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- The Gem State Brief
The Gem State Brief
Curated by Locus Lectorum
Trump administration plans to rescind rule that prevents logging on 30% of national forest land
US Capitol | June 24 | Idaho Business Review
The Trump administration has announced plans to rescind a rule that prevents new roads from being constructed to allow logging on national forest land. The rule currently prevents woodland management of over 59 million acres of federal land, including significant swaths in Idaho.
Idaho senators oppose public land sale contained in budget reconciliation bill
US Capitol | June 23 | Idaho Statesman
Utah Senator Mike Lee has proposed adding a mandatory sale of over 3 million acres of public lands across several western states, including Idaho, to the administration's "Big Beautiful Budget Bill". Idaho senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo have released statements opposing this sale amid a campaign to remove the provision.
INL accepting proposals for microreactor testing
Idaho National Laboratory | June 22 | Cowboy State Daily
The Idaho National Laboratory is opening up proposals for startups to use its microreactor demonstration facility. INL is the only national laboratory with a specific focus on nuclear energy, and expansion in nuclear energy could benefit companies in neighboring states, particularly Wyoming.
Athletics to go private?
State Capitol | June 24 | Boise Dev
Boise State explores alternative funding options to address the new realities of college sports.
Idaho Supreme Court upholds removal of Boise City Council member
Idaho Supreme Court | June 23 | KTVB
Lisa Sanchez was removed from her seat on the Boise City Council in 2023 when she unintentionally moved outside of the district she represented. She rapidly returned and sought reappointment, but Boise Mayor McLean had already appointed a substitute council member. After years of legal challenges, the Idaho Supreme Court has ruled that her unintentional move did not provide an excuse.
Albertsons employees in Boise and Nampa authorize a strike
Boise | June 24 | KTVB
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, the union for employees at Albertsons, has voted to allow union leaders to initiate a strike as part of their ongoing negotiations with Albertsons, which union leaders claim has violated multiple federal labor laws, including retaliating against employees for advocating for higher pay.
Highlights & Insights
📖 Other Recommended Read
"The Republic of Idaho" - Brian Almon addresses the “Republic of Idaho” proposal that calls for one senator per county. He explores the history of representation in Idaho and the United States as a whole, as well as both theoretical and practical challenges for such a proposal.
🏛️ Apologetics FactSome Christians attempt to harmonize both the inerrancy of the Bible and the belief that the earth is billions of years old. This simply is not a feasible worldview—if the Bible cannot be trusted with its genealogies, times, or descriptive language that all clearly state that the earth is thousands of years old, then on what possible grounds could it be trusted for anything else? The Bible must be accepted uncompromisingly as it is, or else patently rejected as a transcendental standard of truth. Anything else is materialistic postmodernism wearing religious robes. | 🗣️ Quote"The most intelligent men, like the strongest, find their happiness where others would find only disaster: in the labyrinth, in being hard with themselves and with others, in effort; their delight is in self-mastery; in them asceticism becomes second nature, a necessity, an instinct. They regard a difficult task as a privilege; it is to them a recreation to play with burdens that would crush all others."– Friedrich Nietzsche |
🏅 Person: Vasily Arkhipov (1926 — 1988)Eventually a Soviet vice admiral, in 1962 Arkhipov was Executive Officer of the Soviet missile submarine B-59. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the B-59 was stationed near Cuba and was out of radio contact with Moscow for several days. The captain and political officer believed that war had broken out, and wanted to launch a nuclear torpedo. However, because he was chief of staff of the flotilla, a launch also required Arkhipov's approval. Arkhipov convinced the captain to instead surface the ship and wait for orders, after which they learned the war had not started. Had Arkhipov not been aboard, the torpedo almost certainly would have been launched, triggering a nuclear war. | 📕 Book: Into Thin Air A brilliant account of one of the most infamous mountaineering disasters of the last century, Krakauer skillfully mixes technical mountaineering descriptions with a thoughtful exploration of the narratives and motivations of the people who attempt to summit the world's tallest mountain. |