The Gem State Brief

Curated by Locus Lectorum

December 18, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

✍️ By Our Members

Out-of-state money in Idaho politics

"Out-of-state money in Idaho politics" — A look at out-of-state lobbying spending in Idaho. (GSB Staff)

Boise Police allege school district interfered in ongoing sex-abuse case

Fairmont Junior High School | December 14 | KIVI

Additional filings were made in an ongoing federal lawsuit against the Boise School District for sexual abuse that occurred at Fairmont Junior High School. According to the new filings, newly uncovered police testimony shows intentional interference and obstruction from the Boise School District with the investigation. The lawsuit was filed in 2023 after evidence pointed to a counselor abusing one or more students. The counselor committed suicide the next day.

Department of Education discontinuing Community Schools Program grant

United Way | December 16 | Idaho Ed News

The Department of Education announced on Friday that it is canceling grant funding for the Idaho Rural Scaling Full-Service Community Schools program. The department stated that the program focuses on DEI rather than merit in education. United Way of Treasure Valley, the NGO that administers the program, plans to appeal the grant cancellation.

Police chief alleges witness intimidation by Kootenai County Sheriff

Kootenai Sheriff's Office | December 12 | KHQ

Last Thursday, Rathdrum Police Chief Daniel Haley, as well as two other officers, had their special deputy privileges revoked by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office. Haley sent a letter to the Coeur d'Alene city prosecutor claiming it was an act of witness intimidation by Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris. Haley will be testifying in the upcoming trial regarding the forced removal of a woman from a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee town hall event.

This story is the latest in a series, view the full thread here → 🧵


Boise's default speed limit reduced to 20 MPH citywide

Boise | December 16 | Boise Public Radio

Boise City Council voted to revise the city's speed limit ordinance to a standard 20 MPH citywide. Prior to the change, the speed limit in some areas was 30 MPH. Councilmembers cited recent serious accidents in Boise as the reason for the change.

Marshmello coming to Boise for 2026 Music Festival

Garden City | December 15 | KTVB

EDM artist Marshmello was announced as the headliner for the 2026 edition of Boise's annual music festival. Other artists announced so far include Sean Paul, Eve 6, Everclear, and MKTO.

Highlights & Insights

[continued from last week] Christian Nationalism is a phrase that rapidly entered American political and religious discourse after Trump's first election and has become a heavily debated concept across the country. Kevin DeYoung, a well-regarded pastor in the PCA, penned the following article last week to critique and clarify what CN is or is not, which prompted a slew of responses in various corners of the internet. We are providing two specific articles penned in answer to DeYoung, one from Doug Wilson, the figure most often associated with CN, and another from Andy Schmitt, a blogger on Substack with a specific focus on politics, government, and culture. Taken together, these three articles (DeYoung's cautious evaluation, Wilson's qualified embrace, and Schmitt's sharper critique) give readers an excellent snapshot of where the conversation stands today. Whether you're trying to understand the debate or form your own convictions, we believe you'll find the articles clarifying and provocative in the best sense.

🏛️ Apologetics Fact

When reading the Bible, occasionally there are passages with notes that they are 'missing' from some early manuscripts. Does this bring the Bible's legitimacy into question? The short answer is no. In almost all of these cases, what has happened is that later manuscripts have added additional context, often when marginal notes or verses from other books were copied into the text. Because of the unparalleled manuscript history of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, we can determine when and where these additions arose.

🗣️ Quote

"We love the truth when it enlightens us and hate the truth when it convicts us." — Augustine

🏅 Person: David Hilbert (1862-1943)

One of the most influential mathematicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hilbert was a giant in the field, contributing discoveries in geometry, physics, spectral theory, and more. His most famous direct work is 'Hilbert's Hotel,' a thought experiment about infinite numbers. Nearly all educational materials on the subject of infinite numbers prominently feature Hilbert's Hotel. Aside from his direct contributions, in 1900, Hilbert proposed a set of 23 key problems across many mathematical fields. The list immediately gained notoriety, and many of the problems continue to be areas of research for modern mathematics.

📕 Book: Animal Farm

A succinct, incisive fictionalization of the inevitable fate of societies that embrace collectivism. Animal Farm tells the story of how a productive farm of talking animals trends toward ruin after they are convinced to use a system of communal labor and resource sharing. Written in 1945, Animal Farm has proven to be equally, if not more, prescient than Orwell's more famous 1984.

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.