WASHINGTON — A 34-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State terrorist organization after federal investigators determined he supplied money, firearms and other equipment to individuals he believed were affiliated with ISIS. Ammaad Akhtar, a U.S. citizen, admitted to attempting to support the terrorist organization between February Read More…
SpaceX has secured commitments for a $40 billion financing arrangement to purchase advanced artificial intelligence chips, but the transaction is drawing attention to borrowing costs and growing investor concerns about the capital required to expand AI infrastructure. The company, which trades under the ticker SPCX, announced Oct. 26 that it had reached a binding commitment Read More…
— Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry announced a $1.5 million grant to develop a statewide digital career platform designed to connect students, job seekers and employers with education, training and employment opportunities. The grant, awarded by nonprofit Britebound, will support development of Montana’s Talent Marketplace, an artificial intelligence-powered Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 state attorneys general seeking to intervene in two federal lawsuits that could eliminate a widely used permitting process for oil and natural gas pipelines crossing rivers, streams and wetlands. The states argue that eliminating Nationwide Permit 12, a federal authorization administered by the U.S. Read More…
(The Center Square) – Border czar Tom Homan told reporters that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations will expand after Labor Day in sanctuary cities nationwide, including Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore. “You’re going to see a ramp up of operations in New York. You’re going to see a ramp up of operations continue in Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Trump administration directed 46 states and territories to remove gender ideology from their sex ed materials or else face possible termination of federal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funding, with a family advocate praising the move. Policy director for family advocacy group American Principles Project Paul Dupont told The Center Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Seattle Police Department is gearing up for what it hopes will be a peaceful event Saturday at Gas Works Park. Christian artist Sean Feucht, the founder of the Let Us Worship movement, is bringing his “Revive in ’25” tour to the city. “The city of Seattle has invited us back Read More…
he Local Rules Subcommittee of the Federal Practice Committee for the District of North Dakota has released proposed revisions to the District’s Local Rules, now available for public review and comment. The subcommittee, chaired by Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal, carefully reviewed all existing rules to improve clarity and consistency. Committee members included attorneys Chris Read More…
Amber Potts has been appointed as the new Air Quality Division (AQD) Administrator for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), DEQ Director Todd Parfitt announced Monday. The position opened in May when former AQD Administrator Nancy Vehr was promoted to DEQ Deputy Director. “It is with great pleasure I am announcing that I have Read More…
Prosecutors with the Montana Attorney General’s Office on Thursday charged a 31-year-old Carter County man with three felony counts of sexual abuse of children for possession of explicit images and videos depicting a child under 12, including at least one image digitally altered using artificial intelligence. Shy Herbert McCutchan was arrested in Alzada by the Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is spearheading a 23-state coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt grants to the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a group that has been providing climate-focused trainings for judges nationwide. In a letter sent Tuesday to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Knudsen raised concerns that taxpayer Read More…
Warren Buffett, the legendary investor known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” celebrated his 95th birthday Tuesday in typically understated fashion, surrounded by close family and friends in his hometown. Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, has long avoided lavish celebrations. Instead, those close to him said the billionaire spent the day with a Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte has approved $308 million in broadband deployment grants aimed at closing Montana’s digital divide, backing 32 projects that will extend high-speed internet to nearly 72,000 unserved and underserved locations across the state. The funding recommendations were presented Tuesday by the state’s Communications Advisory Commission (CAC), which voted unanimously to advance the projects Read More…
The Montana Historical Society will kick off the fall season with the return of its popular public lecture series in September, while also joining forces with the Montana 250th Commission to host a statewide virtual book club in anticipation of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026. The lecture series, which regularly draws history enthusiasts Read More…
Montana Grizzly Athletics produces much more than championships and scholar student-athletes. Griz Athletics contributes more than $94 million in total spending for Missoula-area businesses annually according to a new report published by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research. A day after again announcing record-setting football season ticket sales, the report notes the increased demand Read More…
U.S. stocks slipped this week, closing out August on a mixed note as investors balanced encouraging inflation data, strong corporate earnings, and fresh trade developments against concerns of political and technological volatility. The S&P 500 finished the week down 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite each shed about 0.2%. The Russell Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte on Friday celebrated the second anniversary of the statewide expansion of the Imagination Library of Montana, a program that delivers free, high-quality books each month to children under five in every corner of the state. Partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the program aims to boost early Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with 21 other state attorneys general, has filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case challenging a Massachusetts school district’s policy on student “social transitioning” without parental consent. The case, Foote v. Ludlow School Committee, involves Ludlow Public Schools and parents Stephen Foote and Marissa Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday marked the opening of Eshylon Scientific’s new facility in Bozeman, cutting the ribbon on the semiconductor manufacturing solutions company’s relocation from California to Montana. The governor toured the site and highlighted the investment as part of Montana’s growing technology and semiconductor industry. “Montana is becoming a hub for entrepreneurship and Read More…
U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy led a letter from Montana’s congressional delegation urging President Donald Trump to take immediate action against Russia’s palladium exports, calling for a 50 percent tariff on unwrought palladium imports from Russia to protect American jobs and domestic mineral production. The letter, also signed by Senator Steve Daines, Rep. Troy Downing, and Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of Labor to quickly implement President Trump’s recent Executive Order expanding access to alternative investments for Americans with 401(k) and other defined-contribution retirement plans. The letter, sent to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, was also signed by Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Read More…
Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder joined education partners and the National Museum of Military Vehicles (NMMV) this week to announce the launch of new classroom curricula focused on World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The project is a collaboration between the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE), the NMMV, the Read More…
The Wyoming Transportation Commission has awarded $22.7 million in contracts for seven construction projects across the state, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced following the commission’s August meeting. The largest contract, valued at $8.29 million, went to Idaho-based H-K Contractors, Inc., for asphalt paving, fencing, grading, traffic control, and chip seal work on about Read More…
exbase, Inc., a Bozeman-based retail data management software company, announced Monday the formation of an Advisory Board to guide its next phase of strategic growth. The company also named retail supply chain veteran Jack Keating as the board’s first member. Texbase said the Advisory Board will be composed of executives with deep retail and supply Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced Monday that a new loan participation program aimed at expanding access to capital for rural businesses will open for applications on Oct. 1, 2025. The Opportunities in Rural Economies (ORE) Loan Participation Program will partner with local lenders to provide low-interest loans for projects that support job creation, strengthen Read More…
BOZEMAN — Montana State University officially opened its interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to the study of quantum computing Aug. 20. Called QCORE, or Quantum Collaborative Research and Education, the high-tech facility is housed in MSU’s College of Letters and Science and positions the university to identify and address grand challenges in quantum systems. Quantum computing is Read More…
or the fourth year in a row, North Dakota has been named the nation’s most business-friendly state, according to CNBC’s annual “Top States for Business” rankings. The network evaluates all 50 states on 135 metrics across 10 categories, including economy, workforce, infrastructure, cost of doing business, technology, quality of life, and business friendliness. The business Read More…
Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) and NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NWE) said their boards of directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock, tax-free merger. The deal will create a regulated electric and natural gas utility company with an estimated market capitalization of $7.8 billion and an enterprise value of Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 2.8% in July, marking the tenth consecutive month below 3% and extending a four-year stretch at or below 3.4%, according to state labor data released this week. The state continues to rank among the five lowest in the nation for unemployment, 1.4 percentage points below the national rate of 4.2%. Read More…
With bachelor’s and master’s degrees now under his belt, Montana State University alumnus Quinn Holland’s advice to current students is still what drives him every day. “Relentlessly chase what excites you in life. If there is something that you are curious about, chase it until the end of the earth and until you’re satisfied with Read More…
A new analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation projects that every state in the nation will see average tax reductions under President Donald J. Trump’s signature tax legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill, which the White House says is the most significant middle-class tax cut in U.S. history. According to the report, the law will Read More…
Since President Donald J. Trump took office, U.S. manufacturing, production, and innovation have seen a surge in domestic investment, with corporations and foreign entities pledging trillions of dollars to expand operations on American soil. Major technology, automotive, pharmaceutical, and industrial companies have announced multi-billion-dollar investments in the United States during President Trump’s second term. Highlights Read More…
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data obtained from Washington and 19 other states for immigration enforcement purposes. The order also bars the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing such data with DHS. The injunction comes after Washington and Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte continued his 56 County Tour this week, visiting communities across eastern Montana to spotlight infrastructure upgrades, workforce initiatives, public safety investments, and new business openings. “It’s great to hit the road to see firsthand how communities are thriving across eastern Montana,” Gianforte said. “Thanks to our pro-family, pro-jobs agenda, we’re connecting Montanans Read More…
(The Center Square) − A federal grand jury has returned a 45-page indictment charging Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie with conspiring to defraud the city by conducting a secret personal relationship while Vappie was on duty, falsifying records, and obstructing investigations. The indictment, unsealed Friday in the U.S. District Read More…
U.S. stocks closed the week within striking distance of all-time highs, buoyed by renewed expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates in September and a flurry of upbeat corporate and economic news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose roughly 1% for the week, briefly touching a fresh intraday record on Friday before Read More…
The Grand Forks community marked a milestone this week with the official ribbon cutting of the Grand Forks Career Impact Academy, a $30.5 million career and technical education facility designed to connect students with hands-on learning aligned to regional and statewide workforce needs. Located near Gateway Drive and 42nd Street, the facility will welcome students Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines visited the Bull Mountains Mine in Musselshell County on Friday, celebrating what he called a major victory for Montana jobs and American energy. The mine, one of the state’s three large-scale active coal operations, had faced the prospect of closure in recent years but will remain open due to a provision Read More…
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday in the hopes of negotiating a ceasefire or initial steps toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. Though the presidents’ greeting was streamed live on the White House YouTube channel, the press has not yet been able to ask questions Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined a coalition of 37 state Attorneys General urging Instagram to make immediate changes to its recently launched location-sharing feature, citing concerns over user privacy and public safety. The coalition’s letter requests that Instagram prevent minors from enabling location sharing, provide clear alerts to adult users detailing the Read More…
Tyler Newcombe has stepped down as executive director of the Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) after serving in the role since January, the party announced this month. “It has been an incredible honor to work with such a dedicated team on advancing conservative values across Montana,” Newcombe said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we Read More…
There were 1,152 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 414,854 in the last 365 days. The Unaffordable Care Act: Rate hikes are coming News Provided By The Office of the Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance August 11, 2025, 15:32 GMT Share This Article Montanans are about to face Read More…
Lee Enterprises, the Iowa-based newspaper chain that owns hundreds of publications in 25 states, including several in Montana, has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle a subscriber privacy lawsuit — even as it confronts fresh legal troubles from a February 2025 cyberattack that allegedly exposed the personal information of thousands of employees. Three new Read More…
Eastman Kodak Co. is facing heightened scrutiny after its latest 10-Q filing flagged a “going concern” risk tied to more than $470 million in term loan and preferred stock obligations due within the next 12 months. The disclosure, while required under accounting rules, signals that the company’s existing cash position is insufficient to cover upcoming Read More…