Idaho Matters

( Flatiron Books) Brilliant, haunting, devastating — these are just some of the adjectives being used to describe the new book “ Four Treasures of the Sky ” by Jenny Tinghue Zhang. She’s a Chinese-American writer, and this is her first novel. The book is about a Chinese girl who is kidnapped and smuggled to America, traveling from a San Francisco brothel to a shop in the Idaho mountains. And it te...

Large trees in their fall colors create a tunnel over historic Harrison Boulevard in Boise's North End neighborhood. (Talo Pinto / Flickr) For several years now, housing has been listed as a top priority issue in Idaho. And as the state's population continues to grow, the problem isn't getting any smaller. When it comes to addressing the housing crisis, it's not just affordability that people are...

( Berkley) Readers fell in love with author Nikki Payne's debut novel, " Pride and Protest ," a retelling of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." It got all kinds of buzz, from Ebony Magazine to Oprah Daily. Now Payne is back with her latest novel, " Sex, Lies and Sensibility ," a modern re-working of Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her new release.

( Cora Lee Oxley) How do you preserve the music history of a city? Or a state? Where do you start such a project? Those were the questions for Cora Lee Oxley, a Boise State University senior studying humanities and cultural studies. She wanted to help preserve Idaho's music history , and decided to use the Record Exchange as a starting point. Oxley used to work at the Boise-based record store and...

(Vladimir Agafonkin / Flickr) Finding affordable housing in today's economy, especially as a single parent, is no easy feat. And when you add going back to school to the equation, things can get hard to balance. Which is why nonprofits like The House Next Door are working to provide support to moms in need, giving their families a safe place to call home. Melinda Romayor, the Executive Director of...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs a flag during his visit to the front line city of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. (AP / Ukrainian Presidential Press Office) International relations can seem really far away from anybody in the United States, including here in Idaho and that’s something Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kristin Kane with the U.S. Department...

Outdoor classrooms can be full of surprises! ( Lora Strange) All over Idaho, kids are learning about nature by actually being in nature. From college wilderness programs to a year-round forest preschool, more and more Idaho students are spending time in an outdoor classroom and it turns out those experiences can have a lifetime of positive consequences. Idaho Public Television’s Outdoor Idaho went...

( Vicky Runnoe) Birds and squirrels are part of the everyday landscape in Idaho cities, living in our urban areas and doing quite well for themselves for the most part. Other animals also thrive in cities, though you might not always see them. One of those animals, the raccoon , was featured in a recent issue of Wildlife Express the Idaho Fish and Game Newsletter for kids and kids at heart. We wan...

( Idaho Transportation Department) This week, reporters dig into why the Boise Police Oversight Director was fired , lawmakers consider building an alternative to Highway 55 , a new bill would stop cities from using some rental regulations and funding for crisis pregnancy centers in Idaho is in doubt. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to...

A staged reading of Intimate Apparel is set for Sunday, Feb. 25 at Boise Contemporary Theater. ( Leta Harris Neustaedter) Lynn Nottage is the first and only woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama twice and now her play ‘Intimate Apparel’ is finally coming to Idaho. Producer and writer Leta Harris Neustaedter is bringing a staged reading of the play to Boise Contemporary Theater on February 25 . S...

A student writes on worksheets in class. (Preston Gannaway for NPR) Lawmakers have tried over the past several years to put some kind of program in place that would help parents pay for private school using everything from vouchers to education savings accounts, but none of those past proposals have become law. We want to take a deep dive into school choice, and we’re planning a series of conversa...

(File ) The Idaho Legislature has a new school choice proposal this year that would give out tax credits to parents who enroll their kids in private school. Some say this creates a conflict with Idaho's constitution , specifically the Blaine Amendment, which says the state cannot use public funds for religious schools. We’re taking a deep dive into school choice with a series of conversations abou...

Cullen Jones smiles after his heat in the men's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb. (Mark J. Terrill / AP) Cullen Jones is a four-time Olympic medalist and the first African American swimmer to hold a world record. You might recall that he was part of the legendary world record-setting 4x100 relay team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He is also the...

Just the sniffles? Could be the flu. (iStockphoto) Even though the weather has been feeling a bit like spring, we are still in the middle of winter ... which means flu season is still upon us. Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about what viruses we should be watching out for.

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio ) Every year, the heads of Idaho's public colleges and universities stand up in front of budget lawmakers at the Idaho Legislature and present their annual request for general fund dollars. This year will be a little different after some changes were made inside the powerful Joint Finance Appropriations Committee, and Boise State University President Dr. Ma...

The cast of "Boulevard of Bold Dreams." (Alley Repertory Theater) It's been more than 80 years since Hattie McDaniel made history as the first black actor to win an Oscar, accepting the award for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind." Now the story of that night is being reimagined in the play " Boulevard of Bold Dreams ," which is premiering on the Alley Repertory Theater stage next week in B...

Elementary students with raised hands ( Boise School District) The Idaho Legislature is planning to once again tackle the issue of school choice during this year’s session with a bill that gives parents a tax credit to help offset the cost of private school. We’re taking a deep dive into school choice and looking at how this would affect kids and parents, public and private schools, charter and re...

( Dr. Greg Wiles) We’re continuing our deep dive into the topic of school choice as lawmakers debate a bill that would provide tax credits to parents who enroll their kids in private school. That includes religious schools, which has sparked a debate over Idaho's constitution and a provision that state dollars cannot be used for religious education. We wanted to get the perspective of a private re...

(iStockphoto.com) Idaho lawmakers have tried over the past several years to put some kind of program in place that would let parents choose where their kids go to school using everything from vouchers to education savings accounts, but none of those past proposals have become law. This year’s proposal involves a $5,000 tax credit per child who is enrolled in private school. Rod Gramer, the preside...

( Opera Idaho) Opera Idaho is back this week with its latest performance of Romeo and Juliet . The stars of the show, Cecilia Violetta Lopez and Ben Gulley, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the upcoming performance.

( Boise Bicycle Project) The City of Boise created a task force in 2023 to look at the number of deaths and injuries caused by vehicle crashes. Called the Vision Zero Task Force , it includes Boise City Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton, Boise Bicycle Project Director of Bicycle Advocacy Nina Pienaar and Ada County Highway District Commission President Alexis Pickering. The task force is in partner...

The Idaho House of Representatives meet for a special session at the Statehouse in Boise, Idaho. (Keith Ridler / AP) The Idaho Republican Party is banning media from its upcoming presidential caucus, another lawsuit has been filed to try and stop the Albertson/Kroger merger, lawmakers are looking to enforce age verification on adult websites and students could lose their drivers license if they do...

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean ( City of Boise) The City of Boise is back in the market for a new police chief after current Chief Ron Winegar announced his retirement. It’s the fourth time in four years that the city has been in the market for a new head for the department. Boise has also been in the news after finding out a grant proposal to study a future train route between Salt Lake City and Boise...

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than double compared to the rest of the population.

Kristin Chenoweth, left and McKenzie Kurtz participate in the curtain call during the 20th anniversary performance of "Wicked" on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at Gershwin Theater in New York. (CJ Rivera/CJ Rivera/Invision/AP / Invision) If you’re hungry right now and you like movies, we've got a film for you! Plus, there are those who say the best part of the Super Bowl are the ads, and one of the most...