By Amy Dalrymple | Editor
“If the PSC doesn't have any authority to direct where a pipeline goes or that it’s safe, what role does the PSC have in regulating a pipeline?” - South Central Judicial District Court Judge Jackson Lofgren, during a hearing related to the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.
North Dakota Public Service Commission attorney Zachary Pelham attends a hearing on April 2, 2026, in Fargo. On Tuesday, Pelham argued on behalf of the PSC in a hearing on the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. (Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)
By Jeff Beach
An attorney for North Dakota’s Public Service Commission said Tuesday that the agency can’t consider public safety when issuing a pipeline permit.
Attorney Zachary Pelham said while the commission must consider public welfare, that doesn’t include safety.
“Welfare and safety are two distinct things,” Pelham said during a hearing on a dispute over the permit for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.
Two counties and a group of landowners have sued the Public Service Commission and Summit over what attorneys said were flaws in the permit approval process. The lawsuit seeks to rescind the permit and send the application back to the PSC for further review.
Dr. Joshua Deere, left, and Kelby Azure are newly appointed members to the State Board of Higher Education. Board Chair Kevin Black also was reappointed. (Photos courtesy of Governor’s Office)
By North Dakota Monitor Staff
A leader in the healthcare industry will join the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.
Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Tuesday announced that Dr. Joshua Deere, president of Grand Forks-based Altru Health System, will join the board. Deere also is a family medicine physician.
Armstrong also reappointed Kevin Black of Minot, the current board chair, and named Mayville State student Kelby Azure to a one-year term as the board’s student member.
The U.S. Capitol on the evening of Sept. 30, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
By Amelia Twyman
The U.S. House voted Tuesday to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide in a bipartisan move that pushes the country one step closer to ending the long-contested ritual of semiannual clock changes.
The House passed the measure, called the Sunshine Protection Act, 308-117. Its future in the Senate is uncertain.
North Dakota Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak voted in favor of the legislation. It’s been a topic of debate in the North Dakota Legislature.
Security stands outside ICE headquarters while the Congressional Hispanic Caucus rallies on Feb. 3, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
By Ariana Figueroa
The Department of Homeland Security Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to cease vehicle-related enforcement stops, following the deadly shootings of two men in their vehicles, according to multiple media reports.
A DHS spokesperson did not respond directly to States Newsroom’s question about what was characterized in some reports as a new nationwide order.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican who is up for reelection in one of the nation’s most closely watched races, said on social media Tuesday that she spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday night and “urged him to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops.” ICE officers killed a 26-year-old Colombian man with legal status in his vehicle in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday.
EARLIER ND MONITOR NEWS AND COMMENTARY
FROM STATES NEWSROOM
An aerial view shows a data center situated near single-family homes in Stone Ridge, Va. New York became the first state to halt the construction of new data centers Tuesday, following an executive order from Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
By Alex Brown
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, issued an executive order Tuesday that puts a moratorium on the construction of large-scale data centers.
The pause, which will last up to a year, is the nation’s first statewide ban on data centers, which have drawn increasing concern from lawmakers and citizens based on their impact on electricity prices and the energy grid.
“As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said in a statement.
Air quality alert issued for parts of Minnesota as wildfires continue | Minnesota Reformer
Darline Graham, Lindsey’s sister, sworn in as his US Senate replacement | Shauneen Miranda
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