Digging dinos in D.C.

By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief

Today, we begin not in Montana, but Washington, D.C. Some states said they weren’t paying to host an exhibit at the Great American State Fair, seeing it as a political stunt by President Donald Trump. But for those who attend, Montana has sent educators and virtual dinosaur digs to encourage folks to visit the Treasure State. Still no word on what the event costs Montana’s residents.

The Western Governors Association agrees to form a task force to address an issue affecting the entire West: How to get enough energy to all the places. That means states will work to build plans about energy lines, especially with the huge demands being forecasted because of rising temperatures and data centers.

And Trump gets a “rough (rider)” welcome in North Dakota as he visits the Theodore Roosevelt Library, bringing with him Roosevelt’s Medal of Honor that had been kept at the White House. Now, it will be housed in Medora as the library and museum opens just across the border in North Dakota.

While the Montana Republican Party has never warmly endorsed “The Montana Plan,” which would prohibit corporations from spending money on candidates or endorsements, the GOP officially adopts a resolution opposing the measure.

Following in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt, current President Donald Trump rode a train into Medora. There, he was met by a posse of rough riders who escorted him to the library for a fellow New York-born president.

But as much as Teddy Roosevelt is being celebrated in North Dakota, historians and residents must also deal with a much darker side of the history — Roosevelt held decidedly racist views.

Our friends in Wyoming report an outbreak of measles near Jackson Hole that has some officials worried. Jackson and Teton National Park are among the most popular tourist destinations in the West, as well as close to Yellowstone National Park, which could hasten the spread of the disease.

Nearly half of the states of the U.S. are experience dangerously hot weather, including the Washington, D.C., area and much of the eastern seaboard, which will be turning out to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday this weekend.

Two years after the United States Supreme Court ruled that cities can enact more stringent rules regarding those who are unhoused, a survey of cities shows that more than 350 of them across the U.S. have adopted some sort of ordinances making it harder for homeless people.

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

Today, we begin with two stories from The Washington Post. The first sounds like the stuff of science fiction books or movies: However, large tech companies that are pioneering artificial intelligence have been hiring programmers as well as ethicists and even philosophers because there’s an emerging worry that these machines are becoming self aware.

And according to The Post, there’s one thing that’s even more tricky than finding people at the Great American State Fair — good food. The Post’s food section goes to the fair and doesn’t find much of the typical fair food. What is even harder is understanding the mix of food, which has Chinese cuisine being cooked alongside pizza and other odd offerings. The bottled water is free, but don’t waste your time on the chocolate chip cookies.

Politico reports that some states that have adopted (as has Montana) a policy of prohibiting junk food and soda from being purchased with “food stamps” has been struck down by a court. The ruling won’t affect Montana, according to the reporting, but it could spell trouble for other states if those rules are challenged.

Earlier this week, the campaign of Sam Forstag put out polling that claimed that the First Congressional District was a dead heat between him and the Republican, Aaron Flint. We note this poll because it’s interesting and a look at polls during the last few months certainly suggests the gap is narrowing. However, when we looked at the data, there was enough room in the margin-of-error to make declaring a dead heat less than certain. However, the polls taken together suggest it’s going to be a close race.  

Today, we feature a deep track from an album that got a fairly tepid response. As I was thinking about the stifling temperatures that are hitting most of America, as Montana braces for warmer weather, I am reminded of Chicago’s “Hot Streets” album.

The album, released in 1978, was not a commercial success. You probably won’t remember many songs from it, unless you’re a big fan of the group. Critics thought it was mediocre and somewhat confused as the band was transitioning to a new lead guitar and vocalist after one of the founding members, Terry Kath, had accidentally shot himself, leaving the group a bit drifting.

I can see why it didn’t do well commercially or critically. The album sounds a lot like the Chicago we all know and love. It’s almost as if another Chicago-cover band was doing a very good imitation. There were a few good tracks, but given the meteoric chart performance of their albums up until then, it must have been a let down, especially given the terrible tragedy of Kath.

The album also seems like a collection of songs without a theme and without really advancing anything particular exciting or new. However, as those songs have sat collecting dust, there are a few that may be worth revisiting. Today’s song, “Ain’t It Time,” seems better suited for today than it did when it was written.

Ain’t It Time

Oh, what a lucky day
Things are going my way
The sun is arising, mesmerizing everything I say
People all around this uptight town
Someone's going to recognize me

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time? Hey

Dues I've been paying for so long, only making me stronger (hey)
Lady luck, won't you please come to me? I can't wait any longer
I spend all my time writing notes and rhyme (ooh)
Trying to find new dimensions

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time? (Don't you know it's the time?)

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?

Time for moving on (time for moving)
Time enough to grow
Time enough to find myself
Everything's okay (everything is okay)

What a lucky day
Time enough to play my guitar
Time for moving on (what a lucky day)
Time enough to grow

Time enough to find myself
Everything's okay (what a lucky day)
What a lucky day
Time enough to play my guitar

Competition everywhere is getting all of us down
I've been making all the rounds
Feel like a train on the wrong track
Oh, don't get lost 'cause you might get caught (ooh)
Going out the wrong door now

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time? (Don't you know it's the time?)

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?

Ain't it time?
Ain't it time?
Ain't it time? (Come on)

Time for moving on (time for moving on)
Time enough to grow
Time enough to find myself
Everything's okay (everything is okay)

What a lucky day
Time enough to play my guitar
Time for moving on (what a lucky day)
Time enough to grow

Time enough to find myself
Everything's okay (what a lucky day)
What a lucky day
Time enough to play my guitar

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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