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U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke continued to push back against potential changes to U.S. Postal Service operations in Montana last week, arguing that the changes would alienate rural residents and delay services. Republican Zinke joined 11 other members of Congress signing a letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission on Nov. 22 asking that it keep rural processing centers and limit consolidation. The commission is reviewing the Postal Service's long-term plan to change how it processes mail , known as its Delivering For America plan. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, pictured in 2023, pushed back on potential changes to U.S. Postal Service operations in Montana last week, arguing that the changes would alienate rural residents and delay services. Sherry Patterson, a strategic communications specialist for the Postal Service, told the Missoulian in an email on Monday that the regulatory commission has yet to offer an advisory opinion on the plan. Once an opinion is finalized from the commission, which is an independent agency that oversees the Postal Service, Patterson said USPS will consider the opinion and then finalize its decision. Previously, USPS had plans to consolidate Missoula's regional processing center with Spokane's, adding a roughly 400-mile roundtrip for some packages. Backlash from congressional leaders led Postmaster Louis DeJoy in May to delay any changes to the system until at least January . The $40 billion Delivering for America plan that started in 2021 is meant to add new technology and streamline the mail processing system to create long-term savings. “This is a classic example of decisions coming down from D.C. that just don’t make any sense in Montana,” Zinke said in a Friday press release. “Mail service in Montana is already a logistical nightmare. Sending the Missoula Processing and Distributing Center out of the State will slow things down, add confusion, and lead to more Montanans being unable to receive their mail in a timely manner. Just because it works in Baltimore or New York, doesn’t mean it will work in Ravalli or Lincoln.” Zinke joined Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming to pen the letter. Ten Republican and two Democrat House representatives signed the letter. The lawmakers said they understood the need for USPS to modernize its mail system, but warned cutting programs and costs in rural states would lengthen delivery times. "Despite the USPS's repeated assurances, we struggle to see how on-time delivery rates, which are already below the USPS goals, will improve," the letter read. The plan has already seen pushback from other members of Montana's delegation, including Sen. Steve Daines, incoming Sen. Tim Sheehy and outgoing Sen. Jon Tester. Daines previously expressed opposition to the consolidation plan and also criticized the Postal Service for ending air mail service to the state in July . "The Postal Service's decision to suspend air service in Montana is going to hurt Montanans who rely on the mail to receive prescription medication, pension payments, disability benefits and more," Daines said in July. "And I urge Postmaster General DeJoy to reconsider this decision. I look forward to working with Mr. DeJoy to find ways to reverse years of sustained financial losses that don't affect Montanans." Incoming U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy told the Missoulian on Monday that rural Montanans must depend on timely mail service to keep their economies and communities strong. "Montanans do not want to see bureaucrats in D.C. leave rural America behind by imposing top-down plans that don’t work for Montana," Sheehy said in an email. "As we consider reforms and work to improve mail service in Montana, it’s absolutely critical we hear local voices, build consensus, and forge a path forward that makes sense for Montanans.” U.S. Sen. Jon Tester gives remarks about the USPS decision to halt plans to move Missoula mail processing to Spokane during a press conference at the John Engen Local Government Building in downtown Missoula on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Sheehy defeated Tester to win a U.S. Senate seat earlier this month and will assume office on Jan. 3. Tester previously introduced a bill to halt the consolidation plans, but no action was taken on the legislation. He said at a May press conference that postmaster DeJoy is a "lost cause" and that the Postal Service should remove him from office. "This would have major impacts, particularly on western Montana," Tester said in May . "Let's say that you're diabetic and you need insulin. You don't have an extra day. You can't wait around." Griffen Smith is the local government reporter for the Missoulian. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. City/County Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

By Maayan Lubell TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial to give testimony that will likely force him to juggle for weeks between the courtroom and war room. Netanyahu, 75, is Israel's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. He is the country's longest serving leader, having been in power almost consecutively since 2009. “I have been waiting for eight years for this moment to tell the truth,” Netanyahu told the three judges hearing the case. “But I am also a prime minister ... I am leading the country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel.” He smiled confidently when he entered the Tel Aviv District Court around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT). The trial was moved from Jerusalem for undisclosed security reasons and convened in an underground courtroom, a 15-minute walk from the country's defence headquarters. Before Netanyahu took the stand, his lawyer Amit Hadad laid out for the judges what the defence maintains are fundamental flaws in the investigation. Prosecutors, Hadad said,“weren’t investigating a crime, they were going after a person.” A few dozen protesters gathered outside the courthouse, some of them supporters and others demanding he do more to negotiate the release of some 100 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Israel has been waging war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group for more than a year, during which Netanyahu had been granted a delay for the start of his court appearances. But last Thursday, judges ruled that he must start testifying. Charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Netanyahu will testify three times a week, the court said, despite the Gaza war and possible new threats posed by wider turmoil in the Middle East, including in neighbouring Syria. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases involving gifts from millionaire friends and for allegedly seeking regulatory favours for media tycoons in return for favourable coverage. He denies any wrongdoing. In the run-up to his court date, Netanyahu revived familiar pre-war rhetoric against law enforcement, describing investigations against him as a witch hunt. He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. "The real threat to democracy in Israel is not posed by the public's elected representatives, but by some among the law enforcement authorities who refuse to accept the voters' choice and are trying to carry out a coup with rabid political investigations that are unacceptable in any democracy," he said in a statement on Thursday. At a Monday night press conference Netanyahu expressed outrage at the way witnesses had been treated during investigations. DIVISIONS AMONG THE ISRAELI PUBLIC Before the war, Netanyahu's legal troubles bitterly divided Israelis and shook Israeli politics through five rounds of elections. His government's bid last year to curb the powers of the judiciary further polarised Israelis. The shock Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Gaza war swept Netanyahu's trial off the public agenda as Israelis came together in grief and trauma. But as the war dragged on, political unity crumbled. In recent weeks, while fighting abated on one front after Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas' Lebanese ally Hezbollah, members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including his justice and police ministers, have clashed with the judiciary. His domestic legal woes were compounded last month when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant along with a Hamas leader, for alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Additional reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Howard Goller)CHICAGO (AP) — Matthew Boyd is thankful for his new opportunity with the Chicago Cubs. He is hoping to help the team reach the playoffs as a key addition to its starting rotation. The fact that his late grandpa John Boyd was a big fan? That makes this signing all the more sweet for him. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Mark Cuban: If You Have To Micromanage, Something Is Probably Broken — 'I Wish Somebody Would Have Told Me To Be Nicer'When you hear a $20 million-a-year salary, the first thought should gravitate toward an athlete getting paid. But not in 2024. Even analysts, who aren’t actually on the field but are off it, talking about a game, are about to reset the market by a margin that’s never been done before. Yes, we are talking about Stephen A. Smith, who is set to be paid more than the current highest-paid NFL running back. After months of negotiations between WME (Smith’s agency) and ESPN (Smith’s employer), the bar has been set at a $20 million-a-year contract. This deal is structured for multiple years — at least five but possibly up to six. This adds up to a $120 million contract, which is not even being earned by several quarterbacks. Notably, highest-paid running back Christian McCaffrey ($17.2 million), highest-paid tight end Travis Kelce ($17.1 million), and highest-paid center Creed Humphrey ($18 million) will neither make as much money (per year) as Stephen A. Smith, nor have contracts as long. And wait till you hear how much Smith’s analyst peers are getting paid. While there is no clear information about how much Shannon Sharpe is making at ESPN, estimated reports suggest that he earns about $3 million per year. Despite having a playing background and two decades of broadcasting experience, he is getting paid significantly less. The former tight end has arguably become the soul of First Take , the face of which is Stephen A., yet a $17 million gap doesn’t make sense. Even Pat McAfee is making less than Stephen A. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract with ESPN, which comes down to $17 million per year. Troy Aikman, too, is making less, with a $18.5 million salary per year. So, why is ESPN paying Stephen A. this much money? Well, the truth is, the leading analyst is delivering the results that the media giant would expect from someone earning $20 million a year. Stephen A. has turned First Take into a household staple, especially in the morning. While cable TV is losing business, losing customers, and shifting to digital, Stephen A. hasn’t lost his viewers; he’s doubled them instead, maybe more. Per episode, First Take is averaging over 500k viewers, something no other show can rack up. The one show that could — the Undisputed — is no longer relevant . It’s the Stephen A. Smith effect. His charisma has always played a key role in attracting viewers. His engaging conversations, too, are fun to listen to, even when answering the silliest queries. He has also spread his spider’s web on social media, often interacting with fans. His own YouTube shows and side gigs are very successful as well. And last but not least, he’s so famous that even team owners and player agents are watching him, trying to gauge the audience’s feelings and what a leading analyst like Smith has to say. If that doesn’t impress you or ESPN, nothing will.

Marvel Rivals Boasts 10 Million Players 72 Hours After Launch - CBRKentucky will aim to improve upon its best start in seven seasons when it hosts Western Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., in the final game of the BBN Invitational. The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll and are setting impressive offensive milestones even for a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, which includes eight national championships. The Wildcats have scored 97 or more points in their first four home games for the first time in program history and eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of those games. Their lone trip out of state was a solid 77-72 victory over Duke in a matchup of top-10 teams in Atlanta. Kentucky has also made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its first five games of a season for the first time ever. "I think Kentucky attracts good people," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the Wildcats' 108-59 win over Jackson State on Friday. "It's the one place in all college basketball where you represent just a fanbase in a different, unique way." Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have led the Wildcats' early scoring outburst. Oweh, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting against Jackson State. "He gets us off to unbelievable starts every night," Pope told reporters after that game. "He's probably been our most consistent guy in games." Brea, who scored 22 points against Jackson State and is averaging 16.0 points per game, is leading the nation in 3-point accuracy at 74.1 percent. As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. And the few times they miss, Amari Williams has been doing the dirty work on the glass, averaging 10.8 boards in addition to 9.6 points per game. Kentucky faces a different challenge than it's had to contend with so far in the Hilltoppers (3-2), who have won three in a row after losing their first two games to Wichita State and Grand Canyon. Their up-tempo play hasn't exactly resulted in great offensive output, but in the Hilltoppers' 79-62 win over Jackson State on Wednesday, they shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 for 31). "I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight and, hopefully, get their feet under them a little bit and get some confidence," said Western Kentucky coach Hank Plona, who is in his first season as head coach. "Obviously, Tuesday will be quite a test and challenge for us and we'll need them to be at their absolute best." Western Kentucky has an experienced group, which returned mostly intact from last season. The team is led by Conference USA first-team selection Don McHenry, who is leading the team with 17.2 points and 2.2 steals per game. McHenry is one of four Hilltoppers with scoring averages in double figures. Julius Thedford (11.4 points per game) and Babacar Faye (15.0) are each shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Western Kentucky also figures to challenge the Wildcats on the boards as it enters the game ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game). Faye leads the Hilltoppers in that department, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and figures to battle Williams inside. "We're not the biggest team in the world, but our depth and our quickness are our strengths," Plona said. --Field Level Media

Federal wildlife officials proposed Tuesday that monarch butterflies receive protection as a threatened species. The flashy orange and black butterflies, which flutter forth each year on an epic migration that spans thousands of miles and multiple generations, are found from coast to coast in the United States during warmer months. Despite precipitous declines, they are still prevalent enough that, if the proposal goes through, they would become the most commonly seen species to receive federal protection. That means officials are walking a tightrope with the proposal. Restrict too few activities that harm monarchs, and officials risk creating a merely symbolic listing that does little to stave off further declines. Restrict too many, and they could trigger a political backlash. Tight rules could also backfire by dissuading people from creating butterfly habitat on their property because the presence of a protected species could expose them to liability. “There aren’t that many species where everyday people in their backyard can do something to help an endangered species,” said Jake Li, who leads efforts to list endangered species at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “That’s, to me, one thing that makes monarchs so different and why we want to put a heavier thumb on the scale of incentives for people to help us conserve the species.” The fate of the proposal will ultimately depend on the new administration in Washington. Under Donald Trump’s first presidency, wildlife officials found that monarchs met the criteria for listing under the Endangered Species Act, but they were not placed under protection because other species were deemed to have priority. There is some debate among scientists over the status of North American monarchs and what is driving observed declines in wintertime populations. To assess the species, a team of federal biologists reviewed hundreds of studies and conducted their own modeling, said Kelly Nail, a biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Service who helped lead the effort. The team estimated that over the next 60 years, North American monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains have a 56% to 74% probability of hitting the point where extinction appears inevitable. For those to the west, that probability was 99%. The primary drivers affecting the butterflies, the assessment found, were the loss and degradation of breeding, migratory and overwintering habitat; exposure to insecticides; and the effects of climate change. “It’s not any one of those in particular; it’s these key threats working in combination with each other that we think are causing this decline,” Nail said. Wildlife officials, conservationists and many monarch scientists are calling on the public to help by planting food for monarchs: native milkweeds, which the caterpillars rely on, and a variety of other native flowers that bloom throughout the warmer months to offer nectar for the adult butterflies. Tropical milkweed is best avoided, experts say, especially in areas where it does not die back during the winter, luring monarchs to keep breeding instead of migrating. The proposal punts on action related to pesticide use, asking for public comment on what measures are warranted. Activities like ranching, agricultural work and gardening are protected by language that allows for the management of milkweed and nectar plants, even though it could result in monarch deaths. The proposal does not allow killing monarchs for the conversion of natural grasslands, shrublands or forest without a permit, a condition that could lead to restrictions on developers. The danger to monarchs, scientists agree, is not global extinction. Populations of the species exist in the wild outside their native North American range; they’ve been introduced by people or blown by winds to places as distant as Hawaii, Spain and Australia. What’s at stake is their remarkable migration, which can span up to 3,000 miles between overwintering grounds in central Mexico and summer breeding grounds into Canada. If the migration collapses, the butterflies would likely persist in certain areas of the southern United States, several scientists said, but their numbers would be greatly diminished. In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the scientific authority on the status of species, announced that it had listed the migratory monarch as endangered but later reclassified it as vulnerable, a less acute category. Canada listed the species as endangered in December 2023. In Mexico, it has a status of “special protection.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Greg Mitchell, a research scientist with the Canadian government who studies monarchs, visited their overwintering grounds in Mexico last year, where he expected to see butterflies coating the trees. Instead, he said he found himself in what felt like “an empty cathedral.” “I’ve been two previous times and seen millions, the tree branches drooping,” Mitchell said. Last year, he didn’t see a single cluster. “It was devastating,” he said. The winter count would turn out to be the second lowest on record, apparently driven by hot, dry conditions in the United States and Canada that reduced the quality of milkweed and nectar plants. The monarch’s return to Mexico each year holds great cultural significance among Indigenous communities there, where the butterflies are associated with visiting ancestors, said Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón, who works on monarch recovery at the National Wildlife Federation. “Losing the migration means losing deep-rooted traditions, and that’s huge,” Quiñonez-Piñón said. (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) Some monarch researchers say concerns for the species, and even the migration, are overblown. Insect populations tend to fluctuate sharply, they note, and monarchs have bounced back from alarmingly low numbers before. Butterfly survey data from the summer breeding grounds don’t show the sharp drops observed in the overwintering zones. And those winter counts don’t include populations of butterflies that aren’t part of the migration but could rejoin one day, said Anurag Agrawal, a professor of ecology at Cornell University. But other monarch scientists are not reassured. Nonmigratory populations have higher rates of disease. Data from the summer counts may be biased because of where it’s collected, they say. And even if the species has rebounded during the summer so far, the butterflies are only as strong as their weakest links. Public comments can be submitted until March 12.