Shows
Montana Wildfire NewsAfter cutting thousands of jobs, Forest Service asks fire-qualified workers to returnAfter a rash of federal job cuts earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service is reversing course and asking people qualified to fight fires to come back to work. Missoulian outdoors reporter Sam Wilson sat down with MTPR’s Austin Amestoy with more.2025-06-1704 min
The SessionThe Session | 2025 | Week 3 | New Website, New Problems and How to Get EngagedHost Shaylee Ragar discusses tech issues at the Capitol with reporters Austin Amestoy and Zeke Lloyd. They break down what that means for how the public and reporters alike can follow and engage with the action in Helena, along with the bigger picture of public comment during committee meetings and a new development on legislative junque files. 2025-01-2012 min
A New AngleMTPR’s Austin Amestoy & The Big WhyIn this week's special crossover episode, we speak with Austin Amestoy, Morning Edition host at Montana Public Radio and host of The Big Why, an MTPR podcast that answers listener questions about anything Montana, big or small.Austin tells us about his entry into public radio and The Big Why, and we bring you some of the show's magic in action as we answer three listener questions about meteorology, motoring and metalworking.Transcript available here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...2024-03-2827 minThe SessionThe Session | 2023 | Week 4: A speech, a crowded hearing room and the cost of defending lawsGovernor Greg Gianforte delivers a State of the State address that focuses on economic growth but lawmakers are turning their attention to social issues. Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Mara Silvers, and Austin Amestoy discuss the governor’s State of the State speech, debate over transgender rights and abortion, and why the state is asking for more money to defend laws in court. 2023-01-3011 min
The Kaimin CastUM basketballers face rough waters chasing pro dreams overseasScott Blankney is a former University of Montana men's basketball player facing a big decision. After completing his last season with the team and starting in just four games, he's at a crossroads: retire from the game he loves, or continue playing overseas.
Fewer than 2% of college hoopers in the U.S. move on to the NBA or WNBA after school. The international market for pro basketballers is much hotter, but going overseas isn't always smooth sailing.
On this episode, Kaimin sports editor Jack Marshall sits down with Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy and shares...2022-04-0721 minThe Kaimin CastOutdoor Equity: UM alumni break down barriers to recreationMissoula is a recreationist’s dream, but for many Americans, the idea of accessing the outdoors is only a dream as well. The U.S. Forest Service says that, while people of color make up 40% of the population, nearly 70% of visitors to public lands are white.
Now, two grassroots organizations in Missoula are aiming to narrow that spread. Here Montana and Latino Outdoors Missoula are headed by two University of Montana alums who discovered a love for recreation they’re now imparting on other Missoulians, one adventure at a time.
On this episode, Kaimin Cast host...2022-03-3120 min
The Kerr County LeadThe Kerr County Lead, March 29, 2022We'll welcome back Jennyth Peterson to The Lead Live, and this time she will be joined by her dad. The pair are riding in the "Bike MS: Texas 150-mile Ride," an event to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis. The ride starts in Houston and finishes in Austin. This is the 10th year the Petersons have ridden in the event. For more information about the event click here: https://mssociety.donordrive.com/index.cfm...2022-03-301h 04The Kaimin CastAs mask mandate ends, UM profs report mental health declineAs COVID-19 cases plunge in Missoula from an Omicron peak in early February, the University of Montana is making big changes to its long-standing pandemic policies. As of March 3, students and staff are no longer required to wear masks indoors.
While the change may mark a turning point in the pandemic, the effects of COVID-19 adaptations are lingering. In a recent survey of UM professors by the University Faculty Association, nearly 90% reported a negative impact to their mental health during the pandemic.
On this episode, Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy chats with a professor of s...2022-03-0320 minThe Kaimin CastUPDATE: UM ends mask mandateThe University of Montana announced it had ended its mask mandate for all indoor spaces on campus besides classrooms and labs on Feb. 24. The rest of campus will follow a week later, on March 3.
Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy has the update.
A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.
2022-02-2402 minThe Kaimin CastAre we asking too much of our dorm RAs?In late 2021, a letter circulated among University of Montana administration, students and media outlets containing a plea for help. It said the resident assistants living and working in the dorms need more support.
Alex Crisp, a former RA, wrote the letter following a series of incidents in UM's Jesse Hall that led him to quit the position early. He cited, "Ridiculous hours, unsafe conditions, toxic work circles and manipulative overseers" as examples of the challenges he faced.
And he's not alone. Kaimin features editor Mariah Thomas found other former RAs who echoed Alex's experiences, while U...2022-02-0323 minThe Kaimin CastStill Dreaming: How a student found her voice fighting for DACANearly 10 years ago, former President Barack Obama announced a program designed to protect undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as children. The policy — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or "DACA," — went into place in June 2012. By 2020, more than 600,000 former childhood arrivals had secured protection from deportation and the ability to work in the United States.
But the policy faced numerous legal and executive challenges over the years that fueled a vocal nationwide movement of DACA recipients fighting for the rights of other dreamers.
On this episode, Kaimin photo editor Antonio Ibarra joins Kaimin Cast host...2022-01-2721 minThe Kaimin CastDown $10 million and 15 professors, UM Humanities fights to surviveThe University of Montana has long had a reputation as Montana's premier liberal arts school with a College of Humanities and Sciences that educates 42% of the university students. However, that same Humanities Department has endured 68% of UM's budget cuts since 2015, with 15 professors in the school accepting an early retirement package last semester.
The hits to the humanities have left some degree programs with just one or two professors bearing heavier workloads and students who will be the last to graduate from UM with certain majors.
Kaimin Features Editor Mariah Thomas joins Kaimin Cast host Austin...2022-01-2016 minThe Kaimin CastThe Kaimin Cast: What‘s bringing bears into Missoula?Black bears are familiar residents of Montana's wilderness, and at the University of Montana — a campus nestled at the base of several mountains — they've garnered a reputation for surprising unsuspecting students.
But bears also bumbled through the streets and backyards of Missoula at higher rates than usual this fall, leading to increased headaches for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and questions about what's driving the uptick.
On this episode of the Kaimin Cast, arts and culture reporter Haley Yarborough digs in to the reasons behind the ursine influx and whether climate change may keep the bears barg...2021-12-1007 minThe Kaimin CastNew Year‘s Weed: What to know before rec. marijuana hits the marketIt's finally here. After Montanans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the 2020 election, and the Montana Legislature hammered out a plan to regulate weed earlier this year, existing medical marijuana dispensaries are set to begin selling the drug for recreational use on New Year's Day. The new law will have big implications for anyone over the age of 21. Possession penalties may change for students. Tax dollars will roll into Missoula and the state's coffers.
But Montanans who've grown and sold their own products illegally for years still have some waiting to do before the law catches up...2021-12-0621 minThe Kaimin Cast‘Feast or Famine:‘ The rockin‘ rise of a young Missoula bandA bassist with Brazilian-food cravings. A dinosaur-obsessed vocalist. An Alaskan ex-pianist. These are some of the eclectic members of self-described "evil psychedelic jazz rock" band Cosmic Sans. The five-member group is made up of current and former UM students and just released its self-titled debut album in October.
Though it started out opening for other well-known Missoula bands like Fertile Crescent and the Skurfs, Cosmic Sans is beginning to forge its own path, drawing on its UM connections and riding the wave of local music's resurgence in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic.
This week, K...2021-11-1521 minThe Kaimin CastThe Griz Hockey hiatus is overSeven years ago, Griz Hockey played its last game on the Glacier Ice Rink at the Missoula fairgrounds. The student-run program had slowly crumbled under a lack of leadership, financing and marketing, and a difficult workload for student athletes.
But thanks to a ravenous fanbase, eager players and a new general manager with great ambitions, Griz Hockey is back on the rink this fall, better attended and more thunderous than ever.
Kaimin sports reporter Holly Malkowski joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy and brings us the story of Griz Hockey's miraculous resurrection and the man wh...2021-11-0818 minThe Kaimin CastTitle IX questions linger amid UM law school falloutIn late September, the Daily Montanan reported that a cohort of students in UM's Alexander Blewitt III School of Law said the school's deans had discouraged them from reporting sexual misconduct to the Title IX office on campus. Following the report and backlash from students who walked out of the school in protest, Associate Dean Sally Weaver and Dean Paul Kirgis resigned from their positions.
But the resignations raise questions about the present and future of Title IX investigations at the University and whether or not a resignation spells the end of an investigation.
This w...2021-11-0122 minThe Kaimin CastThe Haunting of Jeannette Rankin HallSome phenomena defy scientific explanation, and that is where we must diverge into the spiritual. For decades, rumors have swirled that UM is home to a number of unspeakable specters that haunt its oldest buildings.
As the spookiest night of the year approaches, the Kaimin called up its most seasoned ghostbuster, Editor-in-Chief Addie Slanger, for one more night of phantom examination in UM's own Jeannette Rankin Hall. But this time, she enlisted help from a true paranormal investigator, Jenn Keintz.
Addie sat down with "Kreepy" Cast host Austin Amestoy to chronicle the haunting of Jeannette Ra...2021-10-2523 minThe Kaimin CastBearpocalypse NowBlack bears are familiar residents of Montana's mountains and forests and have garnered a reputation for their surprise visits to UM’s campus.
But, drawn by the irresistible scent of human garbage, bears are frequenting Missoula at unusually high rates this fall, leading to increased headaches for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and an uptick in encounters with unsuspecting students.
Kaimin arts and culture reporter Haley Yarborough joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy to "bear" the good and bad news about our furry forest friends and the efforts underway to keep them -- and us -- saf...2021-10-1817 minThe Kaimin CastUPDATE: UM professor takes paid leave pending blog investigationAfter the Montana Kaimin published that UM computer science professor Rob Smith had been reported to the University for a misogynistic blog, officials announced that Smith will be taking paid leave pending an investigation of his online writings.
Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy has a special update on the reaction to the Kaimin's reporting in the first few days following publication.
A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.
Questions? Comments? Reach us at editor@montanakaimin.com
2021-10-1302 minThe Kaimin CastUM professor reported for ‘disturbing,‘ ‘ethically bankrupt‘ blogIn August, four women filed a Title IX lawsuit against UM alleging sex discrimination. Weeks later, new allegations emerged that leaders at the School of Law discouraged students and professors from coming forward with their own Title IX complaints. The law school's deans have since resigned, and the university has stated it intends to launch an independent investigation into the complaints.
Now, the Montana Kaimin has learned that a computer science professor has been reported by his superiors for writing an online blog described by coworkers as "disturbing" and "ethically bankrupt."
This week, news reporter A...2021-10-1120 minThe Kaimin CastErim Gómez: Shattering ceilings in scienceNational Hispanic Heritage Month runs every year from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, but for one University of Montana wildlife biology professor, celebrating heritage is a way of living, not a yearly event.
As a relatively new professor at UM, Dr. Erim Gómez is bringing a strong connection to his culture and his love for the outdoors into his classroom, hoping to encourage his students to do the same.
Kaimin Photo Editor Antonio Ibarra joins Kaimin Cast host Austin Amestoy with the story of how one Hispanic American professor is inspiring students to achieve success.
...2021-10-0422 min
The Liam McCollum ShowEp. 36 Movie Review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice w/ Austin Amestoy and Spencer WhitakerShow Notes:
In Defense of Man of Steel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5BA-K9aVKM&t=18s2020-12-291h 08
The Liam McCollum ShowEp. 33 In Defense of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel with Austin AmestoyMy friend Austin Amestoy joins me to defend the highly contentious Man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder.
Show Notes:
• Flight by Hans Zimmer - though I recommend listening to the entire soundtrack on Spotify or Apple: https://youtu.be/LcDsTOx_wdw
• Austin Amestoy's 1917 review: http://www.montanakaimin.com/arts_and_culture/1917-takes-on-the-great-war-makes-it-personal/article_4c636494-3c89-11ea-a4bc-737cdee0583a.html2020-10-251h 10