GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The University of North Dakota will host retired Air Force Col. Patrick “Mike” Shortsleeve, a national security and intelligence expert now working in the defense industry, for a campus presentation Nov. 5. Shortsleeve, vice president of strategic development at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., will speak at 2:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Read More…
The year 2026 has been an expensive one for social media platforms. Since March, YouTube and Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, have settled or paid out in multiple lawsuits to the tune of more than US$17 billion for allegedly acting negligently, deliberately designing their platforms to hook kids and misleading the public Read More…
(The Center Square) – The NCAA on Friday sued Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in federal court after the governor issued an executive order earlier this week giving Ohio colleges and universities the option to expand the eligibility options for some student-athletes. “In June, the NCAA adopted a new eligibility model, giving all otherwise eligible student-athletes Read More…
WASHINGTON—American families saw modest gains in income and wealth between 2022 and 2025, but a growing share struggled to keep up with debt payments, according to a new Federal Reserve report examining the financial condition of U.S. households. The Federal Reserve Board released its 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances on Friday, providing a detailed look Read More…
(BPT) – Key takeaways: Buying and traditional leasing have long been the two main ways to have an everyday car, but both typically require longer-term financial commitments. More flexible car options are emerging for people who don’t want to commit to the same vehicle for years. Flexcar offers an alternative to buying and leasing, allowing Read More…
(BPT) – Key takeaways Today’s tech-dependent lifestyles, extreme weather events and aging power grids all mean one thing: Backup power is essential. Solar generators provide a noise-free, fume-free battery backup option for power outages. The HomePower Series from Jackery offers a range of power solutions to fit every home, every family and every budget. And Read More…
KALISPELL, Mont.—The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees has unanimously approved an employment agreement with Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan, who will become the college’s next president on Jan. 1, 2027. Stephan will succeed longtime President Jane Karas, who has led the college for more than two decades. The board’s approval follows Stephan’s appointment on Read More…
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The University of North Dakota will host retired Air Force Col. Patrick “Mike” Shortsleeve, a national security and intelligence expert now working in the defense industry, for a campus presentation Nov. 5. Shortsleeve, vice president of strategic development at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., will speak at 2:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Read More…
WASHINGTON—A Mexican national was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in an international human smuggling operation that brought hundreds of undocumented immigrants into the United States through the Canadian border, the Justice Department announced. Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 27, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling Read More…
The year 2026 has been an expensive one for social media platforms. Since March, YouTube and Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, have settled or paid out in multiple lawsuits to the tune of more than US$17 billion for allegedly acting negligently, deliberately designing their platforms to hook kids and misleading the public Read More…
Pankaj Agrrawal, University of Maine Monthly checks for the nearly 76 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits will rise by 3.6% in 2027. The increase, announced on Oct. 14, 2026, is the largest since the one that took effect in 2023. This cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is how the government tries to make sure Read More…
(The Center Square) – The NCAA on Friday sued Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in federal court after the governor issued an executive order earlier this week giving Ohio colleges and universities the option to expand the eligibility options for some student-athletes. “In June, the NCAA adopted a new eligibility model, giving all otherwise eligible student-athletes Read More…
WASHINGTON—American families saw modest gains in income and wealth between 2022 and 2025, but a growing share struggled to keep up with debt payments, according to a new Federal Reserve report examining the financial condition of U.S. households. The Federal Reserve Board released its 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances on Friday, providing a detailed look Read More…
Troy Aikman, ESPN’s longtime Monday Night Football analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback, says he is preparing to become a free agent after this season, raising questions about his future with the network and his 25-year broadcasting partnership with Joe Buck. Aikman, 59, is entering the final months of a five-year ESPN contract worth approximately Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont.—Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito is resigning from his position to become interim U.S. attorney for the District of Montana, ending 16 years as the county’s top prosecutor. Twito’s final day as county attorney will be Sunday, Oct. 25, and he will assume his new federal position Monday, Oct. 26, according to his resignation Read More…
HELENA, Mont.—Gov. Greg Gianforte has joined 21 other governors in signing Vice President JD Vance’s Pledge to Protect Americans from Fraud, an initiative aimed at reducing fraud and improper payments in taxpayer-funded government programs. The pledge calls for stronger oversight of public assistance programs, improved fraud prevention measures and increased accountability for individuals who improperly Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont.—The University of Montana College of Business ranks among the top 15% of public undergraduate business programs nationwide, according to the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings. The college tied for No. 89 among undergraduate business programs at public universities and No. 149 among all public and private institutions. The ranking Read More…
HELENA, Mont.—Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of misleading consumers about the safety of ChatGPT and exposing children and teenagers to harmful advice and inadequate privacy protections. The lawsuit, filed Oct. 14 in Lewis and Clark County District Court, alleges OpenAI violated the Montana Consumer Read More…
Americans are crazy about sports. But whether that passion requires taxpayers to subsidize new facilities every time leagues and franchises ask for them needs rigorous scrutiny. A lot of money is at stake. For 2025, the NFL reported some US$14.5 billion in revenue, while the MLB collected an estimated $12.2 billion and the NBA earned Read More…
MISSOULA – The Montana Grizzlies traded blows with the Idaho Vandals throughout the afternoon but came up short in a 42-35 loss at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. Despite five touchdown passes from quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat, the Griz were unable to complete the comeback as Idaho scored touchdowns on six of its nine possessions to Read More…
BOZEMAN, Mont.—Erwin Chemerinsky, a nationally recognized constitutional law scholar and expert on free speech, will deliver a public lecture at Montana State University on Thursday, Oct. 22, examining First Amendment rights and the challenges facing American universities. The lecture, titled “The First Amendment and the Modern University: A Conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky,” will begin at Read More…
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Treasury Department is stepping up scrutiny of religious charity networks that it says the Iranian government uses to divert donations, enrich regime officials and finance terrorist organizations. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, issued an alert under Operation Economic Outcast urging financial institutions to identify and report suspicious transactions Read More…
HELENA—Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined two multistate coalitions pressing federal officials on separate national-security and terrorism-related issues, including scrutiny of TP-Link’s ties to China and access to frozen Taliban funds for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. In one effort, Knudsen joined 20 other state attorneys general in asking the Federal Communications Commission Read More…
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Soldiers with the 30th Medical Brigade are rethinking how surgical care moves on the battlefield, using a prototype M1087 expandable van to turn a traditionally static medical setup into a faster, more mobile and more survivable surgical platform for large-scale combat operations. The prototype gives the 67th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment a Read More…
Before enrolling at Missoula College this fall, Kaycee Eubanks already earned a healthcare degree from the University of Montana. Eubanks, who graduated from Corvallis High School in the Bitterroot Valley this past spring, took dual enrollment classes to complete UM’s Rural Healthcare Career Pathways Program. She is one of six Corvallis students to complete the Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D.—North Dakota has joined 33 other state financial regulators in a $2.5 million settlement with Seattle-based cryptocurrency kiosk operator Coinme over alleged violations of federal Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering requirements. Under the agreement, Coinme must end its virtual-currency kiosk operations by Jan. 1, 2027, or face an additional $4 million penalty. North Dakota Read More…
HELENA—More than 14,000 Montanans are set to receive a combined $7 million in refunds tied to overcharges on Obamacare health plans, according to Montana State Auditor James Brown. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services identified 14,093 Montana residents who are eligible for $500 refund checks, representing a total of $7,046,500. The refunds stem from Read More…
BOISE, Idaho—Idaho General Fund revenue exceeded the state’s forecast by $90.3 million during the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, finishing 6.8% above projections. September revenue alone came in $39 million above forecast, with individual income tax collections accounting for much of the strength. Individual income tax revenue is running 18.3% above forecast year to Read More…
WASHINGTON—The Defense Department is expanding its investment in quantum computing with roughly $350 million in new initiatives, including a conditional $150 million loan commitment to PsiQuantum aimed at strengthening advanced manufacturing and prototyping in the United States. The effort is designed to accelerate development of quantum systems that could eventually support national-security missions in areas Read More…
WASHINGTON—Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has appointed economist Judy Shelton as a counselor in the Office of the Secretary, giving her a senior advisory role focused on currency policy and global financial conditions. Shelton will advise Bessent on currency issues, with particular emphasis on evaluating financial conditions in China. She has spent much of her career Read More…
HELENA—Montana Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Sarah Swanson has been elected chair-elect of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, giving Montana a leadership role in a national organization representing workforce agencies across the country. Swanson assumed the position Sept. 17 during NASWA’s annual membership meeting at the 2026 NASWA Summit. The chair-elect serves Read More…
A record 15,908 students are attending UND this fall, marking the University’s second consecutive all-time enrollment high and seventh straight year of growth. Behind that number are gains in undergraduate enrollment, strong retention and several of the largest freshman classes in UND history. Here’s a closer look at what is driving UND’s record enrollment. More Read More…
PIERRE, S.D.—South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined a multistate effort seeking court approval of settlements with three generic drug manufacturers accused of conspiring to inflate prices and restrict competition. The settlements involve Ascend Laboratories, Citron Pharma and Mayne Pharma and are part of a broader antitrust case being pursued by 45 states and Read More…
MISSOULA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has committed $1.89 million in low-interest financing to the Wildflower Apartments in Missoula, marking the first loan issued through the state’s Multifamily Energy Retrofit Loan program. The financing will support energy-efficiency upgrades at the affordable housing complex near Missoula’s south hills, with a focus on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning Read More…
HELENA—Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 20-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case challenging workplace diversity, equity and inclusion training at the Colorado Department of Corrections. The coalition filed an amicus brief in Joshua Young v. Colorado Department of Corrections, asking the court to review a Tenth Circuit Read More…
MINNEAPOLIS—A Minnesota woman has been convicted on federal health-care fraud charges for orchestrating a $3.6 million scheme targeting the state’s now-defunct Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program. A federal jury found Sharmaine Meadows, 45, of Lake Elmo, guilty of three counts of health care fraud after prosecutors said her company billed Medicaid for housing services that Read More…
MISSOULA – University of Montana journalism student Casandra Evans had photographed Lady Griz Basketball Head Coach Nate Harris before, but never like this. Early on a recent Friday morning, she traded gymnasium hardwood for bedroom carpet, capturing Harris as he woke his daughters and got them ready for school. At the UM School of Journalism’s Read More…
COLUMBUS, Mont.—A strike involving hundreds of workers at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Stillwater Mine and Columbus metallurgical facilities has ended after union employees approved a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The strike began Sept. 3 and lasted more than a month. Employees are expected to return to work Oct. 9. The agreement provides a 4.5% wage increase in Read More…
BOZEMAN – A Montana State University graduate student planning a career in cancer research is the first recipient of a newly established fellowship for emerging MSU scholars working to address and expand scientific understanding to advance human health. Chloe Rifai, a second-year doctoral student in biochemistry, said the $30,000, two-year award from the Kathryn Follis Read More…
BOISE, Idaho—A federal district court has rejected a constitutional challenge to Idaho’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, dismissing claims brought by individuals convicted of sex offenses and granting summary judgment in favor of the state. Attorney General Raúl Labrador said the ruling preserves a law that requires qualifying offenders to register and makes certain Read More…
Army Sgt. Alvin C. York, an infantryman, received the Medal of Honor for valor due to his heroic actions during a World War I operation in France, actions that would be immortalized in the 1941 film “Sergeant York.” York was born Dec. 13, 1887, in Pall Mall, Tennessee. His father, William Uriah York, Read More…
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The No. 2 Montana Grizzlies traded blows with No. 13 Northern Arizona throughout the afternoon but fell to the Lumberjacks 49-44 in a ranked shootout at the Walkup Skydome on Saturday. The loss drops Montana to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Sky Conference play, while Northern Arizona improves to 5-2 overall Read More…
NEW YORK—JPMorgan Chase will report third-quarter earnings Tuesday morning, putting the nation’s largest bank at the center of Wall Street’s first major test of the new earnings season. JPMorgan is scheduled to release results at about 7 a.m. Eastern time, followed by an earnings call at 8:30 a.m. Wall Street analysts are looking for earnings Read More…
WASHINGTON—Nearly 70 million Trump Accounts have been created for American children, including more than 60 million through automatic enrollment, as the administration expands the tax-advantaged investment program nationwide. The accounts are available to children under 18 with a valid Social Security number. Parents and guardians must claim the accounts before they can manage them, receive Read More…