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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

MT: Poverty Issues

Consumer Direct Montana is the latest agency in Montana to unionize, and just last month, completed bargaining for its first union contract with in-home caregivers, who are currently voting to ratify the tentative agreement. (Adobe Stock)
MT health care workers vote on large pay increase

A group of health-care workers in Montana will learn tomorrow whether their new union contract has been ratified. The tentative deal, between SEIU 7…

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The Helena point-in-time survey is conducted each year to count people either living in shelters or other temporary housing. (Adobe Stock)
Helena ups efforts to track, shelter homeless Montanans

Helena is stepping up efforts to track its homeless population. The number of people living without shelter has risen sharply since the city started …

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Heart Butte, Mont., population 600, is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The suicide rate for Montana's Native American youth is more than five times the statewide rate for the same age group, according to the Montana Budget and Policy Center. (Amanda MorningStar)
MT Tribes grapple with crippling suicide rate

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News/Public News …

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Montana has consistently had one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation, according to the Secretary of State's office. The group Western Native Voice is working to increase the number of Indigenous voters this year. (Adobe Stock)
MT Indigenous group creates app to increase voter turnout

A Native American advocacy group is making a big push to get out the Indigenous vote in this year's elections. It is hiring field organizers across …

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Researchers at the University of Montana are working on a vaccine for tuberculosis. While considered a serious problem in underdeveloped parts of the world, cases in the United States are up, having jumped to 8,300 in 2022 from 7,874 in 2021. (Adobe Stock)
Montana researchers awarded $12.3 million grant for tuberculosis vaccine

Researchers at the University of Montana have been awarded more than more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue their wo…

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Montana fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on someone's protected class status, including age, race, creed, familial status, national origin, religion, color, sex, marital status or disability. (Adobe Stock)
Fair housing advocates concerned over changes to MT tenant law

A key change to Montana's Landlord Tenant Act is causing concern among people who advocate for affordable housing. The Legislature shortened the …

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The rate of children under age 19 without health insurance dropped to 5% in 2021, an estimated 4,165,000 million kids nationwide, down from 6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)
Healthy Kids Study Shows Dramatic Lack of Montana Child Care

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book ranks Montana 18th nationally in overall child well-being. The just-released numbers showed …

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HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs administers programs providing housing linked with onsite and community-based supports, including for low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children. (Adobe Stock)
Housing Advocates Push Back on GOP Budget Bill

Advocates for Montana's most vulnerable residents are pushing back on a budget plan passed by the U.S. House, saying it would have disastrous …

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Montana Legal Services Association provides advice in civil cases across the state's 56 counties. (Bacho Foto/Adobe Stock)
Retired MT Attorneys Provide Pro Bono Legal Advice

For their next act in life, retired attorneys in Montana are providing free legal advice on civil matters over the phone. The Second Act Justice …

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The lack of affordable housing has become an issue in states across the country, and it's even more dire if someone has to mention in their rental application that they have a criminal record. (BillionPhotos.com/Adobe Stock)
In Housing Crisis, Montanans with Criminal Records Face Higher Hurdles

It's hard for almost anyone to find housing in Montana right now, but the barriers are even higher for people with criminal records. Low …

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In the KIDS COUNT
Report: MT 20th in Child Well-Being; Mental Health Remains an Issue

Montana ranks in the upper half of states for child wellbeing, according to an annual report. But mental health among young people remains a concern…

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Debt cases have steadily grown to dominate state civil courts, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.(MU Studio/Adobe Stock)
New Tool Offers Legal Resources for Common Issue: Debt Collection

A new website is helping Montanans answer tricky legal questions about debt. The Montana Legal Services Association has launched MontanaDebtOptions.…

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