Businesses around Montana closed their doors or altered their operations Friday to protest immigration enforcement actions. The closures are part of a national movement.

A long-time auto mechanic in the town of Froid, Montana has been swept up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Border Patrol recently arrested Roberto Orozco-Ramirez. Orozco-Ramirez is the community’s mechanic and volunteers as a youth baseball coach. Montana Free Press’ Nora Mabie has been reporting on the community’s reaction to his arrest. She sat down with MTPR’s Elinor Smith to go over the details.

Montanans charged or convicted of crimes in the state often face barriers finding a job and housing, long after their cases have closed. And the internet creates a permanent record. The state is looking at ways to change that.

The University of Montana hopes to hire its next president by spring. The university system’s top leader concedes it’s an ambitious timeline, but is confident all building blocks are in place to make it possible.

Elk are a familiar sight in much of Montana now, but that hasn't always been the case. By the early 1900s, unregulated hunting had led to massive declines in wildlife nationwide. But In Yellowstone, elk populations were exploding thanks to protections in place there. The solution to restoring elk outside the park seemed obvious. Less obvious was how to make it happen. This week on the Big Why, we trace the animals' bumpy path from the living laboratory called Yellowstone Park to the Bitterroot Valley and beyond.

Tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump last year are still straining Montana farmers. Producers are left in limbo as they wait for a ruling on the legality of those tariffs.

The first report on Montana’s new public charter schools shows their students generally lag behind peers in standard public schools. But, that data comes with caveats.

Some Laurel residents don’t like the state’s plan to build a psychiatric hospital near town. The backlash came quickly after state officials announced the site location.

The federal government could partially shut down this weekend if Congress doesn’t pass a spending package. Montana’s congressional delegates are holding the Republican line to advance law enforcement funding.

Montana’s largest utility has released a draft plan of how it will generate power for the next two decades. It’s soliciting public comments on that plan in meetings across the state.