The Big Why

Libraries do more than just lend books. They offer community events, classes, access to computers — and they help preserve cultural knowledge. But, public funding is being slashed, delayed or taken back as the Trump Administration works to cut government programs. After recent federal cuts, one listener wants to know what's going to happen to rural museums and libraries across the state.

Public media faces its most urgent threat yet. Congress will soon vote on whether to eliminate $1.1 billion in already-approved funding. Visit Protect My Public Media to learn how to call your representatives and voice your support for public media.

A state program lets Montana nonprofits design special license plates to help raise funds for their organization. There's an option for any charismatic Montana animal, university sports team or social cause you want to support. There are also three versions of a 'Don't Tread on Me' plate. One listener wants to know why. MTPR's John Hooks has the story behind the state's 200 license plate options – including the most popular choice.

This week's topic comes from a listener who asks, ‘Why is there no hog industry in Montana?' While Montana famously has more cows than people, as we dug into this question, we found out that pigs are a big deal in Montana.

In 2023 the Blackfeet Nation released bison into the Chief Mountain area along the border of Glacier National Park. The release was part of a plan to build a free roaming herd in a place bison had been absent from for more than 100 years. One listener wants to know where those bison are now.

In the '90s, whirling disease hit trout populations hard in Montana, at one point leading to a 95% decline in rainbow trout in the Madison River. It sparked concern among biologists, anger in tourist towns and even played a role in a murder mystery novel. It also inspired this week's question: What's happening with whirling disease and other threats to trout?

When voters authorized the Montana Lottery in 1986, the promise was that lottery revenues would be used for education funding. Now, with schools facing budget woes and lawmakers debating funding bills, one listener wants to know if this gamble is paying off.

More than half a million acres in southwest Montana have been impacted by conifer expansion. It used to be that fires would come through these landscapes and burn back the trees, but that natural cycle isn't happening anymore. Now, more trees are encroaching into traditional sagebrush habitat, and that has impacts on our water supply.

Why does the state have a Spanish name? Why so many Rock Creeks? What's the deal with 'And-aconda'? Racetrack? This week, a sequel to an episode we ran all about Montana's place names and their numerous and sometimes humorous origins.

Come celebrate MTPR's 60th anniversary with a birthday bash on Feb. 7th at the Union Club in Missoula! It's a night of music, cake, and mingling with MTPR staff and fellow public radio fans.

Farming and ranching combined generate billions of dollars in revenue and employ tens of thousands of Montanans. They're also on the cusp of a generational sea change. One listener wants to know how young people are being encouraged and prepared for life as a farmer or rancher.

Montana voters approved a constitutional amendment in November to protect access to abortion. What would federal anti-abortion laws mean for Montana's new amendment?

You probably know snowpack affects the amount of water in our rivers. But snowmelt also recharges underground water systems and flows back into the rivers and streams, keeping them running even after the snow melts. What happens to groundwater supplies when the snowmelt comes earlier in the year?

An archeological find in the Shields Valley in 1968 revealed some surprising new information about the earliest inhabitants the state, and provides a window into the shifting ethics of modern archeology. Our story starts in the Ice Age, when people took to the mountains of Montana to hunt camels, cheetahs and mammoths.

Railroads helped build the state we know today. Now, rail travel has all but disappeared in Montana, and many unused lines are going dormant or being abandoned. What happens to them next?

An oil company comes in, drills a hole and a well is born. But what if the well stops producing or the company in charge goes bankrupt, leaving behind holes that can be thousands of feet deep, spout toxic gasses and muck things up on the surface? These so-called 'orphan wells' are all over Montana.

"How's life? Are you liking life okay? Are you aware that you're living a really unusual life for a deer? I just got really curious because you can't ask a deer how it's feeling. So I thought I'd ask you guys and see if you had some insights."

The Ringing Rocks is a roadside attraction people have been visiting for a long time. It's a big heap of boulders that give off a resonant bell-like ringing sound when struck with metal; at least theoretically. A listener wants to know what makes these rocks ring.

Two proposals Montanans will vote on this year would change how the state runs its future elections. Supporters say they'll combat political polarization and extremism. Opponents say they may muck up our elections.

Billions of dollars in federal funds have been set aside for electric vehicle charging stations across the country. What does that look like in Montana?

This week we're looking at the most annoying aspect of any election year: political ads. A listener wants to know if there's any kind of fact checking done before these ads air.

As summer heats up in Montana, so does wildfire season. This raises the question, does winter snowpack really correlate to the severity of the wildfire season? And what does a 'normal' fire season mean?

This time around, we're unpacking an answer to a tricky education question: "Why is Montana ranked one of the last in the nation for teacher salary, and how might this be changing in the next legislative session?"

In the third and final episode of our Big Why climate series, we travel across the state to meet Montanans banding together to combat climate change.

Montana's primary elections — which take place later than those in all but a handful of states — are now officially in the rear-view mirror. That raises a good question: Why are Montana's primaries so late in the year? It's a question that stumped many historians. Here's what we found out.

Montana has seen record levels of fundraising for Supreme Court candidates in recent years, parties seem to have their favorite candidates and outside special interest groups spend a lot of money to influence these races. On top of that, not everyone is familiar with the workings of the court. So, how can voters evaluate candidates for state Supreme Court?

A listener wants to know why it seems like the homeless population is growing. We'll look at this issue both statewide and in Missoula to put it into context.

Everywhere you look in Montana, there are places to gamble. Odds are good you've seen machines in bars, liquor stores and of course, gas stations. How did Montana end up with so many "casinos," and what does it have to do with bingo? The only sure bet is that The Big Why team has the answers.

Listener support is what makes this podcast possible. Donate now to support the service you rely on for statewide news.

In this special episode of The Big Why, A New Angle host, Justin Angle, joins Austin Amestoy to answer two questions.

This is the second in our series about how Montana is responding to climate change. The state doesn't have a climate action plan, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening on the ground. Here's what cities and tribes in Montana are doing to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

A local government review is designed to evaluate how a city or county government operates right now, and also explore ways that the government can improve. This spring, voters have an opportunity change the structure of their local government for the next 10 years.

When it comes to winter driving, everyone wants their route clear and dry, and they want it done quickly. Why don't the plows come sooner or more often? Why don't they drop more salt or deicer? Why not get more drivers on the road? Tag along as a Montana snowplow driver prepares for a big winter storm and find out more about the logistical, environmental and technical challenges that come with keeping the roads clear of snow.

The Ninepipe wetlands cover thousands of acres across the Mission Valley. Nearly 15,000 acres are protected by federal, state and tribal agencies, and many more are on private lands. It's a sprawling complex of wetlands and grasslands tucked at the base of the Mission Mountains. A listener wants to know how the wetlands there formed and if climate change poses a threat.

After a year of taking questions from our adult listeners across Montana, The Big Why team thought it would be fun to see what kids are curious about. They wanted to know 'why was the first dinosaur found in Montana?'

A wildfire burned through the small town of Denton, MT in December of 2021. It burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed 25 homes. So how is the town of Denton rebuilding, and what does wildfire resilient construction look like?

One listener wants to know why non-Natives make up a majority of the population on the Flathead Reservation. Another listener asks how much land Montana's reservations lost to White settlement. The answer goes back to an 1887 law that ramped-up the federal government's efforts to assimilate Native people and erase their cultures.

Following a lot of news about climate change, protests, presidential directives and court cases, a listener wants to know what Montana is doing to address climate change. It's a big question, so the answer will come in three parts. Here's part 1.

A listener is curious about how glaciers are faring in the south end of the Mission Mountains, those big peaks you can see from Highway 93 on the Flathead Reservation. Learn more about them now, on The Big Why.

Montanans hate it. Politicians fear it. Supporters discuss it in hushed tones after the blinds are closed and the kids are tucked safely into bed. Yet, It doesn't exist in Montana. What is it? Today we're talking about the sales tax. Wait, don't go! The tax debate is actually pretty hot right now, and a listener wants to know why Montana remains one of the few states without a sales tax.

A Helena listener had a long-simmering curiosity about a relic of Montana history that still sits just across the Beaverhead River from Twin Bridges: The old Montana State Orphanage built in 1894. We took a look around with one of the previous residents. Join us for the tour, on this episode of The Big Why.

You may know Montana has an official state animal, a state bird, a state gemstone and a state fruit. But did you know we have a state lullaby? Neither did we. Here's what we learned.