Ahead of the 2026 Maccabiah Games, an event often called the “Jewish Olympics” and the largest Jewish sporting competition in the world, which are set to begin next week, social media influencer, dancer, and singer, Montana Tucker expressed her excitement to be hosting the delegation parade at the event and said that the games were taking place at a critical point for the global Jewish community.
Montana
Montana AG letter alleges Helena violates law banning ‘sanctuary cities’
HELENA — On Monday, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen sent a letter to the City of Helena claiming the municipality is not in compliance with the state’s law banning “sanctuary cities.” The letter comes just under a month after the State of Montana launched an investigation into a city resolution on Helena Police policy and Helena’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
In the letter, Knudsen laid out the ways he believes the city’s resolution violated state law. The attorney general gave Helena 15 days to respond or reverse the policy. If the city does not comply, his office will pursue legal action.
“Helena’s resolution appears to contain blatant violations of this law,” wrote Knudsen.
MTN News
On January 26, 2026, the City of Helena adopted a resolution clarifying when and how the Helena Police Department will cooperate with federal immigration officials. The vote was 4 to 1. The Helena commission seats and the mayor are elected in non-partisan races.
In the letter, Knudsen alleges the resolution established “a broad sanctuary city policy” that seeks to protect every illegal immigrant, regardless of whether the individual had committed a serious crime or not. The state further claims the resolution gives illegal immigrants “special privileges” in plea deals and establishes a “free-for-all policy” where a police officer can request the unmasking of Department of Homeland Security and ICE officers.
Knudsen has requested that the City of Helena, in their response, specifically describe in detail how the resolution complies with Montana law, provide emails and correspondence from city staff and the commission regarding the resolution.
Helena City manager Alana Lake told MTN in a statement: “The City of Helena is aware of the issues being raised by the Attorney General’s Office and is reviewing the matter. While we cannot discuss the details of a potential legal issue, the City is committed to transparency and compliance with the law. The City takes these matters seriously and will continue to cooperate with the appropriate authorities while remaining focused on serving our community.”
MTN News
Passed in 2021, Montana House Bill 200 prohibits a state agency or local government from implementing any policy that prevents employees or departments from communicating with federal agencies regarding immigration or citizenship status for lawful purposes. It also states governments must comply with immigration detainer requests if they are lawfully made.
HB 200 was backed by Republicans and passed with only Republican votes. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the legislation into law on March 31, 2021.
Passage of the resolution by the Helena City Commission has drawn ire from conservative voices in Montana politics and on the national level.
MTN News
The resolution said the commission supported the Helena Police Department avoiding “committing its resources to federal action for which it has no authority,” such as entering into an agreement with the federal government to directly enforce immigration laws. Under federal law, immigration enforcement is conducted by federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security. However, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, state and local governments can voluntarily enter into 287 (g) agreements with the federal government that allow them to enforce immigration laws.
The commission further supported HPD’s policy not to stop, detain, or arrest a person solely on suspected violations of immigration law, including assisting other agencies in an arrest based solely on immigration law.
DEEPER LOOK: Helena has seen a growing debate over ICE and local police involvement
In the resolution, the commission also supported an HPD officer, using their own discretion, requesting the identification and unmasking of a Department of Homeland Security Officer if the HPD officer “feels it will not be interfering with the actions of federal officers exercising their jurisdiction.”
“This adversarial relationship by local law enforcement toward federal officers itself undermines public safety and forces immigration officers to fear for their safety when they are simply carrying out their lawful duties,” wrote Knudsen.
The resolution further supports the City of Helena’s policy not to consider immigration consequences in a plea agreement with a defendant.
Mack Carmack, MTN News
The commission also supports the City of Helena not disclosing any sensitive information about any person – including immigration status, sexual orientation, or social security number – except as required by law.
“This is a restriction that directly conflicts with Montana’s prohibition on sanctuary jurisdictions, specifically ‘sending to, receiving from, exchanging with, or maintaining for a federal, state, or local government entity information regarding a person’s citizenship or immigration status for a lawful purpose,’” the attorney general wrote.
If a government is found to be violating Montana’s law banning “sanctuary cities”, the state could fine them $10,000 every five days, prevent them from receiving new grants from the state, and have their projects with the state re-prioritized. A government in violation can avoid penalties by becoming compliant with the law within 14 days of being notified of the violation.
Read the full letter from the Montana Attorney General to the City of Helena:
Montana
Social media star Montana Tucker to host Maccabiah Games delegation parade | The Jerusalem Post
“Israel has gone through a lot, Israelis have gone through a lot, Jews have gone through a lot around the world,” Tucker told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “What’s going on is not just happening in Israel; it’s really happening all around the world with our Jewish community. So, an event like the Maccabiah Games is showing the world that we are strong, we are united, and we don’t give up, and we keep fighting.”
According to Maccabiah, the games bring together more than 10,000 athletes from at least 80 countries in Israel every four years to compete in over 45 sports. The Maccabi World Union says the games are the second-largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics.
The 2026 Maccabiah Games, the 22nd of their kind, were initially scheduled for last year but were postponed due to the security situation involving Iran and its regional proxies.
“This was supposed to happen last year, and about a month away, we had to cancel it due to the war,” Tucker recalled. “And so I am so grateful that it is happening this year, because we truly do need this now more than ever.”
She also said she was excited to debut her new song “We’re Not Strangers” at the event.
“It’s all about unity and building bridges and bringing people together. And some of the lyrics say ‘we may pray to different saviors, but we’re not strangers,’” she told the Post. “Our world is so divided right now. I think that we really just need to come together and have more unity and compassion and understanding of one another. And if we really talk to people who look differently than us, act differently than us, have a different religion than us, we’ll realize we’re actually more similar than we think.”
Montana Tucker: Sport ‘truly unites the world’
Sports, she said, was an ideal method to build these bridges, adding she viewed it as something that “truly unites the world.”
The Maccabiah Games this year, though, will be the first since the Hamas-led massacres in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attacks sparked a regional eruption with Israel fighting wars against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Islamic regime in Iran.
“We always have to talk about what happened on October 7,” Tucker said. “We should never stop talking about it. And I think it is so important that Maccabiah is utilizing this platform to talk about it. I know they actually have a former hostage, Daniella Gilboa, who’s going to be performing, which is so powerful.”
Tucker also highlighted the value of the games, saying they were a powerful tool to dispel disinformation about the Jewish state.
“What’s shown on the news nowadays is just all the negativity. Most of it is just propaganda and lies about what Israel is, and I think the Maccabiah just debunks every possible propaganda and lie about Israel,” she said. “When people say the word ‘Israel,’ it comes with so many different connotations, and I think we can show them this. This is Israel. This is what being Jewish means.”
A key element in showing the world what Israel and being Jewish mean, she reiterated, meant showcasing Jewish unity at a time when, in the wake of the October 7, the global Jewish community has faced a worldwide rise in antisemitism.
The games themselves are being held under the slogan, “More Than Ever,” according to Maccabiah, to emphasize “the importance of strengthening the bond between [Jewish] communities worldwide and the State of Israel.”
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 23, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 23 drawing
48-51-60-63-66, Mega Ball: 20
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 23 drawing
06-21-22-31, Bonus: 13
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
We cover lots of hard news here at The Drive. Y’know, the stuff that keeps you updated on the automotive industry and enthusiast scene. Other times, we don’t. Other times, we write silly car-related stuff because it’s fun. This is one of those times. A giant banana recently got pulled over in Montana, and as the Cowboy State Daily put it, it wasn’t its first time.
According to the Montana State Police, the giant banana car and its driver, Steve Braithwaite, were pulled over near Billings because part of the license plate was blocked. He did not receive a ticket. Also, the plate reads “SPLIT.”
“We’ve stopped speeders, distracted drivers, and even a few unusual vehicles… but this one definitely stands out.
The Big Banana Car was stopped cruising near Billings today. While it may be apPEALing, traffic laws still apply to fruit. 😎 🍌
Safe travels, Montana,” said the Montana State Police’s Facebook page.
According to the report, Braithwaite has been pulled over hundreds of times over the decade he’s been driving his banana car across the country. In fact, he believes that during the first few years he had the thing, he was one of the most frequently pulled-over men in America.
“Driving around in a banana and having all these people, all these smiles and waves, affects me. It actually does something fantastic,” he told the outlet.
He even claims to have been pulled over once for “peeling out,” which was, of course, a joke.
Another report claims that Braithwaite began working on the fiberglass banana in 2008 and finished it in 2011. It’s based on a 1993 Ford F-150 and is a bout 23 feet from tip to tip.
Keep on keepin’ on, Steve.
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