Featured Articles in Politics

ABC News Settles Trump Defamation Lawsuit for $16 Million, Issues Apology

ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” and $1 million in legal fees as part of a settlement with President-elect Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit, according to court documents filed Saturday. The lawsuit was sparked by comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos during a March 2024 broadcast. Read More…

Biden’s Controversial Clemency Grants to Convicted Officials Spark Outrage

President Joe Biden faced bipartisan criticism this week after granting clemency to two disgraced officials convicted in high-profile corruption cases. The decision, part of a larger clemency package for 1,500 individuals, ended house arrest for former Pennsylvania Judge Michael Conahan and ex-Dixon, Illinois, comptroller Rita Crundwell, both of whom had previously been released from prison Read More…

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Environmental activists group sues AG over communication with coal company

Earlier this month, a Montana environmental activist group took legal action against the state Department of Justice, alleging a violation of their constitutional right to access information by withholding communications between the department and a Canadian coal mining company. The Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC)has long fought natural resource development in Montana. The group has Read More…

Multiple bills introduced in Congress to defund NPR

(The Center Square) – Several U.S. House Republicans introduced multiple pieces of legislation to defund National Public Radio following new allegations of “leftist propaganda” from the taxpayer-funded news source. House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., introduced similar legislation to prohibit federal funding for NPR, including barring local Read More…

Poll: Montana Senate Race Neck and Neck

Recent polling data from J.L. Partners, obtained by several Montana news outlets, sheds light on the closely contested U.S. Senate race in Montana. The race pits incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester against Republican newcomer Tim Sheehy, with results showing a tight competition. According to the poll, Sheehy currently holds a slight lead over Tester, with Read More…

Senate Democrats Strategize $79M Advertising Blitz

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is gearing up for a significant advertising push, allocating a staggering $79 million to secure the party’s majority in the upcoming November elections. This initiative is part of a broader strategy alongside spending from the Senate Majority super PAC and individual candidates. The DSCC’s plan encompasses TV, radio, and Read More…

Knudsen Files Lawsuit Against Biden’s Illegal Student Debt Relief Plan

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with ten other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Biden administration’s unconstitutional student loan forgiveness scheme. The lawsuit is the 40th that Attorney General Knudsen has filed against the Biden administration. Department of Education is wrongfully interpreting the Higher Education Act and bypassing Congress by Read More…

House GOP investigates failures leading to 200,000 deportation case dismissals

(The Center Square) – U.S. House Republicans are demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as to why more than 200,000 deportation cases were dismissed. A new report published by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University found that 200,000 deportation cases were dismissed because DHS employees or Border Patrol Read More…

Supreme Court sides with abortion group in ballot measure dispute

HELENA — After several weeks of legal wrangling, the Montana Supreme Court has sidestepped several statutes and procedural rules to allow a pro-abortion ballot measure to move forward. Supporters of the measure believe they’re close to starting their signature-gathering efforts. Throughout the process the measure has been informally known as “Ballot Issue 14,” but Montana Read More…

Are Republicans gaining ground on education? Poll indicates voters want balance

(The Center Square) – Republicans may be gaining ground on national education issues during a presidential election year, responses from voters in a new nationwide poll reveal. The results also show that most voters want schools to fairly present controversial issues in school. The Center Square Voter’s Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found Read More…

Voters in North Dakota to decide on congressional age limit ballot initiative on June 11

A citizen-initiated ballot measure to establish an age limit for congressional members is on the ballot in North Dakota’s primary election on June 11, 2024. The campaign, Retire Congress North Dakota, submitted 42,107 signatures for the initiative on Feb. 9. At least 31,164 signatures needed to be valid to qualify for the ballot. On March Read More…

Poll shows who Republicans want as Trump’s VP running mate

(The Center Square) – Republican voters have suggestions for former President Donald Trump when he considers his running mate for vice president. The Center Square Voter’s Voice poll released this week asked voters this question: “Who should Donald Trump choose as his vice presidential candidate?” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly edged out the other potential candidates. Read More…

House Republicans’ advantage even thinner with Gallagher resignation

(The Center Square) – Republicans’ advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives will be only 217-213 after April 19, following Friday’s decision by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher to resign. The resignation means no more than one Republican can cross the aisle on party-line votes. Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District representative, just 31 when he first won Read More…

Gianforte Campaign Raises $1.1 Million in Two Months

Governor Greg Gianforte has raised more than $1.1 million in the 60 days since he announced his bid for reelection on January 16 according to a release from his campaign. “With Governor Gianforte’s pro-family, pro-jobs, pro-business policies and his strong record of protecting our Montana way of life, Montanans are overwhelmingly supporting Governor Gianforte’s reelection, Read More…

Senators concerned over growing agricultural trade deficit

(The Center Square) — U.S. agricultural trade exports declined by $17 billion in fiscal year 2023, raising concerns from U.S. senators about how the Biden administration will address the issue. The deficit is growing and will decline by another $8 billion in fiscal year 2023, the senators said in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Read More…

Federal lawmakers call for permanent Daylight Saving Time

(The Center Square) – Some lawmakers are once again calling on their colleagues to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Ahead of the switch to Daylight Saving Time this weekend, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., highlighted the importance of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent. “We’re ‘springing forward’ but should have never Read More…

Attorney General Knudsen files lawsuit against Biden EPA rule

HELENA — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with 23 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Biden administration’s new air quality rule that would significantly impact state economies and raise energy costs for Montana manufacturers, utilities, and families. This is the 38th lawsuit Attorney General Knudsen has filed against the Biden administration. The Read More…

Majority of House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton won primary races

(The Center Square) – The majority of Republican state representatives who voted to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and ran for reelection won their primary races on Tuesday. Sixty House Republicans voted to impeach Paxton last May, passing 20 articles of impeachment with four articles held in abeyance. Paxton was the first attorney general Read More…

Barrasso brushes off Senate leader speculation

(The Center Square) — Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso will not say whether he’ll run for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s position next year.   As the Senate Republican Conference chair, he is widely speculated to run.  “That election doesn’t occur until later in November. To me, the key election is the one earlier in November. Read More…

Trump Aims for Decisive Victory on ‘Super Tuesday’

Donald Trump is aiming for a decisive victory on “Super Tuesday” as 15 states hold Republican contests in the primary season’s biggest voting day. Trump, despite facing numerous criminal charges, has dominated the Republican campaign, leaving Nikki Haley as his lone challenger. With a string of victories in early nominating contests, Trump has narrowed down Read More…

California lawmakers push minimum wage exemptions as pay-to-play accusations fly

(The Center Square) – California lawmakers are pushing for new exemptions to the state’s fast food minimum wage as controversy erupted over the state’s reported exemption for Panera Bread. California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved an exemption to the state’s $20 per hour minimum wage for fast-food employees to national fast-food chains with bakeries that sell Read More…

Trump thwarts Haley in her native South Carolina

(The Center Square) – Sweeping a fourth consecutive primary by double digits, former President Donald Trump left South Carolina victorious on Saturday and on a roll heading into Michigan on Tuesday. Nikki Haley, two-term governor of South Carolina and a former United Nations ambassador in Trump’s administration, was overwhelmed in unofficial totals. The race was Read More…

South Dakota, Iowa bills would ban guaranteed income programs

(The Center Square) – More states are taking preemptive steps against the policy of universal basic income. The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee recommended approval of a bill Friday prohibiting cities and counties from creating guaranteed income programs as other states consider similar measures. Senate Bill 115 defines guaranteed income as “a plan funded Read More…

Congressional watchdog again unable to determine if U.S. financial statements are reliable

(The Center Square) – A Congressional watchdog said Friday that it was again unable to determine if the federal government’s consolidated financial statements were reliable. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which is Congress’s research arm, said it was hampered by “serious financial management problems at the Department of Defense,” problems in accounting for transactions between Read More…

Biden faces fallout, calls for 25th amendment after messy press conference

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden is facing the fallout of a last-minute, messy press conference late Thursday where he attempted to defend his mental fitness but appeared to only amplify concerns. Biden called the press conference after the Special Counsel tasked with looking into his handling of classified documents announced Biden had committed Read More…