BOISE, Idaho — If a government agency in Idaho violates the Idaho Public Records Law, there’s only one thing you can do: Go to court. Under the law, that’s the “sole remedy.” You get a lawyer and file a lawsuit. It doesn’t happen often, and it’s obvious why not: Getting a lawyer and going to Read More…
The former South Dakota lawmaker gunning for Theresa Stehly’s spot on the Sioux Falls City Council has some heavy-weight endorsements in his corner. Alex Jensen, the 32-year-old banker and former real estate broker who earlier this year filed his candidacy for the at-large seat that will be up for grabs next year, last week announced Read More…
BISMARCK — A federal judge blocked the state of North Dakota from enforcing a new law requiring physicians to inform patients that it may be possible to reverse a drug-induced abortion Tuesday, Sept. 10, ruling that it violates doctors’ First Amendment protections against “compelled speech.” U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland sided with the American Medical Read More…
A second Wyoming man has filed a federal lawsuit against agribusiness giant Monsanto, alleging its popular weedkiller brand Roundup caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Gerald Kubena, of Casper, alleges in the lawsuit filed last week that he used Roundup from 2009 through 2018 on his property. He was diagnosed with the lymphoma in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines returned Monday after leaving for a trip to China on Saturday. Daines says he met with top Chinese officials and urged them to rebalance their trade relationship. Daines says for decades, China has practiced unfair trade policies and has stolen much of American’s intellectual property. He says his ideal Read More…
BUTTE – Montana often ranks high for workplace injuries. “Montana for years has been an inherently unsafe place to work. We injure more employees in Montana than almost any other state year after year after year,” said Mark Rosenleaf with Montana State Fund. For the past three years Montana State Fund has been giving away Read More…
The United States Air Force announced Monday it will be conducting military exercises in parts of the Powder River Training Complex this week. The training complex is a massive airspace that stretches over southeast Montana, northeast Wyoming, southwest North Dakota, and northwest South Dakota. The exercise, called “Combat Raider,” is set to begin Tuesday and Read More…
Former state Republican Party Chair Debra Lamm announced Monday that she’s running for Montana’s U.S. House seat in 2020, becoming the fifth Republican to vie for the open seat. Lamm said the upcoming election is a battle over a future “defined by socialism or American exceptionalism,” and that as a member of Congress she would Read More…
The edge of downtown Bozeman will get another new hotel. The Bozeman City Commission unanimously approved plans Monday for Bozeman Residence Inn, a four-story, 104-room hotel just off East Main Street. The building will go on roughly 1.74 acres at 815 E. Main St., just behind Jackpot Casino and with Town Pump to the west. Read More…
Whitefish City Manager Adam Hammatt tendered his resignation Sept. 6, stepping down as the city’s top administrative officer after less than three years on the job. Mayor John Muhlfeld announced Hammatt’s resignation in a press release but provided no additional details behind the decision. “Mayor Muhlfeld, Whitefish City Council and city staff wish Mr. Hammatt Read More…
Looming among our neighbors to the north is an invasive species Montana experts say would cause extensive environmental degradation to the Big Sky state, should they ever successfully saunter across the border. And they’re edging closer every year. Large populations of feral hogs throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta have been slowly encroaching on the Montana-Canada border, Read More…
BISMARCK — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum named Jace Beehler as his new policy director Thursday, Aug. 29. Beehler will take over for Levi Bachmeier, who took a new job as business manager for West Fargo Public Schools. Beehler is currently a policy adviser for the Republican governor. READ FULL STORY
The Wyoming Council For Women announced the winner of its second annual Woman Entrepreneur Award. This year Ariane Jimison, the owner of Pizza Carrello in Gillette received the honor. Pizza Carrello is a wood-fired pizza restaurant that features house-made dough and sauce. Jimison started the business as a food cart in 2011 and opened the Read More…
Kanye West is not just a Wyoming visitor anymore, because we’ve learned he just bought a massive property. Kanye plunked down some serious money for a property called Monster Lake Ranch. The asking price was $14 million for the huge chunk of land outside Cody, Wyoming. The Ranch itself has 8 lodging units and is Read More…
Longshot Tom Steyer doesn’t think his billionaire status should disqualify him from the Democratic presidential nomination, despite an increasing portion of his party shying away from corporate money. Instead, the business magnate told CNBC on Thursday, his experience in the private sector positions him to “expose” President Donald Trump “as the failure he’s been as Read More…
BIGFORK — During the summer of 2017, the Sprague Fire in Glacier National Park destroyed the historic Sperry Chalet. Now, a Montana distillery is giving thousands of dollars to help with rebuilding the iconic structure. Gabe Spencer with Whistling Andy Distillery said, “What better way for us to raise money is through something that we Read More…
HELENA — Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan told a legislative committee this week that lawmakers should consider updating state lobbying rules to bring them “into the 21st century” by, for instance, requiring electronic filing for lobbying reports and clarifying whether regulations apply to “grassroots” lobbying like social media campaigns. “You will find Read More…
WASHINGTON – Congressman Greg Gianforte today opened nominations for the Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation, a tribute to recognize outstanding Montana veterans who have honorably served both our nation and our communities. “More than one in ten Montanans have served and sacrificed for our country. After their time in uniform, many have continued to serve our Read More…
A group opposing corporate money in elections – but that spent significantly on Montana’s 2018 U.S. Senate race – on Thursday endorsed Democrat Kathleen Williams for the state’s sole congressional seat in 2020. End Citizens United, a political-action committee formed in 2015 to oppose “big money” in politics, said Williams is a supporter of campaign-finance Read More…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The disturbing number has held steady for years: Roughly 20 U.S. military veterans take their own lives each day. The Defense Department reported a significant uptick last year in the number of active-duty and reserve men and women who died by suicide. The suicide rate among veterans ages 18 to 34, some Read More…
Facebook is considering a test to hide likes on News Feed posts. The company already tested a similar move on Instagram in August as a way to help break users’ fixation with getting likes on their pictures. Data miner Jane Manchun Wong discovered that Facebook is experimenting with the change in its Android app Monday. The company said Monday Read More…
In the days before Uber, Travis Kalanick wasn’t much different than other San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneurs, except that he was fresh off a $20 million exit and had a penchant for Pulp Fiction. In a sparsely furnished apartment in the city’s Castro district, Kalanick sought to become a “fixer,” reports Mike Isaac in “Super Pumped: Read More…
On a normal year, millions of Huawei fans anticipate the announcement of the company’s new smartphones. But 2019 is not a normal year. In May 2019, Huawei was placed on a US trade blacklist, preventing US companies from doing business with Huawei without permission from the US government. As a result, Huawei cannot use Google’s Read More…
GREAT FALLS — The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) made an appearance over the skies of Montana on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. A moderate geomagnetic storm over the weekend produced the aurora. Some people headed out of town to escape the city lights in order to maximize their chances of seeing – including Brennen Read More…
With the sunset of Whitefish’s tax-increment finance district less than a year away, the Whitefish City Council is contemplating priorities for the remaining TIF revenue and potential new tax districts within the resort city. A work session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall will include a review and discussion of tax increment Read More…
A new presidential poll conducted by Mammouth University shows Gov. Steve Bullock is still at less than 1% with Democratic voters — far behind Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders who are all in a virtual tie at the top of the poll. Bullock recently took part in a CNN Town Hall , again portraying himself as Read More…
BELLEVUE — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock brought his fledgling presidential campaign to the Puget Sound region Monday night, pitching himself as the only Democratic candidate who’s won a statewide campaign in a state won by President Donald Trump. Bullock, who’s made fighting the “toxic influence of money in politics” the cornerstone of his campaign, described Read More…
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Wednesday ruled out running for the Senate next year following news that Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) would retire. “Our thoughts are with Senator Isakson and his family. Leader Abrams’ focus will not change: she will lead voter protection efforts in key states across the country, and make sure Democrats are successful in Read More…
There have been at least three reports confirmed by officials of voting machines in two counties changing voters’ selections in the state’s GOP governor primary runoff. In one case, the glitch was caught on video. Tuesday morning, Facebook user Sally Kate Walker posted a video showing what appeared to be a touch-screen machine changing someone’s selection Read More…
WASHINGTON – A Washington, D.C., physician alleged in divorce filings Tuesday that her husband, a national political consultant, left her after becoming romantically involved with U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a client of his fundraising business. In an interview, Omar denied that she is separated or dating outside her marriage. “I have no interest in really allowing Read More…
A former law clerk in Lewistown who settled a 2011 lawsuit against a state district judge sued the governor and attorney general Friday, saying an agreement not to reveal details of the initial case should be voided as unconstitutional. Britt Long, who lives now in New Jersey, settled a lawsuit with the state in 2013. Read More…
MISSOULA – A man arrested in Bozeman for sympathizing with terrorist groups is scheduled to change his plea this week. Court documents say Fabjan Alameti is set for an Aug. 28 hearing to change his plea in federal court. A plea agreement says Alameti will plead guilty to two counts of making a false statement Read More…
On Sunday, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock made his case for why he should be the Democratic nominee for president to a nationwide TV audience. He answered questions from Democratic primary voters at an hourlong town hall in New York City, hosted by CNN. Bullock is now the last state governor remaining in the 2020 Democratic Read More…
Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page could hinder a criminal case against former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe if the Justice Department decides to bring charges against him. Federal prosecutors are close to making a final decision on whether to indict McCabe, who is accused of lying to federal agents, the New York Times reported Monday. McCabe’s lawyers met Read More…
WASHINGTON—President Trump said he is considering measures to bolster the economy, including a possible reduction in capital-gains taxes, and continued to press the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates even as he played down warning signs of a possible slowdown. “We’re looking at various tax reductions,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Read More…
Walmart is suing Elon Musk’s electric vehicle and clean energy company after Tesla solar panels atop seven of the retailer’s stores allegedly caught fire, according a court filing. The Walmart suit alleges breach of contract, gross negligence and failure to live up to industry standards. Walmart is asking Tesla to remove solar panels from more than 240 Walmart locations Read More…
Target CEO Brian Cornell still thinks the U.S. consumer is strong and spending, despite fears that some shoppers may be pulling back with the threat of another economic recession looming. He told members of the media Wednesday morning after reporting quarterly earnings that blew past estimates: Target CFO “Cathy [Smith] and I —we meet with our banking partners, Read More…
Sen. Mike Rounds said there’s been a positive development in his wife’s cancer treatment. “After multiple rounds of chemo treatment, we’re pleased to report that not only has Jean’s tumor shrunk in half, a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan showed no signs of the tumor spreading or metastasizing,” the South Dakota Republican said in a statement. He added that “the Read More…
Rep. Liz Cheney called on President Trump to reject a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, arguing in an op-ed that it would be tantamount to losing the war to al Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State. “We should not withdraw U.S. forces based on a political timetable that grants concessions to the Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – On Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture honored five individuals for their contributions to the agriculture industry and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture at the Ruthe James Williams Center on the Wyoming State Fairgrounds during the 107th State Fair. The excellence in agriculture awards are given to individuals who Read More…