December 25th, 2015
by Chris Fradkin, PhD
It’s in the theaters. Star Wars is cleaning up and breaking all the records. Which for scientists like me shouldn’t mean a lot, I know. But inside, part of me is smiling.
It’s the Christmas lights? you say. No. The children singing carols? Uh, uh. For me, the reason runs much deeper. It’s because a study I co-authored, just released and gathering interest, is indirectly tied to Star Wars.
George Lucas, the…
December 18th, 2015
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 32: 7,8
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” - Mark 12: 31
“What you do…
December 9th, 2015
“See no Science, Hear no Science, Speak No Science” - Wealthy Republican Oligarchs before Party fundraisers at their Exclusive Club for Know-Nothings.
“I’m not a scientist either, but I can use my brain, and I can talk to one.” - Former Republican Governor Charlie Crist [D-FL], July 26, 2014
“It seems clear to me...that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation." - Pope Francis, Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2015
Despite the overwhelming…
November 24th, 2015
By Bob Valeu
North Dakota voter ID requirement is the most restrictive voter ID law in the nation. It is corrupted, violates federal law and threatens to disenfranchise thousands of voters in 2016.
In their zeal to gain political advantage, the Republican-controlled legislature managed to push through a new law without any significant vetting.
The law comingles voter ID procedures with driver’s licensing ID rules. Voters are required to “register” if using a driver license form of…
November 20th, 2015
By Josh Boschee
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is new to most of us. It is a federal agency founded in response to the predatory lending practices that led to the 2007-2009 recession, with a mission to consolidate consumer financial protections authority in one place. The responsibility of the CFPB is to watch out for and protect American consumers in the market for loans and other consumer financial products and services from predatory lending and discrimination, and…
November 20th, 2015
By Rilie Ray Morgan
As Chairperson of the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Committee, I feel compelled to respond to my old college professor, Lloyd Omdahl and his column on Medical Cannabis. Omdahl’s comments have some fatal flaws.
In fairness he does have a couple of things right, the first being that the initiated measure was started because of the inactivity of the North Dakota legislature. Had the legislature even considered studying the idea, we would not even be talking about an…
September 10th, 2015
By Samuel Bondy
When I pondered the idea of writing a political opinion piece my brain flooded with passion but also the fear of angry mobs. Being someone who challenges the status quo in a state filled with generational bias is similar to not understanding what the fuss is behind twerking or Snapchat. You aren’t in on the big party.
With the campaign already prematurely in full swing we are all probably sick of the constant pointless updates on every little thing. CNN is on its way to…
July 29th, 2015
Someone said "SOMA" to describe to me the location of Island Park in Fargo and I couldn't stop laughing when I found out what it meant. In fact, I'm still laughing.
SOMA means "South of Main Avenue" for people too lazy to say all four words consecutively. I imagine the alphabet soup was brewed in some cauldron by three witches to describe a business and arts district as something intrinsically different than the hell gate that has become downtown Fargo.
Everyone will tell you that good…
July 1st, 2015
By Dean Hulse
Dylann Roof, the alleged perpetrator of the recent (I dare not write latest) hate crime involving members of Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., is quoted as saying he killed nine black people in hopes of igniting a “civil war.”
While gun control is an expected topic for reaction to this atrocity, it’s not the only subject requiring further scrutiny. Before Roof aimed his weapon, he satiated himself on hatred. And conjuring that detestable surfeit was part of a…
June 24th, 2015
By Fred Kirschenmann
My family owns a farm near Medina, and we are now transitioning that operation to Steve Sund and his family. Our farm has always been, and will always remain, a family farm committed to serve the health of the land and the community.
In my career I’ve had the opportunity to directly observe the evolution of corporate-owned farms. Such farms operate by a single principle: maximum, efficient production for short-term economic return (especially return to the…
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By Bryce Vincent HaugenOn Palm Sunday two thousand years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to directly take on the authoritarian Roman rulers of the region, according to Christian scripture. It was an overtly political…
By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…
Wednesday, March 25, Group lesson 7 p.m., Dance 9 p.m.Sons of Norway, 722 2nd Avenue North, FargoCare to dance? If you don’t already know how to dance, the Northern Lights Dance Club can show you a thing or two about social…
By John StrandDisclaimer: This editorial is the work of someone who’s spent most of his adult life working in the media — most of those years co-owning this very entity, the High Plains Reader, since 1996. The notion that folks…
By Ed RaymondWhat if eight billion people looked and acted like Adam and Eve?So, we have different fingerprints and DNA. We can transfuse people’s blood and implant organs with some limitations. With facial recognition equipment,…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Sabrina Hornung There’s a Bosnian saying that states simply, “It’s a sin to throw away bread,” which really resonates with me — especially growing up with grandparents who lived through the Second World War and the Great…
The Slow Death at The AquariumSaturday, March 21, doors at 7:30 p.m. The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Julia Ducournau’s third feature, a mashup of body horror, family melodrama and AIDS allegory set in a grim and gray dystopia, fails to live up to the promise of her wild debut…
By Jacinta TensI have been a fan of graffiti since I first saw it as a child. As a kid who was always into some sort of creative endeavor, the movement, colors and intricate details of pieces I would see on trains always fascinated…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liverani In November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By HPR StaffI'm a Gen Xer who landed in Fargo in the late '90s, a small town kid who didn't know a soul. By sheer dumb luck I ended up at Ralph's, and that place gave me my people. Lifelong friends, the kind you don't find twice.…
