Conservative organization wants Montana to rewrite its constitution

By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief

"I’m frustrated we have to go to court yet again to force the Trump administration to do its job and comply with the Endangered Species Act. If federal officials would let this landmark law truly work for wolves, we could see these amazing animals start to recover in places they once thrived." – Collette Adkins, attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, on the Trump administration’s failure to comply with a judge’s order on wolves.

The Center for Biological Diversity is taking the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to federal court, arguing that it’s not following a judge’s order to build a plan to preserve the gray wolf in the Lower 48 States.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added more targets to its 2026 Election plans, and it announced on Wednesday that it was zeroing in on Montana’s western Congressional seat held by Republican Ryan Zinke, even as the field is becoming crowded with challengers.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed an executive proclamation that made Tuesday the Treasure State’s official “mining day.” Makes sense for the “Gold and Silver” state.

In a testy hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans were quick to defend the policies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary Kristi Noem was a no-show, but the meeting heated up, including questioning by some Democrats wondering how the administration is squaring its professed Christian values with rounding up immigrants.

The White House confirmed that several Democratic governors, including the vice chairman of the National Governor’s Association had been “disinvited” from the traditionally bipartisan meetings in Washington, D.C. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it’s President Donald J. Trump’s prerogative to invite whomever he wants. However, all other Democratic governors, 16 in total, have boycotted the meetings.

Speaking of the president, a huge bridge that will connect Detroit with Windsor, Ontario, may be halted as Trump threatens to close it before the structure opens unless Canada pays the U.S. for unspecified things the U.S. has done for our neighbors to the North. He also warned that Canada is brokering deals with China that will result in a loss of all hockey and the prized Stanley Cup.

Note: some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall

Some excellent reporting by our next-door neighbors and friends at the Idaho Capital Sun reveal that after the Idaho state government slashed its budget for health and human services, at least two deaths have happened because of the shortage of care and services, something that mental health advocates had warned and worried about.

In another frightening example of our divided political state, our colleagues at the Tennessee Lookout report that Republican Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on an idea of a state-based homeland security force that would be exempt from any public records request and whose data will never have to be shared, leading many to worry about the civil rights implications as well as allegations of a secret police.

The Hill, a journal of politics in Washington, D.C., reports that Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is blaming Democrats for allegedly paid protestors and encouraging residents in Minnesota to provoke ICE agents. He quipped that the Democrats “have their martyrs” in Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Because social media and personal narrative have become so commonplace, we tend to know a lot more about our neighbors, friends and leaders than we probably wanted to know. For example, the trend of posting whatever food you’ve most recently eaten seems like a waste of perfectly good electrons.

But there is something powerful and deeply gratifying about well written personal narrative and memoir, even though we’re awash in people sharing the flotsam and jetsam of their personal lives, often without much meaning.

I was fortunate to get to work with author and journalist Craig Lancaster when I was at The Billings Gazette. I am also lucky that I have gotten to know him as a friend, even after that. It’s so easy to think you know someone, but there are so many examples of stories, people and events that shape our friends and family that are often hidden from us.

In his latest Substack post, Lancaster details his own personal journey of being adopted, learning about it, and reconciling the families and what impact adoption has had on his life. It doesn’t take much to realize that he’s a helluva writer, but he’s a gifted editor, and I read every last word of his recent birthday post. This post,”The Letter” , my friends, is a great example of personal, poignant memoir writing.

Sometimes, the world and the events happen so fast, that it can feel isolating. And, you know it’s just pure joy when a good friend pops up in your email or text. That happened to me on Wednesday when my good friend and another former Billings Gazette colleague submitted something for “The Hook.” EDJ and all-’round great person Rachelle Lacy has today’s song, and I just love it. I have included her submission, and a little of its backstory. By the way, Lacy was always the person who thought if the newspaper gig didn’t work out, the cast of characters from the newsroom should hit the road in a follies-type production. What she didn’t know is that she had the lion’s share of rhythm and dancing talent. The rest of us were probably more suited for "The Gong Show” or “Let’s Make a Deal.”

So, with that said, over to you, Rachelle.

Back in my dance-teaching days, I choreographed a tap dance for my intermediate students, complete with dribbling, passing basketballs, and other difficult feets - 'scuse me - feats. Though many students dropped out of that class because of the difficulty (my bad), the dancers who stuck it out eventually earned a special honorable mention at that year’s Spotlight Dance Cup competition. This song gives me great joy not only for that reason, but for the Chicago tie-in, and for its history.

Born in 1902 in Montgomery, Alabama, whistler and bones player Freeman Davis (who performed under the names "Brother Bones” and “Whistling Sam”) may be best known for Brother Bones and His Shadows’ 1949 recording of “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

The jazz standard, composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, became most famous when the Harlem Globetrotters adopted it as their theme song in 1952.

The Harlem Globetrotters (originally called the “Savoy Big Five,” named for their home court in Chicago South Side’s Savoy Ballroom) are celebrating their 100^th birthday this year. May this bring other the feelings of joy, energy, strength and dreams of unity as much as it brings me.

If you have a song that you’d like to share, or would like to get in touch with us, please send us a note at [email protected]

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