Idaho Matters

(google) The Idaho Black History Museum  begins Black History Month with a  dinner and presentation  by University of Idaho associate vice president, Mike Satz. The discussion involves the use of the law to affect social engineering. Satz joins  Idaho Matters  with the museum's executive director, Phillip Thompson.

(Arbiter Online/Abigail Figueroa) Boise State's  Gaming, Interactive Media & Mobile Technology  (or GIMM) program teaches video game design, mobile app development and virtual reality programming, among other tech stuff. GIMM is partnering with the Old Coot & Maggie Foundation to solicit tech concepts that can be used to address cultural and social problems.

(risch.senate.gov) The government shutdown proved to be devastating for hundreds of thousands of  federal employees  and it cost the  American economy billions of dollars . Congress and the president agreed to re-open for another three weeks while all sides continue to work out federal budgeting and agreeable attention to border security.  Idaho Matters  asks listener questions of Senator Jim Risc...

(Boise School District ) High school students can jump start their secondary education by individualizing courses of study to include college credits, technical competency credits and accelerate advanced placement through the state's  Advanced Opportunities  program. We learn how Idaho students can fast track their higher education using this program.

(college of idaho) Jasper LiCalzi , a College of Idaho professor of political economy, recently published a  book  about Idaho politics that looks at Gem State government through the prism of the community, rather than the perspective of red/blue. LiCalzi joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about  Idaho Politics and Government: Culture Clash and Conflicting Values in the Gem State  and how new perspecti...

(Idaho Statesman) MacArthur "Mac" Eld started  photographing historic Idaho highway markers  in an effort to create meaningful holiday gifts for friends and family. Eight years later, Mac Eld has documented 269 of these signs, bringing attention to Idaho's history and the need to maintain these markers. Eld joins  Idaho Matters  in studio to talk about his project and what he learned about our his...

(andrewcoussens.com) Andrew Coussens  went to work as a private military contractor in Afghanistan, Iraq and various classified locations. He found the work created incredible strains on his family. Coussens parlayed his experience into the novel, " A Failed State ." He joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about his book and the challenges faced by private military contractors after they come home. Corre...

(aanr.com) The American Association for Nude Recreation boasts a membership of more than 200,000 and this August they will hold their annual convention in Worley, Idaho . We talk to event organizers about the attraction to this lifestyle and why they chose Worley.

Educators have been aware of the importance of teaching STEM content for years, and for just as long kids have used Lego bricks to stretch their imaginations. It didn't take long for STEM and Lego to connect and today there are numerous science contests based on Lego designs. On Monday's  Idaho Matters , we talk about using Lego to promote STEM education in the region .

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 Bill Manny with  Idaho Public Television , Kevin Richert of  Idaho Education News  and Scott McIntosh with the  Idaho Press .

(amazon) Boise journalist Steve Bertel wrote a  crime drama that takes place in the high desert. Bertel joins Idaho Matters to talk about transitioning from news writing to fiction writing.

(MCCALL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE) The  McCall Winter Carnival  begins today and  Idaho Matters looks at the events, food and snow sculptures.

(ADAM COTTERELL / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO) LGBTQ+ Idahoans can legally be denied employment, services and housing as the state's Human Rights Act does not recognize sexual orientation or gender identity as protected rights. Multiple efforts have been made to write this acknowledgment into the act and they've failed in the statehouse. State Rep. Maryanne Jordan (D - Boise) has introduced a bill to...

(NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI) Rajani Dhingra has been  really  busy in 2019. The U of I physics graduate student worked on teams directing the  farthest fly-by ever  conducted of a celestial body  and  studied  weather patterns on the Saturn moon of Titan . Dhingra joins  Idaho Matters  to talk about her research both inside and outside of our solar system.

(IMSA PHOTO) The Rolex 24  endurance race at Daytona International Speedway takes place this weekend and Sun Valley's  Jackie Heinricher  has put together the first-ever all-women racing team to compete. We speak with the driver/botanist/entrepreneur about competing in the high-stakes world of endurance racing.

(wikimedia commons) A  hotline has been set up to inform travelers  in Idaho of transit conditions. We learn about "511" with the Idaho Transportation Department.

(AP PHOTO/WILFREDO LEE) The federal government is entering its 33rd day of a partial shutdown and more than 800,000 federal employees either have been furloughed or are working without pay.  Idaho Matters  speaks with two TSA employees who are going on three weeks without pay to learn how this stalemate is affecting Idahoans .

(Snake River Seed Cooperative/Boise Co-op) The  Snake River Seed Cooperative  encourages regional growers to produce organic, non-GMO seed for both farmers and backyard gardeners. We meet the co-op's founder and director and learn why this program can lead to healthier communities and wealthier growers.

(Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman) Researchers are learning about how isolation and loneliness contribute to both physical and emotional deterioration. A Boise entrepreneur is addressing the issue by offering human contact in the form of snuggling. We'll meet Charlotte Lindsay, founder and owner of  Snuggle Buddiez .

(ktvb) Buy Idaho  promotes Gem State businesses and manufacturers to encourage growth in the state's economy.  Idaho Matters  learns about all the wonderful products made right here.

(national cervical cancer coalition) January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and each year, nearly 13,000 women in America are diagnosed with cervical cancer. We talk about detection and treatment with Dr. Meghan Wallman, an  OB/GYN with St. Luke's .

(IOWA PUBLIC RADIO / BOYS TOWN NATIONAL RESEARCH HOSPITAL / SKIP KENNEDY) Private insurance does not cover the costs for most hearing aids for youths. Efforts to change that are afoot in the state legislature.  Idaho Matters  follows up   with the representative spearheading the initiative and the mother of three children who require hearing aids.

(Marvel/Focus/20th Century Fox/Searchlight) The 2019 Oscar nominees were announced early Tuesday morning and Boise Weekly film critic George Prentice joins Idaho Matters  to talk about what to expect.

(stock) Idaho led the nation in civil rights policies in the early 1960s and we talk with Phillip Thompson of the  Idaho Black History Museum  about those policies and the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in inspiring the movement in the Gem State.  

(sun valley/facebook) The  Mountain West News Bureau  presents a collaboration of regional journalists all looking at the changing ski industry including the effects of climate change, advances in technology and new paradigms in the economy of winter resorts.