Plain Talk

Forum Communications Co.
Forum Communications Co.
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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.

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    756: Teacher of the Year Frannie Tunseth sounds off, plus our final ND election predictions (Video)

    It is easy for politicians and voters to talk about education from thirty thousand feet, but the view from the front of a classroom looks a whole lot different. On the latest episode of Plain Talk, we were joined by Frannie Tunseth, a reading and math teacher at Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg and the 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year. She brought a grounded, candid perspective on what educators and kids are actually dealing with. Tunseth has spent the past year inviting decision-makers into her classroom—including Sen. Kevin Cramer, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, and local lawmakers. "Advocacy without a relationship is simply noise," Tunseth told us. "It's not come and watch me teach. That's not what this is about at all. Come and talk to my students. Come and have conversations and see what are their lived experiences." The conversation quickly turned to the state's mounting teacher shortage. In an informal survey of more than 1,000 teachers over the past year, Tunseth found that 86% have actively looked for jobs outside of education. "That number should make us all pause and have some very serious conversations," she said. When asked to quantify the cumulative weight driving educators away, her response was simple: "We're tired." She pointed to rising health insurance deductibles, stagnant pay scales, and students arriving with complex social and mental health needs. "Teachers don't leave jobs that they're happy in," she added. Addressing the proposed "STAYS" initiative to provide recurring retention bonuses, Tunseth called it a "historic, long-overdue legislative acknowledgment" of the crisis. But she warned against viewing bonuses as a cure-all. "The thing that gives me just a little bit of pause is I think we can't let that be like a band-aid where then we don't talk about base pay," she said. "It cannot be a substitute for raising the fundamental base salaries, because that's very critical for pension calculations, for mortgage approvals, for just basic economic stability." Tunseth also made a forceful case for Measure 2, the initiated measure to fund universal school meals. "My mind doesn't go to the statistics or to the state budget; it goes straight to my classroom," she said. "There's one obstacle that no amount of teaching can overcome, and that's an empty stomach. In my eyes, Measure 2 comes down to a very simple truth: You cannot teach a hungry mind. A hungry kid is not going to learn." "In education, we provide textbooks, technology, bussing, because they are essential to learning, and I don't see nutrition any different," she noted. After the interview, Chad and I reflected on why schools cannot keep functioning as "Batman"—expected to swoop in and single-handedly solve every societal issue that starts at home. Then, with Election Day just around the corner, we laid our official election predictions on the line. We went through the entire ballot, breaking down the national fight for the U.S. House and Senate, North Dakota's congressional and statewide races, key legislative matchups in Fargo and Grand Forks, and the high-stakes showdowns on Measures 1 and 2. Chad and I didn't see eye-to-eye on several of the biggest races and ballot questions. If you want to know which way we think the chips will fall on Tuesday night, you'll have to tune in to the episode to find out. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  2. 1d ago

    756: Teacher of the Year Frannie Tunseth sounds off, plus our final ND election predictions

    It is easy for politicians and voters to talk about education from thirty thousand feet, but the view from the front of a classroom looks a whole lot different. On the latest episode of Plain Talk, we were joined by Frannie Tunseth, a reading and math teacher at Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg and the 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year. She brought a grounded, candid perspective on what educators and kids are actually dealing with. Tunseth has spent the past year inviting decision-makers into her classroom—including Sen. Kevin Cramer, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, and local lawmakers. "Advocacy without a relationship is simply noise," Tunseth told us. "It's not come and watch me teach. That's not what this is about at all. Come and talk to my students. Come and have conversations and see what are their lived experiences." The conversation quickly turned to the state's mounting teacher shortage. In an informal survey of more than 1,000 teachers over the past year, Tunseth found that 86% have actively looked for jobs outside of education. "That number should make us all pause and have some very serious conversations," she said. When asked to quantify the cumulative weight driving educators away, her response was simple: "We're tired." She pointed to rising health insurance deductibles, stagnant pay scales, and students arriving with complex social and mental health needs. "Teachers don't leave jobs that they're happy in," she added. Addressing the proposed "STAYS" initiative to provide recurring retention bonuses, Tunseth called it a "historic, long-overdue legislative acknowledgment" of the crisis. But she warned against viewing bonuses as a cure-all. "The thing that gives me just a little bit of pause is I think we can't let that be like a band-aid where then we don't talk about base pay," she said. "It cannot be a substitute for raising the fundamental base salaries, because that's very critical for pension calculations, for mortgage approvals, for just basic economic stability." Tunseth also made a forceful case for Measure 2, the initiated measure to fund universal school meals. "My mind doesn't go to the statistics or to the state budget; it goes straight to my classroom," she said. "There's one obstacle that no amount of teaching can overcome, and that's an empty stomach. In my eyes, Measure 2 comes down to a very simple truth: You cannot teach a hungry mind. A hungry kid is not going to learn." "In education, we provide textbooks, technology, bussing, because they are essential to learning, and I don't see nutrition any different," she noted. After the interview, Chad and I reflected on why schools cannot keep functioning as "Batman"—expected to swoop in and single-handedly solve every societal issue that starts at home. Then, with Election Day just around the corner, we laid our official election predictions on the line. We went through the entire ballot, breaking down the national fight for the U.S. House and Senate, North Dakota's congressional and statewide races, key legislative matchups in Fargo and Grand Forks, and the high-stakes showdowns on Measures 1 and 2. Chad and I didn't see eye-to-eye on several of the biggest races and ballot questions. If you want to know which way we think the chips will fall on Tuesday night, you'll have to tune in to the episode to find out. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  3. 1d ago ·  Video

    755: North Dakota early voting ahead of last midterm's pace (Video)

    With the November general election right around the corner, North Dakota is in the thick of what I described on the latest episode of Plain Talk as the "Super Bowl" for the Secretary of State's office . Michael Howe, who is on the ballot seeking reelection this year, joined my co-host Chad Oban and me to break down voting trends, election security, and what his office is doing to maintain public trust in an era of national skepticism . A look at the numbers seven days out from the election reveals an interesting shift in how North Dakotans are choosing to cast their ballots . According to Howe, absentee mail-in voting has dipped slightly compared to the last midterm cycle, with about 4,000 fewer absentee ballots returned at this point compared to 2022 . However, in-person early voting is surging . "There's almost 9,000 more early votes cast in 2026 at this point in the election than there was four years ago in 2022," Howe noted . He attributed the shift to the fading shadow of the pandemic . "In 2022 we were coming off COVID. A lot of people voted by mail in 2020. They thought, hey, that wasn't so bad," Howe said . "Now we're in 2026, COVID is in the rearview mirror, and people feel more comfortable voting in person early ." Howe predicted overall turnout will look similar to 2022, perhaps ticking up slightly . He pointed to the intense, highly engaged debate over Measure 2's property tax elimination effort and the open U.S. House race as primary drivers bringing voters to the polls . Of course, the elephant in the room during any modern election cycle is public trust, which has become a heavily politicized target . When asked how confident North Dakotans should be that their votes will be counted accurately next week, Howe did not mince words . "Very confident," he said . "We have a paper ballot system in North Dakota. Every voter fills out a paper ballot. It is fed into a tabulator. That tabulator is never connected to the internet. It is air-gapped ." Howe explained that the state's post-election audits—where random precincts are selected to hand-count paper ballots to ensure they match the machine tally—have not revealed a single discrepancy that would change an election outcome . He also directly addressed national talking points about non-citizens voting . "We have zero evidence of widespread non-citizen voting in North Dakota," Howe said, noting that state law requires voters to prove legal presence to obtain the ID required at the polls . "We're talking one or two isolated instances over the course of decades, usually due to a misunderstanding, not some coordinated fraud effort ." As for election night, North Dakotans won't be kept waiting for weeks like voters in some other states . Because the state has two time zones, statewide results will begin dropping at 8 p.m. Central Time, starting with early and absentee votes . "Generally, by 10:00 or 11:00 PM, we have a very clear picture of almost every race," Howe said . "We don't mess around in North Dakota. We get it done ." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  4. 3d ago

    755: North Dakota early voting ahead of last midterm's pace

    With the November general election right around the corner, North Dakota is in the thick of what I described on the latest episode of Plain Talk as the "Super Bowl" for the Secretary of State's office . Michael Howe, who is on the ballot seeking reelection this year, joined my co-host Chad Oban and me to break down voting trends, election security, and what his office is doing to maintain public trust in an era of national skepticism . A look at the numbers seven days out from the election reveals an interesting shift in how North Dakotans are choosing to cast their ballots . According to Howe, absentee mail-in voting has dipped slightly compared to the last midterm cycle, with about 4,000 fewer absentee ballots returned at this point compared to 2022 . However, in-person early voting is surging . "There's almost 9,000 more early votes cast in 2026 at this point in the election than there was four years ago in 2022," Howe noted . He attributed the shift to the fading shadow of the pandemic . "In 2022 we were coming off COVID. A lot of people voted by mail in 2020. They thought, hey, that wasn't so bad," Howe said . "Now we're in 2026, COVID is in the rearview mirror, and people feel more comfortable voting in person early ." Howe predicted overall turnout will look similar to 2022, perhaps ticking up slightly . He pointed to the intense, highly engaged debate over Measure 2's property tax elimination effort and the open U.S. House race as primary drivers bringing voters to the polls . Of course, the elephant in the room during any modern election cycle is public trust, which has become a heavily politicized target . When asked how confident North Dakotans should be that their votes will be counted accurately next week, Howe did not mince words . "Very confident," he said . "We have a paper ballot system in North Dakota. Every voter fills out a paper ballot. It is fed into a tabulator. That tabulator is never connected to the internet. It is air-gapped ." Howe explained that the state's post-election audits—where random precincts are selected to hand-count paper ballots to ensure they match the machine tally—have not revealed a single discrepancy that would change an election outcome . He also directly addressed national talking points about non-citizens voting . "We have zero evidence of widespread non-citizen voting in North Dakota," Howe said, noting that state law requires voters to prove legal presence to obtain the ID required at the polls . "We're talking one or two isolated instances over the course of decades, usually due to a misunderstanding, not some coordinated fraud effort ." As for election night, North Dakotans won't be kept waiting for weeks like voters in some other states . Because the state has two time zones, statewide results will begin dropping at 8 p.m. Central Time, starting with early and absentee votes . "Generally, by 10:00 or 11:00 PM, we have a very clear picture of almost every race," Howe said . "We don't mess around in North Dakota. We get it done ." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  5. Oct 23 ·  Video

    754: 'You may have insurance, but can you afford to actually use it?' (Video)

    "You may have insurance, but can you afford to actually use it?" That simple, devastating question from North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread cuts straight to the core of an escalating crisis facing families across our state. It feels like every time North Dakotans turn around, another necessity has gotten more expensive. But few price hikes are quite as stomach-churning as what's happening to health insurance, where double-digit premium increases are landing on kitchen tables like an anvil. Newly approved rate filings for 2027 from the Insurance Department show small group and individual plans facing eye-watering jumps, with some carriers seeing maximum approved increases topping 25% and 26%. Godfread joined us on the latest episode of Plain Talk to unpack those numbers and the broken system driving them. While North Dakota has "prior rate approval"—giving Godfread's office authority to review proposed hikes before they hit the market—the underlying claims data leaves regulators with little room to maneuver. "It's not a fun press release to put out," Godfread told us. "It's a lot more fun to be insurance commissioner when rates are going down or things are stable. But it also is important to be transparent and have these conversations." Godfread pointed out that while North Dakota aggressively audits insurance carriers, state regulators have virtually no oversight over the actual prices charged by hospitals and medical providers. "We've got some pretty stringent regulations on that side of the coin," Godfread said. "But we don't have that same set of regulations or oversight on the provider side." That dynamic leaves consumers trapped in a shell game where hospitals and insurers point fingers while bills spiral out of control. "We spend an awful lot of time arguing who's paying that bill, not saying why is this bill so high," Godfread said. "I've been in the middle of this for a decade now where you've got the insurers saying, 'Everything's too expensive, our claims are going through the roof.' You've got the hospitals saying, 'If we don't get higher reimbursement, we're going to have to close our doors.' And it's the consumers that are caught in the middle." With deductibles climbing to keep premiums from exploding even higher, Godfread warned that having a card in your wallet is no longer enough. "We're in a trajectory that isn't good. It's not sustainable," he said. "We have to put some sunlight on the system. If we can inform the conversation, if we can have the data to actually have the conversation, we might be able to make some movement." Following our interview with Godfread, Chad and I dug into the human toll of these runaway costs—the existential dread that keeps working parents awake at night wondering how an emergency room visit would wreck their finances, and the growing threat of hospital-insurer vertical integration where choices vanish. We also turned our attention to the latest state audit hitting the Commerce Department, where the North Dakota Development Fund is facing blistering scrutiny over self-dealing and conflicts of interest. With state leaders pledging to take Commerce "down to the studs," we discussed why real accountability is urgently needed before public trust in state economic development completely collapses. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  6. Oct 23

    754: 'You may have insurance, but can you afford to actually use it?'

    "You may have insurance, but can you afford to actually use it?" That simple, devastating question from North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread cuts straight to the core of an escalating crisis facing families across our state. It feels like every time North Dakotans turn around, another necessity has gotten more expensive. But few price hikes are quite as stomach-churning as what's happening to health insurance, where double-digit premium increases are landing on kitchen tables like an anvil. Newly approved rate filings for 2027 from the Insurance Department show small group and individual plans facing eye-watering jumps, with some carriers seeing maximum approved increases topping 25% and 26%. Godfread joined us on the latest episode of Plain Talk to unpack those numbers and the broken system driving them. While North Dakota has "prior rate approval"—giving Godfread's office authority to review proposed hikes before they hit the market—the underlying claims data leaves regulators with little room to maneuver. "It's not a fun press release to put out," Godfread told us. "It's a lot more fun to be insurance commissioner when rates are going down or things are stable. But it also is important to be transparent and have these conversations." Godfread pointed out that while North Dakota aggressively audits insurance carriers, state regulators have virtually no oversight over the actual prices charged by hospitals and medical providers. "We've got some pretty stringent regulations on that side of the coin," Godfread said. "But we don't have that same set of regulations or oversight on the provider side." That dynamic leaves consumers trapped in a shell game where hospitals and insurers point fingers while bills spiral out of control. "We spend an awful lot of time arguing who's paying that bill, not saying why is this bill so high," Godfread said. "I've been in the middle of this for a decade now where you've got the insurers saying, 'Everything's too expensive, our claims are going through the roof.' You've got the hospitals saying, 'If we don't get higher reimbursement, we're going to have to close our doors.' And it's the consumers that are caught in the middle." With deductibles climbing to keep premiums from exploding even higher, Godfread warned that having a card in your wallet is no longer enough. "We're in a trajectory that isn't good. It's not sustainable," he said. "We have to put some sunlight on the system. If we can inform the conversation, if we can have the data to actually have the conversation, we might be able to make some movement." Following our interview with Godfread, Chad and I dug into the human toll of these runaway costs—the existential dread that keeps working parents awake at night wondering how an emergency room visit would wreck their finances, and the growing threat of hospital-insurer vertical integration where choices vanish. We also turned our attention to the latest state audit hitting the Commerce Department, where the North Dakota Development Fund is facing blistering scrutiny over self-dealing and conflicts of interest. With state leaders pledging to take Commerce "down to the studs," we discussed why real accountability is urgently needed before public trust in state economic development completely collapses. If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  7. Oct 22 ·  Video

    753: Public Service Commission debate between Jill Kringstad and Scot Kelsh (Video)

    With household utility bills climbing and massive energy projects putting landowner rights under a microscope, our latest Plain Talk debate brought the race for the North Dakota Public Service Commission into focus. Incumbent Republican Jill Kringstad, appointed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong to fill the unexpired term of now-Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, faced off against Democratic-NPL challenger Scot Kelsh, an 18-year veteran of the state legislature. Because the PSC operates as a quasi-judicial body barred from discussing active contested dockets, the debate centered on regulatory philosophy, rate affordability, and landowner relations. Kringstad leaned on her background as a certified public accountant with an economics degree who served eight years on PSC staff before her appointment. "I understand the accounting concepts behind it," Kringstad said of utility rate hike requests. "I can really dig in and dig deep into: What are these costs that they're asking for? Are they reasonable? Do they have backup to them? Are they reasonable for North Dakota consumers to be paying for?" She pointed to a recent Xcel Energy rate case where regulators whittled an initial 19% request down to 10% over four years. "We actually did hold that under the rate of inflation," she said. "If North Dakota ratepayers were paying, using the same amount of energy, but they were paying Louisiana rates, they'd be paying a quarter of a billion dollars more." Kelsh countered that double-digit requests still outpace family wages. "Nobody is really getting that in pay increases generally every year," Kelsh said. Drawing on his legislative tenure on finance and energy committees, Kelsh acknowledged rising supply chain costs—noting a wooden power pole jumped from $200 in 2020 to $600 today—but warned that North Dakota is slipping behind other states. "We don't have the lowest electricity rates anymore," Kelsh said, pointing to lower rates in Nevada and Utah. "We really have to be careful that does not get away from us." The sharpest exchange centered on public hearings for major pipeline and transmission projects. "What we are hearing on the campaign trail is that people aren't being heard; they feel like they're not being heard," Kelsh said, arguing that developers testify first while citizens are kept waiting. "It just seems like it's a method for them to wear us down so that we give up and go home." Kringstad pushed back, explaining that developers testify first so everyone has the most updated environmental studies and reroutes before citizen comments begin. She highlighted legislation she helped pass that splits complex proceedings into technical hearings followed by local evening hearings directly in affected communities. She also stressed the PSC's statutory limits regarding private leases and eminent domain. "You're talking about a contract between a private citizen and a private company, and I don't think you want the government in the middle of that," Kringstad said, adding: "I have never been asked to sign an NDA from a developer, nor would I." On the massive electric load demanded by artificial intelligence data centers, Kelsh warned that grid infrastructure cannot absorb sudden spikes. "We're talking real juice, real power there, and our grid and our generation capacity is just not there yet," Kelsh said, arguing the state must ensure legacy ratepayers don't subsidize data centers. Kringstad cited Montana-Dakota Utilities' Ellendale data center as proof the commission already protects consumers. "The data center customer paid all of the network upgrade costs upfront," Kringstad said, noting profit-sharing provisions have returned more than $38 million in rate credits to MDU customers since 2023. On grid reliability, Kringstad emphasized the necessity of baseload coal and natural gas during brutal winters. "When we're talking 40 below for days on end in a North Dakota winter when the wind's not blowing, that's no longer a reliability thing, that's a safety issue," she said, noting four-hour battery storage "is not going to cut it." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

  8. Oct 22

    753: Public Service Commission debate between Jill Kringstad and Scot Kelsh

    With household utility bills climbing and massive energy projects putting landowner rights under a microscope, our latest Plain Talk debate brought the race for the North Dakota Public Service Commission into focus. Incumbent Republican Jill Kringstad, appointed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong to fill the unexpired term of now-Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, faced off against Democratic-NPL challenger Scot Kelsh, an 18-year veteran of the state legislature. Because the PSC operates as a quasi-judicial body barred from discussing active contested dockets, the debate centered on regulatory philosophy, rate affordability, and landowner relations. Kringstad leaned on her background as a certified public accountant with an economics degree who served eight years on PSC staff before her appointment. "I understand the accounting concepts behind it," Kringstad said of utility rate hike requests. "I can really dig in and dig deep into: What are these costs that they're asking for? Are they reasonable? Do they have backup to them? Are they reasonable for North Dakota consumers to be paying for?" She pointed to a recent Xcel Energy rate case where regulators whittled an initial 19% request down to 10% over four years. "We actually did hold that under the rate of inflation," she said. "If North Dakota ratepayers were paying, using the same amount of energy, but they were paying Louisiana rates, they'd be paying a quarter of a billion dollars more." Kelsh countered that double-digit requests still outpace family wages. "Nobody is really getting that in pay increases generally every year," Kelsh said. Drawing on his legislative tenure on finance and energy committees, Kelsh acknowledged rising supply chain costs—noting a wooden power pole jumped from $200 in 2020 to $600 today—but warned that North Dakota is slipping behind other states. "We don't have the lowest electricity rates anymore," Kelsh said, pointing to lower rates in Nevada and Utah. "We really have to be careful that does not get away from us." The sharpest exchange centered on public hearings for major pipeline and transmission projects. "What we are hearing on the campaign trail is that people aren't being heard; they feel like they're not being heard," Kelsh said, arguing that developers testify first while citizens are kept waiting. "It just seems like it's a method for them to wear us down so that we give up and go home." Kringstad pushed back, explaining that developers testify first so everyone has the most updated environmental studies and reroutes before citizen comments begin. She highlighted legislation she helped pass that splits complex proceedings into technical hearings followed by local evening hearings directly in affected communities. She also stressed the PSC's statutory limits regarding private leases and eminent domain. "You're talking about a contract between a private citizen and a private company, and I don't think you want the government in the middle of that," Kringstad said, adding: "I have never been asked to sign an NDA from a developer, nor would I." On the massive electric load demanded by artificial intelligence data centers, Kelsh warned that grid infrastructure cannot absorb sudden spikes. "We're talking real juice, real power there, and our grid and our generation capacity is just not there yet," Kelsh said, arguing the state must ensure legacy ratepayers don't subsidize data centers. Kringstad cited Montana-Dakota Utilities' Ellendale data center as proof the commission already protects consumers. "The data center customer paid all of the network upgrade costs upfront," Kringstad said, noting profit-sharing provisions have returned more than $38 million in rate credits to MDU customers since 2023. On grid reliability, Kringstad emphasized the necessity of baseload coal and natural gas during brutal winters. "When we're talking 40 below for days on end in a North Dakota winter when the wind's not blowing, that's no longer a reliability thing, that's a safety issue," she said, noting four-hour battery storage "is not going to cut it." If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

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About

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.

Information

  • Channel
    Forum Communications Co.
  • Creator
    Forum Communications Co.
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    986
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 Forum Communications Co.
  • Show Website
    Plain Talk

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