Stephanie Lucas

The Experimental Breeder Reactor-I Atomic Museum will open for the 2026 season on May 22, offering free admission and a chance to explore the world’s first nuclear power plant.

Idaho’s Office of Highway Safety is promoting the “100 Safest Days of Summer” campaign to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities on the state’s highways, with year-to-year numbers showing a positive trend.

Governor Brad Little’s office says more dangerous illegal alien criminals have been transported out of the country under his Operation No Return, bringing the total number of criminals removed to nearly 100.

“Through Operation No Return, we are making it clear that dangerous criminal illegal aliens who threaten the safety of our communities will not be released back onto Idaho streets. Idaho is tough on crime, and we put the safety of Idaho families first,” Governor Little said.

The United States government is bracing for a potential shutdown as a critical funding deadline looms at the end of tomorrow, with Congress deadlocked over a new spending bill. Negotiations in the Senate, where a successful bill requires 60 votes, have stalled, as Democrats refuse to support the current Republican proposal without major compromises.

Idaho Congressman Russ Fulcher identified the major sticking points to Local News 8, saying Democrats are pushing for changes vehemently opposed by Republicans. According to Fulcher, the Democrats are trying to undo several ‘hard-fought Republican victories’ in the form of the Big Beautiful Bill.

A new effort is underway to repeal Idaho’s 6% sales tax on groceries, but this time, proponents are bypassing the legislature and taking their case directly to Gem State voters.

Howard Rynearson, Chairman of the Payette County Republicans, is leading a new initiative to gather enough signatures to place a repeal of the grocery tax on the November 2026 ballot. This move follows a series of failed attempts by lawmakers in past legislative sessions to pass a repeal.

Since its introduction in May, President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has been a dominant topic in the news. Now that it’s been signed into law, Local News 8 had a chance to sit down with Senator Mike Crapo, and get his take on what he thinks are the most important points of the legislation.

“Idaho’s law reflects common sense and biological reality, protecting all students’ privacy and safety in spaces like locker rooms and showers,” Attorney General Labrador said. “Every day, we see more examples of the harms of gender ideology, particularly to women and girls.  We applaud the court’s decision to allow our State Board of Education to continue its job of preserving each student’s privacy, dignity, and safety and providing a quality education for Idaho’s children.”

The Bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brian Lenny (R), wrote on Twitter, “We just overwhelmingly passed House Bill 90, my legislation to strip authority from the beaurocrats at Health and Welfare. Their actions last year led to a disastrous $15 million budget overrun for Idaho’s childcare program. If signed, state employees will no longer be able to bypass the legislature and secretly negotiate deals with the feds behind our backs.”