Michael Achterling

1 week ago | aberdeennews.com | Michael Achterling

North Dakota passed laws requiring age verification for pornographic websites and penalizing the nonconsensual creation and distribution of deepfakes. The laws, effective August 1st, aim to protect minors from exposure to harmful content and individuals from exploitation through deepfake pornography. The ACLU raised concerns about First Amendment rights and privacy regarding the age-verification law, citing a similar case pending a Supreme Court decision.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Michael Achterling

(Getty Images)The North Dakota Legislature passed expanded regulations and penalties surrounding pornography and deepfake content during the 2025 session. Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed bills that added age-verification requirements for websites publishing explicit content. He also signed a bill that added civil penalties for the creation and distribution of deepfake, or computer-generated, pornographic material without a subject’s consent. Both laws will go into effect Aug. 1.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Michael Achterling

Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, looks at a button on a New Hampshire Civil War-era uniform in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)In the collection of the North Dakota Heritage Center, rows of soldiers’ uniforms, military equipment and personal items tell the stories of service members.

1 week ago | bismarcktribune.com | Michael Achterling

North Dakota lawmakers passed three ballot measures during the legislative session that will go to voters in 2026. If passed by a majority of voters, the state could see a new 60% voter threshold for passage of future constitutional changes; a single-subject rule that limits the scope of future ballot petitions; and adjustments to legislative term limits, the North Dakota Monitor reported. 60% constitutional thresholdHouse Resolution 3003, sponsored by Rep.

2 weeks ago | kfgo.com | Michael Achterling

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Confirmed cases of measles in North Dakota increased to 21 this week after the Department of Health and Human Services reported two new cases in Grand Forks County, now the third county to be affected. Both exposures in Grand Forks County are linked to international travel, according to the department.