News

Missoulian: Upward Bound funding appears to sill be in limbo

Grant money for a college preparation program that helps people from low-income families appears to still be in limbo. In March, the U.S. Department of Education ruled some Upward Bound applications, including the one from the University of Montana, ineligible for funding due to minor formatting errors. For example, UM failed to double-space one page, the budget page, out of a total of 65 pages. UM resubmitted its application with correct formatting, and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, has been a leading voice calling on the federal agency to reconsider grant requests based on substance, not spacing. U.S. Sen.

KXHL: Remembering Hanna: National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Native Women

Hanna Harris was killed on July 4, 2013, and since then, her family has been working to raise awareness of the issue of missing and murdered Native American women around the country. This week, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution marking May 5th as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. The day is in honor of Hanna, on what would have been her 25th birthday, and the hundreds of other missing or murdered Native women around the country. “This is a very big day for the family because it turned into a national day of

KBZK: Red Horse Unit Returns from Deployment

Family and friends gathered at Malmstrom Air Force Base Friday to welcome home the last returning airmen of the 819th RED HORSE unit. Around 70 airmen returned to Great Falls after being deployed to the Middle East for around six months. “They’ve been in Jordan, they’ve been in Afghanistan, they’ve been in Iraq, in fact they were there in the Mosul area making preparations for the offensive here as we’re working to eradicate ISIS; so this unit right here in Montana is tied directly to what’s going on as we’re combating terrorism around the world and could not be more proud of them,”

Daily Inter Lake: Lumber industry backs softwood tariffs

Late last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans to begin placing duties on softwood lumber imports from Canada, a move many in the statewide industry hope will bring Canadian producers to the table to renegotiate a new trade deal after the last agreement expired in 2015. Following a one-year grace period after the softwood lumber agreement’s sunset, the U.S. Lumber Coalition last November filed petitions with the department and the U.S. International Trade Commission, requesting the tariffs and alleging that cheap Canadian lumber products flowing across the border were the result of unfair subsidies by the Canadian government.

Daines Marks National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today was in Lame Deer to mark the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.  Daines introduced and secured U.S. Senate unanimous passage of a resolution to honor the memory of Hanna Harris, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who was murdered in July 2013. The resolution seeks to commemorate the lives of all missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered whose cases are documented and undocumented in public records and the media. This morning, Daines

Daines Urges Chinese Premier to Open Markets to U.S. Beef

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines led his colleagues U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Rob Portman (R-OH), John Kennedy (R-LA) and U.S. Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) in a letter to the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urging him to open Chinese markets to U.S. beef imports. The letter follows their official overseas congressional delegation trip to China where the Members of Congress met with Premier Li and raised the issue of U.S. beef imports to China. Daines hand carried four Montana steaks and a photo of Fred Wacker of Miles City and his cows to China

Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Thomas Family of Lake County

U.S. SENATE — During National Foster Care Month, U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized the Thomas Family for giving their time and talent to serve as foster parents for children in Lake County.  J.P. Thomas, and his wife Tiara Thomas, have done honorable work by providing structure and consistency in many young lives.   Daines’ recognition in the Congressional Record is available here.  Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.  Daines welcomes anyone to nominate

Billings Gazette: Daines: Police must improve response to missing, murdered Native women

LAME DEER — Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., called Friday on law enforcement to better respond to cases involving murdered and missing Native American women. As part of an awareness march in Lame Deer Friday, Daines walked alongside Melinda Harris, mother of Billings West High School graduate Hanna Harris, who was killed in 2013 age 21. Melinda Harris reported her daughter missing when she didn’t come home after celebrating on July 4, 2013. Bureau of Indian Affairs investigators notified the FBI about the case four days later, and Harris’ body was found the next day. Her body was too decomposed for a cause

KXLF: Hanna Harris remembered on National Day of Awareness for missing and murdered Native women

LAME DEER – Hanna Harris was killed on July 4, 2013 and since then, her family has been working to bring awareness to the issue of missing and murdered Native American women around the country.   This week, the Senate passed a resolution marking May 5 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.   The day is in honor of Hanna, on what would have been her 25th birthday, and the hundreds of other missing or murdered Native women around the country.   “This is a very big day for the family because it