By Amy Dalrymple | Editor
The Missouri River winds between Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota, on Oct. 9, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
Potential of Missouri River pipelines to Western states opens new front in upstream-downstream fight
By Joshua Haiar
Downstream Missouri River states have worried for decades about receiving an insufficient flow of water from upstream dams.
Now they’re worried their share of water could be further diminished by potential pipelines for dry Western states.
The concern is the basis of a dispute about the U.S. House version of the federal Water Resources Development Act. A provision in the bill would require approval from all governors in Missouri River states to study or construct a project that moves water from the river or its tributaries to a non-Missouri River state.
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong is among several Missouri River governors who oppose the House provision.
“Neither the federal government nor any individual state gets to tell North Dakota how to use Missouri River water as it passes through our state,” Armstrong said.
Allen Burgad, left, is the president of Valley City State University; Lisa Karch is the president of the North Dakota State College of Science. (Photos courtesy of the North Dakota University System)
By Jeff Beach
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education on Thursday named two interim college presidents to the long-term role.
Allen Burgad will lead Valley City State University and Lisa Karch will lead North Dakota State College of Science.
Burgad was approved unanimously after the board met in a closed-door executive session. In the vote approving Karch as president, two board members – Curtis Biller and Michelle Kommer — voted no.
They explained after the vote that they had confidence in Karch, but voted no because the board and North Dakota University System did not conduct a search, a departure from its usual process.
Tennessee resident George Raines works on mobility issues with physical therapist Brad Ellis, standing, in Chattanooga, Tenn., in March 2024. A new study details soaring costs for people who care for their older parents and other family members. (Photo by Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline)
By Anna Claire Vollers
Costs are soaring for people who care for their older parents and other family members, according to a new study.
Out-of-pocket expenses are nearly 60% higher than they were just five years ago for family caregivers, who now spend an average of $11,508 a year on caregiving, according to a report released this week by AARP, a nonprofit that advocates for people aged 50 and older.
Across the U.S., 63 million people care for family members, preparing meals, managing medications, attending medical appointments and performing other daily tasks for their loved ones. The report found a 50% increase in the number of adults providing such care over the past decade.
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North Dakota has launched a website to show the public more about the state’s $15 billion Legacy Fund and how it’s invested.
North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge joins host Craig Blumenshine to describe what the new site provides and what information remains out of view.
A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.
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FROM STATES NEWSROOM
Rebecca Crozier, 27, of Meridian, Idaho, poses in October 2026 with mementos from her baby, Haven. At 11 weeks, she received a fatal fetal diagnosis of anencephaly, and had to travel out of state to terminate the pregnancy because of her state’s near-total abortion ban. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Stateline)
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
MERIDIAN, Idaho — It didn’t take long for doctors to see that something was amiss with Rebecca Crozier’s pregnancy.
At 11 weeks, she received a fatal fetal diagnosis of anencephaly, and had to travel out of state to terminate the pregnancy because of Idaho's near-total abortion ban. It’s one of 11 states that do not have exceptions for anencephaly or other fatal anomalies.
On Tuesday, Idahoans will vote to determine whether the state’s near-total abortion ban should remain the law. Proposition 1, the title of the citizen-led ballot measure, would restore access to abortion until fetal viability, which was the state law before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
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