AI Data Centers in Harwood: Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 2 is nearing completion in Harwood, with two massive AI-focused buildings totaling about 1.8 million square feet and built to power “a small city” of computing. Mining & Critical Minerals: Talon Metals is pivoting nickel processing away from Mercer County, dropping plans for a Beulah plant and instead using its Humboldt Mill site in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Public Health & Regulation: North Dakota lawmakers passed a bill to regulate natural kratom while banning synthetic products, ending a special session and rescinding the governor’s temporary kratom ban. Safety for Rural Families: NDSU Extension highlights injury risks for youth operating off-highway vehicles, citing trauma registry admissions and urging safer practices. Education & STEM Outreach: “Field To Table” brings hundreds of students to farm-based learning stations, including a bee-focused segment. Research Spotlight: UND received $408,184 for biomedical research and training via the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Science Discovery: Paleontologists report the first known adult T. rex trackway in North Dakota’s badlands, based on four connected footprints. Local Tech & Community: The Harwood data center tour and NDSA’s Bismarck convention preview underscore how tech, policy, and industry are converging across the state.