Public wants to know why the PSC is so slow.

By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief

"The Trump administration is kicking our national mammal off of public lands, and trying to replace bison — an ecological keystone of prairie ecosystems — with cattle, which causes a huge amount of ecological damage,” Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project on a lawsuit aimed at stopping bison from grazing on public lands.

Montana PSC criticized for responses to water problems, energy rate case

by Keila Szpaller

Members of the public told the Montana Public Service Commission on Tuesday that last year’s action against a Helena area water utility was ineffective and that ratepayers are concerned about a languishing energy rate case. Regulators didn’t have on their agenda the North Star subdivision, where residents have experienced water shortages, or NorthWestern Energy’s rate […]

Federal circuit dismisses youth climate lawsuit

by Micah Drew

The federal court system will not give a youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit additional consideration after a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition to rehear the case before the full circuit. Lighthiser v. Trump is one of a series of youth-led climate change lawsuits brought by Our Children’s Trust, an […]

Two lawsuits challenge federal ban on bison grazing in Montana

by Micah Drew

Two lawsuits filed in federal court seek to overturn a new policy by the Bureau of Land Management revoking federal grazing permits for bison herds in Montana. American Prairie, a conservation organization that owns and leases vast swaths of land in eastern Montana, has grazed a herd of more than 900 bison on federal land […]

Yellowstone National Park visitation ticks down slightly, on pace for third busiest year

As federal protections fade, disabled Americans fear a return to institutions

Sen. Wyden’s wildfire tax relief bill passes just before Congress recesses, goes to White House

State’s expenses for Rushmore fireworks were greater than economic impact, Tourism Department says

US employers shed 23K jobs in July

Trump taken via catering truck to secret flight amid Iran threats, report says

With new tactics, ICE reaches new high in monthly arrests

Anti-abortion groups urge attorney general to halt mailing of abortion pills

GOOD READS

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

Traces of Two Extinct ‘Ghost’ Ancestors Were Found Hiding in Modern Human DNA, Hinting at our Extremely Complex Family Tree | Smithsonian Magazine

Noem ‘not planning to run’ but doesn’t rule out a political future as her statue is unveiled | South Dakota Searchlight

AI models are breaking out of their cages. Their creators are scrambling | The Washington Post

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