Kerr Dam/ Colorado Coal Mine/ Employment/ Cellphone Surveillance

Missoulian: Late lawsuit seeks to stop tribes from acquiring Kerr Dam
Energy Keepers Overview
“1985 the Tribes successfully negotiate co-licensee status with the MPC and the option to acquire Kerr as the sole owner in 2015. New License issued to MPC and CSKT for a 50-year term through 2035.”

Missoulian: Federal regulators back keeping Colorado coal mine open
Colowyo Coal Mine, South Taylor/Lower Wilson Permit Expansion Area Project, Federal Mining Plan Modification Environmental Assessment

Missoulian: US employers added 173K jobs in Aug.; rate falls to 5.1 pct.
Payroll employment rises by 173,000 in August; unemployment rate edges down to 5.1%

Missoulian: New federal requirements on cellphone surveillance
Justice Department Announces Enhanced Policy for Use of Cell-Site Simulators
“The policy, which goes into effect immediately and applies department-wide, will provide department components with standard guidance for the use of cell-site simulators in the department’s domestic criminal investigations and will establish new management controls for the use of the technology.”

Proposed Fishing Regulations/ College Debt/ Health Insurance Bias and Transgender People

Missoulian: FWP considers dropping Blackfoot spring closure rule
2016 Proposed Fishing Regulations

Missoulian: Students ask Education Department to discharge college debt
Debt Relief for Corinthian Colleges Students
“Too many of America’s large “career colleges” are failing to live up to the name. Rather than providing students with the opportunity for a solid education that leads to a good job, some of these institutions — often run by for-profit companies — have left students with lots of debt and few job prospects, putting both students and taxpayers at risk. This Administration is committed to changing that, through action to hold institutions accountable and to ensure Americans are protected from unscrupulous colleges that deny students meaningful educational opportunities and leave taxpayers holding the bag.”

Missoulian: Plan targets health care bias against transgender people
Fact Sheet: Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities Proposed Rule
“Individuals cannot be denied health care or health coverage based on their sex, including their gender identity.”

College Readiness Grant/ Mt. Denali/ Cutting Emissions

Missoulian: Montana gets $1M grant for college and career readiness programs
Governor Bullock Announces $1 Million Grant to Support College and Career Readiness Programs in Montana Schools.

Missoulian: North America's tallest mountain gets new name _ and height
Old Name Officially Returns to Nation’s Highest Peak
“This name change recognizes the sacred status of Denali to many Alaska Natives,” Secretary Jewell said. “The name Denali has been official for use by the State of Alaska since 1975, but even more importantly, the mountain has been known as Denali for generations. With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska.”

New Elevation for Nation’s Highest Peak
“A new, official height for Denali has been measured at 20,310 feet, just 10 feet less than the previous elevation of 20,320 feet which was established using 1950’s era technology.”
Denali National Park and Preserve

Missoulian: Nations' pledges to cut emissions called insufficient
The CAT emissions gap – How close are INDCs to 2 and 1.5°C pathways?
“Around 65% of global emissions are covered by the “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions” (INDCs) submitted by 29 Parties as of 1 September 2015. The CAT has assessed 15 of these INDCs, covering 64.5% of global emissions, and has rated seven as “inadequate,” six “medium” and only two as “sufficient” ….”

Big Mountain Jesus/ Oil Leasing/ Marriage Licenses

Missoulian: Big Mountain Jesus' gets the OK from 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
RELIGION FOUND V. CHIP WEBER

Missoulian: Court revives dispute over energy leasing's climate impacts
MT ENVIRONMENTAL INFO. CENTER V. US BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
“The recreational and aesthetic interests asserted by Appellants’ members1 may establish actual injury to the extent such interests would be concretely harmed by the challenged governmental action. See Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Envtl. Servs. (TOC), Inc., 528 U.S. 167, 181–83 (2000). In analyzing these claims of injury, the district court erred by failing to consider surface harms caused by development of the challenged leases and instead focusing only on the climate change effects of such development.”

FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES: Opportunities Exist to Capture Vented and Flared Natural Gas, Which Would Increase Royalty Payments and Reduce Greenhouse Gases
“Estimates of vented and flared natural gas for federal leases vary considerably, and GAO found that Data from EPA, supported by information obtained from technology vendors and GAO analysis, suggest that around 40 percent of natural gas estimated to be vented and flared on onshore federal leases could be economically captured with currently available control technologies. According to GAO analysis, such reductions could increase federal royalty payments by about $23 million annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to about 16.5 million metric tons of CO2--the annual emissions equivalent of 3.1 million cars. Venting and flaring reductions are also possible offshore, but data were not available for GAO to develop a complete estimate.”

Missoulian: The Latest: Clerk called to hearing over marriage licenses
15-5880 April Miller, et al. v. Kim Davis

Montana Agro Disaster/ UN Climate Change

Missoulian: Bullock requests feds' help as drought hurts local ag producers
Governor Bullock Requests Natural Disaster Designation for Blaine and Lake Counties
Emergency Preparedness and Response

Missoulian: UN climate negotiators work in Bonn on deal to fight warming
UN and Climate Change