(The Center Square) – A student at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego was suspended after posting a pro-Immigration and Customs Enforcement flyer reading, “We [heart] ICE – Real Americans,” following an anti-ICE walkout on campus, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Student-led anti-ICE walkouts have continued to rise nationwide. In Read More…
Hi-Country Snack Foods, a nearly 50-year-old Montana jerky maker and one of the largest employers in the small mountain community of Lincoln, has paused production — a development that raises new concerns about the company’s future and the economic health of the town it has long anchored. The production halt comes less than a year Read More…
A lawsuit filed by the American Prairie, a liberal nonprofit,is setting up what state officials say could be a defining legal battle over the future of Montana’s public lands — and who gets to decide how they are used. American Prairie sued the Montana State Land Board and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Read More…
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at restoring what the White House described as order and stability to college athletics, directing federal agencies to use their oversight authority to enforce rules around player eligibility, transfers, and name, image and likeness compensation. The order instructs federal agencies to evaluate whether universities that violate Read More…
(The Center Square) – A student at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego was suspended after posting a pro-Immigration and Customs Enforcement flyer reading, “We [heart] ICE – Real Americans,” following an anti-ICE walkout on campus, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Student-led anti-ICE walkouts have continued to rise nationwide. In Read More…
More than 150 faculty members and guests attended Montana State University’s Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence Faculty Symposium on March 26, an event designed to explore the possibilities and pitfalls of AI for higher education and research. John Paxton, director of MSU’s Gianforte School of Computing, presents during an afternoon session of the IIAI Artificial Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released a draft programmatic environmental assessment covering the construction and operation of subsurface wastewater treatment systems and is accepting public comment through May 1, 2026. Subsurface wastewater treatment systems include a range of water treatment infrastructure, from conventional septic systems to advanced systems capable of meeting or exceeding Read More…
Hi-Country Snack Foods, a nearly 50-year-old Montana jerky maker and one of the largest employers in the small mountain community of Lincoln, has paused production — a development that raises new concerns about the company’s future and the economic health of the town it has long anchored. The production halt comes less than a year Read More…
A lawsuit filed by the American Prairie, a liberal nonprofit,is setting up what state officials say could be a defining legal battle over the future of Montana’s public lands — and who gets to decide how they are used. American Prairie sued the Montana State Land Board and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Read More…
(The Center Square) – The White House proposes a dramatic increase in defense spending in fiscal 2027 while significantly reducing spending in other departments, according to its budget submission released Friday. The request comes as U.S. lawmakers still haven’t finished funding all federal agencies for the current fiscal year and are currently locked in a Read More…
A former Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer has admitted to sexually abusing a teenage girl while on duty on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Murrell Deela, who was 29 at the time of the assault, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor, according to the U.S. Department of Read More…
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at restoring what the White House described as order and stability to college athletics, directing federal agencies to use their oversight authority to enforce rules around player eligibility, transfers, and name, image and likeness compensation. The order instructs federal agencies to evaluate whether universities that violate Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell demanding she reverse a policy that refuses to recognize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a criminal justice agency entitled to receive confidential criminal justice information, giving her until Monday, April 6, to comply or face state action. The dispute Read More…
More than 800 FFA members from 27 eastern South Dakota schools gathered in Huron recently for the annual Heartland Classic Career Development Event at the DEX, with NorthWestern Energy among the community partners supporting the day’s competitions and activities. Hosted by the Wolsey-Wessington FFA Chapter, the event gave students the chance to compete in a Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Thursday that fentanyl seizures in the state dropped sharply in 2025, falling 70 percent from the prior year and nearly 80 percent from the all-time high recorded in 2023 — though the decline in seized supply came alongside a troubling rise in fentanyl-linked deaths. Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Read More…
(The Center Square) – Advocates are calling for justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify federal laws regarding climate change lawsuits. The Maryland Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a lawsuit from Baltimore, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County seeking large damages from fossil fuel companies. The government entities claimed the companies misled the public in Read More…
The White House on Thursday pointed to new Census Bureau estimates showing a sharp slowdown in international migration across the country, casting the data as evidence that President Donald Trump’s border and immigration policies are having a major impact. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, every metropolitan area in the country recorded lower immigration rates Read More…
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte toured two Flathead Valley firearms manufacturers this week, promoting the state’s growing role as a hub for firearms and ammunition production and emphasizing support for Second Amendment-related businesses. During stops in Kalispell, Gianforte visited Invader Concepts and FALKOR Defense, two Montana-based companies producing firearm accessories and precision weapons systems, respectively. “Across Read More…
Authorities have identified human remains discovered earlier this month in a South Side Billings yard as those of a man who had been missing since 2021. Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Valerie Juhl confirmed the remains found March 19 at a residence on 4th Avenue South belong to Ronald Lander, a 56-year-old man who had been Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce has awarded $100,000 in Tribal Tourism Grant funding to two tribal governments to support tourism infrastructure improvements and economic development efforts. According to Commerce officials, the funding is part of the state’s Tribal Tourism Grant Program, which supports projects aimed at strengthening local tourism assets and expanding economic opportunities in Read More…
President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at prohibiting what the administration describes as discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices among federal contractors and subcontractors. The order requires federal contracts governed by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to include provisions banning contractors from engaging in racially discriminatory DEI activities. Read More…
The Financial Stability Oversight Council voted unanimously this week to release proposed interpretive guidance for public comment on how it designates nonbank financial companies as potential threats to U.S. financial stability. The proposal would restore several elements of the council’s 2019 framework while adding new provisions tied to economic growth, economic security, and transparency in Read More…
he White House has launched a new official mobile app aimed at giving Americans direct, real-time access to updates from President Donald Trump and his administration. According to the White House, the app is designed to provide users with breaking news alerts, live streams of speeches and briefings, a media library of videos and photos, Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced plans to include President Donald Trump’s signature on future U.S. paper currency, marking what officials say will be the first time a sitting president’s signature appears on American banknotes. The change is being made in recognition of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, also known as the Semiquincentennial, with Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce has opened applications for the state’s Legacy Investment for Technology, or LIFT, loan program, with submissions due April 23. State officials said the program continues to play a key role in helping North Dakota companies commercialize intellectual property and expand innovation-driven businesses across the state. “We are grateful to Read More…
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced new coordinated efforts to combat government fraud during a joint press conference Thursday in Sioux Falls. The two offices emphasized a shared commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring public funds reach intended recipients, and prosecuting individuals who defraud state, federal, or tribal programs. Read More…
A federal appeals court has overturned a $16.1 billion judgment against Argentina tied to the nationalization of energy company YPF, delivering a major legal victory for the South American country and its government. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Friday reversed a 2023 ruling that had ordered Argentina to compensate former Read More…
Golfer Tiger Woods was arrested Friday after a rollover crash near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, in what authorities said was his second DUI-related arrest and at least the fourth high-profile auto incident of his career. According to authorities, Woods showed signs of impairment after his Land Rover struck another vehicle and rolled over. Read More…
The Montana Historical Society is accepting nominations for the 37th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award, which recognizes an outstanding schoolteacher for excellence in teaching Montana history. This year’s award will honor a teacher in grades 7 through 12 who has demonstrated exceptional work teaching Montana history during the 2025-26 school year. Nominations must be submitted Read More…
The Department of War announced a refined strategy this week designed to help the agency achieve a clean audit opinion by fiscal year 2028, marking what officials described as a significant step in strengthening financial accountability and reporting. The updated approach was outlined in a joint memo from the Office of the Under Secretary of Read More…
State officials are inviting public input on a proposed overhaul of Montana’s workforce development strategy, aimed at better aligning education, job training, and industry needs across the state. The Montana State Workforce Innovation Board is seeking comment on proposed updates to the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) plan, part of a broader effort Read More…
Montana State University will host a daylong symposium on artificial intelligence Thursday, March 26, to explore how AI is used in higher education, with the goal of deepening understanding of the technology’s opportunities and challenges for research, the classroom and beyond. Hosted by MSU’s new Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence, the symposium is free and Read More…
She wrote “Perma Red,” one of the most acclaimed novels in the history of Montana. He helped grow Microsoft into a worldwide technology juggernaut. Now Debra Magpie Earling and Joe Whittinghill have both earned honorary doctorates from the University of Montana. They will receive the degrees during UM’s May 9 graduation ceremonies, when they also Read More…
Graphic novels. Artificial intelligence. The Silk Road trade network. At first glance, these topics have little in common. But all three can be better understood in the context of music, according to the recently published book “Integrating Music Across the Secondary Curriculum” by Kristin Harney, a music education professor in the College of Arts and Read More…
Montana Department of Corrections Director Eric Strauss announced Wednesday that Natalia Bowser has been selected as the agency’s new deputy director. Bowser joined the Department of Corrections in August 2025 as chief of innovation, where she oversaw project management, research and analytics, security technology, desistance initiatives, safety culture efforts and infrastructure improvements. Before joining the Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced that 17 economic development organizations across the state will share more than $700,000 through the ORE Economic Development Organization Capacity Building Grant Program. The funding is aimed at helping local and regional economic development groups expand their ability to serve rural businesses and communities. Grant dollars will be used Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 24-state coalition urging the Trump administration to investigate the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Science Foundation, and to cut off federal grant funding tied to a climate science chapter used in a judicial reference manual. In a letter sent this month to Read More…
First Interstate and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines are providing $700,000 in combined support to 34 nonprofit organizations across South Dakota, expanding funding for groups working on some of the state’s most pressing community needs. The total includes a $200,000 contribution from First Interstate, matched up to three times through FHLB Des Read More…
Montana’s Land Board approved a series of revenue-generating actions at its March meeting expected to produce more than $1.63 million for the state’s trust beneficiaries, including support for public education. The actions approved by the board included an estimated $1,093,308 from timber sales and $532,944 from an oil and gas lease sale. Combined, the measures Read More…
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has released its 2025 State of the Environment Report, highlighting the agency’s work over the past year in air monitoring, water management, land reclamation and regulatory compliance. According to the agency, the report focuses on DEQ’s core responsibilities across air, land, waste and water, while also pointing to ongoing Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce has launched a new grant program aimed at helping communities recruit out-of-state workers by bringing prospective job seekers to see career opportunities and quality of life in the state firsthand. The new Talent Pipeline Fly-In Grant Program will support up to 10 communities as they host fly-in events for Read More…
A coalition of Montana business organizations is asking the Montana Supreme Court to block a proposed ballot initiative that would restrict corporations and other entities from spending money in state elections. The lawsuit challenges Initiative 194, a measure backed by the Transparent Election Initiative as part of its broader “Montana Plan.” Supporters say the proposal Read More…
The Trump administration has announced a major restructuring of the federal student loan system, transferring management of defaulted student loans from the U.S. Department of Education to the Treasury Department in what supporters describe as a long-overdue effort to improve accountability, strengthen collections and reduce bureaucratic inefficiency. Under the new agreement unveiled Thursday, the Treasury Read More…