Idaho Matters

( OSU Press) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on November 28, 2023. University of Idaho professor Alexandra Teague is out with her latest work and this time it's a very personal look at what some would say was a quirky childhood. The memoir " Spinning Teacups " takes us across America from Florida to Idaho and many stops in between. Teague joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

( Canva) The U.S. Supreme Court will take up an Idaho case on Wednesday that could have widespread implications around the country. It involves an Idaho abortion law and a lawsuit filed by the Biden Administration, which argued hospitals that receive Medicare funds are required by federal law to provide emergency care, which could potentially include abortion, no matter if there's a state law bann...

U.S. Supreme Court building (Ian Hutchinson / Unsplash) Idaho’s law banning gender-affirming care for youth has gone into effect, big staffing cuts have been made in the Idaho Falls school district, SCOTUS is set to take up another case involving the Gem State and we take a look at some sad news from the legislature. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters...

( Idaho Gives) Every year, the Idaho Nonprofit Center organizes what's known as Idaho Gives . It's a chance for people to come together to support the more than 9,000 groups in Idaho. Kevin Bailey is the CEO at the center and he sat down to talk with Morning Edition host George Prentice about this years Idaho Gives.

Kevin Bacon (Silva. S / Flickr) A high school in our region will get some Hollywood glitz for prom day this month. Kevin Bacon is coming to Utah's Payson High, where part of Footloose was filmed. This is the movie's 40th anniversary and the school building will be torn down next year. So students and faculty have been working for months to bring home the bacon. KUER's Ciara Hulet was at Payson Hig...

A replica of the Declaration of Independence showing how the document looked the day it was signed, as part of the National Archives exhibit, in Washington, D.C. (Robert Miller / Flickr) The Declaration of Independence is a defining document in the birth of the United States. But how much do we really know about it? Was this historical document seen primarily as a celebration of a new country or m...

Olivia Luna volunteers with BABE VOTE. ( BABE VOTE) Last week, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that student IDs can't be used to vote in the Gem State. At issue were two laws passed last year that said student IDs could no longer be used to register to vote and that students without an Idaho drivers license would have to get an Idaho ID card or other accepted form of identification. BABE VOTE and th...

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2007 file photo, British singer Amy Winehouse poses for photographs after being interviewed by The Associated Press at a studio in north London. Friday, July 23, 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the iconic British pop singer, who died at her home in Camden. Her death was attributed to accidental alcohol poisoning. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) (Matt Dunham/AP...

(AP Images) A disease caused by rats is on the rise and when is the best time to get the latest COVID vaccine? Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about all of this.

Two people shake hands. (webgirltj / Flickr) Next week, a new exhibit will be coming to Idaho, sharing images and stories from around the world in an effort to connect communities and encourage cultural exchanges among our future leaders. An endeavor that Global Ties Idaho has been supporting for more than a decade as they work to create lasting impact. Carole Schroeder, the executive director of...

Jack Sanders ( Craig Ferre) For more than 30 years, the Piatigorsky Foundation has been providing communities across the country with unique access to classical music. And Thursday, April 18, the organization will be here in Idaho for a special concert featuring classical guitarist Jack Sanders . He joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the importance of sharing this music.

Brandon VanWaeyenberghe and his dog Barley. ( Zenith City Photography) This May, one of Idaho's most beloved performing arts organizations, the Boise Philharmonic , will be welcoming a new executive director, Brandon Vanwaeyenberghe. With more than ten years of experience in the world of orchestra, he is sure to bring something special to the Philharmonics next season of music. Vanwaeyenberghe joi...

(Ute Grabowsky / Photothek via Getty Images) Across the United States, kids are struggling with their mental health and here in Idaho, we're seeing the same problem. One which was made even more stark after the suicide of four Boise students late last year. Now as the community joins together in support of our kids, one group is working on a way to address the mental health struggles of our youth...

(James G. Edmondson2014 / Flickr) As the weather warms up, snow is melting and water is filling up the Boise River, sometimes overflowing the river banks. That can mean flooding on the Greenbelt, and Boise Parks and Recreation spends a lot of time each year managing closures and keeping the public up-to-date on what's closed and what's open. And when the flooding is over, the department has a shor...

The book cover of "The Weight of Nature" by Clayton Page Aldern. ( Dutton) The Earth's changing climate, from hotter days to more dangerous weather events, could be impacting our brains in ways we are only just learning about. Clayton Page Aldern, a journalist who also holds a master's degree in neuroscience and public policy, delves into this issue in his new book, " The Weight of Nature: How a C...

Wind turbines in the west. (Dennis Schroeder / National Renewable Energy Lab) As the need for energy grows across the west and more focus is being shifted to low-carbon resources, people are asking important questions like: How do we bring this kind of energy online reliably? And how do we deliver that new energy safely to the communities that need it? Peter Gower is the climate and renewable ener...

(lori05871 / Flickr) April is Child Abuse Prevention Month , and in an effort to bring more awareness to our community, we're taking a few minutes each week to focus on important work that's being done to help ensure healthy outcomes for Idaho kids. Amanda Mills, the strengthening families specialist with the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children ; Nicole Criner, the group's market...

The production of "Kid Lightning" will take to the stage on April 26th and the 27th. (LED ) Award-winning arts organization LED is back with two performances of Kid Lightning at Boise's Morrison Center. Lauren Edson, co-founder of LED, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the upcoming production.

Wolves howl in a forest. (John Flesher / AP Images) A new film being made in Idaho, " Children of the Wolves ," features a group of Timberline High School students and a wolf pack from the Gem State. Morning Edition host George Prentice sat down with executive producers Matthew Podolsky and Seth Randal, as well as film director Barb Kuensting, to talk more about the documentary.

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio) A case heading to the U.S. Supreme Court could have big impacts on Idaho's abortion care , a new library bill has been signed into law, plans for a veterans home in Boise have been postponed and a roundup of this years legislative session . It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on al...

The creative team behind The Sound of Music, produced by Boise State, include Darrin Purdy, Gordon Reinhart and Caitlin Burke. A crisis of faith. The struggle of single parenthood. And a growing threat of racist demagoguery. Any one of these themes could be the foundation for 21 st century drama. But together they were the pillars of a 1959 Broadway show which, in turn, became one of, if not the m...

Betsy Gaines Quammen is the author of True West, Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America. ( Torrey House Press, Betsy Gaines Quammen) Betsy Gaines Quammen, who chronicled the infamy of the Bundy family in the bestselling American Zion, says that experience inspired her to further examine the truths and myths of modern American western culture. The result is her new book, True West. “The onslau...

(Dave Kimble/USFWS Mountain-Prairie / Flickr) In 2015, the Soda Fire burned 280,000 acres of mostly sage grouse habitat in southwest Idaho. Immediately after the wildfire was out, officials went to work trying to restore the landscape using thousands of pounds of seeds, herbicides and millions of dollars to keep out invasive plants and provide food and shelter to sage grouses, pygmy rabbits, golde...

An Idaho Talking Book Service device. (Idaho Talking Book Service / Idaho Commission for Libraries) The world of literature can take you many places, from a cell in the prison of Château d'If to the halls of Netherfield and the skies of Neverland. Books open different realities, and that's something everyone should have access to too. Which is why resources like the Idaho Talking Book Service are...

(Robert Bales / Flickr) Every year, one small instrument draws hundreds of people together in Yellow Pine, Idaho. For more than 30 years, the harmonica has played an important role in this mountain community, bringing people together to celebrate not just music but a unique history with the Yellow Pine Harmonica Festival . And in anticipation of this event organizers are hosting a fundraiser to he...