Idaho Matters

(Pol Turrents / Flickr)

You may have noticed we've had a lot of presidential politics going on lately, and that can be depressing. So, we wanted to take a look at the role comedy plays in this kind of news cycle.

Our resident movie critic and Morning Edition host George Prentice joined Idaho Matters to talk more and give us an idea of what to watch.

( Johns Hopkins University Press )

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 26, 2023.

The Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic that started just over four years ago in Idaho.

While we still struggle with cases of COVID-19 and its variants, many are looking back to figure out what we did right and what we did wrong, with an eye toward the next global outbreak of a virus.

Dr. David Pate, who has hosted our Doctor’s Roundtable since it began and Dr. Ted Epperly wrote a book that looks at the the pandemic and provides over 100 recommendations designed to help everyone prepare for and survive the next outbreak.

The book is called "Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak: A Guide to Planning from the Schoolhouse to the White House" and it’s out now. Dr. Pate and Dr. Epperly joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and President Joe Biden arrive for an event in the East Room of the White House, May 9, 2024, in Washington. (Evan Vucci / AP)

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he was stepping out of the race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him as the nominee to run against former President Donald Trump.

Monday, we took a deep dive into what happens next, and now we continue our coverage of this dramatic shift in politics.

Our Morning Edition host George Prentice sat down with Dr. Sam Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs at Boise State University, to talk about how the Biden/Harris flip on the democratic ticket impacts Idaho and how the Gem State will impact the race.

The Mandela Washington Fellows on Boise State's campus.( Lainey Rehkemper)

Last month, many of Africa's leaders arrived in Idaho to take part in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Among them are activists, doctors, educators, and engineers,all looking to make a difference within their communities. Over the last five weeks, they’ve been finding more ways to do that through workshops and trainings hosted by Boise State University.

Dr. Julietha Tibyesiga, one of the fellows, and Ashley Nichols, the institute director, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the program and its impact.

( The Cabin)

For nearly 30 years, The Cabin has served as a literary hub, bringing people together through stories.

And as the nonprofit’s community of writers, students and book lovers has grown, so has their need for more space. Which is why they have launched a campaign to help renovate the historic building.

Kurt Zwolfer, executive director of The Cabin Center for Readers and Writers, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this effort.

(Idaho Public Television / Right of Way)

Before humans came to Idaho, animals migrated across the state without barriers like fences, roads or barbed wire.

We have wreaked havoc with how wildlife tries to get where it needs to go, but now that’s changing as we’ve realized how much of an impact humans have. Now, we're trying to mitigate those impacts, by using special fencing that mimics historical migration routes, as well as wildlife bridges over highways.

A new episode of Outdoor Idaho focuses on how we’re helping animals move safely around humans. It’s called “Right of Way,” and Outdoor Idaho producer Kris Millgate joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

President Joe Biden, right, walks with Vice President Kamala Harris on May 13, 2021, in Washington. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, July 21, ending his bid for reelection following a debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.(Evan Vucci / Associated Press )

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he would no longer be running for a second term and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the nominee to run against former President Donald Trump.

Harris says she’s ready to "earn and win" the nomination, and many Democrats have come out to support her.

However, the Democratic National Committee chair says the party will go through the process to find a candidate who can defeat President Trump in the election, which is just over three months away.

Jaclyn Kettler, political scientist at Boise State University, McKay Cunningham, College of Idaho Director of Graduate Initiatives and Rep. Lauren Necochea, the Chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, joined Idaho Matters to break down what this means for voters and Idaho.

(City of Toronto / CC by 2.0)

A new law has put restrictions on library book challenges, there are a growing number of evictions in the Treasure Valley, reading scores for Idaho students are still lagging, improvement is needed in the Forest Services fire program and we take a look at Project 2025's plan for education.

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.

Our journalist panel today:

Murphy Woodhouse Mountain West News Bureau Boise Reporter

Water-scooping aircraft collecting water from Redfish Lake takes photo of the Bench Lake Fire on July 14.( U.S. Forest Service-Sawtooth National Forest)

One week ago, a wildfire broke out eight miles south of Stanley, next to Idaho's iconic Redfish Lake.

The fire is still relatively small by Gem State’s standards, at about 2,000 acres, but it’s threatening some of the most popular camping and recreation spots in the Sawtooth National Forest.

High temperatures, smoke and dead trees killed by a mountain pine beetle epidemic have made the fire worse, and just getting to the fire has been a challenge for firefighters.

Nicole Blanchard with the Idaho Statesman and Steve Botti, the Mayor of Stanley, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the Bench Lake Fire.

(blawton44 / Flickr)

The number of Idahoans traveling to Montana to receive abortion care has tripled in the last year.

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, in 2022, 32 Idahoans traveled to Montana to get an abortion. In 2023, the year our state’s abortion ban went into total effect, 88 people went to Montana for abortion care.

One Montana advocacy group wants to make sure everyone knows that abortions and contraception are still legal in Montana.

Nicole Smith, executive director of Montanans for Choice, and Aileen Gleizer, advisor of Montanans for Choice, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.