By Jeff Beach | Deputy Editor
“Eliminating habitat protection will lead to further population declines and, ultimately, an increase in the number of species needing (Endangered Species Act) protection.” - Bruce Kreft, chief of the conservation and communications division with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, on a change to the Endangered Species Act.
For decades, federal wildlife officials have protected old-growth forests as critical habitat for northern spotted owls. But a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act issued by the Trump administration removes protections for wildlife habitat. (Photo by Tom Kogut/U.S. Forest Service via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Flickr)
By Alex Brown
The Trump administration is removing protections from the key places where endangered species live, saying states can keep the areas safe.
But experts say states aren’t equipped for the task.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration finalized a major change to the Endangered Species Act, rolling back protections for the forests, wetlands, deserts and other critical habitats that many plants and animals rely on.
The proposed rule would have “dire consequences,” wrote Bruce Kreft, chief of the conservation and communications division with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
An agricultural outbuilding was damaged near Medina, N.D., during a storm on June 20, 2025. The National Weather Service in Bismarck confirmed a tornado near Medina, with a preliminary rating of EF1. (Photo courtesy of National Weather Service-Bismarck)
By Monitor Staff
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $682,000 to assist North Dakota recover from June 2025 storms, the third round of disaster relief funding this year.
The funds awarded, $334,000 to Nodak Electric Cooperative Inc, and $348,000 to Northern Plains Electric Cooperative, will be used to replace electric poles and power lines damaged in the storm, and make other electrical repairs or replacements, according to a FEMA news release on Monday.
President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
By Author Name
President Donald Trump ordered 50% tariffs on several Canadian products Monday in response to what his administration describes as retaliatory restrictions on imports of American goods, including alcohol, dairy and automotives.
Trump’s three separate proclamations to impose steep tariffs on items like hockey sticks, wine and cement, came just days after he threatened to slap more tariffs on Canada as smoke from raging wildfires in Ontario blanketed much of the northeastern U.S. through the weekend. But a senior administration official denied the new tariffs were in response to the smoke.
The tariffs will go into effect Aug. 19.
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FROM STATES NEWSROOM
A border patrol agent with what appears to be an extra magazine strapped to his chest stands with other federal agents near the scene of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue, where federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, the third shooting in as many weeks. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Madison McVan
A Trump-appointed federal judge on Monday tossed out a Department of Justice lawsuit that aimed to invalidate state and local “sanctuary” policies, which limit information-sharing and cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and immigration enforcement.
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