(The Center Square) – As colleges and universities scale back diversity, equity and inclusion programs amid federal funding pressure from the Trump administration, supporters of the cuts argue DEI has negatively affected academics and higher education. Approximately $3.7 billion in federal research funding has been targeted for cuts, disrupting hundreds of clinical trials and research Read More…
WASHINGTON — A 34-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State terrorist organization after federal investigators determined he supplied money, firearms and other equipment to individuals he believed were affiliated with ISIS. Ammaad Akhtar, a U.S. citizen, admitted to attempting to support the terrorist organization between February Read More…
— Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry announced a $1.5 million grant to develop a statewide digital career platform designed to connect students, job seekers and employers with education, training and employment opportunities. The grant, awarded by nonprofit Britebound, will support development of Montana’s Talent Marketplace, an artificial intelligence-powered Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 state attorneys general seeking to intervene in two federal lawsuits that could eliminate a widely used permitting process for oil and natural gas pipelines crossing rivers, streams and wetlands. The states argue that eliminating Nationwide Permit 12, a federal authorization administered by the U.S. Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is praising Peabody Energy’s successful pilot shipment of Powder River Basin coal to Vietnam, calling the export an important step toward expanding international markets for the state’s coal industry. The shipment moved coal from Wyoming through the United States and Mexico using Union Pacific and Ferromex rail networks Read More…
Army Capt. Daniel W. Lee Sr. was a platoon leader during World War II. He earned the Medal of Honor for valorous action in southeast France in 1944, during Operation Dragoon. Lee was born June 23, 1919, in Alma, Georgia. His parents, Daniel M. Lee and Ida Hyres, were farmers. Lee and his six siblings Read More…
There wasn’t much empty space inside UND’s Office of Safety on Sept. 23. Family, friends and fellow officers packed the room to watch two new female officers take their oaths. “Two new women joining the constellation of stars here in the Department of Safety is a monumental event,” said Chief of Police Rodney Clark. Standing Read More…
On Wednesday morning at Montana State University’s new nursing education building, located on a tree-lined block between the Billings Clinic and Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital campuses, the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing began its next chapter. Hundreds of attendees applauded as MSU President Brock Tessman, nursing college dean Sarah Shannon, Billings Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Applications are open for Wyoming residents seeking a seat on the Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board, a volunteer panel that helps guide efforts to strengthen downtowns and support local businesses across the state. The seven-member board works alongside Wyoming Business Council staff on the services and priorities of the Wyoming Main Street Read More…
The Montana Supreme Court has vacated an injunction that would have placed a proposed data center initiative on Butte-Silver Bow County’s November ballot, saying it would not have granted the order had it known ballots had already been printed, mailed and, in some cases, returned. The court issued the new order Sept. 24, two days Read More…
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 27, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, calling on Americans to honor the families of service members who died while serving the country. In a proclamation issued Friday, Trump said the nation owes a continuing obligation to the spouses, parents, children and other relatives of fallen members of Read More…
The University of Montana enrolled 11,319 students this fall, marking the highest student headcount for the flagship campus since 2017. The significantly larger first-year class that arrived on campus this fall drove the growth. More than 1,500 first-time entering freshmen enrolled at UM this fall semester. This is the largest first-year class enrolled at UM in a Read More…
Delayne Lindeen, a junior studying business finance, transferred to Montana State University this past spring. Lindeen, who’d been attending college in Billings, said she wanted the experience of living a little farther from her hometown of Huntley. Coming from a graduating high school class of 50, she said it was a bit intimidating to enter Read More…
The Montana Historical Society is now accepting submissions for the Montana Headwaters Book Prize, a new annual award recognizing the best historical nonfiction books on Montana history. Submissions are open through Jan. 31, 2027, to authors and publishers of books published during the 2026 calendar year. The prize is funded annually by Larry Len and Read More…
In about 12 minutes, an artificial intelligence program running on UND’s new high-performance computing cluster, Medora, identified business challenges in 500 sets of notes from meetings with North Dakota business owners. The test was an early step in a project that could help small business advisors recognize recurring problems and better anticipate what their clients Read More…
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said a new state Supreme Court ruling provides clearer direction on the Legislature’s constitutional obligations for public-school funding while preserving lawmakers’ authority over how the state meets those requirements. The Wyoming Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower-court ruling in a long-running dispute over education funding. The Read More…
(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin employee has filed a class action lawsuit against the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 7 and Olympic Companies claiming the company and union continue to deduct dues from her paychecks even after she provided written notice of the termination of her union membership. Caryn Johnson Read More…
The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released a legal opinion Wednesday concluding that federal law barring licensed dealers from selling handguns to adults ages 18 to 20 cannot be enforced consistent with the Second Amendment. The opinion, dated Sept. 17, 2026, addresses 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1), which generally prohibit federally licensed Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte recently joined officials from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service to visit the Blacktail Powerline Project near Lakeside on the Flathead National Forest, the first initiative announced under Montana’s Shared Stewardship Agreement. “Through our Shared Stewardship Agreement with the Forest Service, management partners are working Read More…
A Phoenix-area woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison for her role in fraudulently billing Arizona’s Medicaid agency more than $69 million in less than a year for addiction treatment therapy, the Justice Department announced. Many of the patients used to fuel the scheme were Native Americans covered by Arizona Medicaid under a specific Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.2% in August, remaining below the national rate and placing the state among the 15 lowest unemployment rates in the country. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1% in August, according to federal labor data. Total employment in Montana, including payroll, agricultural and self-employed workers, increased by 482 Read More…
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, is leaning into an unconventional, deeply historical and highly effective tool for mitigating fire risk: goats. The installation is releasing herds of grazing animals in a targeted effort to reduce dry brush and invasive grasses, a nature-based solution to protect military infrastructure and the neighboring civilian communities. The Operation Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced the state will receive a $104,976.64 settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation to provide cash and debt relief to consumers in connection with their car loans. South Dakotans affected by the settlement will be eligible for individual debt relief. The state’s share of the settlement will go to the Read More…
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated BitBank, a digital assets venture controlled by OFAC-designated Iranian financier Babak Zanjani, as part of Operation Economic Outcast, the Trump administration’s economic campaign against Iran and its enablers. The designations also include BitBank’s developer, Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Company, and three Zanjani associates: Hossein Ali Zaker Read More…
North Dakota is entering the final stages of procurement for the state’s Drone Replacement Program, an initiative designed to transition state agencies to National Defense Authorization Act-compliant unmanned aircraft systems. Made possible through support from the North Dakota Legislature, the program was created in response to changing federal requirements surrounding UAS technology. Transitioning agencies to Read More…
Gov. Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Arts Council announced the opening of the Governor’s Student Art Competition. “Arts are an important part of a well-rounded education,” Rhoden said. “They give students a chance to develop their talents, think creatively, and build confidence. This competition is a great way to recognize the hard work and Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen testified Tuesday before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance on the missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis, outlining jurisdictional challenges that hamper coordination among tribal, federal and local law enforcement in addressing the issue. During the hearing, titled “Missing and Murdered Indigenous People: Strengthening Public Read More…
For the second year in a row, the University of North Dakota has been named one of the region’s 50 Best Places to Work by Prairie Business magazine. The annual list recognizes organizations across the region based on nominations from the people who know those workplaces best. This year, Prairie Business received nearly 1,400 nominations Read More…
Minnesota officials on Thursday dropped their lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott to force the extradition of Christian Castro, a day after arresting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. The dismissal capped a Minnesota-Texas fight that landed in court last month regarding the handover of Castro, who is accused of injuring a Venezuelan Read More…
(The Center Square) – The federal government spent an estimated $6.7 billion in 2025 paying employees to stay home under its deferred resignation buyouts, and the agency that ran the program cannot say exactly what it cost. The Government Accountability Office found in a report released this week that federal agencies spent about $9.5 billion Read More…
The Steer-A-Year program in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture will return for the 2026-27 academic year and is seeking donations of young cattle and feed. Housed in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Steer-A-Year teaches students about the many aspects of raising cattle through a hands-on academic approach, while supplying locally raised beef Read More…
(The Center Square) – A coalition of 17 states, lawmakers and advocacy organizations has filed 12 friend-of-the-court briefs urging the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold that parents and teachers have constitutional rights to know about their children despite public school gender policies. The briefs were filed in Mirabelli v. Bonta, a case involving California’s Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has received $20.78 million to cover reclamation costs at the long-idled Montana Tunnels Mine near Jefferson City, following the latest bankruptcy proceeding involving Montana Tunnels Mining Inc. The payment is tied to a structured sale of the property to Silver Bow Mining Corp. and Silver Bow Tunnels Corp. and Read More…
Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced the appointment of Mary Lynn Hartwell of Idaho Falls and Joel Beck of American Falls to the State Board of Education. “Mary Lynn Hartwell and Joel Beck bring a wealth of experience, a deep commitment to public service, and a strong connection to Idaho’s communities and schools. Their professional backgrounds Read More…
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced. “Our veterans answered the call to serve our country, and many continue that service long after taking off the uniform,” Gianforte said. “The Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation gives me the honor and opportunity to recognize these outstanding men and women, Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said the Division of Criminal Investigation reviewed discrepancies involving Edmunds County commission candidate Juliane Burgod’s nominating petition and her owner-occupied property-tax status. The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office by Edmunds County State’s Attorney Vaughn Beck, who reported that the address listed on Burgod’s candidate petition appeared Read More…
(The Center Square) – Illinois is facing new lawsuits over the state’s digital ad tax and social media platform fee. Internet freedom advocate NetChoice – a trade organization that includes social media giants Meta, Google, X, TikTok and Snap – filed two complaints in Cook County court on Friday. NetChoice Litigation Center Director Paul Taske Read More…
The U.S. Treasury Department said its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network identified about $17.5 billion in suspicious financial activity potentially connected to health care fraud, highlighting the scale of schemes targeting Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. The findings come from an analysis of 5,702 Bank Secrecy Act reports filed by financial institutions between March 1, Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a multistate antitrust lawsuit seeking to block Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The filing puts Knudsen at the center of another major national antitrust fight, this time on the opposite Read More…
(The Center Square) – Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle acknowledged receiving a long-awaited formal explanation from Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration regarding the forced resignation of former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes on Friday. He maintains he still disagrees with how the executive branch handled Barnes’ ousting. In a letter sent on behalf of the mayor, Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced that registration is open and the agenda has been released for the 2026 Governor’s Workforce Summit, set for Sept. 23 at the Bismarck State College National Energy Center of Excellence. The summit will bring together policymakers, employers, educators, workforce professionals and community leaders to explore solutions for strengthening Read More…
A University of Montana political science professor will spend the academic year sharing his expertise and research at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions. Dr. Robert Saldin, a political scientist and co-director of UM’s Democracy Studies Program, has been awarded the Leverhulme Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The Read More…
Nine new South Dakota Highway Patrol troopers graduated Thursday during a ceremony at the Larkspur Landing Event Center, joining the agency’s 73rd recruit academy class. Gov. Larry Rhoden congratulated the graduates and thanked them for their commitment to public service, saying law enforcement officers play an important role in keeping South Dakota communities safe. Highway Read More…
Gov. Mark Gordon will deliver opening remarks and take part in a morning fireside discussion during the opening of the Wyoming Suicide Prevention Symposium, set for Sept. 15-16 at the Wyoming State Capitol Extension in Cheyenne. Gordon will be joined for the fireside discussion by Wyoming Department of Health Director Stefan Johansson, Wyoming mental health Read More…