“If a year ago, fifteen months ago, you told people that thermal coal could cost $440 and coking coal could cost $600, they would call the ambulance and recommend a good doctor” , Neil Bristow, Managing Director of H&W Worldwide. Consulting, said Thursday at a recent Coal Association of Canada conference.

“Who would believe it?

While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rattled energy markets and drove up coal prices, the reality is that thermal coal prices had surged months before the invasion, as Europe was already in self-induced energy shortage and resorted to coal.

Five or six years ago, thermal coal was selling for $60 to $80 a ton, Bristow said. Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, thermal coal prices had soared to around $200 a ton.

“The fundamentals that drove these prices higher in the third and fourth quarters of 2021 are still there, and they were only exacerbated by the Russian coal sanctions,” said Ernie Thrasher, CEO of Xcoal Energy and Resources.

Never in Bristow’s lifetime had he seen thermal coal (burned to generate electricity) worth more than metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel, but now it does.

Metallurgical coal (also known as coking coal or steelmaking coal) briefly hit $600 a ton, Bristow said, but has since stabilized at around $270 a ton. That’s still a high price, but less than thermal coal right now, which is well over $300 a ton.

The usual market forces of supply and demand that would normally see producers respond to high prices with increased production simply do not occur with coal.

In the United States, the coal mining industry is half the size it was a few decades ago and simply cannot suddenly reverse. Australian coal production peaked in 2016 and it seems unlikely that it can either meet the sudden demand for thermal coal. British Columbia is a major producer and exporter of metallurgical coal, but Canada exports little or no thermal coal.

Xcoal estimates that the UK and Europe alone will have to find 47 million tonnes of coal that came from Russia. It is unlikely to come from the United States

“There’s just not much the United States can do,” Thrasher said. “We have basically dismembered our coal industry.”

Even if US coal mines could increase production, coal terminal capacity for exports is limited, so coal produced in Montana and Wyoming is shipped through BC export terminals. And right now, one of those terminals – Westshore – has been paralyzed by a strike.

“There just isn’t the elasticity in the supply chain for people to react to these prices, and the old adage that the best thing for high prices is high prices is not true. “, said Thrasher.

In total, Xcoal estimates the global coal supply shortfall at 96 million tonnes.

“These high coal prices are happening at a time when the Chinese economy is just flat on its back,” Thrasher added. If the Chinese economy were to suddenly recover and grow, it would put even more pressure on thermal and coking coal prices.

“Who can supply 96 million tonnes to fill this void? Thrasher wondered. “There’s probably only China and India. There just aren’t many other countries in the world where there is the capacity to produce the coal needed to fill that void.

As for steelmaking coal, BC’s second most valuable export, a global recession could cool demand and temper prices somewhat. But Bristow predicts prices will remain high for the next few years because there simply aren’t enough new metallurgical coal mines being built.

“My models don’t show enough coking coal to meet global demand after about 2027, 2028,” Bristow said. “We desperately need new mines.”

“I’m going to be bold and say it won’t stay at $400 or $500 a ton for very long,” Thrasher said of coking coal prices. “But I think the days of seeing less than $125, $150 per metric ton of coking coal over any period of time are in the rearview mirror, and that’s because coal isn’t everything. simply not produced.”

Thrasher said he could see stagflation resulting from the coal shortage, if there was a global recession.

“If we go into a major global economic downturn, that’s definitely going to put a damper on our products,” Thrasher said. “The question is, if you go back and look at these supply shortages, will a 5% global economic slowdown be enough to solve the problem if you are short of 10% energy supply? You basically have a stagflation environment where the global economy is collapsing, but you still need energy and energy prices remain high.

“It will affect thermal more than coking coal. It could be something we haven’t seen in 40 or 50 years.

(This article first appeared in Business in Vancouver)

SIOUX FALLS, SD (AP) — South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was returning from an official appearance in Rapid City in 2019 when she had to make a decision: to spend the night in the capital of Pierre, where another trip would start the next day, or go home and see her son attend his high school prom?

The Republican governor chose the latter, a move that ultimately cost taxpayers some $3,700 when the state plane dropped her off near her home and then returned the next day to pick her up.

It was one of many trips that year where Noem, a potential candidate for the White House in 2024, blurred the lines between official travel and attending family or political events. The trips sparked a complaint to the state Ethics Committee, which referred the matter to the state’s Criminal Investigations Division. A county prosecutor overseeing the investigation will decide whether the governor violated an untested law passed by voters in 2006 to curb questionable use of the state plane.

The governor was also sued by the same ethics committee for intervening at a state agency shortly after deciding to deny his daughter a real estate appraiser’s license.

As the Noem political star rose in 2020, she began using private jets to travel to fundraisers, campaign events and conservative rallies.

But before that, during his first year in office in 2019, Noem used the state plane six times to travel to out-of-state events hosted by political organizations, including the Republican Governors Association, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Turning Point USA and the National Riflemen Association. Raw Story, an online news site, first reported on the trips, which the governor’s office has championed as part of her job as the state’s “ambassador” to bolster the economy of the region. state and intergovernmental relations.

Airplane logs from the state also show Noem had family members who joined her on flights into the state in 2019.

The 2006 ballot measure was a response to the government’s scrutiny of air travel at the time. Mike Rounds, who attended events such as his son’s away basketball games while traveling on other official business. At the time, Rounds, now a U.S. senator, used political funds to reimburse the state for those trips, as well as travel to political events.

State Sen. Reynold Nesiba, a Democrat who proposed the ballot measure before becoming a lawmaker, said voters were clear in their intent.

“When used for family members, it appears to be a clear violation of not only the letter but also the spirit of the law which was overwhelmingly passed,” he said. .

Noem’s campaign spokesman Ian Fury said it was “fully within the rules” for family members to join governors on flights, adding that “the level of fussiness is ridiculous because she does that stuff less than Dennis Daugaard,” referring to Noem’s Republican predecessor. .

The state plane logs of Linda, the wife of Daugaard’s last show, often joined the trips. Daugaard’s sister and daughter also joined one trip each in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Noem’s children — not including his daughter Kennedy Noem, a member of the governor’s staff as a political analyst — went on nine plane trips during his first term.

On another trip, Noem’s itinerary allowed her to return home for her son’s prom. On April 5, 2019, she flew from Watertown State, near her home in Castlewood, to Rapid City for an announcement at Ellsworth Air Force Base. On the return flight, the plane stopped in the capital Pierre to drop off Rounds, who had joined her for the trip, and several helpers. But even though she had another trip from Pierre to Las Vegas for a Republican Jewish Coalition event scheduled for the next day, Noem did not stay at the governor’s mansion there.

She flew to Watertown, near her home, in time to see her son take the stage at his prom, according to Noem’s social media posts. The state plane, meanwhile, returned to Pierre, to make the return trip to Watertown for the governor the following day.

Fury defended the trips because her trip started in Watertown, near where she had spoken at an event for her son’s school district the day before.

“Part of official travel comes from official travel,” Fury said.

He used a similar defense for a May 30, 2019 trip that started in Custer, where she was staying to help her daughter prepare for her wedding, and traveled the state to speak at two youth leadership events. . Noem’s son, nephew and one of their friends who were attending one of these events in Aberdeen returned on the official plane to join in the wedding preparations.

Fury said adding his son and friends to the flight didn’t cost the state extra money and was part of his official trip.

Richard Briffault, a Columbia Law School professor who specializes in government ethics, said Noem’s trips to political events appeared to fall into a legal gray area. While traveling to raise funds or campaign would clearly break the law, he said, traveling to meet with political groups was “pushing the line”.

Across the country, Democratic and Republican governors have come under scrutiny for their use of state planes. New York, Kentucky, Minnesota and Montana allow governors to play politics with state-owned aircraft, but impose certain restrictions and require refunds for political purposes. New York also allows immediate family members to travel with the governor.

Hughes County State’s Attorney Jessica LaMie, who was appointed to determine whether Noem broke the law, promised a “thorough” investigation.

“If you take away the title and all that, it’s no different than any other survey,” she said.

Neil Fulton, the dean of the University of South Dakota Law School who also served as Rounds’ chief of staff after the 2006 law was signed into law, said it was not entirely clear what the law means exactly by “state affairs”. He said other jurisdictions generally define affairs of state as “actions to advance state programs or initiatives.”

The law imposes high fines: $1,000 plus 10 times the cost of the trip. Offenders also face a Class 2 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail, but is generally only reserved for repeat offenders or violent repeat offenders.

“We weren’t expecting to convict anyone of anything,” said Nesiba, the state legislator. “We hoped to have a deterrent effect.”

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2022 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the department is providing $502 million in loans and grants (PDF, 221 KB) to provide high-speed Internet access to residents and rural businesses in 20 states. The funding is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to invest in rural infrastructure and provide reliable and affordable high-speed internet for all. The USDA is making the investments under the third round of funding for the ReConnect program. The Department will make additional investments for rural broadband internet in the coming months, including funding President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand the ‘affordable high-speed Internet to all communities in the United States.

“President Biden’s commitment to bringing high-speed internet to rural communities is fundamental to ensuring that the national economy continues to grow from the bottom up and down the middle,” Vilsack said. “High-speed Internet will improve the rural economy. It will help rural businesses grow and access new markets. It will help rural residents gain access to more and better health care and educational opportunities. The USDA knows that rural America is America’s backbone, and prosperity here means prosperity for everyone.

USDA awards 32 awards in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming . Many of the awards will help rural people and businesses on tribal lands and people in socially vulnerable communities.

As part of today’s announcement:

• In Michigan, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians receives $25 million grant to connect 1,217 people and 26 businesses to high-speed internet in Chippewa and Mackinac counties. The tribe will make high-speed internet affordable by requiring its service provider to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers a rebate of up to $30 per month – or $75 per month for households on tribal lands – on household Internet bills, as well as the FCC’s Lifeline program. This project will serve Sault Ste. Marie Off-Reservation Trust Land, the Sault Ste. Marie Reservation as well as socially vulnerable communities in Chippewa and Mackinac counties.
• Net Vision Communications LLC is receiving a $12.4 million loan to connect 4,587 people, 300 businesses, nine farms and 15 public schools to high-speed Internet in Barton County, Missouri. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in the county.
• Southern Plains Cable LLC in Oklahoma receives an $8.1 million loan and $8.1 million grant to deploy a fibre-to-the-premises network that will connect 7,093 people, 230 businesses, six farms and 29 high-speed Internet schools in Caddo, Comanche, Cotton and Grady counties. Southern Plains will make high-speed Internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs. This project will serve the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache-Fort Sill Apache Tribal Statistical Area as well as socially vulnerable communities in Cotton County.

The USDA has so far announced $858 million in ReConnect’s third round of funding and expects to make further investment announcements under this program in the coming weeks. Today’s announcement follows the Department’s July 28 announcement that it has invested $356 million through the ReConnect program to help very rural residents and businesses in 11 states (PDF, 192 KB) to access high-speed Internet.

Context: ReConnect program

To be eligible for ReConnect program funding, an applicant must serve an area where high-speed Internet service speeds are less than 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). The applicant must also commit to constructing facilities capable of providing high-speed Internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to each location within its proposed service area.

To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the nearest USDA State Office of Rural Development.

Background: bipartisan infrastructure law

President Biden has forged consensus and compromise among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to demonstrate that our democracy can bring great victories to the American people. After decades of talk about rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, President Biden has introduced the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act – a historic investment in America that will change people’s lives for the better and shake things up. America again.

The bipartisan Infrastructure Act provides $65 billion to ensure that every American has access to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet through a historic investment in the deployment of broadband infrastructure. The legislation also lowers the costs of internet services and helps bridge the digital divide, so that more Americans can take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by internet access.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunity, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This aid supports the improvement of infrastructure; Business development; lodging; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed Internet access in rural, tribal and very poor areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

The USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, the USDA is transforming the US food system with greater emphasis on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe food, healthy and nutritious in all communities, creating new markets and income streams for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in clean energy infrastructure and capacity in the rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and creating a workforce that is more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

If you would like to subscribe to USDA rural development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

#

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Nearly two dozen Republican attorneys general are pushing back against a plan by major credit card companies to add a new code to categorize gun sales, saying it would do more harm than good.

The policy change from Visa, Mastercard and American Express was celebrated by gun control activists last week as a way to flag suspicious sales, but attorneys general say it misses the mark on security public and targets gun owners, the wall street journal reported Tuesday.

VISA JOINS MASTERCARD AND AMEX IN ARMY SALES CATEGORY

“The categorization of the constitutionally protected right to purchase firearms unfairly targets law-abiding merchants and consumers,” attorneys general from 23 states wrote in a letter to the credit card companies.

Gun control advocates have urged the financial industry to play its part in helping curb mass shootings.

Gun rights groups have argued that the new code system punishes gun buyers and violates their Second Amendment rights.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen are leading the campaign to get the credit card companies to back down.

“We will mobilize the full extent of our legal authority to protect our citizens and consumers from unlawful attempts to infringe on their constitutional rights,” their letter read.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Visa, Mastercard and American Express said the new codes would not infringe on anyone’s freedoms and said they would not block any purchases based strictly on the type of merchant code attached.

This reporter and his wife were driving up St. Francis Drive and heading towards the intersection of St. Thomas Drive in the Upper Miller Creek area around 3:00 p.m. Sunday when we spotted a small black bear crossing the road and into a large lot belonging to one of our neighbors.

As we pulled off the road and called 9-1-1, the bear ran as fast as he could across the large lawn.

A large family group with a good-sized dog also spotted the bear, which ran from the yard until it was out of sight.

There are many houses in the area and many have large gardens and apple trees.

Since the bear was not acting threatening and was obviously trying to get away from people in the area as quickly as possible, 9-1-1 advised us to report to Missoula Bears dot org, this that we did.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bear specialist Jamie Jonkel, who recently spoke to KGVO News about such encounters, the bears are having a hard time finding enough food to prepare for their winter hibernation.

‘Jonkel took a very serious tone when discussing the bear problem in western Montana at this time, as the entire region was experiencing a “food shortage”.

“Right now we do have an ongoing food shortage,” he said. “We have black bears and grizzly bears all over region two, even in the Kalispell and Bozeman area. As a result, we have a lot of bears behaving a bit uncharacteristically. Either they totally ignore us or they try to get our apples. They try to get our hawthorn berries in the garden and if you have garbage there they will try to get your garbage.

Jonkel said the bears in particular were desperately hungry as they prepared for hibernation.

“Now this year, it’s so important from now on that everyone has all their attractions locked up, but they also have to be a little patient because the bears are desperate,” he said. “So if you have a crabapple tree and you live near a mountain or a stream, you’re going to have bears in your yard. It’s been a bad year for bears. So call us with information, but also be patient and realize that they are hurting and doing things a little differently this year.

If you see a bear in a residential area, report it to Missoula Bears dot org, or if the bear or any predator is acting threatening, call 9-1-1.

The entire state has experienced some form of drought impact over the past two years, but there is no doubt that north-central Montana has experienced the most persistent and severe drought.

The Blackfoot Reservation encompasses approximately 1.5 million acres in some of the areas hardest hit by the drought. The economy of the reserve is largely based on agriculture and over 80% of the land is used for agriculture.

“The plant change is so big – we haven’t even had any berries this year. We actually have to turn around and go to a commercialized orchard,” says Terraine Edmo, Blackfeet Tribe’s climate change coordinator. The reserve faced problems with drought, extreme temperatures and early spring runoff. In 2018, the tribe released a Climate Adaptation Plan, which addresses the threats that climate change poses to the Blackfeet Nation.

The Blackfoot Climate Adaptation Plan includes 8 planning sectors, each with specific strategies and tactics, some of which are already being implemented. Planning areas include: agriculture, cultural resources and traditions, fisheries, forestry, human health, lands and ranges, water and wildlife.

The Blackfeet Tribe is the first tribe in the Pacific Northwest to execute a plan to combat the growing impacts of climate change. On Thursday, September 15, the Blackfeet Environmental Office hosted over 70 people from an assortment of local nonprofits, universities, government agencies and more to share some of these strategies, which are already integrated throughout the reserve.

Edmo explains that the tribe plans to share the process with other communities: “We wanted to protect our future and the most vulnerable populations, like our language, our animals, all our loved ones. We consider everything to be alive, everything has a spirit and With the planning process, we have kept our traditional and indigenous way of life at the fore. The drought has threatened not only the economy but also the culture of the Blackfeet tribe. Plants used in ceremonies have become more difficult to find due to the exceptionally dry conditions on the reservation.” The sweet grass that kicks off our ceremonies and the berries that we use in our ceremonies, those are really important necessities for us to carry out who we are as Piikani people,” says Terraine Edmo.

“It is a way of teaching our young students. The impacts of climate change have affected our most vulnerable populations, our young people. grandparents there. They can’t get in the landscape and teach them how to fish and hunt,” says Edmo. She also expresses that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the reserve hard and has impacted the health of many seniors.

Although the Blackfeet Tribe have faced their share of challenges, they are rich in resilience. “We are not the catastrophic type. We are critical thinkers. We have to go fast and roll with the punches.”

Seesaw is an app that empowers students to learn and engage in creative educational activities while giving teachers and parents insight into each student’s progress and thinking. The app has become particularly popular in recent years and is used by around 10 million students, teachers and parents, according to their website.

However, parents say the platform was hacked on Wednesday as some school districts in New York saw an explicit image posted in a message. NBC says districts in Oklahoma, Illinois and Texas were also affected.

hacker attack

Seesaw’s vice president of marketing said in an email that “specific user accounts were compromised by an outside actor,” though they didn’t say how many users were actually affected. A second email said the person or others involved had hacked into individual accounts, and not getting administrative access or Seesaw.

NBC says Castleton Elementary School, in Castleton-on-Hudson, had stated on its website that there was evidence of a security breach.

NBC says the image posted was an “infamous photo meme of a man engaged in an explicit act.” Vice News has obtained a screenshot of the image, revealing the ugly photo to the world.

Mayor de Blasio’s Snitch line is hit

At the start of COVID, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set up a social distancing advice line for New Yorkers to report group gatherings and other violations to hopefully help to flatten the curve in the fight against COVID-19. Well, that didn’t go so well. Some people may not be too enthusiastic about reporting their friends and neighbors. or maybe we’re going crazy.

The NY Post reports that the anonymous whistleblower line has been bombarded and trolled with a series of photos of penises, photos of people with middle fingers, Hitler memes and other rude messages.

Some other witty entries included photos of Mayor De Blasio dropping the Staten Island Groundhog in 2014,

The Post says it’s uncertain whether any of the vulgar photos and comments are from people who actually lived in New York. No woman named Karen could be reached for comment at this time. Well, at least he tried.

Ideanomics announced plans for its US subsidiary Hybrid to Global Environmental Products with its proprietary electric and hybrid drive kits to be used in building 62 zero-emission street sweepers. GEP will then supply the sweepers to New York, California, the city of Helena, Montana and Washington D.C.

The two companies GEP and US Hybrid have also cooperated in the past: dating back to 2009, the two companies launched their first hybrid electric street sweepers in New York. Meanwhile, the partners have also served customers in Japan. US Hybrid has also supplied a number of electric transit vans for public transportation operator Antelope Valley Transit Authority in California.

Regarding the breakdown of the order, GEP will supply 17 electric street sweepers to the California Department of Transportation. 30 plug-in hybrid electric street sweepers and seven all-electric street sweepers will go to New York, while the other all-electric street sweepers include two for the city of South San Francisco, three for Washington DC and two for the City of Helena , Montana.

“Together with GEP, we provide our customers across the United States with American-made zero-emission street sweepers featuring the best available technology pioneered by US Hybrid,” said Robin Mackie, president of Ideanomics Mobility. “This order, one of the largest to date, reflects a simple truth: zero-emission street sweepers are better for planet, communities and bottom line. Plus, every order supports the growth of America’s clean energy economy and green manufacturing jobs.

prnewswire.com

PA

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan election committee placed an abortion rights proposal in the fall ballot on Friday, obeying an order from the highest court in the state and closing a record-breaking petition campaign trying to change the state constitution.

The amendment would affirm Michigan’s right to make pregnancy-related decisions without interference, including abortion and other reproductive services such as birth control.

The Michigan Supreme Court ordered the Board of State Solicitors a day earlier to put him on the November 8 ballot. The board, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, killed the proposal in a tie vote last weekGOP members siding with abortion opponents who said the petition had incorrect or no spacing between certain words.

Chief Justice Bridget McCormack derisively called it “a game of gotcha gone horribly wrong.” She said the words were legible and in the correct order.

Supporters had submitted more than 750,000 signatures, easily crossing the minimum threshold and setting a record for a ballot initiative in Michigan.

Abortion remained legal in the state even after the United States Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade. A 1931 law that criminalizes most abortions was suspended by a judge last spring and ruled unconstitutional this week.

But this decision can be appealed. If the voters approve the constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion, any legal fight would be pointless.

A poll released this week by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV showed abortion and women’s rights were the top issues motivating Michigan residents to vote in November, ahead of inflation, education and the economy. . The poll showed a majority of likely voters supporting the amendment protect the right to abortion.

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White reported from Detroit.

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Joey Cappelletti is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on underreported issues.

Drought conditions in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa continued through August. According to the Master Manual and System Storage Audit of September 1, winter discharge from Gavins Point Dam will be 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), as part of overall water conservation measures.

While July brought much-needed moisture to the Missouri River basin, August showed a return to the hot, dry conditions seen in the basin for the past two seasons. August runoff was 0.9 MAF, 62% of average above Sioux City, and 0.6 MAF or 49% of average above Gavins Point Dam. The part of the basin that drains into Oahe Reservoir was particularly dry, seeing only 10% of its average August runoff. The 2022 calendar year forecast for the upper basin, updated September 1, is 20.2 million acre-feet (MAF), or 78% of the average. The average annual runoff for the upper basin is 25.8 MAF.

“Reservoir supplies in August were well below average. We expect below-average inflows to the system through the remainder of 2022,” said John Remus, head of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. American. “Based on storage in the system during the September 1 storage audit, Gavins Point winter releases will be 12,000 cfs for the second year in a row,” Remus added.

As of September 2, the total volume of water stored in the system was 50.2 MAF, which is 5.9 MAF below the base of the system’s flood control zone. System storage should continue to shrink throughout the fall. Updated reservoir studies indicate that system storage is expected to be greater than 8.4 MAF below flood control base at the start of the 2022 runoff season.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, drought conditions in the basin have worsened over the past month. Seventy-four percent of the basin is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions, including 7% extreme or exceptional drought. Northern Montana and southwestern Nebraska have exceptionally dry soil conditions. The September and seasonal drought outlook shows that the existing drought persists and extends into the basin through the end of November.

Navigation
The Gavins Point Dam releases will be configured to provide navigational stream support at a level of 500 cfs above minimum service to the four target locations (Sioux City, Omaha, Nebraska City and Kansas City). Flow targets may be missed to conserve water if there is no commercial shipping in a given reach. The season support will end on November 28 at the mouth of the Missouri River.

Winter Release Rate
In accordance with the criteria of the main manual, the winter discharge rate is determined based on the storage of the system on September 1. According to system storage as of September 1, winter releases from Gavins Point Dam will be at the minimum rate of 12,000 cfs. In anticipation of low winter discharges, a letter will be sent in early September to all water users downstream of the Gavins Point Dam informing them of the expected discharges and encouraging them to assess the risks to their facilities.

Monthly Water Management Conference Calls
The calls for water stewardship include an update on operations of the main Missouri River reservoir system. The next call for 2022 will be Thursday, September 8. All calls are recorded in their entirety and are publicly available on our website at https://go.usa.gov/xARQv.

Fall Public Meetings
The Northwest Division will host a series of town hall meetings the week of October 24-28. The dates and locations of the meetings are listed below.

• October 24, Fort Peck, MT @ 11:30 a.m. MT – Fort Peck Interpretive Center
• Oct. 24, Bismarck, ND at 5:00 p.m. CT – Bismarck State College
• October 25, Ft Pierre, Sd @ 10:00 a.m. CT – Casey Tibbs Conference Center
• October 25, Sioux City, IA @ 4:00 PM CT – Betty Strong Dating Center
• October 26, Smithville, MO @ 11:00 a.m. CT – Jerry Litton Visitor Center
• October 26, Nebraska City, NE @ 6:00 PM CT – Steinhart Lodge
• Oct. 27, St. Louis, MO @ 10:30 a.m. CT – VIEW17

 

Reservoir Forecast:

• Gavins Point Dam
  • Average releases last month – 28,900 cfs
  • Current circulation rate – 30,000 cfs (as of September 1)
  • Expected rejection rate – 30,000 cfs (month of September)
  • Reservoir level at the end of August – 1206.8 feet
  • Expected reservoir level at the end of September – 1207.5 feet
  • Notes: Discharges will be adjusted as needed to meet all downstream navigation targets.

• Fort Randall Dam
  • Average releases last month – 28,100 cfs
  • Reservoir level at the end of August – 1354.9 feet
  • Expected reservoir level at the end of September – 1353.7 feet
  • Notes: Discharges will be adjusted as necessary to maintain the desired reservoir elevation at Gavins Point.

• Big Bend Dam
  • Average releases last month – 28,800 cfs
  • Expected Average Reject Rate – 27,000 cfs
  • Expected tank level – 1420.4 feet

• Oahe Dam
  • Average releases last month – 29,600 cfs
  • Expected Average Reject Rate – 27,000 cfs
  • Reservoir level at the end of August – 1596.0 feet
  • Expected reservoir level at the end of September – 1593.6 feet

• garrison barrage
  • Average releases last month – 21,100 cfs
  • Current release rate – 21,000 cfs
  • Expected average rejection rate – reduce to 14,000 cfs by mid-September
  • Reservoir level at the end of August – 1835.6 feet
  • Expected reservoir level at the end of September – 1834.2 feet

• Fort Peck Dam
  • Average releases last month – 7,800 cfs
  • Current release rate – 7,800 cfs
  • Expected average rejection rate – reduce to 4,000 cfs by mid-September
  • Reservoir level at the end of August – 2221.0 feet
  • Expected reservoir level at the end of September – 2220.4 feet

The projected reservoir flows and elevations discussed above are not definitive. Additional precipitation, lack of precipitation, or other circumstances could cause adjustments to reservoir release rates.

Hydroelectricity:
The six main power stations produced 886 million kWh of electricity in August. Typical energy production for the month of August is 1,011 million kWh. Power plants are expected to produce 7.3 billion kWh of electricity this year, compared to a long-term average of 9.4 billion kWh.

To view detailed three-week release forecasts for major dams, go to http://go.usa.gov/xVgWr.

MISSOURI RIVER MAIN RESERVOIR DATA
Pool elevation (feet above mean sea level) Stored water (1,000 acre-feet)
As of August 31 Variation in August As of August 31 % of the 1967-2020 average Variation in August

• Fort Peck 2221.1 -1.1 12,249 84 -222
• Garrison 1835.6 -2.4 17,175 96 -724
• Ahoy 1596.0 -2.2 15 371 87 -651
• Large bend 1420.7 -0.2 1673 98 -12
• Fort Randall 1354.9 0.0 3,401,102 +8
• Pointe Gavins 1206.8 +0.6 345 88 +12

Total 50,214 90 -1,589

WATER LAUNCHES AND ENERGY PRODUCTION FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST
Average release in 1,000 cfs Release in 1,000 acre-feet Production in millions of kWh

• Fort Peck 7.8 479 74
• Garrison 21.1 1,296,197
• Ahoy 29.6 1,821,262
• Big bend 28.8 1,773 97
• Fort Randall 28.1 1,727,181
• Pointe Gavins 28.9 1,778 73

Total 884

As the week begins, here’s a preview and roundup of the main developments from the past week.

What to watch this week

On Monday, Brussels is hosting a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, whose agenda includes European Union support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and Ukraine’s application for membership of the block.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council is expected to meet, at Russia’s request, to discuss the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine following recent attacks, breakdowns and an international inspection of the plant.

Additionally, Boris Johnson’s tenure as UK Prime Minister is coming to an end. He won the praise and affection of Ukrainians as a strong supporter of Kyiv.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit the Vostok military exercises in eastern Russia.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council is to discuss forced displacement in Ukraine, as announced by France.

On Thursday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield will outline Washington’s priorities at the UN General Assembly later this month. On Saturday, she will address global food security, which has also been affected by the war.

EU energy meetings are due to hold an extraordinary meeting on Friday following spikes in prices largely due to fallout from the war in Ukraine. In addition, EU economics and finance ministers and heads of central banks will also hold an informal meeting.

On Sunday, Russia holds gubernatorial elections in more than a dozen regions.

Meanwhile, security analysts will be watching developments as Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south enters its second week.

what happened last week

August 29: Ukraine launches a counter-offensive in the south areas captured by Russian forces early in the war.

August 30: Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is dead at 91 years old. An interpreter who worked with him later told Reuters that Gorbachev was “shocked and bewildered” by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin did not attend the September 3 burial ceremony and the Kremlin gave him only limited state burials.

UNESCO said it supports Ukraine’s application for Odessa listing as a World Heritage Site.

August 31: EU countries decided to suspend visas for Russians but has not been the subject of an outright entry ban.

September 1st : international atomic energy agency inspectors visited Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, after a delay and attacks en route to the Russian-occupied factory.

The new from Ukraine the school year has started in the middle of a war. While some schools have started in person, most will try to hold classes online. More than 2,000 learning centers, from kindergartens to universities, have been damaged or destroyed, according to the Ministry of Education.

Russia has launched Vostok 2022, a week of military exercises with other countries. Some analysts say the drills reflect Moscow’s deepening ties with China and India.

September 2: President Biden asks Congress to approve 11.7 billion dollars for Ukraineincluding $7.2 billion for military spending and $4.5 billion for direct economic support.

September 3: The besieged Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was again destroyed its last external power line, but was still able to run electricity through a reserve line. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of bombing the region.

Russian bombings hit Kharkiv in Ukraineto the northeast, and Mykolaiv to the south.

September 4: John Sullivan steps down as US Ambassador to Russia and will retire from public service, the US Embassy in Moscow announced. He was nominated in December 2019 by then-President Donald Trump and stayed on through a tumultuous time. Elizabeth Rood becomes charge d’affaires of the embassy until the arrival of Sullivan’s successor.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Germany and spoke with its leaders about the war, Russian sanctions and Ukraine’s arms needs.

In depth

Ukraine’s southern offensive relies on heavy weapons. The soldiers say there are not enough.

Along the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, cut off from its resources, a resilient city holds firm.

What it is for Ukrainians who work in a nuclear power plant under Russian occupation.

Russian efforts to break up European energy unity appear to be failing, at least for now.

As inspectors leave Ukraine’s nuclear power plant, the mayor of a nearby town harbors high hopes.

What inspectors are looking for at Ukraine’s war-damaged Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

A Ukrainian neurologist from Kyiv returns with NPR, saying dozens of Western medical professionals have offered help since the first interview.

On the border between Latvia and Russia, the line lengthens and shortens.

A massive military aid package to Ukraine signals that the United States is at war for the long haul.

Special report

Russia’s war in Ukraine is changing the world: see its ripple effects around the globe.

Previous developments

You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more NPR coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR Ukrainian state podcast for updates throughout the day.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To learn more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Last week, President Trump launched an unprecedented assault on US public lands when he ordered Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to assess whether dozens of national monuments should be canceled or reduced.

Trump was responding to pressure from the Utah congressional delegation, which had long hated the Teddy Roosevelt-era Antiquities Act, the law that gives the president the power to protect lands and waters with physical or cultural attributes. exceptional. Some, but not all, Utahans are upset with President Obama’s creation of the 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument, as well as President Clinton’s 1996 designation of the Grand Staircase National Monument. – Escalante.

The long campaign against the Antiquities Act comes with a lot of searing rhetoric.

When Obama announced the creation of Bears Ears, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch said, “For Utahans in general, and for those in San Juan County, this is an affront of epic proportions and an attack on an entire way of life.

(Never mind that five Native American nations came together to support the monument and that it enjoyed deep support nationwide.)

During the signing ceremony for his new executive order, Trump said he would end the “abusive practice” of establishing national monuments, which he called a “massive federal land grab.”

(The president, who is clearly not a student of history, is apparently unaware that since the Antiquities Act was enacted, every president except George HW Bush has used it. Trump is also unaware of obviously the fact that the lands in question were already under federal control.)

Adding further disinformation to Trump’s statements, Interior Secretary Zinke said some national monuments are “off-limits to public access for grazing, fishing, mining, multiple uses, and even outdoor recreation”.

(Zinke—who, at a White House press conference the day before the order was signed, boasted that “no one loves our public lands” more than he does—should know. national monuments allow public access, and almost all of those in question permit outdoor recreation, including fishing, camping, hiking, and even hunting in some designations Livestock grazing is generally permitted where it existed before. The most commonly prohibited activities are logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, and sometimes areas are closed to off-road vehicles.)

If all of Hatch’s, Trump’s and Zinke’s speeches sound predictable, that’s because you’ve heard them before. The anger directed at national monuments is history repeating itself. Secretary Zinke’s statement that “in some cases, monument designation may have resulted in lost jobs, lower wages and reduced public access” echoes arguments long made against parks and monuments. For more than a hundred years, voices have been raised against the “surpassing” of distant authorities.

But the predicted calamities almost never materialize. And the same voices that once warned of economies being destroyed by land protection are coming to understand that there is more value in protecting a place than stripping it of minerals and trees. There have always been people who hate parks and monuments, until they come to love them.

According to Thomas Power, a retired economist from the University of Montana, many people, when they think about land conservation, suffer from a sort of “rear-view mirror” effect. We look at which industries have boosted our economies in the past, but we often don’t know what is currently fueling our economies, let alone what might be important in the future. “Not only are there economic opportunities that come with protected lands, including tourism-related business ventures, but land protection has other less direct economic benefits,” Power wrote. “Wilderness and park designation create quality of life attributes that attract residents whose incomes do not depend on local employment in commercial material extraction activities from the natural landscape, but choose to relocate to a area to take advantage of its amenity values.”

This hindsight effect has always been one of the challenges of the conservation movement. It is only with hindsight that the protection of a place seems obvious; At the moment, any decision to protect the earth from our immediate needs requires a certain amount of courage.

Looking back, it is therefore instructive to look at various parks and monuments and remember how locals reacted to them when they were first established and how they perceive them now. A little history might give Trump, Zinke and others some perspective — and maybe even cool their histrionics.

yellowstone national park

Bison in a snowstorm, Blacktail Plateau, Yellowstone National Park

So: Opposition to parks and other protected lands began with the first-ever federal land withdrawal. When Congress declared the upper Yellowstone River the nation’s first national park in 1872, local reception to the news was negative. Montana’s Editors Helen’s Gazette said: “We consider the adoption of the law [to protect the area] as a great blow to the prosperity of the towns of Bozeman and Virginia City.

Now: Anyone who’s visited Bozeman recently knows it’s a prime location for new businesses and independent entrepreneurs out west, in part because of its proximity to Yellowstone National Park. Indeed, a recent economic study by Headwaters Economics found that visitors to Yellowstone in 2015 generated more than $110,000,000 in revenue for Montana’s economy.

National Monument/Grand Canyon National Park

Inner Colorado River Gorge from Tuweep Overlook, Grand Canyon National Park

So: In the 1880s, three bills to protect the canyon as a national park failed to gain traction in Congress due to local opposition. The Sun Williams A northern Arizona newspaper captured the common sentiment of the time when it editorialized that the idea for the national park represented an “evil, diabolical plan”, and that whoever spawned such an idea must have been ” nursed by a sow and raised by an idiot”. . . . The destiny of Arizona depends exclusively on the development of its mineral resources. In 1908, President Teddy Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to establish the Grand Canyon National Monument. The Arizona congressional delegation was baffled by Roosevelt’s statement and succeeded in preventing any federal funding for park operations and attempted, unsuccessfully, to legally challenge Roosevelt’s monument designation.

Now: Local attitudes regarding the value of Grand Canyon National Park had reversed dramatically in 1994, when the Republican Congress shut down the federal government, including national park operations. Fearing a loss of tourism dollars, the state of Arizona offered to pay the costs of keeping Grand Canyon National Park open to the public. In 2016, Representative Raul Grijalva and conservation groups were urging President Obama to establish a Grand Canyon National Heritage Monument around the park. Some 80% of Arizona residents supported the idea.

Mount Olympus National Monument/Olympic National Park

Mount Olympus covered in glaciers, Olympic National Park

So: There was significant local opposition when President Teddy Roosevelt established a national monument on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula in 1909. Commercial logging interests were particularly angry. MJ Carrigan, the Seattle tax collector, railed against the monument, which became a national park under Franklin Delano Roosevelt:[We] would be silly to let a bunch of insane sentimentalists monopolize the resources of the Olympic Peninsula in order to preserve its landscape.

Now: US Representative for the region, Derek Kilmer, has proposed legislation to add additional areas around Olympic National Park. He’s a local and says he can’t imagine the area without the park. “As someone who grew up in Port Angeles, [Washington]I’ve always said that we don’t have to choose between economic growth and environmental protection.

Jackson Hole National Monument/Grand Teton National Park

Mount Moran reflected in Leigh Lake, Grand Teton National Park

So: When FDR used the Antiquities Act to create Jackson Hole National Monument (precursor to Grand Teton National Park), locals went nuts. Some feared that Jackson was becoming a “ghost town”. Wyoming’s congressional delegation introduced legislation to remove the monument.

Now: Today, the “ghost town” of Jackson is home to 22,000 “ghosts” and Teton County is Wyoming’s wealthiest county, with an unemployment rate of 2.6% and a median household income of 75,325. dollars, compared to $58,804 for Wyoming.

Glacier National Park

Mountain goat at Logan Pass Continental Divide, Glacier National Park

So: When Glacier was first protected as a national park in 1910, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce officially opposed designation of the park, fearing the park would impede oil, gas, and logging operations. Residents submitted a petition to the federal government in 1914 to dismantle the park, arguing that “it is more important to provide homes for a land-hungry people than to lock up the land for a rich man’s playground than no one will or will ever use. .”

Now: Today, the same Kalispell Chamber of Commerce boasts of having the “best backyard in the country.” Half an hour to the east lies the rugged grandeur of Glacier National Park. And contrary to the claim that “no one will or will ever use” the park, according to the National Park Service, nearly 3 million people visited Glacier National Park in 2016.

Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and National Monuments/Zion National Parks and Canyonlands National Park

Looking from the Dollhouse to the Maze in Canyonlands National Park

So: Many national parks that anchor southern Utah’s economy, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Capitol Reef, were first protected in the 1920s and 1930s as national monuments. In the 1960s, efforts to make these places national parks and to create a Canyonlands National Park met with strong resistance from the oil and gas industry, ranchers, and the Utah senator. Wallace F. Bennett, who in 1962 predicted, “All commercial use and commercial activity would be forever banned and nearly all growth in southern Utah would be forever stunted.

Now: When congressional Republicans shut down the federal government in the fall of 2013, Utah state officials raced to keep the state’s five national parks open. The move came with a hefty price tag – around $167,000 a day to run the parks. In a 2014 speech to the Senate, Senator Hatch said, “We owe a debt of gratitude to the people, elected officials and citizens, who had the foresight to recognize the value of Canyonlands and created the park 50 years ago. year.

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Governor says state hits record high for workers

Electrify Big Sky event held in September

Montana joins Lithuania on lasers

State Ag accepts applications for funding

Jacobsen addresses Helena’s Rotary Club

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Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to provide broadband infrastructure to 770 homes

As part of its recently signed bipartisan mandate Infrastructure Investment and Employment Act (IIJA) and the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021US Senator Jon Tester today got $15,300,356.84 in Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) to the Chippewa Cree Tribe to install broadband infrastructure and bring high-speed Internet to 770 homes on the Rocky Boy Reserve.

Tester was one of four other Democrats and five Republicans to negotiate the bipartisan IIJA, and was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to support the legislation.

“High-speed Internet is essential to the success of students, families and small businesses in the 21^st century,” says Tester. “For too long, the federal government has ignored the needs of people in Indian Country, which is why I was proud to work with tribal leaders and secure important investments for their communities through my bipartisan infrastructure act. . These resources will allow people to stay connected, continue learning outside of the classroom, and help start and grow small businesses on the Rocky Boy reservation.

TBCP funding will go to the Chippewa Cree Tribe to install fiber and fixed wireless infrastructure to directly connect 770 Native American homes to high-speed fiber-to-the-home internet. The TBCP program was created and funded by the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 and Tester’s IIJA provided an additional $2 billion to the program.

As part of Tester’s bipartisan IIJA, the administration announced its Internet for All initiative, which includes the TBCP, and will build Internet infrastructure, teach digital skills, and provide the technology needed to ensure that everyone in America — including rural communities, communities of color, and older Americans — have the access and skills they need to fully participate in the 21st century economy.

The tester worked across the aisle for months negotiating the Infrastructure Investment and Employment Act with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats and the White House, and he was the only member of the Montana congressional delegation to vote for it. The Tester Act is expected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and reduce costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

A list of the provisions of the legislation can be viewed HERE.

Major developments

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

FDIC sends cease-and-desist letters to five companies for making false or misleading crypto-related claims about deposit insurance

August 19, 2022

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has issued letters asking five companies and their officers, directors and employees to cease and desist from making false and misleading statements about FDIC deposit insurance and to take immediate corrective action to remedy such false or misleading statements pursuant to Section 18(a)(4) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Part 328 of the FDIC Rules.

Federal agencies

US Department of Treasury

Treasury Approves Four Additional State Plans to Support Underserved Entrepreneurs and Small Business Growth Through the State’s Small Business Credit Initiative

August 19, 2022

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it had approved plans by the states of Colorado, Oregon, New York and Montana under the state’s Small Business Credit Initiative for funding of up to reach $750 million to expand access to capital for small businesses.

Security and Exchange Commission

Chairman Gensler’s remarks ahead of Reuters Events’ Responsible Business USA 2022

August 19, 2022

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler spoke ahead of Reuters’ Responsible Business USA 2022 Event.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Opening Remarks by Commissioner Kristin Johnson for the CFTC and OMWI Roundtable on Digital Assets and Financial Inclusion

August 19, 2022

Commodity Futures Trade Commissioner Kristin Johnson spoke about digital asset policy, innovation, legislation and regulation during a roundtable at the CFTC.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Blog: Why we’re modernizing the way we collect credit card data

August 19, 2022

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a blog post titled “Why We’re Modernizing How We Collect Credit Card Data.”

FINRA

FINRA Board of Governors Elects Eric Noll as Chairman

August 19, 2022

FINRA’s Board of Governors has elected current FINRA Public Governor Eric Noll as its next Chairman.

Banking Policy Institute

Proposed FDIC Deposit Insurance Rating Increase: A Threat to Small Businesses and the Economy, Based on Outdated Data

August 19, 2022

The Bank Policy Institute, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America, National Bankers Association, and Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America sent a comment letter to the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission on its proposed deposit insurance assessment rate increase.

International

bank of england

Article: The size-centrality relationship in production networks

August 19, 2022

The Bank of England has published a staff working paper titled “The Size-Centrality Relationship in Production Networks”.

Document: Firming price inflation

August 19, 2022

The Bank of England has released a staff working paper entitled “Firming up price inflation”.

UK Financial Conduct Authority

FCA warns Buy Now Pay Later companies against misleading ads

August 19, 2022

The Financial Conduct Authority has sent letters to the CEO to companies that offer Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products stating that, while some deals are unregulated, financial promotions of all BNPL products must adhere to financial promotion rules .

Administrative changes

Vacant jobs

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

• President – ​​Vacant (Martin Gruenberg is acting president)
• Vice President – ​​Vacant

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

• Controller – Vacant (Michael Hsu is Acting Controller)

Appointments/Confirmation Hearings

U.S. Treasury Department – Janet Yellen (effective January 26, 2021)

Federal Reserve Board – Jerome H. Powell (effective May 23, 2022)

• Vice-President Lael Brainard (sworn in May 23, 2022)
• Vice President for Oversight Michael Barr (sworn in July 19, 2022)
• Governor Phillip N Jefferson (sworn in May 23, 2022)
• Governor Lisa D. Cook (sworn in May 23, 2022)
• Statement by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome H. Powell on his nomination by President Biden (November 22, 2021)
• Statement by Governor Lael Brainard on her nomination by President Biden (November 22, 2021) (sworn on May 23, 2022)
• Statement by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen on Federal Reserve Appointments (November 22, 2021)
• Statement from Secretary Walsh on Federal Reserve Appointments (November 22, 2021)
• Brown’s Statement on Jerome Powell’s Renomination as Fed Chair (November 22, 2021)
• Toomey’s Statement on Jerome Powell’s Renomination as Fed Chair (November 22, 2021)
• Brown applauds Biden’s nomination of Governor Lael Brainard as vice president (November 22, 2021)
• Brown Applauds Biden Nominees to Fed Board (January 14, 2022)
• Toomey’s Statement on President Biden’s Fed Nominees (January 14, 2022)
• Waters applauds appointments of Sarah Bloom Raskin, Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson to Federal Reserve leadership positions (January 14, 2022)
• Statement by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen on Federal Reserve Appointments (January 14, 2022)
• Statement from the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Brown regarding the nomination of Dr. Lisa Cook (March 29, 2022)
• Statement by Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee Toomey Regarding the Nomination of Dr. Lisa Cook (March 29, 2022)
• Statement by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Brown on Nomination of Michael Barr as Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Oversight (April 15, 2022)
• Statement by Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Toomey on Nomination of Michael Barr as Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Oversight (April 15, 2022)
• Statement from the Chair of the Senate Banking Committee Regarding the Senate Confirmation of Dr. Lisa Cook (May 10, 2022)
• Statement by a Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee Regarding the Senate Confirmation of Dr. Lisa Cook (May 10, 2022)
• Jerome H. Powell sworn in for a second term as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (May 23, 2022)
• Lael Brainard is sworn in as Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (May 23, 2022)
• Lisa D. Cook sworn in as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (May 23, 2022)
• Philip N. Jefferson sworn in as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (May 23, 2022)
• Statement by the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee ahead of the confirmation vote for Michael Barr (July 13, 2022)
• Statement by President Biden on confirming Michael Barr as Fed Vice Chairman (July 13, 2022)
• Statement from CSBS President and CEO on Confirmation of Michael Barr as Vice President (July 14, 2022)
• Michael S. Barr sworn in as Vice Chairman for Oversight of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (July 19, 2022)

Federal Reserve Bank of New York – John C. Williams (effective June 18, 2018)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Martin Gruenberg (Acting Chair, appointed February 5, 2022)

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – Rohit Chopra (effective October 12, 2021)

Security and Exchange Commission – Gary Gensler (effective April 17, 2021)

• LizAnn Eisen joins Corporate Finance Division as Deputy Director of Disclosure Program (January 27, 2022)
• Lori H. Price named acting director of Office of Credit Ratings; Ahmed Abonamah leaves the SEC (February 1, 2022)
• Philadelphia Regional Office Director Kelly L. Gibson Leaves SEC; Scott Thompson and Joy Thompson named co-acting office directors (February 11, 2022)
• Joint Statement by the Chairman and SEC Commissioners on the Senate Confirmation of Jaime Lizárraga and Mark Uyeda (June 17, 2022)
• CFTC Commissioner’s Statement on the Senate Confirmations of Mark Uyeda and Jaime Lizarraga (June 17, 2022)
• Jaime Lizárraga sworn in as SEC commissioner (July 18, 2022)
• Lori H. Price appointed Director of Credit Rating Bureau (August 12, 2022)

Small Business Administration – Isabella Casillas Guzman (effective March 16, 2021)

Commodity Futures Trading Commission – Rostin Behnam (effective December 17, 2021)

• Kristin Johnson, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Commissioner Candidate (September 13, 2021)
• Christy Goldsmith Romero, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Commissioner Candidate (September 13, 2021)
• US Senate unanimously confirms Behnam as president (December 17, 2021)
• CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam announces senior staff appointments (January 20, 2022)
• CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam Appoints Initial CFTC Leadership (January 25, 2022)
• Statement by CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam on the US Senate Confirmations of Christy Goldsmith Romero, Kristin N. Johnson, Summer Kristine Mersinger, and Caroline D. Pham (March 29, 2022)
• CFTC Commissioner Pham Announces First Staff Appointments (April 22, 2022)
• CFTC Commissioner Goldsmith Romero Announces Staff Appointments (April 27, 2022)
• CFTC Commissioner Pham Announces Additional Appointments (May 13, 2022)
• CFTC Commissioner Mersinger Announces Staff Appointments (May 16, 2022)

Financial Crimes Network

National Administration of Credit Unions – Todd M. Harper

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Marcia Fudge (effective March 10, 2021)

Federal Housing Finance Agency – Sandra L. Thompson, (confirmed May 25, 2022)

US Department of Education – Dr. Miguel Cardona (effective March 2, 2021)

PH Customer Alerts

Click here to learn more about our Coronavirus series.

Legislation/legislative updates

Click here to view the full text of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), Adopted March 27, 2020.

Click here to view the full text of the Expanding Paycheck Protection Program Act of 2020, Adopted April 24, 2020.

Click here to view the full text of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, Adopted on June 5, 2020.

Click here to view the full text of the Consolidated Credit Law, 2021, Adopted on December 27, 2020.

Click here to view the full text of the 2021 US bailout plan, Adopted March 11, 2021.

Click here to view the full text of the PPP Extension Act 2021, Adopted March 30, 2021.

Click here to see a current list of bills the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the House Committee on Financial Services and the House Committee on Small Business.

The Hannah Montana The series made Miley Cyrus a household name, but the role could have been a turning point for two other actresses.

Rumors have swirled that singer Belinda, known for her performance in Cheetah Girls 2, nearly landed the role of the beloved character. However, the Disney Channel show’s original casting director Lisa London has now put them to rest, revealing who almost helmed the teen hit, which ran from 2006 to 2011.

In a video shared on TikTok, London clarified that the Spanish-Mexican singer was, in fact, not in the running. In place, Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen and Daniella Monet, who appeared on Nickelodeon Zoe 101 and Victorious, came close to snagging the plum gig.

Everett-Collection Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana

“I discovered Miley Cyrus,” London said. “I wanted everyone to know that Belinda, who is adorable by the way, was never in the top 3 for the role of Hannah.”

Pulling a visual aid as evidence, London shared a piece of paper containing a list of the three actresses vying for the role in 2005. The trio made it to the final round of those competing to play the high school student and undercover pop star, beating over a thousand girls who auditioned.

DISNEY CHANNEL/BYRON COHEN; Paul Archuleta/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Miley Cyrus; Daniella Monet; Taylor Momsen

London also noted that the character was originally named Chloe rather than Miley Stewart before Cyrus was cast.

The series became a global phenomenon, spawning the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. In March, Cyrus celebrated the show’s 15th anniversary with a heartfelt letter to fans.

“It’s been a while — 15 years to be exact — since the first time I slicked those blonde bangs down my forehead in the best attempt to conceal my identity,” she wrote. “Then I put on a vomit pink terrycloth bathrobe and bedazzled HM on the [heart].”

Hannah Montana is currently streaming on Disney+.

The story continues

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A resident concerned about her roommate’s behavior contacted the Columbia Falls Police Department after she began hallucinating.

The woman told officers the man had a history of substance abuse and had undergone treatment for alcohol and dust cleaner use. He was in the garage now, because he thought people were watching him. Earlier he was talking about the fact that there were people trying to set up an economy in their backyard. She thought he might use inhalants again. She told officers she had since left the house.

Someone knocked over several fences on Scenic Drive. The resident who reported it said it happened overnight. From their vantage point, they could see that the vandals also hit the neighbor’s fence.

Officers were made aware of possible abuse in or around Columbia Falls, but the caller provided only vague information.

Someone contacted the police after a man got into a fight with their daughter, even though she apparently punched him and left him with a bloody face.

A resident asked officers to come outside to look at his fence after seeing an unusual scene unfold right before his eyes. The man said a vehicle stopped on his property and a child jumped out and ran through it. Despite the incursion, the man said the fence appeared to be intact. He attributed it to TikTok’s Kool-Aid Man challenge.

Officers responded to a report of a group of children hanging out in a parking lot around 11 p.m. The miners were quickly sent home.

Police cornered a pair of campers on Rapids Avenue.

Officers running an additional patrol near the high school discovered an open door in the building. The door was secure and everything seemed OK.

A swerving Buick sedan prompted another motorist to contact authorities. They said the four-door nearly hit their vehicle head-on, then nearly hit a curb.

Dispatchers said they received a phone call from the payphone located in the police department lobby. They disconnected the call after it became clear the caller did not require first responder assistance.

A man allegedly jumped in front of vehicles.

Officers headed to a local watering hole for a report of a woman harassing a man at the bar. According to the caller, she slandered him and was generally disruptive. She left before the officers arrived.

Someone ran into a homeowner’s fence on Riparian Drive the night before around midnight.

By Todd Wilkinson EBS Columnist

We live in a time where some people would rather ignore the dots than start connecting them, or ponder the meaning of cause and effect, or believe that denying science is a less anxiety-inducing undertaking than seriously considering what which is before us.

Sometimes it’s hard to gauge what’s going on when you’re in the middle. Consider the indicators:

Regular and increasing summer tawny owl fishing and floating restrictions on our rivers; algae bloom on the lakes and even in the Gallatin. Although our immediate area has so far avoided large fires this summer thanks to a cool and wet late spring, we are by no means out of the woods.

Two years ago, a Labor Day weekend wildfire near the M Trail in Bozeman overtook the Bridgers and destroyed 68 structures, 30 of which were homes in Bridger Canyon. And this November, the Porcupine Fire burned down nearly 700 acres near Big Sky. Last summer the Shedhorn Fire up Taylor Fork south of Big Sky burned 75 acres and firefighters contained a burned tree on the South Fork loop. Currently, a dozen wildfires are burning in Montana.

Whitebark pines, whose cone seeds are an important source of nutrition for grizzly bears, continue to die off and are now being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The melting of the mountain snowpack usually occurs earlier. Wetlands dry up and disappear. Average temperatures are rising.

Last summer, a peer-reviewed analysis published in the journal “Science” suggests that much of the West, including southwestern Montana and much of Wyoming, is not suffering the consequences of a drought, but mega-drought. The study is titled “Great Contribution of Anthropogenic Warming to an Emerging Megadrought in North America.”

While the impact is most pronounced in the desert and far western states, the tentacles reach right into our backyards in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

“Severe and persistent 21^stThe drought of the last century in southwestern North America motivates comparisons with medieval mega-droughts and questions about the role of anthropogenic factors. [human-caused] climate change,” write the nine authors. “We are using hydrological modeling and new reconstructions of 1,200-year-old tree rings, thus summer soil moisture, to demonstrate that the 2000-2018 drought was the second driest 19-year period since 800, surpassed only by a mega-drought of the late 1500s.”

Based on 31 different climate models, researchers believe that humans releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are changing weather patterns and ocean water temperatures, resulting in less humidity, lower humidity and warmer temperatures.

According to them, human-caused climate change has helped turn what would normally be a drought event into a prolonged mega-drought.

One of the tools used to compare hot, dry periods of the past with the present are tree rings that allow scientists to go back in time. Outside of deserts, and particularly in forested areas, the researchers note that drought conditions are aggravated by drying of soils in summer, driven by human-induced warming via increased water evaporation and early loss of snow cover.

One way to think about it is this: a ski area can have a lot of powder in February, but if warmer temperatures cause it to melt earlier and the summer humidity doesn’t materialize or the rains are offset by scorching temperatures, the soils are drying out.

When soils dry up, grasses and forests dry up and become very vulnerable to fire, whether caused by lightning or man-made. No forest thinning will stop the drying out of the soil; in fact, logging, other studies note, can make matters worse.

In Greater Yellowstone, including the foothills of the mountains around Bozeman, Big Sky, Paradise Valley, and in the Tetons, thousands of homes have been built on the edge or inside the forests. Policy experts say they are the equivalent of people building homes in the floodplains of rivers or along ocean coasts where hurricanes roar ashore.

In many areas, insurance companies are either requiring homeowners to pay extremely high premiums or have announced that they will no longer pay damage claims to homeowners who choose to build in at-risk areas.

On top of that, firefighting costs are often borne by all US taxpayers. In recent years, these costs have consumed half of the US Forest Service’s budget, with a huge percentage related to defending structures on private land.

At the same time, the agency has faced unprecedented reductions in staff responsible for scientific research and wildlife stewardship, backcountry management, trail maintenance, law enforcement, monitoring livestock grazing allocations and restoration work.

While climate change means huge challenges related to fires and loss of property (including health issues from smoke), water availability, rangeland for wildlife and livestock , to agricultural production and the economy of outdoor recreation, in the desert southwest, it can be even more serious.

Tens of millions of Americans depend on melting snow and precipitation that comes from the Rocky Mountains and then, via river systems like Colorado, is tapped into states like Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and California downstream.

Lake Powell, a federal water supply project in southern Utah that was touted as an insurance policy against droughts and a source of economic prosperity through land development, crop irrigation and recreation, suffers from a “20-year drought” – the last 10 whose years have been described as extreme. This summer, water levels could reach 3,540 feet above sea level at Lake Powell, the lowest since 1968.

Experts say that today water has been over-allocated, meaning more has been allocated to different user groups than is generated in the system, especially during droughts. Although the transfer of agricultural water rights has bought the states of the Upper and Lower Colorado River Pacts time, many believe it is borrowed time.

Last summer, Montana State University’s Dr. Cathy Whitlock, Scott Bischke and others released the first-ever assessment that examines the ecological impacts of climate change on Greater Yellowstone. Look up. Analysis is another opportunity to connect the dots of scientific reality.

Todd Wilkinson is the founder of the Bozeman-based Mountain Journal (mountainjournal.org) and a correspondent for National Geographic and The Guardian. He is the author of numerous books, including his latest, “Ripple Effects: How to Save Yellowstone and America’s Most Iconic Wildlife Ecosystem”, available at mountainjournal.org.

This column has been updated from the original version published in EBS in April 2021.

As of Friday morning, Montana confirmed 300,607 positive cases of COVID-19. Montana’s COVID-19 case tracking map shows 1,824 new confirmed cases. There are currently 2,099 active cases in the state.

According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, 1,527,257 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 571,664 Montana residents are fully immunized.

In Missoula, 210,812 doses have been administered and 77,821 people are fully immunized. 64% of Missoula’s eligible population is fully immunized, which is the most tied in the state. You can find current case numbers from the City of Missoula Department of Health here.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in the state was 3,481 on August 5, 2022 and remained at 3,481 on August 12, 2022, according to state health officials.

Here are the updated case totals in Montana:

See striking photos of the tourism industry during COVID-19

Over the past year, Texas Capital Bank President and CEO Rob Holmes has implemented a new company-wide strategy, recapitalized and restructured the company, increased the number employees in key departments and lines of business, more than doubled the bank’s front-line team and obtained FINRA Approval for its investment banking division and affiliate broker.

Most recently, Texas Capital Bank provided $5 million in funding to Lendistry, a minority-owned technology lender that aims to help underserved communities, to expand into Texas with an office in Dallas.

In Holmes’ Extended 2022 Dallas 500 Q&A, he talks about how many times it took him to score a second date with his wife, the future of fintech in banking, and much more.

Education: Southern Methodist University (MBA), University of Texas at Austin (BA-Economics)

Place of birth: Dallas, TX

First job: “My first job was packing groceries in a grocery store. This experience taught me very early on the importance of customer service and satisfaction. I learned that I really liked customer-facing roles and I’ve been in customer service my entire career. »

Best Advice: “One of my mentors and boss from very early in my career, who remains a mentor today, was discussing a promotion with me and he noted that in order for me to advance I didn’t need his vote, but from that of all my peers – which I try to win every day.

Having dinner : “I was having dinner with Robert B. Cullum who founded Tom Thumb and Page Drug, among other banners, years ago because he was very successful but also very civic with an exceptional focus on community. And he happens to be my grandfather. I would also invite Dan D. Rogers, vice president of Mercantile National Bank, who happens to be my great-grandfather, who could provide me with excellent advice and guidance.

Destination of choice: “When I have the chance to travel, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends in Big Sky, Montana. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the various fly fishing rivers are always a welcome retreat. That said, I’m a Texan and really love the rich history and diverse culture of South Texas.”

Non-profit cause: “I usually find myself involved in organizations and passionate about causes that support either underprivileged children or our country’s great veterans and first responders in our community.”

Hobbies/Hobbies: “My passion is my family. We are very close and spend as much time as possible together. I also enjoy fly fishing and quail hunting when I get the chance.

Fun fact: “I had to ask my wife, Charlyn, 7 times to go on a second date with me. She finally said yes.

Dream car: “I always wanted an older model Defender, but I could never justify the price.”

Most difficult challenge: “Two days in particular stand out for me as the toughest of my career: 9/11 and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008. I was in New York working on both days. I vividly remember seeing the second plane fly into the building and then seeing both buildings fall on 9/11. That night, I had to stay at my boss’ apartment, because I couldn’t go back to my hotel. I took a bus to work the next morning at 5:30 in Midtown. And I remember being one of the few to go out that morning. I went to work because other colleagues just couldn’t get in. And then I remember being at the bank on Sunday evening, September 14, 2008, when scenarios were discussed regarding the consequences of the failure of Lehman or other banks. The next day, Lehman filed the largest bankruptcy petition in US history, involving more than $600 billion in assets.

Moments of pride: “There is not one action I would like to report, but rather a series of regular and thoughtful actions each of which strengthens the team, the culture and the record that gives us the confidence to say firmly that we can offer something distinct to our customers and shareholders.. We know what this bank can be, and the significant actions of the last seven months have all been essential in setting up this next step.

Better DFW: “The social, economic and business transformation that Dallas has undergone over the past decade has already made it one of the most exciting, dynamic and desirable cities in the world in which to work, live or raise a family.”

Must read: “When I arrived at the bank, I made everyone read The cultural code by Daniel Coyle. It’s a transformative book about the power of high performing groups.

Bucket list: “The only thing on my bucket list right now would be to lead Texas Capital in a way that has a profound effect on the development and growth of the next generation of employees and their future success. In 2021, we launched the whole thing. the bank’s first junior program, and we are already seeing the impacts of this innovative and exciting group in our ranks.

Future forecast: “We are clearly located in one of the best markets in the country to offer customer solutions that will rival any competitor. We are more well capitalized than ever. And we have the leadership, talent and commitment to meet the challenges ahead and achieve our vision. We are building the leading financial services company in Texas, serving the best clients in our markets. »

Fintech innovations: “Our approach to responding to fintech innovation is less about adapting and more about keeping pace with digital change to meet the needs of our customers. Our hedging model outlined in our strategy is supported by several digital modernization initiatives focused on securing the right to do business with our customers. This means having APIs on key products that are integrated with our customers’ platform of choice, providing advanced analytics and data products that work seamlessly across our customers’ financial lifecycles, and optimizing for high contact and self-service.

“The broader fintech ecosystem is as accessible to us as it is to others. Our strategy to keep pace is to continuously analyze, innovate and/or acquire. We periodically analyze the market for new technologies and have deep insight into the fintech market through our technology banking business We are increasingly active in fintech and the broader tech community, actively partnering and acquiring key technologies that we believe will will help bring value to our customers.

President Joe Biden is about to sign into law the CHIPS and Science Act, a $280 billion piece of legislation recently passed by Congress and designed to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry and increase the country’s competitive advantage in China. The legislation is a welcome development for Flathead Valley, where Applied Materials, one of the nation’s largest semiconductor makers, operates 350,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space in Kalispell.

Applied Materials has been operating in the Flathead since 2009, when it acquired Kalispell-based semiconductor producer Semitool for $364 million, taking over its facilities off West Reserve Drive. Since then, its operations in the area have grown significantly, making it one of Flathead’s largest employers. In addition to the West Reserve Drive site, the company moved to the old Shopko building in Evergreen earlier this year, creating 200 new jobs in manufacturing, engineering and business administration. Today, Applied Materials employs 825 people in Flathead.

The semiconductor maker stands to benefit from recently passed legislation that offers $54 billion in grants for semiconductor manufacturing and research, tens of billions in funding for regional tech hubs and a tax credit that will cover 25% of investment in semiconductor manufacturing through 2026. Congressional architects of the act said passage of CHIPS will result in 300,000 well-paying jobs across the country, as well as significant progress towards a competitive advantage over the Chinese semiconductor industry.

“At a time when semiconductor leadership is more important than ever to the economy,” said Gary Dickerson, president and CEO of Applied Materials, “this crucial legislation will strengthen manufacturing and chip innovation, create jobs and strengthen the semiconductor supply chain in Montana and the United States. states.”

The CHIPS Act has won broad bipartisan support, a notable feat in a Congress that has been largely unable to overcome partisan gridlock in recent months. The Senate passed the bill 64 to 33 and the House, 243 to 187.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., voted in favor of CHIPS.

“I fought for this bill to reverse the trend of outsourcing critical manufacturing to foreign countries and instead invest in rural America by stimulating high-tech production at home, strengthening supply chains supply and increasing domestic research and development,” Tester said in a statement. Release.

Daines released a statement echoing similar sentiments. “Investing in U.S. semiconductor production, innovation, STEM education, and R&D is critical to bolstering our national security, strengthening America’s position as a global leader, and winning the race against China.” , said the senator.

Rep. Matt Rosendale was in the minority to vote against the bill. On July 28, Rosendale retweeted a statement from the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican congressional caucus, stating that CHIPS “not only adds $79 billion to the deficit, but is also loaded with crony capitalist papers, climate initiatives from the Green New Deal and Radicals’ woke politicians Worse still, its passage (sic) in the Senate – with the help of 17 Senate Republicans – opened the door to even more runaway spending in the Democrats’ reconciliation deal with $400 billion in spending on Liberal priorities and some $700 billion in tax hikes.

As the United States continues to struggle with a severe shortage of semiconductors, Montana lawmakers hope the CHIPS Act will boost manufacturing across the state, moving supply chains forward while strengthening the national economy. and local.

I am a lucky American.

Thanks to my wife Colleen’s work as a travel agent, for the past two weeks I have been to Europe and back.

I was able to accompany Colleen, as I often do, when she took a tour group to the French wine region of Bordeaux.

While I was away, things seemed to start looking up a bit at home.

The Biden administration was still doing its best to cripple the economy, bankrupt the federal government, and destroy our energy industry with its senseless green policies.

But the stock market rebounded well.

National gasoline prices continued their slow slide towards $4.25 per gallon (except in California).

And Nancy Pelosi didn’t start World War III by visiting Taiwan.

While I was in Europe, a friend from Pittsburgh, a former journalist named Bill Steigerwald, drove from western Pennsylvania to Montana with his wife and daughter.

It’s a 1,900 mile road trip – one way – but Bill is used to driving across America and meeting strangers. He still thinks it’s fun at 74.

For decades he did what he calls “drive-thru journalism” for the Los Angeles Times (in the 1980s) and two Pittsburgh dailies.

And in 2010, for his book “Dogging Steinbeck,” he carefully traced John Steinbeck’s road trip around the United States in 1960 and turned it into his iconic bestseller “Travels With Charley.”

Bill drove alone, covered 11,276 miles in about 40 days, and met hundreds of Americans from Maine to California. Unlike many journalists, he liked 99.9% of the people he met.

Bill still meets – and, as he puts it, “softly asks” – people all the time when he travels.

This week, in an email from sparsely populated central Montana, he wrote, “Don’t worry too much about the future, Mike.

“Last week, I met half a dozen everyday hard-working people here proving that DC politicians can’t completely destroy America with their bad policies.”

In Lewistown, a population of 6,000, Bill said he met Brandon O’Halloran, a former schoolteacher in his 40s who owns and operates the Rising Trout Café on Main Street.

Brandon and his wife Mariah have three children and live on a small, all-organic ranch and wheat farm outside of town.

Three mornings a week, he comes in around 5:30 a.m., roasts his own coffee, and whips up a stack of cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches.

“He’s optimistic, friendly and apolitical, a wise mix of liberal and conservative,” Bill wrote. “You would never know that the country is in trouble or that its wheat crop failed last year because of the weather.”

Bill is staying in his wife’s family’s log cabin in the dense forest near the thriving former silver mining town of Neihart, now home to around 50 people.

In “downtown” Neihart, on Highway 89, which passes through the mountainous Lewis & Clark National Forest and its few still-active Minutemen silos, is “The Inconvenience Store”.

A co-op, it is run on a shoestring and owned and managed by a dedicated team of colorful and friendly residents.

The invaluable store serves as a morning coffee for elders, a community center and is the only place for many miles where you can buy bread, milk and water.

Almost next door to the Co-op is Bob’s Bar Restaurant & Motel.

The modest combo was purchased about five years ago by a 40-something Indiana entrepreneur named Janice, who even cleans the rooms herself (to make sure they’re done right) .

Her funky bar caters to tourists, locals, skiers and passing bikers and she has just hired a new cook specializing in prime rib and grilled salmon.

Janice has the only gasoline for sale in 40 miles and she knows the locals depend on her.

“She charges $6.50 a gallon,” Bill reported.

“It’s stiff – but fair. When her two old gas pumps stop working due to vapor locks, she pulls out her gear and pumps out what you need herself.

That’s how America has always worked, Bill says — in the middle of Montana, anyway.

Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, is an author, speaker, and president of the Reagan Legacy Foundation. Send comments to [email protected] and follow @reaganworld on Twitter.

This is the second partnership Missouri’s Own has formed with a non-cannabis company, following the recent launch of Twice Baked Red Hot. ripples with St. Louis-based chipmaker Old Vienna. Like the THC-infused chips, the cannabis-infused coffee pods are a first for Missouri.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with a local cannabis company dedicated to high-quality products,” Michelle said. Billonis, CEO of The Coffee Ethic. “We love that these products are sold at local dispensaries and boost our economy.”

ABOUT SHOW-ME ORGANICS

Show-me Organics, based in Springfield, Missouri, is committed to bringing world-class cannabis products to Missouri patients. A product-driven, patient-focused company, Show-Me Organics is the parent company of brands like Vivid, Blue Sage Cannabis Company, and Buoyant Bob. For more information, visit showmeorganics.com.

ABOUT VIVE

Long live combines the precision of modern science with traditional hash-making techniques, bringing products to Missouri that are at the forefront of cannabis innovation globally. Long live The wide range of products stems from the brand’s focus on different cannabis consumers and is based on the understanding that cannabis affects everyone differently. Learn more about vividcannabis.com.

ABOUT MISSOURI’S OWN

Missouri’s Own is an edibles brand from Vivid that launched in March. The brand celebrates Missouri’s vast botanical diversity with flavors inspired by locally grown fruits, such as papaya, raspberry, Concord grape and more. Missouri’s Own also celebrates the flavors of the state by partnering with locally loved brands to create cannabis-infused versions of iconic local foods.

ABOUT COFFEE ETHICS

The Coffee Ethic sources the highest quality coffees and is dedicated to the art and science of brewing. The mission is to serve everyone in the coffee community: growers, suppliers, vendors, customers, employees, our families and the community of Springfield. Founded in 2007, The Coffee Ethic aims to be a sustainable and enterprising company.

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