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…
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…
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore Voice of America after the government-funded broadcaster was largely shut down over the past year, setting up a fresh legal clash over the future of one of the nation’s best-known international media outlets. The administration filed notice Thursday that it will appeal the ruling. U.S. Read More…
A federal jury in San Francisco found Elon Musk liable for misleading Twitter investors during his 2022 bid to buy the company, concluding that some of his public statements improperly affected the stock price while the $44 billion takeover was still in dispute. Jurors, however, rejected broader allegations that Musk carried out a larger scheme Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte visited Dahlman Farms during Montana Agriculture Week to highlight the importance of international trade to the state’s farmers and ranchers and to underscore the role export markets play in supporting Montana’s top industry. The visit put a spotlight on the Dahlman family’s long history in Montana agriculture and on the broader significance Read More…
The Center Square) – Federal agents continue to arrest Guatemalans involved in human smuggling and trafficking operations, including of children, who are also involved in violating federal labor laws. The latest arrest was of Guatemalan national Brayan Adiel Gramajo Reyes, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello, Idaho, on multiple smuggling and labor Read More…
(The Center Square) – Veterans die by suicide at roughly twice the civilian rate, despite the Department of Veterans Affairs spending more than $500 million a year to address the problem. In 2023, the rate of suicide for veterans was 35.2 per 100,000, up from 34.7 per 100,000 in 2022, according to the most recent Read More…
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — Across the freezing subarctic region, Green Berets immersed themselves in some of the most physically and mentally taxing cold weather training for the Joint Pacific Multinational Training Center 26-02 rotation across multiple training areas in central and southern Alaska. Green Berets and enablers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Mirabelli v. Olson deciding against California’s law that allowed for gender transitions of school children without parental knowledge has met with commendation from advocacy groups and law firms, with a legal counsel calling the decision one of the “biggest parental rights wins” in a generation. Chief Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz announced two priority forest landscapes in Montana that will serve as the first major project areas under the state’s new Shared Stewardship Agreement, a long-term partnership aimed at reducing wildfire risk, improving forest health, and supporting Montana’s timber industry. The announcement came during a press Read More…
A Big Horn County woman has received a 10-year deferred imposition of sentence and was ordered to pay more than $101,000 in restitution after being convicted of financially exploiting her elderly mother and stepfather, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced. The case marks the first conviction investigated and prosecuted by the Montana Department of Justice’s Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown is marking National Consumer Protection Week by highlighting major enforcement actions that protected Montana families over the past year while warning residents about the growing sophistication of financial scams. Brown said protecting consumers from fraud and abuse remains the top priority for his office, Read More…
The White House has unveiled “President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America,” a new framework outlining the administration’s approach to maintaining U.S. dominance in cyberspace and strengthening the nation’s defenses against growing digital threats. Administration officials say the strategy is designed to ensure that the United States remains unrivaled in cyber capabilities, while improving coordination between Read More…
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth convened defense and security leaders from 17 countries across the Western Hemisphere this week for the Americas Counter-Cartel Conference, a regional gathering focused on strengthening cooperation against transnational criminal organizations. The conference brought together defense ministers, senior government officials, and security leaders from across the Americas to discuss coordinated strategies Read More…
Applications are open for Montana State University’s $100,000 Venture Competition, which is hosted annually by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU Launchpad. The competition provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present their business ventures, receive feedback and compete for startup funding. Those interested in competing must submit an online application by Sunday, March 29. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, Read More…
The Center Square) – Nearly a year after a nine-person jury found Greenpeace liable for $667 million in damages in a case related to the Dakota Access Pipeline, a North Dakota judge has said the environmental organization will soon be ordered to make good on the damages. In court papers filed Tuesday, Judge James Gion Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced a landmark settlement agreement with The Vanguard Group, Inc. this week, resolving allegations that the asset manager conspired to artificially constrict the coal market through anticompetitive trade practices. The settlement stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed by Knudsen against Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. The suit alleged the firms Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines visited the Sibanye-Stillwater Columbus metallurgical complex last week, meeting with miners and touring operations as he praised recent federal trade action aimed at protecting Montana’s palladium industry. Daines credited Donald Trump for imposing a preliminary 132% tariff on Russian palladium imports, describing the move as a critical step toward leveling the Read More…
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday signed an executive order barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating on city-owned property and directing local police to protect peaceful protesters during federal immigration enforcement actions. The order prohibits ICE agents from staging or conducting operations in city buildings, parks, shelters, parking facilities, libraries, and other municipal Read More…
Former President Bill Clinton told lawmakers Friday that he “saw nothing that gave me pause” during the time he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, offering closed-door testimony to congressional investigators examining his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender. Clinton appeared before members of the House Oversight Committee as part of an ongoing inquiry Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Gang of Eight was briefed ahead of the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson. In a social media post Saturday morning, the Louisiana Republican said the eight members of Congress were briefed in detail earlier in the week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Revenue announced an extension for property owners applying for the Homestead and Long-Term Rental Reduced Property Tax Rates, moving the deadline to March 20, 2026. The extension comes in response to intermittent technical issues with the department’s online application portal, which officials said were caused by a Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Central Command has confirmed that despite missile and drone attacks on bases in the Middle East, there are no reports of casualties or “combat-related injuries,” and damage to American installations has been “minimal.” CENTCOM added that damage done to U.S. military installations “has not impacted operations.” Multiple videos have circulated Read More…
The process of writing Army doctrine, traditionally measured in years, is getting a 21st-century upgrade. Thanks to digital tools, some enabled by artificial intelligence, authors at the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate are examining processes and gaining efficiencies without sacrificing their high standards for quality and precision. “We have had people ask us about using AI Read More…
Spring 2026 enrollment numbers are in, and for the fifth consecutive year, the University of Montana reported more students than the previous year. “The consecutive years of growth at UM are a testament to the aggressive steps we have taken to ensure our campus experience is robust and vibrant,” said Leslie Webb, UM vice Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 1 over whether to uphold birthright citizenship in the United States. Trump v. Barbara challenges President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order that denies birthright citizenship to children in the U.S. born after Feb. 19, 2025, whose parents are either illegally Read More…
For the individuals who serve in the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard, every day is a test of composure, discipline and adaptability — essential skills they demonstrate alongside wild palominos that were specifically domesticated for the job. These Marines are unique in that they’re the last mounted color guard remaining in the military. “The unit Read More…
(The Center Square) – Following the victory of removing a climate chapter from the Federal Judicial Center’s manual, 21 state attorney generals are urging the National Academy of Sciences to remove a climate science section from the academies’ manual, expressing their concern over tax money promoting various partisan ideology in the organization. Montana Attorney General Read More…
(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated most of the tariffs underpinning his economic agenda. Hours after the Supreme Court reined in Trump’s use of a 1977 law to impose tariffs on imports from around the world, the president said he Read More…
(The Center Square) – Consumer prices rose by 0.2% overall in January, according to recent data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the inflation rose to 2.4% annually in January, a significant cooldown from previous months. In December and November, inflation rates rose 2.7%, respectively. Those rates were still lower from the Read More…