(The Center Square) – Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio on Thursday backed a bipartisan proposal to cap annual deficits at 3% of gross domestic product, a resolution that would allow Congress to continue to spend more taxpayer money than it collects for years to come. House Resolution 981 would limit yearly deficits to 3% of GDP Read More…
The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday afternoon signed legislation that involves a $590 million loan for Bay Area public transportation. Speaking before reporters in San Mateo County, Newsom said the loan will be paid back in 12 years. The first two years will be interest-free. “This is not just about transportation. Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council has unanimously passed a bill prohibiting city employees and departments from sharing nonpublic personal information with federal immigration authorities for civil enforcement purposes without a warrant. Council Bill 121158 is meant to protect immigrant communities, align city policy with the state’s Keep Washington Working Act, and remove Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 1 over whether to uphold birthright citizenship in the United States. Trump v. Barbara challenges President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order that denies birthright citizenship to children in the U.S. born after Feb. 19, 2025, whose parents are either illegally Read More…
White House Border Czar Tom Homan held a press conference in Minneapolis to update the public on ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, emphasizing the removal of dangerous criminal aliens and reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to public safety. “These targeted operations continue to remove the worst of the worst illegal alien killers, rapists, gang Read More…
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that President Trump has signed H.R. 6938, the 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, which includes more than $8 million in federal funding for critical water infrastructure and law enforcement projects across Western Montana. “These projects come directly from county commissioners Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines called for increased public safety resources for Montana tribes and commended tribal efforts to protect youth and families during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing featuring Harlem Councilwoman Joan Johnson. Daines emphasized the Trump administration’s support for Indian Country, including enhanced law enforcement presence and the opening of a new FBI Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4 percent in December, extending the state’s streak of over four consecutive years with unemployment at or below that level, according to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. The state’s jobless rate remains well below the national average of 4.4 percent, keeping Montana among the top ten states Read More…
A Livingston man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of a man, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Monday. Skyler Griebel, 33, was convicted in October 2025 of deliberate homicide following a nine-day trial. The case stemmed from a February 2022 incident in which Griebel threatened his girlfriend with a gun. Read More…
Governor Mark Gordon will kick off a statewide tour, The Essential Budget: Protecting and Powering Wyoming’s Future, to outline the priorities and key decisions of the upcoming legislative budget session. The series will highlight issues including protecting core industries, supporting economic and business growth, the importance of state savings, property tax reform, and other topics Read More…
North Dakota will participate in a new federal program offering tax credits for donations to organizations that provide K-12 education scholarships, Governor Kelly Armstrong announced Wednesday. The program allows taxpayers to claim federal tax credits for cash contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), nonprofit groups that award scholarships to help students pay for elementary and Read More…
Governor Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch welcomed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to Boise, spotlighting Idaho’s strengthened partnership with the federal government in serving the state’s veterans. “Idaho is honored to host Secretary Collins and celebrate our support for Idaho veterans,” Governor Little said. “Unlike the previous administration, we Read More…
Four South Dakota education professionals were recognized in 2025 for achieving National Board Certification, one of the most prestigious credentials in the teaching and school counseling professions. The South Dakota Department of Education announced that three teachers and one school counselor demonstrated advanced knowledge, skills, and professional excellence through the rigorous national certification process. National Read More…
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has signed House Bill 1044 into law, appropriating funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program — marking the first piece of legislation he has approved during the current legislative session. State officials described the move as a historic investment in rural healthcare, aimed at strengthening medical services across South Dakota’s Read More…
As the 2026 tax filing season begins, millions of Americans are seeing larger refunds, increased take-home pay, and new opportunities to build long-term financial security under the Working Families Tax Cuts, a sweeping tax law passed by President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans. Administration officials say the legislation is delivering immediate relief for parents while Read More…
A new federal investment initiative dubbed “Trump Accounts” was unveiled this week as a signature economic policy aimed at expanding private ownership and long-term wealth building for American families, with supporters calling it a transformative step toward a nationwide “shareholder society.” In a wide-ranging speech, administration officials and allies framed the program as one of Read More…
Thirteen farmers from Kansas and Colorado, along with Weskan Grain and Colorado Pacific Railroad (CXR), filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas alleging that Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (K&O) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) conspired to block competition and inflate grain transportation costs across the region. Read More…
The Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that the $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” more than 1.5 million service members received last year, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, would be tax-free. In a press release posted today, the IRS confirmed the tax-free status of the dividend. “The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Read More…
(The Center Square) – Six state attorneys general called on the nonprofit climate company Ceres, Inc. to halt all conduct they say is in violation of antitrust and consumer protection laws. The attorneys general, led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, sent a letter to Ceres’ CEO Mindy Lubber calling on the company to refrain Read More…
Montana’s construction industry continues to surge, driving economic growth, creating thousands of high-paying jobs, and fueling demand for skilled workers across the state, according to a new analysis released by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI). The report, part of DLI’s 406 JOBS High Demand Sector Analysis series, details rapid expansion in the Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in support of the Trump Administration’s effort to revise a Biden-era federal rule that they argue unlawfully imposed a political agenda and threatened funding for state disability programs. In a letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Read More…
The Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) held a public administrative hearing on January 22, 2026, to examine a cybersecurity breach involving Health Care Service Corporation, a mutual legal reserve company doing business as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT). The hearing moved forward after the Lewis and Clark County Read More…
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and former U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D., Mont.) are reportedly recruiting University of Montana President Seth Bodnar to enter this year’s U.S. Senate race in Montana, potentially as an independent candidate. Despite indications he may run as independent, Bodnar’s extensive ties to Democrats at both the state and Read More…
The Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) prevented Montanans from losing an estimated $1.67 million to scams and fraudulent business practices in 2025, according to figures released by Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Knudsen said the numbers underscore the growing sophistication of scammers and the importance of public awareness as technology continues to Read More…
President Trump and Congressional Republicans have enacted the Working Families Tax Cuts, a landmark pro-life, pro-family package designed to empower parents, support children, and expand opportunities for working families across the nation. The legislation removes financial barriers that often discourage parents from choosing life and ensures families have the resources needed to provide for their Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. House finished the last of its fiscal year 2026 appropriations work Thursday with the passage of the last four government funding bills, sending them over to the Senate for final approval. The upper chamber has until Jan. 30 to pass the bills, which provide a total of $1.2 trillion Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a major action against a Costa Rica-based cocaine trafficking and money laundering network, designating five Costa Rican nationals and five entities for their role in transporting, storing, and distributing multi-ton shipments of cocaine to the United States and Europe. Luis Manuel Picado Read More…
A new poll indicates incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke enters the 2026 election cycle with a substantial advantage over the top two potential Democratic challengers, according to survey results released this week. The poll was conducted by Peak Insights, a Republican public opinion research firm, and surveyed likely general election voters between January 12 Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a sweeping action against Hamas-linked organizations and individuals operating covertly through charitable and nonprofit entities. The effort aims to disrupt funding channels used by Hamas to support its military operations while protecting legitimate humanitarian aid to Palestinians. “Hamas continues to show a Read More…
President Donald Trump signed the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (H.R. 4323) into law, creating a pathway for victims of human trafficking to clear certain criminal records tied to their exploitation. The law allows trafficking survivors to file motions to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for qualifying offenses committed as a direct result of being Read More…
A Montana jury has found the state’s child protection agency negligent for failing to promptly notify police after learning that a 12-year-old girl had been raped and became pregnant. The jury awarded $5.5 million in compensatory damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. The girl, now 23, was raped by her mother’s Read More…
Montana has formally opted in to a new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program, opening the door for taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit when they donate to nonprofit organizations that provide K–12 scholarships. State officials say the move will expand education options for families and build on Montana’s existing school choice initiatives. The program Read More…
In October 2025, the 319th Reconnaissance Wing assigned to Grand Forks Air Force Base was selected to lead the Point Defense Battle Lab, supported by the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard. The Total Force team at the battle lab supports Air Combat Command’s Point Defense Task Force, a larger Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Read More…
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Jan. 13 in two cases that will shape the future of women’s sports nationwide. As a detransitioner, I cannot sit on the sidelines and stay silent while the court considers decisions that reach far beyond athletics and into the core of women’s sex-based legal protections. At issue in Read More…
Every year in January, leaders gather in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum to discuss the global economy. This year, some people have asked a great question: Why is the Trump administration going to Davos at all? Why show up and participate when we’ve been so clear that the old globalist line of thinking Read More…
(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott has directed state agencies to investigate potential Medicaid fraud In Texas. Abbott on Friday directed the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General and Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to investigate potential Medicaid fraud to safeguard taxpayer money, maintain access for eligible Texans, Read More…
(The Center Square) – Republican U.S. senators, led by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced the ICE Protection Act to increase penalties for those who assault and injure U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The bill was filed as an unprecedented amount of assaults continue against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as they perform Read More…
A ballot initiative designed to keep corporations from spending on elections in Montana is a little too ambitious, the state Supreme Court has found. The new proposals included in Ballot Issue 4 violate the rules for wording such initiatives, the court ruled. State Attorney General Austin Knudsen made that argument to the justices over a Read More…
(The Center Square) – The second largest natural gas producer in northwest Louisiana and east Texas has sold its assets to Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi. Aethon, a Dallas-based company that operates in the prolific Haynesville shale formation, agreed to a deal worth approximately $7.5 billion, according to an announcement on Friday. Mitsubishi agreed to pay $5.2 Read More…
Food is an essential part of everyday life, and that is no different for warfighters. Fueling soldiers to fight and win our nation’s wars is a top priority, and the Army has several initiatives underway to ensure consistent access to healthy, affordable food. “The Army is focused on creating a positive seismic shift in food Read More…
Wyoming voters already basically decided they are pro-choice, the state Supreme Court has ruled in a decision that voids subsequent pro-life laws implemented when Roe v. Wade was overturned. The court struck the Life is a Human Right Act, which made most abortions a criminal act. They are a “fundamental right” and a health care Read More…
The Rural Health Transformation Program, funded through the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts Act, is set to deliver the largest-ever federal investment in rural healthcare, providing $50 billion over five years to strengthen access, modernize facilities, and support the rural health workforce. The program, administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), allocated Read More…
President Donald J. Trump announced key appointments to implement Phase Two of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, marking a major step toward stabilization, reconstruction, and long-term governance in the region. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) will be led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath, a technocratic leader with extensive experience Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana is calling on President Donald Trump to prioritize improved market access for Montana pulse crop producers in any future trade agreements with India, citing recent tariffs that have placed U.S. farmers at a competitive disadvantage. Daines, joined by Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, sent a letter to the Read More…