhanced tax credits along with other changes that the Trump administration and Congress have made to the marketplaces through regulations and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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Supreme Court allows Trump to proceed with Department of Education layoffs—what it means for student loan borrowers
“I think there’s a real question about whether [Department of Education] call centers will be either shut down entirely or dramatically scaled back, which could mean no access to getting a human on the phone to help talk through your financial aid or your payment options, or to troubleshoot when something goes wrong,” she said.
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Congress Just Gave Away Its Power to Trump
Last night, President Trump achieved a major victory: persuading both chambers of Congress to cancel billions of dollars in spending that they had already approved.
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In the process, the Republican-led Congress is giving President Trump the power that it, and it alone, is supposed to have.
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The Court’s Liberals Are Trying to Tell Americans Something
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But look closer at the dissents, and it is evident that, whatever their differences, the three liberals agree on an overarching theme: They no longer see the Court playing by the old game of constitutional law. Their dissents suggest anything but an assumption of business as usual. The three liberal justices are writing about a majority unbound by law and its tiresome technicalities—about a majority that is no longer doing law as that term has come to be understood.
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In other words, the dissents are screaming that the old game of law is no more; we’re in a different world, they say. Their critiques of incoherence, internal contradiction, and factual obfuscation are all in service of this.
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Ousted FBI agent speaks out on Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino
Former Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Michael Feinberg joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss his ouster from the FBI after he says that his friendship with a Trump critic put a target on his back for Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
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Hospitals across nation brace for Medicaid cuts under ‘big, beautiful’ law
Hospitals loudly raised alarms about the legislation, but their warnings went unheeded, and now they say they will bear the brunt of the changes.
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The new law cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid, primarily through stringent work requirements as well as reductions to how states can fund their Medicaid programs through provider taxes and state directed payments.
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Rural hospitals rely heavily on Medicaid funding because many of the patients they care for are low income.
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The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food
Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to expire tomorrow, according to current and former government employees with direct knowledge of the rations. Within weeks, two of those sources told me, the food, meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, will be ash. (The sources I spoke with for this story requested anonymity for fear of professional repercussions.)
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Senate Democrats want probe of FEMA cost-control policy after Texas flood tragedy
“The American people deserve answers and more importantly, they deserve accountability. While we are still waiting for all the facts to come out, what is clear is that FEMA must be able to respond to disasters immediately,” the letter said. “A disaster response system that must wait for one official’s signature is unacceptable and designed to fail.”
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Burgum asked park rangers to flag negative US history. They’re delivering.
The suggestions — including potential edits — were ordered by the Trump administration, which wants to overhaul how American history is told at national parks and federally run museums.
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The internal documents viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News show how people on the front lines of telling those stories are dealing with a mandate from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to not provide content that “inappropriately disparages” historical figures and to emphasize the beauty of natural landscapes.
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The Trump/Epstein Story is NOT a "Conspiracy Theory"
So, no, I don't think it's a crazy conspiracy theory for people to ask what's going on. And this is possibly the worst incident to handwave away as a distraction because for the very first time, mega morons are reconsidering their membership in the cult. And it is clearly driving Trump even more insane than he already was. Like, did you see the truth social post from Sunday?
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Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation Is Exactly What It Looks Like
What Colbert didn't say was why CBS would suddenly kill off one of television's most storied franchises. The network's press release insisted this was "purely a financial decision" while defensively adding it was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." That second part reads like someone protesting way too much. If you're thinking that sounds like complete bullshit, you're right. Just days earlier, Colbert had openly mocked Paramount for paying Trump $16 million to settle what the company itself called a meritless lawsuit. "I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles," Colbert joked on Monday. "It's Big Fat Bribe." He even acknowledged reports that Skydance's new ownership might "put pressure on late night host and frequent Trump critic Stephen Colbert."
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The Century Club supports our year-round work to build party infrastructure supporting candidate recruitment, local district and regional leadership, issue-based education, and tools for Dem-NPL success.
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Help us elect great Democrats up and down the ballot!
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The North Dakota Democratic-NPL is launching a new grassroots program called “Neighbor to Neighbor” where volunteers will connect with voters in your community to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. As a volunteer, you will be responsible for connecting with voters in 25 homes in your neighborhood or friends and family to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot about 3-4 times this year.
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Grassroots organizers are the lifeblood of the Dem-NPL! Sign up to volunteer with the Dem-NPL!
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