By Keila Szpaller | Deputy Editor
“The very school districts that have taken steps to make sure trans kids aren’t bullied, aren’t harassed and aren’t teased have received the ire of this administration.” — U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, calling for protections of children who are transgender.
Montana Libertarian Party cries foul in Senate primary
by Jordan Hansen
Kyle Austin, the winner of the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate in Montana, says he’s not a Republican in disguise, but members of the Montana Libertarian Party are expressing concern about his candidacy. Austin beat Tom Jandron, who was endorsed by the Montana Libertarian Party at its convention earlier this year. There were 3,411 Libertarian […]
American Prairie, conservation groups appeal bison grazing decision
by Micah Drew
American Prairie and other conservation organizations have filed appeals in the federal government’s decision to terminate bison grazing leases on Bureau of Land Management parcels in Montana. As a result of the lease cancellation, American Prairie has halted an annual bison harvest program — which would have issued 17 hunting permits to members of the […]
Work still taking place, lawsuit unfolding on residential property taxes
by Keila Szpaller
Did you get skunked out of a property tax reduction? If so, you’re an outlier, but the 2027 Montana Legislature will work to help outliers, said Rep. Llew Jones, a Conrad Republican and House Appropriations Committee chairman who pushed through property tax relief bills in 2025. Jones pointed to seniors on set incomes as one […]
MORE FROM MONTANA
The body of a kayaker was recovered from Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park said. The incident is under investigation.
The Montana Free Press reports Benefis Health System in Great Falls paused a heart valve replacement program questioned by doctors. Benefis dismissed concerns.
Montana State News Bureau reports an audit found the Montana Lottery cannot provide a reliable picture of its finances.
COMMENTARY
Columnist George Ochenski looks back on the writing of lauded Montana historian K. Ross Toole and finds “The Rape of the Great Plains — Northwest America, Cattle and Coal,” has themes that echo today, with Montana in the crosshairs of environmental damage.
FROM OUR D.C. BUREAU
The Trump administration has failed to refund more than $145 billion in tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unlawful, a pair of U.S. Senate Democrats said in a letter to the administration’s chief of customs.
President Donald Trump has spent more than a week baselessly alleging malfeasance in California’s June 2 primary election, even though California’s long count is a well-known feature of its elections, with election officials given about a month to process and tally all ballots.
Trump announced that administration officials were close to brokering an end to the hostilities with Iran and predicted there could be a signing ceremony in Europe as soon as this weekend.
A group of 16 U.S. Senate Democrats is calling on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to tighten its regulation of prediction markets, citing concerns over insider trading and other consumer harms as betting on future events grows in popularity.
Democrats in the U.S. House called for greater protections for transgender and diverse students, criticizing congressional Republican and Trump administration efforts to dissolve diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
THE HOOK
Happy Friday, and happy start of the World Cup!
Did you watch yesterday?
I missed the opener, but congrats to Mexico. I did watch South Korea pummel Czechia only to be skunked out of the first goal, but then, they took the win anyway, with some hard work from their goalie. 🇰🇷 ⚽️
So today, your hook is a K-pop tune, “0X1=Lovesong (I know I Love You),” by Tomorrow X Together, or TXT. The BBC called K-pop South Korea’s biggest export.
If you’ve got teens, you might have heard some of these tunes already.
Oh, you want sports, not K-pop? You’re in luck: Today, it’s USA v. Paraguay. 🇺🇸⚽️
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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