Volunteers supporting the Idaho open primaries ballot initiative celebrate reaching their goal of 90,000 signatures on Saturday April 27 at Ivywild Park in Boise. (Courtesy of Idahoans for Open Primaries) Supporters of the Idaho open primary ballot initiative are turning in their final signatures to local county clerks for verification today after building up what they believe is a comfortable margin to qualify for November’s upcoming general election.  Supporters of the open primary initiative gathered 94,795 signatures statewide and have met the signature gathering requirements in 20 l ..read more

The best practice is to help children identify letters and numbers in an enjoyable way as they acquire the broader concepts about print and books they will need as a foundation for literacy, writes guest columnist Michael Strickland. (Getty Images) The quest to unlock the magic of reading is as complex as it is crucial.  In recent decades, phonics probably has been more discussed, more hotly debated, and less understood than almost any other topic in reading education. Historically, those who have denounced poor reading achievement in the United States have turned to phonics as a soluti ..read more

In this file photo, David Burr demonstrates removing leaves on marijuana plants to allow more light for growth at Essence Vegas' 54,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The Biden administration plans to remove marijuana from a list of the most dangerous and highly regulated drugs, the Department of Justice said Tuesday night. The Drug Enforcement Administration will propose moving the drug from a Schedule I substance, which also includes heroin and methamphetamine, to Schedule III, which is the category for regulated ..read more

In this photo illustration, packages of Mifepristone tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023, in Rockville, Maryland. (Photo illustration by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is planning to release more details in the weeks ahead about how his administration would regulate access to medication abortion, according to comments he made during a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Tuesday. Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president, said that he has “strong views” about access to mifepristone, though he declined to ..read more

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., talk during a ceremony as the remains of retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett lie in honor during his congressional tribute in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on April 29, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (J. Scott Applewhite/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democratic leaders on Tuesday killed efforts by a small group of far-right House Republicans to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership post. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete ..read more

In this file photo, a group of bison cross the road in Yellowstone National Park near the Madison River in April 2023. (Clark Corbin/Idaho Capital Sun) An Idaho Falls man was arrested last week and charged with disturbing wildlife after he allegedly kicked a bison in the leg after drinking at Yellowstone National Park and harassed the rest of the herd, getting himself injured in the process, according to park officials. Clarence Yoder, 40, is accused of harassing the bison near the west entrance of the park on April 21, leading to charges of being under the influence of alcohol to a degree th ..read more

This file photo of the Idaho Transportation Department's old State Street headquarters in Boise was taken March 21, 2021, before the building flooded. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) The would-be buyers of the Idaho Transportation Department’s flooded former Boise headquarters on State Street have filed a lawsuit with the Idaho Supreme Court, asking the state’s highest court to throw out budget language state legislators approved blocking the sale.  Attorneys representing Hawkins Companies, The Pacific Companies and FJ Management filed the suit in the Idaho Supreme Court on Thursd ..read more

Supporters hold signs in support of their doctors and abortion access at a rally on April 21, 2024, at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise. (Otto Kitsinger for States Newsroom) If anybody can understand the importance of emergency care during a pregnancy, it’s Rep. Ilana Rubel of Boise, the House minority leader. She has plenty of life experience on that matter. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, represents legislative district 18 in the Idaho House. “Fifteen years ago, my fourth child had a rare blood antigen triggering an attack response from my body during pregnancy,” she said. “Thank ..read more

A U.S Space Force mission, carrying the first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite, launches aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., April 11, 2024. (Airman 1st Class Olga Houtsma/U.S. Space Force) Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed on to a letter Monday alongside 47 other state governors, as well as five territories and commonwealths, opposing the Biden administration’s move to incorporate Air National Guard service members into the Space Force. The letter from the National Governors’ Association, addressed to Secret ..read more

Idaho Gives is a annual program put on by the Idaho Nonprofit Center to raise money for hundreds of Idaho nonprofit organizations. This year's event runs through May 4. (Courtesy of Idaho Gives) Today marks the start of Idaho Gives, Idaho’s largest online fundraising event for nonprofit organizations. The event will raise funds for over 650 nonprofits across Idaho focusing on different areas, ranging from animal rescue, education, housing, arts and more. Idaho Gives will last from April 29 to May 2.  Last year, the event raised $3.8 million from nearly 13,000 donors, Kevin Bailey, CEO of ..read more