President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for six North Idaho counties, unlocking federal assistance for communities still recovering from a powerful storm system that struck the region in mid-March and caused more than $5.9 million in damage. Storm’s Scope and Impact The March 11–15 storm brought extreme conditions across northern Idaho, with […]

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz is moving forward with the most significant structural overhaul of the agency in roughly a century, consolidating operations into state-based offices and preparing to interview candidates for 15 newly created state director positions that drew approximately 300 applications. The reorganization dissolves regional offices that have operated since the Gifford […]

Idaho’s legislature approved a slate of education changes set to take effect July 1, 2026, reshaping policy on artificial intelligence, virtual school oversight, parental notification requirements, and the relationship between school districts and teacher unions. AI and Virtual School Accountability The new laws establish frameworks governing generative AI use in schools while imposing stricter accountability […]

A one-year congressional ban blocking Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services is set to expire July 4, allowing federal and state Medicaid funds to once again flow to the organization’s clinics for routine healthcare. The lapse comes as Republican lawmakers work to extend the prohibition but have been unable to do so before […]

A wave of new Idaho laws took effect July 1, 2026, touching everything from how cities zone residential neighborhoods to how social media platforms handle children’s accounts — and making Idaho the first state in the nation to designate the firing squad as its primary method of execution. The changes come out of a 2026 […]

The Trump administration has sharply narrowed the definition of “medically frail” under new Medicaid work requirements, forcing states to implement stricter eligibility standards by January 2027 that healthcare advocates and Democratic-led states say will create administrative chaos and strip coverage from vulnerable populations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published interim guidelines on June […]

The mayor of Spencer, Idaho is facing felony insurance fraud charges after a preliminary hearing this week resulted in his case being bound over to district court, where he will stand trial on allegations that he submitted false documents to inflate the value of a damaged boat during an insurance claim. Who Is Involved David […]

Idaho will receive $49.6 million in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2026, with 44 local governments across the state benefiting from the annual federal allocation announced Tuesday by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. PILT payments compensate counties and municipalities for the presence of federal lands within their borders that cannot […]

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, delivering a definitive legal victory to Idaho — the first state to enact such a restriction — and clearing the way for similar laws across the country to remain in force. The ruling, issued on the […]

A Custer County judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Idaho businessman and federal official Michael Boren on Friday, ruling that the case had sat dormant too long under state court rules and that Boren’s legal team had no valid excuse for the delay. The Ruling Judge Darren Simpson ordered the dismissal after finding that […]

More than 350 laws passed by the Idaho Legislature during the 2026 session take effect Tuesday, July 1, making this the most productive legislative year in at least five years in terms of bills signed into law. The new statutes span a broad range of policy areas, including execution methods, housing policy, protections for children […]

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined officials from four Treasure Valley cities Monday to alert residents about a fraud scheme targeting people who have applied for planning and zoning permits, warning that scammers are sending convincing fake invoices designed to extract quick payments. How the Scam Works Criminals are pulling public records from municipal planning […]