On August 5, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division withdrew a business review letter it issued to Institutional Shareholder Services back in 1987. Four months earlier, the Labor Department told the same industry it had been acting as an ERISA fiduciary all along, welcome or not. Two federal agencies, working from two different statutes, landed on Read More…
Vice President JD Vance remains the clear favorite in a prospective 2028 Republican presidential primary, with 41% of Republicans and right-leaning Independents saying they would vote for him in The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll. The Center Square has conducted four 2028 presidential primary polls since October, and Vance’s latest showing was his strongest to Read More…
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Board of Directors has appointed Cara Kolb as senior vice president of Risk and Compliance, the bank announced. In her new role, Kolb will be responsible for ensuring bank staff effectively manage risks while rigorously complying with procedures and policies. She will also oversee functions related to data privacy Read More…
A federal court upheld the Trump administration’s authority under the Defense Production Act to oversee operation of the Santa Ynez Pipeline on the California coast, rejecting California’s efforts to block federally mandated oil production through state-level legal barriers — though the same ruling fined Sable Offshore Corporation nearly $1.5 million for violating a federal consent Read More…
Firm’s flagship multistrategy fund rose 5.9% in July, among its best months since 2022 Citadel has unwound more than 80% of the risk tied to the portfolio it acquired from Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Situational Awareness, founder Ken Griffin told clients in a letter Friday, his first public accounting of a transaction that closed at speed last Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte recognized twelve Montana veterans with the 2025 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation during ceremonies held in Cascade, Fergus and Musselshell counties as part of his sixth annual 56 County Tour. “Montana veterans represent the very best of our state,” Gianforte said. “Their courage and sacrifice have defended our freedoms, and their continued service Read More…
U.S. Army Sgt. Adam M. Lee received the Soldier’s Medal during a ceremony at the Belgrade Armory Aug. 16 for heroic actions that saved the lives of two critically injured hikers in California. Brig. Gen. Trenton J. Gibson, adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, presented the award to Lee, a combat medic specialist assigned Read More…
Bitcoin and gold both staged dramatic reversals this week after weeks of lackluster performance, with the cryptocurrency posting gains of nearly 24% and the precious metal climbing past $4,600 an ounce as bond market turbulence, Washington policy activity and a cascade of forced short liquidations combined to supercharge both assets. Bitcoin had spent most of Read More…
WASHINGTON — U.S. Central Command is establishing its first multinational attack-drone task force, expanding the military’s use of relatively low-cost unmanned weapons as the Pentagon works more closely with regional partners to counter threats across the Middle East. The new unit, Task Force Falcon Strike, will combine American and allied one-way attack drones operating in Read More…
Sen. Tim Sheehy made a fitting entrance at the Yellowstone International Airshow in Billings on Friday, parachuting onto the grounds at Billings Logan International Airport while carrying a Montana state flag. The former Navy SEAL, FAA-certified commercial pilot and flight instructor arrived during media practice day for the show, joining the U.S. Army Golden Knights Read More…
Close to 500 University of Montana students are degree candidates after this year’s summer semester. The students listed in the links below are UM degree candidates or have been awarded their degrees. Students with “cum laude” after their name indicate a GPA of 3.40 to 3.69. “Magna laude” indicates a 3.70 to 3.89 GPA, and Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality awarded $10.34 million to 10 grid resilience projects across the state to strengthen electric infrastructure and improve reliability for rural Montana communities, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. The grants, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will help utilities upgrade aging infrastructure, reduce outage frequency, Read More…
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, became Joint Base Lindsey Graham during a ceremony Aug. 10 to rename the installation after the late senator, Air Force veteran and South Carolina native son. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth poses for a photo with service members at Joint Base Lindsey Graham, S.C., Aug. 10, 2026, after the Read More…
WASHINGTON — A Texas tax-shelter promoter pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service through a nationwide scheme that prosecutors say concealed roughly $156 million in income and caused about $43 million in federal tax losses. Larry C. Conner, 69, of Frisco, Texas, admitted promoting and selling an abusive trust arrangement to taxpayers Read More…
President Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and their components, using national security authority to reshape a market currently dominated by foreign — and particularly Chinese — manufacturers. The tariffs, issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, take effect September 3 for most Read More…
Americans hear endless talk about the southern border – walls, surges, gotaways – but few know about one of the border’s biggest vulnerabilities: the Tohono O’odham Nation’s reservation. Stretching across roughly 2.8 million acres of Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, this sovereign tribal land shares about 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. That stretch is Read More…
A consumer protection trial against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, started Tuesday in Oakland. A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general including California’s Rob Bonta made opening statements that Meta designed addictive, harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive youth use, leading to severe mental and physical harm. The trial is Read More…
National teacher unions contribute at least 10% of their annual budget to lobbying and political activism, which includes calling for the impeachment of Republican President Donald Trump in the 2026 American Federation of Teachers handbook. Efforts also include supporting Democratic causes such as messaging against immigration enforcement. Some teachers raise questions about whether union dues are being Read More…
Montana’s Carpenters Union Local 82 endorsed Republican congressional candidate Aaron Flint during a construction site tour at the new Bretz RV warehouse in Butte, with members of the Ironworkers Union also joining to show their support — a notable show of organized labor backing for a Republican in a race rated Likely Republican by Sabato’s Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s decision to withdraw Steve Bullock’s 2012 term-limit opinion will undoubtedly be portrayed as a dramatic change in Montana election law. The history tells a different story. The real change occurred in 2012. In 1997, Democratic Attorney General Joe Mazurek interpreted the term-limit amendment Montana voters had added to the Constitution just Read More…
Missoula pediatrician Laurie Carter is piloting a program with University of Montana researchers as part of RESOLVE, a new strategic healthcare partnership between UM and Providence Health. The new program, the Montana Child Abuse Network (MT CAN), uses a telehealth model to help rural health providers and child welfare professionals care for children who may have experienced Read More…
Three-quarters of Americans and nearly seven in 10 Canadians have sought financial guidance from at least one source in the past year, according to a new study from Gallup conducted in partnership with Edward Jones, though the sources people rely on most are not always the ones they trust most. Among U.S. adults who sought Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — A federal judge has blocked Idaho from prosecuting doctors who perform abortions when necessary to protect a pregnant woman’s health or prevent her from harming herself, delivering a significant but limited setback to one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled that portions of Idaho’s Defense Read More…
Amazon agreed to pay a record $2.25 million civil penalty and submit to a court injunction to resolve allegations it repeatedly denied identity theft victims access to transaction records they were legally entitled to receive under federal law. The Justice Department filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf Read More…
A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation company filed the federal lawsuit, arguing the work threatens archeological sites and sacred grounds. A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation company on Friday asked a federal judge to block border wall-related construction in Big Bend National Park, arguing that the project is contrary to U.S. law and Read More…
Greatest numbers apprehended at northern border all year in July The number of foreign nationals apprehended nationwide was historically low in July but the highest they’ve been since January, according to the latest data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The increase is largely due to a greater number of illegal border crossers being Read More…
Despite watchdog groups warning that few regulatory guardrails exist to meet the threats posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI technology, the 119th Congress has been slow to respond. Though the White House in March proposed a blueprint for lawmakers to craft federal AI-related legislation, no federal framework has advanced out of committee Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued a legal opinion reversing a 14-year-old interpretation of the state’s constitutional term limits — a move that could remove prominent Republican lawmakers from the November ballot just days before the state must certify candidates. The opinion withdraws a 2012 interpretation issued by then-Attorney General Steve Bullock, now a former Read More…
Army Tech. Sgt. Ted Takayuki Tanouye posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in western Italy during World War II. Tanouye was born to Nikuma and Momoye Tanouye Nov. 14, 1919, in Torrance, California. He was the eldest of six children. He graduated from Torrance High School in 1938, where he played Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming Republicans will choose among four candidates for governor Tuesday in a closely watched primary that is likely to determine who succeeds Gov. Mark Gordon. State Sen. Eric Barlow, Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, retired Marine Col. Brent Bien and businessman Curt Blake are competing for the Republican nomination in the Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. — Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed senior adviser Conner Swanson to lead the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, putting a longtime policy aide in charge of the largest agency in state government. Swanson will take over as DHHS commissioner Aug. 29, succeeding interim Commissioner Pat Traynor, who has led the Read More…
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has permanently eliminated beneficial ownership reporting requirements for U.S. companies and individuals, cementing a major rollback of the Corporate Transparency Act that the Trump administration says will reduce regulatory costs for millions of businesses. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, issued a final rule Friday removing U.S. companies and Read More…
WASHINGTON — American companies will have a new way to help employees build savings for their children under Treasury Department guidance that allows employers to make tax-free contributions to Trump Accounts. The Treasury Department this week outlined rules for employer-sponsored Trump Account programs, providing a framework for companies to contribute as much as $2,500 annually Read More…
For years, one of the biggest questions surrounding Berkshire Hathaway was what would happen to its enormous cash pile once Warren Buffett was no longer running the company. Investors may be starting to get an answer. In his second full quarter as chief executive, Greg Abel is putting Berkshire’s capital to work at a pace Read More…
The U.S. Naval War College held its annual Convocation ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 4, welcoming 477 students to the academic year, including 292 new students from all six branches of the U.S. armed forces and federal government agencies, 81 U.S. students continuing from previous fall and spring enrollments, and 104 international students from partner and allied Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions joined financial regulators from 48 agencies across 47 states in reaching a $15.5 million settlement with NewRez LLC, one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers, over the company’s improper use of force-placed insurance on borrowers who already had active homeowners insurance policies. The settlement, announced Wednesday and coordinated Read More…
HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Greg Gianforte traveled across western Montana this week, visiting agricultural producers and manufacturers, opening a new manufacturing facility in Kalispell and recognizing a dozen veterans for their military and community service. The stops were part of Gianforte’s ongoing 56 County Tour, an annual swing through Montana aimed at highlighting local businesses, Read More…
Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, said its Arc blockchain mainnet is scheduled to launch Sept. 16, a move that would give the company its own financial infrastructure for payments, capital markets and tokenized assets. The launch marks Circle’s attempt to move beyond simply issuing digital dollars and toward owning a larger share of Read More…
An estimated 15 million U.S. adults, or 6% of the population, were victims of financial scams in 2025, with total losses reaching approximately $68 billion, according to a study released by Stop Scams Alliance and Gallup. The nationally representative survey of more than 5,100 U.S. adults found that scams affected Americans across demographic groups, with Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Republican Sen. Jim Risch remains the clear favorite to win another term in one of the nation’s most reliably Republican states, but independent Todd Achilles is trying to turn Idaho’s Senate contest into a more competitive race by appealing to voters dissatisfied with both political parties. The contest has attracted unusual attention Read More…