Idaho Matters

Addie Boswell created E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One), the mural resides within the 8th Street Tunnel, located near the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. ( Visionkit Studio / Photography courtesy of Boise City Department of Arts & History) If you’ve visited the Boise Greenbelt recently, you may have noticed a new addition to the 8th Street tunnel. A vibrant mural from artist Addie Bos...

A Small Light ( Disney +) In June 1996, Miep Gies came to Boise to plant a tree in memory of her friend Anne Frank. She was 80-years-old at the time. Later, the only Anne Frank Memorial in the United States was built on that spot. Thanks to a new mini-series many people are now learning about the heroism of a young Gies and how she and her husband hid the Frank family as Nazis took control of Amst...

(iStockphoto.com) Idaho’s climate is changing and that will have a range of impacts on the Gem State, including an increase in temperatures, more extreme weather and wildfires, just to name a few. Those impacts translate into health and economic effects for the people who live and work in Idaho. As part of their spring series on health and climate change, St. Luke's is hosting a talk tomorrow titl...

If you knew you only had a short time left on this earth, what would you want to do most with your remaining moments? That’s the question Wish Granters asks of terminally ill adults and their caregivers in Idaho – then they find a way to grant those last wishes. For Dave, his last wish was a chance to go to the Oregon coast with his kids. Betty wanted to spend some time with horses on a farm. Kami...

Director Jessica Dorr stands with the Boise Public Library mascot. ( Boise Public Library) This Saturday the Boise Public Library and Ada Community Library will be hosting their second annual " Summer Reading and Learning Celebration ." The event shares a mix of local summers programs for kids to participate in, while also offering up quite a bit of fun. Ryan Peck, the Managing Director and co-fou...

"The Three of Us" book cover. ( G.P. Putnam's Sons ) If you’ve been looking for a book that will be tough to put down " The Three of Us " may be just what you’re looking for. This debut novel by Ore Agbaje-Williams has been named one of Lit Hub’s and Nylon’s most anticipated books of 2023, as well as Elle's best new books for summer. The author joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her new book.

(Lacey Daley / Boise State Public Radio) In April, Boise State Public Radio learned an independent investigation tasked with probing the racist agenda of a retired Boise Police Captain had tapped out of allotted funding – approximately $500,000. But now, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean tells us the public will soon learn the results of that investigation. McLean visited with Morning Edition host George...

Two boys wait for their turn to swim, on the edge of a pool. (Elissa Nadworny / NPR) Here's something that may come as a shock to you: according to the CDC, Idaho has one of the highest accidental drowning rates in the country – and we are a landlocked state. Since May is water safety month, and today is water safety day, we wanted to talk more about this. Executive Director of the Downtown Boise...

"Saturday Night At The Lakeside Supper Club" book cover. ( Pamela Dorman Books ) New York Times bes-tselling author, J. Ryan Stradal, is back with his third novel, " Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club ." His first book, " Kitchens of the Great Midwest " won the American Booksellers Association Indie's Choice Award for Adult Debut Book of the Year. He joins Idaho Matters to talk more about...

Craig Johnson ( Courtesy of Craig Johnsons Facebook page) Everybody grab their cowboys hats because this Thursday, May 18, New York Times best-selling author Craig Johnson will be in Boise presenting for the Osher Life Long Learning Institute at Boise State. Johnson is the author of the well-known Longmire Mystery series , which has won multiple awards and was made into a hit Netflix show. He join...

Lori Vallow Daybell stands and listens as the jury's verdict is read at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on Friday May 12, 2023. The Idaho jury convicted Daybell of murder in the deaths of her two youngest children and a romantic rival, a verdict that marks the end of a three-year investigation that included bizarre claims of zombie children, apocalyptic prophesies and illicit affairs. (K...

Five years ago, a group of Malibu surfers came face-to-face with a devastating California wildfire. As first responders were overwhelmed by the flames, these neighbors banded together to save people’s homes and got supplies to those in need. Now they’ve created a new kind of model to help fight wildfires. A new podcast follows this group of misfits who survived a deadly wildfire and are now workin...

(Lacey Daley / Boise State Public Radio) Schools across the Mountain Westhave been hit this year with reports of false active shooter reports. Even though the threats are fake, the consequences from them are real. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey reports on what are called “swatting” incidents. Awarning, this story contains descriptions of violence and suicide.

Dean Matt stands next to a plane with a Pickleball paddle in his hand. ( Dean Matt / Mucho Dean Aero) Dean Matt, also known as "The Pickleball Pilot," will be in Eagle this Friday, attempting to set a world record. His goal is to play 48 Pickleball matches in 48 states in less than 48 days . Idaho is stop number 17. Matt and his wife Luanne joined Idaho Matters to talk more about Pickleball and th...

Empty popcorn bags are lined up in a row. (Scott Duffus / Flickr) Hollywood writers are on strike. What does that mean for your movie and tv viewing fun? Plus there’s a new film opening in theaters you simply must see and Netflix has a new animated series out. Our resident movie critic, George Prentice, joined Idaho Matters to help us figure out what to watch.

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact Idaho) When the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends Thursday, labs across the U.S. will no longer be required to report COVID-19 test results to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and hospitals and state health departments will also be reporting less comprehensive data. So what does all of this mean for our country and for Idaho? Dr. David Pate,...

New recommendations from the USPSTF advise that women get biannual mammograms starting at age 40 to detect breast cancers. (andresr / Getty Images) Mother’s Day is this Sunday and while many will spend the day taking care of mom, it’s always important for moms to take care of themselves. If you or your mom is 40 years or older, you need a mammogram every year and the technology to detect breast ca...

Lori Vallow Daybell (right) is on trial for multiple murder charges and other criminal counts, in a case that has its roots in 2019 — when Vallow Daybell's children were last seen alive. (Tony Blakeslee / AP) It has been five weeks of witness testimony in the criminal trial against Lori Vallow. On Tuesday, the prosecution rested their case. Just moments after that the defense did the same thing. N...

(MotoWebMistress / Flickr Creative Commons) Right now, high mountain snow is melting fast. You can see it starting to overflow rivers all over Idaho, including the Boise and Snake River. That water is filling streams and reservoirs that are part of the Colorado River system, a lifeline for tens of millions of people in the west. But some of that snow is disappearing before it melts. KUNC's Alex Ha...

The Supreme Court (Evan Vucci / AP) Last month Pro P ublica reported on trips made by Clarence Thomas and whether the Supreme Court Justice had properly disclosed them. The reporting raised questions about what kind of gifts Thomas and other Justices can accept and raised questions about judicial reform. Dr. David Adler has been digging into the history of judicial accountability and is planning a...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio News) At least five sitting Republican state legislators have been censured or had votes of no confidence taken against them by local party officials this year. They say it’s because these lawmakers are failing to follow the state GOP platform – many planks of which have been adopted by the party’s far-right wing. As James Dawson reports, the pushback again...

Brooke Burton (The Boise Phil) Hope is not always easy to find in this current world with all the chaos, anger and politics we face every day. So the Boise Philharmonic Master Chorale decided to create a concert designed to uplift and delight everyone who hears it. This Saturday, they will be singing “ Catching Hope ” at the Brandt Center in Nampa. The Chorale's Interim Executive Director, Erin Pa...

From Disney's Frozen on Broadway, Charissa Hogeland performs "Let It Go" at the Broadway Season Reveal Party. ( Morrison Center) The upcoming Broadway in Boise season is going to have something for everyone, from "Frozen" to "To Kill a Mockingbird". Laura Kendall, executive director of the Morrison Center, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this year's seasonand the 40th anniversary.

(Lacey Daley / Boise State Public Radio) The November election is six months away and already the race for Boise mayor is heating up. Former Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson has tossed his hat into the ring for the job, giving current Boise Mayor Lauren McLean some competition. Masterson retired as police chief in 2015 and our Morning Edition host George Prentice wanted to find out why he wanted...

(BES Photo / Flickr Creative Commons) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 17, 2023. All across the southwest, there’s a problem. There’s not enough water to go around and the water that does arrive often falls far away from where people live, leading to tense conversations about how and where it should be used. A new project is trying to bridge the gap, starting with the younge...