Montana

Rocky Mountains

The Kids Are Alright: Montana Youth Lead Climate Trial Effort

A group of teens is taking on the state of Montana, claiming that the state's continued dependence on fossil fuels infringes on their constitutional rights.

February 10, 2022 - NBC News

Downtown Anchorage with the snow covered Chugach Mountains in the background.

Alaska Activates Crisis Standards of Care

Daily new COVID cases per capita in Alaska are the nation's highest. The crisis standards enable overwhelmed hospitals to ration care. Gov. Mike Dunleavy recognized the crisis yet saw no need to take steps to reduce coronavirus transmission.

September 27, 2021 - The New York Times

Los Angeles, California

Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California

The nation's most populous state learned from the Census Bureau last month that it would lose a congressional district for the first time in its history. On Friday, it revealed that 2020 was the first year since 1850 to experience a population loss.

May 10, 2021 - CALmatters

Historic Train Depot

Montana Coalition Wants to Revive Passenger Rail

Supporters of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority argue that a new train could spur economic development and provide a valuable service for the state's non-driving residents.

April 15, 2021 - High Country News

Montana State University, Bozeman

Bozeman's 'Only Racially Diverse Neighborhood' at Risk

Thanks in part to an influx of remote workers, the Montana town faces soaring housing costs and practically non-existent vacancy rates.

March 4, 2021 - High Country News

Dakota Access protest

Thank Indigenous Activists for the Keystone XL Pipeline's Demise

President Biden's executive order may put the final nail in the coffin of the controversial pipeline project, but it was unwavering local activists who kept the pressure on for a decade.

February 3, 2021 - Atmos

COVID-19 protests

Election Post-Mortem: Politics Trumps Public Health

An analysis by the Associated Press found that voters in counties that are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus were far more likely to support President Trump's reelection than voters in less-impacted counties.

November 9, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Madison RIver

Bill Would Double Protections for Montana Rivers

The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act would double the number of wild and scenic rivers in the state of Montana.

November 4, 2020 - Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Coal Railroad

Mountain Coal States vs. West Coast Cities

A legal battle is being waged between the coal-exporting states of Utah, Wyoming, and Montana and coastal cities in California, Oregon, and Washington that pits the power of local land-use authority against the protection of interstate commerce.

March 16, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Capitol Hill

States to Gain and Lose Congressional Districts After Census Identified

A reapportionment of House of Representatives will begin when the results of the Census 2020 have been finalized. A new analysis indicates that ten House seats will likely shift from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South.

January 14, 2020 - Citiwire

Greensboro Station on Metro's Silver line near Tyson's Corner

5 Transit Projects to Watch in the D.C. Region in 2020

Light rail, bus rapid transit, subway cell service, and more.

December 26, 2019 - WAMU

Missoula

Water Concerns Follow New Development in Montana

Sprawling subdivision development in Montana is popping up in former agricultural land, pressuring water resources and leading to some legal controversy.

December 6, 2019 - High Country News

Gas Pumps

ICYMI: 12 States Hiked Gas Taxes on Monday

On July 1, Illinois and Ohio increased gas taxes by double digits: 19 cents per gallon and 10.5 CPG, respectively, followed by California at 5.6 CPG, all due to legislation passed this year or in 2017. Diesel tax hikes were even higher.

July 5, 2019 - Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Main Street

Small Towns Prioritize Main Street for Economic and Population Growth

Downtown revitalization can be a small town planning priority too.

May 7, 2019 - Next City

Coal Extraction

Judge Halts Sales of New Coal Mining Leases on Federal Lands

Once again, the president's efforts to undo his predecessor's environmental legacy were thwarted by a court ruling. In this case, the Interior Department's failure to conduct an environmental review of a Trump executive order ran afoul of NEPA.

April 23, 2019 - The New York Times

Rural Community

Small Towns in the Western U.S. Achieving Population and Economic Growth

A small town success story in Montana is indicative of a larger trend in the Western United States. Meanwhile, small towns in the rest of the country struggle.

April 6, 2019 - The Washington Post

U.S. Department of the Interior

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Resigns Amid Scandals

With a tweet from the president on Saturday morning, the public learns that yet another embattled cabinet member will lose his job. Zinke, a former congressman from Montana, is the subject of numerous investigations and controversies.

December 17, 2018 - The New York Times

Oil Pipeline

Federal Judge in Montana Halts Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline

The Trump administration's denial of climate change may serve a political purpose, but in the courtroom, it can prove a liability. A federal judge in Montana took into account the administration's "discarding" of climate science in its ruling.

November 15, 2018 - InsideClimate News

Rocky Mountains

An Urban Planner in Butte, Montana

An exposé of a local urban planner isn't something you see every day—especially in Montana. Meet Julia Crain, of Butte, Montana.

October 30, 2018 - Montana Standard

Missoula

New 'Design Excellence Overlay' Aims to Inspire New Development in Missoula

The city of Missoula professes a strategy of "focusing inward" when it comes to growth and development. A new 'Design Excellence Overlay' will help achieve more goals toward that strategy in the city's downtown.

October 18, 2018 - Missoula Current

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