Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) for a review of a Montana Supreme Court decision concerning parental rights in abortion cases has gained significant support. Five amicus briefs were filed urging SCOTUS to reverse a decision that, according to Knudsen, puts the health and safety of children at risk Read More…
In a significant move aimed at preserving the integrity of local elections, the Montana Senate advanced House Bill 413 on Thursday, tightening voter residency requirements to ensure that only long-term residents influence county decisions. The measure, strongly supported by conservative lawmakers, seeks to maintain community values by guaranteeing that voters have a real, sustained stake Read More…
SITKA Gear, a leader in high-performance hunting and outdoor apparel, announced a series of strategic changes to its sales team aimed at aligning talent with the company’s evolving business priorities. The adjustments include the addition of three new sales representatives and a significant territory expansion for a veteran team member, all designed to strengthen retail Read More…
Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: GBCI) announced Friday that it has received all necessary regulatory approvals for its planned acquisition of Bank of Idaho Holding Co. (OTCQX: BOID), clearing a major hurdle in the completion of the deal. The acquisition, which includes Bank of Idaho and its subsidiaries, is now scheduled to close on April 30, Read More…
A recent federal lawsuit challenges a Montana law aimed at promoting gender and racial diversity on state boards and commissions. The lawsuit, filed by the national organization Do No Harm, focuses on the Montana Board of Medical Examiners. This board oversees the licensing and regulation of healthcare professionals in the state. According to the complaint, Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday released a bleak outlook for the federal government with new projections that show debt levels will reach their highest levels ever in five years. “Debt held by the public, boosted by the large deficits, reaches its highest level ever in 2029 (measured as a percentage Read More…
(The Center Square) – Wyoming’s U.S. senators, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, are not happy with the Environmental Protection Agency’s new vehicle emissions standards. The EPA says the new standards, which will be phased in from 2027 through 2032, are necessary to combat climate change and air pollution, cutting carbon emissions by 7 billion tons. The Read More…
Florida Republicans are raising alarms about the escalating crisis in Haiti, prompting them to reach out urgently to the Biden administration for assistance. In a move reminiscent of “Save Our Shores” (SOS), Republican Representatives Matt Gaetz, Gus Biliarakis, Anna Paulina Luna, and Daniel Webster of Florida penned a letter to President Joe Biden, invoking a Read More…
The Supreme Court is currently deliberating a case that pits the Biden administration against Republican-led states, focusing on the government’s role in addressing controversial social media content related to topics such as COVID-19 and election security. The dispute centers on whether the federal government has the authority to influence social media platforms to moderate or Read More…
The Center Square) – A majority of Americans overall and 60% among true independents disapprove of the job President Joe Biden is doing, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voter’s Voice poll released Wednesday asked voters, “When it comes to President Joe Biden, do you approve or disapprove of how he’s handling his Read More…
MISSOULA – Neel Kashkari, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will visit the University of Montana on Monday, April 8, to conduct a public townhall meeting. Kashkari, one of the nation’s leading monetary policymakers, oversees all operations of the bank and leads numerous initiatives that aim to improve the economic Read More…
BOZEMAN – Dr. Bruce Beutler, winner of a 2011 Nobel Prize, highlighted the importance of curiosity and access to research opportunities as he visited Montana State University this week to give a public talk and meet with students and faculty. Beutler won the Nobel in the physiology or medicine category for his research on innate Read More…
(The Center Square) – Mexican cartels for decades have devised creative ways to smuggle narcotics and other contraband across the southern U.S., including using produce, law enforcement officials say. This month, in one week, thousands of pounds of meth were seized hidden in shipments of peppers, tomatillos and carrots. At the Otay Mesa, California, cargo Read More…
Pyramid Mountain Lumber officials have announced their intention to sell the mill rather than resorting to an auction, although no concrete plans have been finalized apart from the impending closure. The company’s decision to shutter operations has sent shockwaves through the lumber industry, with many individuals and stakeholders deeply impacted by the news. Dick Rossignol, Read More…
(The Center Square) – Republican voters have suggestions for former President Donald Trump when he considers his running mate for vice president. The Center Square Voter’s Voice poll released this week asked voters this question: “Who should Donald Trump choose as his vice presidential candidate?” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly edged out the other potential candidates. Read More…
(The Center Square) – Republicans’ advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives will be only 217-213 after April 19, following Friday’s decision by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to resign. The resignation means no more than one Republican can cross the aisle on party-line votes. Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District representative, just 31 when he first won Read More…
BOZEMAN — Montana State University will recognize I-Ho Pomeroy, a restaurateur who served on the Bozeman City Commission for a decade and was known for her generous support for the people in her community, with a posthumous honorary doctorate in humane letters at spring commencement. Pomeroy passed away from cancer March 12, 2024, at her Read More…
(The Center Square) – Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray wants the U.S. Postal Service to withdraw a proposal to move mail processing from Casper’s distribution center to Montana. The USPS would move processing operations from Casper to Billings is part of a broader plan to help save money, improve service, and retain employees. Gray also opposes the Read More…
The Center Square) – Teachers in South Dakota will see raises and a new minimum salary under a bill Gov. Kristi Noem signed into law Wednesday. Noem also signed a literacy bill into law, which will appropriate $6 million to the Department of Education to fund professional development in literacy education for teachers. The teacher Read More…
(The Center Square) – The amount of fentanyl seized in Montana last year was over double the amount in 2022, according to Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office. In 2023, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces seized a total of 398,552 dosage units of fentanyl, up from 188,823 dosage units compared in 2022 and Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has raised more than $1.1 million in the 60 days since he announced his bid for reelection on January 16 according to a release from his campaign. “With Governor Gianforte’s pro-family, pro-jobs, pro-business policies and his strong record of protecting our Montana way of life, Montanans are overwhelmingly supporting Governor Gianforte’s reelection, Read More…
(The Center Square) – The National Association of REALTORS announced Friday an agreement where it will end the 6% commission that is routine in home sales. In the settlement with homeowners, the association will pay $418 million in damages and end litigation on the matter. Experts say that Americans pay $100 billion a year in Read More…
(The Center Square) – Most major industries in North Dakota will add jobs over the next two years, according to a new report released by the state’s Labor Market Information Center. The state-level report looks at short-term projections through 2025. It predicted only three North Dakota industries would shrink in job numbers. The agriculture, forestry, Read More…
(The Center Square) — U.S. agricultural trade exports declined by $17 billion in fiscal year 2023, raising concerns from U.S. senators about how the Biden administration will address the issue. The deficit is growing and will decline by another $8 billion in fiscal year 2023, the senators said in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Read More…
(The Center Square) – A swimmer who competed at N.C. State is among 16 collegiate athletes, including 12-time All-American Riley Gaines, suing the NCAA for letting men who say they are women compete against them and use the same locker rooms. Kylee Alons, a two-time national champion and 31-time All-American for the Wolfpack, in the Read More…
(The Center Square) – Embattled Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday stayed on the case involving former President Donald Trump and accepted the resignation of her lead investigator following a judge’s ruling that one of them had to step aside. Judge Scott McAfee, overseeing Trump’s election interference racketeering case, said Willis can remain on Read More…
BOZEMAN — This semester, Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship held its first career symposium, a casual event intended to help students become comfortable talking to potential employers and collaborators. About 300 students attended the event, which was held Feb. 12 in the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus. There, Read More…
(The Center Square) – Some lawmakers are once again calling on their colleagues to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Ahead of the switch to Daylight Saving Time this weekend, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., highlighted the importance of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent. “We’re ‘springing forward’ but should have never Read More…
HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today an over 20,000 percent increase in fentanyl seizures by anti-drug forces in Montana since 2019. Additionally, over twice as much fentanyl was seized in 2023 compared to 2022, shattering previous records. In 2023, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces seized a total of Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – A Billings business, The Maker’s Market, was honored with the 2024 Retailer of the Year award today at the annual Made in Montana Tradeshow for Food and Gifts in Helena. Montana Lt. Governor Kristen Juras and Department of Commerce Deputy Director Mandy Rambo presented the award to Victoria Eichel, owner of The Read More…
HELENA — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with 23 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Biden administration’s new air quality rule that would significantly impact state economies and raise energy costs for Montana manufacturers, utilities, and families. This is the 38th lawsuit Attorney General Knudsen has filed against the Biden administration. The Read More…
(The Center Square) – Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said Wednesday that he won’t donate to anyone seeking the U.S. presidency in 2024. The Tesla and SpaceX owner’s announcement came after a meeting with former President Donald Trump on Sunday. “Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” Read More…
BOZEMAN — A team of six Montana State University students from the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering drew recognition at a recent competition that pitted them against 1,400 other students from across the region. The undergraduate students, each majoring in construction engineering technology, were among 40 MSU students who competed in the Associated Schools of Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – Rounding out Invest in Veterans Week, Governor Greg Gianforte highlighted community support for veterans today at the Montana Veterans Meat Locker in Billings. “Because of the sacrifices of service members and their families, we live in the greatest country on Earth,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While our debt to them will never fully Read More…
(The Center Square) – As the U.S. Armed Forces have struggled to meet recruitment goals, the Army is reducing its troops by 24,000 soldiers. According to an “Army Force Structure Transformation” document first published by American Military News, the Army announced its restructuring plan due to a “changing security environment and evolving character of war.” Read More…
(The Center Square) – As President Joe Biden prepares to deliver his State of the Union Address Thursday night, two new polls show a majority of Americans think he is not mentally fit to be president and is too old. Biden’s address to the nation comes just two days after his 2020 opponent, former President Read More…
(The Center Square) – The majority of Republican state representatives who voted to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and ran for reelection won their primary races on Tuesday. Sixty House Republicans voted to impeach Paxton last May, passing 20 articles of impeachment with four articles held in abeyance. Paxton was the first attorney general Read More…
On Monday at 1889 Coffee House, Governor Greg Gianforte kicked off Invest in Veterans Week. “I think it’s huge. Communication is the key to so many good things,” said Brett Wiensch, the Owner of 1889 Coffee House. A roundtable to discuss supporting and expanding opportunities for Montana veterans and their families was held. “This today Read More…
BOZEMAN — The Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University has taken another step toward improving health care for state residents, particularly those living in rural, frontier or Native communities. The nursing college has been authorized by the national Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education to start a nurse-midwifery track in its Read More…
(The Center Square) — Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso will not say whether he’ll run for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s position next year. As the Senate Republican Conference chair, he is widely speculated to run. “That election doesn’t occur until later in November. To me, the key election is the one earlier in November. Read More…
(The Center Square) – A bill that would allow the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to supersede city and county decisions on pipelines passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday after a lengthy debate. Senate Bill 201 states the PUC can overrule local jurisdictions if “such rules, or regulation, or ordinances, as applied to the Read More…
BOZEMAN – For the third year in a row, Montana State University’s club men’s hockey team will play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 2 national tournament later this month. The team, with a 34-3 record this year, will travel to St. Louis for the tournament, where the Division 2 competition will be held Read More…
MISSOULA – Kyle Fickler grew up in Drummond, Montana. From a young age, he was always drawn toward motorsports and racing. He loved tinkering on cars and figuring out how to make them go faster and with more power. “My cousin took me to my first drag race in Spokane when I was around 14 Read More…
(The Center Square) – A Montana think tank and special interest groups have filed an amicus brief in the state supreme court case known as Held v. Montana. The coalition is asking the Montana Supreme Court to overrule a lower court’s decision that struck down recent changes to state environmental permitting laws and said 16 minors Read More…