Headlines

Explore a chronological display of Cowboy State Daily’s articles.

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday, July 18, 2025

Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Jake NicholsJuly 18, 2025

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) speaks in front of poster of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on

House Votes To Defund Public Media, Gouging NPR and PBS

By a 216 - 213 vote, the U.S. House on Thursday approved a Trump administration plan to rescind two years' budget from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman voted for the measure, which also impacts PBS and NPR.

Jimmy OrrJuly 18, 2025

Guest Column: When PBS Stopped Listening, America Stopped Watching

Joanna Kail, CEO of Wyoming PBS, writes, "PBS’s unwillingness to confront growing concerns about ideological bias created a perception that it no longer served the public equally. Viewers walked away, unsure if PBS was still for them."

Guest ColumnJuly 18, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Video News: Friday, July 18, 2025

Friday's headlines include: * Kill NPR/PBS Vote Friday * After 33 Years, I-90 Jane Doe Identified * Degenfelder Fights Judge’s School Choice Order

Wendy CorrJuly 18, 2025

More than $9 billion in federal clawbacks — including $1.1 billion in cuts for PBS and NPR — has to hit President Donald Trump’s desk by Friday. It’s part of a rule that requires Congress to act withing 45 days of the president asking for clawbacks.

Friday Or Bust: House Under Legal Deadline For PBS, NPR Cuts

The U.S. House of Representatives has a legal deadline of Friday at 11:59 p.m. to vote on the proposed $1.1 billion in cuts to public television and radio. Wyoming's congressional delegation is firmly in favor of the cuts.

Sean Barry & Clair McFarlandJuly 18, 2025

The Upper Green River, one place where the Upper Colorado River Basin begins.

Wyoming Irrigators Frustrated By Getting Shut Off Earlier In Colorado River Basin

Western Wyoming irrigators are frustrated after being shut off earlier than normal to send Colorado River Basin water downstream. State officials are holding public meetings to keep tabs on Wyoming’s share of the Colorado River.

David MadisonJuly 17, 2025

Casper Drug Mule Pleads Guilty, To Testify Against Others In Meth/Fentanyl Ring

A 49-year-old Casper woman who was trafficking meth, fentanyl and cocaine from Colorado to Wyoming pleaded guilty Thursday in a plea deal with prosecutors. She received eight years in prison, and in return will testify against others in the drug ring.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 17, 2025

Michelino Sunseri is an Idaho ultrarunner who has been prosecuted for deviating from a trail running up Grand Teton. Now Wyoming U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman is getting involved, asking the prosecutor for documents in what she says may be an overzealous prosecution of Sunseri.

Hageman Wants Answers About Prosecution Of Grand Teton Trail Runner

Idaho ultrarunner Michelino Sunseri is awaiting a verdict in a criminal trial for cutting a switchback while running up Grand Teton last fall. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman says she’s investigating a possible overzealous prosecution.

Sean BarryJuly 17, 2025

Wyoming leaders announced Thursday they’re challenging a judge’s order that blocks the state’s new school-choice program. They’re taking their appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court, a move Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder applauds.

Degenfelder Fighting Judge's Block On School Choice Program

Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder announced Thursday the State of Wyoming is challenging a judge’s order that blocks the state’s new school-choice program. “I am grateful for the Attorney General’s swift action,” Degenfelder said.

Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak talks about the new mental health pods at the Laramie County Detention Center, describing how a significant number of inmates have serious mental problems but the jail didn't have an adequate place to hold them.

Laramie County Jail To Open Wyoming’s First In-House Mental Health Sections

Nearly half of the inmates in the Laramie County jail have some sort of mental illness, and about 11% are “extremely” ill. That’s why the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office created Wyoming’s first in-house jail pods specifically for mentally ill inmates.

Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Dallas Dickinson, 20, of Casper is accused of pulling a loaded handgun on a group of teen girls at the skate park next to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming pleaded not guilty in Natrona County District Court on Thursday, July 17, 2025 .

Casper Man, 20, Denies Pulling Loaded Handgun On Girls At Skate Park

A 20-year-old Casper man accused of pulling a loaded handgun on three teen girls at a skate park pleaded not guilty Thursday in Natrona County District Court. He’s accused of racking the weapon and pointing it at the girls “gangster style.”

Dale KillingbeckJuly 17, 2025

A black bear with a taste for human food that was involved in "a series of concerning incidents" in Yellowstone National Park campgrounds had to be killed, park officials say. The last straw was the bear ransacking a tent and tearing down food storage poles.

Park Service Kills "Food-Conditioned" Black Bear In Yellowstone

The National Park Service announced Thursday that a black bear in Yellowstone was killed because it had developed a taste for human food. The last straw was ransacking a tent and tearing down food storage poles.

Andrew RossiJuly 17, 2025

‘I-90’ Jane Doe, Suspected Victim Of Serial Killer, Identified After 33 Years

A young, petite, pregnant woman found dead with beating and strangulation injuries 33 years ago in a borrow ditch 15 miles north of Sheridan has been identified as Cindi Arleen Estrada. She’s one of two alleged Wyoming victims of an accused serial killer.

Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Guest Column: Why Are They So Afraid of Choice?

Rep. Darin McCann writes, "If the WEA believes so strongly in public education, they should welcome the opportunity to prove their model is still the best. But instead, they use legal roadblocks and union muscle to deny families the very freedom they themselves enjoy: the freedom to choose."

Guest ColumnJuly 17, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Thursday, July 17, 2025

Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Jake NicholsJuly 17, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Video News: Thursday, July 17, 2025

Thursday's headlines include: Wyo Sens Vote To Defund Public Media Man Killed In Police Shootout Was From Worland Montana Considers Killing Half Of Its Wolf Population

Wendy CorrJuly 17, 2025

With “aye” votes from Wyoming’s two U.S. senators, a recissions bill scheduled to claw back around $1.1 billion from publicly funded media, which stands to impact outlets like NPR and PBS, cleared a committee Tuesday with a Friday deadline to get to Trump.

Wyoming Senators Say Their Votes To Defund Public Media Due To Left-Wing Bias

In statements and interviews with Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday, Sens. Lummis and Barrasso said their votes for massive cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are warranted because of what they call a left-wing bias of its public media outlets.

Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

Archaeologists use obsidian to determine how far people traveled on ancient trade routes in early Wyoming. Each obsidian flake bears a unique volcanic fingerprint that points to their place of origin. Here, workers excavate a lost outpost in the Laramie Valley.

Wyoming’s Obsidian Trails A Roadmap Of Critical Ancient Trade Routes

Archaeologists use obsidian to determine how far people traveled on ancient trade routes across Wyoming. Each obsidian flake bears a unique volcanic fingerprint that points to its place of origin, which can be hundreds of miles away.

Jackie DorothyJuly 16, 2025

Federal Court Rejects Climate Change-Based Challenge To Wyoming Drilling Permits

A federal court on Tuesday rejected environmental groups’ effort to overturn thousands of oil and gas drilling permits in Wyoming and New Mexico. The court said they couldn’t show how drilling in Wyoming would directly impact polar bears in the Arctic.

David MadisonJuly 16, 2025

Fred Eshelman, the landowner at the center of Wyoming’s famous “corner-crossing” case, has lost every court battle against hunters who crossed at the corner of his property to get to public land. Wednesday, he filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.

Supreme Court Petition Is Final Hail Mary For Wyoming Corner-Crossing Landowner

The landowner at the center of Wyoming’s famous “corner-crossing” case has lost every court battle against hunters who crossed at the corner of his property to get to public land. Wednesday, he filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Guest Column: D.C. Lawfare Meddling In Wyoming’s Election Integrity Movement

Rep. John Bear writes, "When radical left-wing activists from Washington, D.C., backed by millions in dark money and parroting the talking points of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are trying to overturn our common sense law, we know we’re over the target."

Guest ColumnJuly 16, 2025

Man Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting ID'd As 37-Year-Old Worland Resident

The man killed in an officer-involved shooting Monday in Worland was 37-year-old Derek Fyffe, the coroner confirmed Wednesday. He reportedly shot at officers as they approached him near a bridge, who returned fire.

Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

Cybersecurity specialists must figure out the significance of multiple objects and clues in an escape room exercise as part of ICS Cybersecurity Lab Training.

Small Army Of Cybersecurity Warriors Trains To Digitally Defend Energy Industry

As Wyoming aspires to be an energy powerhouse, a new generation of cybersecurity defenders is training in Wyoming and at the Idaho National Lab. As AI booms, so does the need to protect that critical infrastructure from digital threats.

David MadisonJuly 16, 2025

Montana Considers Killing Nearly Half Of Its Wolf Population

Montana is considering setting a wolf kill quota of 500 for the 2025-2026 wolf seasons, nearly half of its wolf population. It would allow hunters and trappers to take as many as 15 wolves each.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Page 48