Commentary
John F. Kennedy, Montana’s Mike Mansfield and what real political leadership looked like
Nov. 22 was the 60th anniversary of the assassination of the 35th American president, John F. Kennedy, a “cruel and shocking act of violence,” as the Warren Commission called it, “directed against a man, a family, a nation, and against all mankind.” Montana Sen. Mike Mansfield, a close friend of the murdered president – they […]
Since 2015, Teach For America has reached 30,000 Idaho students. Deep cuts could hurt recruitment.
Teach for America Idaho faces a potentially devastating blow to our programs should the U.S. Congress enact the deep cuts to the AmeriCorps program that are currently under consideration. An important piece of Teach For America Idaho’s work focuses on improving the futures of Idaho youth, particularly those in rural communities. In a number of […]
We don’t need false promises from Pharma during Diabetes Awareness Month. We need reform.
Only eight days of National Diabetes Awareness Month had passed this November when pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk announced it would be pulling Levemir, a long-acting insulin that millions of insulin-dependent diabetic patients depend on, from the U.S. market. In March, Novo Nordisk had announced it would be lowering the price of Levemir by 65%. This, […]
The federal government must proceed with grizzly bear recovery in Bitterroot Mountains Wilderness
Recovery of endangered grizzly bears in the lower 48 states hinges on critical genetic connectivity between the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental grizzlies provided by the Bitterroot Mountains. Located on the western border between Montana and Idaho, the region contains one of the largest wilderness areas in the contiguous states and was historically home to […]
November’s Native American Heritage Month is a complex issue for many Indigenous people
November is Native American Heritage Month, an interesting if not complex time to celebrate Indigenous people. Many Indigenous people complain about November being selected for the celebration. After all, the month holds Thanksgiving. To many Native people, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the attempted genocide of many tribes by the settlers they helped, not to […]
Think you’re prepared to care for an aging parent? Think again.
My father-in-law was the happiest person I’ve ever known. Jon Lee Wray was a simple man — a farmer and cowboy — who spent his whole life within eight miles of his Weiser home. After a heart attack in 2001, my husband and I began supporting his care and had tough conversations about end-of-life planning. […]
As we celebrate Veterans Day, here’s what individual Idahoans can do to honor America’s vets
Americans can commemorate Veterans Day twice this year. The official observance is Nov. 11. It dates back to the armistice ending World War I, which went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It was originally called Armistice Day, but it was renamed Veterans Day in […]
At Veterans for Idaho Voters, we believe in better government with better elections
Elections are the foundation of American representative government. Bad elections result in bad government. Unfortunately, Idaho’s political parties have gained too much control over our elections, deciding who is on the ballot and who can vote. As a result, Idaho’s taxpayer-funded elections are among America’s least competitive. Fifty out of 105 state legislative seats were […]
Idaho lawmakers should provide at least three-day notice of bills scheduled for public hearing
We’re still a few months away from the start of Idaho’s 2024 legislative session in January, but there is one rule change that we’d like to see lawmakers make to improve public participation in the legislative process. To help maximize public involvement in their governance, lawmakers should amend their rules to require at least three-day […]
Empowering communities: Naloxone’s role in tackling opioid overdoses in Idaho
Idaho, like many other states across the United States, is grappling with the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic. This public health crisis has led to an alarming increase in opioid-related overdoses and emergency room visits, impacting individuals across their life span. Idaho data from 2022 indicates there were 381 deaths related to drug overdose, […]
120,000 Idahoans have been diagnosed with diabetes. But there are state programs that can help.
Don’t feel badly if you do not realize that Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day, or that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. There are no fireworks, parades or party hats to mark the “celebration.” It’s more of a somber time to draw awareness about the crisis of diabetes – an epidemic long before COVID-19 […]
The complicated history of Ferdinand Hayden and the founding of Yellowstone National Park
The area now known as Yellowstone National Park — or the “land of the burning ground” — has been known to Indigenous people for at least 11,000 years. In fact, in 1805 the governor of the Louisiana Territory described a map drawn on a bison hide by an Indigenous American showing a “volcano” on the Yellowstone […]