The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision on Monday, ruled that states can accept and count mail-in ballots received after the federal Election Day. The decision comes out of the high court’s ruling in Watson v. RNC, a case challenging Mississippi’s acceptance of mail-in ballots up to five days after Election Day as long Read More…
Seth Bodnar has spent his Senate campaign positioning himself as a red-state outsider unbeholden to party machinery, but the financial picture behind his candidacy tells a more complicated story than the independent label suggests. Bodnar has led the field in fundraising, pulling in more than $2 million since March, and has collected endorsements from prominent Read More…
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke celebrated the release of $53,889,068 in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding for Montana counties, an increase of more than $7.3 million over 2025 disbursements. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Zinke said he played a major role in securing the funds. “Public Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the next attorney general of the United States. In a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Ranking Member Richard Durbin and other committee members, Knudsen urged Read More…
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced that the Board of Water and Natural Resources has approved $54.8 million in loans and grants for water, wastewater and solid waste projects across the state. The $54,856,749 total consists of $52,400,000 in low-interest loans, $2,000,000 in principal forgiveness and $456,749 in grants to be Read More…
The University of Montana recently selected Dr. Paul Lukacs to serve as interim vice president for research and creative scholarship. Starting July 2, he will take the reins of UM’s “R1” research enterprise, which tallied nearly $150 million in science expenditures in fiscal year 2025. Lukacs will serve as interim for one year, reporting directly Read More…
President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission delivered its final draft report to the president during an Oval Office presentation, capping a yearlong review of religious-liberty issues across education, healthcare, the military and the private sector. Chairman Dan Patrick, the Texas lieutenant governor, and Vice Chairman Ben Carson presented the 224-page report alongside other commission members. Trump Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce and North Dakota Information Technology have partnered to launch Dakota BOT, a new AI-powered chatbot designed to improve how citizens, businesses and visitors access information across ND.gov and affiliated state agency websites. Dakota BOT serves as a digital front door to state government, offering 24/7 support, multilingual assistance and Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision on Monday, ruled that states can accept and count mail-in ballots received after the federal Election Day. The decision comes out of the high court’s ruling in Watson v. RNC, a case challenging Mississippi’s acceptance of mail-in ballots up to five days after Election Day as long Read More…
Seth Bodnar has spent his Senate campaign positioning himself as a red-state outsider unbeholden to party machinery, but the financial picture behind his candidacy tells a more complicated story than the independent label suggests. Bodnar has led the field in fundraising, pulling in more than $2 million since March, and has collected endorsements from prominent Read More…
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced Sen. Tim Sheehy’s bipartisan VA Home Loan Awareness Act as part of a larger package of housing legislation, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk. The measure is the first piece of legislation Sheehy introduced as a senator. “The VA Home Loan Read More…
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke celebrated the release of $53,889,068 in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding for Montana counties, an increase of more than $7.3 million over 2025 disbursements. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Zinke said he played a major role in securing the funds. “Public 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…
A recent settlement with the Department of Justice in Texas has flung open the doors for the very first time for detransitioner medical care. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced earlier this month that after a lengthy investigation into the alleged misuse of Medicaid funds to perform transitions at Texas Children’s Hospital, they would open a Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate ticked down to 3.4% in May, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced, remaining below the national unemployment rate, which held steady at 4.3% over the month. “Since taking office, we’ve been focused on unleashing Montana’s economy to support business owners who create good-paying jobs, strengthen our workforce, and reduce barriers to employment,” Gianforte said. Read More…
Barry Diller’s People Inc. submitted a non-binding proposal to MGM Resorts International’s board on June 1 to acquire the roughly 74% of the company it doesn’t already own, in a deal that would value the casino operator at more than $18 billion including debt. People Inc., the holding company formerly known as IAC that owns Read More…
Stock’s blistering post-IPO run has investors betting on Musk’s broader ambitions in AI, even as some analysts call the valuation overheated Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the Elon Musk-led rocket and satellite company known as SpaceX, vaulted past Amazon.com in market value this week, becoming the world’s fifth most valuable public company in just three trading Read More…
Senior research scientist John Jumper said Friday he would leave Google DeepMind to join Anthropic, the latest high-profile departure from the tech giant’s AI research division. Jumper, who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, is best known as the co-creator of AlphaFold, an AI system that has predicted Read More…