Apple has sold over 3 billion iPhones globally since the device was first launched on June 29, 2007. The company hit the 1 billion milestone in 2016 and subsequently sold another 2 billion units over the following nine years.  How much do you think the first ones cost? 

If your family doesn’t worry about you your hobby sucks. 

Northwestern Energy

• NorthWestern Energy Proposes New Tariff for Large Power Users

  The utility aims to have new high-demand customers like data centers pay for infrastructure upgrades. This proposal seeks to protect existing customers from rate increases by ensuring new users cover their own costs.

Adroit Employment Systems

• Relocating to Montana? ADROIT Employment Resources connects talent with opportunity—from executive leadership to mid-level management and support roles.

  We serve clients across industries, from government agencies to emerging technologies, including photonics, quantum, high-tech, and bioscience.

University of Montana College of Business

• Is Finding the Best Foods to Eat When Taking GLP-1’s (Ozempic) the Next Great Startup Idea?

  A group of Berkeley students spent the spring looking at past successes and innovation in food tech. Here’s what they came up with.

Montana Business

• In Montana’s Fire-prone Flathead Valley, the Cost of Insuring the Future Comes at a High Premium
  With the Flathead Valley leading the pack in wildfire risk and home insurance challenges in Montana, fire officials, insurance industry experts, lawmakers, and other stakeholders are searching for solutions to extinguish the ever-spreading problem of insurance unaffordability and scarcity.
• Montana AG joins lawsuit against Cal’s single-use plastics law

  Seventeen Republican attorneys general, including Montana’s, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Plastics Act. They argue the law imposes local policies on other states and could drive up packaging costs nationwide.

• The Rural America Geography of the Data Center Boom – Pros and Cons

  Data centers are expanding beyond cities into rural areas, changing investment patterns and sparking local tensions. Communities with smaller tax bases struggle to negotiate with large corporations amid growing public opposition to new AI data centers.

• Flathead County Sells Glacier Rail Park Parcels to Retire Debt

  The Flathead County Economic Development Authority is exiting property ownership at Glacier Rail Park to focus on repaying $5.7 million in debt and launching new initiatives. This strategic shift signals a move from development to financial consolidation in the region.

• Montana Career Opportunity – Senior Financial Analyst – Strategic Finance & Special Projects – onX

  In the role of Senior Financial Analyst – Strategic Finance & Special Projects, you will serve as a high-impact analytical resource for onX’s most senior leaders. Rather than supporting a specific product vertical, you will work directly at the direction of the CEO, CFO, and Senior Director of FP&A on the company’s most complex, ambiguous, and consequential financial and strategic questions. You will operate at the intersection of finance and data — with the technical depth to pull and interrogate data independently and the business acumen to translate findings into clear narratives that shape executive decision-making.

• Montana Career Opportunity – Marketing Associate – TOMIS

  We are in search of an innovative Marketing Associate who is eager to work across an integrated marketing strategy with clients and TOMIS members, will positively enhance our work culture, is eager to realize their full potential and willing to support our team in a variety of initiatives. Our ideal candidate has a solutionist mindset and is a self-starter with extensive experience in content-rich, data-driven marketing, excellent customer service, and creative problem-solving skills, and has a genuine desire to learn.

• Crow and Northern Cheyenne designer Bethany Yellowtail launches new Carhartt collaboration

  Originally from Wyola, Yellowtail built her career in the fashion industry in Los Angeles before returning home and growing B.Yellowtail into a nationally recognized company. Founded in 2015, the brand was created to provide an authentic Indigenous voice in an industry where Native-inspired designs have often been produced without tribal involvement.

• Dirty jobs that are so important with 406 Recycling – Old Salt Festival edition

  406 Recycling provides traditional recycling (plastic bottles, cups, and aluminum cans) at Montana events large and small. Our team has provided recycling at events, including Red Ants Pants (White Sulphur Springs), Symphony Under the Stars (Helena), and the Montana Folk Festival (Butte).

• Menopause Blind Spot Costs U.S. Employers $1.8 Billion in Missed Workdays

  Menopause symptoms like brain fog and fatigue reduce employee focus and motivation, leading to significant productivity losses. Despite these impacts, many workplaces still lack adequate support for affected women, highlighting a critical gap in workforce management strategies.

• Missoula Delays AI Security Cameras Over Privacy Concerns

  The city council has postponed the purchase of Verkada cameras with AI features amid fears of surveillance overreach and legal issues. A new AI usage policy will be drafted before any further action is taken.

• Glacier Park Staff and 11 Other Western Parks Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize After Job Cuts

  National Park Service employees at Glacier and 11 other Western parks voted 317 to 11 to join the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 347 following significant staff reductions. This historic move marks a major shift in employee representation and could impact labor relations in Montana’s tourism and service sectors.

• Wyoming Outdoor Economy Struggles Despite Big GDP Role – Study highlights economic challenges for Wyoming and Montana businesses

  A new report reveals hiring, climate, and marketing challenges for Wyoming’s outdoor businesses. These issues threaten the sustainability of a sector vital to the state’s economy.

• Montana Seniors Will Make Up Nearly 23 Percent of Population by 2030 – Montana is aging more quickly than expected

  These demographic changes could intensify challenges in maintaining a viable workforce and sustaining schools in Montana. The state’s dependence on in-migration to offset natural decline may shape future economic incentives and public policy decisions.

Montana Housing

• Could ‘backyard homes’ “Accessory Dwelling Units” help solve Montana housing crisis?

  ADUs might appeal to homeowners seeking practical solutions without sacrificing property scale. This approach could influence housing affordability and availability in other Montana communities facing similar pressures. Great Falls requires 670 new housing units annually, up from 450 in 2020.

• Discretionary Municipal Approvals Inflate Housing Costs by Hundreds of Thousands – How cities can fight high housing costs

  Research shows that discretionary planning approvals significantly increase housing costs and reduce supply before construction begins. Streamlining these approvals with clear by-right standards could help Montana communities ease housing pressures.

Visit Montana

• California promises big penalties for no-shows at park sites

  For years, California has been plagued by no-shows and late cancellations at state park campgrounds amid both a rising demand for campsites and limited penalties for those who don’t cancel their reservations in a timely manner. That’s set to change starting July 1 when new reservation policies take effect, which include steeper financial penalties and a one-year ban on campground reservations for repeat offenders who routinely no-show on sites.

Funding and Building your Montana Business

• The leadership skill no one teaches

  In a culture obsessed with decisiveness, the most effective leaders often possess a rarer ability: a tolerance for uncertainty.

YOUR MONTANA CAREER

• Class of 2026 Faces Tough Job Market and Rising Living Costs – 5 money moves to make right now

  New graduates worry about job prospects despite a hiring increase and face inflation-driven expenses. Experts recommend careful budgeting and saving as new student loan plans begin July 1.

• NPR – What you should know about your student loans

  For many of the 43 million Americans with federal student loans, July 1 is a day to mark on the calendar. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is introducing stricter borrowing caps and new repayment plans. Today on the show, we talk with NPR’s Education Reporter Cory Turner about the impact.

Montana Energy and Transportation

• Montanans overwhelmingly support increased investment Public Transit Funding

  A recent statewide survey shows strong support for expanded passenger rail and recreational transit access as legislators prepare to debate funding on July 8. This momentum could transform Montana’s transit system amid growing population and tourism demands.

• Exploring How to Get More Solar & Batteries at Apartment Buildings Using Artificial Intelligence

  The potential for AI-enabled energy coordination could interest Montana policymakers and property managers aiming to reduce costs and expand clean energy access in clustered living environments.

• Trump Admin Wants to Make Brake Pedals Optional in Autonomous Vehicles

  The agency aims to update safety standards to allow fully self-driving cars without manual brake pedals. This move could accelerate innovation and impact Montana’s transportation and logistics sectors.

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