Idaho Matters

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   We’re back again this week with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. Five days into Phase 1 of the reopening ,  Idaho Matters  is here to help get your questions answered. Joining  Idaho Matters  this week to share their expertise are: Dr. David Pate, part of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Force, and former CEO of St. Lu...

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman) Idaho is five days into the state's phased re-opening . More retail businesses are opening up, and houses of worship are allowed to open. But some business owners are choosing to violate the state's plan by reopening early. Speaking on Idaho Matters Wednesday, Gov. Brad Little (R) says these violations are "incredibly disrespectful" to the majority of businesses th...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)   The first round of the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, was a flop for many business owners. The program is part of the CARES Act, and was supposed to help small businesses prevent laying off their employees. Now, the state of Idaho is taking matters into its own hands, using $300 million of federal money to support Idaho’s small businesses. Joining...

(Never Trump / via Robert Saldin)   A soon to be released book titled “Never Trump," is based on extensive interviews with conservative opponents of the current president.  The book provides a window into the motivations of conservative professionals and a guide to the long term consequences of these partisans unprecedented revolt, and what it holds for both the republican and democratic parties,...

(Carolyn Kaster / AP Images)   With Idaho restaurants closed for dine-in guests at least until mid-May , delivery drivers are critical to keeping the industry afloat. So how have restaurants adapted to their new reality?  Joining Idaho Matters live today is Mark Carnahan, a delivery driver with Uber Eats, and Don Day with BoiseDev who has been following Treasure Valley restaurants with an updated...

(John Lillis / Flickr Creative Commons)   The coronavirus is keeping many folks at home these days, limiting non-essential travel. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still explore Idaho...from your living room.  Chad Case is a Boise native and professional photographer. He and his friend Jonathan Conti are the producers behind the YouTube channel “ The Adventures of Jon and Chad ,” where they explore...

(Heath Druzin / Boise State Public Radio)   Americans across the country are grappling with limited movements and a lot more time at home. For many refugees, this is familiar territory. Boise State Public Radio reporter Heath Druzin joins Idaho Matters to talk about how their insights can be valuable to coping with life under lockdown.   As COVID-19 cases spread through the U.S. and Idaho, we’re c...

(Boise Bicycle Project / Facebook)   Idaho Gives is normally a one-day event to raise money and awareness for non-profits in the Gem State. Due to the increased need to support the non-profit sector, the online giving period for this event went from one day to two weeks. Donations are being collected until May 7. And some folks are finding unique ways to give. For example, a group of Idaho executi...

(James Mann / Flickr Creative Commons)   The coronavirus pandemic is exposing a lot of issues in our society. One of those? Food insecurity. But at the same time that our world seems to be facing the worst of problems, communities are coming together to tackle these together.  The Idaho Botanical Garden staff are using their knowledge of horticulture to share how to grow your own food. Tomorrow, t...

Wolves howl in a forest. (John Flesher / AP Images)   Stay-at-home orders mean spending a lot of time away from your friends and family and it can be difficult bridging the distance. An attempt to keep the connection going has created some new traditions across the global. Our region has its own take: Howling.   The  Mountain West News Bureau’s  Maggie Mullen joins  Idaho Matters  to explain.    A...

(Rick Bowmer / AP Images) The Friday Reporter Roundtable is back with all the information you might have missed from the week's news. They cover grocery store earnings, plans to begin reopening the state, a lawsuit from the state superintendent, the uncertainty felt by higher education during COVID-19 and disruptions in the food supply chain in the Mountain West. Our panel of reporters this week i...

(Paul Sableman / Flickr Creative Commons)   A new collaboration between the City of Boise's Arts & History Department, the Morrison Center and Treefort Music Fest will give $1,000 to local artists working on projects related to their experience of COVID-19. The goal? To get money direclty into artist's hands with donations from the community, and to make sure this historic time is highlighted...

(Luca Bruno / AP Images)   As Idaho prepares to start it’s four-part reopening process, there are many unknowns. “Phase 1” starts tomorrow, bringing with it the opportunity for places of worship to reopen, following social distancing and health guidelines. But restaurants, bars, gyms, salons and other places where people gather will remain closed until later phases. That’s made some of our listene...

( Tiffany Victoria) Fear about the coronavirus led to shortages of toilet paper, bottled water and other essential items. And from the beginning of this crisis, one of the most  essential things couldn’t be found anywhere was baby formula.  For parents unable or unwilling to breastfeed for whatever reason, formula is the only way for their baby to get those nutrients. So parents turned to Facebook...

(Patrick Thibodeau / Flickr Creative Commons)   There's no question we're living through historic times. And to record it, the Idaho State Historical Society has opened up an online portal for Idahoans across the state to share their stories of this time.  Rather than work retroactively as historians often have to do — gathering narratives after the fact — the Historical Society hopes they’ll get...

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman)   We’re back again this week with our panel of Idaho doctors to answer more of your COVID-19 questions. As the state prepares to begin reopening on Friday,  Idaho Matters  is here to help get your questions answered.  Joining  Idaho Matters  this week to share their expertise are: Dr. David Pate, part of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Force, and former CEO of St....

(St. Luke's Health System )   The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted how we grieve and heal. Families are forced to stay apart to stay healthy and it is in this space where hospital chaplains have become intermediaries, providing messages of love, support and compassion during a time of physical distancing. Joining Idaho Matters live today to talk more about this are St. Luke Health System chaplai...

(Ben Olson / The Sandpoint Reader) As the global economic downturn caused by the coronavirus continues to ripple out across countries and industries, one industry that was already struggling has found itself on unsteady — but familiar — footing: local news.   In Idaho, newspapers like the Idaho Press and the Twin Falls Times-News, with corporate publishers based out of state, have been affected by...

(Matt Guilhem / Boise State Public Radio) Students across Idaho are now doing school at home. But many are having to balance school work with their agricultural jobs to make money for their families .  Joining Idaho Matters to talk more about how the coronarivus school closures has meant more teens are working essential agriculture jobs, are Nicole Foy with the Idaho Statesman, and Sami Edge with...

(Idaho STEM Action Center) The Idaho STEM Action Center helps give Idahoans the training they need to enter science, technology, engenierring or math-related fields. The coronavirus pandemic has disturbed their normal operations, but has also given way to new initiatives, including STEM at Home , Idaho Codes , and #IdahoMakersUnite  creating 3D printed face masks for hospitals.  Dr. Angela Hemingw...

(REMI MCMANUS) We’re excited to share the most recent episode of our podcast  Wanna Know Idaho . The podcast explores the curious elements of life in Idaho… with you, our listeners! This month, we answer the question, “How can I help out right now?” Podcast producer Molly Wampler and question-asker Michael Kramer-Duffield asked an expert how to find an organization that matches your skills or expe...

(FlickingerBrad / Flickr Creative Commons)   As families continue to stay home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many parents have had to take on a new role: that of educator. In normal circumstances that is a big lift. Add a global pandemic to the ask, and it can be overwhelming.  However, the Idaho Education Association, which is the state’s largest professional employee organizati...

(Ada County Medical Society via Youtube)   The Ada County Medical Society runs the Physician Vitality Program, a way for doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners in Ada County to get access to mental health care. Now, in response to COVID-19, they are expanding their services to less-resourced parts of Idaho.  Ada County Medical Society Director Steven Reames joins Idaho Matter s to...

( Payette Land Trust)   A 100-acre ranch along the South Fork of the Salmon River is now under a conservation easement with the Payette Land Trust, ensuring the land won’t be used for future mining development.  The people who made this happen are members of the Hansberger family, who have owned the South Fork Ranch since the 1970s. Craig Utter with the Payette Land Trust worked with the family to...

(Frankie Barnhill / Boise State Public Radio)   When the coronavirus began to spread in Idaho in March, folks who could retreated to their homes. But even with the governor’s stay-at-home order, getting outside for walks is something elected officials and health experts encourage folks to do. That inspired Boise artist Wendy Blickenstaff. She lives in the city’s historic Northend, where walking an...