North Dakota

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum gets firsthand view of war in Israel

Published

1 year ago

October 7, 2024

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum gets firsthand view of war in Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel — One of the first things North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum did when he landed in Tel Aviv was meet with locals whose family members had been taken hostage by Hamas.

One was a cousin of a 3-year-old who was abducted nearly two months ago, he said. Another man’s two sons have been held prisoner for roughly a year.

The meeting was part of his four-day trip to Israel to speak with Israeli citizens and officials about attacks perpetrated by terrorist groups, including Hamas. Sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition, the trip came just weeks before the first anniversary of Hamas launching an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, against Israel. The assault killed more than 1,100 people, leading to a war that is still ongoing.

“Oct. 7 was Israel’s 9/11,” Burgum told The Forum on Thursday, Oct. 4.

Burgum reaffirmed North Dakota’s support for Israel on Sunday as a way to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. He directed the State Capitol building to be lit blue and white, the colors of Israel’s flag, on Sunday and Monday.

On Tuesday, just days after Burgum flew back to North Dakota from Israel, Iran launched a massive attack against Israel, with some missiles going through Israel’s nearly impenetrable Iron Dome missile defense system north of Tel Aviv. The launch was in response to the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, among other deaths, according to media reports.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militia in Lebanon. It doesn’t control the Lebanese government, but it wields significant power in the country that borders Israel to the north. Like Hamas, the U.S. considers Hezbollah a terrorist group.

Despite thousands of rockets being fired on Israel, its citizens continue on with their lives, a move that Burgum called inspirational.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, right, overlooks Judea and Samaria on Sept. 19, 2024, during his visit to Israel.

Contributed / North Dakota Governor’s Office

“The strength and the will of the people who are under attack is, you can’t read about that,” he said. “You have to see that firsthand and understand that.”

Burgum’s four-day trip started Sept. 17, as pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah in Lebanon exploded. The attacks killed dozens and injured thousands.

Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have blamed Israel for the pager attack, though Israel hasn’t commented on the incident, according to media reports.

Burgum said he and others were under pressure to complete their objectives in a short amount of time. With the threat of a missile attack from Iran imminent, flights into and out of Israel were being canceled, he said.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, stands on a street next to a crumbled wall. An Israel flag hands from a corner in the background. Burgum speaks to a man in a black polo shirt and pants. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, right, speaks to a resident on Sept. 18, 2024, at the the Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel, which was damaged in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

There is misinformation about what is happening in Israel, Burgum said in noting why it was important for him to talk to people “on the ground” and “fighting the battles.” One man whose son is being held hostage told Burgum that Israel cannot make deals for hostages if that means Iran gets a nuclear weapon, the governor said.

“I think it’s extremely valuable for anyone in the U.S. that’s touching or influencing policy to really understand what’s going on on the ground in these war zones,” he said.

In addition to meeting with the family members of hostages, Burgum also spoke to what he called “unsung heroes.” That included off-duty police officers and retired military members who jumped into action to help others during attacks, as well as those who operate the Iron Dome.

“There are going to be some moments that … I won’t forget personally,” he said.

He also met family members who lost loved ones during the Supernova music festival massacre on Oct. 7, 2023. Video shows thousands of festivalgoers danced in the early hours as Hamas launched rockets.

As attendees fled, militants shot at them, according to media reports. More than 350 died in the attack, according to media reports.

“That really hit home because, if you’ve got kids that are in their 20s and going to music festivals, it’s like wow, to think that they walked in there and the violence that (Hamas) committed,” Burgum said.

Burgum said he met an officer who helped saved festival attendees. He went back and forth a dozen times, bringing back as many attendees as possible to safety, the governor said.

“These are just incredible stories,” he said. “You understand more in-depth what we all kind of know about Oct. 7, with that anniversary coming up.”

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, at right, sits at a table with three others. He's listening to a woman talk. On a wall at left are photos of people. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks Sept. 17, 2024, in Tel Aviv, Israel, with family members of hostages and those killed by Hamas.

The officials Burgum met included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They talked about the importance of the U.S. and Israel being allies, the events that happened that week and the threat of Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

“If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, then the threat of World War III is at our doorstep,” he said.

Burgum criticized President Joe Biden’s administration, saying that it is wavering in its support for Israel. In an interview with Fox News, Burgum said the Biden administration unfroze billions of dollars in frozen assets to Iran.

Burgum claimed that money went to Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis, a military group based in Yemen that also has been labeled a terrorist organization.

“We’re in a proxy war with Iran right now,” he told Fox.

Former President Donald Trump’s sanctions had “Iran financially on their knees,” he told The Forum. Under the Biden administration, Iran has increased its oil and arms exports, Burgum said.

Iran has sold drones to Russia, which the country is using against Ukraine, Burgum said.

“The problems with Iran are connected to both of the proxy wars that we are involved with right now,” he said. “The Biden-Harris (administration) allowing Iran’s production to increase has been a key failure in foreign policy because it’s literally helping to pay for both wars that we’re in.”

Iran sees Trump as a threat, Burgum said in pointing to U.S. intelligence that unveiled an Iranian plot to assassinate the former president.

“He’s been one of the strongest presidents in supporting Israel, which is the key to peace in the Middle East, the key to democracy everywhere, in terms of a country being able to be democratic and self-determination,” Burgum said of Trump. “I could easily see where, if President Trump wins, on the day that he is sworn in is when all the hostages finally come home, if not before that.”

Activists across the county have voiced support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and have protested the U.S. government’s support of Israel. In Fargo, supporters of Palestine have called on city leaders to approve a resolution that would ask for a cease-fire in Gaza, calling Israel’s war “a genocide on the Palestinian people.”

As of mid-August, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war in the strip, according to media reports.

Hamas governs Gaza.

When asked what he would say to supporters of Palestine and Palestinian Americans, Burgum said “we have to be careful” about labels for groups. People of various religions live in Israel, he said.

Supporting Israel is about standing up against terrorism, Burgum said. The goal of terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah is to destroy Israel and the U.S., he said.

“It’s a function of terrorism that we have to be against, not against a group of people,” he said. “We stand up against terrorism around the world, and we support our allies. In this case, it’s really clear to me that our ally is Israel. Free people everywhere have to be united against the tyranny of terrorism and those people that financially support it.”

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North Dakota

What are the best states for job seekers? South Dakota ranks near the top, WalletHub says

Published

21 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

What are the best states for job seekers? South Dakota ranks near the top, WalletHub says

With its low unemployment rate and ample job opportunities, South Dakota is one of the best states in the country to find a job, according to a new report from WalletHub.

To determine the best states to find a job, the personal finance website looked at a range of different metrics in two broad categories: the job market and economic environment. It gave more weight to the former, though, with particular consideration for the factors that influence job seekers to relocate for employment.

“Living in one of the best states for jobs can provide stable conditions for the long-term, helping you ride out the fluctuations that the economy will experience in the future,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “The best states for jobs make it easier for residents to find and retain jobs, and employers in these states also offer very competitive compensation and benefits.”

Here’s what sets South Dakota apart from other states.

Oct. 30-Nov. 2, those in need can ask for the ‘Community Special’ at area Taco John’s

What makes South Dakota one of the best states to find a job, according to WalletHub?

In August, South Dakota’s unemployment rate was 1.9%, the lowest in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That same month, North Dakota’s unemployment rate was 2.5%, tied for second-lowest with Vermont.

South Dakota is the state where workers spend the least amount of time commuting, WalletHub’s report says, and it also ranks fourth-highest for job opportunities.

What are the best states to find a job, according to WalletHub?

These are the 10 best states to find a job, according to WalletHub.

Massachusetts
Connecticut
Minnesota
Vermont
New Hampshire
South Dakota
Texas
North Dakota
Maine
Rhode Island

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North Dakota

UND is on the case – UND Today

Published

2 days ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

While North Dakota’s workforce shortage is serious, it’s also the kind of problem that UND can and will help solve, as today’s Special Edition of UND Today makes clear

At UND, Air Traffic Management students can complete the FAA Academy curriculum on the UND campus and jump straight into the workforce after graduation. UND is one of the first universities to take part in this special FAA initiative. Photo by Mike Hess/UND Today.

By Tom Dennis
Editor, UND Today

We are so lucky to live in North Dakota.

True, there’s a distinct lack of oceanfront views, and even the state Tourism Department once sponsored a tongue-in-cheek billboard that read, “North Dakota Mountain Removal Project completed.” But while North Dakotans know all about their state’s comparative weaknesses in scenery, they’re also aware — and rightly proud — of its exceptional strengths.

Here’s one:

Problems have solutions here. That very much includes the state’s workforce shortage, the issue that Gov. Kelly Armstrong campaigned on and ranks among the top concerns of the state Legislature.

And with that in mind, this Special Edition of UND Today is dedicated to the proposition expressed in the headline: UND is on the case.

Don’t misunderstand; the workforce shortage is an extremely serious issue. Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its Worker Shortage Index, an interactive map that “shows which states are suffering the most.”

In two and only two of the states, the crisis is listed as “Most Severe.” They are North Dakota and South Dakota, and while North Dakota’s index of 0.47 is slightly better than South Dakota’s 0.43, it still means North Dakota has only 47 available workers for every 100 open jobs.

In other words, ours is the second-worst workforce-shortage in America.

But think of it this way: Compared with high crime rates, poorly performing schools, frightful levels of homelessness and similar modern complaints, a workforce shortage is an enviable problem for a state to have. That’s because it’s much less intractable than those other concerns — and smart policymaking can make a difference.

That’s already happening, and UND is proud to be playing a part. For example, and as one of the stories in today’s Special Edition reports, the new STEM Complex and proposed Health Professions Collaborative Facility are designed to not only increase the number of graduates in those essential fields but also boost those graduates’ effectiveness and productivity once the new pros are on the job.

Elsewhere on campus, UND students already are being prepared to meet real-world challenges and bolster North Dakota’s STEM workforce development, as another of today’s stories reports. A third story describes North Dakota 85, the School of Medicine & Health Science’s initiative to raise to 85 percent the number of North Dakota residents enrolled in the school’s physician and physician-assistant programs.

And our story today about UND’s extensive online programs describes how, as the story puts it, “distance learning has long been a strategic tool for strengthening North Dakota’s workforce, extending UND’s reach and generating economic benefits statewide.”

As mentioned, UND is on the case.

In September, we published a Special Edition of UND Today titled, “Ten Years Later: The University’s Road to Record Recovery.” UND is enjoying record enrollment at the moment, the series noted. How did that growth come about?

In particular, what were the decisions — some of them very difficult, involving budget cuts and program closures — during the state’s financial crunch in 2016-17, that helped set UND up for its current enrollment success? How have state support, infrastructure improvements, research spending and other recent trends factored in?

Today, we’re extending that outlook to offer thoughts about the next 10 years. And because the state’s workforce shortage is top-of-mind for the elected leaders of North Dakota, it’s top-of-mind at the University of North Dakota, too.

The stories in today’s Special Edition explain how.

Thank you for reading UND Today, and your interest in and support of UND! Feel free to contact me at tom.dennis@UND.edu with any comments or questions.

Don’t miss the full series …

>> UND is on the case. While North Dakota’s workforce shortage is serious, it’s also the kind of problem that UND can and will help solve.

>> The North Dakota magnet of online education. UND’s online programs keep North Dakotans rooted and thriving in-state, while drawing people and positive attention from far and wide.

>> STEM U: New buildings promise to engineer student success. How UND’s STEM Complex and proposed Health Professions Collaborative Facility will grow key components of the state’s workforce.

>> STEM U: How UND educates the workforce of the future. Workforce preparation takes place in labs, classrooms and the Alaskan Arctic, among other locations across UND and beyond.

>> Growing our own physicians and physician assistants. With ND85, UND hopes to raise the number of North Dakota residents enrolled in M.D., P.A. programs at its School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

>> VIDEO: How UND is leading the way in STEM. The deans of UND’s College of Engineering & Mines and College of Arts & Sciences join President Andy Armacost for a conversation about STEM training.

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Tom Dennis

Tom Dennis
is the editor of UND Today and the associate director of communications for UND. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Dennis served for 20 years as the Grand Forks Herald’s editorial-page editor before coming to UND.

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North Dakota

North Dakota widow with disabilities fears November SNAP halt amid ongoing government shutdown

Published

2 days ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

North Dakota widow with disabilities fears November SNAP halt amid ongoing government shutdown

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Federal food assistance for low-income persons is set to freeze on Saturday because of the gridlock in Washington.

Terry Hornbuckle is a 65-year-old disabled widow, and she wonders how she will be able to make up for SNAP payments if they are paused in November due to the government shutdown.

“Any penny that comes into this house is absolutely pinched until it screams,” said Hornbuckle.

The government shutdown started almost a month ago. Democrats want a resolution on expiring health care tax credits. But Republicans demand that Democrats end the shutdown before they negotiate anything.

“Well, we’re going to get it done. The Democrats have caused the problem on food stamps,” said President Donald Trump.

Hornbuckle is just living off her late husband’s Social Security. She finds it unfathomable that the shutdown is hurting society’s most vulnerable.

“I’m being used as a weapon. I’m marginalized. I’m collateral damage,” said Hornbuckle.

The state Department of Health and Human Services has funds it could use to resume SNAP, but federal rules prevent this.

On Thursday, Governor Kelly Armstrong will announce a plan that could help North Dakotans bridge a possible gap in food assistance after Nov. 1.

Hornbuckle said this would be a meaningful step in the right direction.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently announced that he is sending $4 million in emergency funding to food shelves in advance of the SNAP benefits pausing.

Governor Armstrong’s office has not elaborated on what he is planning to announce on Thursday afternoon. We’ll be at the press conference and let you know the details as soon as we hear them.

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