All posts by Big Sky Headlines

Democratic presidential candidate Steve Bullock pitches jobs plan in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, one of two dozen Democrats running for president, rolled out his plan to bring “Good Jobs to All Americans”Thursday at the National Governors Association’s summer meeting. Some 25 governors from around the country are gathered at the Grand America Hotel for the three-day meeting set to end Friday Read More…

Sen. Daines: Trump Has Constitutional Authority to Enforce Immigration Laws

(CNSNews.com) — When it comes to the Constitution and illegal immigration into this country, Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority “to enforce the law.” Daines added that he is “very concerned” about the “radical leftists” in the House of Representatives. At the U.S. Capitol on July 16, CNSNews.com asked Sen. Daines,  Read More…

Planned Parenthood of Montana explains new federal regulations, potential loss of funding

GREAT FALLS – A new regulation regarding abortion services and federal funding has Montana residents on both sides of the issue speaking out. The new rule originally implemented earlier this month does not permit clinics receiving government funding to give abortion referrals. Two other key changes include physical and financial separation of abortion services from providers Read More…

Struggling Nordstrom is banking on exclusivity to compete with Amazon and overcome sales woes

Though the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale officially opened to the public on Friday, July 19, the bargain hunting had already been well underway for an exclusive group of people — Nordstrom card holders. For several years, the department store has granted its most loyal shoppers special access to the annual sale, an effort to generate buzz and clout Read More…

Amazon hires Trump-allied lobbyist Jeff Miller as president threatens to intervene in battle over Pentagon contract

Amazon’s cloud services business recently hired one of President Donald Trump’s campaign bundlers, Jeff Miller, to lobby on its behalf, according to a recently posted disclosure form. Amazon Web Services hired Miller, who is CEO of Miller Strategies, to lobby on “issues related to cyber security and technology,” according to a lobbying registration form. The filing Read More…

New York gives green light for two huge offshore wind projects in waters off Long Island

New York State has awarded two offshore wind contracts with a combined capacity of almost 1,700 megawatts (MW) in waters off Long Island. The contracts were awarded to Norwegian firm Equinor and a joint venture between Danish company Orsted and U.S. business Eversource. The Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind developments were announced as the winners of New York’s Read More…

Merrill Lynch pays $40 million to Cabletron co-founder after broker allegedly churned account

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has paid a hefty $40 million to settle “churning” allegations involving a former broker, according to filings and sources familiar with the case. It’s the largest such settlement in at least a decade. The recipient of the settlement is Robert Levine, co-founder of one-time network equipment maker Cabletron Systems, according to Read More…

Walmart announces executive shuffle to further integrate stores and digital

Walmart is making further organizational changes as it continues to integrate its store and digital operations and leadership, according to a memo obtained by CNBC that was sent by CEO Doug McMillon to the retailer’s employees. “Our customers want one, seamless Walmart experience,” McMillon wrote to employees. “Earning more of our customers’ business in food and Read More…

Wyoming Lawmakers Offer Explanations For Low Revenues And High Debt

The nation’s treasury secretary initially thought lawmakers wouldn’t have to raise the debt ceiling until October or November, but White House officials have moved that deadline to early September. That’s because projected federal revenues are way down, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, a wonky think tank that tries to avoid the partisan tit-for-tat that’s Read More…

Montana Lt. Governor Mike Cooney Receives Inaugural Recycling Impact Award

Montana Lt. Governor Mike Cooney today was awarded the first-ever Recycling Impact Award, a nationwide recognition of his work on recycling stewardship. The Recycling Impact Award is presented to a National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) member who is committed to working within a state, region, and/or communities to positively impact resource conservation and recycling.   “Lt. Governor Read More…

CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER DIES IN WYOMING PRISON

A Laramie native who was serving consecutive prison terms for taking indecent liberties with a child and drug possession has died, the Wyoming Department of Corrections announced Tuesday. Department spokesman Mark Horan said Lorenzo S. Montez, 53, died of a long-term illness Tuesday at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington. An autopsy has been Read More…

Montana teen who ran away from mental hospital dies after being hit by pickup truck, police say

A 15-year-old Montana girl who escaped from a mental health hospital has died after being struck by a pickup truck on a nearby interstate highway, police say. Kayla Neal, of Missoula, was walking on the southbound lanes of I-15 around 2 p.m. Monday in Helena when she was hit by a 56-year-old woman driving a Dodge truck, police there told KURL-TV. Minutes before, she had run Read More…

REAL Montana announces class IV

BOZEMAN – Twenty current and emerging leaders from Montana’s natural resource industries have been selected to take part in Class IV of REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership). Class IV will begin their leadership journey on September 12, 2019 at their first seminar in Bozeman. “REAL Montana continues to strengthen its mission of building Read More…

Networking, communication top goals of Montana Farm Bureau D.C Fly-in

Communicating face-to-face provides an essential way for farmers and ranchers to address their concerns with government officials. During the Montana Farm Bureau Fly-In, June 10-13, in Washington, D.C. Montana Farm Bureau members had excellent opportunities to meet with lawmakers and agency personnel. The Fly-In participants—Susan Lake from Ronan, Don Steinbeisser, Jr. from Sidney and Kris Read More…

Pelosi’s House of Pain

Not so long ago — as recently as the cover of the March 2019 Rolling Stone, in fact — they seemed like the best of friends. I’m referring to Nancy Pelosi and the members of “The Squad”: Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and (not pictured) Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley. They shared some good times. It was Read More…

Former Navy officer, teacher enters race to unseat GOP senator in Montana

Montana Democrat John Mues officially launched his Senate campaign Thursday to unseat one-term Sen. Steve Daines (R). Mues, a fourth generation Montanan, is a former U.S. Navy officer and public school teacher and currently works as an engineer in the energy sector. He hammered Daines over his opposition to the Affordable Care Act and support for President Trump’s tax cuts. Read More…

Study finds Montana hospitals charge nearly three times more than Medicare

When someone in Montana enters a hospital with private insurance, the price for care can be two-to-four times beyond what the federal government sets as fair.    Rand Corporation, a global think tank, released a study earlier this summer that showed private insurance companies paid twice what Medicare paid for the same services nationwide from 2015 through 2017.   Read More…