Idaho Matters is a wonderful way to stay up to date, meet people and understand there’s much more to this great state. Hosted by Gemma Gaudette on Boise State Public Radio News, it features arts and politics, growth and education, and the interesting stories that make Idaho unique. Send us your questions, comments or story ideas by emailing idahomatters@boisestate.edu or sending us a voicemail using the “Talk To Us” feature on the free Boise State Public Radio app.
Tips for supporting children with ADHD
Apr 25, 2024
Show notes(Practical Cures / Flickr)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on November 16, 2023.
With ADHD and other diagnoses on the rise, today's youth are experiencing chronic levels of anxiety and depression. That's why it's important to make sure these children feel supported and understood. Dr. Sharon Saline is a licensed clinical psychologist, an award-winning author, and a top expert on ADHD, anxiety, and mental health challenges. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
'Kingdom Keepers Inheritance:' An author interview with Ridley Pearson
Apr 25, 2024
Show notes( Disney Hyperion)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 4, 2024.
New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson is back with his latest installation of the Kingdom Keepers series and he joined Idaho Matters to talk about his newest book.
Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: April 24, 2024
Apr 24, 2024
Show notes(Theknightcenter / Flickr)
Last month, Saltzer Health officially closed their doors, leaving many employees, doctors and patients scrambling.
Dr. David Pate, the former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to take a look at the gap this has left in the Gem State's health care, as well as the latest public health concerns that are making headlines.
The creative process of author V.E. Schwab
Apr 24, 2024
Show notes(Jenna Maurice / Tor Books)
Vampires, magic, faustian bargains ... author Victoria Schwab has written about it all. She's penned over 20 books and has an incredible following of readers.
She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her creative process and what readers can expect to see from her next.
How are climate change and an aging infrastructure affecting wildfire risk?
Apr 23, 2024
Show notes(Katherine Blunt)
It has been close to 9 months since the deadly fire in Maui destroyed the town of Lahaina and it’s been five years since a fire decimated the town of Paradise, California. Could an aging utility infrastructure, along with wildfire risk, be a major culprit behind these disasters?
Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the book “California Burning" Katherine Blunt joined Idaho Matters to talk more about these fires.
'Once Persuaded, Twice Shy:' An author interview with Melodie Edwards
Apr 23, 2024
Show notes( Berkley)
Jane Austen's classic second change romance novel, "Persuasion" is getting a modern twist in author Melodie Edwards new novel, "Once Persuaded, Twice Shy."
She joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her latest release.
'HBCU Made:' A conversation with Ayesha Rascoe
Apr 23, 2024
Show notes( Algonquin Books)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on February 6, 2024.
You may know Ayesha Rascoe from her ten years of reporting for Reuters News Agency or from her time as a White House correspondent covering three different presidents, or maybe she wakes you up on Sundays as the host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.
It’s a collection of essays from everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Branford Marsalis to Stacey Abrams who write about how attending a historically black university helped shape who they are today. Rascoe joined Idaho Matters to talk more about her new book.
'Spinning Tea Cups:' An author interview with Alexandra Teague
Apr 23, 2024
Show notes( OSU Press)
This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on November 28, 2023.
University of Idaho professor Alexandra Teague is out with her latest work and this time it's a very personal look at what some would say was a quirky childhood.
The memoir "Spinning Teacups" takes us across America from Florida to Idaho and many stops in between. Teague joined Idaho Matters to talk more.
Supreme Court to weigh in on abortion care in Idaho
Apr 22, 2024
Show notes( Canva)
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up an Idaho case on Wednesday that could have widespread implications around the country.
It involves an Idaho abortion law and a lawsuit filed by the Biden Administration, which argued hospitals that receive Medicare funds are required by federal law to provide emergency care, which could potentially include abortion, no matter if there's a state law banning abortion.
Idaho code allows physicians to perform abortions to prevent the death of a patient. But Boise OBGYN Dr. Sara Thomson said doctors have an ethical duty to intervene before their patients’ health deteriorates to a life-threatening emergency.
The question before SCOTUS is whether EMTALA openly and directly conflicts with a portion of Idaho's abortion law. Idaho's law has limited exceptions to providing abortions and physicians feel they cannot provide "stabilizing care" when a person needs it.
Defining what stabilizing care is is going to be a large part of the argument, but the other part is whether or not the federal government has reached too far in regards to EMTALA.
"Did the federal agency that is responsible for enforcing EMTALA go too far by making this argument that EMTALA means required abortion care? I think that the conservative justices are really going to be interested in that kind of question," said McKay Cunningham, the director of the On-Campus Experiential Learning at the College of Idaho.
EMTALA was enacted in 1986 by Congress to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay.
"A patient who is pregnant and has an emergency medical condition, the doctors are going to look at her say 'Okay, if we do not address this emergency medical condition and it may require termination, we are not going to be able to save potential bodily functions," said Peg Dougherty, the Deputy General Counsel for St. Luke's Health System. "We are not going to be able to save her reproductive organs. Those are health matters that would be able to preserve the patient's health if our doctors were able to do that."
The Idahoans United for Women and Families coalition said their poll of about 600 residents shows three out of five Idahoans believe abortions should be legal in some or almost all cases. Spokesperson Melanie Folwell said 12% believe abortions should never be legal.
The coalition is campaigning to introduce an initiative regarding the legality of abortion on the 2026 ballot. To do so, the coalition will have to gather signatures representing at least 6% of eligible voters in the most recent election, coming from at least 18 of Idaho's 35 legislative districts.
Cunningham and Dougherty joined Idaho Matters to help break down the law and the arguments coming up in the Supreme Court.
Editor's note (correction): We did reach out to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office about the EMTALA case, once in January and in April but our emails got lost in the Spam folder and were never received. We spoke with the AG’s Office after this story aired, the issue has been fixed, and we’ve extended a new invitation to come on Idaho Matters and break down the arguments on Idaho’s side of this case.
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: April 19, 2024
Apr 19, 2024
Show notes U.S. Supreme Court building(Ian Hutchinson / Unsplash)
Idaho’s law banning gender-affirming care for youth has gone into effect, big staffing cuts have been made in the Idaho Falls school district, SCOTUS is set to take up another case involving the Gem State and we take a look at some sad news from the legislature.
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.