The second space shuttle launched by NASA to enter space was the Challenger. Tragically, during its 10th mission on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff, the Challenger exploded, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members and bringing about lasting changes to NASA’s space program. Prior to this devastating incident, the Challenger Read More…
(The Center Square) – Cities across the country are counting their homeless in an effort to get a handle on how big the problem is. In the city of Detroit, 25 teams of volunteers will count the number of homeless throughout the city on Jan. 31. In Denver, 25 teams counted homeless on Jan. 22. Read More…
By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (The Center Square) – House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a letter Friday that the House will soon vote to make Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas the second Cabinet secretary in history to be impeached. “When we return next week, by necessity, the House Homeland Security Committee will move Read More…
By Casey Harper | The Center Square (The Center Square) – A group of lawmakers is calling out U.S. Health and Human Services, arguing the federal agency is bucking Congressional oversight, especially when it comes to the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chair Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen spearheaded a coalition urging the Biden administration to maintain the operations of a significant commercial ammunition manufacturing plant. This call to action was prompted by requests from Democrat attorneys general to investigate the plant, a move that could disrupt production, diminish ammunition supply, and compromise national security. In a letter Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced an investment of up to $8 million to improve community-based response services for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. As recommended by the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BHSFG) Commission, the investment represents the second allocation of $300 million in funding the governor devoted last year to reform and improve Read More…
A collective statement was issued by 25 Republican governors, expressing solidarity with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and affirming Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense. This unified declaration coincides with ongoing criticism from the Biden Administration towards Texas, coupled with a lack of action or acknowledgment of responsibility for the challenges at the Southern border. “President Biden Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana set new records for total employment and labor force in December, according to data compiled by Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). “More Montanans are working than ever before thanks to the hard work of job creators and Read More…
(The Center Square) – Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, defeated by former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday, has vowed to continue her quest for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. The voters in the state she once led may be the last remaining hope. While Nevada is next for Republicans, Read More…
BOZEMAN – Author and filmmaker St. Clair Detrick-Jules will speak at Montana State University as part of the Black History Month Celebration hosted by the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons and the Associated Students of MSU. The event will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, in the Strand Union Building, Ballroom A, and Read More…
(The Center Square) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Monday he would not seek a third term. Burgum’s current term expires in December. He was first elected in 2016. “We’ve made incredible progress these past seven years, from record tax relief and historic investments in infrastructure, education and other priorities, to guiding our state Read More…
(The Center Square) – A bill providing educational savings accounts for school choice failed last year to gain traction in the Idaho Legislature. Boise State University’s Eighth Annual Public Policy Survey indicates that might change in 2024. Idaho spends about $8,000 per student on K-12 education. The question posed by BSU to a representative sample Read More…
By Iain Murray | Competitive Enterprise Institute The Department of Labor is stuck in the 1930s. That’s the most likely explanation for its new rule that could lead to thousands of freelancers losing their livelihoods. The department is propping up a century-old model of what work should look like at a time when technology is Read More…
There are 187 studies on impact of education choice – and the results are overwhelming By Chris Cargill | Mountain States Policy Center If you had these odds, you’d buy a lottery ticket. This is the week each year that we celebrate education choice. Those across the political spectrum have recognized the need to provide Read More…
(The Center Square) – A program partially-funded by the city of Denver that pays homeless people a regular stipend is eligible to migrants as long as they meet the criteria, according to the city. The Denver Basic Income Program, which was started in 2021 with the aid of $2 million from the city of Denver, Read More…
(The Center Square) — Maine’s highest court has declined to take up an appeal of a ruling over a move to take former President Donald Trump’s name off the state’s GOP primary ballot. In a decision issued Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court dismissed an appeal by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, asking justices to overturn a lower Read More…
(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday declared social media an “environmental toxin” and called on state and federal lawmakers to do more to curb the influence of big tech companies over youth. During his annual State of the City address, Adams blasted the tech giants and announced New York Read More…
By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (The Center Square) – A new poll shows that Democrats and Republicans are concerned more about inflation than other potential crises, but voters from the two parties don’t see eye to eye on other concerns, including the potential of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil or potential chaos Read More…
BOZEMAN – With Montana State University seeing five straight years of growth in its annual research expenditures — setting a record of $230 million in its most recent report — the university hosted its second annual Research Development Day on Thursday, Jan. 11, to further discuss the state of research and to help create connections Read More…
BOZEMAN — Montana State University hosted its inaugural Undergraduate Research Fair on Monday, Jan. 22. The event, sponsored by MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development, is designed to introduce students to on-campus research opportunities. “The Undergraduate Research Fair is important as it makes opportunities to participate in research more accessible to all students,” said Read More…
BOZEMAN — Forty of Montana State University’s top seniors and their faculty and staff mentors will be recognized Friday, Feb. 16, at the 42nd annual Founders Day Awards for Student Excellence event held on the MSU campus. Honored students are nominated by faculty in their respective colleges or departments. Qualified nominees must have at least Read More…
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring visited the UND Center for Innovation (CFI) on Friday, Jan. 12, before continuing on to explore the broader biotechnology ecosystem in Grand Forks. On Friday morning, Goehring toured portions of the CFI to learn about the Center and how it is organized. He met with Amy Whitney, the Center’s Read More…
UND will reestablish a journalism major this year, exactly 100 years after first offering what became a popular and highly respected degree. Final approval having been granted from the North Dakota University System, the major will be offered in the Department of Communication, said Soojung Kim, associate professor and chair of the department. Graduates will Read More…
MISSOULA – Kidnapping a mounted moose head comes with challenges. Just ask the students in the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law. A small group of law students snuck into the forestry building on a cold night last week to steal Bertha, the mounted moose head hanging from the banister. The heist Read More…
Despite a sluggish start to winter in Big Sky, recent snowfall has sparked optimism among local businesses for a successful winter season. Matt Rolfson, an employee at Gallatin Alpine Sports, notes that the area is experiencing its slowest winter start in the seven years he’s lived there. Despite the lack of snow, businesses like his Read More…
Donald Trump expressed deep gratitude for Ron DeSantis’ endorsement after the Florida governor suspended his presidential campaign just days before the New Hampshire primary. In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Trump said, “Very honored to have his endorsement. I look forward to working together with him to beat Joe Biden, who is the Read More…
As retired Montana judges, we join to endorse Judge Dan Wilson of Flathead County We hope you will join us in supporting Judge Dan Wilson for the Montana Supreme Court As retired Montana judges, we join to endorse Judge Dan Wilson of Flathead County in his bid for election to the Montana Supreme Court. This Read More…
Despite being characterized by various media outlets as a key moderate figure, Senator Jon Tester of Montana demonstrated strong support for President Joe Biden’s positions on legislation and nominees, aligning with them over 99% of the time during the 117th Congress, as per a scrutiny of his voting record. Tester, facing a challenging re-election bid, Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office has rejected a proposed ballot measure aimed at safeguarding access to abortion in the Montana Constitution. The ruling, issued this week, deems the proposed amendment legally insufficient, citing a violation of Montana’s requirement that unrelated constitutional changes be voted on separately. Advocated by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, the measure Read More…
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has revealed plans to invest tens of millions in the re-election campaigns of Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. The strategic move aims to fortify the Democratic Party’s slim majority in the upcoming November elections. The DSCC intends to allocate substantial funding, in the form Read More…
Fresh from securing the national college football championship, University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh passionately advocated for the right to life in the nation’s capital on Friday. Addressing a massive gathering at the annual “March for Life” rally on the National Mall, Harbaugh introduced former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson. In the midst of Read More…
Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz is set to join Representative Matt Rosendale in the state next week for campaign events ahead of a potential Senate bid, as reported by national media outlets. The duo will participate in campaign activities in Bozeman, Townsend, and Helena on Friday and Saturday. Rosendale is considering challenging Democratic Senator Jon Read More…
Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester’s reelection campaign has received substantial donations from two Chinese conglomerates that own U.S. farmland, despite Tester’s publicly expressed opposition to the sale of land to foreign adversaries. The campaign’s contradiction was highlighted when it launched a television advertisement in November, denouncing Chinese companies’ acquisition of American farmland and promoting Tester’s Read More…
(The Center Square) – With presidential primary season under way, the majority of Americans disapprove of the job President Joe Biden is doing as president, according to a new poll. The Center Square’s Voter’s Voice Poll found that 59% of likely voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president, while 39% say they Read More…
(The Center Square) – Money from Seattle’s tax on sweetened beverages is still below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, and city officials say they’ll push for a new revenue stream. In 2022, sweetened beverage tax revenues increased by about 11% [$2 million] from 2021 levels to approximately $21 million. The pandemic caused the tax revenue to drop Read More…
Last month, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, told former White House aide Steve Bannon that some lawmakers want to reduce Social Security benefits so that the federal government can send more money to Ukraine, which Vance argued would flow through to Ukrainian President Zelensky’s underlings to “buy a bigger yacht.” While Vance’s statement may come Read More…
(The Center Square) – An illegal foreign national in Montana faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in Bozeman to mitigated deliberate homicide for stabbing a man to death. Francisco Padilla Canales initially pled not guilty and faced charges including deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, tampering with witnesses and information, and aggravated burglary. Read More…
(The Center Square) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Brad Hawk to serve as the executive director of the Indian Affairs Commission and Wayne Salter as commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services. Salter is the former deputy executive commissioner of access and eligibility services for Texas Health and Human Services, according Read More…
(The Center Square) – South Dakota moved ahead of 12 states to climb to 19th place in U-Haul’s Top Growth States report for 2023. U-Haul analyzes its records of one-way equipment rentals in a calendar year to determine which states are growing or shrinking based on each state’s gain or loss of one-way equipment. This Read More…
(The Center Square) – The South Dakota House Taxation Committee recommended that tax cuts enacted last year become permanent. The Legislature cut the sales tax from 4.5% to 4.2%, with the reduction expiring in four years, a move added by the Senate, according to Rep. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, the bill’s sponsor. Karr cited a Read More…