Politics & Government
The Daily Inter Lake’s Politics & Government section delivers updated local and national political coverage, featuring legislative developments, elections, policy debates, and government actions shaping Montana.
Kalispell Council reviews $189M budget proposal, weighs public safety and infrastructure spending
Kalispell City Council took its first look at the municipality’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget last week.
SC Speaker: Move energy policy away from massive projects
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — House Speaker Jay Lucas sees South Carolina's opportunity to sell or overhaul state-owned utility Santee Cooper as a chance to reshape th…
Polish president OKs $510M for public media amid campaign
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president has signed a bill earmarking nearly 2 billion zlotys ($510 million) to fund public television and radio, broadcast outlets that have become mouthpieces for the country's rig…
Greek villagers enlisted to catch migrants at Turkey border
AMORIO, Greece (AP) — Over the years, villagers who live near Greece's border with Turkey got used to seeing small groups of people enter their country illegal…
Census prompts distrust in Fort Worth neighborhood
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Cristina Otera, 59, has never filled out the U.S. census survey even though she's lived at the same yellow corner house where she raised her children and now grandchildren for more than two…
Pence walks fine line on coronavirus response
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence decided silence was the way to go.
Trump names Rep. Mark Meadows his new chief of staff
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the midst of one of the most daunting crises of his administration, President Donald Trump on Friday announced he had made a major staff o…
Utah lawmakers pass new rules affecting abortion providers
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Abortion clinics would be required to cremate or bury fetal remains and women would have to get an ultrasound before the procedure under …
Michigan insurers cover virus tests; Medicaid copays waived
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan health insurers said Friday they will cover the cost of medically necessary tests for the new coronavirus for people covered under employer and individual health plans, while Gov. Gre…
New qualifications for next debate likely rule out Gabbard
The Democratic National Committee has ratcheted up the threshold to qualify for its next presidential debate, requiring candidates to have picked up at least 2…
Biden invokes Obama, swipes at Sanders with six-state ad buy
ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign is plowing $12 million into a six-state ad buy ahead of the March 10 and March 17 primaries, his largest singl…
Trump to honor retired pro golfers with Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is honoring a pair of retired pro golfers with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the president can …
WSJ: Saudis arrest 2 princes for allegedly plotting coup
NEW YORK (AP) — Saudi officials arrested two members of the royal family early Friday for allegedly plotting to oust King Salman and the son he has designated …
Judge sides with transgender Alaska librarian in health case
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska health care plan that has excluded coverage of gender-confirming surgery for transgender employees is discriminatory, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Virus cases top 100,000 in 90 countries as markets take dive
PARIS (AP) — Crossing more borders, the new coronavirus hit a milestone, infecting more than 100,000 people worldwide as it wove itself deeper into the daily l…
Watchdog faults US land agency sending jobs out West
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A U.S. government watchdog agency said Friday that 81 Bureau of Land Management employees have declined to relocate to Western states or left their positions as the Trump administration pursu…