If there’s one good thing that’s come from the pandemic, perhaps it’s this: Idaho has seen a boom in pet adoption over the last year. As office workers moved their laptops home and set up desks in their spare rooms, some decided it was the purrfect time to welcome a furry friend. 

But as vaccinations open to the entire adult population in the Gem State today, some may be soon returning to the office. What does this mean for pets who have gotten used to having their human companions at home with them every day? 

Idaho Matters speak with Idaho Humane Society Chief Operating Officer Nadia Novik who has some tips for making the transition away from home better for people and their pets.  

Before white colonizers took land from indigenous people already living in Idaho, the Nimiipuu people occupied much of the north central part of the state. French fur traders who encountered them in the 1800s mistakenly called them Nez Perce. But their real name is Nimiipuu, meaning “the people.” Through everything they've endured, the community has held on to their traditions through their language, stories, art and more.

Idaho Matters speaks with high school student and Nez Perce filmmaker Brandon McHone about his first documentary, called "Creative Hearts & Minds of the Nez Perce."Also joining the conversation are Stacia Morfin, storyteller and Executive Director of Nez Perce Toursim and beadmaker/artist Mikailah Thompson. During the conversation, we learn how each guest is working to preserve and celebrate Nimiipuu culture.

Idaho's legislature is about to reconvene after a COVID outbreak, a look at a plan to send nuclear waste to the state, a serial killer convicted for heinous crimes in the 90s in North Idaho dies in prison, and an update on evictions happening in the Treasure Valley. 

We cover those topics and more on this week's edition of the Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable. Our panel today: 

Across the country, Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities are coming together and standing up to often deadly hate and violence directed at their people. Between March of 2020 and February 2021, the group “Stop AAPI Hate” has received almost 4,000 reports of hate incidents against this marginalized group. Accounts of violence and malice continue to come in, and experts say the actual number is far higher than what’s been reported. 

Idaho has its own shameful history of racism and bigotry against people of Asian descent.

[asset-pullquotes[{"quote": "\"These discrimination practices happened here even in good ole Boise, Idaho. Unless we educate people no one gets to hear about [the discrimination].\" - Sam Hui ", "style": "pull"}]]Idaho Matters explores some of that history, with the hope that we can learn from it. Our guests today: Boise State University Anthropology Professor Pei-Lin Yu, Community Organizer Dalton Dagondon Tiegs and Sam Hui, who is a retired entrepreneur from Boise.

As the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments head into the Final Four this weekend, Idaho Matters share the story of an Alaska man who found his sense of self on the basketball court.

This story was produced by our friends at the HumaNature podcast at Wyoming Public Media. 

More than a year after movie theaters first shuttered at the beginning of the pandemic, the Treasure Valley's largest cineplex has announced it’s reopening later this month. But if you’re not ready to return to the theater, there’s still plenty to enjoy from streaming services.

Idaho Matters gets recommendations of what to watch and what to skip from our resident film and TV critic George Prentice.

Tuesday, the Central District Health Department opened up the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone over the age of 16 in Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties. Adults of all ages in three other health departments similarly opened up appointments, weeks ahead of schedule. At the same time, trends on the East Coast and in Europe indicate we may be headed to a fourth surge of cases. What does this mean for Idaho?

Today on Idaho Matters, we check in with three physicians who answer your questions about the vaccine and the pandemic: 

Idahoans have been familiar with far-right groups for a while. But the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 put them back into the national conversation. At least three people from Idaho have been arrested for their involvement in the storming of the federal building.

More recently, anti-government leader Ammon Bundy did a kind of lecture tour in neighboring Utah after mainstream social media platforms responded to the insurrection by cracking down on these kinds of groups.

Boise-based reporter Heath Druzin followed Bundy during his stops auditoriums and gathering places in Utah. He spoke with Idaho Matters about the story wrote on the far-right leader for PostIndustrial Magazine, including why we should take Bundy seriously.

Children’s mental health is being greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and doctors around the world say what they’re seeing is alarming. From eating disorders to panic attacks, doctors are seeing it all. Add to that a rise in child abuse and overdoses in children and teens and this could be a recipe for disaster.

Idaho Matters checks in with Dr. Derek Duplaise of St. Luke's Children's Hospital to hear more about what he's seeing when it comes to children's mental and physical health.

If you or someone you know are struggling, there is help. Call or text with trained mental health professionals at from the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline: 208-398-4357.

The effects of human-caused climate change can be seen in every corner of the world. While Idaho experiences more erratic and dangerous wildfires, in Alaska, melting glaciers can lead to sea level rise and a rapidly changing landscape. 

A team of University of Idaho scientists are studying a particular glacier in Alaska, keeping a watchful eye on changes occurring around and underneath it. Idaho Matters learns more about this from U of I professor Tim Bartholomaus and doctoral student Chris Miele.