Montana Public Radio News

Lincoln County was hit hard by flooding from winter storms in 2025. Records of major floods in the area date nearly 100 years. A closer look at that history shows decades of mitigation measures, plans and preparations that officials say prevented further catastrophe in December.

Sen. Daines files for reelection, and raises eyebrows over his association with a controversial State Department nominee. Montana's incumbent congressmen stand by Trump's economic policies, but do voters? Will he or won't he? Former UM President Seth Bodnar has yet to announce his political ambitions.

Laurel residents have been raising concerns about city and state transparency in selecting Laurel for a new facility that would treat criminal defendants before they stand trial. What's required of the government when it comes to public input isn't straightforward.

Although some 2026 candidates have been campaigning for months, the official registration period opened this week. Political hopefuls have two weeks to turn in their paperwork.

New analysis from Montana legislative staff shows the state's share of school budgets has gone up in dollar amount over the last two decades. But due to inflation, the value of that money has stayed almost exactly the same as it was in 2008.

The EPA Friday repealed standards for limiting toxic mercury, arsenic and lead that come out of power plants. The Colstrip power plant in Montana is one of the highest emitters of these cancer-causing chemicals.

There are signs the presence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, may be declining in Montana. The drug was largely responsible for the increase of opioid overdose deaths during the pandemic. Now other dangerous drugs are emerging in the state.

The Missoula County Commission recently gave the green light to a plan that will guide the future development of western Montana's Swan Valley. Core values identified in the new plan include preserving the rural character of the region, protecting natural resources and ensuring access to public lands.

Montana is one of a shrinking number of states that doesn't have a law regulating student cell phone use in school. Research increasingly suggests the devices play a role in rising rates of anxiety, depression and distractedness in kids. Some schools are taking matters into their own hands — and taking input from students along the way. Montana PBS reporter Hannah Kearse joined MTPR's Austin Amestoy to discuss the trend.

Cattle industry representatives say they need more workers. They hope expanding a foreign labor program will help. Finding adequate farm labor is one of the biggest challenges producers face.

Montana's population grew again in 2025, though at a far slower pace than during the pandemic boom years.

A southwestern Montana community is searching for new leadership after its mayor abruptly resigned.

Recent data show around 4,000 fewer Montanans purchased an Affordable Care Act health plan in 2026, a roughly 5% decline. That decline is attributed to the loss of federal subsidies for monthly premiums. More people are expected to drop coverage.

The Montana GOP prioritizes judicial elections and party loyalty; Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen launch an investigation over a possible violation of the state's "sanctuary city" ban; Democratic congressional candidates try to distinguish themselves.

The 23rd Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is underway in Missoula. The annual event celebrates nonfiction films and creators from around the world – including right here in Montana. MTPR's Austin Amestoy sat down with the filmmakers behind “Big Sky Falling,” a film about a web of Montana State University student athletes connected to a killing and drug dealing ring.

Federal environmental regulators Thursday repealed the bedrock finding that climate change endangers human health. It authorized the EPA to regulate planet-warming emissions as part of the Clean Air Act and to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Experts say the repeal will worsen climate change and have a negative impact on industries across the state.

Pencils down! Does that phrase bring back some anxiety-inducing memories? What if, like in your bad dreams, it's an exam you haven't studied for? A listener wants to know why student test scores have stopped rising. The answer involves triangles and time. Learn more in this lesson of The Big Why. There won't be a quiz afterward.

Four Democrats competing for Montana's western U.S. House seat met for their first public forum Tuesday. The candidates covered a wide range of topics, from housing costs to immigration policy.

A federal investigation found systemic problems in a Helena hospital that resulted in sexual abuse allegations against employees going undocumented for weeks or months. MTPR's Austin Amestoy spoke with St. Peter's Health CEO Wade Johnson for the hospital's response.

Water watchdog groups and tribes are suing federal environmental regulators. The suit challenges the federal approval of Montana's new water quality standards.

The Montana GOP completed its sweep of all state and federal offices in 2024. This year the party is putting greater focus on another branch of government – the judiciary. Montana Republicans laid-out their priorities during their winter kickoff in Great Falls over the weekend.

The Missoula City Council Monday approved sweeping new rules for residential development within the city. The major overhaul will allow developers to build more and larger apartment complexes, and loosen rules for how many housing units can sit on a single plot, among other changes.

Thousands of Montanans are petitioning the federal government to hold public meetings on a proposal to rescind roadless protections. The change would impact more than 6 million acres of forest lands across the state.

Montana Republican leaders are mum on President Trump's threat to "nationalize" elections. Tribal leaders vow to fight Trump administration efforts to remove "woke" exhibits from national parks and monuments. Gov. Gianforte pushes for the establishment of a conservative religious club in Montana schools. And the Epstein files become an issue in Montana's congressional race.

Montana's junior senator has thrown his support behind the Trump administration's push to end birthright citizenship. Several federal courts blocked the order from going into effect. The Supreme Court will hear arguments debating the order's constitutionality in April.

There's good and bad news to report from Montana's labor market last year, according to economists with the University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

A recent report analyzed how national monuments affect their local economies. National Monuments protect places of historic or scientific interest, but some argue these areas hinder local development.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte Wednesday rallied support for an initiative to engage high school students in conservative politics. Gianforte announced that he and Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen sent a letter to all Montana school districts encouraging support for local “Club America" chapters.

The spring-like weather that's gripped Montana since before Christmas shows almost no signs of going away.

A Montana couple is donating their multimillion dollar cattle ranch to preserve its conservation legacy and keep the land in the hands of locals. It's the largest ranchland donation in the history of Montana. The land sits among some of the state's best remaining habitat for threatened grassland birds.

The deadline to decide on whether grizzly bears will remain under federal protection has been pushed back by a year. The U.S.. Fish and Wildlife Service was originally court-ordered to make a decision by the end of January, but last Friday, a federal judge extended that deadline to the end of the year.

More than 100 people gathered Friday at a Missoula hospital to honor Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs nurse killed last week by ICE agents in Minneapolis

Montana's largest utility is planning how it's going to generate power and meet rising demand in the era of data centers. The company is now soliciting public feedback on that draft plan. MTPR's Ellis Juhlin attended a recent meeting in Missoula and reports.

Businesses around Montana closed their doors or altered their operations Friday to protest immigration enforcement actions. The closures are part of a national movement.

Montanans charged or convicted of crimes in the state often face barriers finding a job and housing, long after their cases have closed. And the internet creates a permanent record. The state is looking at ways to change that.

Montanans respond to the Minnesota protester shootings with peaceful protests and policy changes. Democratic congressional candidates denounce the shootings. Sen. Steve Daines calls for an investigation and defends ICE. And the jury is still out on the long-term political impact of the shootings and the government response.

Elk are a familiar sight in much of Montana now, but that hasn't always been the case. By the early 1900s, unregulated hunting had led to massive declines in wildlife nationwide. But In Yellowstone, elk populations were exploding thanks to protections in place there. The solution to restoring elk outside the park seemed obvious. Less obvious was how to make it happen. This week on the Big Why, we trace the animals' bumpy path from the living laboratory called Yellowstone Park to the Bitterroot Valley and beyond.

Tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump last year are still straining Montana farmers. Producers are left in limbo as they wait for a ruling on the legality of those tariffs.

The first report on Montana's new public charter schools shows their students generally lag behind peers in standard public schools. But, that data comes with caveats.

Some Laurel residents don't like the state's plan to build a psychiatric hospital near town. The backlash came quickly after state officials announced the site location.

The federal government could partially shut down this weekend if Congress doesn't pass a spending package. Montana's congressional delegates are holding the Republican line to advance law enforcement funding.

Montana's largest utility has released a draft plan of how it will generate power for the next two decades. It's soliciting public comments on that plan in meetings across the state.