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Welcome to the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Insider, a newsletter that features regular updates about upcoming Dem-NPL events, legislative happenings, and news that affects North Dakotans!
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Did you know the DNC hosts a morning news show called the Daily Blueprint that is livestreamed on YouTube weekdays at 9 AM CDT? You can watch it live or later on the DNC’s YouTube channel here.
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The Best Dem Christmas Party
Delicious Dinner – Enjoy pulled pork and burnt ends, along with mashed potatoes, mac 'n' cheese, and corn.
Silent Auction – Bid on exciting items and experiences! Proceeds go toward Souris Valley Dem-NPL.
Holiday Photo Booth – Capture your Christmas spirit with friends and family!
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We will be on the main floor at The Spot. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee Meeting for the State Democratic-NPL Party. Each Third Monday of the Month
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For more information contact Adam Goldwyn at adam.goldwyn@demnpl.com
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District 11 Meeting
1325 23rd St S, Suite B, Fargo
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District 11 Democratic-NPL meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month
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Drinks and Discussion with Dems
El Zagal Shrine Fargo
1429 3rd Street North, Fargo
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Our informal get-together to talk about current events, brainstorm on activities we can do together as a two district partnership, and just enjoy each others’ company in general.
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District 46 Meeting
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Thurs, Dec 18, 5:30pm CST
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District 46 will meet at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 18 at Peppers on South University Drive. Please turn out to support the party and have a voice! District 46 extends from about I-94 South to around 73rd Avenue South and in a jagged line from 25th Street to the river. Here’s the map: https://www.casscountynd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/3602/638775496721070000
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Coffee with Friends
1545 S University Dr, Fargo
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Coffee with Friends will be held Saturday, December 20 at 9 am at Luna Coffee on South University Drive. Michael Southam will speak on the topic of immigration and his amazing work with people from Ukraine.
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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“Insulting!” Trump’s aid for American Farmers is far less than his bailout for Argentina
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “Our farmers want trade, not aid. We’re not about to give Trump a participation trophy for addressing the crisis he created for our farmers. He sent $28 billion more to bailout his pal in Argentina, and North Dakota farmers aren’t even going to get these funds until February. It’s insulting!”
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A ND family already dropped health insurance. Now, ACA Premiums could rise even more
Thursday, the Senate failed to extend ACA health care tax credits, all but ensuring that premiums will skyrocket for those on the marketplace, many of whom already find the cost of health insurance too expensive.
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On her family farm and ranch outside Mandan, Bailey Graner is raising a big family and managing a lot on her own. But one thing she says she can’t manage anymore is the cost of health insurance. She dropped it last month.
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“We were told our minimum payment would be over $1,000 a month. That would be $24,000 in getting our basic health that we needed,” said Graner.
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Senate fails to pass ACA tax credit extension
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Communications Director Laura Dronen said, “For years, Republican lawmakers have fought to repeal the Affordable Care Act without any real plan to replace it. For months, Congressional Republicans refused to work with Democrats to extend these tax credits. Now thousands of North Dakotans will see their health care costs go through the roof, and many will forgo coverage because they simply can’t afford it. The Trump administration keeps piling crisis on top of crisis onto hardworking Americans, while they reward cronies and criminals. Our small business owners, farmers, and families deserve better. Democrats will keep fighting to lower health care costs.”
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North Dakota names first female Supreme Court chief justice
Lisa Fair McEvers has been elected the first female chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
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She earned about 83% of the vote by sitting justices and district court judges. Justice Jerod Tufte, who also sought the role as chief justice, received about 16% of the vote.
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“I will work to the best of my ability to serve all the judiciary,” Fair McEvers said after the ballots were counted by court staff Wednesday morning in the Capitol’s Judicial Wing.
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Building owner to pay North Dakota AG’s Office $14,000 to settle financial questions
The parties discovered the Attorney General’s Office had overpaid. Ness’s Nov. 4 memo says the Attorney General’s Office recovered more than $530,000 from Stealth.
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Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, asked during the committee meeting if the North Dakota Ethics Commission’s investigation had access to the additional records Rogneby referred to. She said maybe those records could answer the remaining financial questions the Ethics Commission raised in its June report.
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Letter: HUD is dismantling a backbone of stability
This is not theoretical. It means seniors cycling through shelters, families waiting for housing that never comes and unsheltered neighbors facing citations instead of compassion.
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These cuts don’t test new ideas, they dismantle lives in our communities.
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Congress must act now to renew all CoC grants expiring in 2026. Renewal protects proven programs, prevents service disruption and buys time for real solutions rooted in evidence and dignity. Anything less is opening the floodgates to a man‑made disaster.
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ND producers react to Trump administration’s $12B aid package
A lot of producers believe the package could go further in protecting smaller farms and want more specifics about how the money will be distributed.
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“It’s a hastily thrown together package, again, that I applaud, but it would certainly be nice to get more certainty. And producers would feel more comfortable if they knew how it was laid out and distributed,” said Tyler Stafslien, a farmer.
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Stafslien wishes the money would come sooner than February and wants more specifics.
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Big Beautiful Bill to reduce crop insurance coverage next year
Ninety-seven percent of producers participate in the federal crop insurance program.
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“Think of your house. How often would you be comfortable buying 60% coverage of your house, and it burned down, and you only got 60% back?” said North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne.
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Are Tariffs on Potash from Canada Increasing?
Veronica Nigh, The Fertilizer Institute Senior Economist, joins Afternoons Live with Tyler Axness to help us understand the international market for fertilizer and if we can increase domestic production.
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When shelters are full and winter sets in
Standaert explains how federal funding changes could leave major gaps in support, especially for organizations like the YWCA of Cass Clay, which may lose nearly half of its permanent supportive housing units.
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National Farmers Union President, Rob Larew, and ND Farmers Union President, Mark Watne, join "News and Views"
Joel Heitkamp brought "News and Views" to Bismarck, ND for the North Dakota Farmers Union State Convention. He's joined by both the National Farmers Union President, Rob Larew, and the North Dakota Farmers Union President, Mark Watne. They talk about what the organization does on a national level, current ag issues, and dig into Mark's 12-year tenure as President of NDFU.
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Letter: Health care tax credits are crucial for many
As a retired oncology nurse, I know very well that comprehensive, affordable health insurance means being able to get annual checkups and cancer screenings and follow-up tests and treatments if needed; it means not delaying necessary medical care out of fear of the cost. It can mean the difference between life and death. The enhanced health care tax credits that help North Dakotans afford comprehensive health insurance through the Marketplace are crucial for many.
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Senate to vote on ACA tax credit extension as North Dakotans Face Looming Health Care Crisis
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “Thousands of North Dakota families are already facing a health care crisis because Fedorchak, Hoeven, and Cramer voted for the Big, Ugly Bill. Now, many North Dakotans are at risk of their health care premiums doubling or tripling if enhanced ACA tax credits expire. This is a matter of life and death—Congressional Republicans can’t keep kicking the can down the road. Democrats stand ready to lower costs and protect health care.”
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Port: North Dakota farmers need competent trade policies, not a bailout
Meanwhile the cost of this nonsense isn't just incurred at the federal level. Here in North Dakota, state officials have had to act to protect farmers and ranchers from the Trump administration's policies. Late last month the North Dakota Industrial Commission announced an extraordinary $400 million aid package facilitated by the Bank of North Dakota, which is aimed at providing some relief from low crop prices and skyrocketing costs. The package is made up of lower-interest loans, which is a better approach than straight-up bailouts, but still hardly a fix.
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ND farmers brace for loss of ACA subsidies
The larger subsidies surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic and are scheduled to go away at the end of December. Whether to extend them was a major factor in the recent government shutdown.
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North Dakota-based Lance Boyer, sales director of financial products with Farmers Union Insurance, said farmers are among the many populations that saw cost relief with the extra aid. He said the predictions are worrisome with the clock ticking.
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"We're gonna see some folks go back to being uninsured," said Boyer, "and we're gonna see folks having to choose higher deductibles and higher out-of-pockets, to get those premiums down because they don't have the tax credits to offset that."
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He estimated that out-of-pocket costs could increase by 75% on average.
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Live from NDFU State Convention with Lance Boyer on rising insurance costs
Joel is broadcasting from Bismarck, ND at the North Dakota Farmers Union State Convention, and is joined by Lance Boyer. Lance is the Sales Director of Financial Products for Farmers Union Insurance, and has helped Farmers Union raise awareness about the impact on health insurance premiums if Affordable Care Act tax credits aren’t extended.
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‘Too Little, Too Late’
North Dakota Democrats say President Donald Trump’s new $12 billion farm bailout does little to repair the damage created by the trade war that devastated soybean markets. They argue the administration provided far more aid overseas than at home, pointing to what they describe as a $40 billion bailout for Argentina. Party leaders said farmers want stable markets, not temporary assistance, and called the delay in payments until February “insulting.” North Dakota Democratic-NPL Communications Director Laura Dronen called the aid “too little, too late” and pointed out the perceived disconnect between administration officials and actual farmers. She added that family farmers in North Dakota and across the U.S. continue to face financial stress, while large corporate interests benefit.
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Tribune editorial: State needs free meals for all students
There’s no doubt that students who have good meals perform better in the classroom. Guaranteeing two healthy meals a day provides a level playing field for all students.
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The state already provides free classroom books and other materials for students. It’s a logical step to add free meals. They would not only ensure students have proper nutrition, they would also free up family income that would have gone for the meals. That could be a big help for families who are struggling financially, especially in these difficult economic times.
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Port: Once again, North Dakota must protect itself from the Trump administration
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Trump's policies and actions, from the trade wars to the petty and stupid things he says about our trading partners, have inhibited access to vital markets even as they've driven up the cost of operating. The American Relief Act of 2025 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act both included significant relief directed for farmers and ranchers, but it's not been enough to offset the chaos Trump has sown.
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"Even after including this ad hoc support along with support from crop insurance, returns above total costs are estimated to remain negative from the 2023/24 through 2025/26 crop years at -$9 billion, -$17 billion and -$28 billion, respectively," says a Nov. 24 post from the American Farm Bureau Federation headlined, "Farmers Urgently Need Economic Assistance."
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"The farm bill and OBBBA enhancements to the farm bill will come in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, but until that support arrives, farmers across the U.S. are left with accumulated losses that are currently estimated in excess of $50 billion over the last three crop years," the post continues.
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Input costs are significantly outpacing crop prices, and it's driving farmers out of business. In the first six months of 2025, farm bankruptcies were up 57% over 2024. By the mid-point of this year, there were already more farm bankruptcies than in all of 2022 or 2023.
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Check out these messages from national Democrats
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Donald Trump Puts Head in the Sand While Americans Can’t Afford Their Bills
“Donald Trump’s living in an alternate reality. Prices are soaring and wage growth has slowed dramatically since Trump took office, yet Trump continues dismissing concerns about rising costs as a ‘hoax,’ and made it clear that he couldn’t care less about working families. He has offered ZERO solutions to make life more affordable for everyday Americans. A more accurate sign for Trump’s next pitstop would be ‘HIGHER PRICES, SMALLER PAYCHECKS, BILLIONAIRES FIRST.’”
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Serious concerns over failing to protect shipwrecked individuals: Former JAG
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended strikes on alleged drug cartel boats during remarks Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, saying President Donald Trump has the power to take military action “as he sees fit” to defend the nation, The Associated Press reports. The Morning Joe panel discusses.
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NEW POLLING: Approval of Donald Trump’s Economy Hits Record Low As Americans Dip Further Into Savings To Afford Everyday Goods
“Donald Trump’s trainwreck of an economy is catching up to him, and it’s no wonder voters are pissed. Trump promised to ‘lower costs on Day One,’ but prices are soaring, and good-paying jobs are out of reach for everyday Americans. Trump’s plan of action so far has been to call affordability a ‘hoax’ and tell Americans not to ‘be dramatic.’ Meanwhile, working families are skipping meals, forgoing critical medical care, and depleting their savings as Trump doubles down on his disastrous economic policies. While Trump twiddles his thumbs, Democrats are working tirelessly to bring down prices and lower the cost-of-living.”
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"GRIFTING NEPO-BABIES": The next generation of Trump grifters
Donald Trump is passing on his favorite family traditions to the next generation: grifting. A whole new generation of flimflam artists has been born, including not just Trump's own children, but the children of the entire Trump administration.
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Judge Rips Trump Lawyers for Lying About Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Case
Xinis also found that there was never any order for Abrego Garcia’s removal in the first place. “Indeed, Respondents twice sponsored the testimony of ICE officials whose job it is to effectuate removal orders, and who candidly admitted to having never seen one for Abrego Garcia,” she wrote.
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Instead, the government argued that the court should take an October 10 “withholding decision” as evidence that an original order existed—but Xinis didn’t buy it. “The October 10 withholding decision is unambiguously not an order of removal,” she wrote.
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Congressman confronts Noem with deported military veteran on Zoom
During a House hearing, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about U.S. military veterans being deported under the current administration. When Noem said none had been deported, Magaziner brought out a tablet with a combat veteran who had been deported from the country on a Zoom call. The secretary said she would "absolutely" look into the veteran's case.
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House Democrats release more photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate
Other photos feature Bannon, who had, at one point, been working on a documentary about Epstein. The footage has never been released. In one photo, Epstein is sitting behind a desk with Bannon sitting on the opposite side, and another shows the two of them standing together taking a selfie through a mirror. Emails released by the Oversight Committee in November showed frequent correspondence between Bannon and Epstein.
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Trump once denied using this slur about Haiti and African nations. Now he boasts about it
President Donald Trump admitted Tuesday that he used the slur “shithole countries” to disparage Haiti and African nations during a 2018 meeting with lawmakers, bragging about a comment that sparked global outrage during his first term.
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Back then, Trump had denied making the contemptuous statement during a closed-door meeting, but on Tuesday, he showed little compunction reliving it during a rally in Pennsylvania. He went on to further disparage Somalia as “filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”
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U.S. House passes Rep. Golden's bill to restore federal workers' collective bargaining rights
“Federal workers show up on the job every day to do the people’s work, and their limited collective bargaining rights are critical to protecting them from unfair treatment and political interference,” Golden, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I’m proud of the strong, bipartisan coalition that came together to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act in the House, and I urge the Senate to quickly take up this bill and join us in standing up for workers.”
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U.S. House passes Rep. Golden's bill to restore federal workers' collective bargaining rights
Before this country drifts any further toward conflict, the administration owes the public clarity. If the goal is democracy, state it and work toward it through diplomacy. Should the target be narcotics, present proof, not buzzwords. If the objective is minerals, make that clear, and negotiate agreements. Allow the public to debate whether any of these things are justification enough to escalate the military involvement.
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Leaked Reports Reveal CHAOS Inside Trump’s Pentagon (w/ Sen. Elissa Slotkin)
Under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon is in complete chaos. From a lack of transparency on extrajudicial strikes in the Caribbean, to the Signalgate scandal, to kicking out the Pentagon press corp – this administration has put a leader at the helm who is both embarrassing and a threat to national security.
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BREAKING: Republicans Choose Billionaires over Everyday Americans, Push Highest Premium Spike Since ACA’s Passage
“To every Republican senator who voted to double health care costs for millions of Americans: Have you no shame? It’s been 15 years since the Affordable Care Act was passed, and not once have Republicans offered a viable alternative. Instead, their so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ eviscerated Medicaid and gave billionaires the largest tax break in U.S. history. Democrats believe that Americans deserve better, which is why we’ve been fighting for months to bring down costs, make health care more affordable, and extend the ACA tax credits. With premiums set to skyrocket for more than 20 million Americans in less than three weeks, it is a damning indictment of Senate Republicans that they overwhelmingly voted to keep costs high and price Americans out of health care. We won’t forget this shameful betrayal — and neither will voters next November.”
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Exclusive: Trump’s FEMA council to recommend dramatic downsizing and overhaul – but not elimination – of the agency
Noem and other DHS leaders also have slashed key grant programs, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, a move that’s now tied up in court battles.
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State emergency management officials have been sounding the alarm for months, warning that critical FEMA funds aren’t reaching communities, leaving many to wonder what help will be available when the next disaster strikes.
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Trump Wants People to Submit DNA Just to Get a Tourist Visa
Other “high value data fields” include information about applicants’ family members, their names, phone numbers, and addresses, as well as when and where they were born.
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Travelers would also be prompted to submit their personal and business telephone numbers used in the last five years, and email addresses used in the last 10 years.
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’Tis the Season for Price Hikes: Popular Holiday Gifts Climb 26 Percent Under Trump
The analysis that follows tracks price changes among seventy popular gift recommendations across all age and gender groups as listed in the Strategist gift guide, published by New York magazine, using prices gathered from Amazon listings for each item in early November 2024 and 2025.1 The analysis reveals that prices for these popular holiday gifts increased an average of 26 percent compared to last year. For some go-to gifts, the increases are even higher: tea sets are up 55 percent, speakers are up 63 percent, and watches and earrings are up as much as 50 percent.
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Thursday Talkers 12/11: Abortion Access in Rural America
These access gaps translate into measurable harms for rural women’s health. Rural women experience higher rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, which interact with pregnancy to raise the risk of complications. Screening and vaccination rates for conditions like HPV, cervical cancer, and breast cancer are lower in rural areas, contributing to higher incidence and mortality for cervical cancer and other preventable diseases.
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Rural women are facing real threats. Addressing this crisis will require sustained investment, policy change, and community-driven solutions that ensure rural women can access the full spectrum of reproductive and maternal health care they need to survive and thrive.
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Trump Is “Basically Shutting Down the Legal Immigration System”
“These are not narrow, targeted shifts,” AILA’s executive director Ben Johnson said, adding that the “ripple effects” of these actions would be felt by millions of people and entire communities across the country. “These policies don’t just disrupt paperwork,” he said, “they derail lives.”
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Trump is trying to preempt state AI laws via an executive order. It may not be legal
"Even if everything is overturned in the executive order, the chilling effect on states' willingness to protect their residents is going to be huge because they're all now going to fear getting attacked directly by the Trump administration," said Adam Billen, vice president of Encode, a nonprofit focused on child safety and threats posed by AI. "That is the point of all of this - it is to create massive legal uncertainty and gray areas and give the companies the chance to do whatever they want."
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An ever-larger share of ICE’s arrested immigrants have no criminal record
While more people were arrested this year, a lower percentage are convicted criminals.
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The share of arrested immigrants who had been convicted of violent crimes has dropped from 9% in January to less than 5% in October. The share under Biden was consistently between 10% and 11% during the same period in 2024.
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Share these Dem-NPL Graphics!
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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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