Idaho Matters

( Johns Hopkins University Press ) It’s time for our weekly Doctors Roundtable, which grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic that started just over three years ago in Idaho. While we still struggle with cases of COVID-19 and its variants, many are looking back over the past three years to figure out what we did right and what we did wrong, with an eye toward the next global outbreak of a virus. Dr. Dav...

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) So many folks are hooked on reality tv, especially reality tv dating shows. So what is it about them that draws us in and makes us watch and invest so much time and attention? Well, author Julia Argy delves into all of this in her newest novel, The One . She joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

( Viking) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 8, 2023. Rebecca Makkai’s last book " The Great Believers ," was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and readers and critics alike have been anxiously awaiting her next book. Her new novel, " I Have Some Questions for You ," is out now and Makkai describes her most recent creation as, "the literary feminist boarding school murder mystery you...

( Ranch Studios) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 7, 2023. One woman is challenging the way our society, for decades, has viewed anorexia. Dawn Brockett , a college professor who struggled with the disease for years has written a new book called " Unrestricted: How I Stepped Off the Tightrope, Learned to Say No, and Silenced Anorexia ." Brockett joined Idaho Matters to talk...

(stewie811 / Flickr) The City of Boise wants to rewrite the zoning code that governs how and where new building will happen . It’s the first major rewrite of the code in years and it will reshape how things like houses, apartments and other buildings are built in Idaho’s capital city. The city says the new code is needed to guide growth better and create more affordable housing. Opponents say the...

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on January 18, 2023. Acclaimed author Leah Konen is back with a new domestic thriller, " You Should Have Told Me ." She joined Idaho Matters to talk about her latest novel.

( ‎ Dutton) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on February 21, 2023. Author Cheryl Head is known for her page turning novels and her newest book, " Time’s Undoing ", is her most personal yet. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about how her outrage over the murder of George Floyd in 2020 compelled her to write her latest novel.

Ammon Bundy speaks to the media in front of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters on Jan. 6 near Burns, Ore. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) An arrest warrant has been issued for Ammon Bundy , Gov. Brad Little shares his thoughts on the 2023 legislative session , a new community set to be built in Kuna is receiving pushback , there is a split in the United Methodist Church and we give...

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on February 7, 2022. Last time we spoke with author Falon Ballard she had just released her first novel " Lease on Love ." And it was a hit, receiving praise from USA Today, US Weekly, POPSUGAR and BuzzFeed, just to name a few. Now she is back with her second novel, " Just My Type ."

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 2, 2023. Along the banks of the Boise River a scrubby, weedy landscape is being transformed back to a living, vibrant ecosystem thanks to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers from across the Treasure Valley. It’s called the Boise River ReWild Project and it’s the brainchild of the Golden Eagle Audubon Society. The goal is to restore more t...

(Visit Idaho / Visit Idaho) Tracy Stone-Manning served as Montana's Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and she served with the National Wildlife Federation. Then in 2021, President Biden asked her to become the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. She spends a lot of time on the road, including this week as the guest of the Cecil Andrus Center for Public Policy and the annua...

( Penguin Life) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 6, 2023. Author Cyndie Spiegel is back with another book " Microjoys: Finding Hope When Life is Not Okay ." The book is filled with essays about the microjoys that have kept Cyndie moving forward, even in the toughest times of her life. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

( Riverhead Books) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 1, 2023. New York Times bestselling author Katherine May is back with a new book, " Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age ." In this book, May explores how we can re-awaken our sense of wonder, instead of always feeling burned out. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 23, 2023. Since the World Center for Birds of Prey opened its doors in 1994 in south Boise, over 500,000 students have come to the facility to learn about birds , the environment and hands-on science. The center and the Peregrine Fund are dedicated to saving bird species, helping them thrive and teaching the next generation how to prevent ext...

(Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A new COVID-19 booster dose is about to be approved, just in time for a new variant that’s making the rounds. Plus, many hospitals and health clinics in Idaho and other parts of the country are dropping their mask requirements as mask fatigue continues to grow. But is that a good idea? How do folks in the high-risk category for COVID-19 feel about this move? Dr. Da...

( Pamela Dorman Books) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 21, 2023. Jenny Jackson, in the early days of the pandemic, decided to move her family out of New York City and go stay with her in-laws in Connecticut. When she did this, she also decided, hey, what a great time to write a book! So that's what she did. Jackson sat down with Idaho Matters to talk more about her new book...

( TarcherPerigee) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 9, 2023. There are so many struggles facing parents and children in today’s world, then throw in any type of difference and those struggles can multiply. Meg Zucker, who was born with a genetic condition herself, knows those struggles and she wanted to give parents and caregivers some tools on how to support their children....

(Shawn Kinkade / Flickr) The Columbia River basin watershed is one of the biggest in the United States covering 260,000 square miles and that includes creeks, streams and rivers across Idaho and six other states, as well as parts of Canada. The basin has struggled with issues like water quality, toxic pollution and fish conservation. There are many who want to help clean up and preserve the river...

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on January 31, 2023. A new novel, The Hunter , puts to rest some tropes about suspense novels, small town crime and police corruption. The book’s author, Jennifer Herrera, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her newest book.

( Berkley ) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 30, 2023. USA Today bestselling author Colleen Oakley is back with a new novel, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise . It’s being called wildly surprising and entertaining, just the book many of us need right now. Colleen Joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

(Darin Oswald / Idaho Statesman) For over three decades, there have been those who have argued for taking down four Snake River hydropower dams to help save struggling salmon. But for years, efforts to remove the dams have stalled for a variety of reasons. Now there are some very concrete efforts, including in the U.S. Congress, to try to get all the players to the table and to consider a way to t...

(iStockphoto.com) How prepared are you for a cyberattack? In this digital age, cybersecurity preparedness is a constant battle and our only defense against hackers trying to steal our information and our identities. That’s a question that Toby King considers every day. He is the Chief Information Officer of CapEd Credit Union and part of his job is to train folks to keep their computers, phones, a...

(BES Photo / Flickr Creative Commons) 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 youngest water users. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports for the Mountain West Ne...

( Chelsea Green Publishing) Believe it or not: bugs are in trouble . Despite how you may feel about most bugs, they are very good for the environment and are being threatened by pollution, habitat loss, a changing climate and even the kinds of clothes you buy. Vicki Hird is the author of the book “ Rebugging the Planet: The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do — And Why We N...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) A look at Idaho's role in the 2024 presidential race , a former Boise City Council member is suing the city , drought conditions are improving in the Mountain West, a Boise program is helping new moms and an East Idaho GOP committee is auctioning off a chance to " shoot with Kyle Rittenhouse ". It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable...