Idaho Matters

(Idaho Shakespeare Festival) When the new musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 opened in New York, it took Broadway by storm and garnered 12 Tony nominations. But because of the pandemic, not many people outside of New York have seen the musical. Now however, the musical is coming to Idaho and will be premiering at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival this weekend. Our Morning Edition hos...

( Riverhead Books) In todays climate and culture, discussions of female power and autonomy are incredibly important - especially when it comes to positions of leadership. Elizabeth Silver's newest book " The Majority " looks at these topics, drawing inspiration from history as she follows one woman's journey to becoming a Supreme Court Justice. Silver joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her la...

Governor Brad Little (left) announced that a $100 million budget surplus would go towards Property Tax relief. He was joined by House Speaker Mike Moyle, Representative Jason Monks and Senator Doug Ricks (right) at a press conference in Nampa. (Julie Luchetta / Boise State Public Radio) Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador requests dismissal of open primary challenge , Idahoans will receive $300 m...

(Bunny A. / Flickr) Much of Allison Gibson’s passion and profession has been defined by soccer. As a player, she was an All American and as a coach, she became the winningest coach in Idaho State University history. Now, as president and director of coaching with the Indie Chicas Football Club , she helps the next generation of players realize their potential on and off the field. Gibson visited w...

( Idaho State Historical Society) This Saturday night , some modern day ghostbusters will take over the Old Idaho Penitentiary to see if they hear from any of the 130 who died or were executed at the former Boise prison . Big River Paranormal has spent a lot of time behind the walls and bars of the site where there have been reports of cold spots, disembodied voices, lights turning on and off and...

A rough map of the TransWest Express Transmission Line. (Courtesy of TransWest Express) Officials broke ground recently on an ambitious power line project that will move renewable energy across our region. The 732-mile TransWest will supply electricity to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and other areas. It's one way the Biden Administration is hoping to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2035. Wyoming Pub...

A Harmonica workshop performance from a past Yellow Pine Music & Harmonica festival. (Picasa / Deb Filler ) Next week, the mountains of Yellow Pine, Idaho will be filled with the sound of harmonica music, as people from all over make their way to the Valley County for the Music and Harmonica Festival . Deb Filler, Director of the festival and musician Brent Palmatier joined Idaho Matters to ta...

( Berkley) This summer, neuroscientist, TikTok star and also New York Times best-selling author Ali Hazelwood is back with her latest book, " Love, Theoretically ." She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her new book.

(Grant Lindsay / Flickr Creative Commons) The White House is launching a permanent office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response . The new office will work to prepare and respond to biological threats and pathogens that can lead to pandemic. The office replaces the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Office. Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about wha...

(City of Ketchum / Facebook) The Wood River Museum of History and Culture is hosting their grand opening on July 26, making Ketchum an important stop when it comes to exploring the region's past – from tribal history to Hemingway to becoming a global ski destination. Our Morning Edition host George Prentice sat down with Dr. Jenny Emery Davidson, executive director of the Community Library  Associ...

( Jeff Golden) Idaho native Jeff Golden has come out with his debut book, " Reclaiming the Sacred: Healing Our Relationships with Ourselves and the World ." The book looks at the science of happiness and the ways in which materialism impacts, not just ourselves, but our environment. Golden joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his new book.

(Janice Chang for NPR) It's no secret that during the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of doctors and other health professionals left the profession. Fatigue, burnout, retirement and Idaho's already large shortage of doctors has lead to larger workloads and frustrations among health care workers who have stayed in the profession. So how are hospitals and administrators handling burnout and retention o...

(Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images) New changes in Idaho's voter laws has created some confusion for people registering to vote . New laws went into effect July 1, that create consistent standards for registering to vote and makes some changes when it comes to the kind of photo ID you can use to sign up . Some groups, including BABE Vote and the League of Women Voters of Idaho , told Idaho Reports tha...

(Mladen Zivkovic / Getty Images) Last year, a few hundred crisis call centers across the country replaced their 1-800 numbers with a simpler three-digit code. Since then, the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has answered over 12,000 calls, texts and chats from people in Idaho experiencing a mental health crisis. Outside of Idaho, that number increases to nearly five million. Nicole Coleman...

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) Laura Sims is the critically acclaimed author of the novel " Looker ," which is now in development for television. And now she is out with her latest book " How Can I Help You ." Sims sat down with Idaho Matters to talk more about new book and more.

(Flickr Creative Commons) Crime is up in Canyon County, according to the Idaho State Police Crime in Idaho report . Crime went up more than 10% from 2021 to 2022 and violent crimes, like murder and assault, went up dramatically. Canyon County leaders have teamed up with Idaho's U.S. Attorney to fight what they’re calling a "dramatic rise" in violent crime in the county. Included in those leaders a...

Andrea Murdoch talks about the ingredients in her Ute Mountain Ute Blue Cornmeal Swirl cake that she made for the Denver EATSS event. (Emma VandenEinde / KUNC) For years, it was extremely difficult to find meals like bison pot roast or an elk taco at a restaurant, yet Indigenous cuisine has been in the Americas for centuries. Now, some Indigenous chefs are winning awards and using their talents to...

Dr. Rhiana Menen has joined a team of caregivers and volunteers of the Tiba Foundation in multiple trips to Kenya. ( Tiba Foundation, Dr. Rhiana Menen) How does a new nonprofit measure success? How about saving lives? Connecting kids to education, food and healthcare? That's exactly what's happening with the Boda Girls program. The program, shepherded by the Tiba Foundation , is led by a Boise-bas...

(Matt Guilhem / Boise State Public Radio) An update on school funding , a potential reroute of Idaho highway 55 , graffiti rules in Boise may be changing, a look at the Empowering Parents grant and climate change could lead to heavier rainfall . It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up-to-date on all the news that made headlines this past week....

(nnlove / Flickr) Earlier this week we told you about how Idaho is celebrating Latino Conservation Week for the second year in a row and we wanted to find out more. Boise State Public Radio News reporter Julie Luchetta visited with a local bilingual club that is working to give a new generation an expanding relationship with nature.

Mario de Haro-Marti, University of Idaho Extension Educator, presents on farm safety and immunization education to dairy employees in Jerome during an EXCITE mobile clinic. ( University of Idaho ) Here in Idaho, 35 of the states 44 counties are rural , leaving many areas without sufficient access to healthcare or resources to help people make decisions about their health, like whether or not to be...

In 1990, the Idaho Conservation League hosted a "Trash In" on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol to bring attention to the need for improved recycling and waste management in Idaho. ICL's work helped lead to Idaho's first curbside composting program in Boise in 2017. (Karen Williams / Idaho Conservation League ) This year the Idaho Conservation League is celebrating 50 years of advocacy and hard...

A picture shows the profile of a face with colorful circles rising up. (iStockphoto.com) There's growing interest in the potential mental health benefits of psychedelics. Now, scientists are trying to understand the substances and get them approved at the federal level and some of that research is happening in our region. KUNC's Leigh Paterson visits a study site in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the...

Earlier this month, the new Exhibit " Katazome Today: Migrations of Japanese Art " opened at the Boise Art Museum . The exhibit centers around a unique Japanese process for dying fabrics and features seven artists who explore how this method has evolved over time and culture, sharing different interpretations of the technique. Melanie Fales, Executive Director of the Boise Art Museum, Amy Chaloupk...

Doctors are urging parents to keep all their child's vaccinations up to date — now, more than ever. (Karl Tapales / Getty Images) The FDA has approved a new drug for babies and toddlers to fight the respiratory virus known as RSV and there are new guidelines for screening for breast cancer. Our healthcare landscape is changing daily, so Dr. David Pate , former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, join...