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- The Gem State Brief
The Gem State Brief
Curated by Locus Lectorum
Thousands protest at Capitol for "No Kings Day"
State Capitol | June 14 | Idaho Capital Sun
Activist group Idaho 50501 organized a "No Kings Day" rally at the Capitol to protest Donald Trump's policies. The rally was one of hundreds organized across the country on Flag Day, which is also the President's birthday. Trump responded to the rallies with a tweet thanking the protesters for ensuring that no king came to take his place as president.
Micron announces second fab in Boise
Boise | June 12 | Investors.com
In partnership with the Trump Administration, Micron is adding a second leading-edge memory fab in Boise, part of an additional $30 billion being invested in Idaho and Virginia. This new investment brings Micron's decade+ expansion plan across Idaho, Virginia and New York to a total of approximately $200 billion.
Emergency water conservation order issued in Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend | June 12 | KTVB
An unknown 'upstream disturbance' caused the water in the Payette River to turn dark brown. The Emergency Management Team issued a statement saying that the water was currently untreatable, and that residents should conserve water. They claimed the current tank has enough water for residential use, but not for irrigation.
Payette and Sawtooth National Forests adjust to federal cuts with no full-time rangers
Payette National Forest | June 11 | KTVB
Ranger stations and services in Sawtooth and Payette National Forests have been reduced to part-time or cut entirely as a result of federal budget cuts. Trail and campground maintenance is likely to suffer, as the Idaho Conservation League requests that members of the public enjoying the land do their best to clean up after themselves.
Boise City Council in favor of easing tiny home restrictions
Boise City Hall | June 13 | BoiseDev
Several changes were proposed in the latest round of changes to the city's zoning code. There was universal support for changes to allow tiny homes on wheels within city limits. Several other changes, including reduced density limitations around the airport and modifications to fourplex rules, received mixed responses and were tabled for future discussion.
Idaho Supreme Court hears case on community infrastructure district taxes
State Capitol | June 14 | Idaho Statesmen
The Idaho Legislature approved the creation of community infrastructure districts in 2008, allowing for homeowners in such districts to pay increased taxes to fund infrastructure developments. Residents of the Harris Ranch Tax District have challenged this law, saying they have had to pay 40% higher taxes and that the district was created by the vote of a single resident who did not live inside the district's boundaries. The Idaho Supreme Court has heard arguments and will make a decision on the case later this year.
Highlights & Insights
📖 Other Recommended Read
"Should we sell our public land?" - Brian Almon looks at what both the proponents and detractors are saying about the possibility of large federal land sales in Idaho and across the country.
🏛️ Apologetics FactA useful technique in apologetics is to consider a question as if there was not God. For example, if there was no God, who is to determine morality? All our definitions are ultimately arbitrary, for who judges between us? Hume famously called this the "is-ought dilemma"—that which is cannot tell us anything about that which ought to be. Without an appeal to a transcendent moral authority, there is no way to know what is right and wrong. | 🗣️ Quote"It's always safe to denounce the rich, everyone will help you--the rich first."– Ellsworth Toohey (The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand) |
🏅 Person: Terence Tao (1975-)Widely regarded as the world's greatest living mathematician, Tao was a childhood prodigy; he scored 760 (out of 800) points on the SAT math section at 8 years old and was the youngest ever International Math Olympiad gold-medalist at age 13. A true polymath, in his adult life he has contributed to areas of math relating to various sciences, as well as pure mathematics. He also has contributed extensively to mathematical education, providing approachable intuition and analogies for some of the most complex topics in math. | 📕 Book: Waterloo June 18th marked the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, a pivotal moment in European history. This final defeat of Napoleon firmly established Great Britain and the Prussians as the primary European powers, and heavily influenced a young Clausewitz in the writing of his seminal text, On War, which provided the model for the militaries of both sides in the following world wars. Bernard Cornwell ably describes not only the conditions and movements of the Battle of Waterloo itself, but also provides a glimpse into the lives and motivations of the great generals and leaders who matched their wits and daring in the battle to determine the masters of Europe. |