(The Center Square) — President Donald Trump’s job approval rating in California is slightly higher than what it was at this time in his first term and from when he left office in January 2021, according to a poll from Civiqs. Trump’s job performance had a 68% disapproval rating and a 29% approval rating among California Read More…
BOZEMAN – Author and attorney Michael Punke, whose literary works include “The Revenant” and “Fire and Brimstone,” will speak at Montana State University’s First Year Student Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The event will be held in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are not required. Author Read More…
The University of Montana will officially welcome the class of 2029 to campus on Monday, Aug. 18. Members of the media are invited to cover one of the most busy and emotional days of the school year, as students from across the country arrive to begin their academic journey at UM. Students will arrive for Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday approved expansion of coal mining in Montana, marking the second largest coal expansion since President Donald Trump took office in January as 33.75 million tons of federal coal will be recovered, 300 jobs ensured, and a million homes powered by the decision. The Read More…
A Jefferson County man, backed by the liberal advocacy group Upper Seven Law, has filed a lawsuit against Republican Governor Greg Gianforte over his appointment of former state legislator Marta Bertoglio to lead the Montana Department of Commerce. Bertoglio, a three-term lawmaker from Clancy, was appointed on June 16 while still representing Jefferson County in Read More…
The intense, week-long search for Michael Paul Brown — wanted in connection with the shooting deaths of four people at the Owl Bar in Anaconda — came to an end Friday afternoon with his capture. Authorities say Brown was taken into custody around 2 p.m. near the Ranch Bar, just south of Highway 1. He Read More…
A coalition of Montana’s top elected officials, lawmakers, and local leaders is pushing back against criticism of Governor Greg Gianforte’s appointment of Jessica Flint to the state’s Criminal Justice Oversight Council, calling it a decisive move toward accountability and balance in Montana’s justice system. In a letter released Monday, 56 officials—ranging from members of Montana’s Read More…
With new funding from the Montana Pulse Crop Committee, Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center is establishing a new survey program for peas and lentils and is seeking producer participants. EARC, located in Sidney, will be the hub for the program, and farmers growing peas or lentils in Daniels, McCone, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley Read More…
Newly declassified documents released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard are reigniting fierce political debate over the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, with conservatives alleging they show top Obama administration officials helped fabricate the narrative of collusion to discredit then-candidate Donald Trump. The documents include a previously unreleased annex to the 2023 Durham report Read More…
Wall Street ended July on a strong note with the S&P 500 rising 27.2% from its April 8 lows to set new highs by July 31, capping one of the sharpest non-recession rallies in two decades. The rally, driven by momentum in tech, energy, industrials, and consumer discretionary sectors, was buoyed by optimism from easing Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has announced that he is now accepting applications and nominations to fill two district court vacancies in Montanaʼs Thirteenth Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County. The vacancies were officially notified to the governor by the Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court on July 18, 2025. This development follows the passage and Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced that the Legacy Investment for Technology LIFT) program has awarded a $1 million loan to Trilogy LLC, a North Dakota-based company that developed the Sand Titan, a high-performance sand separator for the oil and gas industry. “The LIFT program is a vital resource for fostering innovation and supporting Read More…
t’s hard to top Grace Porges’ Montana summer internship. A rising senior studying marketing at the University of Montana, Porges has spent her summer promoting the educational opportunities and important science conducted by UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station. This means long summer days living at the station on the shore of one of America’s largest, Read More…
When Molly Schifferns signed off her final online course for Gallatin College Montana State University in May, she laid on her bedroom floor and felt happy tears slip down her cheeks. The 28-year-old from Belgrade had just completed her two-year associate’s degree in drafting and CAD technology, where students learn to create digital models for Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Hughes County Sheriff Patrick Callahan are urging residents to be vigilant against a jury duty telephone scam after a Hughes County resident was defrauded out of $22,000. The victim received a phone call from someone falsely claiming to represent the Hughes County Sheriffʼs Office, informing them that they Read More…
A University of Montana program that trains students for careers in behavioral health care recently received a $2.4 million grant to continue growing the program and produce more providers serving Montana’s children, young adults and those in rural and underserved areas of the state. UM’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program was awarded the Read More…
The Montana Historical Society has received a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana to create a free field trip program aimed at Montana students statewide. This initiative will bring students from every corner of the state to the Montana Heritage Center and the State Capitol for immersive educational experiences focused on Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality DEQ) has released the final supplemental Environmental Assessment EA) for the Yellowstone County Generation Station—commonly known as the Laurel Generating Station—in Laurel, Montana. This release comes after construction was completed and the facility began operating, but was delayed by court proceedings over the adequacy of DEQʼs initial environmental review. Read More…
Governor Brad Little announced today the appointment of Juliet Charron as the new director of Idahoʼs largest state agency, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare DHW. Charron will succeed Alex Adams, who was recently nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Administration of Children and Families at the U.S. Read More…
Brigadier General Toby J. Alkire, Deputy Adjutant General of the Wyoming National Guard, has been selected to serve as the Deputy Surgeon General for the Army National Guard, Office of the Surgeon General. His two-year dual-hat assignment began on June 1, 2025, and will continue through May 31, 2027. In this role, Alkire will maintain Read More…
The Montana Digital Academy MTDA) has announced the launch of the Frontier Learning Lab FLL, a new statewide innovation initiative designed to help Montana schools explore and integrate artificial intelligence AI, extended reality XR, and other emerging technologies into education. Supported by funding from the 2025 Montana Legislature and building on MTDAʼs leadership in digital Read More…
An intense manhunt is underway following a deadly shooting at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, on Friday morning, August 1, 2025, in which four people were fatally shot. Authorities have identified the suspect as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, a former U.S. Army soldier and local resident who reportedly lived next door to the bar. Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced today that six companies have been approved for a total of $2.16 million in loan funds through the North Dakota Development Fund, Inc. NDDF) during the second quarter of 2025. The loans target key sectors including child care, technology, and value-added agriculture across multiple communities in the state. Read More…
(The Center Square) – Congress has created several programs to allow illegal border crossers claiming to be minors to remain in the U.S. Despite years of documented abuse of the programs, Congress continues to fund them to the tune of billions of dollars. One is the failed unaccompanied minor program, with decades of documented reports Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at a remarkably low 2.8% in June, marking the ninth consecutive month below 3% and extending a historic run of four straight years with unemployment at or below 3.4%, according to Governor Greg Gianforte. “With more Montanans working now than ever before and historically low unemployment, we’re seeing the results Read More…
(The Center Square) – The nation’s largest nurses’ union is blasting Kaiser Permanente for pausing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 starting next month, due to pending litigation and pressure from the Trump administration. “As the legal and regulatory environment for gender-affirming care continues to evolve, we must carefully consider the significant risks being created Read More…
The University of Montana (UM) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) have announced the creation of the Center for Hunting and Conservation, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing science, research, education, and outreach focused on land and wildlife management across the United States. The new center builds on the longstanding partnership between UM’s top-ranked Read More…
The S&P 500 rose 2.3% for the week, its best five-day stretch since early June. The Nasdaq Composite surged 3.1%, driven by blowout results from Alphabet (GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA), while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added a more modest 1.4%, hampered by lagging industrials and healthcare names. Tech Earnings Deliver — and Then Some Read More…
Sixty-six newly trained law enforcement officers graduated today from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA), ready to serve in 35 agencies across the state. The MLEA, a division of the Montana Department of Justice, provides both basic and advanced training to state, county, city, and tribal law enforcement personnel. Attorney General Austin Knudsen was on Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced today that two innovative tech companies have been approved to receive a combined $345,000 in funding through the North Dakota Development Fund Inc.’s Angel Match Program (AMP) during the second quarter of 2025. The Angel Match Program is designed to support early-stage, high-growth businesses by matching private angel Read More…
Governor Brad Little has officially proclaimed August as “Keeping Idaho Healthy Month”, recognizing the state’s leadership in advancing public health initiatives under the national Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. The announcement came during a visit from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who joined the governor in Boise to celebrate Read More…
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, will begin Phase 1 of a long-term restoration effort in Binarch Creek this summer, aimed at removing non-native brook trout to support the recovery of native westslope cutthroat trout. The removal project, located in North Idaho’s Kootenai National Forest, will use Read More…
The Wyoming Transportation Commission has awarded a $16.43 million emergency contract to address critical repairs in the westbound Green River Tunnel on Interstate 80, following damage to the tunnel’s lining and lighting systems. The contract was approved during the Commission’s regular business meeting on July 17, held virtually via Zoom. Casper Electric Inc., a Wyoming-based Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has urged Congress to support two joint resolutions aimed at overturning a Biden administration policy that threatens Montana’s coal industry and could cost the state’s public schools over $4 billion in future revenue. In a letter to lawmakers, Gianforte expressed strong backing for Senate Joint Resolution 61 (S.J.Res.61) and House Joint Resolution Read More…
Governor Kelly Armstrong has appointed Andrew Eyre, an experienced prosecutor with over a decade of service in the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office, to the bench of the Northeast Central Judicial District. The appointment becomes effective August 29. Eyre, who has served as Assistant State’s Attorney for Grand Forks County since 2013, currently leads Read More…
Governor Brad Little has appointed Regina McCrea, a seasoned civil litigator with more than two decades of legal experience, to serve as a district judge in Idaho’s First Judicial District, filling a newly created position chambered in Kootenai County. McCrea, the owner and principal attorney of McCrea Law, has practiced law in North Idaho since Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) has introduced bipartisan legislation to end wage discrimination against workers with disabilities and support their transition into competitive, integrated employment. The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act seeks to phase out the use of subminimum wages for individuals with disabilities—still legal under federal law—and invest in programs that promote inclusive Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT), former Secretary of the Interior, and Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) today unveiled new legislation aimed at shoring up funding for America’s national parks by charging most foreign tourists a dedicated entry fee. Joined by Representative Riley Moore (R-WV) and Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), the group introduced the Protecting America’s Treasures by Read More…
Western Montana Congressman and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced a series of major victories for Montana in the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The legislation, which passed out of full committee markup this week, includes several of Zinke’s top priorities—ranging from rural water infrastructure funding to Read More…
U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the Stop Anarchists from Endangering (SAFE) Cities Act, a bill aimed at cutting off federal taxpayer dollars to cities that, in Sheehy’s view, “weaken their police departments, ignore civil unrest, and allow violent criminals to have free rein.” The legislation would require the U.S. Attorney General to identify Read More…