Alison's Quick Connects -- North Dakota's Top Stories -- Friday, August 21, 2026

Locator: 51524B.

Alison's quick connects:

• Longer laterals reshape development in Williston Basin -- American Oil & Gas Reporter

• Jet fuel manufacturer announces departure from South Dakota -- Sioux Falls Business

• Public Service Commission approves location for Glen Ullin wind farm -- Bismarck Tribune

• Pipeline parts company accuses Summit of backing out of contract -- North Dakota Monitor

• No record of data center nondisclosure agreements found, local gov'ts tell Tribune -- Bismarck Tribune

• No pause on data centers but ND special session to debate nondisclosure deals -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota Legislature will not vote on data center moratorium during special session -- KX News

• Electric co-op adds partner to renew pursuit of carbon capture at ND coal plant -- North Dakota Monitor

• Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak discusses benefits of year-round E15 sales for North Dakota -- KX News

• Oilfield activity in North Dakota set to rise in second half of the year as operators add rigs -- Energy Now

• Advanced Nuclear Energy considers benefits, costs, risks following Wyoming senator's testimony -- KX News

• Reliability key to growing economies; infrastructure essential to competitiveness -- McKenzie County Farmer

• US grid facing "a five-alarm fire" as growing demand outpaces new generation -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Lawmakers want to engage communities across state as they pursue nuclear power -- North Dakota Monitor

• PSC meetings regarding transmission line construction proposal set for Sept. 2-3 -- The Center Republican

• Drought emergency declared and livestock water assistance program activated -- North Dakota Monitor

• Senior advisor Swanson appointed to lead Dept of Health and Human Services -- Office of the Governor

• North Dakota Legislature will take up five bills in special session that targes kratom -- Dickinson Press

• As neighbor states fend off hacks, North Dakota's local water systems are secure, so far -- Dickinson Press

• Commentary: tough questions coming for North Dakota's congressional delegation -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota legislators to consider $35 million loan to fund military museum construction -- KX News

• NDDEQ allocates $2.86 million from the EPA's Nonpoint Source Program to nine state projects -- KX News

• Children's Cabinet report highlights progress on coordinating care for ND youth -- Office of the Governor

• SWC approves $5.9M in funding for dam support, water supply, and other water projects -- Minot Daily News

• Tony Hillig appointed as director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department -- Office of the Governor

• ND is second state to receive national certification as Recovery Friendly Workplace -- Office of the Governor

• Williston schools launch specialized program to serve Level 4 special education students -- Williston Herald

• Regulate AI companies, not AI in schools, North Dakota state superintendent says -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota school districts struggle to sell bond measures; failed votes raise questions -- Dickinson Press

• Dickinson High School construction continues as new academic wing takes shape -- Dickinson Press

• Classes to resume across McKenzie County; prioritizing school safety urged -- McKenzie County Farmer

• DCHS music teacher resigns; district to use substitute but long-term hire could be difficult -- The Journal

• New teachers bring new energy; Divide finds mostly local candidates to fill open positions -- The Journal

• Sloulin elementary students in Williston are kicking off the new year in a brand-new school -- KFYR-TV

• White Shield School kicked off the 2026?27 school year with a Back to School Bash -- Minot Daily News

• First day of classes and other important dates upcoming for Divide County School District -- The Journal

• Education leaders, lawmakers look to limit screen time, device use in public schools -- North Dakota Monitor

• New year brings a new role for Steven Bucks as Surrey Public School's superintendent -- Minot Daily News

• Trenton school board discusses leadership after principal's retirement, elementary grading -- Williston Herald

• Hazen School Board fills needed jobs by shuffling positions and adding a part-time hire -- Hazen Star

• Ray sets vision for growth with new comprehensive plan; Renaissance Zone established -- The Journal

• Ordinance regulating data centers cleared the Minot Planning Commission last week -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota families, childcare providers frustrated by growing waitlist for assistance -- Dickinson Press

• Pine wilt identified in Ransom and Sargent county trees, marks first time found in ND -- Dickinson Press

• Economic Development Administration awards $630K to North Dakota regional councils -- Kevin Cramer

• Medora celebrates local journalism during Newspaper Night, honors top history teacher -- Dickinson Press

• McKenzie commissioners vote unanimously to examine data center sound -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Public comment is being sought on a proposed new water treatment plant in Grenora -- Minot Daily News

• Significant roadwork for Highway 200 in Hazen began August 18; will impact traffic -- Hazen Star

• Minot City Transit adding two extra routes to handle more riders as school gets underway -- KX News

• Two new funding opportunities through Rural Health Transportation program opened -- Minot Daily News

• Nineteen people file as candidates for Three Affiliated Tribes' Business Council -- Minot Daily News

• Grazing management proves key to drought recovery and resilience -- Minot Daily News

• Mercer County Commission holds additional special meetings throughout the month of August -- Hazen Star

• ND Community Foundation grants $11M including Mercer, Oliver's endowments -- The Center Republican

• Hoeven says he believes it's important to keep pressure on Iran despite high gas prices -- KX News

• President Trump posted an image of a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz as a U.S. territory -- The Hill

• Iraq oil pipeline through Syria would take four years to reconstruct and cost $15 billion: Report -- The Hill

• UAE halts all trade, financial, and commercial ties with Iran after missiles fall near its coast -- Oil Price

• Trump postpones tariff and dangles Keystone XL revival as deadline looms over trade deal -- Oil Price

• Romania restarts coal plant to offset lost generation as Danube drought forces nuclear shutdown -- Oil Price

• How roughly $600 billion of Biden's clean energy funding escaped Trump's cuts -- E&E News

• Trump administration has a plan to break China's critical mineral grip. It needs workers first. -- E&E News

• Pipeline construction not slowing down despite major projects having drawn opposition -- OK Energy Today

• Trump administration to back US minerals projects with $500 million in grants to seven companies -- Reuters

• US to end summer-blend gasoline requirements two weeks early in effort to boost fuel supply -- Reuters

• Data centers aren't going anywhere. They are the backbone of the next economy. -- RealClearEnergy

• Trump threatens any country helping Iran in any way with "tremendous economic consequences -- Oil Price

Four New Permits; Five Permits Canceled; And Two DUCs Reported As Completed -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51523B.

Russia: some/many/most think US has serious military problems now, and forget about this  -- Russia is facing four major fronts: Ukraine; the EU; NATO/US; and, China. In a sense, Putin must be relieved that the US, and to some extent, China, are so focused on the Mideast, if not bogged down. There are reports now, China is taking advantage of the situation in the Far East, undercutting Russia's initiatives there. 

The close:

Tech:

*****************************
 Back to the Bakken 

WTI: $87.06.

Active rigs: 34,

Four new permits, #43239 - #43242, inclusive -- 

• Operator: Hunt Oil
• Field: Frazier, Divide County
• Comments:
• Hunt Oil has permits for four Frazier wells, SENE 4-161-97, 
• to be sited 1955 FNL and 325 / 415 FEL.

Five permits canceled:

• MRO: two Hopkins USA permits, Dunn County;
• True Oil: two Superior Federal permits, McKenzie County;
• EOG: one West Clark permit, McKenzie County.

Two producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed:

• 37223, n/d, XTO, Kulczyk 43X-17EXH, Williams County;
• 42246, 1,715, CLR, Charleston 8-22HSL, Williams County;

Again, seeing Kraken acquiring a couple of Neptune Operating wells.

Texas Bitcoin Across The State Of Texas -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51522BITCOIN.

Texas Tech: 

• CIFR: Cipher Mining -- Bitcoin mining;
• CORZ: Core Scientific -- blockchain infrastructure and digital asset mining svs;
• GLXY: Galaxy Digital -- crypto mining
• HUT: Hut 8 Corp -- originally one of America's largest Bitcoin mining companies, now functions more broadly;
• IREN: IREN Limited -- Bitcoin mining and AI cloud services;
• RIOT: RIOT Platforms -- Bitcoin mining; also LDC; also manufacturing custom electrical power distribution equipment.

USAF News -- The T-7 -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51521USAF.

Query: Is the USAF still flying the T-38 even though they have transitioned to the T-7A?

Reply: 

Follow-on question:  

Wow, it seems like pure luck where you start (T-38 or T-7A) and I can only imagine that the T-7A is the most sought after. Thoughts?

Reply:

As of August 2026, only Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph (Texas) has officially begun its physical transition to the Boeing–Saab T-7A Red Hawk. The remaining undergraduate pilot training bases are still fully operating the legacy Northrop T-38 Talon. They will phase in the new trainer incrementally over the next decade.

***************************
The Path

1.  Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

2. Primary Flight Test Hub: Edwards Air Force Base, California: While not an operational student training base, Edwards AFB remains the critical node for developmental flight testing, envelope expansion, and high-angle-of-attack testing.

3. Future Transition Bases (Not Yet Transitioned). The remaining four primary AETC training bases will completely swap their T-38C inventories for T-7As according to a staggered environmental and manufacturing timeline:

• Columbus AFB, MS; 
• Sheppard AFB, TX;
• Vance AFB, OK; 
• Laughlin AFB, TX.

The Economy -- August 21, 2025

Locator: 51520SURVEY.

Tag: Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey 

Let's do some parsing:

• not exactly the Rust Belt, but pretty close -- PA, southern NJ, Delaware;
• any reading above zero: expanding manufacturing conditions
• activity rose to 47.4 -- one of the strongest readings in the survey's history --
• six-month outlook surged to 73.6 -- reflecting peak optimism among regional business leaders.

A trailing indicator. Those who responded to the survey most likely knew how they would be responding to the survey a month ago. And business conditions that generated numbers like this could have happened overnight.

What We'll Be Talking About This Fall -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51519PIPELINES.

Hatred: of all the things there are to think about, all the reasons to love life -- I am amazed at the level of hatred for a young woman who is a bone cancer survivor, a gatekeeper and an extremely loyal ally of the president; and then negative comments on a president and wife holding hands; how we have changed from the days of Camelot. Me? I'm more interested in this. 

Reminder: Philadelphia Fed Survey. We'll get to that on a stand-alone blog. 

Huge story: Trump has found a new way to take on the Fed. Bessent sends a warning shot in front of Warsh.  

This year's PGA's penultimate tournament:

• Rory has just moved to tied for 4th place;
• Scottie is tied for 44th?   

For investors, a ticker symbol with which I'm unfamiliar: PI (NASDAQ). 

Hard to find but if you query ChatGPT with the "right" query you may find what you're looking for ... include Walmart in your query. PI? Impinj. RFID tags. Gemini couldn't find what I was looking for; ChatGPT found it. Just saying. There is a difference among chatbots. 

Speaking of chatbots, apparently Grok is going a bit rogue. LOL.

Gradually this story is getting traction:

• the Strait of Hormuz is becoming, if not already, irrelevant (see below);
• no one is talking about the fact that Iran may very well be overplaying their hand in the long term
• others get more incentive to finding alternatives to bypass the SoH -- link here. 
• huge number of pipelines being built;
• makes no sense to ship oil via tankers burning fuel.
• track here to see how big this story is getting. 
• Iran is running out of time; the strait is nearing irrelevancy; link here. 
• an idiot argues that pipelines are inappropriate in the Mideast; link here. The pivot to pipelines should have been done decades ago.
• Iran has said -- it was a senior Iranian spokesman -- said new pipelines are like missiles fired against Tehran. Link here.

Best evidence that the strait is irrelevant, at least for oil:

Next big story: the coming kinetic diplomacy between Turkey and Israel. Track this story here.

• Turkey has formally asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice (to be arrested) for Netanyahu
• Turkey has formally asked Interpol to put Netanyahu on "a" wanted list
• must have missed the memo: arrest warrants were already issue in July
• at the same, Turkey is still providing cheap oil and gas to Israel
• are both sides speaking to their bases
• Turkey's leaders are not dummies; at a minimum they will wait until Trump is out of office.

What we'll be talking about over the weekend while watching golf:

 
And this:

The U.S. safety agency opened an investigation into nearly one million General Motors pickup trucks and SUVs due to reports of L87 6.2-liter V8 engine failures happening even after vehicles received a previous recall fix.

It's important to remember this when these engines suddenly stop running, this speaks volumes. It's interesting that the English automobile sector was known for a very similar problem decades ago:

General Motors is actively phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of its own native infotainment software ecosystem and proprietary AI strategies. Rather than partnering with Apple, GM partnered with Google to use Android Automotive OS and integrate Google's Gemini AI, while also developing its own deeply integrated native in-vehicle AI assistants.

Query: England's automobile sector -- particularly MG brand -- was well known for electrical problems -- decades ago.

Reply: 

British cars, especially classic MG models, gained a lasting reputation for electrical failures decades ago. The main culprit was Lucas Industries, the primary electrical parts supplier for the British motor industry during the mid-20th century.

Apple: Walmart announces it will now take ApplePay. Huge.

Reminder: Big Sky 1 and 2; Apollo Global Managment; Blackstone; Google TPUs and custom silicon co-designed by Broadcom and Alphabet -- for the AI lab Anthropic! 

**********************************
The Movie Page 

Barton Fink (1991 -- the Coen brothers).

Today, this link. 

More than any other subject matter, writers writing about writing can veer off into navel-gazing irrelevance. The world doesn’t need more stories about 20-something Brooklynites trying to make it with only a pen and a dream, unless those stories are bold enough to throw some evil robots in at the halfway mark.

Barton Fink doesn’t quite do that, but when the Coen brothers’ black comedy came out 35 years ago today, it certainly veered in a direction that’s all but impossible for first-time viewers to predict. And while a writer writing about writers writing about writing threatens to become downright somnambulant, it’s a movie worth looking back on now that so many self-proclaimed creators are trying to skip past the writing process entirely. 

 ***********************
The Strait Becomes Irrelevant

If I had to guess, I would say it was Trump's decision to move one a/c out of the Persian Gulf but to replace it with a fresh set of jets and pilots, to make the Iranians realize Trump was here to stay.

In addition, most obviously by now, Saudi Arabia, et al, are finding other ways to ship oil, and the rest of the world is also looking for alternate sources.   

Among The Number Of Things That Fascinate Me, Include New York State -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51518NEWYORK.

I think the two geographical datapoints that always amaze me:

• the size of Long Island as a part of New York City; and,
• the size of Manhattan (does not include the Bronx).  

 

 

Big Story Not Being Reported Right Now -- The Allied Successes In The Mideast -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51517IRAN.

Follow the stories over a x.  

Nvidia And Cloverleaf -- First Post -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51516CLOVERLEAF.

A four-leaf clover? 

Cloverleaf Infrastructure: website.  Headquarters: Houston, TX; and, Seattle, WA.

Query: I assume Cloverleaf Infrastructure getting attention by Nvidia right now. 

Reply:  

Broadcom Preparing For A Buildout -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51515AVGO.

Anthropic growth rates: revenues growing at rate of one INTC business in seven months (INTC's one year revenues in seven months at Anthropic). And the rate is likely to be increasing. That's Anthropic. OpenAI is similar. Broadcom and OpenAI are joined at the hip.

Broadcom: the buildout story is becoming the big story for today. Big Sky One and Big Sky Two. 

The initial $35-billion tranche has been raised to $60-billion and behind the scenes numbers above $70-billion are being discussed.

Tag: DRAM NAND chips memory AI 

Reminder: April, 2022 -- we were coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown. And the buildout has just begun. The Bakken Revolution affected three or four states; AI will affect everyone.

Today:

 

**********************************
AVGO Buildout 

Reminder: OpenAI and Anthropic racing toward IPO.

Reminder: we've moved from "training" to "inference." Training: spend money; inference: make money.

Broadcom: previously posted.

Two movers: 

 

*********************************
Disclaimer

Briefly: 

I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.

I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple.

See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.

If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them. 

Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.

I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 

And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution. 

I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom. Now, I've added Amazon. And QCOM.

Longer version here.

Mideast Oil And Texas Data Centers -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51514ARCHIVES.  

Trending: link here. This reminds me a lot of the Berlin Airlift. A lot of US journalists appear not to know of or remember the Cold War.

Oil, Mideast:

 

Just after the mid-terms:

*************************
Extreme Heat In Texas....

... and ERCOT is handling it just fine. Thank you.

I've not read one headline story this summer of any brownouts, rolling blackouts, or unexpected blackouts due to electric grid issues due to the extreme heat here in Texas. Right now, it is as bad as it's been all summer and look at the excess capacity ERCOT has. AI power (electricity) is not going to be an issue. 

The Walt Disney Family Museum -- World War II -- Exhibition -- DFW -- Dallas (Texas) Holocaust And Human Rights Museum -- August 21, 2026

Locator: 51513DISNEY.  

Wow! May and I have been to four "holocaust" museums or sites. One in Germany (Dachau, near Munich); one in Washington, DC; one in Los Angeles; and one in Dallas. 

Currently in Dallas. Link here.

 How it all started: 

When Walt Disney received word that The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, had been converted into an Army anti-aircraft base after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he and his staff pledged to support the war effort without hesitation, and without profit. 

Walt knew that cartoons would be an ideal method for communicating with the American people. This exhibition showcases how The Walt Disney Studios educated the civilian public in an amusing, uncomplicated manner about the war, while simultaneously boosting the spirits of troops deployed abroad. 

In addition to the short films and military insignia produced, Disney characters appeared in a variety of home-front initiatives, from advertisements, magazines, and stamp books, to government posters promoting food recycling, rationing, war bond sales, and farm production.

Photos pending. 

It was amazing the number of patches that The Walt Disney Studios designed. At least two of the dozens of patches I wore while in the USAF, 1977 - 2007, were designed by Walt Disney. They were the patches worn by members of two fighter squadrons -- the 22 TFS -- the Stingers -- bumble bees -- and the 53 TFS -- the flying Tigers. I've posted photos of them somewhere on one of my blogs but I can't find them now. I will have to take pictures of them again and post them again.  

The exhibition was organized by the The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and is financially backed primarily by presenting sponsor Texas Instruments, with additional support from Debbie and Ron Greene, American Airlines, NFI Industries, and the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.

Link here to Instagram. The exhibit booklet was copyright 2021 which suggests that the Disney Family Museum leadership used the Covid-19 lockdown to organize this exhibit. This was really, really brilliant. Kudos to Kirsten Komoroske, the executive director of The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, CA. 

Bio:

Kirsten joined The Walt Disney Family Museum as Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors in 2013. 

Kirsten has held a number of executive and board positions, including General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for Tyco Electronics Corporation, Interim Vice President of Human Resources at Groupon, Inc., and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. 

Prior to her position at the museum, Kirsten worked as a practicing lawyer, advising for-profit and non-profit organizations on a wide range of strategic, business, and HR issues. In 2018, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of both San Francisco Travel and Hiller Aviation Museum. 

She has a background in—and a lifelong passion for—the arts, having grown up studying violin and modern dance. She received her B.A. in Italian from the University of California at Berkeley, and J.D. from Santa Clara University.

Previously an active Army base and the Pacific coast’s strongest coastal defense from 1846 to 1994, the Presidio now serves as a national park and is home to The Walt Disney Family Museum.

*****************************
Key Lime Pie

Link here. 

*******************************
USAF

The Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf is a new U.S. Air Force multi-mission helicopter replacing the Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey. It is special because it flies 50% faster, carries nearly twice as many security troops, and features an increased range to better protect the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fields.

From wiki, link here:
 

Our granddaughter Olivia was one of only two USAF ROTC Cadets from her squadron to be given a familiarization flight ride in a Grey Wolf while participating in MAX #6 Field Training this past summer. These are the two cadets, our granddaughter and another member of the squadron with the Grey Wolf in the background: