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When the first cases of coronavirus appeared in Montana, Jolene Barrientes quit her job. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, Jolene had been working at Big Sky Foods since she moved to Cut Bank in January, but she couldn’t risk exposure to the virus. Her husband, Joseph, was shot when he was 15 years old. Now, at 37, he has one functioning lung and no spleen. Jolene said he nearly died two years ago when he contracted the flu, so she fears coronavirus could kill him. To keep Joseph safe, Jolene carries disinfectant everywhere she goes. She said she has “outside”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued an enforcement notice to all commercial airlines, ordering them to promptly refund the complete cost of all tickets sold to passengers whose flights have either been canceled or significantly delayed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. “The department is receiving an increasing number of complaints and inquiries from ticketed passengers, including many with non-refundable tickets, who describe having been denied refunds for flights that were canceled or significantly delayed,” states a U.S. DOT news release issued April 3. “In many of these cases, the passengers stated that the carrier informed them that they

Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines sent a letter Monday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling for an investigation into China’s role in the coronavirus outbreak, as the deadly disease continues to spread throughout the U.S. “As you are well aware, China’s initial response to reports of an atypical pneumonia being detected by medical personnel in Hubei province in late 2019 were ham-fisted with government officials hiding cases, punishing doctors who dared to speak-up, and resulted in delays that worsened the impact of COVID-19 on public health and the economies of countries around the world,” Daines wrote in the letter. “The

Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, pushed for a coordinated international investigation of China’s apparent systematic cover-up of COVID-19, writing it’s important to consider “appropriate punitive actions necessary to hold China accountable.” The source of the “real harm to our economy”, Daines wrote to Pompeo, needs to be made clear so that Americans can “truly understand why they are making the sacrifices that they are.” “As you are well aware, China’s initial response to reports of an atypical pneumonia being detected by medical personnel in Hubei province in late 2019 were ham-fisted with government

BOZEMAN – WATCH: U.S. Senator Steve Daines live on Wake Up Montana Weekend. 

MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana’s Congressional delegation is pushing back against plans to cut hours at the Ports of Entry along the Montana-Canada border. Customs and Border Patrol announced the plans this week. They go into effect on Monday at six ports. Officials say there is neither the passenger car or pedestrian traffic to warrant the current hours. In his letter, Sen. Steve Daines wrote, “While reducing non-essential travel is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting public health, a reduction in hours at these critical ports would harm our farmers and ranchers and disrupt essential services and commerce for

TC Energy announced March 31, a final decision to build the Keystone XL Pipeline Project. According to Montana Sen. Steve Daines, the pipeline will be a huge boost for Montana’s and the United States’ energy economy, bringing in approximately $8 billion as well as providing new job opportunities for Montanans. “This is great news for Montana jobs and for our nation’s energy security,” Daines said. “Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will create good paying jobs for working Montanans in our energy and construction sectors. I look forward to seeing this important project completed,” the senator said in a release.