HeyJaredThe Backstory from the North Dakota News Cooperative
Introducing The Backstory, a podcast by the North Dakota News Cooperative (NDNC). Hosted by NDNC CEO Sabrina Halvorson, this series offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the stories shaping North Dakota.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 9
- Latest publication
- Sep 4, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 10, 2026
Latest episodes
North Dakota doctor recounts extraordinary Greenland expedition (opens the original)
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Extreme cold, shifting ice and hundreds of miles without roads or medical resources made crossing Greenland a test of preparation, teamwork and leadership. In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with Dr. Jon Solberg, a North Dakota emergency physician who served as the expedition physician for a team traveling across Greenland in specially modified trucks. “Adventures are so important to keeping us fresh and excited about life.” - Dr. Jon Solberg Solberg discusses the spe
Rising costs deepen uncertainty for North Dakota farmers (opens the original)
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North Dakota farmers are heading into harvest with diesel prices above $5 per gallon, fertilizer costs still elevated, and renewed trade tensions with Canada adding another layer of uncertainty. In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert and host Sabrina Halvorson discuss how those pressures are affecting farmers and why the consequences extend beyond the farm.
Why a majority isn’t enough to pass a school bond in North Dakota (opens the original)
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North Dakota requires 60% voter approval for school bond measures. That threshold recently came into play in both Bismarck and Surrey, where bond proposals received more than 58% support but failed to reach the supermajority needed to pass. In Surrey, the measure fell short by just five votes. In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert and host Sabrina Halvorson discuss why school bond measures can receive support from a majority of voters and still fail. Standaert looked
What the ‘Whooper Highway’ revealed about North Dakota’s remaining prairie (opens the original)
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In part two of this Backstory interview, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation reflect on the North Dakota portion of their completed 2,500-mile bicycle journey from Texas to Canada. Forsberg describes riding through the Missouri Coteau southeast of Bismarck as moving through a painting, with rolling hills, wildflowers, grazing cattle and calling birds. Caven says the area was among the most ecologically intact landscapes they encountered
After biking the ‘Whooper Highway,’ duo reflects on the journey (opens the original)
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A few weeks ago, the North Dakota News Cooperative reported on a 2,500-mile bicycle journey following the migration route of the endangered whooping crane. Now that the ride from Texas to Canada is complete, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation join The Backstory to reflect on what they saw, what they learned and what the journey revealed about the challenges facing whooping cranes and the landscapes they depend on. Forsberg and Caven rec
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