Fire Danger, Trump Budget, Health Care Fraud

Missoulian: Fire danger convinces MRL to cut back on grinding operations

Current fire conditions in Montana

Missoulian: CBO: Trump's budget doesn't balance federal ledger

An Analysis of the President’s 2018 Budget

“Under the President’s proposals, federal budget deficits would shrink relative to the size of the economy over the coming decade, ranging between 2.6 percent and 3.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over that period. The cumulative federal deficit would be nearly one-third smaller than in CBO’s baseline projections, but debt held by the public would end up slightly higher, as a percentage of GDP, than the ratio anticipated for the end of this year.”

Missoulian: US Justice Department charging more than 400 people in health care fraud, opioid scams totaling $1.3 billion

National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against Over 412 Individuals Responsible for $1.3 Billion in Fraud Losses
“The charges announced today aggressively target schemes billing Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE (a health insurance program for members and veterans of the armed forces and their families) for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications that often were never even purchased and/or distributed to beneficiaries. The charges also involve individuals contributing to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on medical professionals involved in the unlawful distribution of opioids and other prescription narcotics, a particular focus for the Department. According to the CDC, approximately 91 Americans die every day of an opioid related overdose.”   

FBI Nominee Wray, Amtrak Accident, Rate Hike

Missoulian: FBI nominee says Trump-Russia probe is no 'witch hunt'
2017-06-26 PN696 Department of Justice
Christopher A. Wray, of Georgia, to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a term of ten years.

Documents from the 7/11/17 hearing

Missoulian: Report: Horns sounded, but killed workers had backs to train
CSX employee fatalities after being struck by Amtrak train, Washington, DC: Preliminary Report

Missoulian: Yellen tells Congress to expect more rate hikes
Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress

Montana Fire Danger

Missoulian: Fire danger in Missoula County raised to very high
Fire Weather Fire Danger
Montana Fire Restrictions

Wildfires

Missoulian: Wildfires in western US endanger lives, property
InciWeb: Current incidents

Keystone Fire	Wildfire	Medicine Bow National Forest	Wyoming, USA
Burro Fire	Wildfire	Coronado National Forest	Arizona, USA
Whittier Fire	Wildfire	Los Padres National Forest	California, USA
Peak 2 Fire	Wildfire	White River National Forest	Colorado, USA
Wilson Fire	Wildfire	White River Field Office	Colorado, USA
July Fire	Wildfire	Malta Field Office	Montana, USA
Ana Fire	Wildfire	Fremont-Winema National Forest	Oregon, USA
Schaeffer Fire	Wildfire	Sequoia National Forest	California, USA
Peekaboo Fire	Wildfire	Little Snake Field Office	Colorado, USA
Deer Gulch Fire	Wildfire	White River Field Office	Colorado, USA

Montana Fire, New CDC Director, Right to Record Police, Free Speech

Missoulian: Landusky residents stay after July fire puts the tiny Montana town under voluntary evacuation

Montana InciWeb: July Fire
“EVACUATION NOTICE: The evacuation notice for Landusky area residents is still in place. The team will be working closely with the county sheriff department to assess fire-related risks. The county sheriff office will allow homeowners back into the community as soon as it is deemed safe. As of 11 pm on July 6th, one outbuilding near Landusky was destroyed by the fire but no other structures were severely affected. Public Information Officers will be providing updates and more information on the status of evacuated properties as the information becomes available.”

Missoulian: Georgia health commissioner named CDC director in Atlanta

Secretary Price Appoints Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., as CDC Director and ATSDR Administrator
“Dr. Fitzgerald has been the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and state health officer for the past six years. She replaces Dr. Anne Schuchat, who has been the acting CDC director and acting ATSDR administrator since January 20. Dr. Schuchat is returning to her role as CDC’s principal deputy director.”

Missoulian: Court: Constitution grants right to record police in public

Richard Fields v. City of Philadelphia

“This case involves retaliation. Richard Fields and Amanda Geraci attempted to record Philadelphia police officers carrying out official duties in public and were retaliated against even though the Philadelphia Police Department’s official policies recognized that “[p]rivate individuals have a First Amendment right to observe and record police officers engaged in the public discharge of their duties.” J.A. 1187. No party contested the existence of the First Amendment right. Yet the District Court concluded that neither Plaintiff had engaged in First Amendment activity because the conduct—the act of recording—was not sufficiently expressive. However, this case is not about whether Plaintiffs expressed themselves through conduct. It is whether they have a First Amendment right of access to information about how our public servants operate in public.”

Missoulian: Court: Profanity-laced tirade was protected free speech

SC19717 - State v. Baccala

“Held that the defendant’s conviction of breach of the peace in the second degree on the basis of pure speech constituted a violation of the first amendment to the United States constitution, as the defendant’s speech, unaccompanied by threats, did not fall within the narrow category of unprotected fighting words…” SC19717 Concurrence - State v. Baccala

Montana Quake, Heat Advisory, Hobby Lobby Smuggling

Missoulian: 5.8 magnitude earthquake rattles western Montana

The USGS has up-to-date details on the July 6, 2017 event.
“A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck western Montana near northwest Helena, on July 6, 2017 at 12:30 a.m. local time.

Visit the USGS event page for more information. For estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.

If you felt this earthquake, report your experience on the “USGS Did You Feel It?” website for this event.

The USGS operates a 24/7 National Earthquake Information Center in Colorado that can be reached for more information at 303-273-8500.

Learn more about the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.”

Heat wave information from NOAA

Missoulian: Heat advisory issued for western Montana

“Impacts/Timing: The affects of the prolonged heat wave are likely to become challenging for those sensitive to hot  temperatures or who have strenuous activities planned on Friday  and Saturday. These impacts may be further enhanced by   persistent cloud cover producing much warmer than normal   overnight temperatures which will not provide nearly the typical amount of relief.”

Missoulian: Hobby Lobby fined $3M for smuggling Iraq religious artifacts

Hobby Lobby settles $3 million civil suit for falsely labeling Cuneiform Tablets
“In October 2010, an expert on cultural property law retained by Hobby Lobby warned the company that the acquisition of cultural property likely from Iraq, including cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals, carries a risk that such objects may have been looted from archaeological sites in Iraq. The expert also advised Hobby Lobby to review its collection of antiquities for any objects of Iraqi origin and to verify that their country of origin was properly declared at the time of importation into the United States. The expert warned Hobby Lobby that an improper declaration of country of origin for cultural property could lead to seizure and forfeiture of the artifacts by CBP.”

Hunting Tags, North Korea

Missoulian: Law changes on buying bonus points for hunting tags

Revise hunting license laws related to bonus points
“The commission shall establish a bonus point system that gives an applicant who has purchased more bonus points more chances to receive a hunting license, tag, or permit over an applicant who has purchased fewer bonus points.”

Missoulian: The Latest: Pentagon says NKorea missile was new type
U.S. Condemns North Korean Missile Launch
"The launch continues to demonstrate that North Korea poses a threat to the United States and our allies," the Pentagon spokesperson said. "Together with [South Korea], we conducted a combined exercise to show our precision fire capability."