Idaho Matters

(Chadd Cripe / Idaho Statesman) As the official first day of fall is just two weeks away, perhaps you’re thinking about getting one last camping trip in this year. But if you haven’t made plans yet, you might find it difficult to secure your camping spot online. We talk with reporter Nicole Blanchard of the Idaho Statesman about what folks can do to reserve a spot in the wilds of Idaho this fall a...

(Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio) Technology surrounds us everyday, and the demand for software engineers continues to grow. But women are significantly under-represented in STEM fields; according to a 2014 NPR report , less than 20% of the professionals in computer science were women. That's why the Boise Discovery Center has opened up a free coding camp for girls to learn the skill at...

(via YouTube) Dust devils — those updrafts of rotating air you see in parking lots or in the desert — have been studied by scientists since the mid-19th century. But this science has seen a resurgence since the 1970’s when we started sending spacecraft to mars, where dust devils have been found in abundance. We talk with a Boise State University professor who hopes to learn more about the devils o...

(Elizabeth Sánchez / Flickr Creative Commons)   Ammon Bundy buys a gun , there's a new —  but familiar — name in the Boise Mayoral race, a new voter ballot initiative kicks off, plus delicious fruits from Canyon County...those are just some of the topics on the reporter roundtable today on Idaho Matters.     Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio ) For the last three years , 208 Comedy Fest has brought a diverse array of nationally renowned comics to elevate the quality of comedy in the Treasure Valley. Thursday-Sunday, more than 60 comics will perform at six venues across downtown Boise. Co-founder Dylan Hass and Emma Arnold tell us what makes the festival unique in a small — but growing — comedy s...

(SalFalko / Flickr Creative Commons) The Idaho Press Club has filed a lawsuit against Ada County, saying officials repeatedly violated the state's public record act in response to four separate public records requests from journalists.   The lawsuit asks a judge to order the county to release the public records, claiming county officials over-redacted some documents and wrongly denied access to ot...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio) Last week, the federal government rejected a request from Idaho lawmakers for a Medicaid expansion waiver. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the state’s application was rejected because it couldn't prove that it wouldn’t add to the federal deficit.    The waiver in question would provide an option for low income Idahoans...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio )   Before there were history books documenting our past, there were stories told around a campfire. In Boise, the Campfire Theatre Festival is taking this idea and applying it to playwriting. We talk with organizers of the three-day event, which takes place this Friday-Sunday. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Patrick Sweeney / Boise State University) The Snake River Valley in Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon is home to a growing number of wineries . Known as the Snake River AVA, some of the best known vineyards are located right here in the Treasure Valley. But while sipping your favorite glass of red or white from Idaho, have you ever thought about the soil that's helped create this up-and-coming win...

Idaho Statehouse (Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio)   Warning: This story talks explicitly about female anatomy and traumatizing procedures.   You may not have heard about it, but last year a district court judge ruled that a federal law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) was unconstitutional. He said it’s up to the states to make laws about this cultural practice. And many of them...

(Rick Bowmer / AP Images)   Getting hatchery Snake River sockeye salmon from Idaho to the Pacific Ocean and back again is no easy task . A new hatchery that costs $14 million opened in 2013 to add another million fish each year going out of the Gem State. The first fish from the hatchery started coming back to the Sawtooth Valley this year. As of last week, only 15 sockeye had come home. We talk w...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact Idaho) When it comes to human physiology, performing invasive heart procedures is inherently risky. Now, there’s a medical device that allows doctors to use a minimally invasive technique to treat abnormal heart rhythms. How is it done? With two robotically controlled magnets. We talk with a doctor at Saint Alphonsus Heart Institute in Boise who uses this tech...

(Brynn Anderson / AP Images) A new HBO documentary titled "Fostered" takes a critical look into the child welfare system in our country. T he Los Angeles times calls the documentary disturbingly accurate in explaining the problems of child welfare agencies. So what are the solutions for the almost 2,000 children currently in the foster care system in Idaho? We learn more from folks with the Family...

(via Idaho Preferred Facebook ) Since 2002, Idaho Preferred has been helping people find and use local food and agriculture products. The state department of agriculture program promotes vegetables, fruits, beer, meats, spirits and nursery plants grown in Idaho. As the fall harvest season is upon us, learn more about the growth of the program. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX9...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio) Last week, the federal government rejected a request from the state of Idaho to allow folks who are eligible for Medicaid expansion to instead stay on the state's health insurance exchange. The effort to get the waiver approved was led by Republican lawmakers. We talk with advocates for Medicaid expansion, including a Democratic lawmaker, who say the feds...

(Desert Research Institute) Prescribed fires  have been used for centuries to help control the landscape. But the practice fell out of favor in the early 20th century. While attitudes are changing, the West still sees fire as a destructive process. A look at prescribed fires on  Idaho Matters . Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(City of Toronto / CC by 2.0) The  news desert  is growing. The Mountain West is home to two dozen counties without a single local newspaper. Now, one Colorado city is scoping out a new way to fund local coverage ... possibly through the public library. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

Join us for your weekly dose of all-things-Idaho news! From mayors to Medicaid Expansion, the roundtable will cover it all. Guests are  Don Day  with  BoiseDev.com ,  Kevin Richert  with  Idaho Ed News  and  James Dawson  with  Boise State Public Radio . Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters. 

(Idaho Transporation Department) In the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there is a spike in traffic fatalities across the country. This is known as the "100 Deadliest Days" of driving. We talk with highway officials about what to know before going on the road this weekend. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Images)   Last Friday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals announced their decision in the case of Adree Edmo, a transgender inmate who sued the state of Idaho for sex reassignment surgery. Edmo won. Now, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.   We catch up with the latest episode of our investigative podcast LOCKED . Subscribe and listen wherever y...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio)   SheNetworksBoise is all about women supporting women. The new monthly events have created a space for women entrepreneurs to connect, share knowledge and build their business. Event co-hosts Heather Caldera and Dulce Toscano join us in studio.  Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters.

(Tess Goodwin / Boise State Public Radio)   Idaho’s only Children’s Hospital is just days away from opening its doors to a new one of a kind medical building that’s aimed at changing how children view going to the doctor. The Idaho Elks Children’s Pavilion will officially opens its doors to patients September 3 in dowtown Boise. Note: St. Luke's is a financial sponsor of Idaho Matters.   Have a qu...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio)     Is the U.S. Supreme Court a “law court” or a “political court?” What are the limits of congressional investigatory power? When can the president rebuke congressional subpoenas? Constitutional law expert David Adler with the Alturas Institute helps us undersand the answer to these questions. Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  usin...

(Ethan Webber / Boise State Public Radio) In the summer of 2017, a 15-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic drowned in Boise’s Quinn’s Pond, a recreational swimming hole. Then last week , a 21-year-old Congolese refugee also drowned there. So what’s being done to prevent these tragedies? We talk with Danny Abedi, a refugee who helped start a refugee swimming program with the International...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) Bob Hall was just released from Idaho state prison. He spent 20 years behind bars, and in two decades — a lot has changed. Boise State Public Radio's George Prentice profiled Hall, who is learning how to navigate life after prison through a new Idaho Department of Correction program.  Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMa...