Legislation meant to protect American teens and children online recently passed the U.S. House with strong bipartisan support, but civil liberties groups are warning that the bill could have unintended consequences. The Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, which passed the House in a bipartisan 267-117 vote, is a compilation of bills that, among Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released an analysis of the first filing season under the Working Families Tax Cuts, the sweeping tax legislation President Trump signed into law one year ago, showing American families and workers claimed more than $82 billion in individual tax relief through the April filing deadline. According to Treasury’s analysis, Read More…
A Gallatin County man accused of strangling his now-deceased wife has been offered a plea deal that would result in no prison time, drawing public outrage and calls for the Montana attorney general to intervene — the latest controversy for a county attorney’s office already embroiled in a lawsuit over its refusal to cooperate with Read More…
Two hundred and fifty years after 56 delegates affixed their signatures to the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, the United States is marking its semiquincentennial — one of the rarest milestones a nation can reach — with a yearlong wave of celebrations, commemorations and reflection stretching from coast to coast. July 4, 2026 is the Read More…
The Montana Supreme Court has rejected a recommendation that Attorney General Austin Knudsen be temporarily suspended from office, ruling that the misconduct proceedings against him violated his due process rights. In a 149-page decision issued Wednesday, the court concluded a five-year legal dispute rooted in a broader separation-of-powers conflict between Montana’s legislative and judicial branches. Read More…
The state of Montana has revoked the medical license of Dr. Thomas Weiner, the former director of St. Peter’s Health Cancer Treatment Center, following findings that he harmed patients through unnecessary treatments and violated professional standards of care. The Adjudication Panel of the Montana Board of Medical Examiners voted unanimously last week to revoke Weiner’s Read More…
The Montana Lottery on Friday announced the winning numbers for this year’s Montana Millionaire game, which awarded five $1 million prizes. The winning ticket numbers are: #1: 200837 #2: 315500 #3: 387095 #4: 582688 #5: 589431 Players holding winning tickets are encouraged to begin the claims process by visiting the Montana Lottery’s website at montanalottery.com/claim-your-prize. Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte has appointed Eric Strauss as director of the Montana Department of Corrections, with Strauss set to assume the role on Jan. 6. The appointment follows the announcement in October that current DOC Director Brian Gootkin was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to serve as U.S. marshal for the District of Montana. Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte on donated a quarter of his annual salary to the Mountain Shadow Association in Lodge Grass, marking the twelfth and final day of his fifth annual 12 Days of Giving campaign. The donation supports the nonprofit’s work strengthening families, restoring parent-child relationships, and advancing community-led healing and addiction recovery efforts in Lodge Read More…
Prosecutors in the Montana Attorney General’s Office filed official misconduct charges against state Sen. Jason Ellsworth, alleging he acted outside the scope of his lawful authority as a public servant and improperly handled a state contract. Prosecutors also asked the court to suspend Ellsworth from office pending final judgment. The charges stem from a Montana Read More…
U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy is leading a bipartisan effort in the Senate to expand free access to national parks and federal recreation lands for law enforcement officers and firefighters, including wildland firefighters. Sheehy, a Montana Republican, joined Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., in introducing the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act, legislation that Read More…
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation has uncovered massive fraud and systemic weaknesses in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, including fake identities receiving subsidies, misuse of Social Security numbers, billions in unreconciled payments, and insurers collecting tax credits for deceased individuals. The report validates longstanding Republican concerns that the ACA subsidy system lacks Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has called on the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) to deny membership to Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones, citing a series of “abhorrent” text messages Jones sent in 2022 that expressed violent fantasies toward his political opponent and the opponent’s children. The texts Read More…
More than 32,000 Montana businesses will see a reduction in unemployment insurance (UI) tax rates in 2026, resulting in over $23 million in savings, the Montana Department of Labor & Industry announced. “By reforming our tax code and cutting back the thicket of red tape tying up job creators, we’re helping Montana businesses grow and Read More…
The U.S. trade deficit has narrowed to its smallest level since mid-2020, falling more than 35% compared with last year, underscoring the impact of President Donald J. Trump’s America First trade agenda. U.S. exports are up 6% over last year, reaching their second-highest value on record, while inflation-adjusted exports of consumer goods hit an all-time Read More…
The Israeli military announced that it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed in a strike on a car in Gaza City. Saed was reportedly one of the key planners behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The strike, which Gaza medics said killed five people, marks the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure Read More…
North Dakotans can now review updated school accountability reports and the first results from the state’s new ND A+ summative assessment, State School Superintendent Levi Bachmeier announced Friday. The information—published on the state’s Insights education portal—comes as part of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires states to release annual accountability reports for every Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced that six organizations will share more than $8 million in federal funding through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The grants support the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing while bolstering the state’s economy with good-paying jobs. Read More…
The Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is warning residents about scammers operating fraudulent county jail websites that target families of inmates in an effort to steal personal and financial information. OCP has received reports of a fake website, musselshellcountyjail.org, which impersonates the official Musselshell County Detention Center. The site falsely offers Read More…
Lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security are pressing Google and Apple to remove mobile applications that allow users to track federal immigration officers, citing concerns that such apps endanger Department of Homeland Security personnel. In letters sent Friday to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook, committee leaders highlighted ICEBlock, an Read More…
Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has entered into a series of commercial AI agreements with prominent news publishers, including USA Today, People Inc., CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, and Le Monde, the company announced Friday. The partnerships will allow Meta to provide “real-time” news and updates through its AI Read More…
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) has introduced the Written Informed Consent Act, a measure designed to ensure veterans are fully informed about the intended effects and potential risks of certain high-risk medications prescribed through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also aims to combat widespread overprescription within the VA system. “America’s veterans put their Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines on announced that his bipartisan “BABES Enhancement Act” has been signed into law by President Donald Trump, marking a significant win for parents traveling with breast milk, formula, and other infant nutrition products. “I’m thrilled to see our bipartisan BABES Enhancement Act officially signed into law by President Trump,” Daines said. Read More…
President Donald J. Trump announced a major rollback of the Biden Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, calling the move a relief for American families facing rising costs. The reset lowers fuel economy requirements for passenger cars and trucks to levels achievable with conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles. The Biden-era standards, Trump argued, set Read More…
The FBI hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to officially open its 56th field office in Billings, Montana. The new FBI Billings Field Office will assume responsibility for all existing FBI resident agencies across the state and be led by Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Justin Gerken. SAC Gerken welcomed Governor Greg Gianforte, U.S. Attorney for Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide the legality of former President Donald Trump’s directive aimed at restricting birthright citizenship, a key and controversial part of his immigration agenda. The high court will consider an appeal from the Justice Department following a lower court’s ruling that blocked Trump’s executive order. The order instructed Read More…
Gov. Kelly Armstrong today informed legislative leaders that he has tentatively set Jan. 21 for a special session of the 69th Legislative Assembly to act on anticipated federal funding for North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program. North Dakota submitted its funding application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Nov. 3. The Read More…
The Center Square) – Assaults against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up 1,153% in 11 months, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As ICE officers continue to arrest the most violent criminals nationwide, U.S. citizens have increasingly obstructed their efforts, including physically attacking them and threatening to kill them, according to Read More…
Montana attorney Katie Verderber has been selected to represent Team USA in Wheelchair Mixed Curling at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The announcement was made Monday, Nov. 24, by USA Curling, the national governing body for Olympic and Paralympic curling in the United States. Verderber will join teammates Matthew Thums of Read More…
Russia’s state communications watchdog warned Friday that it may impose a full nationwide ban on WhatsApp if the platform fails to comply with Russian data and security laws, according to multiple Russian news agencies. The regulator, Roskomnadzor, issued the threat amid escalating tensions between Moscow and foreign-owned tech platforms. In August, Russian authorities began restricting Read More…
Sixty-four new officers who will serve in 41 agencies across Montana graduated Friday from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA), part of the Montana Department of Justice. The academy provides both basic and advanced training for state, county, city, and tribal law enforcement officers. Attorney General Austin Knudsen attended the ceremony to congratulate and address Read More…
The Montana Historical Society (MTHS) announced today that its $60 million fundraising campaign for the Montana Heritage Center has been successfully completed, thanks to a final $165,000 gift from the Oakland Family Foundation of Great Falls. The state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to open to the public on December 3 with free admission. After MTHS reported Read More…
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump said Thursday he will pause migration from some countries following the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House. The suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under a Biden-era immigration program for Afghans fleeing the Taliban movement. Read More…
Starbucks’ workers’ union significantly widened its ongoing strike on Black Friday, extending the walkout to more than 120 stores nationwide—nearly double the number that began the action earlier this month—amid demands for better pay and improved staffing levels. The strike, which the union says is now the longest in Starbucks’ history, began on Nov. 13 Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte are inviting Montanans to the 2025 State Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Monday, December 1. “We’re excited to welcome Montanans back to the Capitol to kick off the Christmas season,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Susan and I hope families from across the state will join us, enjoy Read More…
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Eric Hastings, a Montana State University alumnus and founder of a national organization that serves traumatically injured servicemen and women, will receive an honorary doctorate degree from MSU during the university’s fall commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 12, at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Today, the Montana Board of Regents approved Read More…
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that only 776 air traffic controllers and technicians will receive $10,000 bonuses for maintaining perfect attendance during the recent government shutdown — leaving nearly 20,000 other employees without the incentive despite having worked through the same period of financial strain. The month-long shutdown pushed thousands of FAA personnel into Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen honored two Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers Thursday for exceptional acts of bravery and service. Trooper Jourdon Gulick received the MHP’s highest honor, the Award of Valor, for his courageous actions during a fiery vehicle rollover in 2024. Trooper Nick Wade earned the Attorney General’s Award of Commendation for going Read More…
In a 5–2 decision, the Montana Supreme Court has approved the ballot statement for Constitutional Initiative 132 (CI-132), paving the way for signature gathering to begin on a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections. The ruling allows supporters to begin petition drives immediately, with the goal of putting the measure before voters Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that found Texas’ 2026 congressional redistricting plan—supported by former President Donald Trump—likely discriminates on the basis of race. The emergency order, signed by Justice Samuel Alito, will remain in effect for the next few days as the court considers whether the new map, Read More…
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a major legal victory Monday after a federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed by The Satanic Temple challenging the state’s pro-life laws. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ruled that the group’s constitutional claims were legally flawed and could not be remedied through amendment, dismissing the case with prejudice. Read More…
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has been elected Chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), placing him at the forefront of the GOP’s national effort to expand its roster of governors ahead of the 2026 election cycle. The announcement came during the RGA’s 2025 Annual Conference, where Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was selected as Vice Chair Read More…
Some Montana homeowners are expecting to see a reduction in property taxes after the state enacted sweeping tax reforms this year, but the changes have created unintended consequences for renters. The recent legislative session aimed to ease the burden on homeowners, who in recent years have seen property taxes surge. In 2023 alone, the median Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte on Monday announced the 58 Montanans selected to receive the 2025 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation, an annual honor recognizing veterans who have demonstrated exceptional service to both their country and their communities. “Our veterans answered the call to serve our nation and continue to answer the call to serve their communities,” Gov. Read More…