U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson decried antisemitism and raised the possibility of calling in the National Guard to disperse student protesters during a trip to Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday. Students on that campus, as well as others throughout the country in recent days, have hosted large anti-war rallies calling on the […] The post U.S. House speaker confronts anti-war protesters at Columbia University appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Lawmakers expressed concern to top brass at the Montana Department of Corrections this week over an audit showing limited educational offerings in the state’s correctional facilities. “​​I was pretty disappointed when I read the report because we have been going through a lot of these issues for at least three-and-a-half years,” said Rep. Fiona Nave, R-Columbus. […] The post ‘We don’t seem to be getting anywhere’: Legislators grill DOC officials over inmate education appeared first on Daily Montanan.

A federal court on Tuesday mostly upheld a judge’s decision last fall to limit Montana’s wolf trapping and snaring season to six weeks in January and February over what he said was the potential for grizzly bears to incidentally get caught in the traps in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The 9th Circuit Court […] The post 9th Circuit upholds length-of-season restrictions for Montana wolf trapping, snaring appeared first on Daily Montanan.

WASHINGTON — Cheered for his pro-union stance and promise to rework the tax code, President Joe Biden picked up a major endorsement Wednesday from North America’s Building Trades Unions, a massive labor organization now committing resources in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Democratic leader received multiple standing ovations at the union’s […] The post Biden cracks jokes about Trump’s hair, acquires another major union endorsement appeared first on Daily Montanan.

KALISPELL — On a cold February morning at the Flathead Warming Center, Tashya Evans waited for help with her Medicaid application as others at the shelter got ready for the day in this northwestern Montana city. Evans said she lost Medicaid coverage in September because she hadn’t received paperwork after moving from Great Falls, Montana. […] The post Unsheltered people are losing Medicaid in redetermination mix-ups appeared first on Daily Montanan.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan emergency spending law Wednesday to provide an additional $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and public pleas for Congress to approve the funding. The package also included a measure requiring the popular app TikTok be sold by its Chinese […] The post Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan into law appeared first on Daily Montanan.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices […] The post Trump’s claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Who would have ever imagined that Peter would not return from a 9-day canoe trip on the Green River in Utah?  We drove to Utah on April 10, 2023, and I stayed in Roy to visit a cousin while Peter and a fishing buddy continued to Moab on April 11.  Peter put on the river […] The post Mushrooms, especially wild harvested ones, can be dangerous. Know the risks. appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Montana behavioral health nonprofits largely supported recommendations presented Tuesday to the state’s behavioral health commission, which is advising the governor on how to spend $300 million allocated to bolster mental health resources in the state. Gov. Greg Gianforte has already approved some allocations of the funds like $7.5 million for providers to conduct court-ordered forensic […] The post Montana nonprofits supportive of state’s recommendations to behavioral health commission appeared first on Daily Montanan.

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former president’s lawyers’ explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned […] The post NY judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on Daily Montanan.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor Tuesday announced a final rule that means millions of salaried workers who are employed in the executive, administrative or professional industries will become eligible for overtime pay. The rule will affect roughly 4 million workers in the first year of implementation and will be broken into two checkpoints. […] The post Millions of salaried workers to become eligible for overtime under new Biden rule appeared first on Daily Montanan.

A water-rights dispute that has drawn the attention of all three branches of Montana government threatens to hurt Montana’s largest industry — agriculture — and public education. A decision by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to claim water rights on a parcel of state trust land in eastern Gallatin County has triggered […] The post Water’s for fightin’: DNRC decision could undermine state land use, agriculture in Montana appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Money for public schools could pay for private- or home-school students’ plane tickets to study Italian — or for their chicken coops or lessons in ice skating or rodeo roping, according to plaintiffs alleging a 2023 education bill approved by the Montana Legislature is unconstitutional. This week, the Montana Quality Education Coalition and Disability Rights […] The post Bill for students with disabilities should be stopped as lawsuit unfolds, plaintiffs argue appeared first on Daily Montanan.

An increasing number of Montanans say their quality of life is getting worse and point to ongoing development and what they say is the changing character of the state as primary reasons, according to a biennial statewide poll released Tuesday by the University of Montana. The 2024 Public Lands Survey is the sixth from UM’s […] The post Survey: Montanans say quality of life getting worse, but support for public lands still strong appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Trump fatigue is real. How could it not be? We’ve been held hostage by this man’s childish, self-indulgent antics for nearly a decade now, and it’s exhausting.  But it’s also Page One in the Donald Trump playbook, and probably has been since he was in kindergarten. He has mastered the art of never backing down […] The post If you want to understand Donald Trump, read ‘Don Quixote’ appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Montana’s winter is shaping up to have been among the worst for snowpack in 25 years and, combined with current outlooks, has water forecasters warning that streamflow levels this summer could be well below normal across most of the state. Early last month, Montana forecasters and water supply specialists said the state would need above-average […] The post Below normal water supply forecasted for Montana after low-snow winter appeared first on Daily Montanan.

WASHINGTON — A majority of U.S Supreme Court justices Monday seemed inclined to side with an Oregon town’s law that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, in a case that could have broad implications for local ordinances related to homelessness across the country. During oral arguments in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, conservative justices said […] The post U.S. Supreme Court appears to lean toward Oregon city in complex homelessness case  appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Two boilers at the end of their lifespan failed in the Montana State Prison at the end of March, affecting 170 inmates in a low-security unit at the Deer Lodge facility. Since the failure, it’s taken weeks for the 30-years-old boilers to be replaced.  New boilers are expected to arrive this week for installation, Montana Department […] The post Inmates with intermittent hot water at State Prison appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Oral arguments in former President Donald Trump’s historic case in New York began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom where jurors will be tasked with deciding whether deceptive hush money payments to hide an affair amount to a criminal conviction. The first-ever criminal trial of an ex-U.S. president centers on Trump’s alleged falsified business records to cover up […] The post NY prosecutor ties Trump hush money payments to campaign as criminal trial kicks off  appeared first on Daily Montanan.

Aging services in Cascade and Missoula Counties are urging vigilance for Medicare enrollees around a scam offering free services or equipment in exchange for Medicare numbers. Renee Labrie-Shanks, Director of the Statewide Senior Medicare Patrol Program at Missoula Aging Services says Medicare enrollees themselves are the “frontline defense against fraud.” “If someone offers free medical […] The post Feds, Montana Aging Services warn of scam targeting Medicare enrollees appeared first on Daily Montanan.