Idaho Matters

(oldskulphoto / Flickr) Idahoans think the state is off on the wrong track and are worried about housing, property taxes and the economy. They also trust librarians to choose library books; they don't want ranked choice voting; and they'd like to make changes to Idaho's abortion ban. These are all conclusions that came out of the ninth annual Idaho Public Policy Survey from Boise State University'...

(iStockphoto) If health care were a country, it would be the fifth worst polluter worldwide, according to Dr. Jonathan Perlin. He's the president and CEO of The Joint Commission , a nonprofit that works with health care providers to improve the quality of patient care. Health care is a big contributor to pollution, excess waste and greenhouse gases, which can lead to making patients sicker: someth...

Empty classroom with no students (iStockphoto) What OSHA has to say about the hangar collapse near Boise Airport, a bill that would allow employees to carry concealed guns in schools was passed by the Idaho House, the Gem State is working to boost it's snowfall and a look at why Governor Brad Little is sending state troopers to the Mexico border . It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporte...

( Boise Contemporary Theater) Boise Contemporary Theater is bringing Lynn Nottage's play, "Clyde's," to the stage this weekend. Nottage is the only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama twice. The play is a comedy, a drama and a diner, and well, it's hard to describe. So, we sent our Morning Edition host, George Prentice , to find out more.

( Ada County Highway District) Three people are dead and nine others injured after a privately owned hanger under construction near the Boise airport collapsed on Wednesday . Five of those injured are in critical condition.   Seven fire engines, three ladder trucks and at least a dozen ambulances responded to the scene near the Jackson Jet Center. According to Boise Fire Operations Chief Aaron Hum...

Minidoka under construction. Displays the solitude and expansive vistas of Minidoka. ( Courtesy of the National Archives) During World War II, over 13,000 Japanese Americans were held at Minidoka in the eastern Idaho desert and more than 120,000 were taken from their homes by the U.S. government. While their parents were in camps like Minidoka, some young men volunteered to serve and were placed i...

( The Idaho State Museum) As we head into February, people around the world are getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Saturday, Feb. 10. Which is why the Idaho State Museum and Idaho Chinese Organization are coming together to kick off the holiday with a very special event , honoring cultural traditions of the celebration with art, music, food and so much more. Liz Hobson, Museum Admini...

Empty popcorn bags are lined up in a row. (Scott Duffus / Flickr) If you've been using a family members Netflix password to watch your favorite films, you may not be happy about the latest crackdown on password-sharing from some the top streaming services. Idaho Matters sat down with our resident movie critic, George Prentice , to take a look at what other platforms are implementing the no-share r...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact Idaho) It's been four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the virus continues to affect people in ways scientists are still trying to understand. That's because COVID is evolving at an incredibly rapid rate. Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this.

(Johner Images/Getty Images) Over half of all the librarians in Idaho are thinking about quitting their jobs , according to a new survey that found 60% of respondents are considering leaving Idaho. Participants say that this is due to the fact that bills in the Idaho Legislature could restrict what books can and cannot be in an Idaho library. According to the Idaho Library Association , librarians...

( Idaho Crush) When it comes to the world of volleyball, the Idaho Crush team has been making a name for themselves, breaking records and gaining national recognition as they bring a new spotlight to the sport. And the team is continuing to trailblaze as they get ready to head to South America to compete against some of Brazil's top players. Caroline Bower, Idaho Crush head coach and club owner, a...

(Bobby Blair / Flickr) A musician from our region is channeling his Navajo ancestors and an innovative composer to honor those lost in the Long Walk. KSUT's Clark Adomaitis reports for the Mountain West News Bureau on a performance that will run for four and a half years.

(CREDIT MALATE269 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS) The Idaho Legislature is planning to once again tackle the issue of school choice during this year’s session. 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 beco...

Money (Pictures of Money / Flickr) Everyone’s talking about the economy. Will Idaho's unemployment rate keep going up? Will we see a recession? If interest rates flatten out, how will that affect Idaho's crazy housing market? Will an election year make a difference to Idaho's economic situation? Last June, we got an update on Idaho's economy from Jason Norris. He’s the principal of research and po...

Snow leopard Kabita at Zoo Boise (Naomi Clayton of NAC Photography / Zoo Boise) A beloved member of Zoo Boise has been diagnosed with cancer, and everyone at the zoo has been working to help her. Kabita is a 14-year-old snow leopard who has been at the zoo since 2011. Once zookeepers realized something was wrong, doctors found a tumor in the big cat’s mouth, and sadly, the cancer has spread to her...

Severe drought takes its toll on the Great Salt Lake. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) The Great Salt Lake in Utah is often compared to a lake in Central Asia: the Aral Sea. Back in the 80s, the Aral Sea dried up so much it caused toxic dust storms - a problem Utah also faces. But the Aral Sea offers a potential solution for how to save a shrinking lake. Reporter Levi Bridges visited Kazakhstan fo...

(Tania Gail / Flickr) The U.S. Supreme Court is going to take up the issue of camping in public places five years after a Boise case put limits on what cities can do to stop people experiencing homelessness from sleeping outside. The decision in the Martin v. Boise case has been cited by many cities, who say homeless encampments have been growing due in part to a lack of affordable housing. Now a...

Delfeayo Marsalis ( Eric Waters and Girard Mouton III) It's only a couple of weeks until Mardi Gras, the last big blowout before Lent begins on Feb. 14. The Boise Jazz Society is going all out for the celebration with a special concert by the Uptown Jazz Orchestra and a discussion about America's original art form, jazz, and its New Orleans origins. Michael Samball, the founder and managing direct...

(401(K) 2012 / Flickr) Idaho has the 36th most regressive tax system in the nation, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy . The Who Pays report says that low- and middle-income families in Idaho pay more in taxes than the wealthy, and the institute also says that disparity has only gotten worse over the last five years. May Roberts, Policy Analyst at the Idaho C...

Ridge to Rivers had to close down the Heroes Trail, which starts at the Boise VA, because of the muddy conditions. ( Ridge to Rivers) On Friday, Jan. 26, four more trails were closed in the Boise Foothills after rain, melting snow and warmer weather turned them into a muddy mess. That’s after seasonal closures to some other trails, which are designed to protect them from long-term damage. On Monda...

These pills were made to look like Oxycodone, but they're actually an illicit form of the potent painkiller fentanyl. ( Drug Enforcement Administration) A new bill is looking to establish a mandatory minimum sentence for those trafficking fentanyl, a well known Boise restaurant is closing it's doors, the Idaho Legislatures budget meeting was canceled and an update on wildland firefighter pay raise...

(Harish Kumar / Flickr) If you're a parent, you've hopefully never had to choose between skipping a meal or buying diapers for your baby. Unfortunately, this is the reality for more than a quarter of U.S. families, according to the National Diaper Bank Network . It's a crisis the Gem State is dealing with as well, and one that Idaho's Diaper Bank is tackling as they work to fill essential gaps in...

(Sun Valley Film Festival) We are almost a month away from the Sun Valley Film Festival, which never fails to bring great films and famous movie stars to the Wood River Valley.   This year, the festival is proud to honor Annette Bening, who was nominated this week for a Best Actress Oscar. Our Morning Edition host George Prentice sat down with Candice Pate, director of the festival, and Teddy Gren...

(Florian Kainz, San Rafael, California / Flickr) There are dozens of conservation groups across the Mountain West working to protect the waters, lands and wildlife that make up our region. That included a nonprofit in Nevada that is helping preserve an important tree species that's increasingly threatened by climate change. The Mountain West News Bureau's Kaleb Roedel reports.

Steamboat Gulch is closed as officials look for a new operator. (Idaho Department of Lands.) With all the recent snow, folks in southwest Idaho have been on the lookout for safe spots to take their kids tubing. In the past, Steamboat Gulch Tubing Hill near Idaho City has been a favorite recreation spot, providing hours of winter fun an hour from Boise. But the hill is closed after the former opera...