South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has expressed strong support for President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as the next U.S. Attorney General. “I served with, and was impressed by, Pam as Florida’s Attorney General,” Jackley said in a statement. “She is an experienced prosecutor who will strengthen the relationship Read More…
The Idaho Army National Guard inducted 10 new honorary unit commanders during a ceremony on Friday, continuing its tradition of fostering strong ties with the community. These honorary commanders, selected from local business, education, and civic leaders, will gain a deeper understanding of the Guard’s mission, policies, and programs. “Our Honorary Unit Commander Program is Read More…
he Montana Department of Commerce announced today that 26 rural safety agencies will receive more than $1.4 million in grant funding to enhance emergency service capabilities in areas experiencing increased tourism. The funding, allocated through the Montana Emergency Tourism Assistance Grant Program (METAP), aims to strengthen public safety across rural communities. “Emergency services are critical Read More…
Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: GBCI), the parent company of Montana’s Glacier Bank, announced on November 20, 2024, that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share. This marks the company’s 159th consecutive quarterly dividend and highlights its impressive track record of 49 dividend increases since its founding. The dividend will be Read More…
House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings, received a suspicious letter similar to the other three letters that were received by legislators over the weekend, according to a Senate GOP communications spokesperson Kyle Schmauch. The is the fourth letter received by a Montana legislator. Officials say when it was delivered, the letter was kept unopened and Read More…
On Sunday, Gov. Greg Gianforte got an up-close look at the Montana Rail Link train derailment and bridge collapse that happened early Saturday morning over the Yellowstone River. Montana Rail Link officials updated the total number of train cars that derailed to 17. Ten of those cars ended up in the river. Of the ten in Read More…
The train car containing sodium hydrosulfide closest to the Yellowstone River has been successfully moved and will be re-railed and moved to a secure location, Montana Rail Link (MRL) announced. MRL also said chunks of asphalt have been found down river which may be associated with the derailment. A sample of the asphalt is being Read More…
MontPIRG, a liberal nonprofit organization is facing a significant financial setback. According to a report from the Daily Montanan, the organization is expected to lose approximately $50,000 in student fees in the coming year. MontPIRG has a long-standing presence on state college campuses in Montana, operating for nearly four decades. While University of Montana students Read More…
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took another step toward entering the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, posting a YouTube video on Monday touting his rise from a small town boy to a self-made software entrepreneur and a successful governor who has cut red tape and taxes. Although the video doesn’t mention it, Burgum has signed Read More…
Montana’s Legislature has overridden the governor on one piece of vetoed legislation, showing that lawmakers have at least some degree of appetite for pushing back against a slew of such actions that took place after they adjourned last month. According to results released Friday evening by the Secretary of State’s office, House Bill 693 will become law Read More…
Come July, 262 Tyson Foods employees in Dakota Dunes, including some executive staff, won’t be working for the food giant. That’s according to a notice from Tyson’s Jamison Smith, vice president of human resources, that was filed on May 26 under the South Dakota Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act website. The news comes after Tyson announced Read More…
It was the right opportunity at the right time, Schweitzer Mountain officials said in announcing the sale of MKM Trust’s Sandpoint, Idaho resort operations assets to Alterra Mountain Company. “With room for growth and plans for future expansion and development, MKM’s decision to exit the mountain resort business puts Schweitzer in a favorable position to Read More…
Montana just took an important step to protect its citizens from authoritarian regimes. By now everyone has heard that the state banned TikTok—and of course TikTok has sued to block the measure. That was two weeks ago. The very same day, Governor Greg Gianforte signed another measure that deserves some national attention. Montana House Bill 946 requires full disclosure Read More…
Montana made history with its move to ban TikTok. Given that the state has a serious penchant for deregulation, it’s kind of a shocker. To put this in perspective, Montana was the last state to institute a speed limit, and yet it is now the first state to ban the controversial app. And for good reason. We Read More…
For Miss Montana 2023 Mady Rigg, failing to make Glacier High School’s volleyball squad her junior year opened a door she never imagined existed. “I was … a little devastated,” Rigg recalled late last month, not long after securing the title of Miss Montana. Still feeling the sting of not making the team she found Read More…
Yellowstone provides millions of visitors one of the greatest wildlife viewing displays in North America. In recent days, some actions by visitors have led to the endangerment of people and wildlife and resulted in the death of wildlife. The park calls on visitors to protect wildlife by understanding how their actions can negatively impact wildlife. Read More…
Montana children up to the age of five are now able to receive a free book each month thanks to Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library” and a State of Montana partnership. “I’m so excited to be launching my Imagination Library statewide in Montana!” said Parton in a message announcing the expansion into Montana. “I want to Read More…
Over the weekend in Seattle, KTVQ brought home the Northwest Regional Emmy Award for Best Morning Newscast for work on our annual Pink Breakfast newscast. For 16 years Q2 News has opened its studios to breast cancer survivors and their caregivers to honor patients still battling and those who’ve beat cancer, by telling their amazing Read More…
A bear spray rental business in southwest Montana is marking its third year of operation. TrailQuipt has locations in Gardiner, West Yellowstone and outside Bozeman. The business rents bear spray canisters for two days for $16, which they call a cost-effective alternative to buying bear spray. The company is implementing an online reservation system this Read More…
Montana’s Democratic U.S. senator stood in favor of the debt deal, which was successfully passed late Thursday. Conversely, all of the Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation voted against the bill aimed at increasing the federal government’s borrowing limit for the next two years. The House saw a mixed bipartisan response, with a total of Read More…
Helena, MT – Susan Gianforte, in collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has unveiled the Imagination Library of Montana, an initiative that will be implemented across the entire state. This non-profit endeavor aims to enhance early childhood literacy by offering complimentary, top-notch books tailored to the age of Montana’s children. “Literacy is critical for our Read More…
In a recent op-ed published in several newspapers, Montana Democrat minority leaders claimed “the harm done by a Republican supermajority drunk on power will continue to be felt for a long time.” The Democrat leaders should remember that it was Montana voters who gave Republicans a supermajority in the legislature, and for good reason. Montana Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 states against Mexico’s lawsuit against the American firearms industry. In an amicus brief filed Thursday, the 20 attorneys general seek to shield the law-abiding firearms manufacturers within their borders. The Mexican government is pursuing a $10 billion claim against multiple prominent U.S. firearms manufacturers, Read More…
The expiration of Title 42, a COVID-era policy used to expel migrants, on Thursday has sparked concerns about the growing wave of migrants at the southern border. U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Steve Daines (R-MT) have both addressed the situation and raised alarms regarding the security at the border. The issue has drawn national Read More…
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney, Rachael Rollins, will step down after a Justice Department inspector general investigation into her involvement in a political fundraiser and other ethics-related matters. Although the report has not been released yet, Rollins’ attorney confirmed that she will be sending a resignation letter to President Joe Biden by the end of business on Read More…
The recent revelations that Montana Senator Jon Tester has allowed industry lobbyists to craft legislation that benefits them contradict his campaign promise not to depend on lobbyists to make decisions. Emails obtained by Politico show that hemp industry lobbyists proposed and created a bill introduced by Tester in March to change regulations that benefit industrial Read More…
My top priority as Attorney General is the safety and security of Montana communities. The bills the Department of Justice brought and supported during the recently concluded legislative session to combat human trafficking, the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis, illicit drugs, and sex crimes and gives law enforcement and prosecutors new tools to keep Read More…
If you’re running a small business, you might feel the pressure of uncertainty in our current economy. And because the range of possible outcomes can seem vast, is it even worth planning to manage your business differently during economic uncertainty? Or should we brace for impact and hope we’re still standing when it blows over? While Read More…
Small businesses – the heartbeat of the U.S. economy – are beginning to feel the pinch of tighter credit conditions as the Federal Reserve continues to increase borrowing costs. A flurry of headlines in recent weeks has suggested a credit crunch – meaning the availability of lending gets scarcer – is already happening. That’s in large part brought on by the actions of Read More…
Mullinax Irrigation & Construction Supply, which provides irrigation solutions and construction products from their headquarters in Sheridan, WY, recently announced the sale of their business to a new generation of ownership. Kevin Beagle and Dustin Frost, an Army and a National Guard Veteran, both with connections to the Billings business community, have purchased the company Read More…
Fintel reports that on April 28, 2023, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained coverage of First Interstate BancSystem Inc. – (NASDAQ:FIBK) with a Market Perform recommendation. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 40.35% Upside As of April 24, 2023, the average one-year price target for First Interstate BancSystem Inc. – is 37.01. The forecasts range from a low of 31.31 to a high of Read More…
NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy (Nasdaq: NWE) today announced that Sherina Maye Edwards has been elected by the company’s shareholders to the Board of Directors, bringing extensive regulatory, legal, utility infrastructure and executive experience to the independent board. Edwards is the former Chief Strategy Officer of MasTec, Inc., a NYSE-listed infrastructure construction company and former Read More…
Oklahoma’s treasurer announced that the state will stop doing business with more than a dozen financial firms over accusations that they “boycott” the energy industry. Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ revealed the list of blacklisted firms on Wednesday and emphasized that they will end up losing access to billions of dollars from government entities as a result of the judgment. The Read More…
One of my 2023 energy predictions was “Total U.S. oil production will again rise, and set a new annual production record.” The previous annual record was set in 2019 at 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd). By the end of 2022 monthly production was just about back to that level following the devastating impact from Covid-19 in Read More…
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed lawsuits brought by municipalities seeking to hold energy companies accountable for climate change to move forward in a loss for business interests. The court turned away oil company appeals in five cases involving claims brought by cities and municipalities in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawaii and Rhode Island as part of efforts to Read More…
ChatGPT, a conversational AI model built by OpenAI, is the most talked-about technology of 2023. And it has caught the attention of payments services providers keen to unlock the potential of the generative AI that powers it. Generative AI is set to revolutionize various sub-verticals within the payments industry. The most significant impact is expected Read More…
Two people familiar with the company told Business Insider that the headcount is “much lower” than the 1,500 employees CEO Elon Musk had told BBC News remained on staff, particularly when excluding remaining contract workers. The billionaire did not specify whether his total included such employees. The outlet said getting closer to 1,000 means Twitter’s workforce is Read More…
The major averages turned lower following Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference. Investors seemed to have turned their attention to Powell’s comment that the rate-setting committee has “a view that inflation is going to come down not so quickly.”“It will take some time, and in that world, if that forecast is broadly right, it would Read More…
Over the past three decades, the local adoration for Homeboy Industries has nearly been matched by the nonprofit’s innovation and ability to form high-level connections. Founded by Father Gregory Boyle in East Los Angeles in 1988 with the aim to help gang members change their lives, it has gained legendary status. The program that early on was Read More…
The Federal Reserve raised the target range for its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% on Wednesday while leaving its options open on future rate hikes. The central bank’s move pushed its benchmark policy rate, the fed funds rate, to a new range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since September 2007. The Fed said future rate hikes Read More…
A McDonald’s franchisee in Kentucky employed two 10-year-old children in violation of federal labor laws, the Department of Labor said Tuesday. Bauer Food, LLC, a Louisville-based operator of 10 McDonald’s franchise locations across two states, employed the children, the DOL said in a news release. Officials said the children were not paid, yet sometimes worked as late Read More…
In a rare show of solidarity, an eclectic group of lawmakers including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. D-N.Y., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., announced a bipartisan bill restricting members of Congress from trading individual stocks. Sponsored by GOP Reps. Gaetz and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Democratic Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act aims to Read More…
California’s reparations task force is considering its most generous recommended payouts yet, including up to $1.2 million for some longtime black residents. The task force laid out the latest numbers in a draft plan that members will discuss at their monthly meeting on Saturday. According to the report, based on input from economic advisers, the Read More…
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), fresh from a trade mission to Taiwan and Japan, called for a national policy this week to restore American manufacturing dominance and end reliance on communist China. “We need an American Revolution in order to no longer depend on Chinese manufacturing,” the governor said to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Read More…