Idaho Matters

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**Celebrating cultures from around the world in Boise** Jun 22, 2022
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Black and white hands joined together(wantedtemo97 / Flickr)
For many, travel over the last few years has been limited, but this weekend you’ll have the chance to visit 15 international cultures, all without leaving Boise.
Starting Friday the World Village Festival is back for three days of music, dancing, food, art and more. Celebrating the Treasure Valley's diverse and growing community, all while ditching the airline fees.
Co-founders of the international festival Dayo Ayodele and Donna Kovaleski joined Idaho Matters to talk more about what people can expect to see this weekend.

How beavers are helping to reduce the effects of climate change Jun 22, 2022

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Climate change is reshaping the natural world, but one animal is doing its part to fight back.

A new study lays out all the ways that beavers are helping reshape rivers and streams and creating healthy waterways that are more resistant and resilient to the worst effects of climate change. KUNC’s Alex Hager has more for the Mountain West News Bureau.

**Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: June 17, 2022** Jun 17, 2022
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Downtown Boise( Kelsey Thomson)
The latest on arrests near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, a debate over guns in the Idaho Statehouse and Micron and a possible Boise expansion - 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:
Heath Druzin with Boise State Public Radio News and Producer of the Extremely American Podcast
Margaret Carmel, Senior Reporter with BoiseDev.com
Betsy Russell, the Boise Bureau Chief at the Idaho Press and the voice of the Eye on Boise Blog

Celebrating Juneteenth through the eyes of a 9-year-old Idaho girl Jun 17, 2022

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Monday marks the 157th anniversary of Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the freedom of the last slaves in the nation, as news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to slaves in Texas, two years after president Abraham Lincoln's speech.

The day has special significance to one Idaho family.

Two years ago, when COVID-19 was keeping everyone indoors, our Morning Edition host George Prentice spoke with Phillip Thompson, the Executive Director of the Black History Museum in Boise.

However, the real star of the interview was Zaida, his 9-year-old daughter.

**Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: June 15, 2022** Jun 15, 2022
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This is a close view of a specimen, prepared for the CDC serologic test to identify the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which is a sign of past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.(James Gathany / CDC PHIL Library)
The FDA is meeting Wednesday to consider giving the COVID-19 vaccine to kids five and under, a day after they voted to authorize the Moderna shot for kids six and up.
A new blood test could tell you if you're protected against COVID-19 and catching omicron is not a good way to build your immune system against future infections.
Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St Luke's Health System and a current member of the Idaho Coronavirus Task Force, joins Idaho Matters to break down all the latest news on COVID-19 and answer your questions.

The healing art of flamenco dancing Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

Stephanie Laishy founded Flamencos United to spread awareness about the dance through performances, teaching, and bringing world famous flamenco performers to Idaho. She hosts workshops and shares a message embedded within the dance: art is healing.

Arlie Sommer brings us this story as a part of the Expressive Idaho series.

**“What is Idaho known for?” Attacks on LGBTQ communities are fueling internet searches on the state’s history of racism and exclusion** Jun 14, 2022
Show notes

(screenshot / via Idaho Statesman)
Idaho has been in the national news quite a bit this past week: First there was the video of the pastor making rounds on social media. Then Boise Police reported more than 35 pride flags were stolen in Boise's North End. And then this past weekend police in North Idaho arrested 31 men from the white supremacist group Patriot Front on charges of conspiracy to start a riot at a Pride celebration.
Those three events have caught the attention of the nation, and it has people searching the internet with terms like: White supremacy in Idaho, Nazis in Idaho. Aryan Nation headquarters. And questions like: What is Idaho known for? Is Idaho racist? Or why is Idaho so conservative?
Having Idaho in the news for events like these is hard. Reporting on these events is also hard. And so understanding how we got here today and what steps we can take to be a more inclusive and equitable place for everyone means, we’ve got to take a critical look at our past.
So we’re bringing you an episode we did in the summer of 2020 with Dr. Jill Gill, a Boise State history professor. In this interview, we start looking at Idaho’s racism beginning during the Civil War and continuing through the 1920s and 1930s when the Ku Klux Klan had more than 10 chapters in Idaho. We'll look at how "white flight" from Confederate and northern states began to build Idaho's anti-Black reputation, and how the politics of leaders including Sen. William Borah supported racist policies.

Zoo Boise crowned crane — **Zoo Boise prepares against bird flu** Jun 14, 2022
Show notes

A West African crowned crane pecks around its enclosure at Zoo Boise.(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)
Since January more than 40 million birds have been affected by Avian Influenza or bird flu.
Five counties in Idaho have reported outbreaks of the virus, which is highly contagious among birds. Backyard producers and commercial operations, with flocks numbering from a handful to two million birds, have had to kill their birds when they’ve become infected.
Zoos across the country are working hard to protect their birds from catching bird flu and Zoo Boise is no exception. Executive Director Gene Peacock joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this issue.

The impact of climate change and dams on fish populations in Idaho Jun 14, 2022

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Warming waters and large dams make it hard for many fish species to migrate and spawn. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel looks at the impact in our region – and efforts to help threatened and endangered species.

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