The GAO’s Sept. 5 opinion said the maneuver “tears at the very fabric of Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.”
Keystone XL
Federal judge hears arguments in Keystone XL pipeline lawsuit
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Anti-pipeline plaintiffs presented oral arguments today in Great Falls federal court in a lawsuit against the federal government seeking to revoke permits greenlighting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline that environmental and indigenous groups say were granted based on faulty outdated data.
Crime and Justice
Lawsuit claims Yellowstone County judge, sheriff’s officer violated civil rights in illegal immigration arrest
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By John S. Adams, Montana Free Press
A Yellowstone County man who claims a judge illegally ordered his arrest is now suing that judge, and the officer who arrested him, in federal court. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Billings, Miguel Angel Reynaga Hernandez claims former Yellowstone County Justice of the Peace Pedro Hernandez violated his civil rights when he ordered Cpl. Derrek Skinner to arrest him, despite the fact that Reynaga had not committed a crime.
Public Safety
Fire danger persists for Polaris off-road vehicles
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In recent years, Polaris Industries, the leading producer of off-road vehicles, has recalled hundreds of thousands of its trail machines due to a fire danger. The hazard is linked to at least three deaths and three dozen injuries ranging from minor scrapes to limbs burned so badly amputation was required.
Environment
Evidence Mounts of Safety Risks from Digital Billboards
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By Paul Feldman, FairWarning.org
Digital billboards clearly catch the eye of passing motorists. But what is also increasingly clear is that such distractions can heighten safety risks in heavy traffic and other complex driving conditions, a long-time roadway researcher says.
Environment
Thousands of Drones Fill the Skies, Raising Fears of Midair Collisions
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By Rick Schmitt and Stuart Silverstein, FairWarning.org
On a Saturday night in early December, while relaxing at his Martinez, Calif., home, Chinese exchange student Owen Ouyang decided to have some fun. He went out to the front yard and launched a sleek new drone he had recently purchased online for about $1,000.
asbestos
Report renews concern about asbestos-like minerals across arid west, including in Montana
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Recent research is focusing new attention on an asbestos-like mineral, blamed for staggering rates of a deadly cancer in Turkey, that also is found in the rocks and soil of 13 Western states, including multiple sites in Montana. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 95 sites where the mineral, erionite, exists.
flooding
Hi-Line flood photos
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You can read my story about the flooding in Glasgow in today’s Great Falls Tribune. I plan to stay in Glasgow for at least another day as flood waters continue to threaten the Green Meadows subdivision east of the city and Nashua prepares for all the water to make its way to their town.
