Idaho Matters

(istock) Gemma Gaudette leads a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week,  Idaho Matters  speaks with Kevin Richert of  Idaho Education News , Don Day of BoiseDev   and Rebecca Boone of the  Associated Press .

(Frankie Barnhill/Boise State Public Radio) Idaho voters passed state Medicaid expansion as a ballot initiative. Republicans in the statehouse have responded by trying to change the terms that would bring voter initiatives to the polls. State representative Mat Erpelding (D-Boise) is calling SB 1159 the " Revenge on the Voters Act " and he joins Friday's  Idaho Matters  to explain why he feels thi...

(MATTHEW GRAY PALMER) The Surel Mitchell Live-Work-Create District begins the 2019 series of  First Fridays  next week. We talk with  Surel's Place  artist in residence, Matthew Gray Palmer, and Jodi Eichelberger, program coordinator with Surel's Place.

(Idaho Power) Idaho Power announced a pledge Tuesday to provide customers 100 percent clean energy by the year 2045. The company that serves over half-a-million customers calls the effort “ Clean Today, Cleaner Tomorrow .” Nearly 50 percent of the electricity the company currently generates comes from  hydro power . About a fifth comes from coal. Adam Richins, Idaho Power's Vice President of Custo...

(CREDIT KYLE GREEN / IDAHO STATESMAN) The Boise Airport announced plans for a dramatic expansion program on Wednesday. Idaho Matters discusses new parking garages, new rental car lots and a new concourse with Rebecca Hupp, director of the Boise Airport.

(Solomon David/twitter) Fishing Through the Apocalypse  examines the future for freshwater fish in America. Climate change, pollution, hydroelectricity and interstate water policy have all had an impact on fish and fishing. We talk with the book's author, Matt Miller of The Nature Conservancy, about the  future of Idaho fish .

(One Stone) The  One Stone  school was founded in 2008 with the idea that students thrive when empowered to set their own destinies. Part of this model includes allowing the students to have a hand in policymaking and management. We talk with One Stone's director, Chad Carlson, about what makes it a different educational experience.

(SCOTT KI / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Last week, District Judge Lynn Norton ruled the Idaho Department of Corrections withheld information  regarding execution drugs , including purchase receipts and drug sources.  Idaho Matters  speaks with Aliza Cover, the University of Idaho law professor who requested the records and Molly Kafka, the  ACLU  attorney who represented her.

(Reclaim Idaho / Facebook ) Idaho voters overwhelming showed support in November for Medicare expansion. Some state legislators are unhappy with the results of the ballot initiative and are looking to change provisions to expansion and the ballot initiative process.  Idaho Matters  speaks with  Reclaim Idaho  executive director Rebecca Schroeder.

(Idaho Screendance Festival) The  Idaho Screendance Festival  marries choreographed dance with cinema and on Wednesday,  Idaho Matters  speaks with Marla Hansen of the  Idaho Dance Theater  and Alyssa Tolman, adjunct professor of dance at  Boise State .

(history.idaho.gov) The film  Paranormal Prison  is in principle photography at the Old Idaho Penitentiary and we meet producer Catrine McGregor about spooky happenings - both on and off film.

(Boise State University) President Trump  issued an executive order  that would withhold federal educational and research grants from colleges and universities that violate the First Amendment rights of their students. We look how this order may be enforced on the  Boise State campus  with university spokesperson Greg Hahn and Pryce Robinson of the  Boise State College Republicans .

(City of Boise) The  Boise State baseball team  will play at Memorial Stadium, home of the Boise Hawks, until plans for their own venue are sorted out. On the pitch, there are rumblings of a  pro soccer  team headed our way and the  Vandals advance  to the third round of the WNIT. And another  former Boise Bronco was signed to the Dallas Cowboys  on Saturday. We cover Idaho sports news with Chadd...

(myricopia.com/Wikimedia/Library of Congress) Author and Idaho historian  Randy Stapilus  has no trouble talking smack about others, assuming they are great big jerks. He is giving a presentation in Moscow on Saturday entitled " Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Idaho History " and Stapilus joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about Idaho's biggest "jerks" and what makes their legacy less than rosy.

(facebook/Soviet Women in Combat WWII) Boise State graduate student  Hayley Noble 's work has focused on gender roles during World War II and her new exhibit,  Soviet Women in Combat during WWII , looks at the considerable role women played. From snipers to fighter pilots to tankers, Soviet women played an active role in many forward positions. Noble joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about these women...

(CREDIT WOODLEYWONDERWORKS / FLICKR) The  Nampa School District recently announced  they will provided tuition-free, full day, five-day kindergarten for residents of that district.  Idaho Matters  talks with the Boise district about upcoming kindergarten expansion plans and the  Association for the Education of Young People  about the role kindergarten plays in early childhood development and fami...

(boise co-op) The  Boise Co-op  hired its first-ever CEO earlier this month. Michelle Andersen will oversee a staff of more than 200 and she joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about the future of this Treasure Valley institution.

(Roadsidepictures/flickr) Idaho Matters  talks with Mike Russell, director of operations for the Stinker Store convenience store chain, about promoting Idaho products.

(idaho national laboratory) In addition to being one of the nation's leading nuclear research facilities,  Idaho National Laboratory  has emerged as the tip of the spear for  national and global cyber security.  On Monday's  Idaho Matters , we talk with the cyber security division's director, Scott Cramer, about the cyber threats faced by Americans today and how we are being protected online.

(Boise State esporets/facebook) The  Boise State eSports program  began in 2017 and is competing globally on games like  League of Legends, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Rocket League,  and  Hearthstone .  Idaho Matters  meets Dr. Chris Haskell, the founder and head coach of the team and Robert Faricy, one of the team's competitors. Highlights from Boise State's League of Legends win over the Un...

(aapcc.org) In 1961, President Kennedy declared the third week of March  National Poison Prevention Week . On Friday's  Idaho Matters,  we talk about what not to put in your mouth and what to do once you have with St. Luke's pediatrician, Dr. Seth Branahl and Jean Hammack with the Idaho Poison Control Call Center in Nebraska.

(istock) Matt Guilhem sits in for a vacationing Gemma Gaudette to lead a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week,  Idaho Matters  speaks with Don Day of  BoiseDev , Bill Manny of  Idaho Public Television  and George Prentice of  Boise Weekly .

(Live from Here/youtube) Comedian Tom Papa  hosts  podcast , satellite radio  programs , a  Food Network show , he pops up regularly on  TV and film  and has authored an Amazon top-selling  book  in 2018. In his spare time, he is the head writer and featured commentator on NPR's  Live From Here . Papa will perform at  The Egyptian Theatre  on March 29 and he joins Idaho Matters to talk about what...

(Mountain West News Bureau) The  Mountain West News Bureau  , based here at Boise State Public Radio, is a journalistic collaboration that includes reporters covering matters of the region from NPR affiliates in  Northern  and  Southern  Colorado,  Wyoming , Utah  and Idaho. We talk with managing editor  Kate Concannon  and  Idaho  correspondent  Amanda Peacher  about the first year of the bureau'...

(Boise State Public Radio) March is  Colon Cancer Awareness Month  and Idaho Matters looks at prevention, screening and treatment. We talk about prevention, detection and treatment with St. Luke's colon/rectal surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Karsten and we talk about colon cancer education with Vicky Jekich, director of community outreach for the Mountain States Tumor Institute and Nora Hall, a teacher with...