Cartoon by Frank Cotham Clute started to try responding to each point. But ultimately she just said, “Our intent has never been to create fear. Our intent is to provide you the facts.” I wanted to learn about Minot because it was exceptional: it was in the worst-performing county in the worst-performing state in the worst-performing country in the world. But I also wanted to learn about it because it didn’t seem unusual at all: the city was divided over what to do about the pandemic, and even what to think about it. I wanted to understand what made it so difficult for people to come together and address a deadly crisis.