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Plain Talk

Plain Talk is a podcast hosted by Rob Port and Chad Oban focusing on political news and current events in North Dakota. Port is a columnist for the Forum News Service published in papers including the Fargo Forum, Grand Forks Herald, Jamestown Sun, and the Dickinson Press. Oban is a long-time political consultant.

358: NDGOP Chairman says party may pull support for candidates in slurs controversy

63 hours 43 mins; August 24, 2022

357: Cass County prosecutor candidate talks conflict of interest and campaign, ACLU talks abortion

66 hours 16 mins; August 22, 2022

356: Kevin Cramer talks about Becker's independent run and more

46 mins; August 19, 2022

355: Marijuana and independent candidates

67 hours 1 min; August 17, 2022

354: PACT Act, Kansas abortion vote, and more

60 hours 51 mins; August 03, 2022

353: ESG could downgrade North Dakota's credit rating

36 mins; August 01, 2022

352: Sen. Cramer talks PACT Act, same sex marriage, and more

57 mins; July 29, 2022

351: Democratic-NPL Patrick Hart talks about pro-life candidate controversy, 2022 cycle

62 hours 38 mins; July 27, 2022

350: North Dakota has slashed the time it takes to permit a carbon capture project

24 mins; July 20, 2022

349: Attorney General speaks out on rogue employee who deleted emails

33 mins; July 18, 2022

348: Addressing North Dakota's child care crisis

63 hours 40 mins; July 13, 2022

347: Gas station owner responds to Joe Biden

62 hours 34 mins; July 06, 2022

346: Emissions governed by policy makers not lawsuits

30 mins; July 01, 2022

345: A pro-life Democrat on North Dakota's statewide ballot speaks out

64 hours 44 mins; June 29, 2022

344: Wrigley will certify ND's bipartisan (you read that right) abortion ban "in a matter of hours"

20 mins; June 27, 2022

343: Sen. Kevin Cramer on gas prices, gun control, and the January 6 commission

46 mins; June 17, 2022

342: Recapping North Dakota's primary night

64 hours 8 mins; June 15, 2022

341: Fargo mayoral candidate decries "media bias" in race

33 mins; June 13, 2022

340: What's causing inflation, and what can we do about it

33 mins; June 10, 2022

339: Can Republicans and Democrats find a way to agree on guns?

68 hours 24 mins; June 08, 2022

338: "People want to know more about their elections. And rightfully so."

30 mins; June 06, 2022

337: What we can do about gun violence, and an exciting hydrogen project

65 hours 0 mins; June 03, 2022

336: Let's talk about big money in politics

52 mins; June 01, 2022

335: This North Dakotan got a 2021 World Series ring

26 mins; May 27, 2022

334: The Uvalde shooting, and a proposal to cut ND property taxes in half

59 mins; May 25, 2022

333: This Republican Sec. of State candidate says he's "not sure" about 2020 election outcome

39 mins; May 23, 2022

332: Dem Sec. of State candidate says "election integrity" is Republican code for "voter suppression"

57 mins; May 20, 2022

331: On the midterms, and North Dakota's legislative primaries

57 mins; May 18, 2022

330: North Dakota's regional haze debate and a Fargo City Commission candidate

57 mins; May 16, 2022

329: Sen. Cramer talks Roe v. Wade, January 6, food shortages, and Ukraine

42 mins; May 06, 2022

328: NY Times reporter previews new book, and a discussion of the political implications of ending Roe

65 hours 9 mins; May 04, 2022

327: Nobel laureate says Biden canceling Keystone pipeline was "symbol" that led to higher gas prices

32 mins; May 02, 2022

326: Landowners want a better deal on the Midwest Carbon Express pipeline

35 mins; April 29, 2022

325: A conservative North Dakota lawmaker talks about her struggles with the culture warriors

57 mins; April 27, 2022

324: Shouldn't a constitutional amendment require 60 percent of the vote?

29 mins; April 25, 2022

323: Fargo commission candidate says mayor's emails to detectives crossed "ethical boundaries"

46 mins; April 22, 2022

322: A new campaign to legalize marijuana in North Dakota

61 hours 7 mins; April 20, 2022

321: Is approval voting drawing out more candidates?

62 hours 42 mins; April 13, 2022

320: "Innovation over regulation"

27 mins; April 11, 2022

319: No politics, just baseball, because it's opening day!

55 mins; April 08, 2022

318: 'We can't win as the old Democratic party of the past'

63 hours 24 mins; April 06, 2022

317: Wrapping up the NDGOP convention

28 mins; April 02, 2022

316: Can Ed Schafer reunite North Dakota Republicans?

31 mins; April 01, 2022

315: Not your typical Democratic candidate in North Dakota

61 hours 7 mins; March 30, 2022

314: North Dakota's Sierra Club is not against carbon capture pipeline

37 mins; March 28, 2022

313: Wrapping up the 2022 Democratic-NPL state convention

23 mins; March 26, 2022

312: Cramer says he's undecided on Judge Jackson for Supreme Court, talks Ukraine and energy

42 mins; March 25, 2022

311: How in the world did they screw up term limits?

61 hours 49 mins; March 23, 2022

310: "The cleanest barrel of oil in the world"

29 mins; March 21, 2022

309: Can an independent candidate in North Dakota win?

39 mins; March 18, 2022

308: What to do about harassment in the Legislature?

66 hours 49 mins; March 16, 2022

307: When China looms over local politics

27 mins; March 14, 2022

306:After serving almost 50 years, Sen. Holmberg talks about the challenges ahead for North Dakota

36 mins; March 11, 2022

305: Fargo Forum editor talks about reporting the political news

35 mins; March 09, 2022

304: Becker's "nasty" campaign prompts Schafer to endorse Hoeven

36 mins; March 07, 2022

303: After divesting from Russia, thinking about investments "has to change" says SIB member

34 mins; March 04, 2022

302: Democratic Senate candidate rips incumbent Hoeven for being out of touch with voters

67 hours 3 mins; March 02, 2022

301: The case for building this controversial soybean plant in Casselton

31 mins; February 28, 2022

300: Should Sen. John Hoeven skip the convention?

64 hours 18 mins; February 23, 2022

299: North Dakota's golden goose still has plenty of eggs

29 mins; February 21, 2022

298: The last bastion of the American dream?

47 mins; February 18, 2022

298: The last bastion of the American dream?

47 mins; February 18, 2022

297: A lot of hot talk about cold gazpacho

62 hours 9 mins; February 16, 2022

296: Senate candidate talks term limits and initiated measures

44 mins; February 14, 2022

295: Are the Canadian trucker protests and blockades legitimate?

44 mins; February 11, 2022

294: Sen. John Hoeven talks about primary challenge, RNC resolution on Jan. 6

59 mins; February 09, 2022

293: Trent Loos on the 30 by 30 land grab

30 mins; February 07, 2022

292: Sen. Cramer doesn't support RNC censure of Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger

61 hours 1 min; February 04, 2022

291: Exorcising the crazy from the NDGOP and school choice

63 hours 41 mins; February 02, 2022

290: A "Trumpy" K-12 school in Fargo?

37 mins; January 31, 2022

289: North Dakota bitcoin project overshadowed by criminal record

65 hours 5 mins; January 28, 2022

288: School choice and North Dakota's teacher retention problem

68 hours 30 mins; January 26, 2022

287: Rep. Armstrong talks Biden's first year, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and China

40 mins; January 24, 2022

286: Rick Becker's medical license and a Supreme Court candidate

62 hours 15 mins; January 19, 2022

285: Grand Forks mayor on wading into the transgender debate

42 mins; January 17, 2022

284: Can Fargo be better under new leadership?

29 mins; January 14, 2022

283: Rep. Pollert says goodbye to legislative leadership, Rep. Howe says hello (maybe) to a Sec. of State run

54 mins; January 12, 2022

282: A deeply unsexy conversation that could result in some very sexy political reform

36 mins; January 10, 2022

281: Who would want to run for public office right now?

30 mins; January 07, 2022

280: Jan. 6 riot anniversary, and how businesses can find/keep employees

63 hours 27 mins; January 05, 2022

279: How worried should you be about education testing decline?

28 mins; January 03, 2022

278: North Dakota's next attorney general?

38 mins; December 28, 2021

277: What's behind, and what's ahead, in North Dakota politics

59 mins; December 22, 2021

276: Wayne Stenehjem calls it a career, Julie Fedorchak talks ethics

49 mins; December 20, 2021

275: Sen. Kevin Cramer

60 hours 56 mins; December 17, 2021

274: How about we don't call each other enemy any more?

65 hours 30 mins; December 15, 2021

273: Is America's religious decline good or bad?

55 mins; December 13, 2021

272: Is carbon capture North Dakota's next big industry?

26 mins; December 10, 2021

271: Studying online misinformation, and Rep. Rick Becker going full snowflake

62 hours 25 mins; December 08, 2021

270: Can we make oil production greener?

32 mins; December 06, 2021

269: Replacing the only Democrat in western North Dakota

30 mins; December 03, 2021

268: How are ND businesses coping with vaccine policies?

57 mins; December 01, 2021

Jay Thomas Show: 11/29/21

22 mins; November 29, 2021

267: Kelby Krabbenhoft's golden parachute

30 mins; November 19, 2021

266: The coal industry is promoting electric cars, reactions to the special session

57 mins; November 17, 2021

Jay Thomas Show 11-15-21

18 mins; November 15, 2021

265: Lawmaker who resigned due to "toxic" political environment speaks out

31 mins; November 15, 2021

264: Dot's Pretzels, redistricting, and the special session

54 mins; November 10, 2021

263: With Tony Bender on NDGOP divide, redistricting, special session

59 mins; November 09, 2021

Jay Thomas Show 11-08-21

23 mins; November 08, 2021

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