Idaho Matters

(Credits: Treefort) It can be daunting trying to figure out which of the  400+ bands playing Treefort  to see and on Wednesday's  Idaho Matters ,   we makes it easy for you. Boise State Public Radio's  Frankie Barnhill  joins guest host George Prentice to help you focus on which bands you should see play and which ones might get a pass.

(stock) Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden signed a letter with fifty-three other state and territorial attorneys general urging the US Senate to enact the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act in an effort to curb robocalls,  which are on the rise .  Idaho Matters  tackles the issue with Rebecca Barr of the  Better Business Bureau  and Brett DeLange, chief of  Idaho...

(islamic center of boise/facebook) Leaders from the Treasure Valley's Muslim and Christian communities met last week for a "peace-feast" where they looked to bring together Idahoans of different faiths.  Idaho Matters  talks with Phillip Thompson of the  Islamic Center of Boise  and Nick and Laura Armstrong of the Cole Community Church's  Glocal Community Partners  about improving community relati...

(Ryan Allan Cheatham/flickr) As Treefort attendees go from venue to venue, watching band after band, it is important to know that three straight days of loud, live music can be detrimental to your hearing.  Idaho Matters  talks about  protecting your ears  with Idaho Elks Hearing and Balance Center audiologist Dr. Kate Savage.

(elisabethsharpmcketta.com) We Live In Boise  by  Elisabeth McKetta  and James Stead looks at the City of Trees through the wide-eyed perspective of a child. From Freak Alley to the Smurf Turf, this book is as much a travelogue for children as record of today's Boise. McKetta will be signing copies at  Rediscovered Books  on Saturday and she stops in studio to talk about developing this vibrant bo...

(kirk siegler) Kirk Siegler  began reporting for Montana Public Radio in 2003 and moved up to NPR's national desk in 2012 to cover the American West. He will discuss his coverage of last year's Camp Fire in California at Storyfort and he talks with  Idaho Matters  about reporting from the fire lines.

When a friend showed  Elizabeth Rodgers  pictures of young women at Borah High School preparing for their first swim lessons, the filmmaker was immediately inspired to capture their story on film.  The Swimming Lesson  tells the story of young Muslim girls who came to Boise as refugees and captures images of contemporary Muslim culture as they enter the pool in their burkinis. The short will show...

(treefort) The  Fort of Drag  joins the plethora of "forts" this year at Treefort and events include performances, panel discussions and a drag queen story hour. We talk with Fort of Drag creator and director Cole Calvin and community liaison Gabrielle Davis about using Treefort to connect with the area's transgender community.

(AP IMAGES) The region's volcanoes represent the northeastern portion of the Pacific's "Ring of Fire" and 12 million years ago, Idaho saw much more volcanic activity than it does today. The latest installment of  Wanna Know Idaho  imagines a Gem State covered in lava-spewing volcanoes.

(stock/recoveryidaho.org) Addiction treatment agencies in Idaho are working together to share resources to help battle the opioid addiction epidemic. We speak with Norma Jaeger, executive director of the statewide  Recovery Idaho  about these efforts.

(BROOKLYN RIEPMA / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) About 200 students left classes  in the Treasure Valley on Friday to gather at the state capitol to bring attention to climate change.  Idaho Matters  speaks with organizers Elise Malterre and Liam Neupert about this global demonstration.

(off center dance/facebook) The  Off Center Dance  company rolls out their 2019 spring program this week with ' Blur ' - featuring new choreography from OCD dancers and a high-tech collaboration from founder Kelli Brown and The Idaho Virtual Reality Council.  Idaho Matters  talks with OCD's Lisa Whitwell and Katie Ponozzo and Idaho Virtual Reality Council board member (and OCD performer) Jim Bradb...

(Antonio Chaves / wikimedia) Idaho officials are discussing a multi-year project that would put  charging stations  throughout the state to accommodate electric vehicle owners. Idaho Matters checks in with Adam Richins of Idaho Power and Courtney White, a Boise State adjunct professor of strategy and innovation.

Matt Guilham 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 Scott McIntosh of the  Idaho Press , Don Day of  BoiseDev.com  and Seth Ogilvie of  IPTV's Idaho Reports .

(CREDIT MICK THOMPSON / FLICKR) Trumpeter swan  cygnets are dying  at a startling rate, threatening the swan populations of the West. We talk with  Camas Refuge  Manager Brian Wehausen and wildlife biologist Andrea Kristof about what is causing these declines.

(istock) We (try) to sleep about a third of our lives and this week is  National Sleep Awareness Week . On Thursday's  Idaho Matters,  we look at how we can improve the quality of our slumbers with Dr. William Thompson, medical director of the Sleep Medicine Institute .

Netflix  debuted a documentary in February that detailed the terror and exploitation one man brought on a Pocatello family more than forty years ago.  Abducted in Plain Sight  tells the story of the Brobergs and how a family friend manipulated them to sexually assault and kidnap their daughter.  Idaho Matters  talks with Jan Broberg about her experience and  Skye Borgman , director of the film.

(boardofed.idaho.gov) Idaho Matters speaks with state senator Grant Burgoyne (D-Boise) and retired educator Jean Heinscheid about pending legislation that would make secondary education more obtainable for Idahoans.

(fundsy) The  Fundsy  charity auction has raised more than $8 million for Treasure Valley organizations and we talk with Carolyn Holly and Meredith Stead about how the non-profit is helping other non-profits.

(adacounty.id.gov) Efforts are underway to weaken the ability to bring voter initiatives to ballot and on Wednesday's  Idaho Matters,  we talk with Luke Mayville and Tracy Olson of  Reclaim Idaho .

(istock) Osteoporosis is caused by a drastic decrease in bone density.  Idaho Matters  looks at this disease with Dr. James Loveless from St. Luke's Osteoporosis and Bone Health Program .

(meridian library district) Meridian is growing and so are the demands on the city's library services. Meridian voters will have the opportunity to vote on a levy that would expand the municipality's library. On Wednesday's  Idaho Matters,  we discuss this growth with Meridian library director Gretchen Caserotti.

(geneticliteracyproject.org) Hemophilia used to plague the royal families of Europe who practiced inbreeding to "secure" family bloodlines. People still suffer from the blood disorder (not because of inbreeding) and  Idaho Matters  looks at the causes and cures with Barbara Fawcett, executive director of the Idaho chapter of the  National Hemophilia Foundation .

(stock) Idaho Matters  talks with Optum Idaho Medical Director Dr. Ron Larsen about the connections between sound mental health and physical fitness.

(St. Luke's) Congenital heart defects result in improper cardiac development during gestation. On Tuesday's  Idaho Matters , we talk about spotting the symptoms and treating the diagnosis of heart defects with St. Luke's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Michael Womack.