Steve Hallstrom hosts a fast-paced post-holiday Tuesday edition, tracking local school board friction, international military deadlines, and changing dynamics in the agricultural sector. Steve tears into the newly approved universal free school meals ballot measure, exposing why a permanent constitutional mandate will lock up millions in public funds for a problem that is already solved. The show breaks down why the U.S. cattle herd has hit historic lows while North Dakota ranch numbers are rising, and looks at the ongoing fallout from the Horizon Middle School drug ring. Plus, a check on $107 crude oil and the Trump administration’s newest immigration judicial surge.
Key Moments
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Measure 3 Free Lunch Warfare Heat Up: Secretary of State Michael Howe confirms that the universal free school meals petition has officially secured enough valid signatures to hit the November ballot as Measure 3. Steve launches into an aggressive critique, warning that a permanent constitutional mandate will lock up $67 million in public funds annually for a problem that a $3 million state threshold already solves. He sounds a sharp alarm over a massive out-of-state funded kickoff party that forces school board incumbents to miss critical local debates.
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North Dakota Bucking the National Cattle Slump: Julie Ellingson, Executive Vice President of the North Dakota Stockman’s Association, joins the phone line to break down the latest USDA livestock metrics. While severe droughts have pushed the national beef herd down 1% and the total calf crop down 2% to a 75-year low, North Dakota has secured the largest percentage growth in the country due to pristine precipitation and forage availability.
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Elite Genetics on the Meat Counter: Julie Ellingson details how modern pharmaceutical and genetic advancements allow regional producers to achieve near-record beef production despite smaller livestock counts. She notes that the high efficiency of the U.S. supply chain allows domestic ranchers to produce 18% of the world’s beef with just 5% of global cattle numbers.
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Horizon Middle School Parents Facing 40 Years: New charging documents reveal that the 7th-grade student who exposed 12 classmates to THC edibles at Horizon Middle School was actively acting as a drug dealer to bring cash home to her parents. Following a dynamic traffic stop, parents Martin and Amanda Holst face 10 combined felony drug counts carrying up to 40 years in prison after police discovered massive quantities of flower, cartridges, wax, and psychedelic mushrooms in their residence.
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80 New Federal Immigration Judges Sworn In: The Trump administration has onboarded a massive class of 82 federal immigration judges to expedite deportation cases and further its government-wide enforcement crackdown. The historic deployment brings the active immigration bench up to roughly 700 judges nationwide following the sweeping removal of legacy judges over the last year.
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Iran Peace Negotiations on “Life Support”: Geopolitical anxieties rise as WTI crude oil hovers above $107 a barrel and Brent crude passes the $110 mark. Despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating minor diplomatic movement in Qatar, President Trump publicly warned that the U.S. peace proposal is currently “on life support,” threatening massive kinetic military strikes if Iran rejects the current offer.
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Corporate Patriotism at Fargo’s Chick-fil-A: Steve honors U.S. Army First Lieutenant Sung Kim, the owner of Fargo’s Chick-fil-A near West Acres Mall. Kim completely shut down restaurant operations for 10 minutes during yesterday’s peak Memorial Day lunch rush, gathering staff and customers to hold a moment of silence, sing the National Anthem, and offer free meals to active duty service members.
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Carissa Geske Rebuffs “Islamophobe” Slurs: School Board candidate Carissa Geske reports that her business has taken a heavy hit on social media following her comments during WDAY’s live candidate forum. Geske doubles down on her position that voters must analyze the compatibility of Islamic Sharia law with traditional Western Christian principles, refuting rumors that she received death threats over the statement.