Montana's Congressional delegation goes all in on Iran strike.

By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief

“Families do not want another war. They want a reasonable cost of living. They want health care they can afford. They want an end to (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)’s terror in their neighborhoods. And they do not want their sons and daughters placed in harm’s way by a reckless President. The people of this country deserve better." – Rep. Kathleen Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts and the U.S. House Minority Whip.

On Friday, our amazing team of reporters in Washington, D.C., reported that President Donald Trump was musing about a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, worrying some about military action.

On Saturday morning, most Americans woke to news that America, along with Israel, had bombed the Iranian regime, and were encouraging Iranian citizens to take back their country. Trump warned that a war with Iran will likely cost U.S. lives. Iran retaliated against the two countries, striking Middle East targets, while some allies of the United States have criticized the actions.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that billions of dollars continue to flow to American institutions of higher education from foreign governments. Some of that money supports research, but the department is warning of foreign influence because of the money.

In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation that would strip transgender residents of their drivers licenses, force them to get ones with their gender assigned at birth, regardless of any medical care they’ve gotten, and force them into gyms and locker rooms where they may be targeted. The Legislature overrode the veto, leading to fear and outrage.

Democrats in the United States Senate have asked United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent what his department’s refund plans are for $130 billion gathered because of tariffs the United States Supreme Court ruled were illegal. Still no word from the Treasury.

The United States Department of Defense is appealing a ruling to an appeals court when a federal judge said that the department did not have the right to strip U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, of rank and pay for encouraging soldiers not to follow illegal war orders.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has appointed Amanda Miles of Belgrade to the Montana Public Board of Education. Mills is the learning and development manager for Williams Plumbing, Heating and Civil Construction there. That means that she helps coordinate and recruit those for apprenticeship programs.

A couple of months ago, Mayflower Congregational Church in Billings was struck with hate-filled anti-LGBTQ+ messages spray painted in red on the side of its building. The vandals also ripped down a multi-colored flag, which declared that everyone was welcome. Within a day, despite chilly weather, the graffiti had been removed from the exterior walls of the church, though it was difficult because of the pebbled small stone building material. A few errant streaks of red can still be seen if you’re close enough — but not enough to even make out the words or the vile message.

The leaders of the congregation have replaced the banner and bounced back, unwilling to change their message or shy away from the controversy, even though the person or people responsible still have not been caught.

In addition to replacing the banner, which now hangs in the same location, the church’s normal metal entrance signs have taken on a much more colorful look, too.

There are moments that seem somewhat unreal, where you wonder: What in the exact hell is happening? I felt that way after we went into a country, kidnapped its leader and then took its oil, all while declaring a revival of The Monroe Doctrine. In a speech last week, Donald Trump mused about taking over Cuba, friendly, of course. And now we find ourselves at some kind of a newly launched war with Iran even as some of our traditional and longtime allies condemn our actions.

Such unsettling and destabilizing actions also have echoes of history. One of the best rock anthems, usually associated with the early 1980s (even though it was released in 1979) was The Clash’s iconic hit, “Rock the Casbah.” The song celebrated the protesting of the Iranian youth who were being targeted for owning anything that was reminiscent of western culture, including disco music. And hey, let’s not forget one of the most notable events of the 1970s was a disco demolition that went horribly, horribly wrong at Chicago’s Comiskey Park — one of the enduring reasons I love baseball and Chicago’s gritty attitude. It’s also why Bill Veeck may be one of my top baseball heroes.

Nevertheless, the bombing of Iran, the upheaval of the government and the clashes between ultra-right hardliners and more moderate people have made this rock protest anthem once again relevant. But it puts a new twist on the old song, which is nearly a half-century old (*another reason to feel very old): Even though the West cringed at the regime change in Iran, we knew how that turned out. Today, it’s a very different and serious question, with American lives at risk.

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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