Another House Republican has announced he is retiring from Congress at the end of this year, adding to the mass exodus of lawmakers heading for the exit halfway through President Donald Trump’s second term.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., who won his seat in Montana’s 1st congressional district in November 2022, served as Secretary of the Interior during Trump’s first White House stint.

He served as Montana’s only member of the House from 2015 to 2017 before redistricting added a second seat to its delegation.

Zinke is the 35th House Republican elected in 2024 not running for another term in the 2026 midterms. Another House GOP lawmaker re-elected in 2024, the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died in office earlier this year.

On the Democratic side, 23 House lawmakers are not running for re-election.

Many of those members are running for another office. But some, including those who left before the end of their terms, like former Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Mark Green, R-Tenn., have not made any further public plans in politics.

Zinke had a decades-long career in the U.S. Navy before coming to Congress, achieving the rank of commander before retiring in 2008.

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He cited medical reasons for his decision not to run again in November, according to a letter shared on X.

“While my belief in term limits for elected office is a consideration, I have quietly undergone multiple surgeries since I returned to Congress and unfortunately face several more immediately after leaving office,” Zinke said in his statement.

“The injuries sustained from a career in Special Operations are not immediately life-threatening, but the repair cannot be deferred any longer and recovery will require considerable time with my wife Lola and my family. My judgment and experience tell me it is better for Montana and America to have full-time representation in Congress than run the risk of uncertain absence and missed votes.”

He said serving Montana in his various military and political roles has been the “highest honor.”

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Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., also confirmed Zinke’s retirement in his own statement shared with media.

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“For over 30 years, Commander Zinke has served his country with integrity, responsibility, and honor,” Downing said. “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve alongside Ryan while fighting for Montanans in Washington—from protecting our public lands to supporting our farmers and ranchers.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Zinke’s seat R+5, meaning it’s likely to stay in Republican hands but within striking distance for Democrats hoping to flip the district this year.

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The Bay Area-based bargain grocer Grocery Outlet is closing 36 stores after it expanded too fast.

The closures are part of an optimization plan that will target financially underperforming locations as well as a distribution center facility that’s no longer in use. The closures will go into effect by the end of this year, the company’s chief executive said in an earnings call Wednesday.

Grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons also closed several locations last year and laid off hundreds of employees as inflationary pressures hit consumers and rising labor costs tightened margins.

Kroger, the parent company of California staples Ralphs and Food 4 Less, has been restructuring since a failed merger with Albertsons in 2024.

Grocery Outlet Chief Executive Jason Potter did not say there would be layoffs associated with the store closures.

“Following a rigorous analysis of the fleet, we identified 36 stores in the network that we concluded did not have a viable path to sustained profitability,” Potter said in the company’s latest earnings call. “It’s clear now that we expanded too quickly, and these closures are a direct correction.”

The company is still planning to open 30 to 33 new stores this year. It reported a net loss of $225 million for fiscal year 2025, compared to a net income of $39 million in 2024. Net sales increased 7.3% from 2024 to 2025.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, the company reported a net loss of $218 million. Shares have fallen more than 43% over the past year.

“We made progress on our strategic priorities in 2025; however, our fourth-quarter results made clear that we have more work to do,” Potter said.

Based in Emeryville, Grocery Outlet and its subsidiaries have more than 560 stores in 16 states, including California and Washington. Among the 36 stores slated for closure, 24 are in the eastern U.S. region.

Grocery Outlet locations are independently operated and geared toward affordability, targeting a value-seeking customer base. The chain has more than 100 locations in California, including several in the Los Angeles area.

The company’s new optimization plan is intended to “strengthen long-term profitability and cash flow generation, improve operational execution, optimize our existing store footprint and align with our disciplined new store growth strategy,” the company’s earnings release said.

The company estimated that its fiscal 2026 gross profit could be negatively impacted by $4 million to $6 million due to product markdowns at stores marked for closure.

State regulators say a fuel contamination incident across the Denver metro area affected about 49 gas stations and just over 1,000 drivers. The fuel provider has instituted changes in their processes to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.