A national wind-power lobby says a proposal by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and others requiring recipients of federal clean-energy grants to use "made-in-America" parts will slow project development and end up costing jobs in Montana.

In an exchange with U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said his agency has no plans to create a new national monument in Montana or buy up private land in the Missouri Breaks area east of Fort Benton.

Bowen Greenwood, a conservative activist who has worked for Republican officeholders and campaigns for much of the past 15 years, is the new executive director of the Montana Republican Party.

Authorities say powder released when an envelope burst while being handled by state workers posed no threat.

In Michigan, where many enterprises are struggling to survive, the renowned University of Michigan is in the midst of a construction boom and hiring spree. Michigan State University, on the other hand, plans to lay off faculty and cut programs, blaming state funding that is lower than it was a decade ago. Flagship universities in other states are also prospering, while their lesser-known counterparts suffer from vanishing state appropriations. 

So, why not change the arrangement and require big-name universities to take responsibility for their own financing, leaving more state money to support the other state schools? As legislatures face their toughest budget year since the recession began, the idea of giving a few universities autonomy to control their own finances has some appeal.