West
NRA bets big on Montana in gun rights push as Tester teeters in Senate race
FIRST ON FOX: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is going live on Montana’s airwaves with a massive push against vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., on Tuesday, specifically attacking his record on gun rights.
“Where I live, you can’t wait for 911. My family’s safety is in my hands alone,” a female narrator says in a new ad from the NRA’s political action committee, the NRA Political Victory Fund.
DEMS FACE TIGHT TIMELINE TO CONFIRM BIDEN-HARRIS JUDGES, SURPASS TRUMP LEGACY
The NRA is going up with a new ad against Tester in Montana. (Reuters | iStock)
The video depicts a would-be intruder approaching a home with a woman alone inside who grabs her firearm when she realizes someone is outside. The narrator says Tester “failed to protect my right to self-defense.”
“And that’s why moms like me can’t wait to fire him in November,” she continued.
The more than $2 million reservation will be seen across the Big Sky State and will also reach Montana voters on digital platforms, through text and direct mail components.
The expenditure is the NRA Political Victory Fund’s first television ad of the cycle.
MCCORMICK SAYS ‘PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING’ IMPORTANCE OF 2024 ELECTION AS PENNSYLVANIA SENATE POLLS TIGHTEN
Tester is running for re-election in red Montana. (Samuel Corum)
According to the PAC, the ad was filmed on location and also features a real Montana mother.
“This November, gun owners can’t afford to sit on the sidelines,” Randy Kozuch, chair of the NRA Political Victory Fund, said in a statement.
“With this seven-figure ad buy, only a portion of our electoral engagement in Montana, we are calling out Jon Tester,” he said.
POLITICAL HANDICAPPER SHIFTS MONTANA SENATE TO ‘LEANS REPUBLICAN’ AS TESTER FALLS BEHIND
Per Kozuch, Tester’s “voting record in the Senate makes clear he is not on the side of Montanans who support the 2nd Amendment.”
He specifically pointed to Tester’s support for “anti-gun” Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The NRA is highlighting gun rights for rural Americans. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“He has voted to spend taxpayer dollars to promote state-level red flag laws, which are ripe for abuse, and deny gun owners basic due process protections. And he’s voted multiple times to criminalize private firearms transfers while supporting government blacklists,” he said.
The Montana Democrat notably voted in favor of bipartisan gun legislation in 2022 that made millions of dollars in grant funding available to states for the purpose of enforcing protection orders for those deemed to be extreme risks, colloquially referred to as “red flag laws.” The grants also assist states in closing what’s referred to as the “boyfriend loophole,” expanding limits on firearm ownership for domestic abusers to a variety of relationships, as opposed to only spouses.
Fifteen Republicans joined Senate Democrats at the time to support the bill. However, the majority of the GOP conference did not back the measure.
SENATE GOP BRACING FOR LAST-MINUTE LEADER BIDS – POTENTIALLY BY KEY TRUMP ALLY
Tester campaign spokesperson Monica Robinson told Fox News Digital in a statement, “As Tim Sheehy himself said, ‘I’m not the biggest fan of the NRA, because I don’t think the NRA is really, truly worried about Second Amendment rights.’ There’s one champion who has always defended Montana gun owners, and that’s Jon Tester, who is a proud gun owner himself.”
Robinson was referencing a June Politico report that Sheehy was skeptical about the NRA’s interests during an event last year. A Sheehy spokesperson responded at the time, pointing to the fact that he is a “political outsider who calls it like he sees it.”
Sheehy, left, is favored to win the Montana Senate race against incumbent Tester by one handicapper. (Reuters)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Sheehy’s campaign said, “The choice is clear this election. Tim Sheehy is A rated by the NRA because he’ll always protect our Second Amendment rights and Jon Tester is F rated by the NRA because he supports the Obama-Biden-Harris radical liberal gun control agenda.”
The Montana Senate seat is considered Republicans’ No. 1 target in the upcoming Senate elections, aside from West Virginia, which is expected to easily turn red after independent Sen. Joe Manchin’s retirement. Tester’s race is also believed to be the Senate GOP’s key to the majority in 2025.
A top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, has long rated the race between Tester and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy as a “toss up.”
However, another respected handicapper recently shifted the matchup to “leans Republican.” Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics explained the change, pointing to a new poll from the AARP showing Sheehy with a six-point 51%-45% advantage over Tester in a two-way race.
In an expanded field, Sheehy still defeated Tester, 49%-41%.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Read the full article from Here
Alaska
This Alaska cruise port lets you experience the wild, untouched state
At Icy Strait Point, visitors can spot whales and eagles while supporting a small Alaska community.
How cruise tourism could help and hurt Alaska’s environment
Although Alaskans rely on revenue tourism cruise ships bring in, some locals are raising concerns on the impact of tourism on Alaska’s environment.
Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska, offers a rare kind of cruise stop — one where nature, culture, and community take center stage. It was also specifically developed with tourists in mind.
Built on Huna Tlingit land near Hoonah, this privately owned destination was designed to spread visitors across 23,000 acres of wilderness rather than overwhelm the town. The result is a place where travelers can see bald eagles, sea lions, and crashing waves instead of traffic and tour buses.
Beyond its dramatic scenery, Icy Strait Point generates about $20 million in annual economic impact for a community of roughly 900 people, supporting hundreds of jobs, making it a model for how tourism can benefit residents while preserving Alaska’s character.
Why it matters
Located on Huna Tlingit land, Icy Strait Point shows how tourism can support small communities while preserving their identity. Places like this reflect a broader American story of stewardship, self-determination, and economic opportunity.
According to Icy Strait Point’s Senior Vice President, Tyler Hackman, the destination generates “$20 million a year of positive economic impact on a community of 900 people,” creating jobs while allowing Hoonah to remain distinctly itself.
What to see today
Unlike many cruise ports, Icy Strait Point feels remarkably undeveloped.
“This place is mostly untouched,” Hackman said. “When a ship comes into a dock here, somebody can be standing on the top deck of the ship, and you don’t see a parking lot, you don’t see a bus, you don’t see a vehicle.”
Visitors can take a gondola to the mountaintop for sweeping views, then follow Hackman’s advice and head to the beach in front of the historic cannery. There, they can search for shells, dip their hands in Alaska’s icy waters, and take in snowcapped peaks on the horizon — and maybe spot a humpback whale or an orca.
Ask a local
For a sweet stop with a bigger purpose, visit Lil’ Gen’s Mini-Doughnuts.
Operated by The Salvation Army, the shop serves warm mini-doughnuts to cruise visitors all summer. The impact extends far beyond dessert: Hackman said that in 2025, profits from the shop helped fund “$130,000 worth of food to the local community.”
It’s a delicious way to support Hoonah residents directly. Try the lemon sugaring.
Plan your visit
- Best time: May through September during the Alaska cruise season.
- Hours/admission: Open seasonally. Access is included with most cruise itineraries.
- Getting there: Primarily reached by cruise ship from Southeast Alaska itineraries.
- Learn more: https://icystraitpoint.com/
Arizona
Dozens of repossessed Spirit Airlines jets now parked in Arizona desert
Dozens of bright yellow jets once operated by Spirit Airlines are now sitting idle in the Arizona desert after being repossessed by leasing companies, according to aviation officials.
The aircraft are currently parked in a storage field following the shutdown of operations involving the planes. Industry experts say the jets were not owned directly by Spirit Airlines, but instead leased through outside companies that quickly moved to reclaim the aircraft.
One aviation contractor involved in the process said crews had only a matter of hours to coordinate the recovery effort and relocate the planes.
That process included hiring former Spirit pilots who had suddenly found themselves out of work to help ferry the aircraft to storage facilities in Arizona.
“The reason I’m empathetic to all this is because I’ve been in the same situation four or five times,” one aviation worker said. “I was with airlines that closed their doors overnight. I woke up the next morning not having a job. I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mortgage, how I can pay for health care. I have little kids.”
Officials say the future of the aircraft remains uncertain. Depending on what the leasing companies decide, the planes could eventually return to service with another airline, be dismantled for parts, or scrapped altogether.
Spirit Airlines has not announced whether the aircraft could return to operations.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
California
JD Vance accuses California of letting Medicaid fraudsters cash in at taxpayer expense | Fox Business Video
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss the Trump administration’s crackdown on Medicaid fraud, Republicans’ push for new immigration enforcement funding and President Donald Trump’s latest trade negotiations with China.
-
Milwaukee, WI4 minutes agoFive teenagers arrested following police pursuit in Milwaukee
-
Atlanta, GA10 minutes ago2 Giant Pandas Are Headed to This US Zoo. Meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang
-
Minneapolis, MN16 minutes agoBauhaus Brew Labs in northeast Minneapolis set to close next month
-
Indianapolis, IN22 minutes agoIndy 500 qualifying format, schedule, entries, how to watch this weekend
-
Pittsburg, PA28 minutes agoHere are all the free movies you can watch outside this summer in Pittsburgh
-
Augusta, GA34 minutes ago25-year-old woman killed in shooting on Cameron Drive
-
Cleveland, OH46 minutes ago
U.S. Navy warship to be commissioned in Ohio
-
Austin, TX51 minutes agoTexas Metro Areas Are Coming for Chicago