From Fargo to the Future: North Dakota’s Moment in the Spotlight (10-29-25)

This is the flag 50,000 watt patriotic blowtorch of the Red River Valley right Kev All across the great heartland of America Right on Busy-dang show today Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney Fargo City Commission member Dave pepcorn. We’re going to fix that hot mess of downtown Evidently there are some calls That the Fargo PD is now not doing we’re going to find out what that’s all about. That’s according to Commissioner pepcorn What else we got for you today the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber’s got a big announcement today on the Civic engagement piece.

We’ll talk a little bit about that and Oh my gosh crack the code With the one and only Senator John Holman. We have that today We got Brian Kilmeade and Jimmy Fela a lot is what we have going today on what’s on your mind We’re going to start with something. It should be on your calendar If you care about keeping North Dakota business friendly if you care about low taxes if you care about low crime these folks Do a lot of good work making sure that Cass County Has Republicans that represent them in the legislature, and I can’t explain why? But a lot of people in particular districts.

They might you know They’re talking about Hovind a Kramer for door Chuck a little bit of Kelly Armstrong here And they’re very often don’t pay attention to the statewide office holders let alone legislators or school board members That is a very dangerous Which is why Carter? Eisinger chair of the Cass County Republicans. I call it the URC United Republican Committee is Active as an engineer has a day job Just says I got to get more involved So he joins us for a couple of minutes to tell us about an event coming up very soon Carter. How are you? How about you doing good, thank you very much, so did I describe Adequately or miss anything about what you guys are up to No absolutely URC is an organization of the Republican district chairs in Cass County Our mission is broad, but it has a singular focus to get Republicans elected all throughout our state and especially our county Of course as you know in Fargo a lot of our positions are nonpartisan so mayor city commissioner school board Our intent isn’t to make those partisan positions But what we do as the URC is we endorse we research we talk to candidates and ultimately we put out endorsements We tell people in Cass County.

Hey, this is a candidate who agrees with your views this agrees with the Republican agenda Elect this person to this office help me understand what the Republican agenda is I’ll give you two examples I know that I didn’t like the fact that Governor Kelly Armstrong vetoed a legislation related to books that didn’t belong in libraries He did it in his view based on the fact that it would be in court wouldn’t stand up constitutionally I didn’t much care. I’d have taken the court fight He also vetoed school choice legislation Because he didn’t think it was Good enough, and we could do better I said let’s start somewhere and so did a lot of other people, but Kelly Armstrong is a good governor and 99 point some odd percent of what he Put forward and the legislature ultimately approved was really good So when you define the Republican agenda because Republican agenda could have been what I’m describing on the books or the or the thing Some of us disagree. How do you make those decisions? And how do you decide what the Republican agenda is good? Yeah, no, I’m right there with you Scott some those were two decisions I personally didn’t agree with but really the Republican agenda stems from the idea of party politics We need to find ways to work together to advance our most pressing common interests A lot of those are enshrined at the Republican Party platform.

You can go to the ND GOP website It’s right there in shiny letters the Republican Party platform. This is what we stand for This is what our elected officials are expected to put forward as their policies in the legislature You know when it comes to those local positions, they aren’t they aren’t required We don’t expect them to hold it every single part of the party platform in the same way They aren’t Republicans the same way But at the end of the day right every you ask anybody what a Republican is They’re going to give you a different answer that platform is what we agree on as our common interests Those are the things we fight for it’s been a while since I read it. I don’t remember if the school choice or the School library porn ban.

I don’t remember if that was part of our platform, right? That’s kind of where it stems from Scott. So that’s what I’m fighting for. That’s what I believe in Can you think of one thing in the platform that a majority of Republicans are not for that? You know, it’s sort of like push and prod a little bit even for elected Republicans.

That is different than what’s in the platform That’s a good question Um, I sure hope there isn’t I’m if you if you see something in the Republican Party platform that you don’t agree with people should be getting involved at the district Level people should be showing up to the state convention. We’re having our state convention I believe in my not this year if there’s something in that platform that most Republicans don’t agree with You need to show up to get that change get something changed get something added get something removed I would say do it in in a sense that if I am at Thanksgiving dinner and My sister is I don’t know orange man bad or something. I don’t know that I’m going to engage I’m just going to say well Here’s what I think and maybe we can agree to disagree should the Republican Party work that way or should we go guns a-blazin and say? We’re not going to endorse you.

We’re not going to you know, help you or we’re gonna oppose you What would be the better of the two approaches from your perspective? Well, I think a lot of it depends on the issue a lot of it depends on what revolves around that particular issue I see a meme kind of go around every now and then Scott Says no as kids we were taught not to talk about religion and politics in the dinner table What we really should have been taught is how to talk about religion and politics, right? There’s a place for that a lot of times. I call my grandma She’s lived in the Twin Cities, and she’s very concerned about what’s going on So we talk politics am I going to do the same thing with a random person off the street? Am I going to talk the same way to my grandmother as I talk to someone who I know doesn’t agree with me? No, I’m not but at the same time right I’m not compromising my values if there’s something I believe in and someone says hey like this is I don’t I like how this is going I don’t like how this is going if I disagree with that we can have a civil conversation. I think having civil conversations Figuring out where we agree and working on those things particularly.

I think that’s how we move forward as a society and in politics Yeah, right now I’m gonna vote for you for state chair of the Republican Party because I think all this is a lot of common sense Without question, but you can conquer Cass County first and then take care of the rest from there But I agree and I love the line how we talk about politics because we should I think sometimes our Republican Party rank-and-file not all some Say Kelly does this wrong Hogan does this wrong Kramer does this wrong Julia? And I’m like okay look at how big of margins they win by Let’s just talk about how we think differently in politics. Let’s not burn the house down It sounds like we’re aligned in that thinking quickly Tell me about politics in a plate when it is who will be speaking why you want to get it on folks’s calendars Yeah, so the URC in Cass County has been doing politics on a plate for years a decades I’m told Big reason why we do those is because we want to put the electorate that voters you you to the scene to the station We want to put you in front of your elected officials We want to put you in front of people who are running for office who are your elected officials who are doing the work? That you may or may not agree with So every month at the Avalon usually the first Wednesday of the month Avalon provides an absolutely fantastic meal those chefs are just fantastic a couple months ago. We had brisket So I’m not promising what we’re gonna have this month But just to let you know there’s a lot of good food there so this month in November on November 5th We invited turning point so actually their regional director Dalton Nelson will be present at politics in a plate with us Doors open at 1130 on November the 5th.

You can go to you are C and D Org that’s you are C and D org to sign up either pay online ahead of time or pay at the door We’ll be there usually about an hour and a half great conversation. I’m sure he’ll be taking questions And then in December just for everyone’s awareness. We are having Cass County Commissioner Tony Grinberg attending So I’ll kind of wrap up our 2025 series of politics in a plate We’ve got a lot of exciting people working on getting them lined up for the 2026 season going into election season in June So we’d love to see you there all are welcome Come if you’d like to get to know your local politicians a little bit more ask some tough questions here They’re good answers, and yeah, that’s exactly what we’re trying to promote is that conversation between Not only people in Cass County, but between people in Cass County and their elected officials I know Dalton by the way you’ll get a great briefing on turning point USA and what they’re doing a post Losing their leader to assassination are we all lean into their group We have an event November 15th to and Carter.

You’re invited as my guest to see Brian Kilmeade Jimmy Fela in our Charlie Cook Tribute Freedom matters USA calm for more information than that. I’m out of town next Wednesday I’d love to be there because I think it’d be great to hear from but the following Month for sure on Tony Grinberg great idea because we got a lean in on that as well Politics in a plate get it on your calendar next Wednesday Avalon food he’s right. It’s so good.

Okay, and Again, it’s you are cnd.org for information and all the goodies there, right? Yep, thanks so much Scott. Thanks card Appreciate it Fargo mayor Tim Mahoney after this back on what’s on your I’m busy news day Brian Kilmeade Jimmy Fela will join us Senator John Hoven on the program big big big economic development announcement that includes team Kevin O’Leary coming up Actually at the top of next hour. We’re gonna do that a little earlier than usual to accommodate their schedule So stay tuned for that and remember coming up.

What is it three Saturdays from now Fargo Holiday Inn Jimmy? Fela and Fox and Friends superstar Brian Kilmeade will be in Fargo at the Holiday Inn for tickets freedom matters USA comm or event bright comm they’re going fast if you’re interested in being a Sponsor we have all access passes to all of our events including the America 250 celebrations Somebody is coming on July Something or another for the presidential library opening out in Medora I don’t remember who it is exactly, but I think his initials are Donald Trump Anyway, that’s the rumor so a lot of events between now and then supporting the mission of turning point USA Fargo mayor Tim Mahoney checking in on the news line. Good morning. Mr. Mayor.

How are you? Good Scott. How are you? I’m doing well. Thank you Want to talk a little bit about the action Monday night at the City Commission meeting? I was thrilled I said it on the air yesterday.

I know we’ve talked about this a long time probably too long but you got an action plan and We’re moving transitioning away from an engagement center to tell me about what the new facility will do and the name So it’s a resource and referral center It’s very similar what the VA does if you look at what the VA is done successfully in the community is they get all the vets Into housing get them into treatment get them into the places they need to be That is that next to the federal building quietly doing its work and everybody’s been pleased with our outcomes We are working with Southeast Human Services to have a better system In which people can be referred taking care of get into addiction get into counseling get into mental health Those issues in a one-shot stop Monday through Friday eight to five and what we can do is then get people to the places they need to get We’re coordinating also with Human Services the state of North Dakota governor and I’ve been talking about can we do it better than we’ve done it In the past so rotations through jails doesn’t work rotations through mental health doesn’t work We got to get some system in which people get into treatments and we manage it better than not As you know, I know you know Scott if people have mental health illness, so they don’t take their meds They don’t do well, so you got to get them in some kind of system in which people will respond to that So we see it as an opportunity we’re gonna ask for donations from the community just like churches United We’ve got people that have said they would donate that money does not affect my budget in any way Does not affect what goes on in City of Fargo. We’ve set up a path forward There was a 4-0 vote to move it from downtown And it was a 3-0 vote last night And what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna raise the money if we don’t raise the money We won’t move forward so pretty straightforward by the way I heard it was called the Resource and Recovery Center. You mentioned referral is One of the other what is it? Hi could be recoveries too.

I’m sorry referrals kind of something. I’ve always put in there, but it’s recovery Yeah, and resource obviously can be referral I I’m glad you’re putting recovery in that because that’s really talk to law enforcement It’s the frequent flyers the same all the time the same ones and they need help You know and and recovery is a big piece of that you mentioned if you don’t take your meds Well when you have mental health and health issues sometimes you don’t want to take the meds, so then Then there is the challenge, and you know I the other piece of this I have to ask you is about harm reduction. That’s the term they use in the big cities I’ve done a ride-along with law enforcement downtown Fargo before I’ve talked to community engagement folks And they’ll say something like you know maybe they just need a bottle of water Maybe they need a meal and we got to start there because maybe they don’t want a house They call it harm reduction.

I think that’s cruel Right because I like the model that you’re talking about much better human services is there you know recovery things are there There’s there’s all kinds of things don’t do harm reduction. I fix the problem am I wrong Well the only thing about the harm reduction part of those people who get any kind of center like this are ten times as likely To get into a program if you don’t have anything then that they drift And they don’t get into anything if we have a program and there are ten times as likely Scott to Accept some help and get somewhere and get someplace else if you listen at some of the non You can listen to some of the people economy is flat right now You know that our sales tax is flat as it’s ever been and it makes everybody concerned because we used to have a sales tax Three to five percent people aren’t spending money right now But we feel that if we can kind of you catch people and get moving forward then that that’ll be helpful And then to your other point on recovery your only opportunity our nonprofits then can go in this space so right now We don’t have space for everybody to be in this building. We have this will allow nonprofits to come in space We have a variety different nonprofits that will help us out and when people talk about hey Tim Can we get not carry the whole cost of the city of Fargo? I say yes We can do that the state put some money in for us this year to help us with the budget So we’re starting to transition some of that can other people help us solve this issue And are there nonprofits out there that can help us and that’s going to be really the experiment.

Yeah, let me By the way, I think some of that should be churches I mean, they’re the ones that can go pray for these people. These are the ones that can be the loving arm wrapped around them I’ll tell you a story I Spoke at the pond top it in church in downtown Fargo And as I was pulling up and a little close to the time I was speaking so I didn’t have time two people freezing outside The community engagement center. Okay, clearly homeless and literally outside the door places and open on Sunday I go into church.

I left my coat. So I go to go back in the church is locked So here’s the church and this locked and I say why is it locked? Well downtown, you know homelessness you’re a church for crying out loud. I mean shouldn’t they help to Yeah, we’ve reached out the faith community and said you have to have part of this as well And you know, and I know the Church United does a great job but we also tried to motivate the faith community to get back involved with that Scott and I think part of the issue they’re Having they’re having a hard time fighting volunteers So what we hear sometimes is people just aren’t volunteering like they used to So that will be a good challenge that we’ll put out to the churches as well Hey, you got to get involved got to help us out Yeah, big time a couple of the quick things here.

Something was mentioned last night. This is from Chris Larson in our news team I’m sorry yesterday afternoon with Dave pepcorn who’s going to be here at 10 today to talk about this as well that he is Concerned that the Fargo PD is now eliminating some calls for services. They’re not even responding to do you know anything about that? That’s totally false.

The chief and I just had a meeting on Monday. They’re running all the calls are getting good response rates out there They’re getting out there and seeing people that need to be done Our traffic our traffic team has been out there. If you look at the amount of arrests we’ve made with the traffic cream is astronomical It’s just way up from where it’s been We’re making great gains in many areas and that that is a false head I’m very frustrated with pepcorn right now He doesn’t understand what’s really going on.

And if you get the facts out there, we respond to every call you 9-1-1 We’ll have a cop there and what we had for a while people just didn’t like Downtown having a bunch of cops only come down and take care of something But that’s what’s got to happen. If you have an issue and you have concerned about a dollar 9-1-1 We’ll get an officer over there and we’ll take care of it. Our Crime Center is helping We have a crime center right now that has cameras on so you can see if somebody does something and before you can charge Them with a crime.

Oh, if we got it on tape, we can charge them with the crime I’m making more more rest than we’ve ever made. So I we only have a couple minutes left So I just want to go quickly here. I heard a while ago that for instance driveaways from gas stations.

You don’t call on So you talked about downtown, but that’s that’s a long-standing. I don’t necessarily agree with it But is he talking about that or is he talking about something else? Do you know I? Don’t know what he’s talking about because what happened is we transitioned the downtown falls from the engagement center to call policemen and that has changed Dramatically the issues downtown and we address things quicker now and that’s just as much better for the downtown if you talk to Rocky Schneider He’s getting a much better response downtown and we’re improving the experience downtown All right, last question for you only minute to answer. You just said something that alarmed me sales taxes flat.

Why do you believe it’s flat? The economy people just aren’t spending money, so it’s all throughout the city It’s not just in our downtown area when you look at the retail downtown It’s not hitting this where it should be hitting but when we look at the sales act this last year Scott We are at point five negative We’re not positive and it’s just a concern because the sales tax goes into the flood diversion and those types of things And it just concerns the public is that what’s going on, you know? And I’m hoping now with interest rates coming down people will spend more money And the other issue you heard is our budget is busted. Our budget is not busted. Our budget is doing fine city Our size will have a billion dollars in debt and that’s all for municipal debt That’s very protected Our city is doing a great job and we’ve been rated numerous times at other parties that we have one of the most stable Financial plans of any city in the Midwest.

So if people get out there and say we’re not doing it, right We are doing it right and we followed all the principles that we’ve always had in there that we’re laid out really basically started with furnace Went with Denny and is with me as well Stay in touch on that because I know there were some bumps related to the cost overruns in the budget But nonetheless appreciate the quick update talk soon mayor Tim Mahoney of Fargo more coming up you know, what’s great about the USA and America is The state’s created the federal government and we often forget that in the Constitution and There are states that are pro-business. There are states that are anti business Chris Wright the Secretary of Energy was here not long ago and he said you have the Most business-friendly state in the entire 50 states Some people hear that and they think oh, it’s just Corporate welfare and you give money to robber barons and stuff. No, no, no, no, no.

No. No, what it means is you can move faster here Hashtag speed kills I’ve written columns about this Speed kills and North Dakota is right now at the tip of the spear in Many things because we are business-friendly because our elected leaders do anything to walk on broken glass If it’s about helping North Dakota making North Dakota better bringing kids and grandkids back And I can’t think of anyone who got that better than Kevin O’Leary. Mr. Wonderful who spend an inordinate amount of time in North Dakota as did our next guest is the CEO and general partner of O’Leary ventures and that’s a good thing a really good thing that gives us enormous opportunity because Kevin O’Leary and Paul Polanjan is joining us here in a moment could be anywhere literally on earth You mean Abu Dhabi in the Alberta Canada in West Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, but they spent a lot of time right here Why is the question to that and that’s our first question for our guest Paul Polanjan Paul.

Thank you for joining us. How are you? I’m great great to be with you Scott great to be with you as well and Had the pleasure of meeting you when Kevin has been here before and I’m always impressed of the amount of time You spend here. Why do you and Kevin O’Leary spend as much time in North Dakota as you do? well You know, there’s there’s business reasons for that and then there’s cultural and personal reasons for that, you know, first and foremost We got to know North Dakota almost serendipitously through a small investment We made through Shark Tank PRX Fitness, which then went on to have great success and build a manufacturing plant in North Dakota that Drew Kevin to North Dakota and it was kind of when he first put boots on the ground On a follow-up for Shark Tank that he started to learn about the state met leadership and came away from it with a an aha moment of The opportunities are boundless here from a business perspective But then as we all know opportunities are a dime a dozen at the end of the day Leadership matters business policy matters but the culture of the people probably matters most and what we’ve been most impressed by is that there’s kind of a preserved Sense of lost Americana that comes out in the culture of the North Dakota people it’s a culture of hard work.

It’s a culture of of integrity and honesty and many of the things that Ultimately we see are lost in the major cities and on the coasts so we think the heartland is where it’s at as You said earlier North Dakota is just the tip of the spear and then there are many Fundamental Superpowers that the state has that make it poised to capitalize on what we think are five decades of megatrend that’s gonna Unfold in the years to come. So tell me about the superpowers What are our superpowers that attract you and and others to invest here? Well, this is known to your audience You know 44 million acres 39 million of which are ag the state is relatively flat It’s rich in natural resources It’s small population Which can be a weakness in terms of workforce and workforce? Retention in terms of growth is also a superpower in that. There’s not a lot of red tape There’s pro-business policy you your former Governor governor Burgum who’s now secretary of interior very entrepreneurial and forward-thinking and Not provincial in his approach to things I think really started to unlock the full potential of the state now You’ve got Kelly Armstrong in there and this guy is You know a super governor.

He’s he’s he’s got vision he’s got leadership chops, and he wants to put North Dakota right in the in the front of everybody’s you know a Dialogue in terms of where this country is going and then you’ve got senators Hoeven and Kramer that sit that have are kind of Titans in the political landscape But then also in the business landscape and they tie into everything that’s happening in the country everything that matters right now power infrastructure Technology defense, you know, they’re sitting on these committees. And so you’ve got this kind of At the top you’ve got this this pyramid Armstrong Hoeven and Kramer that are poised to be Very advantaged for the state as it relates to federal funding and policy and And and you know, it’s all there. It’s like a blank canvas That’s how I would describe the state of North Dakota It’s not even started to realize its full potential, but all of the key ingredients are there and I could go on I don’t know how much time we have Scott, but you know between the the talent pool coming out of UND and NDSU between the what’s happened out in Grand Forks near the Air Force Base with Grand Sky and Advantis and the Hive Phenomenal mayor out there Mayor Brandon Bochenski Just driving a lot of the defense techs, you know, you’ve got you’ve got You’ve got Space Force out there really interesting Ingredients to capitalizing on major trends across the country in Minot where there’s going to be a lot of federal spending in and around the Air Force Base You could have a huge renaissance in that economy.

One of our investments. There is pig-iron manufacturing, which we think is critically important for national security and our economic independence as a country everything that’s happening in Fargo with the entrepreneurship ecosystem and Jamestown and everywhere in between There’s just a massive opportunity so We love it But we love it first and foremost because of the way that we’ve been treated by the people the way we’ve been welcomed And you know, I think sky’s the limit. There is no limit to what the state can do What would limit that limit? What what do we need to do going forward to make sure I know You you Kevin allure is out here in April met with everybody to explain basically You got a tiger by the tail related to everything you mentioned in the way of resources here for intelligence factories Doug Burgum won’t let me call them data centers anymore because it sounds like you’re processing insurance claims and some little tiny insurance company but intelligence factories and You and I followed up and Kevin did as well a month or so, maybe a month and a half after April Everything we talked about in April has changed 80% of the data centers being proposed right now You know a big event suppress conferences are not going to be built.

So how do we make sure we’re ready for that wave Paul? Well, you know and I think I’ve said this to you before in private conversations The state has to get off the sidelines there I think you know, I’ve articulated everything that I think the state has going for it But also, you know when you have a relatively small population you you tend to get Some folks who are involved in decision-making with a very provincial attitude and approach some skepticism to outsiders like us and Then there’s always a competitive spirit that would say well if all this opportunity is here Let’s keep it for ourselves and not open our market up and not tell the story and there’s a kind of a humility And then there’s also a protective Approach that I think could ultimately impede the state’s ability to really take off Specifically you’ve got Various pools of capital in the form of the state pension fund and land trust these are huge pools of capital that In our opinion should be allocated in a more effective manner towards in-state investment towards public-private Partnership towards aligning with with investors in a way That would attract more investment bring the whole ecosystem to the state Yeah, and what you just described there is a brilliant. It really is Let’s talk more about it after the break and I want to hear more about that pig iron P.i.g. pig iron a project in my not pretty cool All right, 20 past the hour. Paul Blangeon is with us.

He’s In Kevin O’Leary’s world. Mr. Wonderful as we call him here CEO and general partner for O’Leary ventures Before we finish our chat with him. I want to tell you that speaking of North Dakota and our opportunities We are pleased to have Fox News stars Brian Kilmeade and Jimmy Fala come Thursday November 15th, we have transformed free manners USA Which is a wonderful organization that brought Charlie Kirk to North Dakota many times and now that Charlie’s gone His legacy lives on through a movement that is changing lives last time.

I interviewed Charlie. I said, here’s the deal We’re going to be number one in North Dakota per capita with students and chapters of turning point USA in high schools and colleges and So that’s my mission Brian Kilmeade Jimmy Fala coming to help help that we got VIP tickets we have sponsorship opportunities for roundtables we have Tickets for veterans and students at 20 bucks. We have VIP experiences Go to freedom matters USA commerges book your ticket now at event bright and I’m gonna fly out Pick them up flying back because they Fox is only letting them be gone for like I don’t know 28 hours or something And you can be rest assured my entire time in the plane is going to be do you know what’s going on with our egg? Economy, do you know what’s going on with our tech economy? Do you know what’s going on in energy and Brian Kilmeade knows? He’s been here once he was on a horse with Doug Burgum and loved it but he we’re gonna take him out to the western North Dakota see Medora see the library and Get these guys talking about what’s happening here So nationally people realize what opportunities are available to us and that’s what Paul Palenjan is talking about today in the program So quickly recap if you will the buckets of opportunity We have in North Dakota that are obviously invested in something you’re talking about the land trust you talk about to all these different You know things where we squirrel away money.

What would be like your top three or four examples of that Paul? Forgive me examples of Where the opportunities lie? No more like okay. Yeah opportunity, but I mean like Bank of North Dakota as I don’t know nine billion on assets We’re 13 billion now in our sovereign wealth fund legacy oil fund you mentioned the land trust Top three do you think we could better leverage would be what? well You know all of those pools of capital. I think Bank of North Dakota actually performs beautifully in its function to act as an accelerant for Businesses Investments things to get started in the state what state pension funds generally do is they hire third-party consultants? those third-party consultants and and and you can think of a pension fund as Kind of decision making is kind of a four-legged stool You’ll have the you have the pension fund board and that could be private sector people who sit on For example the state investment board, then you have third-party consultants Then you have the lawyer that represents it and nobody wants to Be seen as taking unnecessary risk they tend to be very risk averse and they tend to allocate capital To huge brand names, but in the case of North Dakota these are brand names that are not in turn Investing back in the state.

They’re just kind of checking a box So there’s very much a cover your rear end type attitude with how that capital is generally deployed and what I’m the point I’m making To you is the state I think to capitalize on the opportunity before us massive opportunities in power and infrastructure massive opportunities to build AI Factories massive opportunities in defense and defense tech Massive opportunities in health care because the ag industry in and of itself and the state feeds the world We know that but also those are the raw materials for some of the clean energies for some of the new technologies that are developing for biopharmaceutical manufacturing Literally every major opportunity that is before the country and that will lead the way is is is Organic to the state of North Dakota and and and so in order for that to happen the state has to tell its story better We’re happy to do that for you. It needs to attract outside capital It needs to bring the ecosystem there because you know Generally, the point I’m making is in the future The only competitive advantage anyone’s gonna have any state any investor is the rate at which they change And so insofar as there might be friction to go outside of the box try new things Leverage the state’s balance sheet to start to invest and bring that world to the state It’s gonna miss the opportunity. That’s my concern Yeah, Michael for our house majority leader likes to say we need to manage cash better And we got a lot of cash in a lot of buckets and what you just described is a massive opportunity for North Dakota If we’re nimble enough if we can do a little non North Dakota uncomfortable, right? We don’t like uncomfortable, but if we get a little uncomfortable just like Donald Trump is doing you look at the MP materials deal He said we need rare earth minerals to be China We’ll take an equity position and literally the federal government owns part of MP materials who couldn’t get even a bank loan Because of our China screws us.

That’s the example I only have four minutes left but I want to talk about kind of the opportunities where a state pension fund could play along and And help move something happen in North Dakota. And that is this pig-iron project in my nut that O’Leary ventures is Investing in and there is a private-public partnership of sorts there Give me your best 90 seconds on this massive announcement in my nut. Well What you have is an entrepreneur who identified in the iron range a lot of already mined raw materials that are suitable for the production in, Minnesota suitable for the production of Pig-iron pig-iron is one of the primary inputs for steel manufacturing and right now Almost all of the pig-iron in the United States that goes to the major steel manufacturers is imported And so the opportunity is to take it Without mining and we already have leases and permits in place to bring that raw material from, Minnesota By rail into North Dakota turn it into pig-iron We’re gonna we’re gonna create two million metric tons per annum of pig-iron at a 30% lower cost And it’s currently being imported FOB nor leaves It’s a massive opportunity and it ties directly to national security.

And so Jim Bougalas who’s the leader of that initiative? Had an idea it was a brilliant vision what we did was we stepped in as the lead investor In a 15 million dollar round that we wrote our largest check to date in the in the wonder fund which is Five million dollars and we led that transaction and then we were helpful in underwriting that in the state and the Commerce Department also Co-invested in that and the company has received many grants Clean energy. It’s going to be green pig-iron in the way. He’s manufacturing it and he’s gone to my not and he’s And my not has kind of rolled out the red carpet for him to identify land near the intermodal site Which is also important in terms of logistics and distribution once it’s manufactured and he’s tied up about 3,000 acres and it’s a huge Opportunity and we’ve got Cantor As the bank that’s going out to the market to raise money and a massive uplift Incredible and we’re going to learn more about this in the days to come But that’s an example of catching the wave from folks who see opportunity that maybe we don’t see always Can’t wait to be in flip-flops in Miami and see you soon Paul.

Thanks for this wonderful update. Take care Thank you so much Brian, thanks for doing this. Thanks for coming to North Dakota.

It’s gonna be great I enjoyed my first trip ever to North Dakota. I’m sure the second one’s gonna be even better Yeah, a lot’s happened since then you were here talking to Doug Burgum about whether he might be VP whether he might be Secretary of something or other that worked out. Okay, didn’t I? Think he’s happier now.

I mean, I mean besides being president I think he really believes that this is his better job even vice president is great and JD Vance is being utilized and Unlike the previous vice president is totally effective, but I think Doug is really in his sweet spot right now I think he loves it. In fact, I saw him two weeks ago and He just better than he could have thought he said I said, well, how is it because it’s everything It’s even better than I was hoping and if you had to critique Trump on down What what’s your what’s your view of how they’re doing? I? He’s doing great and I think he’s enjoying himself I’m just amazed the perception is either doing great and you listen to other channels and he’s the worst ever still Even though you have things like the New York Times and Washington Post giving him a break sometimes and you know Even warning Joe, even though they’re my competition. I’ll flip over and look at some clips and They’re admitting that a lot of the stuff he does that everyone thought showed that he was inexperienced Instincts have been really good and he’s disrupted the way people do foreign policy and the way they do trade deals and the way they Do all deals and he’s got us got him to the point where the world at first was making fun of him He’s an illegitimate president John Kerry going around the world telling everyone he’s gonna be impeached So now they’re saying wow, you know what four years with him four years without him I can appreciate him a little bit more and for the first time in our lifetime We’re watching a president get additional another four years after watching from the outside and I think he’s used it He went from the least experienced president to the most And because those four years he used as learning learning curve, so he came back even better I’m not sure.

I know anybody better in the business. You’re in then And you know as a historian like your Doris Kearns Goodwin good on all of this stuff You’ve written about Teddy Roosevelt. You’ve seen a lot of this You know how the ebbs and flows work Is he Lincoln ask is he Reagan ask is he Washington s like how is history gonna see this guy I Think the thing that’s different.

It’s gonna judge him differently. It’s his business instinct I mean we never had a president go. I just got to be she to put a hundred hours into country.

I just got Japan to open up five new plants and buy certain f-150s and go. Hey, how come I don’t see how come I don’t see Chrysler’s In Germany, we never had anybody like that. You know, we just All we has people talk about free trade you know and we never had somebody just so focused on raising money and and getting things bigger and better and And he’s got the law enforcement instinct and he’s got this sense He’s got to build up the military, but I think it he has the opposite sense of someone who gets a big military He doesn’t want to use it, but he wants to show people that he would so he wouldn’t have to so I don’t know.

I don’t think great good really describes it I think he’s so different and I think we do you know, you can’t judge somebody’s four-year College career. Yeah after nine months of their freshman year. So I look at this as great nine months a lot of potential But I think I think continue to all those things that you opened up the Reorganizing of trade the realignment in the Middle East They’re bringing peace to where there was war if you if you can go ahead and build on that then then you could be great Where’s the pitfalls? Where’s the peril? What do you worry about? I worry about people Inadvertently letting him down where the first time they were intentionally thought they were helping the country by letting them down.

I don’t love The battle right now with Kristi Noem and John Holman Tom Holman Tom Holman’s right worse first I don’t like firing 12 ice leaders They would have with the hardest job in America They have these Democratic mayors and governors making them the bad guys yet They’re law enforcement trying to get rid of illegal immigrant criminals Then don’t put them in bad spots and don’t fire them because the numbers aren’t high enough Yeah, I mean two million are gone that we’re here and now we’re trying to round up criminals. Let them do the Criminals, I like to let Tom Holman take the lead Um, but I Don’t know if they’re the one the right people to be taking the lead I’d much rather Tom Holman do that and I think that people to get over their skis So maybe Howard Lutnick a few times talking too much Inadvertently hurt the president, but I think it’s like anything else you have great cabinet secretaries You have people that are new to government and maybe saying too much like in Lutnick’s case But are they gonna adjust and get in line, but I what they got to iron it out at homeland I think in a weird way you tell me I’m wrong. He he loves this.

He loves Brooke Rollins in his ear Saying you know Hey, you got to do this. You got to do that and then in the other ear, you know, we got plenty of time for farmers We’ll take care of them right Basant in one ear saying I said, you know like we got to be careful in the tariffs and we got to get deals done Jamison Greer saying the same thing Howard Lutnick and You know other people yell in the other ear Don’t you think Trump loves us and just says oh, yeah, I’ll go with my gut and we’ll go You know why because these people around him are good at their jobs and they want to and they like him and they and they trust Him so sometimes in an effort to do things that they think are right Um, they’re not going about the right way, you know, you need you need somebody in the right place at the right time and I think people what I do it unlike the first time if you see someone overzealous or maybe wrong inaccurately focused it’s at a hustle these are called hustle mistakes as opposed to John Bolton who I was friendly with who said I know more than this guy. He shouldn’t be president So I’m gonna reign him in John Kelly a great American, but he didn’t like Trump so how Tillerson thought Trump we may have said horrible things about him.

Well, he’s the Secretary of State He’d walk around the country the word there are other countries and apologize For Trump, you think that Rubio’s doing that? Absolutely not You know You think that John Radcliffe at the CIA is out there trying to circumvent Trump or work with the Democrats against him? That’s not gonna happen. The FBI directed Christopher Wray recommended by by Chris Christie was Was not good That’s being kind, right? Yeah Yeah, stone-cold stupid is what he was. Yeah, and you’re so right on the on the contrast I do worry about impulsivity a little bit while it is his thing and I get Never doubt the guy like I’ve said the other day the farmers and ranchers look keep calm trust Trump.

He’s gonna get one place Related to better trade deals for you or he’s gonna take care of you on the other end Just let the guy work but like the you know The shot across the bow over the Reagan edited video to some rum-dumber mere who cares, right? I mean like I agree why go there, right? Yep, I agree. You know, he is worried about the tariff ruling at the Supreme Court and anybody brought too much emphasis on it No one cares what happens in Ontario So but that that’s the one thing that could rock him me back to your original question If the Supreme Court says he did not have the power to levy these tariffs It would be an absolute epic disaster. Our stock market will crash.

It’ll be It’ll be it’ll us. It’ll undermine his power and prestige Around the world, you know all these deals that we cut they go We’re gonna have to pay back the tariffs now there are things that we could do But well John Thune and John Thune and Mike Johnson could fix that in 15 seconds, couldn’t they? in what way Pass the law Trump doesn’t need to do it. We did it in Congress.

How could the Supreme Court argue with that? I Don’t know. I mean they got to go. They got a draft the law They got to pass the law and Rand Paul is not playing ball.

Tom Tillis is not playing ball Murkowski and and and Collins or a jump ball, you know, they just voted against the his Brazil tariffs. Yeah terrible So you can’t say that they have even control and if you need 60 to pass Yeah, you know and this is gonna happen in June, right We’ll know in June and the question is does China wait out the Supreme Court decision if I were no I don’t I think they’re coming in with a deal. I think there’s no doubt about it.

They’re coming in great point in the markets The fun part is we get to talk about all this and the literally every day We’re winning in big ways. The Democrats are worried about ballrooms and Boys and girls bathrooms like could we could we wish for better opponents in this? Right, I mean everybody should just say whatever you do make sure a Kamala Harris is not insulted or ridiculed She’s gonna run for president again. Do not stop her, right? Whatever you do.

Yes Yeah, I want on Kamala Kamala Kamala for president And and for the love of God make Tim Walz the VP again, please make that happen Minnesota better wise up and not reelect him, but you’re closer to that story and I guess he is Yeah, well, we’ll talk more about that when you’re out here Just talk quickly about coming back to Fargo. Obviously, we’ll talk a little TR. We’ll talk a little politics We’ll talk about all the fun on Fox like you’re just gonna have a blast, right? Absolutely and with Jimmy out there, too.

It’s gonna be fantastic So I look forward to coming back and going to the and meeting all these all-american people doing great things on a daily basis So, oh, it’ll be a fun weekend. What’s the favorite part of traveling for you when you get out to these events? I Love seeing new places. I mean, that’s the most important thing and then I love meeting people and giving their stories, you know There’s a lot of people who go on camera go on radio, but don’t really want to meet people and I’m not saying there’s an insult They just not into it.

I met people at Fox like yeah, that’s my nightmare. What’s your nightmare? Well go to these events or go to a bookstore and signing books and and because a lot of them are shy You know a lot of them, you know, they don’t want to talk about themselves or you know, they just don’t feel comfortable in crowds That’s not the way I I’m like, I like people in fact sometimes you forget Get when you’re on the radio. You must know this feeling you forget that you were on the air and people are listening You just do your job you get in the car and then you pull over and people go.

Hey great job on the radio show I really liked that interview with Senator Kennedy. I’m thinking wow. I forgot people were listening Yeah, and we’ll get to talk about all that it’s gonna be a great night Want the place standing room only pack so you guys will come back and the fun thing is we’re gonna take a little quick Our trip out to Medora and you get to see that Teddy Roosevelt presidential library.

That’ll be great, right? Yep, it’d be great. It would be good to see Hopefully the the monument to Teddy Roosevelt that I used to see at the Museum of National History For some reason they thought it was offensive now America’s sobered up, but you guys aren’t giving it back Yeah, it’s gonna be great. His diary is gonna be there It’s it’s amazing and Jimmy Phelan told me that if you bring scratch and sniff books and do story time He’ll come with us out there.

So right sounds like Jimmy speed. That sounds like Jimmy Thanks, Brian. See you soon.

Go get him Scott. Uh-huh. I’d forgotten about scratch and sniffs, but you know, I Would we were going back and forth on the text ring? Jimmy’s like what’s a library? What are you guys talking about? I said just trust me We’re gonna go and he said will there be story time? I mean, that’s that Jimmy Phelan for you Anyway Speaking of Jimmy Phelan, he’s coming back next and again, November 15th Get your tickets freedom matters USA comm bringing these folks in freedom matters USA comm I’m going to drive my brand-new 26 GMC Sierra Denali out there.

That was the rowdiest crowd I’ve ever seen So I’m coming back just to see if we can top it really and to see the look on Brian Kilmeade’s face if he encounters half of what I did Because let me tell you some kill me goes on the road plays all these awesome places Passionate Americans that are watching Fox and Friends watching his show Okay, but what I encountered in Fargo that day was something else It was kind of a you know, they call things like a religious revival, but the religion was America and the sacramental wine was beer and Everybody went up twice. It was a heck of a mass. So I’m excited to see if this sermon is anywhere close to the last one Yeah, I need to call Cardinal Dolan on get forgiveness because I think we just went to sacrilegious But I hear what you’re saying in a secular kind of way They were drinking what you were, you know putting it into the fire hose I love it.

And so you think kill me is like gonna have his eyes open in a whole new way about how our Fargo jam a Thousand percent and that’s what I’m probably most excited about is to see everybody but to see kill me in the raw Okay, because the thing about it is and again he loves to meet people I mean you can’t host Fox and Friends You can’t be on the road as much as he doesn’t not like to meet people But I’ve never met people who like to be met as Morris as much as the flag listeners So for me, this is like two parts. It’s half show and it’s half like a hazing ritual So yes, I am fired up. Yeah, and there should not be anything other than standing room only for this event We’ve still got a few VIPs.

They all want to meet you. I haven’t figured out why I think it’s the alcohol and then And then then we have you know, like $20 tickets for veterans and students So and and everything in between so that sucker should be sold out. No Yeah, I mean you’re gonna hurt our feelings But now I’m kidding bigger than that is you know, this is a moment We don’t get to do this a lot and you really want to show up all in and we want a statement game You know, they say in sports.

It’s a statement game, you know, we’re gonna win big so we got to put up some big numbers and Those numbers can’t just happen at the bar. They have to happen in the showroom and we’re counting on everybody to turn it out We’re flying out You know, this is a football Saturday for so normally we’d be back in New York Dodging the bookie taping a TV show but Fox gave me the night off on my word that I was going to do a jam-packed So if I’m skipping a TV taping it better be for a good reason are they gonna be waiting for me when I get back exactly, and the beauty is Every penny we raise is going to go into an effort related to a promise I made to your friend in mind Charlie Kirk that we were gonna have per capita The highest participation of schools and students in high school and college campuses within the sound of our voice North South Dakota, Minnesota Montana, right so what’s not to love about that? Amen, it’s great night. It’s a great cause and yes, you know, we all have an Obligation to all the great work Charlie did to carry that ball forward and sometimes carrying it means having a good time And that is that’s the team on the schedule on November 15th So if you guys are ready get your pads on we’re having a good time.

We’re fired up for this Yeah, we’re gonna crush it and you’re awesome to come back. You’re right about the people in North Dakota They’re gonna roll out the red carpet for you and you’re gonna make them laugh and we’re gonna have some fun Amen, I will drink to that after the show Yes, which remind me or your favorite flavor again? What do we have to have a case of what? No, I drink a lot of mixtures whiskey, but I mean if we’re drinking beer you can actually just bribe me with Miller Lights, man I’m not fancy. Well, yeah, but Bush lights made out of corn.

So you should probably go corn since you’re in the Dakotas Fair fair and I should probably go light according to the wardrobe departments. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah exact So we’ll give you one of each and you can we’ll do the taste test. We’ll do the you know Pepsi test taste test. All right, my brother.

We’ll see you soon. You’re the best Scotty rock and roll. Let’s get him You better say Kevin’s the best tour.

He’ll get past us, you know Say you say you love Kevin just do it for him. Give me a little love. I love Kevin Flynn Me I mean I was gonna say when you asked me why I’m coming I was gonna say Kevin Flynn But I thought that was too obvious Flynn better be there or I’m getting right back on the plane and going home No the only thing that you you are you doing a little side hustle and you’re gonna go out look at the Teddy Roosevelt presidential library and Is kill me gonna read to you or what’s working there? I forget.

Listen. I was promised prop pop-up books or scratch-and-sniff So kill me services shouldn’t be needed as long as Teddy put a few books on the shelf That are in my range. Oh, you just brought me back to my childhood.

Did they still have scratch-and-sniffs? I mean Joe Biden did when he was president a good point Yeah, I I think actually the pardons that he signed were all scratch-and-sniff, right? It’s amazing. It was scratch-and-sniff and he wrote a presidential memoir in auto pen go figure Yeah, I thought you were the comedian. I think I get points for that one.

Anyway, I love you, brother I’ll see you on stage. Take care Oh Is he fun or what Jimmy kill me then again? I can’t tell you not kill me Jimmy Fela Jimmy Fela Sorry, kill me didn’t fail. What a combo fail will be doing the funny stuff kill me do the serious stuff the great combo Kevin’s gonna open up for him and we’re gonna do a Q&A with the audience.

You’ll get to interact with them Here’s the most important part Them coming to town you being at the event is all about making North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana Number one per capita with students and chapters of Turning Point USA in our colleges. I will tell you the USA Then I’m a Minnesota boy. I’d tell them that too, right and the lived in North Dakota for Most of my adult life and it is an extraordinary place.

There’s no doubt about that whatsoever And it’s the USA We can’t fix stupid California’s gone, New York’s gone, but we can and Minnesota You know, it’s a it’s a it’s a side hustle of mine to help, Minnesota. We’re doing our best Kev I know it’s on your behalf and the rest of you to the normal part of Minnesota, Western, Minnesota We just got to help I think honestly on this whole political contagion is happening, Minnesota Just like mom Donnie in New York is going to wake up people to how? idiotic These you know boys and girls bathroom types in the case of mom Donnie flat-out socialist I think it’s gonna it’s gonna swing the pendulum the other way quicker same thing with these goofballs at Minneapolis That people don’t want less cops on the streets at some point people are gonna what the hell do I have to lose? I don’t care if the Republican green blue yellow. I’m voting for him because I’m tired of this think it’s gonna happen The question I have is how much damage will be done in the meantime As someone that has two precious daughters in New York City, you worry about this stuff I say there’s really good jobs here, and it doesn’t cost four thousand dollars for a broom closet Which is what you pay in New York City if mom Donnie wins that you have to get out of New York City You have to you have to It’s like it’s like snake Plissken.

Okay, how to escape from New York bad news Today on the program. We’re gonna do something yesterday. Do you remember our dear friend grant the rancher from out west? Oh, yeah? We call him farmer grant comes on the program regularly.

He didn’t want to answer my question and the simple question is What were cattle prices before Donald Trump orange mad bad said anything about Argentina? Okay, as I recall they were doing pretty darn good, and I was happy for him because they done pretty done bad for a lot Okay, and then when Trump said what he said about Argentina, what did they dip to and then what are they out now? Oh, I want to know Same thing on soybean prices got a lot of farmers their hairs on fire. Oh orange man bad on soybeans What were they before that started? Where did they dip to where they out now? These are simple questions, and it’s my wine filter Not cabernet wh-i-any wine factor I want to know are we whining or do we really have a problem here, okay? So I can fight on their behalf on this program Senator John Hoven will answer that he’ll talk about crack the code which he’s locked on dog on bone Which is great makes everything better in North Dakota for career opportunities Education roads and bridges our sovereign wealth fund known as the oil legacy fund and then Ray Grobanski from Progressive egg will be here to answer some of the questions related to the egg thing in the meantime. I want to talk about terms like harm reduction community downtown Engagement Center, oh those are fancy words.

What do they actually do? To me those are words sort of like Gender-affirming care Those three words should be struck from the English language unless you’re okay with cruelty Okay same thing with harm reduction and Downtown Engagement Center and finally and I mean finally we’re making some progress on this Dave popcorn is here. He is Are you the longest-serving? Fargo City Commissioner on the Commission now yes, sir, okay, 16 years and just so you know I’m not trying to scare you But we have a lot of listeners Castleton West okay, and I know not you but a lot of Fargo thinks Western, North Dakota is Castleton, right? You think a lot more like they do West River Yes So I think you’ll be well received But we’re not trying to talk to Bismarck Mandan or Watford City and tell you what to do better in Fargo We’re trying to ask you to better inform Fargo. Okay, and there is no homeless problem around the rest of the state Might that be because we have massive services And why would anybody go to Bismarck could that be correct and what they found out yesterday was actually Bismarck are sending them to Fargo And so the taxpayers of Fargo are paying for all the homeless services for the whole state and the whole region Why wouldn’t they? If it works, and it’s free for them, but not for the taxpayers of Fargo crazy Lean into that Mike a little bit more as I ask you a few questions here So let’s let’s start with I’m gonna forget history, I’m gonna just say where we’re going All right, we you’ve long complained rightly So and Michelle Turnburg newer City Commission member that if you build it, they will come and right now we have a downtown homeless magnet Correct.

Absolutely It’s and it’s destroyed our downtown for the first time in decades The property values are being reduced by 5% this year because of the damage that’s been done the businesses and the jobs that have been lost I love downtown. You’re the business downtown. We all love downtown.

I would say it’s not been destroyed. I’d push back a little bit there There’s a lot of good down there But it’s to your point on property values to your point on what we’re seeing more and more of the benches the needles It’s under attack. We got to fix it.

It’s been damaged. Let me would you agree with that term? I have I do and I feel bad for the Warren Ackley’s and Randy Thorson’s and You know the the Kilbourn group and others that invested in a big way Yeah needs to be fixed and Rochelle Turnburg your colleague crazy her she says Maybe we shouldn’t have benches because then it just becomes a place where these poor people Literally needing a place to sit down But they then congregate right where there are businesses, by the way, I engage with these people all the time 90% of them are friendly souls. They’re down on their luck right 10% mental health issues Same people police are encountering, but we’re not saying you’re saying homeless people bad Are we absolutely not but I will say what we’re doing now the taxpayers of Fargo are paying for enabling I’ll give you the definition of an enabling our current liberal majority on the city of Fargo And it’s called giving misguided support to someone with addiction and the majority of these people have an addiction And so what we should be doing is steering them to get help And that the people with mental health issues the same thing we should be steering and instead we’re enabling So if you have a question or comment here, by the way, Dave’s here a little the bottom of the hour 701 271 1100 text your question 701 237 1 5 9 0 I’m gonna give credit where credit is due.

We’re fixing the problem I don’t know how long it’s gonna take how long’s this and by the way, what is it called resource and recovery center? Right. I mean, is that the name of it now? I just like the idea that recovery was actually in the name because that’s a huge part of the problem. You’re shaking your head I totally disagree Scott because first of all We should have never made this commitment because mayor Mahoney’s term is done in eight months So to be making two and three-year commitments, that’s inappropriate.

Do we need facilities? Outside of downtown and should they be based on recovery for homeless people? We absolutely do not need to have the taxpayers of Fargo paying for facilities that are enabling How do you fix the problem then if we want it? We want to remove this from downtown by all means we should steer people to if they have an addiction problem Steer them into treatment if they have a mental health problem getting in to get them into a mental health care facility So they can get help, but aren’t we doing that with this Center? Absolutely. We are in enabling what we are not doing So you’re saying this facilities already exist have better coordination between what currently exists and law enforcement Absolutely without a big building But we can’t the main thing is we the city of Fargo We don’t have money for this period now the mayor was on saying County’s gonna pay for it state states chipping in a little the churches are gonna help He almost sound like this wasn’t gonna cost the city anything. Is that what is your take on that? Well if you believe that you’re making a mistake and the reason I spoke on Monday night We the city of Fargo signed that lease agreement.

It’s $350,000 a year to rent this building no one else’s name is on it It’s the city of Fargo, and that’s the taxpayers are paying for it, and then interesting so in other words You’re saying don’t tell me about financial partners unless their names on the lease When you go for a car loan do you say well? I might have some people that’ll help me pay for it does the bank care about that Yeah, no, it’s it’s our name is on the lease the city of Fargo Interesting and it needs renovation as well correct over a million dollars That’s on top of that and that’s the city of Fargo That’s the taxpayers of Fargo are paying for that too, so your solution is just use the services we have Well if you want to know the truth we need to discontinue enabling that’s the Gladys Ray shelter That’s the Cooper house churches. No no and like the new life. Yeah, I got it.

You’re saying they already We’re doing too much enabling in all those places Absolutely, we can’t afford to do that anymore I told the mayor this but I was at Pond Taupin and church right across from the Downtown Engagement Center three of the worst words in the English language because it basically means, California harm reduction Which is California’s bad Fargo’s? Obviously Misguided it’s too bleeding-heart liberal is what it is, and they’re not helping anybody, but as God is my witness I saw two poor homeless people outside on a Sunday where they don’t work I guess city employees don’t work on Sunday And I think isn’t it sad I go into the church and say you know what it’s up to people in these four walls To go outside and help these people because city government people can’t By law pray for these people and wrap their arms around them guess what the church doors were locked a Church’s doors were locked during a service on a Sunday that discussed you or what well The church that I’ve regularly attend is has to have security in downtown Fargo more after this All right, this whole show is making me hungry. Oh my gosh What a dang mess, and it’s so easy to fix. That’s the worst part of this this isn’t hard.

This isn’t complicated I’m gonna go to a Timberwolves game tonight and decompress go watch the Lakers late game. I can’t wait Awesome little round ball. I don’t remember the last time I’ve been to a T Wolves game But I’m looking forward to it, and I don’t know why this happened, but I’m in Glenn Taylor suite tonight Wow, and I can’t wait to talk to him to say Okay, last time.

I saw you you know anything about you you do donate to Republican candidates You’re a Minnesota center-right Republican, and you own the Star Tribune, which is the star and sickle like how is this even? Right I don’t get it. I need Swedish meatballs Harwood today Swedish meatballs West Main Avenue, West Fargo ADA There is meatloaf and Valley City as beef stew at 12th and I 29 downtown Fargo NP Avenue Petro serve USA don’t worry They have security that they have to pay for and they don’t even charge you more for your sesame orange chicken Chicken pot pie Glendon whopping and spicy cheese sausage Mac Cheyenne Got to get rolling a lot to talk about with Dave pepcorn. This isn’t hard is it nope very easy What’s the day pepcorn one two three plan first of all we’re going to reduce property taxes by reducing the mills That’s the first thing we will do the other thing will make Fargo clean and safe, and that’s by Having law and order right now.

We don’t have law and order our police do not Arrest people they they don’t show up when you call them And and that what’s happened now is people just quit calling for service to give you an example Petro serve downtown That that player basically told F you same thing on 13th Avenue South And it was brought to the mayor’s attention the police chief. They basically say that you know we got this I I don’t get that you said on Jay Thomas’s show yesterday that there’s now news Calls for service that they don’t do if you call them. They won’t go absolutely what it what’s new there What are they not calling? What are they not listening to so now the police say if it’s a misdemeanor, and we don’t witness it then we’re There’s nothing we can do I thought we fixed all that with cameras in the last legislative session I don’t know, but I’m just telling you they’re not responding, but but what what people what have what’s happened now the Citizens of Fargo has lost confidence in our police department and especially the leaders because when you start saying Oh Fargo is safe And then there’s another murder, and you keep saying yeah, but Fargo is safe And it didn’t fix all that you lose credibility.

Yeah, and that’s what’s happened didn’t we fix all that after the last incident With less suspend doctors making a million for in comm shop and all that didn’t we fix that or no well If you if you drive around downtown, there’s empty stores. There’s empty apartments There’s empty condos and people are afraid to go downtown mark West Fargo for Dave popcorn. You’re up on what’s on your mind Yeah Are you on your blues Help him out Kev on his Bluetooth, and I’ll go to John here while we fix this I can’t barely hear him John you’re next for day popcorn go ahead John Well, we’ll see how’s my Bluetooth working better.

Thank you go Okay, so what Questions I have about all this okay first of all we’re going from a city-owned space to a lease space And our mayor tells us this isn’t going to cost the taxpayers anything Okay, we closed it down on the weekends, and that was the taxpayer savings I’m questioning where all these volunteer groups are that all want all this stuff Where are they in the big picture? That’s something? These are good questions It seemed like it cost me money and yet these volunteer groups aren’t stepping up to the plate and John I got your pointer. I’m just trying to manage the clock here John, but I hear you The mayor is saying they are all stepping up to the plate now the state the churches Human Services yes, no you I haven’t seen it I’ve heard a lot of I’ve heard a lot of talk and a lot of hypothetical funding But what I know for sure is on Monday night. We approved the city of Fargo paying $345,000 and a million dollars to renovate and then on top of that we’re gonna move out of it in a year That’s just unacceptable mark West Fargo for day popcorn go Yeah Behaviorism says when you feed an animal it comes back.

It’s gonna repeat the same behavior over and over and over You don’t feed homeless people without something attached to it They have to change their behavior and by the way the Salvation Army does that really well. Why can’t we do that? thousand-percent We have to just quit enabling if you get technical the Salvation Army is enabling as well They’re better at it though. They will not give you vouchers unless you need recovery And they’ll send you somewhere for a recovery But I’m just telling you they’re not taking the taxpayers money of Fargo And we’re and we are subsidizing the whole region Salvation Army were subsidized no I’m just saying yeah the city of Fargo’s things let them fix it the Salvation Army and others the New Life Center Yeah, the Salvation Army.

We have lots of profits to do those things make sense Texture says how does Dave have all this insight about what’s going on to get better for the city if he isn’t running for mayor? What does he know that we don’t? Well the reason I have inside information is I’m a city commissioner. Why aren’t you running for mayor? Oh? That’s to be determined. Yeah, we’ll worry about that That’s it that opens up in January and you have till April so we got lots of time Yeah, can I just real quick so mayor Mahoney’s term is up in June my seat is up and Denise Kolpak seat is up So that’s that’s who the voters can change vote for change for next June all right And if you get one more conservative that flips it You know so do you have good candidates people listening right now that are super concerned about that? What should they do if you’re thinking about running and you’re a fiscal conservative? I would encourage it to and I have had people contact us already that are interested and so That’s called civic engagement people.

Yep. You got to do it Fargo-Moorhead, West Fargo Chambers got a great initiative going right now They’re announcing in more details today be a patriot Be a patriot get involved roll your sleeves up Connie Joe for Dave go ahead Connie Joe Hi, I’m wondering have you checked with Adam Martin at the f5 For regarding these homeless people anybody that’s dealing with addiction issues that have come out of jail or prison Adam is awesome He’s more than willing to help people and like they said They’re just enabling these people connect five. That’s another one of the private organizations It does well isn’t another nonprofit, and he’s doing a great job And so I have I have never met with him individually, but I support what he’s doing without a doubt It’s good suggestion Connie Joe Jeff Fargo for a day popcorn go Yeah Have you checked if there’s any state money for this, I don’t see why it’s just a city problem well as of right now According to the mayor they put in like I forget.

I’m 25 million or something Absolutely not right now the legislature is not in session, and there is no commitments that have been made. This is all hypothetical Alright, and so right now and actually I talked to the mayor earlier. He said all this Somebody else just texted get the backing and writing or forget it absolutely.

That’s what you’re saying, too I had about 45 seconds left the mayor basically said you and Michelle turn burger are lying About all this you know I I’m just so disappointed in his leadership Obviously we see a serious deterioration in our downtown and the quality of life And then to try to blame Michelle Turnberg and myself about it. That’s embarrassing So I don’t really want to get into a back-and-forth with that what I would like to see though. However is that? John strand and Denise Colpack could fix a lot of us Do they have the courage to do it are they bleeding-hard liberals that are never going to flip? I mean if I’m a citizen listening to this and I’m super frustrated I’m like Dave pepcorn and Michelle Turnberg need allies And I would call John strand and I would call Denise Colpack Denise does this basically full-time She can’t go to enough meetings and take pictures and put them on Facebook.

Just just Talk to her and say come on. Can you help these people? Let’s find some middle ground am I crazy Watch how they vote Scott because that what they say doesn’t mean anything watch how they vote all right? Thank you Dave stay in touch. Thanks for having me on yep.

I’m back on what’s on your mind One of the Timberwolves game tonight to decompress playing the Lakers that should be all right Target Center pray for me because I’ll be in downtown, Minneapolis And I think I’m staying three blocks away Should I walk from the hotel to the Timberwolves game Kev or should I uber it do you think downtown, Minneapolis? What’s your best advice? You could take the train probably The trains the mugger mover I’m taking a train well if you’re in downtown though on game night. It’s not there’s no Probably an uber not taking the mugger mover. That’s all I know senator John Hovind in a moment and Fargo City.

I’m sorry Ray Grabowski is going to join us as well Let me know and raise on Kev by the way the show doesn’t go without our fine sponsors hot spring spas pool tables, too Oh my gosh How I go as hard as I go is thanks to them 20 minutes in the sauna 20 minutes in the hot spring spa If I’m really gutsy the cold plunge I do that One out of ten days my wife does it all the time because she sleeps better We have a three-person hot tub usually it’s just one of us in there Usually one in the sauna because I tend to talk in the sauna. She wants to read so that doesn’t work So we kind of swap anyway. It’s great.

You’ll love it. We’re empty nesters. We just got the dogs They’re running around having a great time while we’re in the hot tub healing up better heart issues less chance of dementia like 20 minutes in heat Fixes everything it just is amazing.

It really does that warm water is what your body needs You know you get a little induced fever, and you get a fever when what you’re trying to get rid of bad stuff That’s why it’s a wellness factory hot spring spas and pool tables to out there by Walmart the South Walmart, okay, and then also the right by Bismarck South Walmart Expressway Grand City’s mall Grand Forks as well as in West Fargo Senator John Hoban, how are you sir? Hey, Scott greetings to you and to your listener and listeners, and I like that Gordon Lightfoot music your past good stuff Do you have any other requests for bumper music any what’s what’s on your playlist we can do anything And I’m sure you can but I like his ballads Edmund Fitzgerald is a fantastic one That’s a lot of great. It’s got a little Duluth that connection to the Edmund Fitzgerald, too Absolutely We’ll find another world. We’ll find another Edmund Fitzgerald.

I’m sorry another Gordon Lightfoot song for you, okay I Asked Ray Grabowski from Progressive Ag to come on and I want to talk a little bit We got a lot to talk about and crack the code the government shutdown and all that But I’m sure you’re hearing from farmers and ranchers right now And I don’t know that they have a better friend than John Hoban going back to governor And as a senator who gets all the counter cyclical stuff who gets the crop insurance program you get it in a big way They’re very worried right now about two things soybeans in China and a cattle So I asked my friend Ray to come on the program today and help me understand Kind of the market disruption if anything has happened in this regard so Ray Grabowski from progressive AG meet senator Hoban, okay? Yeah, hello senator hey Ray, how are you Ray? How are you doing? Good good. Thanks, so let’s start with cattle Ray Before Donald Trump said a word about Argentina or anything else Cattle prices were where? Yeah, I think I just looked back about a week, but you you actually should go back a little earlier You know and Trump himself in a tweet said you know when I put export Tariffs on Brazil of 50% that’s when feeder cattle prices really rocketed higher because we import cattle from Brazil and So I don’t know you know feeder cattle prices are Pretty high. I don’t know a cattle producer who didn’t expect that at some point.

They would reach a top You know and and high prices have to cure high prices, so you know you have dropped since Trump talked about that, but cattle prices were we’re 55% higher than the previous all-time high in 2014 okay, so and again I don’t begrudge cattle of ranchers anything because those high prices follow low prices as you say so they’re doing they’re doing well Right now he does the deal with Argentina. What happens to cattle prices. How much do they go down from those highs? Well, I guess in the past week We have dropped cattle of I can’t remember the numbers exactly But you know we’ve dropped a quite a bit in the last three or four days But I think you’ve also you also drop gold and silver a lot Yeah, and they aren’t related to cattle fundamentally in any way whatsoever I think the funds ran all three of those markets sharply higher Until they got the attention of the marketplace.

That’s the buyers the sellers and the politicians everyone so December live cattle comes down from 240 bucks goes down $11 out of two with the price of 241 November cattle 361 October 23rd now 23 bucks lower so the bottoms not falling out here And as you say it’s kind of ebbs and flows same thing on soybeans correct run from wrong 24th of October $10.42 still stink because the cost of production is above the price But that’s where they were Today they’re at 1074 so literally pennies difference am I right about that Yeah, they’re actually they’re up 30 or 40 cents actually they’re up about 75 or 80 in the last week and a half I think that this China trade deal that they’ve rumored that they’re going to make tomorrow or at least Progress I think that has a lot to do with soybeans going up and quite honestly China has been using US farmers as a weapon He’s weaponized and you have a communist country all of those Chinese buyers Wanted to buy u.s.. Soybeans the last five months the government hasn’t allowed them to right and by the way Mexico’s got a cattle problem Argentina beef stinks compared to ours so senator a hoven you heard what I heard from Ray Grabowski progressive egg Who’s my go-to on all of these? Why given this when Donald Trump is trying to make things better for them? Is there this panic among ranchers and soybean farmers right now? They shouldn’t be panicking should they? Well Scott. I think the key is that we want to grow our herds here in the u.s. and expand cattle production from from our great ranchers nobody produces higher quality beef or You know better tasting beef than our ranchers and so rather than bringing in more From other countries We want to we want to work with our ranchers to expand the market we can and I talked to the president about that I talked to Scott best and I talked to James from your US trade rep and then yesterday I talked to Vice President JD Vance, and I think the key here is that We need to work with our ranchers expand our herds that creates more supply And then at the same time we’ve got to look at that supply chain because as you’re just talking there to raise you pointed out The price of cattle the you know actual animal prices have come down some now but go if you go in the grocery store and look the price if you’re going to buy burger and beef and so forth is up and so my point was Like I say that when I talked to whether it was President Trump or JD Vance or anyone said hey look They’re concerned about you know having an impact in the near term, and I’m saying it will if we just Go to work with our ranchers They will expand their herds that sends a market signal right away That helps because it signals are going to be more supply And then if we look at this supply chain like the point I just made even though the animal price went down the price was still up in the store. We got a look At all these other things and what I’m saying these guys I think that’s the right plan not only for the short term and for the long term and I think the administration And also talking for problems, I think they’re looking at that Very seriously the other point.

I want to make is that we’re really hopeful now that We’re going to get some sales not only soybeans but also expanded markets for beef and other things and we’re hopeful that this meeting in In South Korea with with President Xi is going to result in some good egg sales and again I’ve been talking to all the folks I just talked about it, and you know there’s a framework there And so we’re hopeful we’re gonna start seeing more sales Which is good for for our farmers certainly as well as for our ranchers And that’s both a short-term and a long-term play getting better access to markets Yeah, and you’re right about the middle you know the middleman if you will they’re the ones ripping us off And aren’t half those processing plants owned by Brazil. They’re not even u.s. Own have national JBS The national beef are both owned by Brazil for cripes sakes and there’s only four of them And so yeah, we’ve got to put some you know We got to look at that supply chain, and that’s going to send a market signal as well And so that’s what I think Helps with prices in the store in the short term and the long term and it’s the right way with our with our ranchers who? Are the best best in the world we got a lot of other stuff to get there with Senator Hovind But great Grabowski progressive egg. Do you agree with what he just said there? Clear that Senator Hovind has a great understanding of the marketplace and and our ranchers and the high quality u.s. Beef and All of the situation absolutely you got to provide incentive for them to produce and that’s exactly what the market’s trying to do now You forgot more about this, and I’ll ever know but somebody just text today.

Don’t forget to take off the buck 37 basis 956 and edgley today for beans right and Sales will help overcome that bit right raise sales will help overcome that basis we get these sales sales will overcome that basis Futures plus the futures just went up you know 85 cents so when futures go up that quickly in a week You’re going to take a while to get that basis plus We have harvest all that goes by in a couple months that base is going to prove I was thinking about you’re talking about supply chain all sogger beef in out of kindred, North Dakota During the pandemic saw his cattle price plummet And he no place to take beef to to process and he started his own processing plant You’ve got places marketing retail throughout Fargo highest quality beef you can buy anywhere. Wow that’s a great success story We could see more of our furniture and We want more of that. We want more of that right on me.

We want more of that But John that can happen more at the state level right state can remove regulations and let these guys go That’s that’s not a federal thing state thing right Well selling across state lines and the inspection piece is federal and we’ve got legislation in to help make that easier for our guys So that they can sell Interstate as well as intrastate, so yeah the state has a big role But there’s still a federal aspect somebody else said here the price of the local elevator for soybeans is not 1070 I just sold it a few days ago for 875 is that an elevator issue or you know I’ve even heard they’ve delisting soybeans sometimes what’s going on there Ray quickly You know There’s a there’s a problem with storage and availability to to store that crop But let me put let me put it this way if we sign an agreement with China tomorrow a multi-year agreement, which has been rumored I think these soybeans are going to be closer to 12 or 13 dollars in the next year We’re starting at a very low place with no sales to China for five months When we normally sell three or four hundred million bushels and the yield on the crop is not nearly what We thought it was just two months ago I think these soybeans are gonna are gonna pop pretty good and that fun money That’s pulling out of gold silver and cattle is going right into grains in the last week there you go I think this means Stay calm trust Trump get deals done everything will be fine I get it these poor farmers and ranchers especially farmers when you’re farming multiple multiple year after year after year and Your cost of production is above by a chunk what you’re taking in It’s it’s stressful, but banks ought to help out of this and just stay calm more with senator open after this Thanks, right progressive egg call them. That’s you know where we take the the co2 from Dakota gasification company And and put it in a wayburn oil fields, but those are traditional wells And so we need to now do that for shale so crack the code one was when our great you know we work with our great entrepreneurial companies, and they crack the code on the shale play the buck and shale with directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing and They figured that out. We you know we put the right kind of Environment in place for them to come into North Dakota and do that and they they crack the code and we went from less Than a hundred thousand barrels oil a day up to 1.5 million Well, we got it crack the code 2.0 So we not only keep our coal plants for the long term and remember within the coal area We’ve sold socks knocks mercury and as far as co2 what we’re looking at now is Actually taking that co2 and putting it down hole from it taking it from our coal plants so again This is about not is it our coal plants for the long term and building more I got it.

I got it that co2 and bringing out What instead of getting 15% out of the shale, let’s get 30% out of it. Yeah, that’s my You can’t even calculate all that now we have a use for the gas to that’ll power all kinds of things including intelligence factories But is it I always hear from the ERC folks that the amount of co2 we need We don’t have coal plants ethanol plants every bit of industrial co2. We don’t have enough to do that What is your number related to what you just described on co2 Well, I mean, you know, we’ve got millions of tons.

So I mean it’ll take us a long way You know, we’ll have to see that there may be more that we need but remember this is a two-for-one So people can’t be confused. This is about keeping we’re gonna need a lot more electricity in this country and we supply about 12 states So we need to make sure that we’re advancing the technology for our coal plants So they’re around for a long long long after you and I are gone Yeah, I want those things operating and providing a lot more electricity. So remember this is about both This is about a lot more like electric power keeping our coal plants keeping that whole industry and look at all the other things We’re doing now with a coal residue.

We’re now bringing in Nickel that’s mined in Minnesota and we’re going to process and then turn it into batteries I mean, this is an integrated effort that is going to just be a huge thing for our state I mean just like the first time around the crack the code, you know on Bach and one So yeah, the hair should be standing up in the back of your neck because of everything He just said they’re related to the opportunities and you might say I you know I’m fine with North Dakota the way it is now think about your kids and grandkids It’s all about keeping them home and bringing them back home Just give me 20 seconds on what I think I heard you say related to co2 South Dakota screwed it up They become business unfriendly. So the pipeline isn’t going to bring it here You’re saying there’s enough here to walk before we run. Is that what you’re saying? Oh Absolutely.

Yeah, we’ve got huge amount and and you know you really don’t have much of a Pipeline issue because you’re already out in the coal field in the oil field and it’s not you don’t need much for pipeline So that I get that that issues got to be figured out and I hope it’s done with you in a voluntary way with You know working with people and respecting property rights and all that but that that’s that’s separate I mean this this is actually connecting our coal plants and the And our office and I would think Everybody would be on board and put their shoulder to the wheel on this big kudos to the Industrial Commission They they just approved 45 million for I’m working on 50 with do we we got we got we got Lynn Helms back working with Ron Nasset North Dakota Petroleum Council. He’s kind of our guy in the ground. Nobody, you know, then he’s awesome So we’re at Kyle House beat run a fossil energy for DOE.

He’s from Williston You know We’re putting together a hell of a team on this and we’re starting with rich gas out there To prove it up on the on the show and if this has legs It’s gonna be not just in the Bakken but shale plays around the country. I agree with you Kelly Doug Drew crushing it on the Industrial Commission for sure Yeah, are you gonna fix are you gonna fix the government shutdown I got ten seconds you’re gonna be done soon I Think so, I but Dems got to come around. This is ridiculous and people.

Yeah, they’re all about leverage now. Thank you, sir See you tomorrow. God bless