Weekly News Roundup
Week ending February 25, 2024
Dangerous Conditions for Young Livestock Monday Afternoon Through Tuesday
Temperatures to Drop 30-40 Degrees Monday Night Into Tuesday With Snow Accumulations
By Denise Rivette The Billings office of the National Weather Service predicts our warm and windy weather will transition briefly to cold and snowy by Monday evening. Tuesday will be the coldest day of the week before a warming trend is expected to move back in on Wednesday.
'Defending Democracies, Defending Borders Act' Expedited to House Floor for Debate
By Denise Rivette Representatives Brian Fiztpatrick (R-PA) and Jared Golden (D-ME) were on Face the Nation this morning to announce that they have found a way to move their bipartisan legislation HB7372, Defending Democracies, Defending Borders Act, quickly to the the House floor for debate and vote. They seem confident that by putting forth their bare bones bill and welcoming floor amendments the House of Representatives will be able to craft a bill that will pass both the House and the Senate. See their interview below (approximately 7 minutes).
Bi-Partisan Group of Representatives Puts Forward "Defending Borders, Defending Democracy Act"
By Denise Rivette Five Republican and five Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives penned a letter to their colleagues asking them to come together and support H.R. 7372, the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act. According to the letter, “This legislation provides, for one-year, the necessary authorities to secure the U.S. border and defense-only appropriations to support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.” The ten representatives went on to lay out their case for supporting the bill and provided a summary of the bill.
Rep. Matt Rosendale Files For U.S. House Run After Brief Senate Campaign
By: Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Representative Matt Rosendale filed to run for re-election in his U.S House seat Saturday after suspending a short-lived campaign for Senate earlier this month. A spokesperson for the campaign in a request for comment on the decision to run said the Congressman should have an announcement soon, but is currently working with colleagues on the impending deadline to fund the federal government next week.
At the fringes of treatment options, some Montanans find hope through psychedelics
By: Emily Tschetter for the Daily Montanan When Sheila settled into the recliner and slid the blindfold over her eyes, she didn’t know what to expect. She had tried every treatment she could think of – several medications, therapy, meditation and others. None of them worked. Sheila is diagnosed with severe post- traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
In CPAC Speech, Trump Predicts ‘Losing World War III’ If He Is Not Elected
By: Jennifer Shutt for States Newsroom Former President Donald Trump painted a bleak picture Saturday of what would happen to the United States should voters reelect Joe Biden to the Oval Office in November. The front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, who made similar predictions ahead of the 2020 presidential election, told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference — known as CPAC — just outside Washington, D.C., that only he could pr…
Supreme Court justices, governors weigh how to ‘disagree better’ in a polarized U.S.
By Jennifer Shutt for the Daily Montanan WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor spoke to the nation’s governors Friday about how they disagree on cases of major import without restoring to the rancor that often marks modern politics.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces fraud alert for COVID-19 cryptocurrency scam
U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Montana just released the following updated press release. BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office are alerting the public about a nationwide scam to trick individuals into paying cryptocurrency to lift fake, non-existent arrest warrants.
Feds push for expanded data collection on Indian Child Welfare Act cases
by Mara Silvers for Montana Free Press In an effort to better understand how Native American children are faring in foster care, the Biden administration’s health department is proposing a rule that would require state child welfare systems to gather more data about child removal cases that are subject to the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Federal judge quizzes lawyers in Flathead National Forest plan lawsuit
By: Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan When should a road count as a road? Grizzly bears avoid roads — even ones that aren’t used by motor vehicles. So the Flathead National Forest is supposed to limit road density on forest land for that threatened species – and bull trout benefit, too.
Montana Prisons Still Overcrowded After Arizona Inmate Transfer
by Arren Kimbel-Sannit for Montana Free Press Overcrowding at state prison and county jail facilities in Montana continues to be a problem despite the state’s recent transfer of 120 inmates to a private prison in Arizona, officials with the Montana Department of Corrections told lawmakers Tuesday.
Service Academy Nominees Announced
By Denise Rivette Every year our federal senators and representatives have the honor of nominating students to attend the nation’s military academies. These are the men and women who will lead our forces and shape the future. Members of Congress may nominate up to ten individuals to compete for each vacancy. Each U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator is also allotted five constituents to attend the Academies at any one time.
Death and Redemption in an American Prison
By Markian Hawryluk for KFF Health News Steven Garner doesn’t like to talk about the day that changed his life. A New Orleans barroom altercation in 1990 escalated to the point where Garner, then 18, and his younger brother Glenn shot and killed another man. The Garners claimed self-defense, but a jury found them guilty of second-degree murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Long-distance rail route through southern Montana garners another nod from feds
by Amanda Eggert for Montana Free Press A Chicago-to-Seattle passenger rail route that passes through some of Montana’s most populous counties has been included in a list of 15 long-distance routes tapped for restoration by the federal government. The development marks the
State investment director describes workforce housing project as ‘golden handcuffs’
By: Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan The executive director for the state’s board of investments told legislators Tuesday the workforce housing project in Deer Lodge would be intended to place “golden handcuffs” on prison employees who would be living there.
BREAKING: Following Senators' Efforts, Malmstrom to Receive New MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopters
By Denise Rivette Following sustained efforts, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that Malmstrom Air Force Base will officially receive new MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters to replace the decades-old Vietnam-era Huey fleet. Malmstrom is set to receive seven MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters this year and additional aircraft will be delivered later. The first aircraft will be flown into Malmstrom in March.
Tester and Grassley Send Bipartisan Letter Urging Senate Colleagues to Stand Up to Big Ag Consolidation, Put Family Farmers & Ranchers First
(U.S. Senate) — U.S. Senators and farmers Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today sent a letter pressing their colleagues to stand up to Big Ag consolidation by opposing recent efforts to weaken the Packers and Stockyards Act in the upcoming FY 2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill, and protect family farmers and ranchers as well as consumers at the meat counter.
Does the US Army’s Future Lie in Europe or Asia?
By Denise Rivette There is a very interesting article on the future of the U.S. Army in British-based magazine, The Economist, that you can read HERE. If you encounter a paywall and would like to read the entire article, please contact me as my subscription allows me to “gift” a limited number of articles. Below are some highlights.
Zinke pitches bill restricting federal land transfers
by Amanda Eggert for Montana Free Press Western Montana U.S. Rep Ryan Zinke, a Republican up for re-election this year, announced this week that he’s co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to restrict the transfer of federal lands to other owners. Representatives from national and statewide sporting and conservation organizations joined the third-term
Carbon County Law Enforcement Blotter
TOTAL CALLS FOR SERVICE = 236 WELFARE CHECK = 8 MEDICALS = 25 ACTIVE ALARMS = 8 TRAFFIC COMPLAINT = 6 CRASH = 9 ARRESTS = 2 INCARCERATIONS = 1 February 12 Deputies responded to a backroad after a concerned citizen called in to report someone with no lights bicycling in the middle of the night. Upon arrival, it was found to be a young, teenaged girl. She was miles from home and her family did not know she was gone. She accepted a ride back to town from a deputy and was put back into the care of her mother.
Navalny's Wife Will Continue to Fight For The Russian Constitution; Americans Must Find the Will to Defend Ours
By Denise Rivette Yulia Navalnaya, Alexi Novalny’s widow, has vowed to carry on her husband’s fight for the Russian Constitution and asks us all to join her in the continual fight for freedom (see video below). As the Russian situation shows, constitutions are just pieces of paper unless the citizenry actively defends them every day.
In California, Face-off Between Major Insurer and Health System Shows Hazards of Consolidation
By Annie Sciacca for KFF Health News For weeks, more than half a million Anthem Blue Cross enrollees who receive health care from the University of California were held in suspense. It wasn’t clear whether they would have to find new doctors or switch plans as the health system and one of its largest insurance partners struggled to reach agreement on a new contract.
Montana certifies No Labels party for 2024 election
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Montana certified the No Labels Montana Party as eligible for the 2024 election, the Secretary of State’s office said Friday. The party seeks to create “a unity ticket to run in 2024 if the two parties [Republicans and Democrats] select unreasonably divisive presidential nominees,” according to the party’s
Democrat Ryan Busse announces Raph Graybill as lieutenant governor candidate
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan Raph Graybill has had close friends tell him they want to have children, but they’re afraid to get pregnant in “Greg Gianforte’s Montana.” Graybill, a lawyer, has fought and won against abortion bans in cases playing out across Montana, but he said even though the courts have blocked legislation supported by Republican legislators and signed by Republican Gov. Gianforte, the laws still create fear.
How Montana Pays For Its Public Schools, In Pictures
by Alex Sakariassen and Eric Dietrich for Montana Free Press Educating Montana’s youth is one of the state’s most costly endeavors and a responsibility shouldered by citizens of all stripes: teachers, parents, voters, taxpayers. It’s a promise baked into the very fabric of the state Constitution, which vows
Ketamine Therapy for Mental Health a ‘Wild West’ for Doctors and Patients
By Dawn Megli for KFF Health News In late 2022, Sarah Gutilla’s treatment-resistant depression had grown so severe, she was actively contemplating suicide. Raised in foster care, the 34-year-old’s childhood was marked by physical violence, sexual abuse, and drug use, leaving her with life-threatening mental scars.
Indoor air quality in long-term care facilities during wildfires? It’s worse than you’d think.
By: Kylie Mohr for KFF Health News Every year, wildfires across the western U.S. and Canada send plumes of smoke into the sky. When that smoke blows into southwestern Idaho’s Treasure Valley, it blankets Boise-area residents in dirty air. They include seniors living in long-term care facilities, many of whom are considered an