Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer said he wouldn’t take sides in the Democratic primary for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat in which his former lieutenant governor and former adjutant general are squaring off. But he wouldn’t stop there either. Instead, he readily took credit for what has become an intra-party dispute. “I guess I’m responsible since I […]

I just returned from my annual fall vacation – each year I squeeze in a few days of sunshine in Mexico before the snow falls. But on Nov. 3, when my plane touched down in Kalispell, white already blanketed the valley. So began the quick transition into winter. And three days later I was hiking […]

My dad called me recently to ask what size jeans I wear. It was the middle of October and he was Christmas shopping with my mom in Seattle. I told him it seemed a little early to be buying presents, but he disagreed. He hates shopping, but strives for efficiency. About two hours later he […]

I thought Montana Republican Congressman Steve Daines would soon declare for U.S. Senate – now that the government is reopened and the debt ceiling raised. But the freshman lawmaker recently announced he won’t decide until next year. If he does run, he would still be the frontrunner, but it’s hard to imagine the last few […]

Hate Congress? Sick of reading descriptions of our U.S. governing body accompanied by words like “stalemate,” “dysfunction” and “broken”? Well, then you should consider running for office. That might sound counterintuitive, but your country needs you. Unfortunately, the recent shutdown and standoff over raising the debt ceiling is having the opposite effect. Since Republican U.S. […]

I’m probably supposed to write something about the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. You know, how the government shut down, closed Glacier National Park and furloughed a bunch of federal employees. But you’ve likely read enough about that, and my opinion is unlikely to change yours. Instead, as I read about political gridlock, this “new normal,” […]

There is a disagreement over whether the fact we’re getting slower is a good or bad thing. The reason is different than you might think – it has little to do with the belly size of Americans and more to do with the psyche of the runners. They’re running for fun, instead of for a […]

I spent some time with a coworker recently on the University of Montana campus. We were there to help the Journalism School prepare for its centennial celebration – it turns 100 years old next year. While most of the conference involved party planning it also included some somber news on the university itself – mainly […]

Of the many challenges facing Glacier National Park’s new Superintendent Jeff Mow the most pressing will be decided by Congress in the next few weeks. Will lawmakers replace sequestration – the automatic budget cuts that will deepen in the coming years? Will they leave it in place? Will they provide a temporary fix? Predicting whether […]

Next week, some of the biggest tycoons in the business world will gather in Montana for a two-day economic summit in Butte. The list of speakers is truly staggering, ranging from the CEO of Ford to the executive chairman of Google. But, to me, the most appealing attendee is Elon Musk, who is perhaps the […]

After sentencing a former Billings teacher to 30 days in jail for rape last week, Yellowstone District Judge G. Todd Baugh said the 14-year-old victim was “older than her chronological age ” and was “as much in control of the situation” as her perpetrator. The judge apologized. But the backlash was swift and the damage […]

After the financial collapse of 2007, I readily consumed information on how the economy blew up; how half the stock market was wiped out; how new subdivisions were abandoned and left for dead. A lot has changed in six years. A lot hasn’t. Here, it appears we experienced a necessary dose of cautiousness. Elsewhere, not […]

Before leaving for his five-week summer recess earlier this month, Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., wanted to make one thing clear: This is not a vacation. He posted a YouTube video declaring this is an “August district work period” despite what is “reported in the media.” It’s a smart move on Heck’s part, since, according to […]

I often joke with our summer intern, Izzy Makman, that her time at the Beacon will be the best summer job she ever has. “The best!” I say, “The last summer intern refused to leave until we hired him.” I’m referencing full-time staff writer Justin Franz, who really did refuse to leave until we hired […]

Since 2013 is going to be a boring election year, with a number of uncontested races for citywide offices, let’s look ahead to 2014 in what could be an incredibly fun year for politics, at least for those of us covering them. Let’s just assume Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Daines opts to run for retiring […]