“The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technologies.” — E. O. Wilson

Never argue with a fool – people might not know the difference.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• New Research Suggests 2025’s Hiring Freeze Is About to Start Thawing—and Fast

  A majority of hiring managers expect to recruit new workers over the next year, and a third of them are looking for entry-level employees.

• Blackfoot Living Principles as Open Data – 11/4 – Online

  Blackfoot Living Principles is a micro documentary about how the Blackfeet Nation is integrating their cultural identity as valued job skills. The project, led with support from Accelerate Montana, SkillsFWD, Credential Engine, and the Gates Foundation, defined nine living principles—values which will be published to a credential registry to connect culture and employment systems.

• Every New Mexico family will soon have free child care

  Parents in New Mexico will no longer have to pay for child care starting next week, regardless of their income, making the Land of Enchantment the first state in the nation to offer free universal child care. Janet Shamlian reports.

• Montana renters could foot the bill for a property tax blunder, legislators warn

  The final version of one of those bills mistakenly increased the tax rate for the current year on multifamily parcels, such as apartment buildings. When property taxes rise for landlords, they often raise rents to compensate for those added costs.

• Montana West Economic Development Annual Meeting – 12/4 – Kalispell

  We’ll kick off with a short program featuring highlights from the past year and guest speakers sharing upcoming projects in the community. Then stick around for a lively networking reception with drinks, appetizers from Park Provisions, and great company.

• Montana Department of Commerce details bed-tax programs, awards and priorities for biennium

  The deputy director outlined that Commerce has implemented new programs created by the 2023 Legislature, such as the State Local Infrastructure Partnership Act (SLPA) and recently launched grant programs funded from lodging facility-use taxes. Rambo offered contact information and told the committee staff would provide links to Commerce’s marketing plans and additional materials.

• Montana lawmakers hear requests for $22.5 million in historic‑preservation grants as lodging‑tax share shifts

  The program is a state competitive grant source used for preservation, renovation and limited adaptive reuse of historic sites and history museums across Montana. The legislature makes the final funding decisions; Commerce’s ranked list is advisory.

• Have a research idea? We want to hear from YOU! Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research

  We’re interested in projects that are statewide in scope or offer a local case study with lessons that others across Montana can learn from, whether that’s through successes, challenges, or innovative approaches.

• Subscribe to the MATR Newsletter. It’s Free

  The Montana Associated Technology Roundtable (MATR) is dedicated to fostering economic growth and innovation in Montana and the Inland Northwest Region. Our mission is to provide valuable information, events, and career opportunities to entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals, while showcasing Montana’s potential to the world.

Missoula Chamber of Commerce

• Developer announces new project for former Missoulian building – Video

  The development will include 80 residences, a mix of condos, penthouses and two-story townhomes. All will have access to hotel amenities. The project will also include a 155-key hotel, a year-round rooftop bar and restaurant, local shops and dining.

Great Falls Development Alliance

• Great Falls Development Alliance – Celebrating Entrepreneurs

  This celebration is for anyone who has ever started a business in the entire 13-county Great Falls region. Sign up in advance here so we have a head count!

Montana Business

• Former K-Mart Site in Bozeman to Become Major Mixed-Use Development

  A long-vacant lot near Interstate 90 will be transformed into one of Montana’s largest mixed-use developments, with groundbreaking scheduled for 2026.

• The Microsoft Azure Outage Shows the Harsh Reality of Cloud Failures

  The second major cloud outage in less than two weeks, Azure’s downtime highlights the “brittleness” of a digital ecosystem that depends on a few companies never making mistakes.

• Geniuslink – Supercharge your Amazon earnings with the world’s smartest product links.

  Maximize your revenue with localization, mobile deep linking, and seller networks. Built to empower creators, publishers, and more…

• Government shutdown latest challenge for Glacier National Park, surrounding communities 

  While the shutdown has led to some canceled vacations, locals say they are worried about the long-term health of the National Park Service.

• Thousands of pounds of pork bound for Montana food banks following feral swine investigation

  The delivery was made possible by Producer Partnership, the country’s only USDA-inspected, nonprofit livestock processing facility.

Housing

• Why 40% of U.S. homeowners have no mortgage—and the number keeps growing

  People aged 65 and older make up more than a third (34.1%) of current U.S. homeowners. Among those 65 and older, 64% own their primary homes free and clear.

• Classic 2BR, 1B Home in Missoula’s Rattlesnake For Rent

  Adorable bungalow in the lower Rattlesnake for rent! This charming 2-bedroom 1-bath house is ready to go! Beautiful hardwood floors and a bright skylight offer’s amazing light. This home is perfect for biking and walking everywhere downtown! Lovely fenced back yard, with amazing garden space and storage unit for all your gear, great hangout porch with outdoor built-in seating. Dogs allowed!

Funding and Building your Business

• Culture First: How the Right People Lead to Mission NOMAD GCS – Success A perspective from Nomad Chief of People + Development, Clay Binford – See Open Positions and Apply Today

  Talent isn’t just technical expertise. It’s the ability to elevate the team, spark new ideas, and make the whole stronger than the parts. That approach has allowed a scrappy upstart from Northwest Montana to compete with, and often outmaneuver, industry giants and achieve stellar outcomes for our customers.

Regional Economic Development

• Wyoming, Basin Electric Take Step Toward First New Coal Plant In Over A Decade

  Wyoming and Basin Electric took a step Monday toward building the first new coal-fired power plant in more than a decade. Adding a second unit to the Dry Fork Station plant near Gillette “is clear proof coal is not dead,” said Gov. Mark Gordon.

• Texas Adds More Solar Power Because It’s Just Better, That’s All

  The US solar industry hit a speed bump this year due to the abrupt shift in federal energy policy. Shift or not, though, the fact remains that solar is the fastest and most economical way to add more electricity to the nation’s grid. That holds true across the US regardless of partisan politics. Take the red state of Texas, for example….

American Prairie

• Wild bison were not responsible for a single transmission, not one! Elk, not wild bison, have passed brucellosis to cattle

  With 2.1 million cattle in Montana, one might expect Governor Gianforte and our congressional delegation to know where cattle actually get brucellosis. But unfortunately, the governor and delegation appear locked into outdated, unscientific, and unsupported false assumptions that wild Yellowstone bison have transmitted brucellosis to cattle. They have not.

YOUR CAREER

• For Every Son and Father

  Love each other while you can.

Energy and Transportation

• Explainable AI for self-driving cars

  Because of the transparency of this approach, MOTOR Ai’s autonomous driving software can be certified according to international safety standards. Its full-stack system currently meets the most stringent European and international safety and compliance requirements, including the EU AI Act and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act provisions.

• Free public transport in France criticised by judges

  At least 46 towns and cities have free buses

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Top Montana GOP lawmaker, school superintendent propose bill to end ‘woke’ teacher conference

  Republican leaders in Montana are proposing legislation to strip education credits from teacher conferences they claim promote “extreme leftist ideology,” but the state’s largest union is pushing back against what they call misrepresentation of professional development programs.

• Vigilante Story Squad high school students work to inspire and mentor kindergarteners in East Helena, Montana

  The Vigilante Story Squad is a group of high schoolers who go to Eastgate Elementary School each month to read and spend time with kindergartners.

2025 Legislature and Politics

• National poll shows support for Montana-based solution to Citizens United

  The poll comes as a Montana group proposes a different way to end dark money in political advertising that resulted from the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Currently, a group, Transparent Election Initiative, is in the process of trying to float a constitutional amendment that would eliminate corporate and dark spending in politics by changing state law.

• Attorney general rules ‘anti-dark money’ ballot initiative has too many parts

  Jeff Mangan said attorneys with his group, the Transparent Election Initiative, would officially dispute the attorney general’s conclusion within the legally required 10-day window.

• New Montana law requires election officials to reject mail ballots that aren’t signed with voters’ birth years

  Election officials say they’re doing outreach to give voters a chance to fix rejected ballots.

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