In 1864, Idaho was a territory, but the lines were pretty rough. That was OK, though, since there were only two things people wanted to know: where was the gold and how could you get there? A Mr. George Woodman took a trip sometime in 1862 or 1863 to the new mining fields and made up a map t…
I am one of those blues in a red state — a Democrat in a state that’s heavily Republican — and the blues is what I’ve got.
“Let the welfare of the people be the ultimate law.” — Cicero
A few weeks ago Neil Peart, virtuoso drummer and lyricist for the rock group Rush, passed away at 67 due to brain cancer. Peart was also a motorcycle enthusiast who was known to ride from concert to concert on a motorcycle instead of taking the tour bus. Amid all of the tributes, my social m…
Put yourself in the shoes of a man brutally injured in an auto accident that wasn’t his fault. Comatose, his life hangs in the balance on a remote road somewhere in Idaho. The authorities decide to call for an air ambulance to spirit him to the closest appropriate medical facility. In rural …
I know this will sound quaint — as quaint as the days of poodle skirts and glass milk bottles.
The nation’s political media and the righteously indignant punishers of unauthorized narcolepsy made sure to highlight Idaho Sen. Jim Risch’s alleged power nap during the first day of the impeachment trial. Risch’s staff insists the senator often closes his eyes in this manner in order to li…
The Australian federal government has been warned and warned about climate change. Of course, so have all governments, but the Australian federal government has been especially resistant to reducing greenhouse gas releases. At the same time, Australia doesn’t have room for continuing its ste…
Shortly after taking office as Idaho Attorney General in January 1983, I took a crash course in the life-and-death struggles of Idaho’s anadromous fish. The U.S. Supreme Court set oral argument that March for a case filed years earlier by a prior AG, Wayne Kidwell. The lawsuit was against Or…
Our criminal justice system is intended to ensure there is an appropriate penalty associated with crime. We refer to this as paying one’s debt to society.
Idaho public officials from the governor’s office on down to local city councils and county commissions were patting themselves on the back recently for “approving” the resettlement of more refugees in Idaho.
In the coming weeks, we will be hearing plenty about all the pomp that goes with an impeachment trial in the Senate — along with President Trump’s blasting of Democrats and Twitter rants.
The Mississippi Supreme Court recently upheld Willie Nash’s sentence: 12 years for possession.
The contrast could not have been starker. One picture showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi smiling as she signed (with numerous pens) two articles of impeachment against President Trump. She passed out the pens like souvenirs to fellow Democrats. They were embossed in gold with her signature an…
The 2020 legislative session is off to a running start! During the second week of the session, the Capitol building was filled with hundreds of elementary students to celebrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) day. Dozens of Idaho STEM-based organizations set up experiments,…
In the fall of 1990, LIFE Magazine decided to list the 100 most “important” Americans. It is interesting to read what famous figures made the cut and who didn’t. These were individuals considered by LIFE to be not just famous Americans but citizens who influenced American life, whether good or bad.
Senator:
I came across an article this week from the BBC, "Oldest material on Earth discovered," in my social media news feed. The source material has since been republished by most major news organizations and is easy to find. It's an interesting article and I recommend spending the time to find and…
Sometimes it’s easier to make a point simply by asking a thoughtful question: Why do those who believe biological sex is not gender dependent insist competitive athletics are?
Recently I listened in on a conversation about the negative effects of coddling those without resources. The participants were all personal friends. One runs a successful small business. He works hard at his job. He is devoted to his family and volunteers his time freely to worthy causes.
