Mark Gordon has signed a finalized regulatory agreement between the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, expanding Wyoming’s authority over certain nuclear source materials tied to rare earth and critical mineral development. State officials said the agreement, formally executed April 30, marks a major milestone in Wyoming’s effort to become Read More…
The United States Navy on Saturday commissioned the USS Idaho (SSN-799) during a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, adding the 26th Virginia-class submarine to the fleet. The event marked the formal entry of the vessel into active service as the Navy continues expanding undersea capabilities amid growing strategic competition overseas. James Risch delivered Read More…
Daniel Perez Rojas, a former Mexican special forces soldier who rose to near the top of one of the country’s most violent cartels, faces up to life in prison A former high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges, the Justice Department announced, marking a significant victory in Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte joined leaders from BHE Montana in Great Falls to celebrate the opening of the company’s new office and to emphasize the need for affordable, reliable energy as demand continues to grow across the state. Gianforte said Montana must continue investing and innovating to meet increasing energy needs for homes, schools, businesses, and Read More…
Mark Gordon has signed a finalized regulatory agreement between the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, expanding Wyoming’s authority over certain nuclear source materials tied to rare earth and critical mineral development. State officials said the agreement, formally executed April 30, marks a major milestone in Wyoming’s effort to become Read More…
The United States Navy on Saturday commissioned the USS Idaho (SSN-799) during a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London, adding the 26th Virginia-class submarine to the fleet. The event marked the formal entry of the vessel into active service as the Navy continues expanding undersea capabilities amid growing strategic competition overseas. James Risch delivered Read More…
Daniel Perez Rojas, a former Mexican special forces soldier who rose to near the top of one of the country’s most violent cartels, faces up to life in prison A former high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking conspiracy charges, the Justice Department announced, marking a significant victory in Read More…
President Donald Trump has signed legislation reauthorizing two of the federal government’s flagship small-business research programs, clearing the way for a major Pentagon push to speed new technologies from startups and universities to the battlefield. The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act renews the Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Read More…
The term “K-shaped economy” arose after the COVID-19 pandemic to characterize the diverging economic paths of high-income Americans and everyone else. It became ubiquitous in 2025, one of the “biggest business buzzwords” of the year. Growing U.S. inequality in income and wealth is not a new phenomenon. But the recent K-shaped story is often told Read More…
The University of South Dakota has announced that Susan Tuve will deliver the commencement address at USD’s 139th Commencement Ceremonies. The ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Tuve has been recognized for her career achievements in trust and investment banking, contributions to her local community and Read More…
he Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Montana State University will offer a noncredit project management course in May, preparing participants to take a certification exam. Registration closes on Sunday, May 10. The course, titled “Project Management Essentials and Certified Associate in Project Management Exam Prep,” will take place from 9 a.m. to Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte joined leaders from BHE Montana in Great Falls to celebrate the opening of the company’s new office and to emphasize the need for affordable, reliable energy as demand continues to grow across the state. Gianforte said Montana must continue investing and innovating to meet increasing energy needs for homes, schools, businesses, and Read More…
Marty Jackley announced that the South Dakota State Open Meeting Commission will meet Monday, April 27, in Pierre. During the meeting, the commission is expected to announce findings of fact and conclusions of law for two complaints previously heard at its Nov. 3, 2025 meeting. Members will also take testimony on four additional pending complaints. Read More…
(The Center Square) – An alleged attempt by a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier to profit from classified military intelligence on a prediction market platform has resulted in the first-ever insider trading case involving event contracts – a legal milestone that comes at a critical juncture for Polymarket and the broader prediction market industry. Federal Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Friday she is closing the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, days after a key hearing for his replacement. Pirro said she is referring the matter to the Fed’s own inspector general, the same watchdog Powell had formally asked to Read More…
Montana residents living in South Korea and Korean residents living in Montana will soon have an easier path to obtaining local driver’s licenses after state officials signed a new reciprocity agreement this week. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who oversees the Montana Motor Vehicle Division, signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Police Agency Read More…
A regional anti-human trafficking conference wrapped up in Billings after bringing together law enforcement officers, prosecutors, educators and victim-service advocates from across the Rocky Mountain region for specialized training on combating trafficking and exploitation. The 2026 Greater Rockies Immersive Training Conference, known as GRIT, concluded Wednesday after a multi-day program focused on the unique challenges Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said Friday it plans to overhaul disclosure requirements for tax-exempt organizations, aiming to shed more light on how nonprofits receive and spend public money. Treasury announced that the Internal Revenue Service intends to revise Form 990, the annual information return filed by many nonprofits, to require clearer reporting on Read More…
Sixty-three new law enforcement officers graduated last week from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and will now begin service with 32 agencies across the state. The academy, which operates under the Montana Department of Justice, provides basic and advanced training for state, county, city and tribal law enforcement officers. The new graduates are expected to Read More…
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Washington next week for a four-day state visit, marking the first official state visit of Trump’s second term. The April 27-30 visit is expected to highlight the longstanding alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom as Read More…
The University of Montana will hold an on-campus listening session Wednesday, May 6, to gather public comment on the proposal to rename the Adams Center auxiliary gyms after Steve and Shirley Nelson. The proposed name of the facility will be the Steve and Shirley Nelson Training Center. “Steve and Shirley Nelson are amongst the strongest Read More…
(The Center Square) — The Trump administration is investigating claims that New York City schools violated the civil rights of Jewish students by hosting seminars on Palestinian resistance. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced Thursday that it has opened an investigation into the New York City Department of Education to determine Read More…
After a nationwide search, retired Vice Admiral Darse E. “Del” Crandall, Jr. has been appointed to the position of dean of the School of Law at the University of North Dakota. The appointment was made by Eric Link, UND provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Crandall is expected to begin his new role on Read More…
More than 8,000 kids showed up at the Pentagon today, with their parents in tow, to learn just exactly what their moms and dads do when they go to work every day. At the Pentagon, the event was billed as “Bring Your Child to Work Day,” and it’s the fourth time the War Department has Read More…
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Two and a half centuries after the first shots of the American revolution were fired, the Army Reserve continues to embody the spirit of those original minutemen. Like their predecessors, Citizen Soldiers stand ready to answer the nation’s call — not as a force in reserve, but as a critical, integrated Read More…
Montana State University’s student government, the Associated Students of MSU, held its general election this week to choose student leaders for the 2026-27 academic year. A total of 963 students cast ballots for a voter turnout of 6.34%. The results are as follows, with winners marked in bold type. President and vice president Benjamin Wilson Read More…
The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation is inviting employers, educators and workforce partners to a free virtual session next week aimed at promoting registered apprenticeship programs as a tool for addressing persistent talent pipeline challenges. The online event, part of a broader Apprenticeship Knowledge Series timed to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, is Read More…
Ten local safety agencies across Montana will share $500,000 in state grant funding to upgrade emergency equipment and vehicles, the Montana Department of Commerce announced Thursday. The awards come through the Montana Emergency Tourism Assistance Grant Program, known as METAP, which is designed to help rural public safety agencies — including law enforcement, fire and Read More…
As an avid skier, Maya Haugan was thrilled to join the women’s ski club at the University of Montana. The junior finance major from Bozeman found community with other female students who all enjoy downhill skiing across the region. On a ski trip last year, Haugan thought about how she could find similar female support Read More…
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recognized personnel assigned to National Guard counterdrug programs for their support to 10 award-winning law enforcement investigations during a ceremony in Washington, April 2. The investigations were part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a White House-led effort that brings together federal, state, local Read More…
A bail bondsman in Billings pleaded guilty in federal court to using his position to coerce a jailed woman into a sexual encounter in exchange for posting her bond, the latest in a series of legal troubles to roil the local bail-bonding industry. Louis Christopher Ikeda, 46, entered a guilty plea to one count of Read More…
Montana State University students, faculty, staff, and community members filled the Strand Union Building’s Procrastinator Theater on April 7 for a fireside-style conversation with Leonardo Marra, this year’s spring Orser Lecturer, whose career in global event planning has spanned the Vatican, international diplomacy and now MSU. Hosted by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce has awarded $916,939 to seven organizations under its Regional Workforce Impact Program, directing funds toward workforce pipeline challenges ranging from rural housing shortages to educator retention and the development of career pathways in emerging industries. The grants, distributed through a competitive application process, are designed to help regional partners Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has launched a consumer protection investigation into Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis N.V., alleging that both automakers have been collecting and selling drivers’ personal data to third-party companies — including insurance data brokers — without vehicle owners’ knowledge or consent. Mr. Knudsen issued Civil Investigative Demands to both companies, giving Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte made a stop at Billings’ Park High School this week, touring woodshops, auto bays and a greenhouse as part of a broader push to position career and technical education as a cornerstone of the state’s economic strategy. The visit underscored a governance philosophy Gianforte has pursued since taking office: that closing Montana’s Read More…
(The Center Square) – A new survey from the CQF Institute found 76% of finance professionals believe their academic training did not adequately prepare them for the artificial intelligence skills required in the workforce. The CQF Institute, a global quantitative finance membership organization based in London, reported 88% of quantitative finance professionals worldwide believe a Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Energy Task Force will hold its final public open house in Colstrip on April 15, wrapping up a three-city listening tour that has taken the group to Butte and Miles City in recent months. The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Business Innovation Center at 6200 Main Street. There Read More…
The Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees authorized roughly $6 million in facility upgrades, service contracts and legal expenses at its regular meeting this week, while also appointing a new principal for Prairie Wind Elementary School. The board moved through its agenda swiftly, approving all items within roughly 10 minutes following public comment Read More…
US. Senator Tim Sheehy was aboard a small plane that made an emergency landing in a rural Madison County field Friday after suffering a mechanical engine failure, according to his office. Neither of the two people on board was injured. The plane came down near Ennis, Mont., during what Mr. Sheehy’s chief of staff described Read More…
(The Center Square) – At a speed astronauts haven’t experienced since Apollo, Artemis II re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down near San Diego Friday evening, concluding a historic mission that took humans farther than ever. There were cheers everywhere, from the amphibious dock ship USS John P. Murtha, ready to pick up the astronauts and Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has awarded the Montana Highway Patrol’s highest honor to two troopers who tracked down a wanted Nebraska fugitive near Big Timber last year and shot and killed him after he opened fire on them. MHP Sergeant Barry Kilpela and Trooper Justin Knapp each received the Award of Valor at a Read More…
he University of Montana’s signature artificial intelligence initiative, the Future Project, landed a prestigious 2026 CIO 100 Award, recognizing excellence in enterprise-scale technology leadership and innovation. “This recognition underscores the University of Montana’s thoughtful and forward-looking approach to AI,” said Zach Rossmiller, UM’s chief information officer. “The Future Project is about more than adopting new Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed two amicus briefs leading coalitions of state attorneys general in defense of American firearms manufacturers facing lawsuits in New York that seek to hold the companies liable for gun crimes committed in the state. Knudsen argues both cases circumvent federal protections established under the Protection of Lawful Commerce Read More…
A former Colstrip High School teacher was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison — with 15 years suspended — for sexually abusing a 15-year-old student, a case that unfolded largely on school grounds and through social media. William Schuman-Kline, 30, of Billings, was sentenced in Rosebud County District Court in Forsyth by Judge Rennie Read More…