Columbus
Daily Montanan
Judge grants injunction saying inactive voters signatures must be counted for petitions
A Lewis and Clark County District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction Friday morning that says inactive voters’ signatures must count as valid signatures for three proposed ballot issues that are poised to be on November’s ballot once signature totals are certified by the Secretary of State’s Office. However, during the hearing, not all the […]
How a region responded to Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ with their own book
As a tenth generation Appalachian, Ivy Brashear sees J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” as a “really one-sided and simple view of the region.” In an effort to help broaden people’s view of Appalachia, she decided to share her own narrative as part of a collection of writings in the 2019 book, “Appalachian Reckoning: A Region […]
Defense secretary orders review of Wounded Knee Massacre medals
The medals awarded to soldiers who participated in the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre will be subjected to a review, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday. The department said the review’s purpose is “to ensure no awardees were recognized for conduct inconsistent with the nation’s highest military honor.” The move comes after years of activism […]
Biden’s dump stumps old Trump
It’s safe to say the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when President Joe Biden decided to end his re-election bid and “pass the torch to a new generation.” After so many months of being told this election has American democracy hanging in the balance, we finally have a real choice. Now there’s only […]
Yellowstone National Park releases record of decision for new bison management plan
Yellowstone National Park released its new bison management plan Wednesday which has been in the works for more than two years and will aim to keep around 5,000 bison in the park’s herds and continue prioritizing the use of a program to transfer healthy bison to tribes across the country. The park will keep the bison […]
Missoula, western Montanans, clean up after windstorm, 109 mph gusts on Mount Sentinel
Missoulians were cleaning up debris and negotiating power outages Thursday after a storm and high winds the night before split trees to the ground and uprooted them, dropped power lines and damaged homes and gardens. Jan Oliver, who owns a home in the middle of Missoula, was clearing branches Thursday afternoon with one tenant, Bryan […]
Colorado judge temporarily blocks Kroger-Albertsons grocery ‘megamerger’
A Colorado judge has issued an order temporarily blocking the proposed $24.6 billion merger between the nation’s two largest supermarket chains ahead of an antitrust trial in state court set to begin in September. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in February sued to block the merger between grocery giant Kroger, which operates King Soopers and […]
25 states file emergency appeal to U.S. Supreme Court to halt EPA’s carbon rule
Attorneys general in 25 states, including Montana’s Austin Knudsen, have sent an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court asking it to immediately halt a Biden administration rule that they say threatens to shutter the country’s remaining fleet of coal-fired power plants. The emergency appeal to stay the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to require […]
For being the state’s top lawyer, Knudsen seems awfully confused about Montana law
For all of Austin Knudsen’s certainty that Montana’s judiciary is chocked full of liberal, activist judges, he seems a lot less certain about the law itself. That is not exactly a reassuring look for the state’s attorney general. Or for a Republican who is part of the party that claims it’s the defender of law […]
Two Montana ballot initiative groups say they’ve met signature requirements
After county election officials processed another 16,000 signatures from inactive Montana voters this week as ordered by a district court in Helena, proponents of three ballot initiatives said Wednesday they had easily surpassed the signature thresholds necessary to make the ballot in November. Counties had until noon Wednesday to finish counting the thousands of additional […]
Postal Service abruptly ended negotiations with Alpine Air in Montana
The U.S. Postal Service abruptly stopped air service in Montana this week even after Alpine Air, its air cargo contractor in the state, offered a roughly $3 million reduction in its contract, according to the company CEO. In a phone call Wednesday, Alpine Air CEO Michael Dancy said negotiations were underway as early as last […]
9th Circuit sends BIA case back, reverses judgment, orders new federal judge to be assigned
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday removed and reversed Montana District Court Judge Susan P. Watters from a case involving a former Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer who raped and impregnated a Northern Cheyenne woman while on duty. The federal case, which is seven years old, has bounced through federal and state […]
Montana to receive $50M in federal grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Montana is set to receive $50 million in grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will go toward a forestry and agricultural project that would reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 15 million metric tons through 2050. The EPA and state announced Monday the Montana Forest, Community and Working Landscapes […]
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters announces guidelines for Bible usage
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters issued guidelines Wednesday for how teachers should include the Bible in public school curriculum that include requiring analysis of biblical stories and art. And amid a growing swell of pushback from districts, he warned there would be consequences for school districts that don’t comply. Varying by grade level, […]
Puget Sound Energy building two massive wind energy projects in Montana
RAPELJE — As Montana citizens and groups pressure the state’s largest public utility, NorthWestern Energy, to add more renewable energy to its portfolio while the company continues pushing a series of natural-gas power plants, a Washington-based utility is building an expansive wind farm that will send power to the Seattle area. Puget Sound Energy is also […]
Trump’s Project 2025 plans will hurt Montana’s most vulnerable
Project 2025 is Trump’s plan for his second term—if he wins. The 900-plus page “Mandate for Leadership: the Conservative Promise” details his agenda for his first 180 days in office and is publicly available. Google it. You should know, that title is no accident. Republicans used a 3,000-page manual, called the “Mandate for Leadership: Policy […]
Montana Supreme Court denies Secretary of State request it take over initiative case
The Montana Supreme Court won’t take over a lawsuit that affects signature counting for three Constitutional ballot initiatives — one to protect abortion and two to change the way candidates win elections. In an order Tuesday, justices unanimously said Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen hadn’t made the case that District Court Judge Mike Menahan erred […]
NorthWestern Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities ask PSC for new rate hikes
NorthWestern Energy and Montana-Dakota Utilities both are making rate requests that would increase customers’ power bills — following significant rate hikes approved last year. In August 2023, the Montana Public Service Commission approved additional revenue for MDU that meant a 9.1% increase for residential electric customers, although MDU wanted even more. In October 2023, the […]
First-ever hoot owl fishing restrictions ordered for part of Flathead River basin
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is putting hoot-owl fishing restrictions in place starting Wednesday on the North Fork Flathead River – the first time such restrictions have ever been put in place in the Flathead River drainage. The restrictions go into effect at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and prohibit people from fishing between 2 p.m. […]
Sen. Menendez to resign, ending storied career capped by bribery conviction
Sen. Bob Menendez intends to resign from the U.S. Senate effective Aug. 20, ending a 50-year career of public service that ended in disgrace when he was convicted on corruption charges. Menendez, 70, initially resisted calls to resign following his September indictment and ignored reporters’ questions about it after last week’s verdict in Manhattan. But […]
Daily Montanan
6K+
Posts
68M+
Views
The Daily Montanan is a nonprofit, nonpartisan source for trusted news, commentary and insight into statewide policy and politics beneath the Big Sky. We seek to cover state government and issues, including public lands, politics, healthcare and education by not only reporting what is happening, but why and how the news affects the lives of Treasure State residents. We are an independent news outlet dedicated to the belief that truth, transparency and trust are essential to a free republic. We are a proud affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers, which has editors and reporters throughout the country dedicated to relentless coverage of state government, policies and statewide issues.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.