All posts by Big Sky Headlines

DEQ seeks public comment on draft environmental assessment for septic and wastewater systems

5 months ago   Montana News, News

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released a draft programmatic environmental assessment covering the construction and operation of subsurface wastewater treatment systems and is accepting public comment through May 1, 2026. Subsurface wastewater treatment systems include a range of water treatment infrastructure, from conventional septic systems to advanced systems capable of meeting or exceeding Read More…

White House govt funding request for 2027 cuts $73 billion

5 months ago   National News, News

(The Center Square) – The White House proposes a dramatic increase in defense spending in fiscal 2027 while significantly reducing spending in other departments, according to its budget submission released Friday. The request comes as U.S. lawmakers still haven’t finished funding all federal agencies for the current fiscal year and are currently locked in a Read More…

Trump moves to rein in NIL chaos with sweeping college sports executive order

5 months ago   Featured, National News, News

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at restoring what the White House described as order and stability to college athletics, directing federal agencies to use their oversight authority to enforce rules around player eligibility, transfers, and name, image and likeness compensation. The order instructs federal agencies to evaluate whether universities that violate Read More…

Rep. Jones’ Companies received $4.3 million in loans from program he helped oversee

5 months ago   Featured, Home Featured, Montana Politics, Politics

A Montana Republican state representative, Llew Jones, received more than $4 million in low-interest federal loans through a program he helped create and sat on the commission formed to oversee — raising questions about conflicts of interest and possible violations of the program’s own lending caps, according to a report by Yellowstone County News. Rep. Read More…

U.S. LNG exports up again in March on global panic buying

5 months ago   Business, Energy Business News, Featured, National Business News, National News, News

(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…

Knudsen accuses Gallatin County attorney of sanctuary city violations over ICE data policy

5 months ago   Featured, Montana News, News

Attorney General Austin Knudsen has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell demanding she reverse a policy that refuses to recognize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a criminal justice agency entitled to receive confidential criminal justice information, giving her until Monday, April 6, to comply or face state action. The dispute Read More…

White House touts March jobs report

5 months ago   Featured, Home Featured, National Politics, Politics

The White House on Friday celebrated a stronger-than-expected March jobs report, saying the numbers validated President Trump’s economic agenda and signaled accelerating momentum heading into the second quarter of 2026. The economy added 178,000 jobs in March, nearly triple what economists had forecast, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% while Read More…

Fentanyl seizures in Montana plunge in 2025

5 months ago   Featured, Home Featured, Montana News, News

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Thursday that fentanyl seizures in the state dropped sharply in 2025, falling 70 percent from the prior year and nearly 80 percent from the all-time high recorded in 2023 — though the decline in seized supply came alongside a troubling rise in fentanyl-linked deaths. Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Read More…

U.S. adds 178,000 jobs in March, unemployment falls to 4.3%

5 months ago   Business, Featured, Home Featured, National Business News

The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department reported Friday, a figure that surpassed expectations and came in roughly triple some earlier forecasts, signaling continued resilience in the nation’s labor market as geopolitical tensions mount abroad. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%, while wage growth moderated slightly from previous months — a Read More…

Census Data Shows Sharp Drop in Migration Across U.S. Metro Areas

5 months ago   National News, News

The White House on Thursday pointed to new Census Bureau estimates showing a sharp slowdown in international migration across the country, casting the data as evidence that President Donald Trump’s border and immigration policies are having a major impact. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, every metropolitan area in the country recorded lower immigration rates Read More…

Gov. Rhoden Signs Five Bills Aimed at Supporting Rural South Dakota

5 months ago   Featured, Politics, Regional Politics

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed five bills into law aimed at supporting agriculture and rural communities, including a measure to expand broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. Among the bills signed was House Bill 1048, which provides an appropriation for the expansion of broadband access, a priority Rhoden said is critical to strengthening opportunities Read More…

Knudsen Praises Helena Commission for Rescinding Immigration Resolution

5 months ago   Featured, Montana Politics, Politics

Attorney General Austin Knudsen praised the Helena City Commission after it voted Thursday night to rescind its immigration resolution, calling the move the right step to keep the community safe. “The commissioners made the right decision voting to keep the Helena community safe,” Knudsen said in a statement. “This resolution should never have been passed Read More…

Sheehy Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Innovative Veteran Care

5 months ago   Featured, Montana Politics, Politics

U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy has introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding access to cutting-edge medical treatments for veterans, particularly those suffering from mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression. The proposal, known as the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act, seeks to ensure the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is equipped to evaluate Read More…

Gianforte Highlights Firearms Manufacturing Growth During Kalispell Visits

5 months ago   Featured, News

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte toured two Flathead Valley firearms manufacturers this week, promoting the state’s growing role as a hub for firearms and ammunition production and emphasizing support for Second Amendment-related businesses. During stops in Kalispell, Gianforte visited Invader Concepts and FALKOR Defense, two Montana-based companies producing firearm accessories and precision weapons systems, respectively. “Across Read More…

Gordon Declines to Pursue Removal of Hot Springs County Commissioners

5 months ago   Featured, Politics, Regional Politics

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has decided not to move forward with the removal of Hot Springs County Commissioners Paul Galovich and Robert Aguiar after reviewing a complaint filed by county electors and information gathered through investigations by both the governor’s office and the Wyoming Attorney General. The complaint, filed Sept. 10, 2025, by six qualified Read More…

What is Conservatism?

5 months ago   Featured, Opinion

“What is conservatism?” asked President Abraham Lincoln. “Is it not adherence to the old and the tried, against the new and the untried?” Defining conservatism is not an easy task. Even before the election of President Donald Trump, fierce debates existed within the conservative movement. President Trump’s rise has intensified those debates over what it Read More…

Small Business Confidence Edges Lower

5 months ago   Business, Featured, Small Business News

America’s small business owners pulled back slightly on their optimism in February, according to the latest data from the National Federation of Independent Business, with the group’s Small Business Optimism Index dipping to 98.8 — a modest retreat that nonetheless offered some encouraging signs beneath the headline number. The reading, which fell below the index’s Read More…

Bank of America to Pay $72.5 Million to Settle Epstein Victims Lawsuit

5 months ago   Business, Featured, National Business News

Bank of America has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the bank of helping facilitate Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation — becoming the latest major financial institution to face accountability for its ties to the disgraced financier. Details of the settlement were presented Friday to U.S. District Judge Jed Read More…

Microsoft Takes Over Texas AI Data Center Expansion After OpenAI Pulls Back

5 months ago   Business, Featured, National Business News

Microsoft is taking over a major AI data center expansion project in Abilene, Texas, after OpenAI decided not to move forward with the additional buildout, signaling a continued shift as the two companies increasingly pursue separate strategies in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Developer Crusoe said it is now working with Microsoft to construct two new “AI Read More…

Commerce Awards Tribal Tourism Grants

5 months ago   Montana News, News

The Montana Department of Commerce has awarded $100,000 in Tribal Tourism Grant funding to two tribal governments to support tourism infrastructure improvements and economic development efforts. According to Commerce officials, the funding is part of the state’s Tribal Tourism Grant Program, which supports projects aimed at strengthening local tourism assets and expanding economic opportunities in Read More…

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting DEI Practices in Federal Contracting

5 months ago   National News, News

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at prohibiting what the administration describes as discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices among federal contractors and subcontractors. The order requires federal contracts governed by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to include provisions banning contractors from engaging in racially discriminatory DEI activities. Read More…

FSOC Proposes New Guidance for Nonbank Financial Company Designations

5 months ago   Business, National Business News, National News, News

The Financial Stability Oversight Council voted unanimously this week to release proposed interpretive guidance for public comment on how it designates nonbank financial companies as potential threats to U.S. financial stability. The proposal would restore several elements of the council’s 2019 framework while adding new provisions tied to economic growth, economic security, and transparency in Read More…

White House Launches Official Mobile App t

5 months ago   National News, News

he White House has launched a new official mobile app aimed at giving Americans direct, real-time access to updates from President Donald Trump and his administration. According to the White House, the app is designed to provide users with breaking news alerts, live streams of speeches and briefings, a media library of videos and photos, Read More…