Idaho Matters

(NPR/Amelie Benoit/BSIP/Corbis)Every February 4, people around the world show awareness and support for the fight against cancer on World Cancer Day. We'll find out how that fight is going in Idaho.

(idahoaeyc.org)Wednesday is Early Learning Day, which will highlight the value of learning through play. We'll hear about BLOCK Fest at the Capitol Rotunda and how learning should be fun.

(stock)Host Gemma Gaudette leads a round table discussion of the week's headlines with the region's top journalists. This week Idaho Matters speaks with Betsy Russell with the Idaho Press, Don Day of BoiseDev and Mike Sharpe of KIVI-TV.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech)Researchers believe the Jupiter moon of Europa could possibly be habitable. The natural satellite has an enormous ocean twenty times deeper than earth's and is covered by a thick, icy shell. Boise State University's First Friday Astronomy Lecturepresents JPL's Dr. Samuel Howell to talk about NASA's Clipper Mission to Europa.

(idahopca.org)Community health centers facilitate care for more than 180,000 Idahoans annually. We talk with Terry Reilly Health Services and Family Medicine Health Centers about providing affordable and immediate health care from Downtown Boise to the state's most rural reaches.

(berch4idaho.com/cvidaho.org)Freshman representatives Steve Berch (D-Boise) and Jake Ellis (D-Boise) recently held a joint town hall and answered questions to a packed house. Representatives Berch and Ellis join Idaho Matters to share the issues raised at the forum.

(Ryan Kellman/NPR)St. Luke's is seeking participants for the study of a new treatment for myopia, or near-sightedness. The treatment is as simple as some eye drops. We talk with the pediatric ophthalmologist heading up the study.

(rmhcidaho.org)Ground will be broken this Friday for a new Ronald McDonald House in Boise. The valley's explosive growth has forced the organization to turn away families looking for a place to stay while their children receive medical care. The new $15 million facility is more than 40,000 square feet and we learn how the new building will help families seeking care for their children.

(jessetreeidaho.org)Gabriel Iacoboni felt the best way to fight homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. His nonprofit, The Jesse Tree of Idaho, looks for ways to help people on the cusp of eviction.

(MATT GUILHEM / BOISE STATE PUBLIC RADIO)Marsy's Law is back on the floor of the Idaho legislature after being voted down in the last two sessions. The proposal provides advocacy and protections for victims of crime but there is some concern that the wording might further compromise civil rights. Idaho Matters talks to the ACLU of Idaho and the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence about why they feel changes need to be made to the text.

(lost river wellness)Lost River Wellness provides drop-in services and addiction treatment in Boise's north end. COO Mike Biggins joins Idaho Matters to talk about their unique approach to treatment.

(google)The Idaho Black History Museum begins Black History Month with a dinner and presentation by University of Idaho associate vice president, Mike Satz. The discussion involves the use of the law to affect social engineering. Satz joins Idaho Matters with the museum's executive director, Phillip Thompson.

(Arbiter Online/Abigail Figueroa)Boise State's Gaming, Interactive Media & Mobile Technology (or GIMM) program teaches video game design, mobile app development and virtual reality programming, among other tech stuff. GIMM is partnering with the Old Coot & Maggie Foundation to solicit tech concepts that can be used to address cultural and social problems.

(risch.senate.gov)The government shutdown proved to be devastating for hundreds of thousands of federal employees and it cost the American economy billions of dollars. Congress and the president agreed to re-open for another three weeks while all sides continue to work out federal budgeting and agreeable attention to border security. Idaho Matters asks listener questions of Senator Jim Risch about the shutdown, border security, foreign relations and the investigations into Russian interference with the 2016 election.

(Boise School District )High school students can jump start their secondary education by individualizing courses of study to include college credits, technical competency credits and accelerate advanced placement through the state's Advanced Opportunities program. We learn how Idaho students can fast track their higher education using this program.

(college of idaho)Jasper LiCalzi, a College of Idaho professor of political economy, recently published a book about Idaho politics that looks at Gem State government through the prism of the community, rather than the perspective of red/blue. LiCalzi joins Idaho Matters to talk about Idaho Politics and Government: Culture Clash and Conflicting Values in the Gem State and how new perspectives could lead to more productive discourse.

(Idaho Statesman)MacArthur "Mac" Eld started photographing historic Idaho highway markers in an effort to create meaningful holiday gifts for friends and family. Eight years later, Mac Eld has documented 269 of these signs, bringing attention to Idaho's history and the need to maintain these markers. Eld joins Idaho Matters in studio to talk about his project and what he learned about our history while out on the road.

(andrewcoussens.com)Andrew Coussens went to work as a private military contractor in Afghanistan, Iraq and various classified locations. He found the work created incredible strains on his family. Coussens parlayed his experience into the novel, "A Failed State." He joins Idaho Matters to talk about his book and the challenges faced by private military contractors after they come home.Correction: The original version of this story stated Andrew Coussens was in the military before serving as a private military contractor. He was not an active duty member.

(aanr.com)The American Association for Nude Recreation boasts a membership of more than 200,000 and this August they will hold their annual convention in Worley, Idaho. We talk to event organizers about the attraction to this lifestyle and why they chose Worley.

Educators have been aware of the importance of teaching STEM content for years, and for just as long kids have used Lego bricks to stretch their imaginations. It didn't take long for STEM and Lego to connect and today there are numerous science contests based on Lego designs. On Monday's Idaho Matters, we talk about using Lego to promote STEM education in the region.