Independent candidates have officially qualified for Montana’s U.S. Senate race and the state’s eastern congressional district, deepening a strategic divide among Democrats over whether the nonpartisan campaigns help or hurt their chances of winning seats away from Republicans. The Montana Secretary of State’s Office confirmed this week that former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar Read More…
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Idaho Gov. Brad Little in Big Sky on Tuesday to announce a proposed federal rule that would give Western states significantly more flexibility to manage grizzly bears — the first major management reform since the species was listed as threatened under Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is requesting public comment on revised water quality goals for Belt Creek, following the completion of a $13 million water treatment plant that has begun removing acid mine drainage from the creek for the first time in more than a century. DEQ has drafted a revised Missouri-Cascade and Belt Read More…
Sen. Tim Sheehy’s bipartisan VA Home Loan Awareness Act has officially become law as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which took effect July 11 after President Trump declined to sign the broader housing package, allowing it to become law automatically under the Constitution’s 10-day rule. The legislation, the first bill Sheehy Read More…
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry has been awarded more than $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand the state’s Registered Apprenticeship system over the next three years, with a targeted focus on AI infrastructure and related industries. The award, running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, comes through the Read More…
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced his Consumer Protection Division returned a record amount to Idaho consumers through voluntary dispute resolution in the first half of 2026, with more than $956,000 recovered without the need for lawsuits or court orders through the end of June. After Labrador reorganized the division in mid-2025 to strengthen investigations Read More…
The University of Montana recently earned an A+ grade for its undergraduate and graduate elementary teacher preparation programs for excellence in preparing future classroom leaders to teach reading. The recognition for UM’s Phyllis J. Washington College of Education comes from the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan education policy organization. The achievement comes at Read More…
The Montana Department of Justice awarded nearly $150,000 in grants to four Children’s Advocacy Centers across the state to help improve care for child survivors of crime and abuse, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced. The funding comes from a Johnson & Johnson settlement resolving allegations the company manufactured, marketed and knowingly sold baby powder tainted Read More…
Independent candidates have officially qualified for Montana’s U.S. Senate race and the state’s eastern congressional district, deepening a strategic divide among Democrats over whether the nonpartisan campaigns help or hurt their chances of winning seats away from Republicans. The Montana Secretary of State’s Office confirmed this week that former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar Read More…
Sen. Steve Daines used a Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday to press two Treasury Department nominees on the need for a comprehensive federal tax framework for digital assets, arguing that outdated tax rules are pushing American entrepreneurs and innovation overseas. Daines questioned Francis Brooke, nominated to be deputy secretary of the Treasury, and Sriprakash Read More…
A Lewis and Clark County District Court judge this week narrowed the scope of a temporary restraining order against the Montana Republican Party’s newly adopted bylaws, partially lifting a block placed on the rules after a group of party members sued to invalidate them. Judge Michael McMahon issued the original restraining order on July 9, Read More…
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus issued a decision finding campaign finance violations by three political committees — Big Sky Fiscal Guardians, Treasure State Stewards and Montana Business Advocates for Sensible Elections — ordering two to reclassify and referring the third to the county attorney for potential prosecution. The decision, dated July 8, stems Read More…
As Americans prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, there will be no shortage of fireworks, parades, speeches and reflections on our history. Those celebrations are appropriate. The signing of the Declaration of Independence remains one of the most consequential events in human history. Its ideas changed the world. Across the globe, they inspired movements Read More…
After a long absence from politics, former legislator Jim Peterson has returned, seeking the limelight once again, this time to criticize the Montana Republican Party for amending its bylaws. You have probably never heard of Peterson, so here is a quick refresher. Jim Peterson is a former Senate Majority Leader and President, most famous for Read More…
Across the Mountain West, data center construction has been slowed by local opposition, fueled in part by misunderstandings about the water consumption associated with the industry. Articles like “AI Chugs a Bottle of Water Every Time You Chat With It,” and “The Dark Side of Data Centers Part 2: Water Guzzlers” give the impression that Read More…
Medicare Advantage is not just an abstract policy for many Montana seniors who rely on it to access doctors, prescriptions, medical care, and peace of mind. Montanans deserve accountability, not bureaucratic delays, when they have questions about their plan and coverage. States need a stronger role in protecting consumers and enforcing the Medicare Advantage rules Read More…
Costco Wholesale reported June net sales of $29.24 billion, a 10.6% year-over-year increase for the five-week retail period ending July 5, offering fresh evidence that the warehouse retailer’s distinctive business model continues to hold up well in a choppy consumer environment. Comparable sales rose 8.8% for the month, with the U.S. segment leading the way Read More…
Nvidia has built its dominant position in the artificial intelligence chip market by consistently delivering on promises that once seemed impossibly ambitious. Now, with expectations running at record highs and rivals closing in, the company faces a different kind of challenge — convincing investors that what comes next will be as good as what came Read More…
First Interstate BancSystem has been named to TIME magazine’s inaugural America’s Best Companies 2026 list, a recognition the Billings-based regional bank’s leadership credited to its people and its approach to community banking across the West. The list, produced in partnership with Statista and announced July 9, ranks 1,000 U.S. companies based on three equally weighted Read More…
Most financial advice from billionaires sounds something like this: diversify your portfolio, buy index funds, think long-term, let compound interest do the heavy lifting. Mark Cuban’s advice on what to do with a sudden $100,000 windfall sounds nothing like that. It starts in the grocery store. When asked by Forbes how he’d handle a fresh Read More…