By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief
Today we begin with a new proposal from the U.S. Senate’s odd couple, conservative Tim Sheehy of Montana and Adam Schiff of California. They have come together to propose legislation that would require public school districts to only buy food “Made In America” without permission from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Also, we highlight Montana Auditor James Brown’s effort to police the bail bonding industry, including an investigation about a bondsman in Kalispell who allegedly traded bonding for sexual favors. Also, President Donald Trump is urging Congress to make daylight saving time permanent.
Sheehy, Schiff bill would require waiver before schools buy foreign food products
by Jordan Hansen
Saying it is an effort to support American agriculture, a new piece of legislation from U.S. Sens. Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, and Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, would require schools to submit a waiver to the federal government before buying food not produced in the United States. Two previous laws create incentives for schools […]
State auditor suspends Kalispell bail bondsman
by Keila Szpaller
State Auditor James Brown suspended the license of a Kalispell bail bondsman after an investigation found evidence the bondsman traded services for sexual favors and exploited people in other ways. Signed on Monday, the suspension order said bail bondsman Laine Kendall Callahan disputed the allegation he used his position in exchange for personal favors including […]
Trump urges US Senate to pass bill making daylight saving time permanent
by Shauneen Miranda
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is urging Republican senators to “release their holds” and pass a measure making daylight saving time permanent nationwide. A bipartisan bill passed the House in July but faces hurdles in the Senate, where members from both parties have pushed back against ending the semiannual clock changes. “People are sick and tired of […]
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Many states are reporting that their foster child care systems are being overwhelmed. Too many kids in the system and not enough qualified homes have created headaches that Montana has also experienced at times. The newest reporting shows that many state systems have foster children living in motels or in state offices.
As funding has expired for attorneys to represent children who are in the immigration system, advocates have worried that these already vulnerable people will now not have the benefit of representation. On Wednesday, it was announced that a small Texas law firm with ties to President Donald Trump has received the contract to represent those kids, even though it has little experience in immigration or asylum law.
Temporary Protected Status, which was shielding Syrian and Haitian refugees who had come to America during the Biden administration, has officially ended, causing fear among the 350,000 immigrants who are hoping for refuge in the country, but could become targeted by the Trump administration.
Despite concerns about her independence and her ability to stick with science instead of politics, the United States Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz to become the next leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Trump has announced plans to keep National Guard forces in Washington, D.C., at least through his second presidential term. New reporting to the United States Senate shows that keeping troops in the city will cost American taxpayers an estimated $1.4 billion.
THE HOOK
Before Tinder or any social dating apps, and even before cell phones (hard as that is to now imagine), love affairs were the stuff of neighborhood gossip and out-of-town rendezvous spots. Both rock and country music have example after example of people meeting up for clandestine rendezvous in dark, smoke-filled bars, which, in turn spun off music that talked about those kind of spots.
But as I was driving across most of Montana yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice that no matter where I went, the smoke seemed to follow. Smoky places used to be the kind of spots where people went intentionally. Now, we’re all trying to get away from the smoke, and even for those tobacco enthusiasts (no judgment here), they’re not just banned from bars and restaurants, but 25 feet from the entrance of most public establishments by law.
One of the dozens of doo-wop groups that flooded the music scenes in the late 1950s and early 1960s was The Corsairs, who had a hit that almost cracked the Billboard Top 10 pop charts (it did hit No. 10 on the R&B charts) with “Smokey Places,” in 1962.
Albeit a different kind of smoky place than what most of Montana is experiencing.
You may even be tempted to get a little sentimental about the smoke, because after today, the hot winds will kick up, which may have the effect of blowing the smoke out of the state, but increasing the chance of catastrophic fires fueled by high temperatures, low humidity and a steady supply of wind.
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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