A bipartisan provision championed by Sen. Steve Daines to sharply increase penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information cleared the Senate Finance Committee as part of a broader tax administration package, moving one step closer to becoming law. The Daines-Cortez Masto provision passed as part of the Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, which the Finance Read More…
Montana State University will host an interdisciplinary symposium Oct. 1-2 to explore the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence for human knowledge. “The Future of AI” conference, sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence at MSU, will be held on campus. Attendance includes lunch and an evening reception on Thursday, and a light breakfast Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Montana will end the “orphan tax” — the longstanding practice of diverting Social Security survivor benefits from children in foster care to cover the cost of their state care — following a federal directive earlier this year calling on states to end the practice. For more than two decades, the Montana Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the Montana Motor Vehicle Division is extending its fee waiver for driver license and identification card renewals and replacements through September 30, following a strong response to the program that saw more than 18,000 Montanans add the new citizenship marker to their credentials in July alone. The waiver, originally set Read More…
State officials have been planning a $10 million effort over the next two years to prevent the spread of invasive mussels in waters throughout Montana, but they aren’t yet sure where all the money will come from. Officials from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks explained Read More…
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be labor secretary has voiced second thoughts in recent days, because of a relentless barrage of criticism from Democrats, labor unions and other liberal groups, a business ally and GOP sources tell CNN. Andy Puzder is the CEO of the company that owns the Hardees and Carl’s Jr. fast food Read More…
The Clinton Foundation’s long list of wealthy donors and foreign government contributors during the 2016 elections provoked critics to allege conflicts of interests. Clinton partisans defended the organization’s charitable work, and dismissed claims that it served as a means for the Clintons to sell off access, market themselves on the paid speech circuit, and elevate their brand Read More…
President Obama’s first inaugural festivities stretched over five days. Donald Trump is spending barely three on his. Bill Clinton hit 14 official balls on the day he was sworn in. Trump plans appearances at three. From The Washington Post
When Donald Trump walks into the White House for the first time as president on Jan. 20, his suits will be hanging in his closet, his personal photos will be displayed on perfectly placed tables, and his toothbrush will be near his favorite brand of toothpaste in his bathroom. “The entire house has to be just Read More…
The problem with the iPhone is that the current design isn’t suited to wireless charging. Apple makes use of a metal rear cover, and metal and wireless charging just don’t go well together (although there are budding technologies that allow wireless charging through metal, none are yet ready for prime time). In order to add Read More…
A Missoula restaurant will soon be featured on the Food Network. The Notorious P.I.G. barbecue restaurant in downtown Missoula opened just about two years ago. Owner Burke Homes explained, “I’m from St. Louis, Missouri. I knew I wanted to live in Montana and catch fish and shoot ducks and drink good beer and hang out with Read More…
Former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus’ son, Zeno Baucus, is considering whether to compete for the Democratic nomination for Montana’s soon-to-be-vacant U.S. House seat, MTN News has learned. The younger Baucus is an assistant U.S. attorney in Billings. He’s one of five Democrats now either considering or running for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Read More…
Nearly 120 potential delegates that would choose the Republican Party’s nominee to succeed U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke are behind Greg Gianforte, according to a letter distributed by his supporters – appearing to give him a near-lock on the nomination. The letter, signed by 117 local and state Montana Republican Party officials and officeholders, calls Gianforte Read More…
A new federal lawsuit says U.S. Bureau of Indian Education schools are chronically understaffed, lack systems to provide special education and have a deficient curriculum. Advocacy groups said Thursday the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Havasupai students at an Arizona school within the Grand Canyon. Lawyers say the lawsuit potentially could impact other BIE Read More…
Amazon plans to hire 100,000 people across the U.S. over the next 18 months. The online retailer said Thursday that the jobs are full time and come with benefits. Many of the new jobs will be at fulfillment centers currently being built in a number of states, including California, Florida and Texas. From KULR 8
Final decisions on four Business Ready Community (BRC) grant and loan requests will be made by the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board at its 8 a.m. meeting on Jan. 19 in Room 1699 in the Herschler Building. The Wyoming Business Council administers the Business Ready Community grant and loan program, which provides financing for Read More…
The former British intelligence agent at the center of the maelstrom over a 35-page dossier about Donald Trump and the Russians is named Christopher Steele, but an ex-colleague refers to him by a more familiar moniker. “He’s James Bond,” said Nigel West, the intelligence historian and spy-novel author. “I actually introduced him to my wife Read More…
Fans of Cold Smoke beer should soon be able to pick up cans of the Missoula-based Scotch ale in Billings stores and bars. Billings-based Briggs Distributing announced Thursday that it has signed a partnership with Kettlehouse Brewing Co., which makes Cold Smoke and other beers, to distribute in a seven-county region surrounding Yellowstone this spring. Read More…
As the United States prepares for the incoming administration and President Donald Trump, there stands an opportunity for a reset of an important relationship – that of the United States and Turkey. The hope is that President Trump and his officials will cultivate more closely a diplomatic relationship with Turkish President Erdogan than President Obama Read More…
According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services our state ranks No. 1 per capita in the country for suicide. Bills before the legislature are aiming to help decrease that statistic. Both measures are requesting $500,000. One measure is focused on helping prevent suicide among veterans. The other measure asks for extra funding Read More…
Helena – A newly released memo shows that Montana Department of Transportation(MDT) officials and Governor Bullock knew of shortfalls in the highway fund before Election Day but kept the information hidden from the public until after Governor Bullock had been re-elected. The memo was obtained by state legislators and released to the media on Thursday, Read More…
The Miles City Area Economic Development Council (MCAEDC) learned at its meeting Thursday that the small business development center (SBDC) will be moved from Colstrip to Miles City. The SBDC was created in 1989 to provide free one-on-one advising to business entrepreneurs. It offers financial analysis, business planning, operations assistance, marketing and social media assistance, Read More…
Though it remains on the same foundations upon which it was built more than 30 years ago, the Kalispell Center Mall is a place of constant activity and transition — stores come and go, mall walkers wander the halls, and local groups host community activities there. And while many malls in America are experiencing a Read More…
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say Lincoln County residents who have not had their property inspected as part of the massive Superfund cleanup have until March 31 to contact them. The EPA announced a “last call” for residents of Libby and Troy to participate in the asbestos cleanup. Since the early 2000s, more than Read More…
The 2017 legislative session kicks off at noon in Cheyenne and area lawmakers revealed their goals for this year, with all three looking at tackling the thorny issue of the state’s budget. “There are a lot of budget challenges to face and one of the biggest ones of course is to meet our constitutional obligations Read More…
Attorney General Tim Fox said Tuesday in court papers that the term of Montana’s top political enforcer should have ended Jan. 1 – and the state Supreme Court should take over and decide the lawsuit trying to extend the term. Fox asked a state judge to allow him to intervene in the lawsuit seeking to Read More…
Shortly before Christmas, men and women across Montana were notified that the road construction projects they were depending on to put presents under the tree this year would be canceled. The jobs they were depending on to provide for their families in 2017 would be lost. The construction of critical state highway projects would be Read More…
Montana’s attorney general and Republican lawmakers say any rulings that Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl makes this year could be challenged in court because Motl’s term of office has expired. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock appointed Motl in 2013 and the Senate confirmed him to a term ending Jan. 1. Late last month, a judge Read More…
As awareness of human trafficking increases, so do the number of victims who are being rescued in Montana. Human traffickers use force or fraud to coerce their victims into some type of labor or sex slavery. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox says next to the drug trade, it’s the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the Read More…
Senator John McCain passed documents to the FBI director, James Comey, last month alleging secret contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow and that Russian intelligence had personally compromising material on the president-elect himself. The material, which has been seen by the Guardian, is a series of reports on Trump’s relationship with Moscow. They were Read More…
Donald Trump plans to keep his Manhattan-based campaign headquarters open as he assumes the presidency – a move that represents a sharp break from his predecessors, and one that positions him to begin running for reelection in 2020. According to three people briefed on the plans, Trump intends to retain a skeletal campaign staff of Read More…
Drivers throughout the country are expected to pay more at the pump in 2017 than they did in 2016, according to GasBuddy’s new 2017 Fuel Price Outlook. GasBuddy, a company that tracks gasoline prices, forecasts the price of gas will climb to a national average of $2.49 a gallon this year. The average price in Read More…
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is appointing his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior adviser in the White House. And funnily enough, Trump might have Hillary Clinton to thank for making the position possible. In 1967, then President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an anti-nepotism bill into law that was widely seen as Read More…
A business that started in an alley now ships custom metal work around the world. Over the course of seven years, Mick Thompson and his wife Alanna have brought their “back alley” business to the forefront of Red Lodge. From KTVQ
Legislative Republicans Monday introduced a bill to shore up the state highway fund this year – a move they said would enable the state to finance $144 million worth of construction projects that have been delayed. “We know it’s a temporary fix, but we’ve got to get the money back in there, so we can Read More…
Lissie’s Luv Yums in Great Falls uses Treasure State ingredients to create gourmet dog biscuits for four-legged friends. But as MTN’s Julianne Dellorso reports in this week’s Montana Made, it provides a helping hand for humans, as well. From KBZK
Lawmakers are scheduled to take up a bill that would require air ambulance providers and insurance companies to negotiate payments for air ambulance services, even if the provider is not in network with the patient’s insurance company. Senate Bill 44, scheduled for its first committee hearing on Tuesday, would hold patients responsible only for their Read More…
Year over year, the number of human trafficking cases in Montana continues to climb, but thankfully the number of victims rescued is climbing too. In 2014, there weren’t any human trafficking cases in Montana, but Attorney General Tim Fox says there was a substantial increase in cases last year. “We just finished the tabulations for Read More…
According to Bozeman Police, this morning they responded to a call of a man walking near Bozeman High School, carrying an American flag and a rifle. The man was detained, questioned and then released when it was realized he wasn’t breaking the law. The man was asked to put the rifle away and then he Read More…
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), has announced staff hires for the committee’s majority side for the 115th Congress. Staff members are: Richard M. Russell will serve as staff director. He previously served as Republican staff director for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Read More…
The 65th Montana Legislature just started. We are all aboard a ship without a captain in the middle of an ugly storm. Republicans left Gov. Steve Bullock with a balanced budget and $500 million to spare in 2013 and $300 million in 2015, so we expected to come into calmer waters. Instead, Gov. Bullock seems Read More…
Bullock Hires Planned Parenthood Exec as Health Policy Advisor Helena – Governor Steve Bullock announced Friday that he has hired Jessica Rhoades as his health policy advisor. Ms. Rhoades has had a long career in Democrat political circles, including time with Planned Parenthood. Rhoades was the western regional field director for Planned Parenthood of America Read More…
Helena – In late December, with only a few days remaining in his term a group of Democrats stepped in to try and keep Jonathan Motl in the Commissioner of Political Practices office for another two years by filing a lawsuit in Lewis and Clark County district court. Just days later, the fifth lawsuit involving Read More…
Two of Montana’s neighbors are on the Forbes top ten Best States for Business list – North Dakota and South Dakota. Montana is ranked 23rd. Wyoming is ranked 35th and Idaho, 18th. Released in November, the 11th annual Forbes list puts Utah as the top ranking state, followed by North Carolina, Nebraska and Texas. West Read More…