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…
Christian Castro was released a day after a federal judge rejected Minnesota’s bid to keep him jailed while Gov. Greg Abbott decides whether to sign extradition papers. BROWNSVILLE — The immigration officer at the center of a Minnesota-Texas legal fight was released from a South Texas jail Thursday, a day after a federal judge rejected Read More…
A new large-scale art installation celebrating Montana State University’s student-athletes is now on display for public viewing. The artwork is on the west-facing exterior of Shroyer Gym on the MSU campus, located between the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and Jones Hall. It is viewable to passersby and those traveling in vehicles through campus on 11th Avenue and Lincoln Street. A new mural, designed and illustrated by Montana State University Co-Creative Read More…
Removing the barriers that keep capital inside national borders would raise welfare in the typical country by about 5.5% of labor income — and would concentrate economic activity among the world’s largest firms while pushing smaller ones to contract, according to a working paper released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The paper, by Read More…
In a critical step to ensure long-term fleet readiness and secure dominance in the maritime domain, the Navy’s MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter service life modernization program recently announced the industry performers identified to proceed to the first phase of a statement of work collaboration for the MH-60 tailorable architecture leveraging open systems prototype project. Led Read More…
Gov. Kelly Armstrong appointed Tony Hillig, recreation division chief for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, as the agency’s new director, effective immediately. Hillig has served as chief of the department’s recreation division since December 2020, overseeing recreation grants, trail management, motorized recreation and safety programs statewide. He joined the department in 2019 as Read More…
Violent crime in the U.S. fell 9.3% in 2025 and murder declined 18.1%, according to FBI figures the White House cited Friday in claiming credit for what it called the largest annual drop in violent crime on record. The underlying data show broad declines across categories. Robbery fell 18.5%, or nearly 38,500 fewer offenses. Aggravated Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in July, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced, continuing the state’s record stretch of low unemployment and remaining nearly a full percentage point below the national rate, which also declined over the month to 4.1%. “As Montana’s unemployment rate continues to decline, businesses across our state are expanding, creating high-paying jobs, Read More…
President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum Thursday establishing a new National Space Transportation Policy aimed at dramatically expanding the number of rockets launching and spacecraft landing on American soil, replacing a policy that had not been updated since the Obama administration in 2013. The memorandum, which the White House framed as launching a Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions Thursday on 10 individuals tied to a network that moves hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to Hizballah using couriers on commercial airline flights, and re-designated Hizballah itself under updated counterterrorism authority linking the group directly to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Read More…
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador filed a notice of appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and an emergency motion seeking a stay of a federal district court ruling that he says improperly overrides Idaho’s Defense of Life Act and invents a new constitutional right to abortion. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley commended the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after it dismissed a legal challenge brought by suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who were seeking to avoid removal from the United States. The en banc Fifth Circuit dismissed the case on August 13 as moot after the Read More…
WASHINGTON — Texas is set to receive $7.5 billion from a federal fund to reimburse states for border costs incurred when Joe Biden was president, Sen. John Cornyn told The Texas Tribune in an interview, shedding light for the first time on the Lone Star State’s haul more than a year after Congress authorized the Read More…
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Board of Directors has appointed Cara Kolb as senior vice president of Risk and Compliance, the bank announced. In her new role, Kolb will be responsible for ensuring bank staff effectively manage risks while rigorously complying with procedures and policies. She will also oversee functions related to data privacy Read More…
A federal court upheld the Trump administration’s authority under the Defense Production Act to oversee operation of the Santa Ynez Pipeline on the California coast, rejecting California’s efforts to block federally mandated oil production through state-level legal barriers — though the same ruling fined Sable Offshore Corporation nearly $1.5 million for violating a federal consent Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte recognized twelve Montana veterans with the 2025 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation during ceremonies held in Cascade, Fergus and Musselshell counties as part of his sixth annual 56 County Tour. “Montana veterans represent the very best of our state,” Gianforte said. “Their courage and sacrifice have defended our freedoms, and their continued service Read More…
U.S. Army Sgt. Adam M. Lee received the Soldier’s Medal during a ceremony at the Belgrade Armory Aug. 16 for heroic actions that saved the lives of two critically injured hikers in California. Brig. Gen. Trenton J. Gibson, adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, presented the award to Lee, a combat medic specialist assigned Read More…
WASHINGTON — U.S. Central Command is establishing its first multinational attack-drone task force, expanding the military’s use of relatively low-cost unmanned weapons as the Pentagon works more closely with regional partners to counter threats across the Middle East. The new unit, Task Force Falcon Strike, will combine American and allied one-way attack drones operating in Read More…
Sen. Tim Sheehy made a fitting entrance at the Yellowstone International Airshow in Billings on Friday, parachuting onto the grounds at Billings Logan International Airport while carrying a Montana state flag. The former Navy SEAL, FAA-certified commercial pilot and flight instructor arrived during media practice day for the show, joining the U.S. Army Golden Knights Read More…
Close to 500 University of Montana students are degree candidates after this year’s summer semester. The students listed in the links below are UM degree candidates or have been awarded their degrees. Students with “cum laude” after their name indicate a GPA of 3.40 to 3.69. “Magna laude” indicates a 3.70 to 3.89 GPA, and Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality awarded $10.34 million to 10 grid resilience projects across the state to strengthen electric infrastructure and improve reliability for rural Montana communities, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. The grants, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will help utilities upgrade aging infrastructure, reduce outage frequency, Read More…
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, became Joint Base Lindsey Graham during a ceremony Aug. 10 to rename the installation after the late senator, Air Force veteran and South Carolina native son. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth poses for a photo with service members at Joint Base Lindsey Graham, S.C., Aug. 10, 2026, after the Read More…
President Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and their components, using national security authority to reshape a market currently dominated by foreign — and particularly Chinese — manufacturers. The tariffs, issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, take effect September 3 for most Read More…
A consumer protection trial against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, started Tuesday in Oakland. A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general including California’s Rob Bonta made opening statements that Meta designed addictive, harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that drive excessive youth use, leading to severe mental and physical harm. The trial is Read More…
Missoula pediatrician Laurie Carter is piloting a program with University of Montana researchers as part of RESOLVE, a new strategic healthcare partnership between UM and Providence Health. The new program, the Montana Child Abuse Network (MT CAN), uses a telehealth model to help rural health providers and child welfare professionals care for children who may have experienced Read More…
Three-quarters of Americans and nearly seven in 10 Canadians have sought financial guidance from at least one source in the past year, according to a new study from Gallup conducted in partnership with Edward Jones, though the sources people rely on most are not always the ones they trust most. Among U.S. adults who sought Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — A federal judge has blocked Idaho from prosecuting doctors who perform abortions when necessary to protect a pregnant woman’s health or prevent her from harming herself, delivering a significant but limited setback to one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled that portions of Idaho’s Defense Read More…
A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation company filed the federal lawsuit, arguing the work threatens archeological sites and sacred grounds. A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation company on Friday asked a federal judge to block border wall-related construction in Big Bend National Park, arguing that the project is contrary to U.S. law and Read More…
Greatest numbers apprehended at northern border all year in July The number of foreign nationals apprehended nationwide was historically low in July but the highest they’ve been since January, according to the latest data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The increase is largely due to a greater number of illegal border crossers being Read More…
Army Tech. Sgt. Ted Takayuki Tanouye posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in western Italy during World War II. Tanouye was born to Nikuma and Momoye Tanouye Nov. 14, 1919, in Torrance, California. He was the eldest of six children. He graduated from Torrance High School in 1938, where he played Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. — Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed senior adviser Conner Swanson to lead the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, putting a longtime policy aide in charge of the largest agency in state government. Swanson will take over as DHHS commissioner Aug. 29, succeeding interim Commissioner Pat Traynor, who has led the Read More…
WASHINGTON — American companies will have a new way to help employees build savings for their children under Treasury Department guidance that allows employers to make tax-free contributions to Trump Accounts. The Treasury Department this week outlined rules for employer-sponsored Trump Account programs, providing a framework for companies to contribute as much as $2,500 annually Read More…
The U.S. Naval War College held its annual Convocation ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 4, welcoming 477 students to the academic year, including 292 new students from all six branches of the U.S. armed forces and federal government agencies, 81 U.S. students continuing from previous fall and spring enrollments, and 104 international students from partner and allied Read More…
The North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions joined financial regulators from 48 agencies across 47 states in reaching a $15.5 million settlement with NewRez LLC, one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers, over the company’s improper use of force-placed insurance on borrowers who already had active homeowners insurance policies. The settlement, announced Wednesday and coordinated Read More…
HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Greg Gianforte traveled across western Montana this week, visiting agricultural producers and manufacturers, opening a new manufacturing facility in Kalispell and recognizing a dozen veterans for their military and community service. The stops were part of Gianforte’s ongoing 56 County Tour, an annual swing through Montana aimed at highlighting local businesses, Read More…
An estimated 15 million U.S. adults, or 6% of the population, were victims of financial scams in 2025, with total losses reaching approximately $68 billion, according to a study released by Stop Scams Alliance and Gallup. The nationally representative survey of more than 5,100 U.S. adults found that scams affected Americans across demographic groups, with Read More…
Janos Zsofka told himself he wouldn’t join law enforcement after leaving the U.S. Marine Corps. It was simply too cliché, he thought. He said roughly one-third of his scout sniper platoon pursued a career in law enforcement after leaving the Marines, hoping to find a similar sense of purpose. Zsofka tried attending a two-year college Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed Jeremy Kent Kisling to serve as a circuit court judge in Wyoming’s Fourth Judicial District, filling a vacancy on the bench serving Johnson and Sheridan counties. Gordon announced the appointment Aug. 6 following Wyoming’s judicial selection process. Kisling was among the nominees submitted to the governor by Read More…
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said Duke University School of Law intentionally discriminated on the basis of race in admitting students to its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes, announcing investigative findings that the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Read More…
Kellogg said it will remove artificial colors from all its cereals by the end of this year, moving up a timeline the company set just last August by more than a year. Kellogg had said in August 2025 that it would eliminate synthetic dyes from its cereals by the end of 2027. The company said Read More…
Six Montanans working across music, painting, ceramics, glasswork, engraving and violin will receive the state’s highest arts honor this year, the Montana Arts Council announced. The 2026 Governor’s Arts Award recipients are Missoula musician Jeff Ament, Bozeman landscape painter Clyde Aspevig, Bozeman stained glass artist David Fjeld, Helena ceramicist Sarah Jaeger, Bozeman violinist Carrie Krause, Read More…