Idaho Matters

(Boise Parks & Recreation / via Facebook)   During a normal 4th of July in Boise, thousands of people flock to city parks like Ann Morrison to have a picnic, enjoy the day and watch fireworks.    But this year has been anything but normal.  The coronavirus pandemic has shut down many 4th of July events, but Boise Parks and Recreation will be open for people to recreate responsibly during COVID...

(The Latino Card)   Journalism, broadcasting and podcasting in Idaho has a big problem. The overwhelming majority of reporters, hosts and producers speak from one perspective: whiteness.  Our guests today are doing their part to fix this problem. “ The Latino Card ” is an award-winning podcast hosted by Rebecca De Leon and J.J. Saldaña. They join Idaho Matters along with their producer, Ashley Mil...

(Idaho Statesman collection, Boise State University Library Special Collections.)   Have you heard of “the Boise 7?”   In honor of Pride month, Idaho Matters  takes a look back at some forgotten (or unknown) parts of LGBTQ history in Idaho.  The Idaho State Historic Preservation Office recently compiled some of these stories of representation on their Facebook page.   Historian Alan Virta research...

(Original art by Deirdre Barrett)   Your eyes close, and you’re asleep. Suddenly you’re out in public without a mask on. Or, you’re wearing a mask, but no one around you is and they’re getting way too close to you.    These are a couple of common dreams that Harvard Medical School Psychology professor Deirdre Barrett says many people experienced in the first phase of coronavirus anxiety.   Barrett...

(Father Bruno Segatta via Facebook)   Note: the following text and audio contains discussions of sexual assault.   It’s been nearly three decades since Lisa Howser first came forward with allegations of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest at Gonzaga University in Spokane.  Howser, who now lives in the Midwest, says a well-known priest who ran the school’s abroad program in Florence, Italy assaulted...

  Note: the following story contains a mention of self-harm. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by the State of Idaho, the latest turn in a potentially precedent-setting case that could change the medical treatment some transgender inmates receive. Now the plaintiff, named Adree Edmo, is set to undergo gender confirmation surgery in July. if that happens, she’ll make history.  Boise S...

(Story Story Night/Facebook)   Story Story Late Night — the adults-only version of Boise's storytelling arts organization — kicks off its summer season tomorrow.    This latest theme will take you back to the good ol’ days of the old school B-movies.  Joining Idaho Matters live to talk more about this summer's events is Jodi Eichelberger, artistic director of Story Story Night.  As COVID-19 cases...

(Eric Gay / AP Images) Between a lawsuit to give a ballot initiative another chance, response to the homophobic vandalism found at the College of Idaho, and Ada County returning to  Stage 3  of Idaho's reopening plan (while Gov. Brad Little announced the state will remain in Stage 4) there's a lot to cover on this week's Reporter Roundtable.  Betsy Russell  and  Erin Bamer  of The Idaho Press join...

(Lauren McLean / via Facebook)   In the wake of the Central District Health Department's order to  pull Ada County back to Stage 3 restrictions  due to a recent eruption of COVID-19 cases, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean issued a  separate public health order  for the City of Boise, intended to remain in effect for at least 30 days. Our Morning Edition host George Prentice talked with Mayor McLean about...

(Idaho Statesman)   Idaho Matters  is back again this week with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. This week, you asked them about the new Ada County spike and the Central District Health Department's decision to close bars and what this means for hospitals dealing with the increase in cases.   Joining  Idaho Matters  this week are:  Dr. David Pate, a member of t...

(Rebecca Boone / AP Images)   Advocates of an initiative to increase education funding in the state are having their day in court this afternoon. The group, called Reclaim Idaho, is responsible for the successful push to expand Medicaid in 2018. But when they turned their attention to education funding, they had no idea that a disease called COVID-19 would be a thing in 2020.  This spring, they en...

(Madelyn Beck / Boise State Public Radio)   As the movement for racial justice presses on in Idaho and across the country, we’re hearing from people of color in the Mountain West who feel like this moment is long overdue.  Leta Harris Neustaeder from Boise says it's great to see white people come out as allies in the fight for inclusion and justice, but allyship is more than just a social media po...

(Molly Wampler / Boise State Public Radio)   In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers nearly one month ago, the conversation about race changed rapidly in the U.S. Calls for white people to educate themselves about systemic racism and how they benefit from it were brought to the forefront. And many white people who hadn’t engaged before seemed to listen. Anti-racist...

(Boise City Arts & History Department)   For more than 20 years, the City of Boise’s Arts and History Department has offered grants to individuals and organizations big and small to fund projects that benefit the people who live in the city. Boise has expanded this program to grant $150,000 annually. But this year, because of the pandemic, they’re hosting two rounds of funding instead of one....

( U.S. Supreme Court)   Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court made two historic decisions: First, they ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. Then, the court blocked the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle an Obama-era program that has protected 700,000 “DREAMers” from deportation. So, what do these rulings mean and h...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   Over the weekend, folks gathered at the Idaho Statehouse steps to hold a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. But this protest had a very specific angle: health care and its connection to systemic racismc .  Boise State Public Radio news reporter Heath Druzin was there, and joins Idaho Matters live to tell us what organizers want to see change when it...

(Conor Mullen)   Protests against racism and police brutality are not new to the U.S. or to our region. However, large, sustained turnout, especially in small, mostly-white towns, is something we’ve not seen before. For many of those protestors, it’s been their first time demonstrating—ever. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Maggie Mullen spoke to some of these first-timers in Laramie, WY. You can f...

(Tony Dejak / AP Images)   Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Idaho Foodbank has ramped up their efforts to fight food insecurity. The organization says their partners across the state have reported a 10-50% increase in food demand.  The Farmers to Families Food Box Program is part of the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The goal is to get food from farmers and rancher...

(DARIN OSWALD / Idaho Statesman)   The Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable has another weekly breakdown of the news you might have missed from around the state this past week.  Besides updates on COVID-19, we'll cover Juneteenth, regional protests in support of racial justice, planning for the new library in Boise, and more.  Joining the show today to break all this down: Boise State Public Radio's...

(Phillip Thompson)   Today is the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the freedom of the last slaves in the nation, as news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to slaves in Texas two years after President Lincoln’s speech. This year, as calls for racial justice and an end to systemic racism ring across the country, the day has special significance to one Ida...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio)   On Saturday in Boise, a group of health care workers are planning to gather at the capitol steps for a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Speakers are set to address the connection between systemic racism and medical care in the United States.  One of the speakers at the podium will be Boise native Devin Gaskins, a medical student at the U...

(Katherine Jones / Idaho Statesman)   Idaho Matters  is back with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. This week, they answer questions about the clusters of cases that popped up in the last week, the importance of mask-wearing and what we should expect this fall. Joining  Idaho Matters  this week are:  Dr. David Pate, a member of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Fo...

(Idaho Office for Refugees / Idaho Office for Refugees)   This Saturday, June 20 is the 20th celebration of World Refugee Day, but because of the coronavirus, the Idaho Office for Refugees is opting for a virtual celebration to keep everyone safe.  The day, which has been hosted on The Grove in downtown Boise for the last decade, usually involves a celebration of cultural dance, art and food. But...

(Damian Dovarganes / AP Images)   As protests and media attention continue three weeks after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, community organizers are working to maintain the momentum towards racial justice this moment has created. But at the same time that the conversation of racial justice is being pushed to the forefront, many organizers are taking care to recognize...

(Armando Franca / AP Images)   The recent police killings of Black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others have sparked a movement unlike any in recent memory, as calls to defund the police and dismantle white supremacy have moved into the mainstream.  For three weeks, thousands of people have poured into streets across the country in support of Black Lives Matter, an organiz...