Idaho Matters

(Jessica Hill / AP Images)   As of Tuesday morning, the state reports 10,762 people have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho. With a population of more than 1.8 million people the state is a long way from reaching herd immunity against the virus. Even when folks are able to get the vaccine, will they choose to? According to a new report , that answer may change depending on whethe...

(Diana Lachiondo, Facebook) Former Ada County Commissioner Diana Lachiondo lost her bid for re-election this fall, after taking controversial positions in her role on the Central District Health Board. Her critics said she was overreacting in her support for COVID-19 restrictions, while her supporters say she has become a victim of a hyper-partisan election where public health had become politiciz...

(National Park Service)   Humans are not the only mammals that get relief from hot temperatures with a cooling swim. According to a new study , female grizzlies seek out pools of water in warmer temperatures, especially lactating mother bears. As climate change creates longer periods of heat in the Mountain West, what can this research tell us about grizzly’s adaptability?   Ryan Long is an Associ...

  Young activists and leaders are taking center stage at this year’s women’s march i n Idaho. Unlike in previous years, the Jan. 23 event will be virtual due to COVID-19. Since the women’s march started in 2017, there have been events all across the country — many organized by teenagers and young adults. 2021 event organizers Petra Hoffman, Fatuma Mnongerwa and Kaya Evans join Idaho Matters to tel...

(DARIN OSWALD / Idaho Statesman) It was another packed week in Idaho news. The legislature began their 2021 session after Gov. Brad Little's Monday State of the State Address. At the same time, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues but at a slower pace than was projected while members of the Idaho National Guard are on their way to D.C to protect the capital ahead of the inauguration.  We talk ab...

(Seth Wenig / AP Photo)   We are now ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic here in Idaho, and we are still seeing more cases and deaths. In fact, the U.S. saw the most deaths in one day due to this virus just this week. The good news? Vaccines are being distributed across the country, and more people in Idaho are able to receive them after a policy update by the state . The number of Idahoans who...

(J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)   The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday for a historic second impeachment of President Trump, approving a single article of "inciting violence against the government of the United States.” So what are the political and legal implications of this? It’s fair to state that this impeachment took place with extraordinary speed and it’s testing the boundaries...

(Rick Bowmer / AP Images)   People around the world watched in horror last Wednesday as violent Trump supporters and extremists breached the U.S. Capitol building. But even though these scenes were shocking, right wing extremists aren't new to the U.S., the Mountain West or Idaho. Joining us today to talk about this is Rocky Barker , special correspondent for the Idaho Statesman.   Have a question...

(LM Otero / AP Photo)   Yesterday, one of Idaho’s biggest school districts returned to the virtual classroom after the holiday break. The Boise School District is home to nearly 25,000 students and about 4,500 employees.  Monday night, the school board voted to move to in-person learning on January 19 in a hybrid model. Our Morning Edition host George Prentice spoke with Boise Schools Superintende...

(Patrick Semansky / AP Photo)   Even as vaccinations for COVID-19 are happening, Idaho is still being hit hard by the pandemic. Since March Idaho has had 123,517 confirmed cases of the virus, while the death toll for our state is more than 1,500. That means more than 1,500 hundred families are coping with the loss of a loved one. So to honor those who have died, a statewide memorial is being plann...

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman) It’s going to be a big year for Idaho lawmakers who are beginning the 2021 session today. They face important policy decisions to be made on things like education, infrastructure and taxes. At the same time, the state continues to battle the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over possible unrest surface after Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol last week...

(Ted Warren / AP Photo) Idaho has been awarded a $6 million grant per year for the next three years to help support early learning and school readiness. Joining us today to talk more are Beth Oppenheimer, Executive Director of the Idaho Assocation for the Education of Young Children and the President of the State Board of Education Debbie Critchfield. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet...

(Mark Lennihan / AP Photo) As the U.S. continues to deal with a global pandemic, armed insurrection at the nation's Capitol Building, and an upcoming new presidential administration, there's a lot that could complicate or bolster Wall Street. So what does the economic outlook for 2021 look like, how should investors plan? Joining us today to give some insight is Jason Norris with the financial man...

(Ballet Idaho / via Facebook)   The pandemic has dramatically impacted arts organization across the globe, forcing some to close their doors for good. Others have been able to pivot performances online and resume at least some operations for their artists and fans. Here in Boise, many arts organizations are in the middle of performance seasons. Joining us to talk about how they're going about thei...

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Today on the weekly  Idaho Matters  Reporter Roundtable, our panel discusses the week's news in both the nation's capital and here in Idaho. Today's discussion includes the riots in Washington D.C. and what might be next as statehouses convene across the country, Idaho's upcoming legislative session, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and more. Panelists today:  Kevin Richert, I...

(John Minchillo / AP Photo) President Trump incited a violent mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after months of refusing to acknowledge he lost his bid for a second term. While Congress was in session to certify the fair election of Joe Biden to the presidency, rioters forced them to stop their work.  Idaho’s four members of Congress were among those who were evacuated as elected off...

(Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP Photo)   Wednesday, a Trump supporter carried a Confederate flag — a symbol of hate and the Confederacy — through the halls of the U.S. Capitol during a violent insurrection. The stark visual came after President Trump incited right wing extremists to storm the building, breaking windows and doors, fighting with Capitol Police in order to force their way in. It was a sad...

(Jacquelyn Martin / AP Photo) After a mob of extremists took over and ransacked the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesay, Democrats in Congress are calling for President Trump to be removed from office. But with less than two weeks left in his term, what legal mechanisms can be used and how likely is his removal? University of Idaho law professor Shaakirrah Sanders tells Idaho Matters how and when the 2...

(Ada Soil and Water Conservation District)   Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, are on the decline in the Treasure Valley. But a new project this spring is designed to bring those insects, and some beautiful flowers, into hundreds of backyards. The Treasure Valley pollinator project will put 64,000 plants into the hands of people who live in the region. And not just any plants: the 32 varieti...

(Paul Sancya / AP Photo) It's 2021, but we are far from through the pandemic. As Idaho works to vaccinate people as quickly and safely as possible, Idaho Matters talks with three doctors leading the fight against COVID-19.  Our physician guests today:  Dr. Chip Roser, Medical Director at with Saint Alphonsus Health System Dr. Bart Hill, Chief Quality Officer of St. Luke's Health System  Dr. David...

(Carolyn Kaster) / AP Photo)   The U.S. might soon have its first Indigenous person to serve in a presidential administration. The nomination of Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico) as President-elect Joe Biden's Director of Interior may be more than symbolic. According to reporting from the Mountain West News Bureau's Savannah Maher, it signals a potential shift in the relationship between tribes and...

(Evan Vucci / AP Photo)   The phone call President Trump held Saturday with Georgia’s Secretary of State is raising lots of questions about whether or not he violated laws that prohibit interference in federal or state elections. Joining us today to talk more in depth about this is University of Idaho law professor Shaakirah Sanders.   Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  usin...

(screenshot / Idaho Public Television)   Last month, Idaho Public Television debuted perhaps its most ambitious episode of Outdoor Idaho ever. In it producers trek alongside a dozen different mountain climbers, some still in elementary school, who have taken on the challene of scaling a mountain of a least 12,000 feet. There are 123 mountain peaks in Idaho that are more than 11,000 feet. Just nine...

  So far in Idaho, the new COVID-19 vaccine has gone to two priority groups: frontline health care workers and long-term care facility residents and staff. Senior homes are using pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS to administer the doses.  But if you are not a member of one of these groups, you’re likely wondering when you'll be able to get the highly anticipated vaccine.   The state released it's...

(Peter Lovera / Treefort Music Fest)   Embedded in the more than 5,000 page new COVID-19 relief bill is a provision to help support the flailing arts industry. The pandemic forced the temporary of stages in March across Idaho, putting venues, promoters and arts organizations in the most challenging financial position they’ve ever faced.  Now, 10 months into the health crisis, folks in the arts ind...