Idaho Matters

(Nick / Randimals.com) One of the hardest parts of being a kid is not fitting in. Being a little different can be tough, especially for children, no matter what that difference might be. One local company is helping kids talk about being different and learn how beautiful being unique can be by combining the characteristics of two animals into one, like a horse and a shark or an elephant and a gori...

(iStockphoto.com) Every week we take a look at the latest going on with COVID-19 and other public health issues. This week there are some concerning developments around Avian Influenza and there are new outbreaks of a form of Hemorrhagic Fever. We take a look at how much of a threat these new outbreaks may be and whether we are prepared to deal with them. Plus, a new study says a healthy lifestyle...

( HarperCollins) You probably won't have to close your eyes to imagine the “perfect mom.” All the videos with appropriate lifestyle tips, balancing work, wellness and home. And at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she ran the classroom for the neighborhood kids in the living room, and she got up at 5 a.m. to meditate and, of course, work out. It's crazy, bBut too many of us have embraced that s...

James Van Leuven is a research assistant professor in University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. (Joseph Pallen/University of Idaho Photographic / University of Idaho Visual Productions) If you had an apple lately, you can thank a honeybee for making it happen. Bees pollinate 85% of flowering plants and most of the stuff we eat that gets grown in the ground, but bees are dyin...

The Bright Side by Chad Otis ( Rocky Pond Books) As the cost of housing and inflation continues to rise families across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet, especially here in Idaho. According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , Idaho was ranked as one of the states with the highest percentage of unsheltered families. These realities can be hard to cope with and even ha...

( Idaho Policy Institute/Boise State University) Here in Idaho household income has gone up around 18% from 2015 to 2020. But Idaho’s housing values went up almost 75% in the same period of time. That means affording a home has gotten harder, a lot harder, and a lot more people are putting more of their paycheck toward housing costs, instead of food or healthcare. According to a study from the Ida...

Toshio Mori carved out time to write every evening. ( Courtesy of Steven Y. Mori) In 1941 aspiring writer Toshio Mori sent the manuscript for his first book to C aldwell, Idaho-based Caxton Printers , hoping to get his collection of fiction stories about the problems of the Japanese people living in America, published. Caxton’s founder James Gibson liked the book and recognized the significance of...

The Boise Weekly is the home of columnist Bill Cope, movie critic George Prentice, a beer guy, dating advice and a little bit of history. It’s also one of the few alternative weeklies in the state of Idaho. The publication features local art on the cover and along with arts, culture, entertainment and politics it looks closely at issues that affect the LBGTQ+ community, people of color and women....

(Getty Images) At some point, most people will find themselves in a toxic situation. It may be a job, a relationship or a family dynamic, and if you don’t have the tools to deal with your emotions the situation could end up being disastrous. Idaho-based board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Perma Mental Health, Dr. Alex Wills , says we need to embrace our emotions in order to regain control...

Whitebark Pine ( USFWS Endangered Species – Mountain Prairie Region) If you spent time in Idaho's forests chances are you’ve seen a Whitebark Pine. This native tree is found across the Pacific Northwest and can live to be over 1,000 years old. Along with its beauty, the Whitebark helps stabilize the soil around it and feeds several kinds of animals. But the tree is in trouble thanks to a variety o...

Freedom's Path is now playing nationwide. ( Freedoms Path LLC) The just-released film "Freedom’s Path" – telling the story of a runaway civil war soldier who encounters a secret community of freed slaves – is more than a reflection of history. It’s also making its own history and a portion of the film’s profits are going to historically black colleges and universities. AJ Winslow went to Boise Hig...

(Sindhu Hirani Blume / NPR) Idaho is most popularly known for our potatoes but thanks to a rapidly growing wine industry, we are now being recognized for our grapes as well. With four wine regions and over 70 wineries, Idaho has more than a few wines that you might want to try. So to help make sure everyone has a chance to taste the state's best varieties the Idaho Wine Commission is hosting a ser...

(iStockphoto.com) As Valentine's day approaches many of us are thinking about love, in all its many forms, and what better way to express love than through a letter? As it happens, that is exactly what one group of artists plan to do in an upcoming event featuring an evening of "Love Letter Tributes." Morning Edition host George Prentice sits down with the organizer of the event Rebeca Evans and p...

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) An Idaho committee approved a bill banning gender affirming care for youth , the state is experiencing a shortage in school counselors , some republican lawmakers want to make changes to our state’s unemployment benefits and the latest on the Lori and Chad Daybell case. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets...

For those experiencing homelessness fulfilling immediate needs around food, shelter and safety are incredibly important. However, it’s also important, that as people, we are able to fulfill needs that aren't just centered around survival, but also joy. That's why the Art Collective at Interfaith Sanctuary is so crucial. The program provides a space for artists and makers to gather and create. And...

Public education faces a large number of controversies, everything from Critical Race Theory, censorship and arguments over school funding and school choice. Some of the controversies stem from different groups having different ideas about what public education is for and what it should be trying to accomplish. Dr. Phil Kelly is a retired professor at the College of Education at Boise State Univer...

(iStockphoto.com) Concentrating in the classroom can be hard if you’re struggling with basic needs like food, clothing or a stable home environment. That's why school districts all over the Treasure Valley are partnering in an initiative called "Community Schools," which helps provide resources for students and families in need. In Nampa alone there are five Family Community Resource Centers that...

(Philippe Desmazes / AFP/Getty Images) The Mountain West is seeing more snow than it has in years, which means more powder-hungry skiers and snowmobilers heading for the backcountry. But that means risking an avalanche and there have already been several deadly avalanches this winter. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan reports for the Mountain West News Bureau.

Igor Sorokin (Flickr) Water officials across the West have been negotiating a crisis on the Colorado River. Drought is putting pressure on the seven-state basin, and the nation’s two largest reservoirs recently reached record lows. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Will Walkey looks at how higher-elevation states are being affected by the prospect of a drier future.

(William Hartnett / Flickr) Idaho’s lack of low income housing is no secret and the need continues to grow. Last year a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition projected the state needs more than 24,000 more homes for the most economically disadvantaged Idahoans. As costs go up more people are priced out of a home or end up living in substandard housing. Boise Valley Habitat for Huma...

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington. (Patrick Semansky / AP) It wasn’t just inside-the-beltway pundits who were deconstructing Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. In fact, two Boise High School students, who are diving into domestic and world politics during their senior year, w...

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact Idaho) With the official end of the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency coming in May it means a complex set of policy changes, as well as a new move forward for the United States. Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and current member of the Idaho Coronavirus Task Force, joins Idaho Matters to help break this down.

( G.P. Putnam's Sons) 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 ."

Statue of Abraham Lincoln at the State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. (A. Wee / Flickr) This Sunday will mark the 214th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. And as we approach this anniversary we are reminded of Lincoln's ties to Idaho. In March of 1863 he signed the act that created the Idaho territory and today you don’t have to look far to see statues of the famous president, with one of the ol...

The picture on the left is an image of a legitimate Oxycodone pill. The picture on the right is an image of counterfeit Oxycodone pills. ( United States Attorney's Office District of Idaho) Last week two men from Idaho Falls were each sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine. During the investigation police found 12,000 fentanyl pills in a storage unit...