Montana State University has ranked among some of the top schools in the Center for World University Rankings for 2025, based on factors including education, employability, faculty and research. MSU ranked in the top 3.7% of the 21,462 universities reviewed worldwide for the rankings, which were published on June 2. While some university rankings rely Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced Thursday that 39 cities, towns, counties, and water and sewer districts across the state will share more than $23.7 million in grant funding through the Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP), supporting critical infrastructure improvements ranging from water and wastewater system upgrades to bridge replacements. “MCEP project grant funding is Read More…
Flathead Lake will not reach full pool this summer, marking the third consecutive year of below-normal water levels. Projections indicate the lake will peak at 2,892.3 feet on June 19, 2025, then gradually decline. Full pool is 2,893 feet. The shortfall is due to reduced snowpack and insufficient spring runoff, combined with demands for hydropower Read More…
Who knew there were this many things that had to be fixed? The legislative sessions in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Washington are over. Depending on your political perspective, the benefits – or damages – will be felt for years to come. One thing that isn’t in dispute? Lawmakers couldn’t help but introduce a record number of bills Read More…
Commissioner of Securities and Insurance and Montana State Auditor James Brown announced new additions to the agency’s executive leadership team this week, naming three seasoned professionals to top roles. The appointments reflect Commissioner Brown’s continued emphasis on building an experienced, consumer-focused, and forward-thinking leadership structure. Erin Snyder Appointed Deputy Insurance Commissioner Effective June 2, Erin Read More…
The Trump administration has begun the hard work of moving federal government policy toward market-affirming policies and away from the progressive tax-spend-debt madness of the Biden years. Unfortunately, the economy may require a much bigger rescue than is politically possible – or perhaps even economically possible. The fact that the American people have always been Read More…
The 2025 Montana legislative session got off to a rocky start on day one in the Senate when a group of nine Republicans defected to collude with Democrats in a surprise maneuver to change the Senate’s rules and committee assignments giving themselves and Democrats more power. For the entire legislative session, the 9 censured Republicans joined with all Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke today announced a slate of 15 infrastructure, law enforcement, and rural development projects across Western Montana, requesting federal funding totaling $64,619,833. The funding requests, submitted to the House Appropriations Committee on which Zinke serves, target community improvements spanning 13 counties, including Beaverhead, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Lake, Lincoln, Missoula, Mineral, Powell, Ravalli, and Read More…
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released its 2024 State of the Environment Report, outlining key accomplishments across the department’s four core focus areas: air, land, waste, and water. The annual report underscores Wyoming’s ongoing commitment to environmental protection while supporting the state’s economic vitality. “This report underscores the Wyoming DEQ’s leadership and Read More…
Governor Brad Little announced today a new agreement between the Idaho State Police (ISP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the federal 287(g) program. The partnership authorizes Idaho law enforcement to transport hundreds of convicted illegal alien criminals from Idaho jails directly to ICE detention facilities for deportation processing. The agreement is part Read More…
Governor Brad Little announced today the appointment of Brendon Taylor as District Judge for Idaho’s Seventh Judicial District, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of the Honorable Bruce L. Pickett. Taylor currently serves as a Magistrate Judge in Bonneville County, a position he has held since 2022. He is also the presiding judge of Read More…
U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy’s bipartisan Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is on its way to President Donald J. Trump’s desk after clearing the House of Representatives today. The legislation, introduced by Sheehy alongside Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in January, aims to strengthen the nation’s wildfire suppression capabilities amid an increasingly dangerous wildfire season. The bill unanimously Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen celebrated a major legal victory for American gun manufacturers and Second Amendment advocates on Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Mexican government against several U.S. firearms companies. The case, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Mexico, centered on Mexico’s attempt to Read More…
Clearwater Properties, a leading real estate brokerage in the Mountain West, has announced the recipients of its prestigious Top Producer Awards for 2024, recognizing the firm’s ten highest-performing agents and brokers across the region in total sales volume. The annual awards, presented each April, celebrate not only exceptional production but also the agents’ deep commitment Read More…
The U.S. stock market delivered a gripping performance this week, propelled by tech sector strength, a solid jobs report, and flickers of optimism in U.S.-China trade talks, though tariff jitters and uneven economic data kept investors on their toes. The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out gains, closing a turbulent Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is spearheading a 28-state coalition backing a legal challenge to Maine’s newly enacted 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases, calling the law an unconstitutional infringement on Second Amendment rights. In an amicus brief filed in Beckwith v. Frey, the coalition urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a series of unanimous decisions this week, resolving contentious disputes and clarifying legal boundaries on discrimination, religious tax exemptions, gun manufacturer liability, and environmental regulations. Handed down by June 5, 2025, these rulings addressed pressing issues, shaping policies and lives across the nation. In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte on Thursday praised the Trump Administration’s approval of a crucial mining permit for the Signal Peak Energy coal mine, calling the move a major victory for Montana coal miners and a lifeline for American energy independence. The U.S. Department of the Interior, under Secretary Doug Burgum, authorized Signal Peak to move forward Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) teamed up with Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Representative Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) to introduce the bipartisan PROTECT Act, aimed at tackling drug trafficking in tribal communities across the country, including Montana. The bill—Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act—would expand Read More…
Today, on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the world pauses to honor one of the most defining moments of the 20th century—the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. On this day in 1944, over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, Read More…
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) has followed through on a key campaign promise by placing up to $50 million of his Bridger Aerospace stock into two blind trusts — a move that sets a high standard for transparency and ethical responsibility. The blind trusts, which were filed with the U.S. Senate Financial Disclosures Office recently, mark Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte continued his fifth annual 56 County Tour this week, meeting with Montanans in Golden Valley, Wheatland, and Fergus counties to celebrate legislative wins and highlight rural resilience. During stops across central Montana, the governor met with lawmakers, small business owners, and community leaders, emphasizing the importance of local leadership and education. “The Read More…
(The Center Square) – American colleges are not preparing students for the workforce, according to a recent poll, with hiring managers saying many graduates are entitled, easily offended, and on their phones too much. A May release on the Resume.org poll said that “the class of 2025 college graduates [are] entering a difficult job market. Read More…
(The Center Square) – In just a few months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested more than 1,000 “illegal alien workers without employment authorization.” It’s “the highest rate of arrest in HSI’s history,” HSI acting Executive Associate Director Robert Hammer said in April. “We’ve subpoenaed the business records of about 1,200 businesses, and Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is calling on law enforcement officials in all U.S. counties to participate in a federal program, 287(g). Those who do receive free training and resources, potentially federal grant money, and a partnership with the Trump administration to identify violent criminals illegally in the country, many of Read More…
(The Center Square) – Montana recently became the sixth state this year to pass a ban on foreign spending on ballot measures. Watchdog organizations, however, say the state’s new law is inadequate. Montana’s new law bars non-U.S. citizens, foreign governments, foreign political parties and foreign-owned entities from contributing to campaigns surrounding ballot measures. The legislation Read More…
BOZEMAN – Two years ago, a research team led by Montana State University assistant professor Martin Mosquera discovered that photons – the smallest possible units of light – can be controlled with color superposition to interact with and reveal specific information about molecules. For that discovery and its significance, as well as his work Read More…
As a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist for over 15 years in Louisiana, I have worked alongside many providers with the common goal of providing the best possible care and supporting patients with guidance on balanced diets. With high rates of childhood obesity in Louisiana, I recognize that the state legislature is looking to apply Read More…
(The Center Square) – A day after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the Trump administration was terminating Harvard University’s foreign student visa “privileges,” a federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration from halting the program. Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order Friday Read More…
(The Center Square) – Los Angeles’ deputy mayor for public safety has pleaded guilty to calling in a fake, anti-Israel bomb threat to himself in October. Brian Williams, who was charged by federal prosecutors Thursday, faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Mayor Karen Bass announced in December that Williams had been put on administrative Read More…
The Max S. Baucus Institute has announced its Baucus Leader Class of 2025. The more than 40 University of Montana students selected represent Ambassador Baucus’ commitment to create outstanding service opportunities at home and abroad for undergraduate and graduate students from across Montana. Inspired by Baucus’ belief that “there is no higher calling than public Read More…
For states like Washington, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, the 10-year regulatory moratorium on artificial intelligence recently passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The committee’s decision to advance this pause on state-level AI regulations marks a crucial step toward creating the regulatory certainty needed to attract substantial tech investment to our region, Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) has introduced new legislation aimed at reinforcing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ commitment to accessible, high-quality health care for America’s veterans. Joined by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Daines is championing the “Protecting Veteran Community Care Act,” a bill that would bolster the VA’s Community Care program Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) announced his vote in favor of the Big Beautiful Bill Act, landmark legislation that he says delivers long-awaited reforms to federal tax policy, border security, entitlement programs, and land conservation—all while safeguarding Montana’s values and public lands. Zinke hailed the bill as a “bold, decisive action” to restore fiscal sanity and Read More…
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public input on its draft Mountain Goat Management Plan for 2025–2030, with the comment period open through June 8. Hunters, wildlife advocates, and other interested individuals are encouraged to review the draft plan and share their level of support—whether they generally support, support with concerns, or Read More…
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus announced today that the state’s taxable sales and purchases for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $5.65 billion, reflecting a 1.53% decrease compared to the same period last year. Despite the modest decline, Kroshus said the data show signs of underlying economic stability amid national economic uncertainty. “While we Read More…
Daktronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DAKT), a dynamic video communication displays and control systems company, announced today that Interim Chief Executive Officer Brad Wiemann and Acting Chief Financial Officer Howard Atkins will represent the company at the Craig-Hallum Capital Group’s 22nd Annual Institutional Investor Conference. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Minneapolis, Read More…
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump signed several executive orders on nuclear energy Friday that Trump said would make the U.S. the “real power” in the industry. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the orders marked “a huge day for the nuclear industry,” enabling America to pursue nuclear innovation in ways it hasn’t Read More…
Just days before Memorial Day, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced new legislation aimed at ensuring national cemeteries remain open to the public on all federal holidays. The bill is designed to provide families, friends, and veteran organizations with consistent access to honor fallen service members on the days set aside for remembrance. “Federal holidays Read More…
The Wyoming Veterans Commission wrapped up its inaugural Veteran Services Symposium this week at Casper College, marking a major milestone in the state’s efforts to strengthen the network of care for veterans and their families. The two-day event brought together more than 150 service providers, advocates, and leaders from across Wyoming for a robust exchange Read More…