Idaho Matters

(facebook) The Sensory Playce  was designed by the mother of two special needs kids who demonstrated sensory sensitivities. Jen Johnson's boys found most activity centers were overwhelming to the senses so she designed a space that caters to the comfort levels of special needs kids while still providing tons of fun. Johnson joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about creating an all-inclusive play space.

(Joe Atkinson) Cordi and Joe Atkinson  have been caring for birds of prey for nearly four decades. From hunting with falcons to rehabilitating injured eagles, the Atkinsons have become the faces of predatory bird preservation. The Atkinsons join  Idaho Matters  to discuss their work and the role the birds play in the Idaho ecosystem.

(youtube) The 3MT competition originated at the  University of Queensland  in 2008 and now the research funding competition takes place at more than 200 universities around the world. Graduate students are given three minutes and one graphic slide to present their projects to a panel of judges. The winner takes home money for further research and we talk with a Boise State graduate coordinator abo...

(CREDIT MELINDA LOWE / MONARCH BUTTERFLIES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FACEBOOK PAGE.) Researchers have been concerned about dwindling bee populations for decades, now scientists are worried about massive reductions in monarch butterfly populations. We find out why  Idaho's official state insect  is in trouble and how scientists are working to preserve the butterfly.

(COURTESY OF SEN. MIKE CRAPO'S OFFICE)   Senator Mike Crapo joins  Idaho Matters  live to answer listener questions about the government shutdown, border security, foreign policy and anything else.

(blessingsoflibertyfilm.com) Until the 1970s, babies born with developmental disabilities were often placed in institutions. A movement started to remove these people from institutions and acclimate them into sustainable communities. The documentary  Blessings of Liberty  was commissioned by the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities to tell the story of this movement.

(pintrest) The  Allergy Group of Boise  is rolling out a new treatment for people with food allergies that involves slowly building up the body's immune response to an allergen. We'll talk with the group's Dr Neetu Talreja about the new approach.

(Saltzer Medical Group) The  Saltzer Medical Group  is launching an initiative to prevent domestic and child abuse by educating young women about healthy relationships. The Healthy Relationships/Safe Babies program is trying to get ahead of the issue by having young women ask themselves hard, honest questions about their relationships and help them to identify red flags.

(LUKE MAYVILLE/RECLAIM IDAHO) Medicaid expansion in Idaho passed by a voter initiative in November.  Advocates  are calling for its implementation while  opponents are holding it up  in the courts and the statehouse. We'll get the latest on the effort to close the health insurance gap in the Gem State.

(team upcycle boise/facebook) February is  American Heart Health Month  and  Idaho Matters  speaks with  St. Al's and a  Boise bike team  about cardiac health and the benefits of cycling.

(ERIC RISBERG / AP) A  measles outbreak in Eastern Washington  highlights the importance of childhood immunizations.  Idaho Matters  looks at the threat to Western Idahoans and what people can do to protect themselves and their children from measles.

(Will Eichelberger) Holistic health practitioner  Samantha Zipporah  and burlesque bon vivant  Frankly Frankie  have teamed up to create Va-Jay-Jay Day in Boise, celebrating the female anatomy. We talk with Zipporah and Frankly about empowerment, health and hygiene and  a variety show that removes the stigma  attached to menstruation.

Wanna Know Idaho  asked Idahoans to submit questions they want answered about our state. In the latest edition, host Frankie Barnhill seeks to answer the question on everybody's mind - "what happens to the poop at Zoo Boise?" Barnhill joins  Idaho Matters  to flush out the answer.

(Ballet Idaho) Ballet Idaho  begins 2019 with  re(Define)  - a performance combining classical ballet with contemporary dance and music. We meet with the company's artistic director and a solo dancer.

(NPR/Amelie Benoit/BSIP/Corbis) Every February 4, people around the world show awareness and support for the fight against cancer on  World Cancer Day . We'll find out how that fight is going in Idaho.

(idahoaeyc.org) Wednesday is  Early Learning Day,  which will highlight the value of learning through play. We'll hear about  BLOCK Fest  at the Capitol Rotunda and how learning should be fun.

(stock) Host Gemma Gaudette leads a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week  Idaho Matters  speaks with Betsy Russell with the  Idaho Press , Don Day of  BoiseDev  and Mike Sharpe of  KIVI-TV.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech) Researchers believe the Jupiter moon of Europa could possibly be habitable. The natural satellite has an enormous ocean twenty times deeper than earth's and is covered by a thick, icy shell.  Boise State University's First Friday Astronomy Lecture presents JPL's  Dr. Samuel Howell  to talk about NASA's Clipper Mission to Europa.

(idahopca.org) Community health centers facilitate care for more than  180,000 Idahoans  annually. We talk with  Terry Reilly Health Services  and  Family Medicine Health Centers  about providing affordable and immediate health care from Downtown Boise to the state's most rural reaches.

(berch4idaho.com/cvidaho.org) Freshman representatives  Steve Berch  (D-Boise) and  Jake Ellis  (D-Boise) recently held a joint town hall and answered questions to a packed house. Representatives Berch and Ellis join  Idaho Matters  to share the issues raised at the forum.

(Ryan Kellman/NPR) St. Luke's  is seeking participants for the study of a new treatment for myopia, or near-sightedness. The treatment is as simple as some eye drops. We talk with the pediatric ophthalmologist heading up the study.

(rmhcidaho.org) Ground will be broken this Friday for a new  Ronald McDonald House in Boise . The valley's explosive growth has forced the organization to turn away families looking for a place to stay while their children receive medical care. The new $15 million facility is more than 40,000 square feet and we learn how the new building will help families seeking care for their children.

(jessetreeidaho.org) Gabriel Iacoboni felt the best way to fight homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. His nonprofit,  The Jesse Tree of Idaho , looks for ways to help people on the cusp of eviction.

(MATT GUILHEM / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) Marsy's Law  is back on the floor of the Idaho legislature after being  voted down  in the last two sessions. The proposal provides advocacy and protections for victims of crime but there is some concern that the wording might further compromise civil rights.  Idaho Matters  talks to the  ACLU of Idaho  and the  Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domesti...

(lost river wellness) Lost River Wellness  provides drop-in services and addiction treatment in Boise's north end. COO Mike Biggins joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about their unique approach to treatment.