The Gem State Brief

Curated by Locus Lectorum

May 28, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

✍️ By Our Members

GSB Episode 15 -- Greg Woodard

"GSB Episode 15 -- Greg Woodard" — Sam sits down with Greg Woodard, who is running for District Court Judge in Idaho's 4th Judicial District. Greg gives insight into the Idaho court system and what a District Court Judge does. (GSB Staff)

Sexuality and Gender Alliance drops bathroom law lawsuit

State Capitol | May 21 | Gem State Chronicle

The Sexuality and Gender Alliance has dropped its 2023 case against the Idaho law that requires students to use bathrooms that correspond with their biological sex in schools. The case was initially dismissed in 2023, and an appeal was denied in 2025. The plaintiffs have now completely dropped the case.

Idaho Statesman journalists strike

State Capitol | May 26 | KIVI

Journalists at the Idaho Statesman walked out on Tuesday over what their union says are unfair wages and concerns with policies governing the use of AI in the workplace.

Men who ambushed and beat victim sentenced to prison

Ada County Courthouse | May 22 | Idaho News

The two men who kidnapped, beat, and threatened to kill Jordan Carrillo in a September 5th attack have been sentenced to 7 and 13 years in prison, respectively. Both also received a rider for potential review of their sentences.

Officers injured assisting in evacuation from Mountain Home fires

Mountain Home | May 27 | Idaho News

Six officers were injured and one hospitalized as they helped evacuate citizens from a Mountain Home brush fire on Tuesday. All civilians were accounted for and the officer is expected to make a full recovery.

Moore Fire progress stopped

Swan Falls | May 23 | Idaho News

The progress of the 1,500-acre Moore Fire was stopped on Saturday. The fire had caused the temporary closure of Swan Falls Road.

Highlights & Insights

"It's Still Trump's Party" - Trump's endorsement record is nearly spotless so far in 2026, and his latest scalps include Thomas Massie and John Cornyn, two politicians who were swept aside in recent primaries. This article argues that the current political movement on the right begins and ends with Trump as the gatekeeper, rather than the view that our current milieu of politics is defined by any number of personalities.

🏛️ Apologetics Fact

An Edmontosaurus (duck-billed) dinosaur fossil in South Dakota has been found to contain collagen. Collagen is the main protein fiber found in bones, and multiple independent forms of analysis concluded the collagen was original to the fossil. The presence of an organic material in an allegedly 60-million-year-old fossil is devastating to evolutionary timelines.

🗣️ Quote

"The worst of all public dangers is the committee of public safety." — C.S. Lewis

🏅 Person: John Basilone (1916-1945)

Father of the modern rocket, Goddard invented the liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. Goddard received 214 patents over the course of his career, including the first multistage rocket, but rocketry was considered an unbecoming field for a physics professor and he became more reclusive. He moved from Massachusetts to Roswell, New Mexico, in 1930 and spent the last 15 years of his life in near isolation focused on advancing rocket technology. Goddard's list of achievements is lengthy: he was the first man to launch a scientific payload aboard a rocket, the first to develop gyroscopic control, and the first in the US to design and test a variable-thrust rocket.

📕 Book: The Wright Brothers

This history by David McCullough is a fantastic examination of two of the most famous inventors produced by America. Tracing both the Wrights' personal journey and the arc of late-19th-century America, McCullough brings the period to life in his signature style through a combination of excellent storytelling and detailed research.

Non-AI Generation Disclaimer: All elements of the Gem State Brief (headlines, summaries, highlights, insights, original articles/videos, etc.) are produced exclusively by members of the Locus Lectorum book club (learn about each member here), not AI. This is news by humans for humans.