Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/ryan-zinke/page/4/)
On Wednesday, the U.S. Congress overrode President Obama’s veto of the so-called “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” (JASTA). The act permits 9/11 families to sue the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for any role that it might have played in the tragedy. Sadly, Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester and Rep. Ryan Zinke supported the override. (more…) Continue Reading →
Better get involved, Denise Juneau warned about three dozen Rocky Mountain College students on Tuesday night. “If you’re not at the table,” she said, “you might be on the menu.”
Juneau was speaking as the part of the Freshmen Experience program, which is on the theme of “Self and Society.” Juneau, who has been Montana’s superintendent of public instruction for the last eight years, is running as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke for the state’s seat in the U.S. House. Juneau pointed out that only about 60 percent of eligible voters turn out for presidential elections. In off-year elections, that percentage falls to 40 percent or lower. “We cannot afford to have people sitting on the sidelines,” she said. Continue Reading →
Editor’s Note: This story is part of “Sacred Water,” Environmental Health New’s ongoing investigation into Native American struggles—and successes—to protect culturally significant water sources on and off the reservation. Read Part 1: Tainted water imperils health, traditions for Montana tribe
CROW RESERVATION— Alisara Knaub saw firsthand how contaminated water can upend your life. (more…) Continue Reading →
In a rare act of political courage, or of political opportunism, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., became an early and strong supporter of Donald Trump. Initially, this required ignoring or explaining away Trump’s assertion that John McCain was no war hero and the accompanying implication that prisoners of war in general are losers unworthy of our admiration. Now it requires that Zinke somehow excuse Trump’s attack on a Muslim family who spoke at the Democratic National Convention about their son, a U.S. soldier who died an undeniably heroic death fighting in Iraq. In a guest column in Saturday’s Billings Gazette, Zinke tried to get over the hurdle by accusing Trump’s presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton, of equally reprehensible behavior. He wrote: “Both of our candidates for president have picked fights with and said extremely regrettable things to the families of service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation. Continue Reading →
The Montana Chamber of Commerce has come out with its endorsements in statewide races, and the only surprise is the total lack of surprise. There’s the usual heavy bias toward Republicans, the usual focus on the candidates’ perceived tilt toward business interests, the one token Democrat endorsement (Jesse Laslovich for state auditor). To which one might make the usual complaints: There really isn’t much evidence that picking Republicans helps the economy. In fact, the evidence at the presidential level since World War II has been quite the opposite, for reasons that are very much open to debate. In Montana, the evidence is no more convincing. Continue Reading →
Montana is a beef-raising state, and supporters of Donald Trump came to MetraPark on Thursday ready for red meat. Trump, speaking for about 50 minutes before perhaps 6,000 people in Rimrock Arena, served up several helpings in a characteristically rambling speech that consisted in large part of an account of his remarkable rise from political neophyte to the Republican nomination for president of the United States. (more…) Continue Reading →
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I went to the Donald J. Trump rally Thursday afternoon, but I wasn’t expecting anything quite so low key. There were probably 6,000 or 7,000 people on hand, and while they waved signs and cheered loudly enough, it seemed to me that they were mostly excited about the fact that they were finally able to attend a Trump rally, rather than passionate about Trump himself. What was even more surprising was that Trump seemed so much less menacing in person. All the comparisons with Hitler seemed ludicrous. He’s no Hitler and he’s no Mussolini. Continue Reading →
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., came to Baker, where I live, to talk about, as he put it, a “war on coal.” His visit was part of an energy tour leading up to an Energy Expo in Billings, which he organized on behalf of the fossil fuel industries. As the days have passed, and I have thought about what was implicit in what he said, I find myself increasingly disturbed by how he and other politicians, like Ryan Zinke, Tim Fox, Greg Gianforte and Donald Trump are framing environmentalists. (more…) Continue Reading →
A self-described Republican and former climate change skeptic says Americans must now take the fight against global warming as seriously as they did World War II. “We, united, can do it,” she said Wednesday. “But we have to get united, and we have to realize that this is a war footing.” (more…) Continue Reading →
The sirens had barely died down in Paris when U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., was calling to block Syrian refugees into the United States. Zinke, known for his distinguished service on the battlefield, has yet to show similar courage in politics. (more…) Continue Reading →
