The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recognized personnel assigned to National Guard counterdrug programs for their support to 10 award-winning law enforcement investigations during a ceremony in Washington, April 2. The investigations were part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a White House-led effort that brings together federal, state, local Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has launched a consumer protection investigation into Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis N.V., alleging that both automakers have been collecting and selling drivers’ personal data to third-party companies — including insurance data brokers — without vehicle owners’ knowledge or consent. Mr. Knudsen issued Civil Investigative Demands to both companies, giving Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte made a stop at Billings’ Park High School this week, touring woodshops, auto bays and a greenhouse as part of a broader push to position career and technical education as a cornerstone of the state’s economic strategy. The visit underscored a governance philosophy Gianforte has pursued since taking office: that closing Montana’s Read More…
The Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees authorized roughly $6 million in facility upgrades, service contracts and legal expenses at its regular meeting this week, while also appointing a new principal for Prairie Wind Elementary School. The board moved through its agenda swiftly, approving all items within roughly 10 minutes following public comment Read More…
he Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced Friday, Feb. 6, that it has signed an administrative consent order with Montana Resources (MR) to resolve a water backflow incident that occurred in Butte last summer. The agreement concludes DEQ’s enforcement investigation into the event. The consent order details actions Montana Resources has taken since the Read More…
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Wyo.) announced that Montana will receive $32 million in the latest federal funding package, signed into law by President Trump. The funds are earmarked for critical infrastructure projects, health care initiatives, and community development across the state. “I’m proud to deliver on these commonsense investments to upgrade critical infrastructure, increase access to Read More…
The Wyoming Army National Guard graduated Soldiers from the Field Artillery Weapons Locating Radar 13R Advanced Leader Course during a ceremony Jan. 30, 2026, at the 213th Regional Training Institute. Conducted Jan. 6–30, the course prepared noncommissioned officers to serve as weapons locating radar section chiefs, combining advanced technical training with leadership development focused on Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown announced that preliminary federal data indicates a slight decline in enrollment in Montana’s Health Insurance Marketplace for the 2026 coverage year. According to the early figures released by federal officials, overall Marketplace participation dipped modestly compared to the prior enrollment period. Brown emphasized that Read More…
From Vietnamese pho to Greek halloumi flatbread to French crepes, there will be something for everyone at Montana State University’s annual International Food Bazaar on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The event will be held in MSU’s Miller Dining Commons and Rendezvous Dining Pavilion from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. It is open to the public and requires paid Read More…
The Space Force and U.S. Southern Command officially marked the activation of U.S. Space Forces Southern during a ceremony yesterday at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, formalizing the command’s role in integrating space capabilities across the Western Hemisphere. Although the command became operationally effective Dec. 1, 2025, the ceremony formally recognized the activation with the Read More…
The American Bar Association can’t escape a lawsuit accusing the group, tasked with setting national ethical and professional standards for lawyers and judges, of discriminating against white law school students in doling out certain scholarships. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Joan B. Gotschall said the lawsuit could continue because the plaintiffs had done enough Read More…
A massive oil painting on canvas memorializing Benedict Arnold’s heroism during the 1777 Battle of Saratoga was unrolled for the first time since 2013 at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York, Jan. 16. The 25-foot-long by 7-foot-high painting, “Benedict Arnold, Triumphant at Saratoga,” was opened across eight tables so that Read More…
White House Border Czar Tom Homan held a press conference in Minneapolis to update the public on ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, emphasizing the removal of dangerous criminal aliens and reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to public safety. “These targeted operations continue to remove the worst of the worst illegal alien killers, rapists, gang Read More…
leven Montana communities will share $600,000 in grant funding through the Montana Main Street (MMS) Program to support revitalization projects aimed at strengthening downtowns and local businesses. “The MMS Program focuses on empowering communities to reinvigorate downtowns through locally led planning and implementation projects,” said Commerce Director Marta Bertoglio. “Competitive grant funding and additional resources Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte and Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras presented Norma Smith with the Spirit of Montana Award in a ceremony at the Great Falls Rescue Mission, recognizing her decades-long contributions to Montana’s communities and her trailblazing career in broadcast journalism. “Service, resilience, and community are at the heart of who we are as Montanans,” Governor Read More…
A Livingston man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of a man, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Monday. Skyler Griebel, 33, was convicted in October 2025 of deliberate homicide following a nine-day trial. The case stemmed from a February 2022 incident in which Griebel threatened his girlfriend with a gun. Read More…
Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that Tracy Hofius, 49, was sentenced on January 21, 2026, for Public Assistance Provider Fraud stemming from her time as Executive Director of the North Star Child Development Center, a non-profit serving Idaho Medicaid participants with developmental disabilities. Public Assistance Provider Fraud is a felony that carries a potential sentence Read More…
Governor Mark Gordon will kick off a statewide tour, The Essential Budget: Protecting and Powering Wyoming’s Future, to outline the priorities and key decisions of the upcoming legislative budget session. The series will highlight issues including protecting core industries, supporting economic and business growth, the importance of state savings, property tax reform, and other topics Read More…
North Dakota will participate in a new federal program offering tax credits for donations to organizations that provide K-12 education scholarships, Governor Kelly Armstrong announced Wednesday. The program allows taxpayers to claim federal tax credits for cash contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), nonprofit groups that award scholarships to help students pay for elementary and Read More…
Governor Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch welcomed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to Boise, spotlighting Idaho’s strengthened partnership with the federal government in serving the state’s veterans. “Idaho is honored to host Secretary Collins and celebrate our support for Idaho veterans,” Governor Little said. “Unlike the previous administration, we Read More…
Four South Dakota education professionals were recognized in 2025 for achieving National Board Certification, one of the most prestigious credentials in the teaching and school counseling professions. The South Dakota Department of Education announced that three teachers and one school counselor demonstrated advanced knowledge, skills, and professional excellence through the rigorous national certification process. National Read More…
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the department has canceled all existing contracts with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, citing concerns over wasteful spending and failures to protect sensitive taxpayer information. According to the Treasury Department, the agency currently held 31 separate contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton totaling approximately $4.8 million in annual spending Read More…
A new federal investment initiative dubbed “Trump Accounts” was unveiled this week as a signature economic policy aimed at expanding private ownership and long-term wealth building for American families, with supporters calling it a transformative step toward a nationwide “shareholder society.” In a wide-ranging speech, administration officials and allies framed the program as one of Read More…
One month after historic wind and flooding events battered communities across Northwest Montana, state insurance officials returned to the region this week to hear directly from residents and provide guidance on recovery and future preparedness. Insurance Commissioner James Brown and staff from the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) held a community forum and Read More…
Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, conducted an armored live-fire exercise and technology demonstrations during Operation Winter Falcon 26 at the Drawsko Combat Training Center in Oleszno, Poland, Jan. 13. The event demonstrated how modern military operations rely on integrating multiple systems, including unmanned aerial systems and Read More…
The University of Montana Esports team is stepping up to help raise funds for new playground equipment at Hawthorne Elementary School in Missoula. The school’s playground has seen much love and use over the last several years and is in need of replacement equipment as well as increasing accessibility for all students, as play comes Read More…
The Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that the $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” more than 1.5 million service members received last year, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, would be tax-free. In a press release posted today, the IRS confirmed the tax-free status of the dividend. “The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Read More…
Since 1826, the nation has marked its 50-year milestones with semicentennial celebrations on Independence Day. This year, the United States’ 250th birthday, will be its fifth semicentennial jubilee. The third such celebration took place July 4, 1926, in Philadelphia, with a second exhibition, the first being the 1876 Centennial Exposition, also in the city. The Read More…
(The Center Square) – Defending Education’s federal privacy complaint filed last month alleges that Seattle Public Schools is violating two federal laws – the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment – with its gender identity policies. The civil rights complaint claims the district’s policies, specifically those that keep Read More…
When his platoon was faced with impossible odds during an ambush in Vietnam, Army Lt. Col. Harold Arthur Fritz didn’t hesitate to do everything he could to save his fellow soldiers and stave off the enemy. He miraculously survived the fight. His bravery and actions that day earned him the Medal of Honor. Read More…
As a new graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in engineering and physics, Yves Idzerda considered himself an electrical engineer first. While interviewing for his first post-baccalaureate engineering job, however, he met the author of a classic book about an element of electronics that relies on quantum mechanics to work. Their discussion Read More…
The University of Montana and Northwestern Energy have reached a settlement agreement for the operation of UM’s combined heat and power plant. The settlement sets power rates for the backup and supplemental power Northwestern Energy will provide to the UM campus to compliment the new combined heat and power plant. As part of the settlement Read More…
As one of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point’s most personal traditions, the ring melt allows current cadets to “grip hands” with previous generations of graduates during a solemn, emotionally charged occasion that affirms the ideals of duty, honor and country through the symbolism of the class ring. The West Point Association of Graduates Read More…
Alaska Army National Guardsmen assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command medically evacuated an individual Jan. 21 from Southwest Alaska. In response to a request for assistance from medical staff at Kanakanak Hospital, Dillingham, Alaska, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened a medevac mission for an individual experiencing a medical emergency. Daylight restrictions prevented local Read More…
First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, marking a high-profile moment following what the White House describes as an active first year of leadership during President Donald Trump’s second term. According to the administration, the honor recognizes Mrs. Trump’s work Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte presented the Spirit of Montana Award to Superior resident Dawn Bauer in recognition of her longstanding commitment to Superior Elementary School and her selfless service to the community during a recent severe windstorm that left much of the area without power. The award was presented during a ceremony at Superior Schools attended Read More…
The Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) held a public administrative hearing on January 22, 2026, to examine a cybersecurity breach involving Health Care Service Corporation, a mutual legal reserve company doing business as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT). The hearing moved forward after the Lewis and Clark County Read More…
The Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) prevented Montanans from losing an estimated $1.67 million to scams and fraudulent business practices in 2025, according to figures released by Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Knudsen said the numbers underscore the growing sophistication of scammers and the importance of public awareness as technology continues to Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a major action against a Costa Rica-based cocaine trafficking and money laundering network, designating five Costa Rican nationals and five entities for their role in transporting, storing, and distributing multi-ton shipments of cocaine to the United States and Europe. Luis Manuel Picado Read More…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a sweeping action against Hamas-linked organizations and individuals operating covertly through charitable and nonprofit entities. The effort aims to disrupt funding channels used by Hamas to support its military operations while protecting legitimate humanitarian aid to Palestinians. “Hamas continues to show a Read More…
A Montana jury has found the state’s child protection agency negligent for failing to promptly notify police after learning that a 12-year-old girl had been raped and became pregnant. The jury awarded $5.5 million in compensatory damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. The girl, now 23, was raped by her mother’s Read More…
Montana has formally opted in to a new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program, opening the door for taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit when they donate to nonprofit organizations that provide K–12 scholarships. State officials say the move will expand education options for families and build on Montana’s existing school choice initiatives. The program Read More…
(The Center Square) – Many businesses across Minnesota closed today as part of an ‘economic blackout’ to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This comes in response to calls from community leaders, activists, and union leaders for the event, which has been dubbed “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom.” “The ICE surge that Read More…
In October 2025, the 319th Reconnaissance Wing assigned to Grand Forks Air Force Base was selected to lead the Point Defense Battle Lab, supported by the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard. The Total Force team at the battle lab supports Air Combat Command’s Point Defense Task Force, a larger Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Read More…