Idaho Matters

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired in 2022. If you believe in fate or perhaps serendipity, the book " Just Haven't Met You Yet " will be one you'll want to add to TBR list. New York Times bestselling author Sophie Cousens joined Idaho Matter to talk more about this must-read rom-com.

(Jim Hickcox / Flickr) 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 including an update to Boise’s zoning code , the Nampa School District possibly banning the discussion of gender identity and expression, a Meridian man accused of firing shots at Hells Canyon Dam , and health disparities am...

(Maria Salamanca / Flickr) There are too many days when the world feels so splintered. But there are also those rare days when the world seems a bit smaller, when there's an opportunity to recognize how much we share. So let's talk about one of those days, World Refugee Day . Idaho's resettlement program began in the 1970s as part of a national effort to receive refugees from southeast asia after...

In May, #CPNRegion engineers briefed representatives from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Transportation Department - Division of Aeronautics, and Idaho Power on multiple engineering projects related to the Anderson Ranch Dam Raise project. (Marc Ayalin / Bureau of Reclamation) Officials want to raise Anderson Ranch Dam by six feet to provide more room for water...

This monster is Type One Diabetes. He’s got eyeglasses, he’s holding some donuts, and he’s being stung by strange little bees. Each one of these characteristics mean something specific in the medical world. (Medimon / University of Idaho) You may have noticed that a lot of kids today play video games and that may be the understatement of the year. A lot of those games involve monsters, like Pokemo...

A look inside the projection room at the Virgil Ortiz Revolt 1680/2180: Runners + Gliders exhibit at History Colorado. The symbol on the floor is meant to act like a portal, transporting visitors to the futuristic world. (Emma VandenEinde / KUNC) Indigenous art is often only viewed as a relic, a historical work of the past. But that’s not the case – their art and their people are present today. On...

(billandkent / Flickr Creative Commons) As 2022 was coming to a close, we learned of a historic conservation easement agreement for part of Cougar Island on Payette Lake right across from McCall. Cougar Island was at risk of being commercially developed, but the Payette Land Trust purchased and helped craft a conservation agreement that will limit commercial encroachment on that high profile islan...

Symptoms of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient's hand, from a 2003 case in the United States. In most instances, the disease causes fever and painful, pus-filled blisters. New cases in the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal are spreading possibly through sexual contact, which had not previously been linked to monkeypox transmission. (CDC / Getty Images) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control...

(Stephen Downes / Flickr) The Ada County Highway District has a new, interactive bike map for folks planning cycling trips anywhere between Barber Park and the city of Star. Want to know which roads have bike lanes? Looking for a bike repair shop? Want a really intense ride or maybe one that’s more sedate? The map has it all! Dave Rader is the Supervisor of Accessibility and Mobility at ACHD and j...

The 4.5-mile trail begins in Stanley's Pioneer Park and ends near the entrance to Redfish Lake. (Rachel Cohen / Boise State Public Radio ) Four years ago, a controversy erupted over a plan by the Sawtooth National Forest to build a trail between Stanley and Redfish Lake. The U.S. Forest Service said it had bought an easement on private land to build the trail. The owner of the Sawtooth Valley Ranc...

It was four years ago that we got a chance to sit down with the owner of the Sun Valley Ranch about the lawsuit he filed against the U.S. Forest Service over the Stanley to Redfish Lake Trail. As the trail is about to open, despite his ongoing appeal in the 9th Circuit Court, we wanted to revisit that interview, where he outlines his concerns about the project.

Back in June of 2019 we spoke with the Idaho Conservation League about their Friend of the Court brief in the lawsuit over the Stanley to Redfish Lake Trail. Despite the ongoing lawsuit, the trail is about to open to the public and we wanted to revisit that interview to find out why the Conservation League felt the need to support the U.S. Forest Service in this case.

(Stanley Zimny / Flickr) Have you been seeing more dandelions than usual at your local park? There’s a good reason for that, a couple of reasons really. First, pesticides are often bad for the birds and the bees and for humans and the City of Boise wants to cut down on how many chemicals they use on public spaces. And second, dandelions are not evil . The City of Boise is on a campaign to tell peo...

(Wilf Carter / Flickr) Over the past few years, we’ve noticed an increase in the number of stories we’ve covered about the misuse of public lands. From increased trash left at campgrounds to large amounts of junk dumped on public lands to the closure of a road to a local treasure valley landmark because of parking abuse, trash and vandalism, human overcrowding and bad actors are putting pressure o...

(BradLittleForIdaho.com) A state microgrant program, designed to help Idahoans with the cost of their kids' education, is under scrutiny after Gov. Brad Little said he wants a full financial audit of the program to determine if parents are buying TVs, clothes and smartwatches with the money instead of laptops, textbooks or behavioral therapy. The $50 million Empowering Parents program was designed...

(Molly Messick/ Boise State Public Radio) Just last week, Idaho Reports told us Idaho's revenues for May were more than $17 million ahead of what was projected. And that’s $7 million more than what the Gem State collected in April. This week, the Federal Reserve meets to decide whether to raise the interest rate again and if they don’t , what happens in July? And how will that affect Idahoans? Jas...

(Georgie Sharp / Flickr) U.S. support for nuclear power is the highest it's been in a decade and there are a number of proposals for new plants in our region. That could mean an uptick in domestic uranium mining . Plus, we take you to a Mountain West town where billionaire Bill Gates and other investors plan to build a nuclear reactor to generate electricity, where locals are bracing for a huge in...

(Rebecca. Rose / Flickr) Wednesday is Flag Day in the United States. It was June 14, 1777 when the Continental Congress approved the design of America’s flag. It was 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 Flag Day and a national Flag Day was signed into law in 1949. The flag has been everything from a symbol of national pride to a Supreme Court case on whether the government can com...

Researchers studying the Halleck Creek site, which could be one of the largest rare earth deposits in the world. (Dane Rhys / American Rare Earths) The batteries in your cell phone, the glass in solar panels and other important materials all depend on rare earth minerals . That's leading to a new mining rush in the West. Mining these rare elements in southeast Wyoming and in other places around th...

The Boise skyline. (Steve / Flickr) There were more than a handful of skeptics when the City of Boise announced that city operations would be carbon neutral by 2035 and the entire city would be carbon neutral by 2050. But city officials are electrifying more buildings and vehicles and conserving more limited resources, getting them closer to the carbon neutral reality . Steve Burgos is the Directo...

Reclaim Idaho gathers signatures for the Medicaid Expansion Citizen's Initiative that voters approved in November of 2018. (James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) 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, including Idaho Medicaid , Branden Durst , hospital cyberattacks , Raúl Labrador...

(Richard Vogel / AP) As Idaho begins to see more electric cars on the roadways, officials are concerned about having enough charging stations to support them. This can be a tricky concept though, because without stations, people won’t buy cars and without the cars, the stations are not terribly viable. To help build more EV charging stations , the state is looking at NEVI- the National Electric Ve...

A map shows the probability of thunderstorms. ( National Weather Service Boise) If you thought the last two days of thunderstorms was unbelievable, just wait. The National Weather Service in Boise says we're going to have afternoon and evening thunderstorms through next Tuesday! The storms could come with more heavy rain, hail, gusty winds and possible flooding. And the forecast covers a wide area...

(Talo Pinto / Flickr) Have you ever wondered how Boise trails get their names ? Well, it turns out there are many different origins, from the sentimental to the practical. Trails have been named after people, landmarks, plants, wildlife and more. Nicole Blanchard, outdoors reporter with the Idaho Statesman , joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the stories behind Boise's trails.

The Writers Guild of America is on strike, in its first work stoppage since 2007-2008. In that strike, writers demonstrated in front of the Fox studio in Los Angeles. (Gabriel Bouys / AFP via Getty Images) Believe it or not, Broadway depends a lot on television for its survival and the ongoing writer's strike in Hollywood almost derailed this week's Tony Awards. Plus, there are all kinds of new do...