Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 26-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Hawaii law that imposes broad restrictions on where law-abiding citizens can carry firearms. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the case Wolford v. Lopez, arguing that Hawaii’s so-called “sensitive places” firearm restrictions violate the Second Amendment. Read More…
The Wyoming Air National Guard has been selected to receive the C-130J Super Hercules, a modern upgrade to replace its aging fleet of C-130H aircraft. This announcement marks a significant milestone for the 153rd Airlift Wing and recognizes the exemplary performance of Wyoming’s Airmen in supporting critical missions both domestically and globally. A total of Read More…
Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown announced a significant settlement with Vanguard Marketing Corporation and The Vanguard Group, Inc., resolving an investigation into unexpected capital gains tax distributions from Vanguard’s Target Retirement Funds in 2021. The settlement addresses concerns that affected Montana investors and others nationwide. The investigation, conducted alongside the U.S. Securities Read More…
President Donald Trump has nominated Kurt Alme to serve as the U.S. Attorney for Montana, a move that has garnered strong support from Montana’s U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy. Alme, who previously held the position during Trump’s first administration, brings extensive experience and a proven track record to the role. Senator Steve Daines Read More…
(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday declared social media an “environmental toxin” and called on state and federal lawmakers to do more to curb the influence of big tech companies over youth. During his annual State of the City address, Adams blasted the tech giants and announced New York Read More…
BOZEMAN – With Montana State University seeing five straight years of growth in its annual research expenditures — setting a record of $230 million in its most recent report — the university hosted its second annual Research Development Day on Thursday, Jan. 11, to further discuss the state of research and to help create connections Read More…
BOZEMAN — Montana State University hosted its inaugural Undergraduate Research Fair on Monday, Jan. 22. The event, sponsored by MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development, is designed to introduce students to on-campus research opportunities. “The Undergraduate Research Fair is important as it makes opportunities to participate in research more accessible to all students,” said Read More…
BOZEMAN — Forty of Montana State University’s top seniors and their faculty and staff mentors will be recognized Friday, Feb. 16, at the 42nd annual Founders Day Awards for Student Excellence event held on the MSU campus. Honored students are nominated by faculty in their respective colleges or departments. Qualified nominees must have at least Read More…
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring visited the UND Center for Innovation (CFI) on Friday, Jan. 12, before continuing on to explore the broader biotechnology ecosystem in Grand Forks. On Friday morning, Goehring toured portions of the CFI to learn about the Center and how it is organized. He met with Amy Whitney, the Center’s Read More…
UND will reestablish a journalism major this year, exactly 100 years after first offering what became a popular and highly respected degree. Final approval having been granted from the North Dakota University System, the major will be offered in the Department of Communication, said Soojung Kim, associate professor and chair of the department. Graduates will Read More…
MISSOULA – Kidnapping a mounted moose head comes with challenges. Just ask the students in the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law. A small group of law students snuck into the forestry building on a cold night last week to steal Bertha, the mounted moose head hanging from the banister. The heist Read More…
Despite a sluggish start to winter in Big Sky, recent snowfall has sparked optimism among local businesses for a successful winter season. Matt Rolfson, an employee at Gallatin Alpine Sports, notes that the area is experiencing its slowest winter start in the seven years he’s lived there. Despite the lack of snow, businesses like his Read More…
(The Center Square) – An illegal foreign national in Montana faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in Bozeman to mitigated deliberate homicide for stabbing a man to death. Francisco Padilla Canales initially pled not guilty and faced charges including deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, tampering with witnesses and information, and aggravated burglary. Read More…
(The Center Square) – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Brad Hawk to serve as the executive director of the Indian Affairs Commission and Wayne Salter as commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services. Salter is the former deputy executive commissioner of access and eligibility services for Texas Health and Human Services, according Read More…
(The Center Square) – South Dakota moved ahead of 12 states to climb to 19th place in U-Haul’s Top Growth States report for 2023. U-Haul analyzes its records of one-way equipment rentals in a calendar year to determine which states are growing or shrinking based on each state’s gain or loss of one-way equipment. This Read More…
(The Center Square) – Less than two months before implementation, a federal law impacting gig workers is being challenged in a Georgia court. Founders of Fight for Freelancers, a coalition of more than 2,500 independent contract workers in varying professions, seeks an injunction to prohibit enforcement of the new law announced this month by the Read More…
BOZEMAN – Montana State University, the state’s largest research entity and a designated Carnegie R1 institution, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to significantly expand its computational infrastructure for research. The grant was awarded to MSU’s Research Cyberinfrastructure Core Facility, which manages the advanced information technology systems that support large research Read More…
Electric vehicle (EV) owners, particularly those driving Tesla cars, are facing challenges in cold weather, emphasizing the importance of winter preparedness. Reports from the Chicago area reveal that EV owners endured lengthy waits at charging stations due to heavy snow, freezing rains, and sub-zero temperatures caused by Arctic storms affecting the U.S. Complaints include spending Read More…
(The Center Square) – Since April 2022, more than 100,000 foreign nationals who have illegally crossed the border have been bused or flown from Texas to six sanctuary cities. This equates to roughly 5% of those who illegally entered Texas in fiscal 2023 alone, the highest number on record, The Center Square exclusively reported. Gov. Read More…
Marcus Lashley, University of Florida They go by many names – pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks – but whatever you call them, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most damaging invasive species in North America. They cause millions of dollars in crop damage yearly and harbor dozens of pathogens that threaten humans and pets, Read More…
Rocky Vista University (RVU), which inaugurated the RVU Montana College of Medicine (MCOM) in July 2023, announced its plans for the establishment of the Rocky Vista University College of Veterinary Medicine in Billings, MT. The college will provide a comprehensive Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program to train future veterinarians. RVU has been diligently working Read More…
The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, which began with Israel’s declaration of war in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, marks the longest and deadliest war between the two since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Despite weeks of intense airstrikes and a ground offensive by Israel, Hamas remains largely intact, and more Read More…
Scheduled for a mail-in ballot this March, the $4.6 million levy, if sanctioned, will finance the acquisition of new equipment and the recruitment of additional personnel for Kalispell’s police and fire departments. After experiencing a rise in call volumes and delayed response times over the years, Kalispell city officials are initiating an educational campaign ahead Read More…
HELENA – The Montana Department of Justice is seeking applications to fill two spots on the Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee. The positions available are a representative of the tow truck industry from eastern Montana and a representative of the commercial truck industry. The Committee reviews and resolves complaints involving tow truck issues. The term Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced his appointment of Paul Green to lead the Montana Department of Commerce as its director. “As a veteran with a background in business and economic development and strong leadership skills, Paul has my full confidence, and he will make an outstanding director for the Department of Commerce,” Read More…
The Center Square) – Understanding how a home mortgage works, how credit cards and debt can pile up and how to make a budget are critical financial life skills. But many students graduate high school without ever learning those skills, then find themselves deeply in debt for years to come. If a bill sponsored by Read More…
(The Center Square) – A federal judge ordered a California school district to reinstate two teachers who had been placed on administrative leave for not following a gender secrecy policy adopted by administrators without school board or public input. U.S. District Court for Southern California judge Roger Benitez had already issued a preliminary injunction against Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is holding its second hearing next week as part of its efforts to bring impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The hearing will examine the human cost of the border crisis, and witnesses will testify as to how they’ve been Read More…
(The Center Square) — New Jersey has given labor unions the legal authority to file litigation against companies over alleged labor violations despite claims from business groups that it will result in a slew of lawsuits. The legislation, recently signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy, will allow unions to represent workers or a third party Read More…
(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is considering a curfew at the city’s homeless shelters amid complaints about migrants shoplifting and wandering neighborhoods begging for money. The Adams administration is considering the plan as the ‘sanctuary’ city continues to wrestle with the influx of tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving Read More…
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen today announced a record number of new businesses were created in Montana last year. At Copperline Smashburgers! in Helena, Sec. Jacobsen reported that Montanans registered more than 59,420 new businesses with her office in 2023, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by Read More…
New data suggests incidence of violent crimes in the state, revealing a notable decline in various criminal activities based on data provided by the Montana Board of Crime Control. The most significant drop was observed in the number of murders, which decreased by 38.6% from 57 cases in 2022 to 35 cases in 2023. This Read More…
Sarah Ransome, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, claimed Tuesday that tapes of former President Bill Clinton, British royal Prince Andrew and billionaire Richard Branson having sex at the pedophile financier’s mansion do exist — after previously saying she invented the existence of the tapes. Speculation over the alleged tapes was renewed Monday after a trove Read More…
On a single night in 2022, 582,462 people experienced homelessness in the United States, and numbers are on the rise. Since 2017, there has been a 6% increase in homelessness. About six in 10 of the people experiencing homelessness in 2022 had access to emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or safe havens, while the remainder Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Texas economy grew at a much faster rate than nearly all U.S. states in the third quarter in 2023. Texas also surpassed national growth rates in all categories and grew faster than the nation for five quarters in a row, according to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data. Real gross Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is recovering after a New Year’s Day visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin went to the Walter Reed after “complications following a recent elective medical procedure.” He did not give details about the elective procedure. “He is Read More…
In a press conference held Thursday to observe Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Governor Greg Gianforte was joined by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, law enforcement officials, and nonprofit leaders. Governor Gianforte expressed his strong stance against human trafficking, condemning the perpetrators who prey on individuals and engage in heart-wrenching crimes. He emphasized Montana’s unwavering commitment to Read More…
The first two years of the coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the U.S. housing market as Americans fled expensive, high-population areas to mid-sized cities or adjoining suburbs in lower-cost parts of the country. (See how the cost of housing has skyrocketed in these major U.S. cities.) Low-mortgage rates and high demand for homes Read More…
(The Center Square) – Former President Bill Clinton is among several high-profile names identified in nearly 1,000 pages of unsealed court documents stemming from a defamation lawsuit related to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents released out of the Southern District Court of New York Wednesday evening, were filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s Read More…
As Human Trafficking Awareness Month begins, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen urges Montanans to familiarize themselves with the indicators of human trafficking and report any instances they observe to aid the state in combating this reprehensible crime. In a stern message, he warns human traffickers and their accomplices against conducting business in Montana, emphasizing that Read More…
The implementation of a Montana state law scheduled to ban the TikTok app on January 1 has been temporarily halted by a federal judge pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the law. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed notice of an appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, contesting the preliminary Read More…
Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson has verified the evacuation of the Montana State Capitol in response to a bomb threat received around 8:30 a.m on Wednesday. MHP troopers efficiently cleared the Capitol, evacuating both staff and visitors. This incident is part of a series of threats directed at state capitol buildings on Wednesday morning, Read More…
(The Center Square) – Starting Monday, electronic cigarette products will be banned inside public places in Illinois. Kristina Hamilton of the American Lung Association said the association has been leading the charge to encourage states to expand their smoking bans to include e-cigarettes. A coalition of partners across Illinois have been working with the association Read More…
The Montana Grizzlies’ thrilling run to the FCS national title game in Frisco, Texas, has not only captivated fans but also garnered heartfelt praise from former teammates who intimately understand the team’s relentless dedication. These ex-Griz players, having shared the day-to-day grind with the current roster, are expressing their immense pride and joy for the Read More…