Idaho Matters

(Jae C. Hong/AP/NPR)A recent poll conducted by Idaho Politics Weekly, a Zions Bank publication, found a gaping chasm between support for Donald Trump between men and women.The poll finds men out-support the president by a nearly 30-point margin over women. Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press joins us to explain the poll results on Wednesday's Idaho Matters.

(Idaho Public Television)Idaho Experience is Idaho Public Television's new series bringing to life the stories of the extraordinary people and defining events that have shaped Idaho's past and present.IPTV's Melissa Davlin joins Idaho Matters to talk about the latest installment in the series, "Forgotten Neighbors" which tells the story of Chinese immigrants in Idaho through the eyes of one young woman who was born in Idaho City in the 1880s. 

(Credit: boisegoatheadfest.com)Boise bicyclists were disappointed to hear the "Tour de Fat" bike festival would not be returning this year, so area organizers put together their own festival. We speak with Jimmy Hallyburton, Executive Director of the Boise Bicycle Project, about the upcoming Goat Head Fest.

(IDAHO STATE LEGISLATURE)Former state lawmaker Marv Hagedorn will soon assume the lead of the state's Division of Veterans Services and he joins Tuesday's Idaho Mattersto talk about the programs helping Idaho's veteran population.

(NPR/Damian Dovarganes/AP)The Idaho Human Rights Commission has reported a noticable spike in sexual harassment claims and much of the attribution to the increase in reporting goes to the #MeToo movement and the empowerment and support it has given to women in the workplace.Idaho Matters examines this uptick with Benjamin Earwicker, director of Idaho's HRC and Annie Pelletier Hightower, director of law and policy with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

(Twitter)Kevin Davenport has been covering science content for the Idaho Statesman this summer. He joins Idaho Matters to talk about algae blooms, bee colony collapse and a plague affecting humans and pets alike.

(SADIE BABITS)The San Inazio Festival is an annual event to honor St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of the Basques. It began more than 25 years ago and now thousands come to the Basque Block at the end of every July to see local musicians and dancers as well as Basque sporting events.

(Credit Scott Graf / Boise State Public Radio)Treasure Valley housing prices are steadily increasing, as are rental rates. We speak with Boise Regional Realtors CEO Breanna Vanstrom and Equity Idaho Northwest Real Estate's Gary Salisbury about the state of housing in Southwest Idaho.

(learninglabinc.org)The Learning Lab in Garden City provides literacy education for low-income adults and instructional services for families with young children.With a commitment to "teach and encourage adults who struggle with literacy [and] help families discover the joy of learning so all children start kindergarten ready to read," the Learning Lab looks to education to strengthen the community.

(ebay)The bitter Italian cordial Aperol is in short supply and area bartenders and cocktail entusiasts want to know why the popular summer spritzer liquor is so hard to find. On Monday's Idaho Matters, we ask a Boise mixologist why.

We assemble a panel of Idaho journalists to discuss the week's events in Boise, the Treasure Valley and beyond. This week we're joined by Bill Manny of the Idaho Statesman, Idaho Public Television's Melissa Davlin and Betsy Russell of The Idaho Press.

In the 1930s and 40s, hundreds of Basque people were brought to the western United States to do the desolate work that no one else would do—herding sheep. Alone for months at a time with hundreds of sheep, the Basque improvised songs, baked bread in underground ovens, carved poetry and drawings into the Aspen trees, listened to The Basque Radio hour traditional music and messages between the herders out in the isolated countryside—looking forward to The Annual Sheepherder’s Ball.The Sheepherder's Ball was the highlight of the year in Boise. The men wore denim, the women wore simple house dresses. Lambs were auctioned off and proceeds given to a charity. Huge platters of chorizo and stew and pork sandwiches were served. The ball continues to this day every December at the Euzkaldunak Club's Basque Center and on today's Idaho Matters, The Kitchen Sisters visit this tradition.

After Medicaid expansion failed to pass the Idaho legislature during the last session, the grassroots organization Reclaim Idaho gathered and submitted 56,192 signatures from Idahoans - enough to get the issue on the ballot as a voter initiative in the Novemeber election.We talk with state lawmakers about the possible passage of this expansion, how it may help the state's 62,000 uninsured residents and the wider impact on the state's economy.

(boisedev)BoiseDev.com began as a Twitter feed in 2013 and quickly evolved into one of the top sources of business and development news in the region. Veteran TV newsman Don Day has been managing the site since its inception and he joins Thursday's Idaho Matters to talk business, media and the growing Gem State.

(aecf.org)The Annie E. Casey's 'Kids Count' report coallates every metric imaginable regarding children's health, education, economic status, living conditions and so on. It is extremely comprehensive, and this year's data did not reflect well on the status of Idaho's youth. Idaho Matters addresses the results of this year's data.

(LDS.ORG)A 2017 report from the Public Religion Research Institute indicated the number of Americans who identify as Christians has been in a steady decline, while people who identify as members of the Church of Latter Day Saints has increased steadily. We look at how the Mormon church is bucking the trend of declining religious affiliation.

(BOISE NATIONAL FOREST)The West is heating up and the forests are drying out ... we're headed into peak wildfire season in Idaho. We check in with Boise State Public Radio's Frankie Barnhill on where the fires are, and what the forecast might tell us about what's to come in the next few weeks. 

(Bannock County)We continue our conversation about the state of Idaho's incarcerated population. Late last Wednesday, a riot broke out in the Bannock County jail. The Idaho Department of Corrections has been housing state inamtes in county jails due to overcrowding and on Tuesday's Idaho Matters, we speak with Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen about the stress this is causing in his county's jail.

(LES ZAITZ/THE OREGONIAN VIA AP)Last Wednesday, President Trump issued pardons to Dwight Hammond, Jr. and his son Steven. The pair had been found guilty of arson of federal property after their protest against the federal government over grazing rights.Their incarceration set off the events that led to the occupation of the Malhuer Federal Reserve. We talk to Mountain West News Bureau correspondent Amanda Peacher about the pardon and what it means about the relationship between Northwest ranchers and the federal government.

(Tripadvisor)The Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise closed 45 years ago, and as hard as they tried to keep people in, these days they can't keep people out. Amber Bierle of the Idaho State Historical Society talks about the history of the "Old Pen" and some of the upcoming events.