Featured Articles in News

U.S. colleges report $5.2B in foreign funds for 2025

(The Center Square) – American colleges and universities have received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The department released data compiled from foreign funding disclosures submitted by American colleges and universities, documenting over 8,300 transactions worth more than $5.2 billion in reportable foreign Read More…

All in: News

Pentagon Consolidates Arms-Transfer Agencies Under Acquisition Chief

The Department of War said Thursday it is restructuring two key arms-transfer and technology-security offices, consolidating them under the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment in a move aimed at accelerating foreign military sales and strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base. The reorganization places the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and the Defense Technology Read More…

U.S. colleges report $5.2B in foreign funds for 2025

(The Center Square) – American colleges and universities have received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. The department released data compiled from foreign funding disclosures submitted by American colleges and universities, documenting over 8,300 transactions worth more than $5.2 billion in reportable foreign Read More…

Property Owners Sue Montana Revenue Department Over Assessments

More than 200 Montana property owners have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit challenging how the Montana Department of Revenue assessed property values in the latest appraisal cycle, alleging the agency relied on sales data outside the statutory valuation window and inflated taxable values. The suit, brought by the Silverman Law Office, centers on residential properties Read More…

White House Touts Cooling Inflation, Rising Real Wages in New CPI Report

The Trump administration on Wednesday pointed to a stronger-than-expected consumer inflation report as evidence that price pressures are easing and real wages are rising, arguing that the economy has rebounded from what officials describe as the prior administration’s inflation surge. In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai said the latest Consumer Price Read More…

Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Finance Network, Gold Exchange and Shipping Firms

The U.S. Department of the Treasury moved Thursday to disrupt what officials described as two key financial pipelines sustaining Hezbollah, targeting a Lebanon-based gold exchange and an international procurement and shipping network tied to the Iran-backed group. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Jood SARL, a Lebanese gold exchange company it said operates Read More…

Leading Researcher Named First UM Endowed Chair in Fisheries Science

The University of Montana recently named Yoichiro Kanno, one of the nation’s leading fisheries scientists, as the newest endowed chair in its top-ranked Wildlife Biology Program. Beginning in January 2026, Kanno joined the University as the inaugural Siebel-Lewis Endowed Chair in Fisheries Science. His arrival strengthens UM as a national leader in aquatic research, education and conservation at a Read More…

Gianforte, Knudsen Open Investigation Into Helena Immigration Resolution

Greg Gianforte and Austin Knudsen announced Thursday that the state will investigate whether recent actions by the Helena City Commission violate Montana’s ban on sanctuary city policies. The announcement follows a vote by the Helena City Commission approving a resolution that prevents local law enforcement officers from assisting with certain federal immigration enforcement operations. “In Read More…

Stockman Bank Donates $15,000 to Support Student Field Trips to Heritage Center

The Montana Historical Society received a $15,000 donation from Stockman Bank during the grand opening of the bank’s newest Helena branch on Feb. 12. The gift will support the Montana History and Civics Education Endowment, which provides grants to schools across the state for educational field trips to the Montana Heritage Center and the Montana Read More…

Fed Officials Signal Patience on Rate Cuts

Officials at the Federal Reserve this week reinforced a cautious, data-dependent stance on interest rates, tempering investor expectations for rapid easing despite cooling inflation. In public remarks following the latest Consumer Price Index report, policymakers indicated they are encouraged by moderating price pressures but want clearer evidence that inflation is sustainably returning to the Fed’s Read More…

Daines Says Tariff on Russian Palladium Safeguards Montana Mining

Steve Daines praised the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 132.83% anti-dumping duty on Russian palladium imports, calling the move a critical step to protect Montana mining jobs and counter what he described as market manipulation by Moscow. The Commerce Department’s duty, enforceable upon publication in the Federal Register, is aimed at offsetting what U.S. Read More…

NASA awards grant to Montana State for quantum space communications

A new $750,000 EPSCoR grant from NASA will help researchers at Montana State University work to limit the impact of atmospheric turbulence in quantum laser communications links between ground stations and space terminals. The project, titled “Programmable Photonics for Quantum Space Networks,” is funded through September 2028. The project builds on optical communications technologies developed Read More…

Montana State nursing college receives $2.5 million for scholarships, student success efforts

The Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University is set to nearly double its financial support for students after receiving a large grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF. The $2.5 million gift will go toward scholarships for students from Montana and student success efforts. The college and MSU Alumni Foundation expect the money to directly fund upward of 380 scholarships over five years starting this fall semester. The Bedford Falls Foundation seeks to remove financial Read More…

Los Angeles police chief declines to enforce ICE mask ban

(The Center Square) – California has a new law that prohibits law enforcement from wearing masks, but don’t expect it to be enforced in Los Angeles. At least not when it comes to federal immigration officers. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said enforcement of Senate Bill 627 would endanger officer safety. McDonnell, who decided Read More…

War Department Cuts Ties With Harvard University

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today announced the War Department would sever its academic ties with Harvard University, because attendance at the school no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services.     “For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university Read More…

Governor Gianforte announces members of Licensing Reform Task Force

Governor Greg Gianforte announced the membership of the Licensing Reform Task Force, fulfilling his commitment to streamline state government and make it easier for Montanans to enter the workforce. Established by executive order in January, the task force is charged with identifying and recommending the elimination of unnecessary or redundant professional and occupational licensing requirements, Read More…

Corey Mock Appointed to NASCIO Executive Committee

Corey Mock, Chief Information Officer for the State of North Dakota, has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Mock will serve as an Executive Committee Director, completing the unexpired term of Laura Clark, former CIO for the State of Michigan. The term runs through 2026, Read More…

Department of War Launches LYNX Platform to Expand Business Participation in Defense Markets

The Department of War (DoW) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) today announced the launch of LYNX, a new digital platform designed to help businesses enter, navigate, and compete more effectively in defense markets by improving supplier readiness and visibility across the defense industrial base. Registration for the platform is now open at https://www.lynxconnect.io. Businesses Read More…

Treasury Convenes Financial Literacy Commission Meeting on Implementation of Trump Accounts

The U.S. Department of the Treasury this week convened a public meeting of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) focused on implementation and outreach for Trump Accounts, a new initiative aimed at expanding financial literacy and long-term wealth building for American children. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent chaired the meeting and delivered Read More…

President Trump Launches TrumpRx.gov

President Donald J. Trump officially launched TrumpRx.gov, a new federal platform designed to provide Americans with direct access to dramatically lower prices on dozens of high-cost, brand-name prescription drugs. The platform is built on landmark Most-Favored-Nation pricing agreements negotiated with leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, aligning U.S. drug prices with the lowest paid in other developed nations. Read More…

DEQ, Montana Resources finalize consent order on August water incident in Butte

he Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced Friday, Feb. 6, that it has signed an administrative consent order with Montana Resources (MR) to resolve a water backflow incident that occurred in Butte last summer. The agreement concludes DEQ’s enforcement investigation into the event. The consent order details actions Montana Resources has taken since the Read More…

Sheehy secures $32 million for Montana in latest federal funding package

Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Wyo.) announced that Montana will receive $32 million in the latest federal funding package, signed into law by President Trump. The funds are earmarked for critical infrastructure projects, health care initiatives, and community development across the state. “I’m proud to deliver on these commonsense investments to upgrade critical infrastructure, increase access to Read More…

Wyoming Guard graduates Soldiers from 13R Advanced Leader Course at 213th RTI

The Wyoming Army National Guard graduated Soldiers from the Field Artillery Weapons Locating Radar 13R Advanced Leader Course during a ceremony Jan. 30, 2026, at the 213th Regional Training Institute. Conducted Jan. 6–30, the course prepared noncommissioned officers to serve as weapons locating radar section chiefs, combining advanced technical training with leadership development focused on Read More…

Commissioner Brown announces preliminary hows slight decline in Marketplace enrollment

Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown announced that preliminary federal data indicates a slight decline in enrollment in Montana’s Health Insurance Marketplace for the 2026 coverage year. According to the early figures released by federal officials, overall Marketplace participation dipped modestly compared to the prior enrollment period. Brown emphasized that Read More…

Space Forces Southern Officially Activated During Ceremony in Arizona

The Space Force and U.S. Southern Command officially marked the activation of U.S. Space Forces Southern during a ceremony yesterday at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, formalizing the command’s role in integrating space capabilities across the Western Hemisphere. Although the command became operationally effective Dec. 1, 2025, the ceremony formally recognized the activation with the Read More…