Best Boise State Public Radio Podcasts (2024)

1
Cutting down juniper trees to save sage grouse 19:03

34m ago19:03

19:03

Cutting and burning Juniper trees means better habitat for sage grouse.(Connor White / BOSH Project) Imagine this: 50 chainsaw crews fan out over carefully selected areas of Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. For eight hours a day — all they do is cut down hundreds of juniper trees. Then in the spring, more crews go out and burn those fallen trees. …

1
Two small snails are disappearing from Idaho rivers 8:56

40m ago8:56

8:56

Ashy pebblesnail.(Tyson Ehlers / Tyson Ehlers) When you think of Idaho rivers, you think of water and fish and the beauty of the landscape but down in the nooks and crannies of the waterbed are two small, slimy creatures that act as a sort of canary in the coal mine for northwest waterways. They are the Ashy Pebblesnail and Shortface Lanx and they’…

1
Fish and wildlife officials help restore population of iconic trout in eastern Nevada river 4:33

43m ago4:33

4:33

The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Nevada's state fish, is the largest member of the cutthroats, with lake-dwellers weighing up to 40 pounds. For decades, they've been listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. (USFWS) For years, fish and wildlife officials have been working to help an iconic Western fish whose habitat is shrinking. …

1
'The Bump:' An author interview with Sidney Karger 13:17

1h ago13:17

13:17

This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on April 8, 2024. Last year, we introduced you to a rom-com novel called "Best Men," which explored what it was like for one gay man looking for love in New York City. The book was met with much-deserved buzz, being featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. …

1
'Microjoys:' An author interview with Cyndie Spiegel 14:10

1d ago14:10

14:10

( Penguin Life) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on March 6, 2023. Author Cyndie Spiegel's book, "Microjoys: Finding Hope When Life is Not Okay" provides an intimate look at all the small moments that have helped her to move forward, even in the toughest times of her life. She joined Idaho Matters to talk more.…

1
'No Filter:' An honest conversation with Paulina Porizkova 16:29

1h ago16:29

16:29

( The Open Field) This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on November 21, 2022. When one thinks of Paulina Porizkova, one might remember her as the Sports Illustrated cover model from the 1980s or the wife of "Cars" front man, Rick Ocasek. Or perhaps you know her from her popular Instagram account. Now, Porizkova is revealing herself in a ra…

1
Carter Bays sits down to discuss his debut novel 16:17

1h ago16:17

16:17

The front cover of Carter Bays new novel, The Mutual Friend. This episode of Idaho Matters originally aired on May 11, 2022. The co-creator of the Emmy award-winning show "How I Met Your Mother" is back, this time with his first novel. Idaho Matters sat down with Carter Bays to talk more about his debut novel, The Mutual Friend.…

1
"Sunny Days" By David Kamp 30:00

8h ago30:00

30:00

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in October 2020.By Bob Kustra

1
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: May 24, 2024 42:36

3d ago42:36

42:36

The 4.5-mile trail begins in Stanley's Pioneer Park and ends near the entrance to Redfish Lake.(Rachel Cohen / Boise State Public Radio ) The Donnelly Library goes adults only, Idaho had a primary and a Democratic caucus in one week, Magic Valley's legislative delegation shifted Tuesday and there’s an update in the Sawtooth trail dispute which has …

1
Peter Annin, author of Purified: How Recycled Sewage is Transforming Our Water. 28:09

31m ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that astronauts’ liquid wastes are recycled into drinking water in space? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Peter Annin, national water journalist, director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College, Ashland, WI, and author of Purified: …

1
Caldwell police are using a new tool to fight crime 23:17

4d ago23:17

23:17

Flock Safety camera on pole.(Flock Safety) Early Sunday morning, gunshots were heard in Caldwell. Determining where those shots are coming from can be difficult for a human — but not for a machine. Caldwell Police are using a new tool called Flock Safety which can pinpoint where a gunshot is coming from and alert law enforcement officers. Flock tol…

1
An update on Boise's Orange Hefty Bag Recycling Program 10:04

4d ago10:04

10:04

(Hefty / ReNew Program) Every other week in Boise trucks pick up those blue recycling containers filled with cardboard and other materials. And inside many of those blue carts are bright orange Hefty bags filled with those hard to recycle products like plastic wrappers. The Orange Bag Program, now called the Hefty ReNew Program has been around for …

1
Valley Regional Transit makes changes to improve service to bus riders 8:16

4d ago8:16

8:16

(Valley Regional Transit) Valley Regional Transit is changing up the way it does business. Starting Monday, June 3, the bus system for the Treasure Valley will look a lot different with new routes, more targeted bus service and a big expansion of their LYFT Pass. Here to tell Idaho Matters about "Change Day" are Elaine Clegg, CEO of Valley Regional…

1
KYMfest aims to heal hearts and minds in Nampa 5:50

1d ago5:50

5:50

(Chelsea Larsen / KYMfest) Every year the community comes out for a very special festival in Nampa. It’s called KMYfest and it was started by the family of Kymberlee Larsen who died tragically in a domestic assault six years ago. Chelsea Larsen, Kym’s sister, survived the home invasion that took her sister’s life but struggled with finding and navi…

1
Primary election recap with Idaho Matters 45:07

25m ago45:07

45:07

(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio) Tuesday's Idaho primary election saw a major shakeup in the legislature as the struggle between hardliners and moderates in the GOP led to at least 15 incumbents losing to challengers around the state. So who won? And who lost? And what does it mean for school choice, Idaho Launch and other hot button issue…

1
Is our democracy under threat? 29:15

1d ago29:15

29:15

FILE - In this June 14, 2007, file photo, Abraham Lincoln's iconic stovepipe hat of questioned authenticity is photographed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. Now that there is no concrete evidence that the felted beaver-fur hat ever sat atop Lincoln's 6-foot-4 frame, the foundation that bought the hat as pa…

1
Travel back in time to the outlaw days of Idaho 8:53

3d ago8:53

8:53

(J. Stephen Conn / Flickr ) What do you think of when you think of Idaho? Do you think of bank robberies, bandits, sunken silver ore and stashed loot in the Owyhee mountains? Well, that all happened in Idaho back in the 1860s, from Butch Cassidy's heist in Montpelier to a stagecoach robbery in Bannock County. These and other tales from the past are…

1
How one nonprofit is giving back with some paint and hard work 7:05

7d ago7:05

7:05

(Paint the Town / NeighborWorks Boise) Next month, homes across the Treasure Valley will be getting a makeover as Neighborworks Boise kicks off their 42nd annual Paint the Town event, giving back to those in need of a little help. Inga Hadder, Director of Communications and Community Engagement with Neighborworks Boise, joined Idaho Matters to talk…

1
Will President Joe Biden protect the Owyhee Canyonlands? 13:05

1d ago13:05

13:05

( Wyatt Myskow / Inside Climate News) The Owyhee Canyonlands is a large chunk of high desert land in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada that covers more than seven million acres. It’s home to plants and animals, some of which can’t be found anywhere else, and it’s a playground for many who recreate along the rocks and sagebrush and for some Native Americans …

1
The impact of climate-fueled fires on homeowners 15:27

1d ago15:27

15:27

A Boise firefighter walks by all that remains of the poorly prepared home at a recent demonstration fire.(Murphy Woodhouse / Boise State Public Radio ) Wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters are straining insurance markets. Recently, officials met in Boise to compare notes on how to avoid what some call the "uninsurable future." The Mountain …

1
A new tool will help Ada County provide greater election transparency 13:26

8d ago13:26

13:26

(Screenshot / Ada County Elections ) How will I know if the ballot I fill out in the election booth gets counted? How can I check how a candidate did in my precinct? In my district? These are questions that some voters started asking especially after the 2020 election and many worried about election integrity have flooded election offices around th…

1
Helping Idaho refugees find a sense of place through birding 4:49

3d ago4:49

4:49

Erica Hermsen is passionate about getting kids outside and learning about their environment.(EverWild Forest School) Moving to a new place means new experiences and new ideas and if you’re moving to Idaho from a different country you may not be familiar with the wildlife of the Gem State. Thanks to a grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the N…

1
"Fire Weather" By John Vaillant 34:16

1h ago34:16

34:16

An interview with John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather. The book offers a terrifying account of a colossal wildfire and an exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind.By Bob Kustra

1
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: May 17, 2024 43:57

3d ago43:57

43:57

( Creative Commons CC0) A leaked conversation has caused a divide within the Idaho GOP, Meridian's empty city council seat may soon be filled, school choice campaigns are heating up and we take a look at the latest in the trial of Chad Daybell. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on …

1
Chloe Waterman, M.S., Senior Program Manager for Climate Friendly Foods at Friends of the Earth discusses the hazards of Biogas. 28:09

1h ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that heavily subsidized biogas digesters pose a risk to rural communities and are not the climate-change solution they’re made out to be? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Chloe Waterman, M.S., Senior Program Manager for Climate Friendly Foods at Friends of the Earth. Water…

1
University of Idaho to open new center focusing on women's health and nutrition 13:03

9m ago13:03

13:03

(High Quality Fertility Centers / Flickr) For more than a year, the topic of women's health in Idaho has been a reoccurring headline. And as the state continues to face a shortage of health care providers, reports of OB-GYN specialists leaving have many worried, especially as other resources tracking women's health have been discontinued. But now, …

1
New exhibit at the Idaho State Museum sheds light on the experiences of Japanese Americans 15:46

12m ago15:46

15:46

A photo of the Minidoka National Historic Site. ( Eugene Tagawa) After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor during World War II, the lives of Japanese Americans changed dramatically. Some people were taken from their homes and held in places like the Minidoka War Relocation Center, others in inland states faced discrimination and hardship and still others w…

1
Weddings are big business in Las Vegas, and could be more so during some April 'specialty dates' 3:42

14m ago3:42

3:42

A "Shelvis" — Elvis impersonator dressed in drag — officiates a wedding at the Little While Chapel on New Year's Eve 2023 in Las Vegas. New Year's Eve 2023 was a date with a repeating pattern — 12/31/23 — and a popular wedding date. There are other "palindromic" dates coming up in April, such as 4/20/24 and 4/22/24 that could prove to be popular as…

1
Owyhee Elementary could soon become an Early Childhood Learning Center 12:29

1d ago12:29

12:29

(Adam Cottrell / Boise State Public Radio ) The Boise School District wants to expand its early learning program for kids three to five years of age and is considering converting an elementary school on the Bench into a new learning center for 300 kids. The district provides early childhood education at more than 11 sites, and the demand for this k…

1
Idaho Matters Doctors Roundtable: May 15, 2024 30:26

3h ago30:26

30:26

( AP Images) There's a new COVID-19 variant, and experts are saying we could see a rise in cases this summer. Not to mention some folks under 65 are reporting they can't get a COVID booster shot. Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about these issues and answer your listener questions.…

1
Special Olympics Idaho athletes to compete in 2024 State Summer Games 9:06

3h ago9:06

9:06

The 2024 State Summer Games kick off on June 7th. ( Special Olympics Idaho) For more than 50 years, Special Olympics Idaho has been empowering those with intellectual disabilities to take part in competition and hone their skills as athletes. And next month, the organization will be hosting one of its biggest events of the year as people from acros…

1
Coming in Clutch: Amidst anti-trans laws, Nampa club shows up for LGBTQ+ youth 5:30

3h ago5:30

5:30

(Julie Luchetta / Boise State Public Radio ) The word Clutch has a lot of different definitions: it can mean a fancy purse, the number of eggs in a nest or to hold something - or someone - tightly. It’s also the name of a club for queer kids looking for a safe place to hang out in the Treasure Valley. Once a week, Clutch opens its doors to teens an…

1
City Club event explores issue of access through storytelling 13:20

1d ago13:20

13:20

(iStockphoto.com) A group of high school students is studying the idea of access as a human right, pairing up with storytellers between the ages of 75 and 88, with the task of finding out about a time that they lost access. The questions the students were hoping to answer was "who has access, who doesn't and what do those answers mean for the commu…

1
How one school is using local food systems to teach critical thinking 14:52

4h ago14:52

14:52

Hailey’s Sage School 10th and 11th Grade Students Host Farm-To-Table Dinner.( The Sage School) How do you teach critical thinking to high school students? Most schools might assign a paper or an end-of-year test, but at The Sage School in Hailey, Idaho, they've got something even better. It's called "The Feast," and it's the defining project of the…

1
"How To Sell A Poison" By Elena Conis 32:01

1h ago32:01

32:01

An interview with Elena Conis, author of How to Sell a Poison. The book tells the tangled story of DDT, a corporate-backed poison that decimated wildlife and left behind toxic bodies.By Bob Kustra

1
Marianne Landzettel, author of Sustainable Meat Production and Processing: Local, Profitable and Humane. 28:09

27m ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that cattle are not the “climate change killers” they’ve been made out to be? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Marianne Landzettel, journalist and author of Sustainable Meat Production and Processing: Local, Profitable and Humane. Landzettel describes differences in agricu…

1
"Once There Were Wolves" By Charlotte McConaghy 32:16

2d ago32:16

32:16

An interview with Charlotte McConaghy about her new novel, Once There Were Wolves. The book is about the looming threat of environmental collapse and the bold and flawed humans working to avert it.By Bob Kustra

1
Timothy Wise, Senior Advisor at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy discusses risks of GM corn and Mexican food sovereignty. 28:09

3d ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that there is solid science behind concerns regarding the safety of genetically modified crops? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Timothy Wise, MS, author of Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Battle for the Future of Food, and Senior Advisor at the Inst…

1
"A Day In The Life Of Abed Salama" By Nathan Thrall 36:01

9d ago36:01

36:01

An interview with Nathan Thrall, author of the new book, A Day in the Life of Abed Salama. The book tells the story of a deadly accident outside Jerusalem that unravels a tangle of lives, loves, and histories over the course of a single day.By Bob Kustra

1
Alexander Sammon, journalist and author of “Forbidden Fruit: The anti-avocado militias of Michoacan.” 28:09

14d ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that 80% of the avocadoes consumed in the U.S. are imported from Mexico? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Alexander Sammon, politics writer for Slate, journalist and author of “Forbidden Fruit: The anti-avocado militias of Michoacan.” Sammon describes the impact of U.S. tr…

1
"Tired Of Winning" By Jonathan Karl 37:16

1M ago37:16

37:16

An interview with Jonathan Karl, author of Tired of Winning. The book explores how Donald Trump remade the Republican Party in his own image, baggage and all.By Bob Kustra

1
Austin Frerick, author, Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry. 28:09

17d ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that anti-trust legislation helps protect our democracy? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Austin Frerick, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry. Frerick discusses the dangers of monopolies, consolidation, and exploitation in our food…

1
"Camera Man" By Dana Stevens 37:30

1M ago37:30

37:30

An interview with Dana Stevens, author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, The Dawn of Cinema and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. In the book, Stevens places acclaimed filmmaker Buster Keaton’s unique creative genius in the context of his time.By Bob Kustra

1
Cynthia Curl, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Environmental Health & Safety, Boise State University discusses women’s exposure to agricultural chemicals and benefits of organic food. 28:09

24d ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that prenatal exposure to glyphosate has been associated with shorter gestational time in utero, decreased fetal growth and preterm birth? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Cynthia Curl, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Co-Director, Center for Excellence in Environmental Heal…

1
"Tyranny of the Minority" By Steven Levitsky (Part II) 31:54

1M ago31:54

31:54

An interview with Steven Levitsky, co-author of Tyranny of the Minority. The book offers important context for our volatile times and a framework for how to protect our democracy from an authoritarian backlash.By Bob Kustra

1
Michelle Loosli, Senior Manager for Climate Education at the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity 28:09

1M ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that climate change is an imminent threat to human health, yet most schools do not provide education about climate change and its health impacts? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michelle Loosli, Senior Manager for Climate Education at the American Public Health Associatio…

1
"Tyranny of the Minority" By Steven Levitsky (Part I) 30:39

1M ago30:39

30:39

An interview with Steven Levitsky, co-author of Tyranny of the Minority. The book offers important context for our volatile times and a framework for how to protect our democracy from an authoritarian backlash.By Bob Kustra

1
Bev Thorpe, Co-Founder of Clean Production Action, discusses the “Triple Planetary Crisis,” the fossil fuel-derived chemicals widely used in our food system, and strategies to advance a non-toxic economy ... 28:09

1M ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that fossil fuel subsidies contribute to the “cheap” cost of plastic? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Bev Thorpe, Co-Founder of Clean Production Action, a resource to advance a non-toxic economy. Thorpe describes the “triple planetary crisis,” and shares strategies to mov…

1
"The Violin Conspiracy" By Brendan Slocumb 32:18

2M ago32:18

32:18

An interview with Brendan Slocumb, author of the novel, The Violin Conspiracy. Part literary thriller and part mystery, the book is a gripping coming-of-age story about the love of music and a young man’s resilience.By Bob Kustra

1
Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D. Director, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, discusses heavy metals in our food supply, and specifically ... 28:09

2M ago28:09

28:09

Did you know that heavy metals are present in a wide variety of our foods? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D. Director, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Choiniere discusses common heavy m…

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Boise State Public Radio Podcasts

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