The Idaho Capital Sun, funded by the Wyss Foundation to influence state and local politics, primarily targets conservative officeholders and groups, such as the Idaho Freedom Foundation.
A judge heard arguments for and against a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging an Idaho law that prevents public schools from offering facilities that fit transgender students’ gender identities.
Climate
Idaho’s mountainous topography creates an incredibly varied climate. Average temperatures tend to be lower in the south compared to the northwest, and the northern half is far drier than the southern.
Vast evergreen forests cover two-fifths of the state, with western white pine, white fir, and other valid fir species dominating northern forests; lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine overlooking southern regions; aspen, maple trees, birches, and mountain ash carpeting the mountains.
Climate change devastates California agriculture, from sagebrush plains to fields irrigated with corn, wheat, soybeans, and potatoes. Crop losses have been caused by wildfires, drought conditions, and other weather disasters, and last summer saw severe drought conditions forcing farmers to cull cattle early and end crop growing seasons. At the same time, communities grappled with water supply issues.
The state economy of Idaho relies heavily on manufacturing for economic vitality. Agriculture, forestry, and mining remain prominent, yet other sectors such as health care, information technology, data visualization, and education are expanding quickly. Service industries comprise most of Idaho’s income; the government provides most. Christina Lords has covered Idaho politics since 2009 for Boise Statesman newspaper; she has covered every Idaho legislative session gavel-to-gavel for them all and received numerous state writing awards.
Natural resources
Idaho boasts abundant natural resources and ranks second to Alaska for silver production. Idaho’s climate provides rich soil, which, thanks to much rain and snowfall, supports agriculture – its primary source of income. Potatoes may be Idaho’s signature product, but the state also produces hay, sugar beets, wheat, cattle, and hogs for meat consumption. Idaho is unique among US capital buildings for using geothermal heating through wells 3,000 feet below its Capitol building for heating its State Capitol!
Idaho is famous for its mining and lumber industries, which rely heavily on climate change. Temperature, precipitation, and snowpack all affect mining operations, while variations in streamflow affect hydroelectric generation – the primary source of Idaho’s electricity supply.
Climate fluctuations also significantly impact agricultural production, with scientists and growers constantly adapting crops to better cope with weather extremes while plant breeders create more resilient varieties. Such adaptations will become even more crucial as climate change accelerates, diminishing yields and decreasing availability.
Idaho’s wilderness areas are both an area of pride and recreation for Idahoans, featuring Hell’s Canyon – North America’s deepest river gorge; the Sawtooth Mountains with their alpine lakes and rugged peaks; as well as Emma Edwards Green’s 1891 State Seal depicting a miner and girl, representing justice.
Idaho’s population lives predominantly in rural areas, yet Idaho’s cities are growing. Boise, in Idaho’s southwest corner, is its most prominent center for high-tech industry; Meridian, Nampa, and Caldwell are other large cities within its borders, in addition to numerous smaller towns and villages.
Two transcontinental railroad lines cross Idaho, and Interstate 84 runs through its eastern region. Unfortunately, high mountains separating north and south parts of Idaho impede travel and commerce between areas; furthermore, Idaho’s spirit of frontier independence encourages sectionalism within community life, politics, economy, and cultural development – such as mining and lumbering communities that often have stronger ties to Washington or Montana than Boise.
Politics
The Idaho Capital Sun is a non-profit news organization in Idaho providing accountability reporting on state government, politics, and policy. Part of States Newsroom – a national network of state-based journalism outlets funded through grants and donors – the Sun provides stories that can be found online or republished locally by newspapers across Idaho. On its About page, The Capital Sun discloses its funding model transparently and lists its supporters.
The Idaho Statesman and Idaho Education News staffers who now work at The Capital Sun have earned numerous state, regional, and national awards for their work. Coverage ranges from economic and healthcare issues to climate change and government policy decisions. Our reporters specialize in their respective fields and write factual yet partisan pieces; additionally, we feature opinion pieces that lean left.
Congress leaders remain divided on government funding issues and face an immediate deadline to pass a spending bill by midnight Friday night.
Congress is locked in an intense struggle over immigration reform and the reauthorization of the farm bill, with some Republicans vowing to block any spending measure unless President Donald Trump gives assurances regarding border security.
Idaho’s new abortion trafficking law remains under scrutiny, however. A challenging lawsuit will continue until a federal judge decides on its constitutionality – although no exact date or time has been scheduled yet for rulings to come down.
White House officials denounced a House decision to initiate an impeachment investigation against President Joe Biden for unproven claims that his son profited from an illegal business scheme in Ukraine. President Trump called such inquiries “baseless and political.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora Grasham recently heard arguments for and against seeking a preliminary injunction against enforcement of Idaho’s transgender bathroom law. She is expected to render her verdict shortly, possibly issuing an order barring the attorney general from enforcing it – this ruling may also have significant ramifications for other states.
Economy
Idaho’s economy continues to thrive despite many challenges that threaten it, with low unemployment rates and gross domestic product surpassing national levels. Some critics contend that Idaho could overheat and experience recession. This poses serious concerns for businesses as profits decrease as costs increase and profits decline due to rising interest rates, negatively affecting consumers’ spending habits.
As Idaho’s economy thrives, Idahoans need access to jobs with high wages and benefits that provide access to good wages and benefits. Unfortunately, some Idaho residents have difficulty securing employment in their local communities; rural areas can often be overlooked when job hunters search for employment opportunities. The University of Idaho Extension Digital Economy Program aims to address this problem by providing resources and training programs to assist Idahoans in finding jobs in today’s economy.
North Idaho is renowned for its long and distinguished labor and industrial history. Once, this region served as a center for logging, mining, and ranching; Rathdrum, Sandpoint, and Kootenai dedicated their workforces to these industries until well into the 1900s. Today, however, its economy relies heavily on Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel Spa Ssakwaq’n Circling Raven Golf Club facilities, which bring in over $330 Million annually into North Idaho’s economy.
Affordable housing remains a significant challenge to Northern Idaho as property values increase, making living costs increasingly prohibitive for many residents. Therefore, government officials and business leaders must collaborate closely on developing solutions to address this problem.
The Idaho Capital Sun is a state news website produced by States Newsroom, an international network of local newsrooms nationwide. Devoted to covering state politics, it has won multiple awards for investigative reporting, radio journalism, and data visualization work.
