Memo: Trump backs pipeline based on policy, not investments

Spokesman Bryan Lanza said in a memo this week to supporters that Trump's backing for the pipeline near a North Dakota Indian reservation ``has nothing to do with his personal investments and everything to do with promoting policies that benefit all Americans.' ' Trump's most recent federal disclosure forms, filed in May, show he owned a small amount of stock in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline builder, and at least $100,000 in Phillips 66, an energy company that owns one-quarter of the pipeline.

Reports: Manchin Considered for Cabinet

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is being considered for a job as energy secretary in President-elect Donald Trump's new administration, according to a report from Politico. Manchin would be the second Democrat Trump is reportedly considering for a Cabinet post.

Trump supports completion of Dakota Access Pipeline

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said for the first time that he supports the completion of a pipeline project near a North Dakota Indian reservation, which has been the subject of months of protests by tribes and environmentalists. A communications briefing from Trump's transition team said despite media reports that Trump owns a stake in Energy Transfer Partners , the company building the pipeline, Trump's support of the pipeline "has nothing to do with his personal investments and everything to do with promoting policies that benefit all Americans."

Pipeline protesters vow to stay camped on federal land

Dakota Access oil pipeline protesters will not follow a government directive to leave the federal land where hundreds have camped for months, organizers said Saturday, despite state officials encouraging them to do so. Standing Rock Sioux tribal leader Dave Archambault and other protest organizers confidently explained that they'll stay at the Oceti Sakowin camp and continue with nonviolent protests a day after Archambault received a letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that said all federal lands north of the Cannonball River will be closed to public access Dec. 5 for "safety concerns."

The Latest: Heitkamp joins in asking protesters to leave

An organizer of protests against the Dakota Access pipeline says he believes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to close land to demonstrators will escalate tensions. Dallas Goldtooth is a protest organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Heitkamp bucks members of her party says supporters of Donald Trump are not “different people”

North Dakota's democrat senator Heidi Heitkamp is pushing back against her party's negative stereotypes of Donald Trump supporters. In a piece appearing on the website Politico, Heitkamp challenged the idea that Trump supporters are different than anyone else.

Heidi Heitkamp has “no comment” on Clinton email scandal

The fallout from the re-opened Hillary Clinton email scandal continued today when North Dakota's only Democrat at the federal level, avid Clinton supporter Heidi Heitkamp told Valley News Team's Jovana Simic she had "no comment" when asked about the latest bombshell regarding Clinton's possible violations of the espionage act. The emails in question belong to Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin and were found on Anthony wiener's computer, Abedin's estranged husband who's being investigated for allegedly exchanging explicit messages with a teenager.

Parents urge city officials to do more about opioid addiction problem

Family members as well as local and state officials came to the Fargo City Commission meeting Monday night to talk about the opioid addiction crisis in our area. "If there is anybody else in the audience that you personally have been affected by addiction, or you know of friends and family members that are struggling with addiction, if you wouldn't mind just raising your hand letting me know how many people here know somebody, love somebody or they have friends that suffer from addiction," Nikki Anderson said.

Cold call: North Dakota base could be home to Arctic mission

An Air Force installation in North Dakota has been trying to find its niche since its mission was changed a few years ago from refueling tankers to unmanned aircraft. Its focus might one day be at the top of the world.

Out with the old

Senators John Hoeven, R-ND, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, Thursday joined a bipartisan group of 10 senators, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in urging the Department of Defense to replace the Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters as soon as possible. While these helicopters are responsible for protecting the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile fleet, including those located around Minot Air Force Base, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command has deemed them insufficient for addressing current threats to our national security.