The Big Why

Two proposals Montanans will vote on this year would change how the state runs its future elections. Supporters say they’ll combat political polarization and extremism. Opponents say they may muck up our elections.

Billions of dollars in federal funds have been set aside for electric vehicle charging stations across the country. What does that look like in Montana?

This week we're looking at the most annoying aspect of any election year: political ads. A listener wants to know if there's any kind of fact checking done before these ads air.

As summer heats up in Montana, so does wildfire season. This raises the question, does winter snowpack really correlate to the severity of the wildfire season? And what does a 'normal' fire season mean?

This time around, we’re unpacking an answer to a tricky education question: "Why is Montana ranked one of the last in the nation for teacher salary, and how might this be changing in the next legislative session?"

In the third and final episode of our Big Why climate series, we travel across the state to meet Montanans banding together to combat climate change.

Montana’s primary elections — which take place later than those in all but a handful of states — are now officially in the rear-view mirror. That raises a good question: Why are Montana's primaries so late in the year? It's a question that stumped many historians. Here's what we found out.

Montana has seen record levels of fundraising for Supreme Court candidates in recent years, parties seem to have their favorite candidates and outside special interest groups spend a lot of money to influence these races. On top of that, not everyone is familiar with the workings of the court. So, how can voters evaluate candidates for state Supreme Court?

A listener wants to know why it seems like the homeless population is growing. We’ll look at this issue both statewide and in Missoula to put it into context.

Everywhere you look in Montana, there are places to gamble. Odds are good you've seen machines in bars, liquor stores and of course, gas stations. How did Montana end up with so many "casinos," and what does it have to do with bingo? The only sure bet is that The Big Why team has the answers.