Montana State

Montana Free Press

Roughly six months before its goal of applying for federal certification of the Montana State Hospital, the state health department is again juggling turnover in key leadership positions at the state’s only public adult psychiatric facility. The Warm Springs facility, a cornerstone of the state’s overall mental health system,...

State hospital shuffles top leadership, again

New Jersey State

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NewsByJoshua

Recent data from the USDA and FNS reveals troubling issues with SNAP benefits across the United States. Millions of Americans are currently experiencing underpayments or overpayments in their SNAP benefits, which are critical for many families.

Millions of low-income Americans across the nation are facing underpayments in their SNAP benefits

Film and TV companies spent $334 million in Montana over the past two years, according to numbers released to state legislators on Monday. Television, including the filming of the “Yellowstone” franchise, was the big contributor with $275.7 million spent between July 2022 and May 2024. “Obviously very big...

Film and TV crews spent $334 million in Montana during last two years, legislators told

Before she stopped using drugs for good, Cierra Coon estimates that she overdosed eight times in a span of two weeks in the fall of 2022. One of those times, the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone helped save her life. She was riding in a car on the back roads...

Montana’s plan to curb opioid overdoses includes vending machines

This story was first published on the nonprofit news organization the American Communities Project. The ACP is working with the University of Maryland on a grant from NASA’s Earth Science Applications: Equity and Environmental Justice program to examine how experiences of environmental distress over time interact with other socioeconomic challenges on tribal lands.

Dealing with drought and poisoned creeks in Fort Belknap

This story is adapted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. It was originally published under the title “Downstream effects.”. A pair of Canadian environmental organizations have asked Canadian regulators to consider several issues that could throw a wrench in...

Canadian environmentalists question plan to sell coal mines above Lake Koocanusa

This story is adapted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. For more than a year, Montana’s state health department has been embroiled in a sweeping effort to “unwind” the state Medicaid program, conducting a mass eligibility review of every person enrolled in the public health program, which provides health coverage for many lower-income residents.

Lawmakers muse about health coverage for Montanans disenrolled from Medicaid

Denver, CO

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David Heitz

A dangerous drug that is being mixed into fentanyl is causing those who inject it to develop a rash of sores that resembles a case of flesh-eating bacteria. People experiencing homelessness around Denver can sometimes be seen with these bloody, weeping wounds. I recently mentioned this phenomenon to a fentanyl user who told me about the xylazine connection.

Denver homeless people suffer sores as xylazine enters fentanyl supply

Georgia State

Dublin, GA

Daily Coffee Press

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice have announced that a 42-year-old man from Dublin, Georgia, has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl.

Georgia Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years for Fentanyl Distribution

Wyoming State

WyoFile

Caitlin Tan wanted to breed her childhood horse, JP, because she’s been “amazing” — the type of animal any equestrian would be lucky to have once in a lifetime. Having access to coveted bloodlines increased the allure. Via the Miller Ranch, she could pair her 18-year-old mare with a stud descendent of Playboy’s Buck Fever.

Cream of the crop: a cremello foal is born in Wyoming

Mississippi State

Jackson, MS

Mississippi News Group

JACKSON, Miss. - In a decisive move today, State Auditor Shad White announced the arrest of Lacosta Lee, a contracted probation officer affiliated with Court Programs, Inc (CPI), on charges of embezzlement. Special Agents from the State Auditor’s Office took Lee into custody following allegations that she misappropriated funds intended for court-ordered fines and fees.

Probation Officer Arrested in Embezzlement Case

Savannah, GA

Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.

Federal Charges in Southern GA: Indictments and Sentences for Firearms and Drug Offenses

Chicago, IL

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Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

Morristown Minute

A new initiative aims to provide housing for vulnerable Medicaid members, enhancing community wellness and support. MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. - In a significant move to tackle housing instability among Medicaid recipients, New Jersey's Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, along with Community Affairs Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez, today announced the availability of $95 million in funding for developers. This initiative, part of the Healthy Homes program, is designed to create affordable housing opportunities for NJ FamilyCare members who are either homeless, at risk of homelessness, or currently living in institutional settings.

$95 Million for Healthy Homes: Housing for Medicaid Members

Wisconsin State

The MT Lowdown is a weekly digest that showcases a more personal side of Montana Free Press’ high-quality reporting while keeping you up to speed on the biggest news impacting Montanans. Want to see the MT Lowdown in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. Fire season beat us...

The Fires This Time

North Carolina State

Town Talks

When you're pulled over by police in North Carolina, it's important to know your rights and responsibilities, both as a driver and a passenger. Here’s a breakdown of what the law says about interactions with law enforcement during a traffic stop.

Can police question passengers when pulling over a driver in North Carolina? What you need to know

Bucks County Beacon

“[I]nvoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God,” the Constitution of the Confederate States of America composed by southern slaveholders in 1861 sought to “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” The authors of Project 2025, the latest playbook for restructuring the federal government in order to accomplish the policy goals of Christian Nationalists, similarly declare their manifesto will “decide America’s future” by securing their “God-given individual rights to live freely” and exercise dominion over others.

Legislating Inequality: The Christian Confederate Roots of Project 2025

Illinois State

Every year, new laws that were passed the prior year go into effect on July 1. In 2024, a number of new laws will begin this Monday. Among them include higher wages for tipped employees, a gas tax increase, and driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants.

New Laws July 1: Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Migrants, Raises for Tipped Workers, and More

Cascade County, MT

Three inmates have died in custody at the Cascade County Detention Center since June 29. Leon Laverdure, 51, died on June 29. Julius Lowe, 28, died on July 5. Andrew Swager, 58, died on July 10. Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office, which provided the coroner in the cases, confirmed the names of the deceased.

3 inmates die in Cascade County Detention Center in 2 weeks

NewsBreak

By the Numbers: special session edition

This story is excerpted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the reporters and editors of Montana Free Press. Want to...

By the Numbers: special session edition

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