By Jeff Beach | Deputy editor
“Whoever thought this was going to be a fairly simple process didn’t have a clue.” - John Dyste, president of the North Dakota Grocers Association, on changes to SNAP food purchases.
Candy sits on the shelves at a retail store in Bismarck on Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
By Ceilidh Kern
A ban on purchasing candy, soda and other sweetened drinks with federal food assistance was postponed for North Dakotans days before it was set to take effect.
The restrictions on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program were expected to take effect Sept. 1, followed by a three-month grace period to give retailers more time to update their systems.
But the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday morning that the start date for the waiver is postponed to Nov. 1.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sits with kindergarteners, first and second graders at the Sweet Briar School near Mandan, North Dakota, on Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo by Jack Dura/North Dakota Monitor)
By Jack Dura
The top U.S. education official on Thursday visited a small rural school in the rolling hills west of Mandan, part of her national education tour.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited the Sweet Briar School, joined by U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., and Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler, who was North Dakota’s K-12 superintendent from 2013-2025.
School board members, state lawmakers, State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier and others watched as McMahon, Fedorchak and Baesler moved between grades and chatted with the approximately 25 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
A woman uses the TikTok app. (Photo by Thicha Satapitanon/Getty Images)
By Monitor Staff
The State Board of Higher Education on Thursday voted to repeal a ban on TikTok for devices owned by North Dakota public colleges and universities.
The move follows Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s action that rescinded a 2022 executive order banning TikTok from devices owned by state agencies.
Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., hands out informational packets on Trump Accounts during an event in Bismarck discussing the new accounts on May 11, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
By Monitor Staff
North Dakota Republican U.S. House Rep. Julie Fedorchak will host a virtual forum Tuesday.
The forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. Central. North Dakotans who wish to participate must register in advance through Fedorchak’s website.
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In this two-part podcast episode, we preview North Dakota’s special legislative session and how citizens can make their voices heard.
North Dakota Monitor editor Amy Dalrymple joins host Craig Blumenshine to highlight what legislation will be considered next week and how the public can participate.
Monitor contributor Ceilidh Kern brings an update to the state’s plan to prohibit people from using food assistance to buy soda, candy and other unhealthy foods. The policy was set to take effect Sept. 1, but is postponed until Nov. 1.
A Closer Look with the Monitor is a partnership with Prairie Public's Main Street.
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