All posts by Big Sky Headlines

New Zealand to End ‘Zero Covid-19’ Strategy

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand is ending its effort to keep Covid-19 out of the remote South Pacific country as the economic costs mount and after its latest lockdown failed to halt the spread of the virus. Pandemic restrictions in the country’s largest city, Auckland—in place after a Covid-19 outbreak in mid-August—will be eased in stages starting this week, Read More…

Warren urges SEC to open insider trading probe into Fed Vice Chair Clarida, others

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether three Federal Reserve leaders violated insider trading rules in 2020, when they bought and sold assets as the central bank ramped up efforts to save the U.S. economy from economic turmoil. Warren, who sits on the congressional committee that oversees the Fed, pressed Read More…

Burgum: Net neutral goal set off $25 billion ‘cascade’ of interest in North Dakota

Gov. Burgum’s net-zero challenge to industry during the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference raised eyebrows — and maybe even a few hackles — back in May.   It did something else, too, though. It has attracted what Burgum described as a multibillion dollar “cascade” of global investment interest.   “Our announcement that we made in May Read More…

Idaho governor and lieutenant feud over vaccinations

Idaho‘s feuding governor and lieutenant governor are at it again. As coronavirus cases spike in the state, Gov. Brad Little’s office disclosed Tuesday that he was mobilizing the National Guard again and adding hundreds of new medical personnel for state hospitals. And with hospitals strained due to unvaccinated patients, he called for more Idahoans “to receive the safe and Read More…

YouTube announces crackdown on anti-vaccine content

YouTube is cracking down on anti-vaccination content on its site, taking down several channels from high-profile anti-vaccination activists. A representative for Google, YouTube’s parent company, confirmed to the Washington Examiner that channels belonging to “well-known vaccine misinformation spreaders,” such as Joseph Mercola, the Children’s Health Defense Fund, which is affiliated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Erin Elizabeth, Read More…

Manhattan DA suspends bail for nonviolent cases, says it may increase ‘low level’ crimes

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. told staff at Rikers Island on Monday not to ask for bail in many nonviolent cases, even though the policy could result in additional “low level” crimes. Under the new directive, trial division attorneys should avoid asking for bail when “the threat of confinement under these conditions outweighs the threat to Read More…

Va. gubernatorial candidate says parents should not control what schools teach their kids

WASHINGTON (TND) — In an apparent rebuke of ongoing parental concerns in Loudoun County, Va., Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday he does not think parents should tell schools what to teach their children. McAuliffe, who is seeking a second term as governor, and Republican Glenn Youngkin, who is a former businessman and a political Read More…

Secretary of State’s Office, election officials recognize National Voter Registration Day

HELENA, Mont. – Tuesday, Sept. 28, is National Voter Registration Day, and the Office of the Secretary of State and election officials across Montana proudly recognized it while encouraging Montanans to register. “Registering to vote is the first step in ensuring your voice is heard on Election Day,” Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said. Read More…

University of Montana reports enrollment increase

MISSOULA — The University of Montana is reporting that for the first time in a decade, more students are enrolled than the previous year. UM officials say a 30% increase in the incoming class, as well as continued improvement in the retention rate, is responsible for the rise in enrollment. READ FULL STORY

WYOMING’S CRYPTO SECTOR’S FATE UP TO FEDERAL REGULATORS

After years of laying groundwork, the future of Wyoming’s cryptocurrency banking industry now lies in the hands of federal regulators, officials with Wyoming U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ office told lawmakers Tuesday. In a presentation to the Wyoming Legislature’s Select Blockchain Committee on Tuesday, Lummis policy advisers Tyler Lindholm and Chris Land warned lawmakers that Wyoming Read More…

State Lawmaker Questions The Science Behind The Governor’s School Masking Rule

A Democratic state lawmaker Wednesday questioned the head of the state health department about whether medical experts were involved in making a controversial emergency rule issued last month regarding masking in schools. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier was questioned by a Democratic lawmaker from Bozeman about the origin of Read More…

Pfizer booster shots to begin in Flathead County

Flathead City-County Health Officer Joe Russell said the health department will begin giving Pfizer booster shots, now that the Centers for Disease Control’s independent advisory committee has recommended certain people get a booster shot at least six months after the completion of their Pfizer vaccine primary series. Russell provided information from the Advisory Committee on Read More…

Progressive law firms are funneling millions from state consumer lawsuits into liberal campaigns, experts warn

FIRST ON FOX: Experts are warning that millions of dollars in public state consumer protection lawsuit settlement funds are being funneled into progressive campaigns. Recently, a partnership between Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and one of the nation’s largest litigation firms, Motley Rice, was officially severed over its deep ties to the Democratic Party. The contract, established under former Attorney General Read More…

Sioux Falls man gets prison for wire fraud

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A 64-year-old Sioux Falls man convicted of wire fraud has been sentenced to 30 months behind bars and a very large amount of restitution. Richard Harkness received the sentence last week from U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier. In addition to the federal prison time, followed by three years of supervised Read More…

Governor Gordon: Wyoming is Running a Strong Rental Assistance Program

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (PRESS RELEASE) – Governor Mark Gordon responded forcefully this week to a letter from Congressman James Clyburn which misrepresented Wyoming’s efforts in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Congressman Clyburn complained of nationwide underspending by the 426 local governments eligible to administer rental assistance. ”His unwarranted shot places blame for that problem squarely Read More…

Gianforte Touts Montana’s Business-Friendly Climate on Kalispell Visit

At a Sept. 14 Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitor Bureau luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn, Gov. Greg Gianforte promoted Montana as a competitive business state while emphasizing its economic resiliency during the pandemic. Gianforte spoke following a visit with GL Solutions, a software company that recently relocated to Kalispell from Bend, Oregon, Read More…

Man admits trafficking meth on Blackfeet Reservation

MISSOULA, Mont. — A Browning man, Steven Ray DeCarlo, has admitting to dealing methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Reservation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The following was sent out by U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana: A Browning man accused of being a methamphetamine dealer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to a trafficking crime today, Read More…

Logan Health Nurses Ratify First Union Contract

After two years of negotiations mired in deep division and characterized by back-and-forth public accusations, Logan Health administrators and unionized nurses found themselves in agreement last week when both sides expressed satisfaction with the union’s first contract. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, which is representing Logan Health’s bargaining unit of 650 unionized nurses, announced that nurses voted Read More…