Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday, December 11, to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution — adopted with 158 votes in favor in the 193-member assembly — was expressed in more urgent language than one urging an immediate humanitarian truce in Gazathat the body “called for” in October 2023 then “demanded” in December 2023. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The United States, Israel, and seven other countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, while 13 countries abstained. The world body also threw its support behind the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA , adopting a second resolution with 159 votes in favor to deplore a new Israeli law that will ban UNRWA’s operations in Israel from late January. It demanded that Israel respect UNRWA’s mandate and “enable its operations to proceed without impediment or restriction.” The US, Israel and seven other countries voted no, while 11 countries abstained. “The messages we send to the world through these resolutions matter. And both of these resolutions have significant problems,” Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the assembly. “One rewards Hamas and downplays the need to release the hostages, and the other denigrates Israel without providing a path forward to increasing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians,” he said. Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon last week accused the UN of having “an obsession with vilifying Israel,” while Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour described Gaza as the “open, painful wound for the human family.” ‘Hunger, despair, death’ Israel says UNRWA staff took part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza. The UN has said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved and had been fired. A Hamas commander in Lebanon — killed by Israel — was also found to have had an UNRWA job. “By voting for these resolutions, you are not voting to protect humanitarian values, but to protect an organization that has become a haven for terror,” Danon told the assembly on Wednesday before the vote. UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in 1949 following the war surrounding the founding of Israel. The UN has repeatedly said there is no alternative to UNRWA, which provides aid, health and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. “Gaza doesn’t exist anymore. It is destroyed. Palestinians are facing hunger, despair and death,” Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told the assembly. “There is no reason for this war to continue. We need a ceasefire now. We need to bring hostages home now.” The war in the Palestinian enclave began after Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023, stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Hamas-run Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military has leveled swathes of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 44,800 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, who do not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. – Rappler.com
City receives $446,000 Shannon Grant for safetyBill Clinton Hospitalized with Fever: Non-Emergency Situation
True crime documentaries once again dominated streaming services in 2024 — in fact, there were so many compelling series, even die-hard fans could feel overwhelmed by all the new debuts. If you’re getting some down time over the holidays, here are five exceptional offerings from the last year that are worth catching up on. All are on Netflix, which should make them easy to find whether you’re home or traveling. The stories they tell are heart-wrenching and harrowing, so “sit back and relax” may not be quite the right turn of phrase — but you will find yourself fully engrossed in each twist and turn. When Cathy Terkanian received a letter from an adoption agency in 2010, she expected good news — that the baby girl she’d placed for adoption as a 16-year-old in 1974 was finally trying to contact her. Instead, she learned that the girl, whom she’d named Alexis, had gone missing 21 years earlier, when she was a teen herself. Even worse: Police were requesting Terkanian’s DNA in the hopes of identifying a body found near a cornfield. However, the agency refused to share any more information about her daughter and the family who adopted her, because it had been a closed adoption. “Into the Fire” unfolds like a murder mystery, as Terkanian becomes an amateur detective enlisting the help of online sleuths and social media in her relentless pursuit to discover what really happened to Alexis. The body investigators found was not Alexis’, but it didn’t take long for Terkanian to find her daughter’s identity: She and her husband entered Alexis’ birthdate into a missing persons database and learned that her new name was Aundria Michelle Bowman. She was 14 when her parents, Brenda and Dennis Bowman, told authorities she had run away from home in Hamilton, Michigan. Terkanian launched a Facebook page called “Find Aundria M. Bowman” in the hopes of finding more clues. The details she uncovered ― including studying years of Google Earth snapshots — convinced her that Dennis Bowman had killed her and buried her body in the backyard. Terkanian’s relentless amateur detective work converged with law enforcement investigations into Dennis Bowman, which uncovered sinister details from his past — and more than one victim. By following her “mother’s instinct” and using gumshoe detective work (and some unsanctioned guerilla tactics), Terkanian found the answers she needed, but never wanted, to know about her daughter’s fate. Finally, a documentary that shines the spotlight on Laci Peterson rather than her headline-hungry killer. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted in 2004 of murdering Laci and their unborn child over Christmas 2002 in Modesto, California, while he was secretly dating another woman. Despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence that he plotted to kill his pregnant wife, including the fact that he said he went fishing in the same area where her remains later washed up, Scott Peterson has been the subject of numerous documentaries and podcasts trying to prove his innocence. “American Murder” flips the script and focuses on Laci when she was alive, with numerous home movies showing her gregarious and sometimes goofy personality, and her constant smile. The documentary — from the iconic true crime filmmaker Skye Borgman (“Girl in the Picture,” “Abducted in Plain Sight”) — also includes heart-wrenching interviews with her family and closest friends, reminiscing about the happy times they shared together and the absence they still feel decades later with her loss. “American Murder: Laci Peterson” dropped at almost the same time as Peacock’s “Face to Face With Scott Peterson,” an eye-rolling three-parter featuring “exclusive interviews” with the convicted killer in prison. That docuseries caters to sympathizers who acknowledge that while Scott Peterson was a first-class asshole, he was no killer. Yet much of the “new evidence” presented in “Face to Face” and recent court filings has already been debunked, discounted and rejected by the courts. While Scott Peterson continues to hog the limelight, “American Murder: Laci Peterson” is an essential reminder of who the real victims were and are in this case. If you’re tempted to give up on this three-part docuseries after watching the beginning, I’m telling you it would be the biggest mistake of your life. Stick with it, because everything you think you know (especially if you’re a savvy sleuth who tends to think the husband/boyfriend did it) is turned upside down. (I previously wrote about this case, but I urge you to bookmark the story to read later to avoid spoilers.) Early in the afternoon on March 23, 2015, Aaron Quinn called 911 and said that his girlfriend, Denise Huskins, had been kidnapped. Intruders wearing scuba suits had broken into his house in the middle of the night — hours after the couple had argued about his relationship with his ex — then restrained and drugged him, and demanded ransom, he told police. Huskins’ disappearance made national headlines, and authorities launched a massive search for the missing woman — whom d etectives accused Quinn of killing and hiding her body. But two days later, Huskins turned up alive. She had survived a horrific and bizarre ordeal, but her nightmare was far from over. After Huskins and other victims’ accounts were discounted by male cops, it seems fitting that the detective who finally cracks this case is a woman. If you aren’t familiar with this case — about Omaha auto mechanic Dave Kroupa’s foray into casual online dating, which ends in an ugly, terrifying love triangle — get ready to buckle your seatbelts because there are some WILD twists and turns in this taut 90-minute documentary that you won’t see coming. A nd even if you do know how the story unfolds, you’ll still be transfixed by new interviews with the surviving victim and investigators, as well as home movies and footage of the trial and police interviews. It’s about the same length as a “Dateline” episode and has a similar structure, but its budget and production value are much higher (and doesn’t include the newsmagazine’s standard B-roll filler of people walking down a sidewalk — although there are some silly reenactments). Kroupa received hundreds of thousands of texts and emails — more even than those reportedly sent to the real-life “Baby Reindeer” — before the story’s deadly ending. I’ll also spare you a trip to Does the Dog Die? and confirm that yes, several pets are killed — offscreen — but you’ll never guess by who. When the two-hour “The Menendez Brothers” documentary dropped on Netflix on the heels of Ryan Murphy’s lurid “Monsters: The Lyle and Erick Menendez Story” docudrama, I expected it to be a slapped-together production, capitalizing on the docudrama’s massive success and a social media phenomenon calling for the brothers to be released from prison. In truth, it was the opposite. The documentary is one of the finest I’ve seen about the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion, and situates the case in the context of Lyle and Erik Menendez’s alleged abuse by their father. Former Los Angeles District Attorney George Garcón said at a news conference that this documentary — and another by Peacock 18 months prior in which Roy Roselló, a member of the boy band Menudo, said that he had been drugged and raped as a teen by then-record executive Jose Menendez — factored in his decision to call for the brothers’ resentencing and release . “The Menéndez Brothers” features extensive interviews with the brothers and their relatives, many of whom are actively campaigning for their release from prison. Archival footage of the first trial and the frenzy surrounding O.J. Simpson’s not guilty verdict also provide important context for the brothers’ eventual convictions. Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. 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Log in to hide these messages. Garcón was recently voted out of office, and a judge has put the brakes on the case as his successor gets up to speed, rescheduling a hearing until after the new year. Regardless, the documentary stands as an important framework to understand the complex aspects of this case and how it’s impacted by the modern understanding of sexual abuse and its effects. Dive deep into true crime cases and follow the latest headlines with HuffPost’s Suspicious Circumstances newsletter. Sign up here . Related From Our PartnerRep. Lauren Necochea With power comes the responsibility to uphold the law and conduct oneself ethically. The enormous power of presidential appointments, which include leading institutions that protect national security, should only be bestowed after thoughtful vetting. This principle is embedded in the Constitution, as our founding fathers directed the Senate to approve presidential cabinet members. Sadly, Idaho’s Republican senators have pledged to approve the president-elect’s appointee choices blindly. This is a dereliction of the constitutionally mandated duty of U.S. senators to check presidential power. The recent release of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee report on Rep. Matt Gaetz, the would-be head of the Department of Justice, shows how reckless this is. His behavior was widely known before the president-elect announced the Gaetz appointment. The report confirmed its extent. Even the committee membership that opposed the report’s release because Gaetz had resigned from the House (ostensibly to avoid the report’s release) confirmed the findings. Their letter states, “From at least 2017 to 2020, Rep. Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him. In 2017, Rep. Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl. During the period 2017 to 2019, Rep. Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions. Rep. Gaetz accepted gifts above permissible amounts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas. In 2018, Rep. Gaetz arranged for his chief of staff to assist a woman with whom he engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the U.S. Department of State that she was a constituent.” This behavior is criminal and unbecoming of the Office of the Attorney General. It’s also a national security risk. Serious skeletons in one’s closet make it easy for our enemies to manipulate and blackmail officials into complying with demands and sharing classified information. This isn’t the only alarming cabinet selection. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the pick for director of National Intelligence, has been flagged for suspicious travel patterns, foreign connections and espousing views sympathetic to Russian interests. Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the pick for director of National Intelligence, has been flagged for suspicious travel patterns, foreign connections and espousing views sympathetic to Russian interests. Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth is known for drinking on the job, aligning with white Christian nationalism and mistreatment of women, including a sexual assault allegation. Environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touts conspiracy theories and spreads misinformation about life-saving vaccines, proving he’s unfit to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Such nominations should not be taken seriously, let alone rubber-stamped. Our nation is fortunate to have many brilliant, experienced leaders within our military, national security agencies and public health organizations. It is foolish and dangerous to pretend unfit people are our only options. I hope Idaho’s GOP senators will rethink their stance and undertake due diligence to protect all Americans. Our school children deserve safe facilities. And after decades of letting buildings crumble, the Republican supermajority finally has a proposal. But there’s a catch. As I explained to my sixth-grader on our walk to school, the plan also cuts $60 million annually from the revenue stream that funds school operations. Her response summed it up well, “That sounds counterproductive.” Indeed, the bill helps repair facilities, but it’s a step backward in terms of our ability to support education. The most beneficial part of House Bill 521 would make $1 billion available over the next decade for construction, renovation, and maintenance. This could mean repairing the wing of a Pocatello high school that was gutted when faulty electrical wiring caused a fire. Additionally, the legislation adds funding to a pot created by property tax legislation last year. These dollars largely pay down existing bonds and levies, allowing the few dollars leftover to be used for current facilities needs. Analysts have not yet produced reliable numbers for how each district will be impacted, even as the bill advances. What’s clear is that the distribution is insufficient and inequitable. Valley View Elementary in Boundary County needs close to $20 million to replace an elementary school where a roof caved in, but will likely receive only a fraction of that. Last year West Ada failed to pass a $500 million bond to meet their building needs. The district might receive 40% of that amount. The bill arbitrarily caps the bond funds that districts that pre-date statehood can receive. This clearly targets Boise, the only district impacted. Boise Schools will consequently receive half the funding they would have received under equal treatment. While providing insufficient funding, the bill also makes it harder for school districts to fill the gap. Their option for doing so is through bonds and levies and the bill eliminates their option to hold these elections in August. This hit comes after Republican lawmakers nixed the March elections last year. Communities will have dwindling opportunities to pass funding measures. Also damaging is the upside-down tax package in the style Republican legislators have been passing for years. Through a reduction of the income and corporate tax rate from 5.8% to 5.695%, a family earning $80,000 annually will see $53 in savings, while a household bringing in $1,000,000 will receive $1,019. And a corporation will continue to pay a lower tax rate on its profits than the 6% sales tax Idahoans pay when they buy food, diapers, medicines, and other necessities. Idaho students deserve quality facilities, without having to swallow a bitter pill of slashed revenue for our schools’ future, inequitable investments, and lopsided tax policies. For democracy to work, elected leaders must have the freedom to act in the best interest of their constituents. This bedrock principle is now being severely undermined by Idaho’s House GOP leadership. We’re seeing historic levels of strong-arming around votes behind closed doors and harsh punishment for dissent. With the Idaho House looking more like the dysfunctional U.S. House of Representatives, there are harmful repercussions for Idahoans. At the heart of the conflict is our Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. The committee’s recent departure from our decades-old budget-setting process consolidates power in the hands of a few people. The committee co-chairs are ramming through skeletal budgets they constructed without study and input from other committee members. Skeletal budgets leave out critical investments like raises earned by educators through Idaho’s teacher career ladder, the LAUNCH scholarships propelling young Idahoans to in-demand careers, and certain transportation funds. While the co-chairs claim they will go back and plug budget holes, services are now at risk. The first House vote on a skeletal budget was a test case. The bill passed 38-31 (with all 11 Democrats opposed), showing many Republicans objected to the new budget-setting scheme. That’s when the hammer came down. The next day saw an unprecedented vote on the House Floor in support of Speaker Moyle. The motion “to retain the speaker” received unanimous “yes” votes because no one was willing to fall into the trap of expressing disloyalty publicly. The Legislative Services Office couldn’t find any other instances of such a motion in state history. Immediately after, in a private caucus, House Republicans ousted the first female majority leader because she was among those opposing the new budgeting scheme. Research turned up only one other instance of a leadership change in the middle of a session, which occurred when a Senate leader was battling cancer. By making a historic example of the majority leader, the speaker sent a chilling message about the consequences of dissent. Skeletal budgets for different agencies are now zooming across the House Floor. Almost all pass on party-line votes, signaling Republicans are under immense pressure to toe the line. This budget scheme has given Speaker Moyle the singular power to block second-round funding bills that plug budget holes. It won’t matter what the Legislature as a whole wants because he can prevent votes from even taking place. And the speaker is on the record opposing LAUNCH scholarships, Medicaid services, and other crucial investments that make life better for Idahoans. The stakes are high, and the need for a government that faithfully represents the people is more crucial than ever. Idaho Democrats will continue to vote our conscience and defend a strong, transparent democracy. Investments in public education benefit all Idahoans. Regardless of whether we have children attending school at any given moment, the advantages of strong public education resonate throughout our communities. Unfortunately, the latest effort by the out-of-state voucher lobby and a faction of Republicans to implement a school voucher scheme poses a grave threat to our already underfunded schools and the state budget. House Bill 447 would start as a $50 million proposal to siphon public tax dollars to private, religious, and even for-profit institutions with zero accountability. What is particularly concerning is that the bulk of the money has no limits on eligibility. That means a working family in rural Idaho could subsidize private school tuition for millionaires in Boise. Data in states like Iowa back this up, showing voucher programs most often serve students from well-off families already enrolled in private schools. This not only creates a new budgetary obligation but also jeopardizes public school funding in future budgets. Additionally, voucher costs have a frightening propensity to explode, absorbing larger portions of the state budget. A recent analysis of vouchers in seven states between 2008 and 2019 revealed hundreds of millions of dollars being redirected to fund vouchers at the expense of local schools, despite a rise in public school enrollment. In Arizona, where only 8% of kids receive a voucher, the program is projected to cost a staggering $950 million next year, $320 million of which is unbudgeted. Utah’s original voucher bill had a $42 million price tag. Less than a year later, vouchers are projected to cost $150 million. Vouchers are too costly on their own. They are unfathomable in the context of our limited budget and the investments we’re failing to make in our children. Idaho already ranks last in the nation for per-pupil spending. Schools are struggling to retain qualified staff and we have over $1 billion in neglected facility needs. We’re also ignoring opportunities proven to boost student success. For example, almost every other state invests in preschool because every $1 invested returns up to $16 to the economy, and kids are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Today, 47% of Idaho’s children enter kindergarten already behind according to our Idaho Reading Indicator. Preschool is just one example of a proven investment that would increase student success. Vouchers, on the other hand, cut funding available to schools without generating any new educational services. HB 447 would largely serve as a giveaway to families who need it the least. We don’t have a dime to spare, let alone $50 million for a voucher subsidy scheme. For the sake of our children, our schools, and our future, Idaho must reject vouchers. Rep. Lauren Necochea All Idahoans should agree: the safety of our children is paramount. How we decide to protect them may differ from community to community. When it comes to guns in schools, current Idaho law allows locally elected school boards to set the policies they deem appropriate. Some districts keep guns out of schools unless they are in the hands of law enforcement. Others have policies providing oversight. Unfortunately, House Bill 415 is speeding through the Legislature and would undo local decision making, local training requirements, and collaboration with local law enforcement by overriding school management of firearms in schools. Today, school districts can require ongoing active shooter drills where employees test their ability to quickly distinguish between kids and assailants or mandate participation in meetings with local law enforcement to develop safety and incident response plans. School leaders can also use criteria to revoke privileges for staff who are not well-suited to the responsibility of carrying a firearm around children. In contrast, HB 415 circumvents local control and gives blanket permission to employees and volunteers who have taken a one-time concealed carry course and shot 98 rounds. Schools must allow them to carry firearms regardless of shooting skill, temperament, mental state, visual acuity, length of time since they took a course, or other factors. A major alarm bell should be that law enforcement does not support this approach. The Idaho Association of School Resource Officers and Idaho Sheriffs’ Association both oppose HB 415. It’s no wonder since experts have maintained that it is harder for police to respond to active shooters when unknown, untrained people are also engaging. Opening the door to an untrackable number of firearms means new liability for schools. The Idaho State University professor who shot himself in the foot during class and the Utah teacher who accidentally shot herself in a school bathroom are two recent examples of the risks. At least one Idaho school district has already been notified that its insurance company will drop it if this bill is enacted. We can only imagine that costs will rise for insurance companies that continue to provide coverage. Finally, this bill subverts the rights of teachers and parents who have come out in full force against this legislation. Parents won’t be able to ask whether their child’s teacher is armed, let alone demand more rigorous training requirements. One hundred Idahoans came out in opposition during the committee hearing. Only five individuals supported the bill, including the out-of-state lobbyist who brought the legislation. Homegrown Idaho solutions and evidence-based safety measures are better than a one-size-fits-all approach from special interests. As this bill moves across the rotunda, I hope the Senate will see the wisdom in rejecting it. When I was a kid, Idaho enjoyed a fairly healthy balance of political power. Democratic Governor Cecil Andrus served alongside a Republican lieutenant governor and for one legislative term, the Idaho Senate was evenly divided. As I grew up, Idaho veered rightward. Today, new migration patterns are rapidly accelerating the trend, and an interesting paradox has emerged in Boise State University’s new polling. The finds newcomers are 11 percentage points more likely to identify as Republicans and 10 percentage points less likely to identify as Independents than Idahoans who have lived here for more than 10 years. One would expect the increasingly Republican voting population to align tightly with the Republican supermajority in power, but that is not the case. In fact, the polling shows that Idahoans overwhelmingly agree with Democrats on the major issues of our day. A majority of Idahoans oppose the abortion ban the GOP enacted. Nearly 70% of voters trust their libraries to make decisions about the content they make available, while Republican lawmakers bring bills threatening librarians with jail time and expensive lawsuits. As GOP legislators push for school vouchers, only 49% of Idahoans approve, and support drops when respondents consider the diminished school funding they will cause. For the first time in the survey’s history, more voters thought Idaho was moving in the wrong direction compared with 40% who think Idaho is on the right track. A different poll showed strong opposition to Medicaid cuts and strong support for leaving Medicaid expansion in place, while the Republican supermajority seeks to slash Medicaid and repeal Medicaid expansion. Yet another poll revealed very strong support for investing in our dilapidated school facilities, an issue Republican lawmakers have refused to act on for years. These discrepancies underscore a stark contrast between the policy preferences of regular Idahoans and the legislation pursued by the dominant political party. To long-time Republicans who have been left behind by their party, I invite you to take a closer look at Idaho Democrats. For newcomers to Idaho who voted Republican in their former states, I invite you to get to know your Idaho Democratic candidates and our local issues. And every Idahoan should read the Idaho Democratic Party platform and compare it to the Idaho Republican Party platform, which is squarely outside the mainstream. For a representative democracy to function well, voters need to stay engaged, research candidates, and provide accountability when politicians ignore their views. If you, like a majority of Idahoans, support adequate school funding and safe facilities, oppose costly voucher schemes with zero accountability, support our libraries, or want the restoration of our reproductive freedoms, a vote for Idaho Democrats is your best bet. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Budgets are moral documents” because they show our real values. Allocating our public dollars demands thoughtful, transparent deliberations. Unfortunately, recent moves by Republican legislative leaders have compromised Idaho’s process with serious consequences. The integrity of our nationally lauded budgeting process started eroding last year. GOP leaders knocked House Democrats down to just one member on the budget committee, taking away our proportional representation. This week, Republican co-chairs ushered in new procedures, beginning negotiations by cramming skeletal budgets through at the outset instead of studying funding needs first. Monday’s speed-budgeting spent about $2 billion per hour. This meant many omissions and errors, including one that nearly slashed annual teacher pay by $6,359. My Democratic colleagues rightfully voted against this careless approach. The skeletal budgets leave critical initiatives unfunded such as the LAUNCH scholarships for in-demand job training, interventions for the dangerous quagga mussels threatening our water, and upgrades to bridges that pose a safety risk. Small in scope, but still important, are items like guardian ad litem programs, which advocate for children as they navigate foster care. Budget committee leaders claim they will add funding, but they have backed Idaho into a devastating default budget. And they made it difficult to resolve harmful cuts. Once a budget is passed, rules require that two-thirds of the committee vote to reopen it, or seven of the ten members from the House and Senate. This threshold means a “no” vote counts more than twice as much as a “yes” vote. A few fringe legislators have the power to keep slash-and-burn budgets in place. What is the supermajority’s motivation? It appears to be about power. Traditionally, House leaders will hold off on approving one budget bill to prevent the Senate from adjourning, before they get something they want, and vice versa. The new process yielded a default skeletal budget to fall back on, creating a “hostage” legislative leaders may be willing to shoot, with harmful repercussions for Idahoans. Additionally, the house speaker can unilaterally hold any bill, including bills that correct budget holes. It’s reminiscent of the power House Republicans in Congress gave each member to recall Speaker McCarthy. Matt Gaetz used it to leave our nation with a non-functioning government for weeks while Republicans haggled over who would become the next speaker. These changes put undue power into the hands of a few who can manufacture budget space for their personal agenda items, such as the school voucher scheme that both budget committee chairs have endorsed. Idahoans deserve a budget that goes through a fair process and is responsive to constituents. It’s more important than ever that Idahoans speak up about their budget priorities. If we truly valued our children, we would ensure they spend their days in safe school buildings. But decades of neglect have caused Idaho schools to slide into a shameful state of disrepair. Raw sewage leaking under a cafeteria, collapsing roofs, and freezing classrooms illustrate the dire condition of school facilities across the state. Most frighteningly, a fire destroyed much of a Pocatello high school after faulty electrical wiring went unaddressed. In his State of the State address, Governor Little touted a long-overdue investment in facilities that made headlines. But when we read the fine print, we see he is largely continuing to kick the can down the road. In the coming year, as schools face over $1.3 billion in facilities needs, they would receive just $200 million. And that’s if this proposal can make its way through the Republican supermajority, which has the same terrible track record in supporting school infrastructure. In addition to increased state investment, there are two obvious policy solutions GOP lawmakers have rejected that would put schools on firmer ground. First, we must allow school districts to charge impact fees on new developments. Local governments regularly charge developers for the new roads, sewer lines, and other infrastructure that new housing developments necessitate. By making the same allowance for school infrastructure, growth can pay for itself instead of asking existing taxpayers to foot the bill. Second, we need to end the two-thirds majority requirement for passing school bonds. This has tripped up desperate school districts like Boundary where recent bonds garnered a clear majority of the vote, but fell short of the threshold. The state is letting a minority of voters deny our students safe school buildings. Even a threshold of 55% or 60% of the vote would ensure that more projects with strong public support can proceed. How we got here is a lesson Idahoans cannot afford to forget. As our schools have gone long underfunded, Little and his GOP colleagues have bragged about record budget surpluses, manufactured by the neglect of our core duties. They repeatedly doled out enormous rebates and permanent revenue cuts to the wealthiest while schools crumbled. His overdue acknowledgment of the problem is a small step towards redemption, but it’s no cause for a victory lap. For over twenty years, Little has held office in the Republican supermajority that created this crisis. Idaho Democrats have tirelessly fought for increased investments in Idaho schools while the GOP underpaid our educators and let our schools fall into disrepair. Little is right when he says we can do better. It is a shame that it took him more than two decades in public office to realize this. The Idaho State Capitol is not just a building; it’s the People’s House. Regular Idaho families don’t have lobbyists and can’t afford big campaign donations, but their interests should always be front and center. As the legislature reconvenes, Idaho Democrats are prioritizing the working families who are too often left behind. First, we are committed to thriving Main Streets with economic opportunity in towns big and small. A fundamental building block of a strong economy is education. Democrats will work to protect the new LAUNCH scholarships that are opening pathways to in-demand careers with family-sustaining wages and building the skilled workforce that industries need. We must finally address the $1 billion backlog in school facilities needs so that children aren’t contending with overcrowded classrooms, leaky roofs, or unsafe situations, such as the electrical issues that led to a severe fire in a Pocatello school. Idaho Democrats want to correct last year’s funding methodology shift that shortchanged schools by $162 million. And we will again defend against voucher schemes that divert precious public dollars away from public schools and into private, religious, and for-profit institutions with zero accountability. Second, we will be a voice for Idaho’s working families when it comes to revenue collection. Idaho’s upside down tax code gets worse every year. Today, an Idaho mom pays a higher tax rate on essentials like food and diapers than corporations pay on their profits. It’s past time we eliminate the sales tax on groceries, a move supported by 82% of Idahoans but consistently blocked by the Republican supermajority. We should have a meaningful child tax credit to help make it affordable to raise the next generation and finally establish a state earned income tax credit to avoid taxing working families into poverty. Third, we should act on the principle that affordable healthcare is a necessity. We will work to properly fund Medicaid, a lifeline for children, seniors, and Idahoans with disabilities, and to extend coverage for postpartum mothers. We’ll oppose the repeal of Medicaid expansion, which would take healthcare away from tens of thousands. What Idahoans don’t need is more extremism. Whether it comes to your most intimate medical decisions, the books you read, or who you love, it’s time for GOP politicians to stop interfering in your private life. While Democrats are underdogs in the Legislature, we stand behind an agenda that is broadly supported by voters. We hope Republican lawmakers will meet us here so that we can govern to make life better for Idahoans. To advance our shared priorities, we need the voices of Idahoans to resonate in the People’s House, demanding policies that truly reflect your values. I hope to see you there. The end of a year offers a moment to take stock of our progress to date and our vision for the future. As I reflect on the future Democrats want for Idahoans — thriving Main Streets with economic opportunity, quality education, personal freedoms, and an affordable path to raising the next generation — it’s clear that supermajority rule is holding us back. Idaho Democrats are rolling up their sleeves to repair our political system by rebuilding our party. This year, we established local Democratic committees in all 44 counties and won 73% of the 65 local races where Democrats made endorsements and deployed campaign tactics. Focused candidate recruitment has positioned us to contest more races in 2024 than we have in years. Idaho’s Democratic lawmakers are also making an impact. We delivered critical wins by blocking school vouchers, stopping a bill creating bounties on libraries, protecting Medicaid expansion, enacting scholarships for in-demand careers, creating incentives for nurses serving rural Idaho, and safeguarding voting rights. Nevertheless, many votes were too close for comfort. It’s critical we elect more Democrats to make life better for Idahoans and combat political dysfunction. I will never forget the words of a very conservative colleague who congratulated me on becoming chair of the Idaho Democratic Party. In spite of our policy disagreements, the legislator sincerely wished me luck and, motioning to the House Chamber, declared, “Because this isn’t healthy.” Indeed, when one party holds 82% of the seats, there is little accountability and compromise, which are necessary for a healthy democracy. In the absence of accountability, the extremists who once operated at the fringes of the Idaho Republican Party have taken the helm. Local party tribunals are pushing GOP politicians deeper into extremism by punishing those who stray from their platform — a platform that ranges from dangerous fringe ideas that would destabilize our financial system, like returning to gold and silver standards, to outright cruelty, like murder charges for abortion even when the patient faces certain death. In 2024, Democrats will be reaching out to voters, offering an alternative to this extreme agenda. We hope to have openhearted conversations about the central issues that unite us. Voters who get to know their local Democratic candidates will find ample common ground. Polling confirms that voters agree with Idaho Democrats on the issues that affect you daily: tax policies should be fair to regular Idahoans rather than heaping more benefits onto the wealthy and well-connected, public dollars belong in public schools, Medicaid should be strong, politicians shouldn’t interfere in our most intimate decisions, and life must be affordable for working families. As we welcome 2024, I’m hopeful Idahaoans can come together to reject GOP extremism and build the future people deserve. Access to healthcare saves lives, prevents financial ruin, and simply makes life better. I am proud that advocating for affordable coverage was a focus of my earlier career. Alongside many tireless advocates, I worked for years to expand Medicaid — closing the coverage gap for Idahoans whose wages were too low to qualify for health insurance tax credits and too high for Medicaid. Republican obstructionism in the Idaho Legislature made it a lot harder than it should have been to champion a policy that’s extremely popular among Idaho voters. The scariest setback, however, came from Congress. In 2017, Republicans took control of both chambers in Congress and the White House. As they seized power, repealing the Affordable Care Act was their top priority. Frighteningly, they had no replacement plan to prevent millions of Americans from losing coverage. As advocates in Idaho, we had to pause our work to expand healthcare access and try to block this serious attempt to take healthcare away. Months of nerve wracking negotiations culminated in Senator John McCain’s iconic and dramatic thumbs-down vote on the Senate floor. Fortunately, McCain joined two Republican U.S. Senators and every single Democrat to kill the repeal effort. Recalling this barely averted disaster makes it all the more startling to hear every Republican presidential candidate vow to repeal the ACA. Again, they have no coherent replacement. The renewed threat to working families and small business owners is staggering. ACA repeal would mean protections for up to 259,000 Idahoans with preexisting conditions would vanish, allowing insurance companies to deny coverage or hike costs for people with previous cancer diagnoses, high blood pressure, asthma, and other conditions. Medicaid expansion, which finally passed by a decisive majority of Idaho voters through an initiative, would end. Tax credits to purchase coverage, which assist 80% of individuals on the market, would disappear. Young adults would no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance. Insurance companies could again impose lifetime caps on coverage. Idahoans are already losing healthcare access, thanks to Republican politicians. From passing one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country to criminalizing doctors and nurses, Republican politicians continue attacking our freedoms and making Idaho a hostile place for providers. Idaho ranks last in the nation for physicians and hospital beds per capita and more than 70% of Idahoans live in mental health shortage areas. This year, rural hospitals in Sandpoint and Emmett announced they can no longer provide labor and delivery services. More than 9,000 healthcare jobs in Idaho remain unfilled, according to Idaho Business for Education. The ACA is a lifeline for Idahoans. Democrats will continue protecting the healthcare that is essential to the wellbeing of our families. Rep. Lauren Necochea Every Idaho child deserves an education that prepares them for career opportunities and helps them succeed. It’s a fundamental promise to our children, enshrined in our state constitution. This promise is once again under threat from a dangerous agenda that seeks to divert your tax dollars away from our public schools and into the hands of private and religious schools through voucher schemes. Last legislative session, parents, teachers, and community leaders came together to speak out against vouchers, which are deeply unpopular among Idaho voters according to a recent poll commissioned by the Idaho Education Association. Idaho held the line as other states fell to the pressure of the voucher lobby. In the House Education Committee, Democratic votes prevented legislation from advancing, but the threat remains. Proponents of vouchers spare no expense when it comes to buying our elections and pressuring legislators. These out-of-state activists with deep pockets have flooded our political landscape, running baseless attack ads against leaders who support public education, propping up the most far-right extreme candidates, and building an army of lobbyists-for-hire. In the face of defeat, the anti-public education lobby has come up with a new tactic, which is to bypass the House Education Committee that rejected vouchers. They plan to push vouchers via our tax code and force the bill through the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. But tax code vouchers bring the same problems: Huge costs to the state with zero accountability. The primary beneficiaries of tax credit vouchers would be wealthy families with kids in private schools who will enjoy a cash subsidy paid by taxpayers. Rural families are unlikely to have private school “options.” What they will see is that their public schools receive fewer resources. Across the state, middle-class families and those who work paycheck-to-paycheck won’t be able to close the gap between the voucher credit and private tuition. Other states illustrate the damaging consequences of these schemes. In Wisconsin, vouchers blew a hole in the state’s budget, forcing homeowners to shoulder a $577 million property tax hike. In Arizona, vouchers will cost the state $900 million this year while rural schools are shuttering. Between 75% and 90% of voucher users in states like Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin were already in private schools, forcing taxpayers to subsidize wealthy families. Voucher schemes also cause pandemic-sized drops in student outcomes — proving they will only hurt student success. We must speak out during the 2024 session to defeat these schemes. Idaho Democrats remain committed to ensuring that all kids have the opportunity to receive an excellent education. This can only happen within the framework of strong, well-funded public schools that are accountable to Idahoans. Together, we will protect our children and our shared future. Rep. Lauren Necochea Great schools depend on strong communities. Strong communities, in turn, require great schools. In Idaho, many education leaders are working to bolster student success with the “community school” model. The announcement of a new federal grant marks a significant stride toward expanding this proven approach across our state. Community schools recognize that students come with families — families who need to be engaged in their children’s education and who often need connections to resources to thrive. Four Boise schools first launched the national model in Idaho in 2016. Today, Idaho has 41 community schools across 25 districts. I was fortunate to see the difference firsthand at my children’s elementary school: Parents are frequently invited into the school to engage with their students’ learning, staff coordinate parent support classes, partnerships with food banks fuel in-school pantries, and coordinators connect parents to nonprofit resources when they are facing homelessness, health care needs, and other challenges. The community school approach is backed by research demonstrating better student attendance, reductions in disciplinary events, and improved achievement. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in their expansion in Idaho has been funding. We have a patchwork of haves and have-nots when we ought to ensure every child can attend a community school. This is why our new federal investment is so exciting. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s recent visit to Idaho underscores the promise of this opportunity. Idaho will receive a Full-Service Community Schools grant totalling $6.5 million annually from the Biden Administration to expand the reach of community schools. This will mean 50 additional schools implementing the model, specifically targeting rural areas and Title I schools, which have higher portions of families facing low wages. The Marsing School District has demonstrated the lifeline that community schools provide in rural Idaho. In the absence of state-funded preschool, the district established early learning programs at the local community center and partnered with neighboring districts to create a special education partnership. When the local food bank and senior center closed, the school district and community partners collaborated to create a school resource center. Marsing illustrates how community schools fill critical gaps in services, especially in regions where resources are more spread out. The success of community schools across diverse landscapes is partly why they have broad political support. They also provide a stark contrast to school vouchers, which siphon critical taxpayer dollars to private schools with no oversight or accountability. We must make smart investments in the promise of public education and offer real solutions to the unique challenges faced by students and families. Idaho Democrats will continue to support initiatives to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. Rep. Lauren Necochea How confusing is the 2024 election season in Idaho? So much so that Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Republican Party of Idaho Chair Dorothy Moon, and Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea were compelled last week to issue a joint news release to attempt to clarify the distinction between party presidential nominating caucuses, the statewide May primaries, and affiliation deadlines for voters. They only stirred around the mud, despite their best efforts. The mud is deep. How else could you explain a joint news release from Dorothy Moon and Lauren Necochea, who likely couldn’t come to agreement on the same order at a restaurant with one item on the menu? We wouldn’t have believed it if we hadn’t seen it. They’re on opposite ends of the political rope, yanking and pulling and tugging while accusing the other of attempting to spiral Idaho into an abyss. What they do appear to share, though, is the feeling that Idahoans should make plans to exercise their right to vote. Regardless of how you feel about the caucus system — and we find it to be wholly non-representative — we’re stuck with it for 2024. As one of our board members bluntly put it, ‘And that sucks.’ “As we gear up for the May 23rd caucus, we want to ensure every eligible voter’s voice is heard,” Necochea said in the release. “We encourage all residents to engage in the process by taking part in this important event.” Added Moon, “We encourage all eligible voters who wish to have a voice in the party caucus to ensure their party affiliation is up to date by the December 31st deadline.” And then there’s McGrane, who narrowly defeated Moon in the 2022 election for Secretary of State, urging Gem State voters to take part in the May 21 primary, which will include party races for state legislators and county sheriffs, commissioners and prosecutors. “The primary election is a crucial step in shaping the future of our state,” McGrane said in the release. “We want to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate, so it’s essential to be aware of the party affiliation deadlines.” The deadline to change affiliation for the primary is March 15, though unaffiliated and newly registered voters may affiliate up to and including Election Day. But, if you want to have a say in the GOP presidential nominating caucus on March 2, you must affiliate by Dec. 31 — but that’s a Sunday, so plan accordingly. To take part in the Democrats’ caucus, you must be a registered Democrat or unaffiliated voter and affirm that you have not participated in any other 2024 presidential nominating contest. The nearly 500-word news release concludes: “Idaho political parties are required to communicate with the Secretary of State’s office through written correspondence to identify the voters eligible to participate in the May 21st primary election by November 30th.” Clear as mud, right? Let’s try to clear it up, because Moon and Necochea are right: We must vote in 2024, and likely as if the future of our democracy depends on it. The Republican presidential nominating caucus is March 2, the Democratic presidential nominating caucus is May 23, the statewide primary is May 21, and the general election is Nov. 5. It’s Dec. 31 to participate in the Republican presidential nominating caucus, March 15 (to change party affiliation) or May 21 (to affiliate with a party if unaffiliated) to participate in the statewide primary, and May 23 to participate in the Democratic presidential nominating caucus. Go online: VoteIdaho.gov , IdahoGOP.org , and IdahoDems.org . Regardless of how you feel about the caucus system — and we find it to be wholly non-representative — we’re stuck with it for 2024. As one of our board members bluntly put it, “And that sucks.” But, Idaho will caucus. So, stomp the mud off your boots and make plans to have your say next year. The future of our state is in your hands. Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you don’t miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Don’t have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store . Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Similarly, when politicians vow to take away your freedoms, take them at their word. Among many extreme positions in the Idaho Republican Party platform is the criminalization of any abortion, even to save a patient’s life. We should therefore be unsurprised that Republican lawmakers are doubling down on their extreme, anti-abortion agenda. Recently, Republican AG Raúl Labrador and Idaho’s Republican legislative leaders teamed up with out-of-state activists to file a frightening legal appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their goal is to reverse a small court-ordered reprieve for abortion care in medical emergencies. Idaho’s abortion ban has no allowance for patients facing health risks from carrying a pregnancy. Risk of permanent disability or fertility loss and even conditions that eventually cause death are not valid exceptions. This means physicians may have to prove in court, under threat of a lengthy prison sentence and loss of their medical license, that they performed an abortion to avert imminent death. Simply preserving the patient’s health is not acceptable. The U.S. Department of Justice successfully argued in court that this ban violates federal law enacted by President Ronald Reagan. The law requires hospitals with emergency departments to provide stabilizing treatment to anyone who seeks care. An Idaho judge agreed, ruling that pregnant women and those experiencing pregnancy loss deserve access to the full rights and protections of emergency medical care. How did Republican legislative leaders respond to this lifeline for patients and doctors? They immediately appealed the ruling. Now, they are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the prosecution and imprisonment of doctors and nurses who perform emergency abortions while the appeal works through the legal system. I know most Idahoans want to make their intimate medical decisions with their families and doctors — not have them dictated politicians. But the new Idaho Republican Party continues to prove it is light years away from what voters believe. This assault on your freedoms isn’t coming from a few far-right fringe legislators. The ban was deliberately written without health exceptions and approved by nearly every Republican legislator. In fact, a few Republicans voted in opposition because they didn’t think the bill went far enough. We should not be surprised that this new brand of Idaho Republican politician is sticking to the script. But we should be very alarmed by their extreme ideology and the lengths to which they will go. This is not the representation that Idahoans want. Patients’ lives and our ability to keep doctors in Idaho make it urgent that we vote them out. Rep. Lauren Necochea With the holiday season upon us, I’m reminded of the ways in which we care for one another. One of the best ways we do this as Idahoans is through Medicaid. It provides necessary care for our children, pregnant Idahoans, seniors who need nursing home care, and both adults and children with disabilities. Medicaid delivers developmental screenings to our kids, substance use disorder treatment, cancer care, and much more. And it demonstrates a fundamental belief we share: We never want Idahoans to go without health care due to an inability to pay. Idaho voters continue to express strong support for Medicaid. They passed Medicaid expansion in 2018 with 61% in favor and the policy has only become more popular. Recent polling commissioned by Idaho Voices for Children shows that 73% of voters favor keeping Medicaid expansion. Additionally, voters resoundingly oppose cuts to Medicaid services. Unfortunately, Idaho’s Republican supermajority isn’t getting the message. They have made repeated attempts to roll back Medicaid expansion and take coverage away from Idahoans, chronically underfunded Medicaid services, and threatened to make cuts to a critical lifeline. Today’s direct care worker crisis illustrates what happens when budget setters starve a crucial service. Direct care workers help seniors and individuals with disabilities with daily tasks, like eating and dressing themselves. This support allows Idahoans to live independently in their homes and is typically funded through Medicaid. But a new report from the Office of Performance Evaluation reveals that this workforce faces a 3,000-person shortage and workers can earn 36-39% higher wages in other industries. Idahoans requiring this assistance can be forced into the more costly and less desirable option of moving into an institution when there are no direct care workers available. There are clear steps the Idaho Legislature must take to protect Idahoans who rely on Medicaid. First, we must bolster reimbursement for Medicaid services, especially direct care workers so that Idahoans can live as independently as possible. We should also reject proposals that cut Medicaid services. Second, we need to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to mothers for one year after birth. This is a key recommendation that Idaho’s Maternal Mortality Review Board made after studying how we can best prevent maternal deaths in our state Third, we must reject attempts to dismantle Medicaid expansion. Too many Republican politicians prioritize their anti-government ideology over people’s needs. And while some lawmakers do not believe that the public sector should solve problems and help Idahoans access health care, voters clearly do. Voters want to ensure a strong Medicaid program is there when they, their loved ones, and their neighbors need it. Idaho Democrats will continue working to protect and strengthen Medicaid to keep all Idahoans healthy. Rep. Lauren Necochea From the Idaho Transportation Department: The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was established as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – also called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This program invests federal funding into states to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging stations, using primarily American-made materials and certified EVITP contractors. We rely on infrastructure to power and connect our daily lives. This includes the roads we drive on, our water delivery systems, and broadband access that links us to information and commerce. Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure. This landmark legislation is rebuilding long-neglected public structures and creating good jobs with family-sustaining wages along the way. In Idaho, $2.5 billion in funding has been announced, with over 252 specific projects identified. The investment covers $1.6 billion for roads, bridges, public transit, and airports, $210 million for water projects, and $583 million to ensure rural Idahoans can access reliable high-speed internet. In fact, more than 49,000 Idaho households are already saving on their internet bill. The impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is best demonstrated by the projects underway across Idaho. The North Portneuf Crossing project will enhance traffic safety and improve traffic flow while making the road safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Meanwhile, the Genesee and McCall-Donnelly Districts were awarded funds to purchase electric school buses. Children will no longer have to breathe diesel fumes at the bus stop, schools will see big savings in fuel costs, and entire communities will benefit from fewer emissions. The St. Maries School District will make energy-efficient building upgrades to create healthier learning environments. As wildfires continue to threaten lives and property, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supports prevention and community resilience. These include the Clark County Roadside Fuel Breaks project to bolster wildfire protection for communities in Dubois, Kilgore, Spencer, and Medicine Lodge and funding to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, sustain industry, and protect recreation across the Boise and Payette National Forests. A $4 million effort to line the Treasure Valley’s New York Canal will more efficiently deliver water to farms and residents. And the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, a critical gateway for Eastern Idaho, received $5 million to upgrade its terminal. Local leaders are celebrating this progress because they have seen dire needs go unmet for too long. It’s also good news for our economy. The International Monetary Fund estimates that every $1 invested in infrastructure yields $1.40 in new economic activity. As we celebrate a transformative legislative accomplishment, we should remember it passed despite Republican obstructionism. Idaho’s congressmen, Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, both voted in opposition. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t be surprised to see them at ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the popular projects the law is making possible. While some Republican politicians try to roll back historic progress and heap more tax benefits on those who need them the least, Democrats will continue investing in the middle class and the infrastructure that sustains us all. Rep. Lauren Necochea Democrats had plenty of good news to celebrate in Tuesday’s off-year elections and more evidence that they can win races centered on the national debate over abortion. As Sen. Raphael Warnock says, “A vote is a prayer about the kind of world we want to live in.” Indeed, every election allows citizens to act on their hope for our shared future. With far-right extremists getting louder, more numerous, and more brazen in Idaho and Congress, many are deeply worried about the future. Today’s Republican Party seeks to divide us based on our differences, puts profits over people, erodes our public institutions, and takes away our freedoms. Nevertheless, Tuesday’s election filled me with hope as voters shifted toward leaders who will build communities where we take care of each other. In Virginia, Democrats exceeded expectations, retaining control of the Senate and flipping the state House. This victory thwarted Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plans to pass an abortion ban. In Ohio, voters amended the state constitution to guarantee the right to make personal decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion. Even in deep-red Kentucky, voters reelected Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Here in Idaho, Democratic values prevailed in encouraging ways. In Boise, Mayor Lauren McLean, who focused on home affordability, secured another term. Hayden Paulsen, a 29-year-old newly elected to Pocatello City Council, returned to his hometown driven by a belief that Idahoans shouldn’t have to leave their community to find economic opportunity. Education champions triumphed in school board elections in Caldwell, McCall-Donnelly, Blaine County, Teton County, and Moscow over far-right ideologues who seek to ban books, police curriculum, and privatize our public schools. In the 45 races where local Democrats endorsed nonpartisan candidates based on shared values — not necessarily party affiliation — 73% won. Meanwhile, voters are starting to realize that Republican endorsements often signal the most extreme, far-right candidate in a race. Coeur d’Alene City Council incumbents beat back far-right challengers endorsed by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. A Twin Falls City Council incumbent beat out a Twin Falls Republican Party official. We can take a moment to celebrate, then turn to the work ahead. In 2024, all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature will be up for election. Idaho Democrats are committed to having a Democrat on the ballot in every legislative district and will continue to work hard to deliver leaders who better represent the people of Idaho. You can join us. Together, we can deliver on the issues that matter most to Idahoans — safeguarding our freedoms, ensuring quality education, and fostering opportunity in every corner of our state. It won’t happen magically but through the grit of candidates and volunteers who meet voters at their doors to show that Idahoans deserve better and that doing better is possible. Let’s carry this momentum forward and continue building a brighter future for Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea Democracy is at its best when consensus candidates prevail. In this ideal world, officeholders have broad support from their constituents and work to strengthen the institutions under their purview. Library board commissioners seek to make library services better and more accessible. Municipal leaders are dedicated to building vibrant cities and delivering public safety and other services reliably. School board trustees believe in providing quality public schools in every child’s neighborhood with qualified teachers and proven administrators. However, Idaho is seeing a disturbing trend, leading us away from this ideal. Extremist candidates with radical agendas are gaining power, often damaging the very institutions they are meant to safeguard. On Tuesday, voters must be vigilant and reject extremism as we decide who will lead our school boards and communities. The West Bonner School District is a cautionary tale , illustrating the stakes and the ease with which extremism can take hold. In 2021, far-right candidates, Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown were elected as trustees. They had extremely narrow margins of victory in a low-turnout election. Overall, only a few hundred votes were cast, just a fraction of eligible voters. It is understandable that local elections can be overlooked due to the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. Nevertheless, as we have seen in West Bonner, the consequences of sitting on the sidelines can be profound. Brown and Rutledge, along with a third trustee, hired an unqualified, inexperienced ideologue who supports school vouchers to serve as the school superintendent. The embattled superintendent ignored input from the public, made unpopular decisions, and alienated educators. He also demanded an expensive package of perks and benefits — including free legal assistance for his spouse and a car — all while calling for deep cuts to educational service investments. Ultimately, the dysfunction united the community, which successfully recalled the two trustees. But undoing the damage was a difficult task, involving gathering signatures to secure a recall election, raising funds, and pouring volunteer hours into running recall campaigns. Even after voters decisively ousted Rutledge and Brown, court orders, criminal investigations, and obstruction ensued before the superintendent finally resigned. Idaho voters can prevent disasters like this one on Tuesday. Important races will take place across the state and many could be decided by a handful of votes. Doing our research before we enter the voting booth gives us the best chance of supporting candidates who will faithfully strengthen public education, maintain community safety, and support thriving Main Streets. Your vote in local elections is critical to protect what your community has built and make necessary progress. On Tuesday, let’s elect Idahoans who prioritize the public good and the betterment of the state we call home. Rep. Lauren Necochea The best part of my day is when I walk my kids to school. We spend this quality time connecting, while the exercise helps us wake up and get focused for the day ahead. Along the way, we benefit from sidewalks, stoplights, and crosswalks that make our journey safer. It’s less stressful than navigating traffic in a car and my kids can do it alone if my husband and I are unavailable. Every child deserves a safe route to school. And parents across Idaho should feel confident sending their children out the door. Unfortunately, we’re moving in the wrong direction as a nation. In 1969, 42% of children ages 5 to 14 walked to school. By 2009 that number was down to 13%. This trend means a lost opportunity for kids to get exercise and gain independence. It also means more cars on the road, with the related increases in traffic and air pollution. A report card from the Safe Routes Partnership shows that Idaho, in particular, has a lot of work to do to keep our kids safe. That work was highlighted last week when I attended the 2023 Transportation Policy Conference put on by the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance. The conference covered the need to improve bike and pedestrian safety. I attended because I want every family to be able to walk and bike safely and because the stakes could not be higher. Reading recent headlines, I’m heartbroken by the spike in pedestrian and bike fatalities, including child deaths. On average, 445 Idahoans are involved in motor vehicle crashes per year while walking or biking. Between 2017 and 2021, 25% of these crashes resulted in serious injury or death. People traveling in vehicles are facing increasing risks. During what law enforcement calls the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Idaho experienced 21% more car accident fatalities in 2023 than in 2022. Facing such tragic trends, it’s unconscionable that Republican legislators are working against measures that prevent fatalities. The legislation they succeeded in passing, House Bill 87, limits a key transportation funding stream to road maintenance, expansion of travel lanes, and congestion mitigation. Every Democrat voted against this limitation, understanding that roads also need sidewalks and other features that keep our families safe. We also believe the locally-elected highway district commissioners should have the freedom to address local needs and not be restricted by mandates from far-away state legislators. Notably, the lone House Republican who voted with us is a retired police chief. While this legislation is a serious setback, Idaho Democrats will continue to strive for a future where we manage our roads with our children’s safety top of mind. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idaho’s economic prosperity and the very health of our communities depend on the strength and sustainability of our water resources. Idahoans deserve to turn on the faucet with confidence, knowing they have access to safe and clean drinking water. Similarly, food producers and other businesses need reliable water to operate and deliver their products to market. Recent reporting by the Idaho Statesman underscores the mounting concerns surrounding our water infrastructure. In White Bird, residents had to import water from neighboring Grangeville when one of their wells dried up in June. Other cities, grappling with aging infrastructure, population growth, and the high cost of upgrades, could face similar fates. Projects like wastewater treatment system upgrades in Preston, well installations in American Falls, and wastewater system replacements in Gooding require significant investments, with costs reaching tens of millions of dollars or more. Many of our smaller communities, facing limited local tax revenue and state-mandated budget restrictions, rely on state and federal funds to finance necessary repairs and upgrades. Unfortunately, partisan politics have come into play, with the integrity of our water systems hanging in the balance. In 2021, every Idaho Republican in Congress voted against the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds have played a pivotal role in supporting desperately needed infrastructure upgrades across Idaho, such as the $3.3 million wastewater upgrade in Grand View. Similarly, New Meadows utilized a $1.9 million ARPA grant to ensure access to clean drinking water. When there was another opportunity to bring federal dollars back to our state months later, Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Thankfully, strong Democratic support in Congress led to the single most significant investment to improve water infrastructure in our nation’s history. To date, $151 million has been announced to provide clean and safe water across Idaho. Incredibly, many Republicans in the Idaho Legislature want to turn down these federal dollars, even when they are urgently needed in the communities they serve. During the 2023 legislative session, 27 Republican lawmakers voted to oppose millions of federal grant dollars for local water systems. Rejecting this support risks higher property taxes, unmanageable rate increases, and more deferred maintenance and repairs. In White Bird, $400,000 in federal funds were employed to secure drinking water and locate a new well. These funds have been a lifeline, helping our towns and communities maintain aging infrastructure and provide essential services to residents. We reach moments like this when leaders have been pennywise and a pound foolish. The repercussions of further neglecting our water infrastructure could be catastrophic. We must seize the opportunity and take advantage of available funds to protect the future of water in Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea A well-educated workforce is the engine that drives our economy. That’s why Democrats in the Idaho Legislature were proud to support Idaho Launch earlier this year. Now accepting applications , Launch is a monumental step forward for our state, covering 80% of the costs for Idaho graduates pursuing in-demand careers, up to $8,000. From training nurses and welders to equipping young people with the commercial driver’s licenses they need to bring our products to market, Launch will allow more Idahoans to earn family-sustaining wages while helping employers hire the workers they need. Every industry in Idaho faces a pressing need for more qualified workers with specific skills. The demands of the modern job market have evolved. Today almost 80% of all jobs require some form of postsecondary education or training. In particular, there is a growing demand for workers in “middle-skill” jobs — positions that require more than a diploma but less than a four-year college degree like electricians, bookkeepers, and medical assistants. I was encouraged to see the broad, statewide support that Idaho Launch garnered when it was introduced in early 2023. Education leaders and every major business group in the state threw their weight behind it. They recognized the positive economic benefits for students and businesses alike. However, it was disheartening to see the unnecessary obstacles this program faced within the Statehouse. The ideological objections and the rise of far-right extremism within our Legislature’s Republican caucus make it difficult for popular and much-needed investments like this to pass. Only a few years ago, the same brand of obstructionism killed an $18 million, three-year grant to support early learning collaboratives across the states by making false claims that the locally designed programs amounted to “indoctrination.” Similarly, certain Republican politicians denounced Launch as “socialism,” ignoring our economy’s dire need for a qualified workforce. Those views are out of touch with the majority of Idahoans who understand the importance of preparing our youth for the jobs of tomorrow. Without the unanimous support of Idaho Democrats in the Legislature, Idaho Launch would have failed. In the House, it passed by a single vote. If one Democrat representative had lost their election, Idahoans would be missing out on this smart investment to address serious workforce challenges. Sadly, far-right ideologues want to dismantle the progress we’re making. That’s why Idahoans must speak out to protect Idaho Launch today. Contact your legislators and tell them you support investing in our future workforce. Encourage eligible high school seniors to consider the in-demand careers that await them with Idaho Launch. Idaho Democrats remain committed to championing education investments to ensure the future prosperity of our state. Together, we can build a brighter future for every Idahoan. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans need an effective public sector every day. This need becomes urgently apparent in emergencies. Regrettably, we now face a sudden, serious threat to our economy and natural resources: State testing recently revealed an invasive species in our Snake River, the quagga mussel. We need competent, swift action to avert a major disaster. From my earliest days in the Legislature, I heard about the extreme risks quagga mussels pose to our waterways. They clog pipes that deliver drinking water, the hydropower equipment that generates much of the energy we use, and the irrigation systems our farms and residents need. Similarly, they can severely damage and ruin motorized boat engines. Mitigating the harm they cause may cost Idaho hundreds of millions of dollars annually. There are also indirect costs like higher electricity prices and reduced tourism. The environmental impacts are sobering as well. Quagga mussels out-compete native species, making our rivers and lakes inhospitable to fish and other wildlife. If quagga mussels continue to spread down the Snake River, the entire Columbia River Basin will be at risk. This is an urgent emergency because quagga mussels multiply and spread rapidly. Adults produce 30,000 to 1,000,000 “veligers” annually and these microscopic larvae can flow downstream for 30 days before settling. Moments like this one remind us that our fates are linked. It only takes one careless or uninformed boater to transfer veliger-infested water to our waterways. And whether you live in Aberdeen or Wilder, quagga mussels can impact your community. I am grateful for the state agencies that have been at the ready to protect our prosperity and quality of life. They have activated a rapid response plan and designed a treatment plan. Treatment with chelated copper , at levels that do not compromise the safety of our drinking water, is already underway. If we can quickly eliminate the threat, Idaho can avoid enormous costs down the road. While state officials execute the interventions they do best, I trust that Idahoans will do their part. That means observing the Snake River closures where treatment is taking place and following instructions to “hot wash” watercraft that have been in affected areas at the designated wash stations. It also means continuing the prevention practices we should always observe — especially when bringing boats across state lines. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture posts up-to-date guidance at idaho.gov/quagga . The rapid response was possible due to bipartisan legislative support for monitoring and preparedness. The Legislature must continue to allocate resources to combat the current invasion, prevent future invasions, and conduct monitoring to help us catch future issues early. Together, we can protect Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea Good governance means compromise and working across the aisle for the common good. An essential governance responsibility in Congress is to pass the budgets that keep the nation operating and our economy churning. The financial stability of Idahoans is now at risk because House Republicans are refusing to make the compromises necessary to avoid a government shutdown. But you don’t have to take my word for it. As the crisis reaches a fever pitch and we approach the Saturday deadline, House Republicans have become increasingly vocal about the dire situation. Speaker Kevin McCarthy bemoaned the extreme members of his party who “just want to burn the place down.” Nevertheless, he continues to appease these members and their ludicrous demands rather than collaborate with Democrats. Idaho’s own GOP congressman Mike Simpson summed it up, “We’ve been seeing this coming ... I just didn’t think we were dumb enough to get there.” The theatrics are an unfortunate distraction from the real story: A government shutdown would cause severe hardship for Idahoans. It would force our troops to work without pay. In Idaho, 3,500 active-duty service members wouldn’t receive their paychecks, risking their ability to pay bills and put food on the table. And hundreds of thousands of civil servants at the Department of Defense would be furloughed, affecting our ability to manage national security risks. Nearly half of the babies born in the U.S. are served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. A federal contingency fund for WIC would only last a few days and many states have limited funds to keep the program running. In Idaho, the GOP shutdown would put 17,607 children, 6,441 infants, and 6,718 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers at risk of losing access to food. Idaho’s 268 TSA officers and 39 air traffic controllers would also be asked to do their critical work without pay until budget agreements are made. Previous shutdowns saw significant delays and longer wait times for travelers. A shutdown would also halt air traffic controller training, potentially causing long-term disruptions. These examples only scratch the surface of the potential damage. To play games with Americans’ livelihoods is unacceptable. We see this brand of recklessness at the Idaho Statehouse as well. A majority of House Republicans vote against critical budget bills — like the one that funds Medicaid — to run up their “scorecards” with far-right special interests. It’s often up to Idaho’s Democrats to deliver the votes that keep our state running. When one political party is willing to hold the economy hostage, we are in trouble. It’s critical that we elect serious public servants who will do the people’s work. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans deserve elected officials who do what is best for Idaho and prioritize the people they are elected to represent. Unfortunately, the track records of our longtime Republican senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo indicate a different set of priorities, as recent headlines have shown. Earlier this month, Risch made the news for his attempts to reroute flight paths at the Boise Airport. Unhappy with the occasional sound of planes taking on and off near his 44-acre ranch, he used his position to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to change the flight traffic patterns . Despite being told by an administrator that this would threaten safety and reduce efficiency, he convinced Sen.Ted Cruz to add a clause to must-pass legislation. This isn’t the first time Risch has misused his influence. In 2018, he nearly caused a government shutdown over a provision to rename Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness after his former political rival, Cecil Andrus. Such pettiness in the face of important legislation is deeply troubling. Meanwhile, Crapo has spent his decades-long political career catering to his corporate donors, at the expense of regular Idahoans. He has accepted substantial contributions from payday lending companies, which use deceptive practices to charge Idahoans a shocking average annual interest rate of 652%. In 2021, he opposed a resolution to overturn a “true lender” rule, which let non-bank lenders avoid state interest rate caps through partnerships with lenders. In this way, even if Idaho passed a state interest rate cap, Crapo wanted to ensure his friends who make predatory loans could get around it. Further concerning is his recent hostility to a pilot program that would allow taxpayers to save time and money by filing their returns directly to the IRS — rather than having to pay a corporation for filing assistance. Crapo is happy forcing Idahoans to pay these fees, which go right into the coffers of the financial services corporations that heavily fund his campaign. Their recent votes also tell a story. Last year, Risch and Crapo were among the 11 senators who voted against the PACT Act, a bill to enhance benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals. Crapo and Risch’s opposition to capping insulin at $35 a month highlights their eagerness to side with price-gouging corporations over people needing life-saving medication. And they have voted against enshrining same-sex and interracial marriage rights, paid sick leave for rail workers, and codifying Roe v. Wade protections. These two senators have collectively amassed over 80 years in public office, solidifying their status as career politicians. It’s finally time to hold them accountable at the ballot box and usher in change that prioritizes the interests of the people of Idaho over personal gain. Rep. Lauren Necochea Every Idahoan deserves to feel safe and welcome in our state. It is inspiring to watch the growing movement for our freedom to live authentically and choose who we love. Over the past few months, Pride celebrations across our state have brought communities together to celebrate this freedom. Even towns as small as Wallace, with 800 residents, joined in with its inaugural Silver Valley Pride. Across our state, everyday people and businesses are standing up in greater numbers to support our freedoms and fight back against hate. Idaho voters understand the harms of discrimination at a gut level. They know that it’s wrong to fire someone or deny them housing based on their identity. This is why a majority of Idahoans support adding the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Idaho Humans Rights Act. Idaho Democrats sponsor a bill to do just that every year, but we are blocked from getting a hearing by the Republican supermajority. The Idaho business community recognizes that being inclusive is both the right thing to do and smart for their bottom line. Businesses large and small support Pride celebrations to build the welcoming communities that attract and retain talented employees in Idaho. These companies are also sending an important message to their prospective customers about their values. The trend toward accepting and celebrating our friends and neighbors is positive for all Idahoans, except the politicians who seek to gain power by making us fear each other. While progress is often met with backlash, it’s extremely troubling that hateful rhetoric is coming from leaders we ought to be able to trust. Combined with the onslaught of Republican-backed bills attacking our LGBTQ+ community, this posturing can make Idaho a hostile place. Last week, the top Idaho Republican Party official wrote that community celebrations of our fellow Idahoans comprise “deviant debauchery,” among other hurtful statements. The words are not just painful, they are dangerous. The demonization of our fellow Idahoans fuels senseless — and even deadly — violence, as recent events show. Just last year, 31 members of a white supremacist group packed up riot gear, loaded themselves into a U-Haul, and set out to terrorize the Coeur d’Alene Pride celebration. Thankfully, their plans were thwarted by the quick actions of local law enforcement. The ending of another story is heartbreakingly tragic. In 2017, Steven Nelson was murdered in Canyon County simply for being gay. Idahoans all deserve dignity, respect, and a life free from discrimination and violence. We must elect leaders who will fight for this ideal and reject those who use hate and fear manufactured for political gain. Rep. Lauren Necochea This week, Idahoans celebrated Labor Day. It’s a moment to spend time with family and friends. It’s also a time to reflect on the strides labor movements have made and the work we still have to do. Idaho Democrats believe that if you work hard and do your part, you should be able to get ahead. Unfortunately, Idaho is not delivering on this promise and the Republican supermajority continues to push it further out of reach. In 2015, McCall residents organized to address the abysmal minimum wage that didn’t support the workers who powered the local economy. The question of raising the minimum wage was put on the ballot and failed by a slim margin. It might have passed in future years or inspired other communities to take similar action. But Republican legislators, spurred on by corporate lobbyists, acted swiftly to ensure that no community, by any vote margin, could ever increase the minimum wage, no matter how sorely it is needed. Every Democrat, joined by only one Republican, voted against the new law that took away this power from locally elected officials. Workers’ skills are the hard-earned assets they ought to be able to take with them to start a new job or their own enterprise. Sadly, powerful corporate interests saw an opportunity to limit their workers’ options by claiming ownership over their experience. Republican lawmakers catered to lobbyists by passing a law making it easier for companies to enforce noncompete agreements. This threat coerced employees to stay at a corporation even if wages didn’t meet their needs or they simply wanted a change. While the law was ultimately repealed, it nevertheless sent a chilling message about how far the Idaho GOP will go to put corporations’ desires over workers’ freedoms. Laws to weaken whistle-blower protections and strip public school teachers of their bargaining rights are additional Republican-led efforts to undermine workers’ rights in recent years. And Idaho lacks many common protections such as heat safety standards for outdoor workers, accommodations for pregnant workers, and the right to discuss compensation with coworkers. Labor movements and unions have grown the middle class. At different times in our history, Idaho workers joined together to secure fair compensation in Coeur d’Alene mines, Lewiston lumber mills, and Pocatello labor halls. Much of modern working life — weekends, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security and Medicare — were made possible by organized labor. But many of these benefits are still unattainable for too many Idahoans. While Idaho’s GOP lawmakers continue to double-down on the false promises of trickle-down economics that don’t deliver for working families, Idaho Democrats will fight for policies that make hard work translate into the financial stability workers deserve. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans value our public schools, as demonstrated by this week’s election — voters passed all but one education funding measure. I’m grateful voters stepped up to deliver crucial resources to schools where funding from the Legislature is inadequate. Still, the most notable result was the successful recall of two West Bonner School District trustees. The district offers a cautionary tale of the damage that occurs when far-right politicians seize power. And it reminds us that ongoing vigilance is required to defend against extremism at all levels of government. In June, West Bonner trustees Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown voted to install a far-right politician with zero school administrative experience. This superintendent holds fringe views, including support for censuring curriculum and voucher schemes that siphon funds from public schools to private and religious schools. His lack of experience, coupled with his anti-public education ideology should have disqualified him. Instead, Rutledge and Brown saw these as assets. Voters approved levies for Castleford and Valley school districts, but Shoshone fell short of the 66% needed for its $8.2 million bond. The superintendent’s first priority was personal gain. On top of a six-figure salary exceeding his predecessor’s, he asked for eye-popping perks like a personal vehicle, car insurance and free gasoline, a housing allowance, relocation reimbursement, and free meals. A red flag was embedded in his bizarre request for the district to cover legal costs for both himself and his wife. Then came the mismanagement. Despite fierce opposition from the community, he advanced plans to combine the middle school and high school. He fired two administrators without cause (prompting a lawsuit) and replaced them with political allies, one of whom is the spouse of a vocal anti-Semite. The State Board of Education warned he lacked the credentials to hold the job lawfully and educators fled the chaotic district. Fortunately, parents, educators, and business owners sprang into action. Working across party lines, they publicized the superintendent’s terrible leadership and the lack of transparency from Rutledge and Brown during the hiring and negotiations. Volunteers knocked on doors and built a homegrown recall effort, gathering enough signatures to put the trustees on the ballot. Extremist candidates campaigning today share the far-right’s objectives: To sow chaos, bully teachers, and undermine our schools. With massive voter turnout and by decisive margins, Rutledge and Brown were successfully recalled. The efforts of the concerned residents were remarkable. Still, serious damage was done and the future of West Bonner Schools remains uncertain. In one of their final acts, the trustees amended the superintendent’s contract, making his removal more difficult. It is imperative that Idaho avoids future calamities like this one. In November, voters across Idaho will elect school board members. Extremist candidates campaigning today share the far-right’s objectives: To sow chaos, bully teachers, and undermine our schools. Idaho voters must pay close attention to these races and vote for candidates who will protect and improve our schools, rather than tear them down. Rep. Lauren Necochea Access to clean water and protection from extreme weather aren’t luxuries. They are a matter of survival, both today and for future generations. ... Democrats are acting on the truth that addressing climate change is necessary and goes hand-in-hand with building a thriving economy. This is top of mind as Idaho faces blistering record-breaking temperatures and potential water shortages. But when it comes to addressing our changing climate, too many politicians have been content to kick the can down the road indefinitely. It is especially true in Idaho, where the Republican supermajority has responded by ignoring and often denying the problem. Fortunately, Democrats are acting on the truth that addressing climate change is necessary and goes hand-in-hand with building a thriving economy. Last week was the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act , a decisive move to build our economy out of its pandemic slump by growing jobs and raising wages. But it did much more, making the biggest strides in our nation’s history toward protecting our climate future. The legislation makes crucial investments to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen energy security while creating jobs — despite every Republican in Congress voting against it. In the last decade, Idaho experienced 13 extreme weather events, costing billions in damages. As climate change drives harsher heat waves, more volatile weather, and record drought conditions, Idahoans feel the impacts: more costly utility bills, uncertainty for the agricultural sector that produces our food, and limitations on the time we can comfortably and safely spend outdoors. The Inflation Reduction Act advances conservation solutions and climate resilience across Idaho. The law helps Idaho’s 25,000 farms deploy climate-smart practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make their operations more productive. It makes it more affordable for Idahoans to purchase energy efficient appliances and make home repairs while helping families save on their utility bills. By supporting tree planting, it delivers shade and cooler temperatures to our communities. The Act also funds wildfire prevention, protecting life and property, lowering firefighting costs, and keeping our air clean. These investments not only protect health and safety; they make good financial sense. Each dollar spent on preparedness today is worth $15 in mitigated future damage. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act expands the clean energy sector, bringing an estimated $320 million of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Idaho between now and 2030. A historic set of tax credits creates jobs across clean energy industries. These credits include bonuses for businesses that pay a prevailing wage so that Idaho workers earn a good paycheck as we build our energy independence. The savings, jobs, and other benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act are already materializing across the nation and here in Idaho and will continue for generations to come. Democrats remain committed to building our sustainable future. Rep. Lauren Necochea Through the lenses of Times-News photographers, a look into the classrooms of the Magic Valley. As kids head back to school, families like mine feel the promise of the year ahead — a promise that depends on our dedicated teachers. Currently, teachers are putting in extra hours and digging into their own pockets to ready their classrooms and, too often, facing a heavier workload and less pay than the Legislature promised. Sadly, they are also bracing for harassment from far-right agitators. It’s therefore not surprising we see growing teacher turnover and schools with hundreds of vacancies. We must better support teachers to deliver the education we want for our children and the working conditions teachers deserve. Two recent news stories illustrate what we are up against. The first was an article in the Boston Globe about 2023 Idaho Teacher of the Year Karen Lauritzen, who left our state. The second was a KMVT piece about unfilled teaching vacancies in the Twin Falls School District less than a week before the start of school. Many districts face the same challenge and larger class sizes are the most likely fix when vacancies go unfilled. Lauritzen was nationally recognized for excellent instruction and her passion for student learning. Receiving this prestigious award should have been cause for celebration in her community. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred. Far-right conflict profiteers picked her part online, criticizing her personal social media posts expressing support for the LGBTQ+ community and opposition to excessive police violence against Black people. Idaho promised a historic boost in new money for education — but districts have set their budgets without receiving the full amount. Why? Despite having zero evidence that her personal views had any bearing on classroom instruction, parents started questioning her every move, even discussions of topics like world cultures and the United Nations. The harassment took its toll. Ultimately, Ms. Lauritzen — like many other Idaho teachers — made the difficult decision not to return. When educators exit the classroom, we pay a high price. Student achievement suffers in schools with more turnover. Attrition costs rural districts up to $9,000 per educator and $20,000 in urban districts. Alarmingly, an Idaho Education Association survey found that 51% of Idaho educators are considering early retirement or leaving the profession. Lack of funding, salaries that fall behind the cost of living, and a worsening anti-educator climate are driving qualified teachers from the classroom. Extreme Republican politicians have been deliberately sowing the seeds of doubt in public education for decades. They ignore the needs of students, parents, and educators and instead try to distract voters by politicizing our classrooms. Instead of censoring books and curricula, Idaho Democrats are working to support our educators. We are advocating for the things schools need, like reasonable class sizes and professional development. If we focus on delivering excellent educational opportunities to every child, we can build a bright future for Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea All Idahoans need a roof over their heads, but today’s housing market challenges residents across the income spectrum. Rapid population growth has led to home costs outpacing wages, with monthly rents climbing an average of $475 in Idaho — a staggering 41% increase — over the past three years. And a worrisome trend in out-of-state investors scooping up large swaths of properties is only exacerbating the situation. While many landlords operate in good faith, state laws allow bad actors to take advantage of having the upper hand in a tough market. Renters sometimes have no other options than to pay exorbitant application fees, exploitative charges, and steep rent hikes. Idahoans are often surprised to learn how little recourse renters have against these practices. With so much at stake for families, Idaho Democrats have worked hard to enact basic consumer protections. While there is much more progress to make, we have scored critical wins toward leveling the playing field. Until 2020, landlords could demand any level of rent increase once a lease expired with no advance notice, which often left renters scrambling. House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel led the passage of the Fair Warning Act, requiring a 30-day notice for rent increases or terminations of a residential lease. This gives families a fighting chance at landing on their feet. This year, Sen. Ali Rabe, who leads an eviction prevention nonprofit, brought legislation to stop the surprise fees and wildly unreasonable charges she has seen unscrupulous landlords spring on renters. In one incident, a landlord billed a family $300, claiming that a praying mantis kept in a jar for a science fair was an unauthorized pet. While 34 Republican legislators voted against this commonsense legislation — a compromise between lobbyists for landlords and renters’ advocates — enough Republicans sided with Democrats to ensure fees are reasonable and spelled out in the lease ahead of time in the future. Idaho Democrats have also played defense against state legislation threatening city-level consumer protections. One city passed an ordinance to curb some landlords’ deceptive practice of charging exorbitant rental application fees and collecting fees from applicants even when no unit was available. Republican legislators attempted to restrict the power of local governments to tackle this issue through state law. Fortunately, we have been able to block this legislation. We have a lot of unfinished business, such as Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Wintrow’s bill requiring landlords to justify deductions from security deposits, which Republican legislators blocked. But all our wins have been hard-fought, multi-year efforts to get the Republican supermajority to come along. And Idaho Democrats will continue fighting for a housing market that works for all Idahoans. Rep. Lauren Necochea We know that when our small towns and communities thrive, Idaho thrives. Idaho Democrats have long supported investment in these communities to drive growth, create jobs, and ensure rural youth have the same opportunities as kids across the state. But for too long, rural Idaho has been left to struggle under the weight of broken promises and failed leadership. It’s time to do better. When rural Idaho is neglected, key sectors of our economy like food production, forestry, and renewable energy suffer. Opportunities for children and working families also narrow. Without access to affordable homes or child care, families are pushed out of their communities to find jobs elsewhere. Consequently, rural industries and small businesses are challenged by labor shortages and a shrinking customer base. Rural Idaho has different needs than our cities and we need policies that acknowledge this. Nationally, Democrats delivered big wins that will benefit rural Idaho, including long-needed repairs to roads and bridges that will bring products to market and a $583 million investment in expanded broadband access in our state. Thousands of Idahoans living in small towns and communities will be able to access the reliable, affordable internet they need to work, learn skills, and conduct business. Here at home, Idaho Democrats are working to deliver solutions, despite pushback from Republican legislators. Rural Idahoans face limited access to health care and Idaho ranks last in the nation for physicians per capita. The Republican supermajority’s criminalization of medical care is driving more doctors and nurses out of state, causing the discontinuation of rural labor and delivery services, among other issues. When a bill advanced to incentivize nurses to serve rural areas, Democrats backed it unanimously. It passed by a single vote. Idaho Democrats also overcame Republican opposition to increase investments in rural first responders because timely treatment in a medical emergency should not depend on your zip code. Our rural schools need resources as they face inadequate, crumbling facilities and severe staff shortages. Idaho Democrats continue to advocate for fair funding. In 2022, Democrats successfully passed legislation to incentivize educators to take rural teaching positions. It took several years to overcome GOP opposition to this commonsense proposal. Whether it comes to approving desperately-needed grant dollars for preschool and child care access or investing in workforce training, it has been hard to understand Republican legislators’ opposition to policies that address rural Idaho’s needs. By prioritizing investments in our rural communities and industries, we can create a stronger, more resilient Idaho for generations to come. The Idaho Democratic Party Rural Caucus is ready to be a strong and united voice for the 500,000 people who call rural Idaho home. Rep. Lauren Necochea Sally Toone Idaho’s attorney general is the top law enforcement officer in our state. We rely on that position to protect the public interest, hold wrongdoers accountable, and provide sound legal guidance to our state agencies. From upholding the rule of law to defending our rights, the attorney general holds a serious office requiring serious leadership. In six short months, Raúl Labrador has demonstrated his top priorities are advancing his extreme agenda, fueling his political ambitions, and embroiling Idaho in costly lawsuits. In one of his first moves, Labrador dismissed trespassing charges against one of his most ardent campaign supporters, despite objections from the local chief of police. Soon after, he launched a politically motivated “investigation” into cash-strapped private nonprofits serving children. The organizations had already provided all the necessary reporting for state grants they received. But Labrador served them with a demand to produce thousands of pages of unrelated and invasive documentation, including staff texts. This frivolous case will only harm our kids and waste precious state dollars. Instead of safeguarding our freedoms, Labrador finds every possible opportunity to undermine them. He published an opinion arguing it is illegal for Idaho doctors to inform patients about their options for lawful abortions in other states. Such a gag order would subvert our right to freedom of speech. He rescinded the opinion without offering clarifying guidance for doctors, spurring another costly lawsuit against the state. Most recently, Labrador signed onto a lawsuit seeking access to your private medical records for care you receive out of state, in his quest to prosecute abortions outside his jurisdiction. Democrats are not alone in our alarm. More than 50 prominent Idaho Republicans, including former Gov. Phil Batt and former Secretary of State Ben Ysura, endorsed his Democratic opponent. Labrador’s level of dysfunction is just what these respected Republicans feared, if not worse. Sitting Republican legislators are frustrated that Labrador refuses to deliver requested legal analysis — a service they relied upon for decades — and hired an out-of-state staffer lacking critical legal credentials for a top post. Republican representatives helped kill the proposed AG Office budget to communicate their discontent. Meanwhile, the office has lost dozens of dedicated, experienced staff. In a resignation letter, one attorney warned of Labrador and his allies, “They instead appear intent on dismantling government, and doing so without regard for the people who believe in public service who fall in their wake.” Labrador was ushered into office with big money from deep out-of-state pockets. Their goal seems to be positioning their far-right darling for higher office. We mustn’t allow one man’s political ambitions to undermine our rule of law, our freedoms, or our right to functioning state agencies. Idahoans deserve better. Rep. Lauren Necochea I have to believe that no Idahoan wants to let a child go hungry. Making sure our children are nourished requires special attention in summer. When school meals are unavailable, there is additional pressure on families earning modest wages and it’s harder to make groceries stretch. It is therefore confounding that Idaho opted out of a summer food program that would have fed 123,000 kids across the state with $15 million available for our families. The root cause of this failure is poor leadership. Under single-party rule, a complete lack of accountability — compounded by decades of underinvestment in our schools — ultimately failed our kids. Our children’s access to food should have been a serious priority. It’s harder for kids to learn on an empty stomach and food insecurity impacts everything from a child’s mental and physical health to their future economic prosperity. That’s why it’s crucial to take advantage of every opportunity to nourish our kids. This new federal program first launched in 2020, providing eligible families with the cost of breakfast and lunch that their children receive during the school year when school is out. These extra funds for food cost Idaho nothing but required coordination between the state Department of Education and the Department of Health and Welfare to determine eligibility and administer benefits. Over the intervening years and with a leadership change at the Department of Education, elected Republican officials had the opportunity to act. They could have fought for an appropriation needed to implement the program, ensured schools could update the necessary data systems, and put a plan in place to implement the program. Instead, they did nothing. The deadline to participate in the 2023 summer passed earlier this month with no action. While Republican state leaders dropped the ball in such a profound way, they have no sense of accountability to the kids and families who are impacted. The Department of Education’s explanations that changing course would be “difficult” or “that’s the way it was done before” are not much better than Gov. Brad Little refusing to comment on the mess at all. The uncomfortable truth is that elected Republicans calculated that they could deny Idaho families their due benefits without any consequences because the kids at risk of going hungry have no political power. And the Idaho Republican Party’s walled-off primary elections reward not what is right, but what is the most extreme. Denying summer meals for Idaho children is an administrative failure and a moral outrage. One-party rule will continue to harm Idahoans and put our shared prosperity at risk — until we change it. This summer, our children will pay the price. We can and must do better. Rep. Lauren Necochea STK In the Times-News of July 15, Rep. Lauren Necochea, with the headline " Democrats are building stronger, more resilient recovery ," claims that "real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic." This is clearly wrong as inflation (caused in large part by President Joe Biden's super-sized giveaways) has easily outstripped wage gains. Also, in the same July 15 edition, Dorothy Moon, with the headline, " Kari Lake's Idaho visit will only fuel grassroots enthusiasm ," claims that "Lake has solidified her prominence as a leading figure in the fight for election integrity ...," when, in fact, she refused to concede the election and sued in an attempt to have the results overturned and that lawsuit was rejected by the courts and she was fined $33,000 in fees. It would be nice to have just a little more truth in these opinions. Ken Downs Kimberly The National Defense Authorization Act funds the annual budget for the Department of Defense. It usually passes on a bipartisan basis. Recently, House Republicans broke that tradition and loaded the bill with amendments that eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the Defense Department. It blocked the Pentagon from putting in place President Biden’s executive orders on climate change; ends reimbursement to military personnel who travel for abortion services, bars health care for gender transition, prevents schools associated with the Defense Department from teaching that the U.S. is racist, and blocks military schools from having certain books in their libraries. House Speaker McCarthy proudly tweeted that “the bill ENDS wokism in the military and gives our troops their biggest pay raise.” Think about it. House Republicans are hijacking our national security for morality issues that have been a part of the planet since the dawn of humanity. You might not agree with gender transition, or abortion, or the color of someone’s skin, but are you willing to sacrifice our national security to keep people in power who are legislating health care when they have no training in health care? Would you go to your state representative to have bladder surgery, or to deliver a baby? Rather than delivering solutions on climate change (just talk to insurance companies — yes, it is real), economic inequality, or cyber and racially motivated hate crimes that will eventually destroy us all, extremists are legislating whether someone can read a book. President Trump pulverized the NATO alliance. Putin has been obliterating Ukraine ever since. Diplomacy has thankfully expanded the alliance with a grateful Sweden. Regrettably, we’re edging closer to confrontation with Russia or China. It won’t be reading a book, getting transition care, or having an abortion that will determine the defense response. Act. Vote the crazies out. Kate Lopez Twin Falls I grew up on a small ranch and embraced animal agriculture long before I graduated from veterinary school. Animal agriculture is a noble enterprise, providing sustenance for billions of people and livelihoods for millions. Cockfighting, on the other hand, is a disgrace and a crime, providing no benefit to anyone but the people who enjoy animal bloodletting. The Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, S. 1529, closes loopholes in the enforcement of animal fighting laws that allow criminals to sell fighting animals and generate vast sums of money from illegal gambling. I have become more concerned lately about the future of agriculture in our country as Senior Veterinarian for Animal Wellness Action. There are powerful individuals, foundations, and organizations intent on smearing animal agriculture and not distinguishing between legitimate uses of animals and gratuitous abuses of them. Cockfighting bears no resemblance to animal agriculture. If we in animal agriculture do not distinguish between this kind of evil, and the proper, acceptable uses of animals, we will see people turn away from animal agriculture. Now it’s time to work to strengthen the federal law, so that the nation can better distinguish between proper animal use and the worst forms of malicious cruelty. It is past due that the cockfighters hang up their spurs and halt their criminal animal abuse. Support the FIGHT Act, S. 1529 and H.R. 2742, to oppose cruelty and support integrity of agriculture. Thomas Pool Norman, Oklahoma Brainwashed? Think again Solomon Asch performed some exceptional psychology experiments in the 1950s. His experiments showed the power of conformity when people sometimes agree with a group’s opinion, even when shown evidence the group is wrong. But in the 1950s, Asch could not determine whether his subjects consciously changed their views or whether social cues unconsciously skewed their perception. In 2005, Gregory Berns answered this question by repeating Asch’s experiment with brain scans. Berns found the brain’s visual center changed what it perceived to fit with the group opinion before it passed this information to the reasoning part of the brain: So people “see” evidence that doesn’t exist and do not know their perception is false. And as this process is common, it has crucial practical implications for all of us. For instance, if self-deception is unconscious, we must choose our company carefully. We safeguard our thinking by mixing with skeptical people who make evidence-based decisions and only use reputable sources. We must avoid the company of the deceived. A radio or TV constantly blaring nonsense might be enough to poison a mind. It also means we must show compassion when talking to climate, vaccine, or election deniers because, unconsciously, their brains may have “shown” them evidence that does not exist. Let’s not assume people are brainwashed when all it takes for most of us is a light rinse. Simon Smith Pullman, Washington Truth or fiction? In the Times-News of July 15, Rep. Lauren Necochea, with the headline “ Democrats are building stronger, more resilient recovery ,” claims that “real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic.” This is clearly wrong as inflation (caused in large part by President Joe Biden’s super-sized giveaways) has easily outstripped wage gains. Also, in the same July 15 edition, Dorothy Moon, with the headline, “ Kari Lake’s Idaho visit will only fuel grassroots enthusiasm ,” claims that “Lake has solidified her prominence as a leading figure in the fight for election integrity ...,” when, in fact, she refused to concede the election and sued in an attempt to have the results overturned and that lawsuit was rejected by the courts and she was fined $33,000 in fees. It would be nice to have just a little more truth in these opinions. Ken Downs Kimberly It’s not the job of government What’s the role of government? Is it to dictate to the people what there morals are or what religion they should belong to? During the territorial days of Idaho the Republican Party in 1884 passed the Idaho Test Othh. The purpose of this law was to keep members of the LDS faith from voting or holding public office. The Democratic Attorney General, Richard Z. Johnson, opposed the law to the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court in 1888, when they upheld the law. He appealed it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and lost again. At the time this law was passed, it disenfranchised 25% of the voters in Idaho. As a result of this law, the statehouse went from the control of the Democratic Party to the control of the Republican Party. In this case, a law was passed on the moral basis that plural marriage was bad, therefore members of the LDS faith could not vote or hold office. It is not government’s place to punish people because of their beliefs as long as those beliefs do no harm. Edward Easterling Kimberly Ukraine in NATO isn’t good for US If Ukraine were to be included in NATO now, it would automatically require the U.S. to go to war with Russia. NATO-type defense treaties contain a “common defense pledge” that requires every member nation to defend an attack against any other treaty nation. (“ What is Article 5? “ magicvalley.com , July 13). George Washington warned against getting involved in “permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” Democracies like Athens and Rome saw that group defense treaties were made by two or more kings wishing to protect their dynasties against another more aggressive king. Democracies have always believed it is best to stay on the sidelines regarding these kinds of petty personal squabbles and to avoid binding future generations to wars they might not agree with. Washington also learned from the Bible, where prophets like Isaiah warned Israel against “association” with other nations. After several hundred years of democratic independence, northern Israel made a common defense treaty due to their fear of aggressive Assyria, and southern Judea made a common defense pledge out of fear of autocratic Babylon. Both treaties led to complacency, decline in the fortitude of the people, aggravation of the militancy of the aggressor nation, and Israel’s dark journey into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity. Our current treaty obligations require us to get involved in virtually every war in Europe and Asia. Is that the future we want for our grandchildren? Kimball Shinkoskey Woods Cross, Utah An economy should serve the people who power it, not the other way around. Building such an economy requires making smart investments in our communities, empowering workers and small business owners, and cutting costs for families. Democrats are working to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down. Historic progress over the last 2 1/2 years — including the lowest unemployment in over 50 years and 13.2 million new jobs — shows our agenda is working. Democrats have driven billions of dollars in investments, jobs, and economic opportunities in Idaho alone. Micron broke ground on a $15 billion Boise manufacturing facility expected to create 2,000 good-paying jobs following the passage of the Chips & Science Act. Democrats are working to bring manufacturing jobs back home, even while Idaho’s Republican delegation voted against this legislation to strengthen our national and economic security. Rural communities are also benefiting from Democratic leadership. Idaho was awarded $583 million to expand broadband services. Thousands of Idahoans living in small towns and communities will be able to access the reliable, affordable internet they need to work, learn skills, and conduct business. In towns like Driggs, Cascade and Priest River, critical funds will repair roads, bridges, and other long-neglected infrastructure. These projects were made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, championed by Democrats. Democrats are fighting to give families more breathing room by lowering costs. Over 324,000 Idaho residents with Medicare will benefit from the $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and a $35 monthly cap on insulin. Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced new steps to lower the cost of childcare, making it possible for parents to stay on the job. It is no accident that the United States has seen the strongest pandemic recovery of any leading economy. It is a direct result of the Democratic economic agenda that prioritizes working families. For the 12th straight month, annual inflation has fallen and real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic. This strategy of boosting working Americans into an expanding middle class fuels local businesses because more families can afford shoes for their kids, car repairs, and other goods and services on Main Street. While our work isn’t finished, our economy grows stronger every day. But this progress is at risk. MAGA Republicans continue pushing failed trickle-down policies: heaping expensive tax treats onto the well-off and profitable corporations that blow up the deficit and do nothing for regular people. Idahoans deserve a vibrant economy in which working families benefit from their contributions. Democrats will keep fighting for an economy that works for all. Rep. Lauren Necochea State Rep. Lauren Necochea is chair of the Idaho Democratic Party. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index pushed higher to end Monday up almost 150 points on light trading action, while U.S. stock markets also gained ahead of the Christmas break. "Today is a quiet pre-Christmas Day of trading," said Kevin Burkett, a portfolio manager at Victoria, B.C.-based Burkett Asset Management. While markets in both Canada and the U.S. were mild, Burkett suggests watching the markets closely during the holiday season, a contrast to what's typically a sleepy period for markets. "We're continuing to watch markets very closely here because you've got some tectonic plate shifting in terms of the macroeconomic backdrop," he said. "It's all the political conversations both in Canada and in the U.S." Burkett added fiscal policy seems to be disconnected from monetary policy in the post-pandemic period. "The fiscal policy may shift and that shift absolutely has market implications both in the short and long term," he said. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.50 points at 24,748.98. Statistics Canada released its latest numbers on Canada's economic growth, up 0.3 per cent in October — driven by the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector. The loonie continued its slide, trading for 69.47 cents US compared with 69.61 cents US on Friday. The telecom sector was the biggest loser at the closing on TSX, which Burkett attributed to "tax loss selling happening at the end of the year." Competition Bureau Canada announced on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc. for allegedly making misleading claims about its infinite wireless plans. The stock price for Rogers, which is hovering near 52-week lows, fell 0.7 per cent on Monday. Meanwhile, BCE was down almost 1.4 per cent and Telus dropped 0.9 per cent. Burkett suggested the day's poor performance among telecom companies was likely tax loss selling since it's almost the end of the year. "It's been a tough year for the communication services sector," he said. South of the border, communications services was the top-performing sector, led by large-cap tech companies. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 66.69 points at 42,906.95. The S&P 500 index was up 43.22 points at 5,974.07, while the Nasdaq composite was up 192.29 points at 19,764.89. The February crude oil contract was down 22 cents at US$69.24 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down six cents at US$3.35 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$16.90 at US$2,628.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$4.09 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD, TSE: BCE, TSE: RCI. B) Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there’s one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That’s because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn’t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and says states and the federal government shouldn’t touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But, in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas’ experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions’ provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote, and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state’s law, a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That’s an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that, with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn’t justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded the state’s evidence showed only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state’s law was challenged. “If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different,” he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call,” Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted “a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement’s impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated, and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver’s license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn’t accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn’t know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven’t traveled outside the U.S. and don’t have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don’t have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.”CrowdStrike Holdings CRWD has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 36.5% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 49.5%. Currently, CrowdStrike Holdings has a market capitalization of $88.93 billion. Buying $1000 In CRWD: If an investor had bought $1000 of CRWD stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $7,301.27 today based on a price of $361.06 for CRWD at the time of writing. CrowdStrike Holdings's Performance Over Last 5 Years Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources. Related Articles TV and Streaming | Best TV of 2024: A modestly better lineup than usual, but why didn’t it feel that way? TV and Streaming | ‘Emilia Pérez’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 10, followed by ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and satellite service, in that they have hundreds of channels. The ease or complexity of the cord cutting experience depends on how you have things set up. Let’s take a look at some gift options for your favorite cord cutter. DirecTV Gemini Air As far as I know DirecTV is the only streaming bundle service that offers its own hardware. The Gemini Air is a small dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on your TV. It is paired with a remote control to allow for easy navigation. If you were an AT&T U-Verse TV customer, the Gemini Air/DirecTV Stream experience will be very familiar. The Gemini Air is a rarity in that it has number buttons. DirecTV Stream has the option of turning on channel numbers in the guide. I’ve used DirecTV Stream with my Roku TV and with the Gemini Air and the Air makes navigating the huge list of channels much easier. The Gemini Air runs the Google operating system, so you can see and use all your other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max and more. You can also load apps and games from the Google Play store. The Gemini Air connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and it can stream 4K content to your TV. The remote control has a microphone so you can use your voice to search or interact with Hey Google’s voice assistant. DirecTV Stream customers can get a free Gemini Air from AT&T with their service. Additional units are available for $120. Google TV Streamer (4K) There are lots of smart TV brands. Some run on the Roku operating system, some run Google TV and some use their own brand of smart TV apps. If you’d like to add Google TV to any set, you can get Google’s new TV Streamer (4K) for just $99 from store.google.com. The small device connects to your TV’s HDMI port. It also can connect to your home’s internet via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection. The Google TV interface is not tied to any specific streaming service. You can use any streaming service or app that’s available on the Google Play store. It features a simple remote with voice control and the Google TV Streamer is also a hub and controller for Matter and Thread home devices that work with Google’s home ecosystem. TabloTV If you use an over-the-air antenna for watching your free local channels, I’m betting you’d like the option to record those channels. TiVo used to be the best/easiest way to record OTA TV, but they’ve discontinued their OTA recorders. A great alternative is from TabloTV, which is a small box that you connect to your TV antenna. The TabloTV does not directly connect to your TV. Instead it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi, and the antenna signal is wirelessly sent to any TV or compatible device in your home. Your TV picks up the signal through a free app, which is compatible with smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android TV. This method is extremely handy if you don’t want to be bothered running an antenna wire from your attic or roof all the way to your TV. It’s also great if you want to use an indoor antenna, but your TV is not situated in a room that faces the broadcast towers. You can place the antenna and TabloTV where you get the best reception. The TabloTV comes in two models – with either two or four tuners. This means you can record or watch two or four shows at a time. TabloTV has onboard storage to record up to 50 hours of shows, but you can plug in any USB hard drive and expand to record thousands of hours of programming. You can also bundle a TabloTV with an OTA antenna if you like, or you can use your own antenna. Two things to know, there are no ongoing subscription costs for guide data, and there is no streaming service integration. You will need another way to add in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. TabloTV models start at $99.95 for the two tuner model at tablotv.com. The four-tuner model is $139.95, but they may be on sale during the holidays. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
How world leaders are reacting to Jimmy Carter's deathSnoopy and the Peanuts Gang Are Highlighted in an Exclusive In-Game Experience Filled with Nostalgia, Prizes, and Fun! HERZLIYA, Israel , Dec. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This New Year, Solitaire Grand Harvest is bringing joy, nostalgia, and a bit of winter magic with everyone's favorite beagle, Snoopy,! Starting December 29 , players can experience Snoopy, Woodstock, and the Peanuts gang in a special month-long event that's bound to bring back cherished memories while adding a little sparkle to your solitaire game. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/playtika/9222155-en-solitaire-grand-harvest-featuring-snoopy Solitaire Grand Harvest, the #1 highest-grossing solitaire game in the U.S.**, is transforming into a Peanuts-themed winter wonderland just in time to ring in 2025. Whether you're sipping cocoa by the fire or counting down to midnight, the Peanuts ® takeover will warm your heart and make every win feel a bit more magical. Starting December 29 , players will discover Snoopy and his Winter Fair Collection, featuring charming in-game mini-games and exclusive prizes inspired by the classic Peanuts characters. But the fun doesn't stop when the ball drops! Between January 1-12 , players may add Snoopy and Woodstock to their collection, alongside their in-game special pet companions, making it a New Year's celebration that keeps on giving. Players get to keep their favorite characters with them forever with the permanent in-game Snoopy collection. Roi Glazer, General Manager of Solitaire Grand Harvest , shared his excitement, saying: "Snoopy has been a beloved part of so many of our lives for generations. This partnership with Peanuts allows us to combine the nostalgia of Snoopy with the excitement of Solitaire Grand Harvest in a way that brings joy to our players during the New Year celebration." Scott Shillet , Vice President of Global Hardlines at Peanuts , said: "We are thrilled to bring Snoopy and the beloved Peanuts gang to Solitaire Grand Harvest, allowing us to continue our mission of spreading joy through new and engaging experiences. By integrating our timeless characters into the game, our fans will find fresh ways to connect with Peanuts while enjoying the fun world Solitaire Grand Harvest has to offer." Solitaire Grand Harvest is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play (in-app purchases available). To follow along, visit Solitaire - Grand Harvest on Facebook and on Instagram . About Solitaire Grand Harvest ® Solitaire Grand Harvest is the top Solitaire game in the U.S.**, with hundreds of thousands of daily players across multiple platforms. Solitaire Grand Harvest, developed by Supertreat GmbH, allows its community to experience the fun side of farming as they grow and harvest crops, build and design their personal farm and progress through thousands of challenging Solitaire levels. The game provides high value content, and players are exposed to new features and provided with the opportunity to connect with other members of the Solitaire Grand Harvest community online. About Playtika Playtika Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: PLTK ) is a mobile gaming entertainment and technology market leader with a portfolio of multiple game titles. Founded in 2010, Playtika was among the first to offer free-to-play social games on social networks and, shortly after, on mobile platforms. Headquartered in Herzliya, Israel , and guided by a mission to entertain the world through infinite ways to play, Playtika has employees across offices worldwide. **According to App Annie , Solitaire Grand Harvest is the highest-grossing Solitaire game in the U.S. based on in-app purchases, from January 2024 – October 2024 . About Peanuts The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment ( Japan ) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz , who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown , Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students. SOURCE Playtika Holding Corp.
