Idaho Matters

(Mary Altaffer / AP Images) On Monday, people 65 and older could start getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho. But the supply is limited by the amount of doses sent to Idaho and distributed to health systems. The demand for vaccine appointments was so high Monday that St. Luke's Health System reported their slots were snapped up that morning, and Saint Alphonsus Health System had to cancel previous...

(Roam Yocham / Boise State Public Radio)   Idaho State Rep. Chad Christensen (R-Iona) has dropped an attempt to rally support for impeaching Gov. Brad Little. According to the Idaho Press , that’s after just a week of trying to garner support for the effort. The call for impeachment follows a larger pattern of the Republican state legislature at odds with the Republican governor over issues relate...

(Frankie Barnhill / Boise State Public Radio)   We Are Idaho is an ongoing series of stories from Boise State Public Radio featuring Idahoans from all walks of life telling their own stories, in their own words. In this episode, Jesse Levin tells us what it’s like to be a Black woman navigating Idaho’s outdoor recreation space — a space that isn’t always welcoming to people of color.  Levin helped...

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman)   A week ago, Idaho's journalism community was shaken when the editor at the Idaho Statesman, Christina Lords, was fired by corporate owners McClatchy after advocating for one of her employees. This firing made national headlines, and the backlash against McClatchy was strong after the paper's union advocated for Lords to be rehired. The company offered her job bac...

(IDAHO STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY) Idaho Matters shares a two-part series from Boise State Public Radio reporter James Dawson, tracing the long history of its continued enforcement of a law deemed unconstitutional nearly 20 years ago. The State of Idaho is facing a lawsuit over its continued enforcement of these so-called “crimes against nature” laws. The law in question has deep roots here, and acr...

(Sarah Blake Morgan / AP Images) When COVID-19 first closed behavioral health clinics, therapy moved online right away. Now 11 months into the pandemic, Idaho Matters talks with one behavioral health company about what they've learned so far and what may forever change when it comes to mental health care.  Our guests: Georganne Benjamin, Executive Director of Optum Idaho and Susan Marinelli, Clini...

(Katherine Jones / Idaho Statesman)   The COVID-19 pandemic has required so much for so many of us. It’s fair to say the ongoing stress, fear, grief and uncertainty created by the pandemic can wear anyone down. This time in our history has been especially tough on children and teenagers. That's why Idaho teen Girl Scout leaders are hosting a virtual event for young people to talk through their exp...

(Office of the Governor) There's a lot to get into this week on the Idaho Matters Friday Reporter Roundtable. This week's topics: Idaho's low-performing vaccine rollout, a Republican lawmaker falsely claimed  "the pandemic is over"  and pushes for lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, why board members of one Idaho health district were offered early vaccines , and the  largest layoff  in Idaho since 2...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)   In the wake of the insurrection on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol and a series of contentious public meetings and protests over public health in Idaho , it might seem there is no common ground between Republicans and Democrats. However, some former Idaho elected officials believe differently. That’s why they’ve partnered with the Boise Metro Chamber to ho...

(Audrey Regan) On Dec. 8, stickers with swastikas and the message “WE ARE EVERYWHERE” were found plastered over Boise’s Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial . This was the second time Nazi imagery damaged the only Anne Frank memorial in the nation. (Audrey Regan) “We have to each of us examine ourselves in this moment. Who am I and what am I doing to be the values that we want the community to have?”...

(DARIN OSWALD / Idaho Statesman)   Central District Health Director Russ Duke is probably one of the busiest people in Idaho’s public health sector. As leader of that district, he helps administer policy and practices for Idaho’s most populous health district, covering Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley Counties.  Boise State Public Radio Morning Edition host George Prentice spoke with Duke earlier thi...

(Mary Altaffer / AP Photo)   Monday Feb. 1, Idaho will open the COVID-19 vaccine to people 65 and older. The state warns that the group — which includes 269,000 Idahoans while the state is receiving just 21,000 doses of the vaccine each week — will take time to vaccinate.  At the same time, new cases of coronavirus and accompanying hospitalizations are on a fairly sustained decline. Idaho Matter s...

(Mary Altaffer / AP Photo)   “Burnout” is a feeling many Idahoans can relate to these days. From the political upheaval in the country, and the anxiety that comes with trying to get through the COVID-19 pandemic to the economic instability in the face of those two crises, there’s a lot to feel exhausted by.  Writer Anne Helen Petersen knows a lot about exhaustion. Her recent book “Can’t Even: How...

(Rick Bowmer / AP Photo)   We are less than a week into the new Biden Administration, but already there are significant changes in the country’s direction. This may be most true when it comes to environmental policy. So what does this mean for western states, including Idaho? Since being sworn in, President Joe Biden has hit pause on more than 100 policies under the previous administration. The po...

(Chris Pizzello / AP Photo)   It’s a long winter, made longer by the continued COVID-19 pandemic. We could all use an escape right now.  Thankfully, Hollywood is still serving some good options to enjoy safely from home. Boise State Public Radio’s resident film and TV critic (and Morning Edition host) George Prentice shared his picks of what to watch now with Idaho Matters .   Have a question or c...

(Flickr Creative Commons) The Mountain West News Bureau is reporting on a sobering fact: our region has the highest rate of fatal encounters with police in the U.S. Today, Idaho Matters shared two of the stories filed in this new five-part series on this issue, called "Elevated Risk."  We heard from reporter Nate Hegyi about how the Mountain West's gun culture and high rate of mental health issues...

(Boise Philharmonic)   As football fans gear up for the Super Bowl, the Boise Philharmonic wants to know what composer or performer should be crowned the champion of their digital stage. Boise Phil Music Director Eric Garcia spoke with Idaho Matters about this new challenge, along with violinist Lauren Folkner.   Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters  

(Christina Murray)   During the last year, many of us started cooking more meals at home than we’d likely done before. But according to our guests today, some low-income families need new skills and information to cook healthy meals on a budget. A new program from the Idaho State Department of Education aims to fill that knowledge gap. Idaho Matters spoke with Jill Mathews from the state departmen...

(Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park / via Facebook)   Juan Martinez grew up in South Central L.A. in the early 1990s. He was struggling to find his way, until he traded school detention for a pack of jalapeño seeds. That new course led him to the stars of the wide open skies in the Mountain West. Let’s listen to his story — as told by HumaNature — a podcast from Wyoming Public Media.   Have a question...

Idaho Statehouse Dome (Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio) During a Friday news conference called earlier that morning, Gov. Brad Little sharply criticized fellow Republicans in the legislature pushing to limit emergency declarations to 30 days. Earlier in the week, state lawmakers in the House approved a bill that would allow the legislature to call itself back into session without the go...

(DAVID STAATS / Idaho Statesman)   Interfaith Sanctuary — a nonprofit homeless shelter for people experiencing homelessness in downtown Boise — is looking to expand its programs with a new facility west of downtown. Its current location opened in 2008 and can host 140 single men and women overnight. The proposed new facility would be able to host up to 250 people each night, and would allow the sh...

(Idaho Statesman ) Lake Coeur d’Alene is one of the most beautiful natural lakes in the northwest. The North Idaho body of water is home to flora and fauna and is an important place in the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s culture. It’s also home to many vacation homes and folks from around the world visit the lake each year to enjoy it’s recreational opportunities.  But below the surface, there’s an environm...

(AP Images / Steve Conner)   Boise State University has a new athletic director and a new head football coach. And across the parking lot from the football stadium, the men’s basketball team is in the midst of what could be the most successful season in school history — while the women Broncos continue their winning record.   B.J. Rains is the Boise State beat writer for the Idaho Press and Blue T...

(Bogus Basin / via Facebook)   The pandemic has changed so much when it comes to indoor hobbies. But as the virus has driven more folks outdoors, it’s opened up an opportunity for winter sports some people may have never tried before. Of course, skiing and snowboarding only works when the climate cooperates. So how are Idaho ski hills doing so far this winter and what does their snow picture mean...

(GEORGE CALIN / AP Images)   Tuesday, the U.S. marked 400,000 deaths from the coronavirus exactly one year to the day since the first case was diagnosed in our country. More than 1,600 of those deaths have happened in Idaho. The good news: almost 11,000 Idahoans have received their COVID-19 vaccination. Idaho Matters posed your questions to two physicians working to combat the pandemic: Dr. Andrew...