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Guest Column – ID GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon: Nine Month Abortion is Too Radical for Idaho

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Jully 9, 2026 (Cover image credit: IDGOP FB)

Nine Month Abortion is Too Radical for Idaho

Dorothy Moon, Chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party

I’m sure you’ve heard that the so-called “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act” has qualified for the ballot. That means you, the voters of Idaho, will face a clear choice this November: bring abortion back to Idaho, or maintain our state’s status as a sanctuary for the unborn.

Supporters of the initiative, now called Proposition 1, want you to believe this is simply about restoring the status quo before Roe v. Wade was overturned four years ago. What they won’t tell you is that, long before Roe, Idaho protected preborn babies. Our first territorial legislature prohibited abortion in 1864 because our forefathers recognized what we continue to proclaim today: a preborn child is a human being deserving of legal protection.

Supporters of Prop 1 also want you to believe this initiative is about compassion. It is not. Current Idaho law requires doctors to do everything possible to save both patients, including delivering a baby prematurely if necessary when serious health complications arise. Prop 1, by contrast, authorizes abortion up to birth if a provider determines that continuing the pregnancy threatens the health of the mother. That is a dramatic departure from Idaho’s current protections.

Some supporters of Prop 1 have expressed hope that, if passed, it could also undermine Idaho’s laws protecting children from transgender drugs and surgeries. The initiative declares that “every person,” regardless of age, has the right to make decisions related to their “reproductive health care.”

This language invites court challenges to many Idaho laws protecting children. Courts might ultimately interpret it differently, but do you really want to take that chance?

Prop 1 also threatens mothers. Since Idaho’s Defense of Life laws took effect four years ago, maternal mortality numbers have improved. Abortion carries risks for women as well as their unborn children, particularly when performed by individuals who are not physicians, as the text of this initiative would allow.

Finally, Prop 1 threatens parental rights. If this initiative passes, a minor girl could obtain an abortion six months into her pregnancy and her parents would never be told.

Proposition 1 does far more than repeal Idaho’s Defense of Life laws or return us to the era of Roe v. Wade. It creates sweeping new abortion rights that have never before existed in Idaho law.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Prop 1 is not about freedom, it’s not about privacy, and it’s certainly not about reproduction. This initiative would authorize the deliberate destruction of unique and precious human lives while weakening protections for parents, children, and the unborn. The Idaho GOP will continue to stand for life and urge Idahoans to vote no on Proposition 1.

Guest Columnist Brian Almon: Greenbelt or Green Zone?

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Observer Staff
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(Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

July 14, 2026 (Cover Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

Greenbelt or Green Zone?

On Monday, July 6, a homeless man named Ross Wardlaw allegedly murdered 25-year-old Jordan Habst, stabbing him multiple times while Habst walked along the Boise Greenbelt, for no apparent reason.

Late in the evening on Saturday, July 11, an Oregon man named Javier Ortiz allegedly assaulted a woman walking along the Greenbelt, pulling her off the path, apparently intending to do who knows what before nearby residents heard her screaming and intervened.

Following the earlier incident, Boise Police issued “safety reminders” for Greenbelt users, reiterating them after the attempted kidnapping:

…the Boise Police Department is asking everyone using the Greenbelt to remain aware of their surroundings and to take common-sense safety precautions, including:

  • Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
  • Walk, run, or bike with others whenever possible.
  • Avoid wearing headphones or anything that limits your ability to hear or observe your surroundings.
  • If you see something suspicious, say something and report it to police.

As an added safety measure and as part of the investigation, Boise Police have increased patrols along the Greenbelt.

Is this the Boise Greenbelt we’re talking about, or the Baghdad Green Zone? Should citizens be required to treat a stroll through the park like an excursion into a war zone?

House Speaker Mike Moyle and Rep. Bruce Skaug condemned the City of Boise and Mayor Lauren McLean for failing to enforce state law regarding vagrancy, issuing a press release this week:

“This attack is a tragedy,” said Rep. Bruce Skaug, “But it is even more horrific because it may have been prevented.”

In 2025, the Idaho Legislature passed a S1141a. The law requires cities to enforce bans on camping or overnight stays in public places, and requires cities to clean up such encampments and campers.

“The law was not written to criminalize homelessness,” said House Judiciary and Rules Committee Chairman Bruce Skaug, who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Codi Galloway. “The law was written to protect citizens from mentally unstable people who camp in public places. If the City of Boise had followed the law, that young man would likely be alive. My heart goes out to the victim’s family. They should consider hiring a wrongful death attorney for possible action against the City of Boise.”

Legislative leaders said the law is clear, and want to know why the camping ban has not been enforced along the greenbelt and city parks.

“The law doesn’t need to be strengthened or changed — it just needs to be followed,” said Speaker of the House Mike Moyle. “Idahoans who use the Boise greenbelt, float the Boise River or visit a downtown restaurant should not have to fear for their safety because Boise Mayor Lauren McLean won’t follow the law. We are a nation of laws, and Idahoans expect our public officials to follow the law. It is sad and infuriating to see a possibly preventable crime occur because Boise won’t enforce the law.”

Moyle and Skaug have requested and been assured, by the Idaho Attorney General, that potential legal options against the City of Boise are being reviewed.

Senate Bill 1141, sponsored in 2025 by Rep. Bruce Skaug and Sen. Codi Galloway, prohibits public camping in large Idaho cities, including Boise. Every Democrat voted against the bill, along with Sen. Jim Guthrie, and someone vandalized a fence in Galloway’s district, accusing her of hating the homeless. After Gov. Brad Little signed S1141 into law, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean denounced the legislation, claiming it would make it harder to address homelessness.

Now a man is dead because Boise refused to enforce state law regarding public camping, and the rhetoric coming from Boise PD treats it as though it were a random act of nature rather than the result of deliberate policy choices.

Former Solicitor General Theo Wold discovered a clip of a local news reporter interviewing alleged Greenbelt murderer Ross Wardlaw only two weeks ago. In the clip, Wardlaw praises the cooling stations provided by Our Path Home, a public-private partnership intended to address homelessness. Yet this situation demonstrates how such programs often subsidize homelessness rather than solve it, and they did nothing to stop Wardlaw from allegedly killing an innocent traveler.

This is unfortunately not the first time I’ve had to argue about how threats to public safety are allowed or even encouraged by left-wing officials. Last September, following the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train by a career criminal with mental health issues, I wrote about how tolerating crime is a policy choice:

America has forgotten the idea of justice. Our ancestors knew that criminals must be punished and that threats to social order must be removed. Today, we have it backward. We have come to believe that justice is served by not punishing criminals, and our compassion is directed not to innocent victims but to the perpetrators themselves.

DeCarlos Brown Jr. was not a productive member of society. He repeatedly ignored the law yet faced no meaningful consequences. A person like that would have long ago been incarcerated or executed in past societies, but in America today he was free to commit murder. The magistrate who released him most recently, Teresa Stokes, is not a lawyer—she apparently never passed the bar—but has the responsibility of deciding the fate of criminals in North Carolina. She is also the director of operations for Second Chance Services, a mental health and addiction clinic in Charlotte.

Is there a conflict of interest in a magistrate who releases criminals that could then potentially be taxpayer-supported clients of her firm?

Indeed, we are told that rampant crime is just part and parcel of life in 21st-century America: that being assaulted, robbed, carjacked, or even murdered is an unavoidable part of living in big cities. Democrats protested when President Donald Trump used his authority to mobilize the National Guard to fight crime in Washington, D.C., seemingly more outraged at the crackdown than at the crime itself.

Crime is treated like a force of nature, something we must simply live with, rather than a deliberate policy choice. It’s not as if America lacks the resources or the willpower to address crime—after the unauthorized tour of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies devoted immense effort to investigating everyone who was anywhere near the building, arresting hundreds who simply walked through open doors.

Like many left-wing cities, Boise has decided to treat criminals as victims and mentally ill homeless people not as dangers to society, but as forces of nature. City leaders see themselves as acting out of compassion toward criminals, the homeless, and the mentally ill, but in doing so, they recklessly endanger innocent people like Jordan Habst, Iryna Zarutska, and the woman who was assaulted on the Greenbelt last weekend.

The point is that these problems can be solved, but modern progressive sensibilities do not allow them to be. If the City of Boise refuses to protect its citizens, then it falls to the State of Idaho to do so. Staying alert for danger is always prudent, but the Greenbelt should be safer than a war zone.

    About Brian Almon

    Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.

    Editor’s note:  This article originally appeared in the Gem State Chronicle.  I encourage our readers to visit their website and consider subscribing.  Find this and other informative articles at the Gem State Chronicle here: About – Gem State Chronicle

    Applications Now Open for January ISP Trooper Academy

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    Observer Staff
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    (Idaho State Police, July 9, 2026)

    MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Idaho State Police is accepting applications for its next trooper academy, which begins in mid-January. Completion of the academy is required to become an Idaho State Police Trooper.

    The agency is seeking dedicated men and women committed to serving their communities, upholding the law and helping keep Idaho’s roads and communities safe. The greatest need for troopers is currently in the Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene regions.

    The ISP academy provides comprehensive law enforcement training that includes Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, along with agency-specific instruction. Recruits are paid employees throughout the academy, and lodging and meals are provided.

    “We’re looking for individuals with strong character, a commitment to public service and a willingness to challenge themselves,” Hiring Capt. Jason Horst said. “Our academy is a demanding 22-week program, but if you make it through, you’ll join one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the country and have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of Idahoans every day.”

    Applicants must be at least 21 years old, be U.S. citizens, possess a high school diploma or GED, have a valid driver’s license and meet all Idaho POST requirements. Successful applicants also must pass a comprehensive background investigation, polygraph examination, medical and psychological evaluations, physical fitness testing and drug screening.

    Applications must be submitted by 4:59 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on Sept. 18, 2026.

    For complete qualifications, benefits and application instructions, visit this link.

    How INL’s ‘University Days’ Event Is Growing the Workforce behind America’s Critical Missions

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    Observer Staff
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    (Idaho National Laboratory Press Release, July 16, 2026; Cover image credit: INL FB)

    By Paul Menser

    The Idaho National Laboratory produces world-class, cutting-edge research in fields such as nuclear energy, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, but there are still a lot of people who don’t know what goes on at the lab.

    When April Augustine took her job three years ago as manager of INL’s National Security Workforce Development Programs, she quickly recognized the need for an event to showcase what the lab has to offer to teachers and students.

    “There’s only one me, and there are 1,000 universities,” she said. “As much as we think we’re a known commodity, you go out there and you learn there are a lot of people who don’t know anything about us.”

    To get the word out, Augustine founded INL University Days.

    Now in its third year, this year’s event focused on “The Future of Collaborative Pathways.” For three days in May, the event highlighted the importance of building strong partnerships between INL and universities, building connections, fostering collaboration and shaping future opportunities.

    The event featured networking sessions; technical breakout discussions in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and wireless communications; and a poster session for sharing research. The final day highlighted workforce development initiatives and concluded with a panel reviewing key takeaways and outlining next steps. The event aimed to spark new grants, partnerships, research projects and internships.

    Making expertise more visible

    Augustine said it’s essential for national labs to make their expertise more visible and accessible. “We’ve got to get our researchers out of the back corners,” she said, underscoring the need for technical experts to actively engage with universities, students and external partners.

    Regarding workforce development, sometimes a “nearest neighbor” philosophy can help in the search for talent. Innovation often comes from unexpected disciplines and perspectives. For example, pharmacy school students can possess valuable radiochemistry training relevant to national laboratory work.

    The best way to build relationships is by focusing on possibilities and collaborative problem solving. “We want to know how we can we put our knowledge into your university, and we want to hear from you, ‘We’re working on this problem … here’s what we need,’” she said.

    “I don’t typically get to work with students who are still doing their coursework,” said Julia Morgan, an INL researcher who presented on GridTechPedia, a tool she has helped develop for evaluating emerging grid technologies. “This is an opportunity to establish relationships, if not with students, then with professors. We can get a better idea of what their priorities are and what resources might be available to them.”

    Scholarship for Service

    University Days is only one aspect of INL’s collaboration with schools across the nation to develop talent. The Scholarship for Service programs are another productive pipeline. These initiatives involve the government or sponsoring organization paying for a student’s college education in exchange for a mandatory period of post-graduation employment.

    The CyberCorps SFS program, funded by the National Science Foundation, is aimed at building a strong cybersecurity workforce for federal, state, local and tribal governments. The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation program is specifically designed for STEM students.

    Lauren Ortiz learned about INL’s broad cybersecurity and national security capabilities at an SFS job fair. An INL internship followed in February 2025, and she was hired as a modeling and simulation professional later that year.

    Ortiz’s current work involves using language models to help identify and repair vulnerabilities in semiconductor supply chain code, something she first became interested in around 2022 while working for a small manufacturer in the Southwest. “I’ve learned a lot about the tools available at INL, and about the research process,” she said.

    Beyond SFS, INL offers joint appointments and postdoc programs focused on technical competencies and professional development. Recognizing the talent in the U.S. armed forces, the lab participates with the Air Force and Space Force to offer fellowships that help develop and sustain strong homeland security workforce pathways. In these fellowship programs, active-duty officers spend a year addressing operational gaps with the lab’s extensive capabilities, pressure-testing concepts in realistic and at-scale conditions and environments.

    INL also participates in the War Department’s SkillBridge program, which allows service members to work with industry, nonprofit and public-sector organizations while they continue to receive military pay and benefits. SkillBridge provides a practical way to explore roles, grow skills and translate military experience into civilian impact.

    Mentoring culture

    Ortiz credits INL’s mentorship culture as one of the most important parts of her transition to full-time work. She has worked with both formal and informal mentors who have guided her not only on technical research projects, but also on communication, collaboration and navigating professional relationships. That support has provided exposure to a wide range of research tools and processes as she takes on increasingly advanced responsibilities, including serving as a co-principal investigator on a Laboratory Directed Research and Development proposal.

    Collaborative events such as University Days work hand in hand with SFS to create opportunities for networking, generating research ideas and finding collaborators across disciplines.

    Art Conklin, emeritus professor at the University of Houston and an INL joint appointee for 10 years, said University Days is an event not to be missed. His first connection at INL was Ginger Wright, and through her he became the education lead on Cyber-Informed Engineering.

    “The smartest people in the world come here,” he said. “This is one of the better acts in town. There are no silos, no walls in the way. The right people are on the right problems. It opens your eyes to things you’ll never see in institutions.”

    Looking forward

    For Augustine, University Days is less a destination than a starting point. “This is about planting seeds,” she said. “We want every college that walks through our doors to leave with something they can act on — and we want to still be talking a year from now.”

    Augustine has no illusions about the scale of the challenge. With hundreds of universities across the country and a lab whose capabilities remain underappreciated in many corners of academia, she knows that one annual event cannot do the work alone. But she believes the momentum built through University Days — combined with programs like SFS, joint appointments and fellowships — creates a flywheel effect, where each new relationship makes the next one easier to forge. Her goal for the coming year is to deepen the engagement with schools that attended this year’s event and expand INL’s reach into institutions that have yet to discover what the lab has to offer.

    “I want us to go wider and deeper at the same time — more universities in the room, and stronger ties with the ones who’ve already been here,” she said.

    To learn more about research, workforce development and engagement opportunities, contact NSWorkforce@inl.gov or visit our website at https://inl.gov/national-security/workforce-programs/

    About Idaho National Laboratory
    Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

    Guest Columnist Glenneda Zuiderveld: Your Vote Can Save a Life

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    Observer Staff
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    July 14, 2026

    Your Vote Can Save a Life
    The Future of Idaho and the Unborn is on Your November Ballot.

    ID Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld (Photo Credit: Glenneda Zuiderveld0

    By: Former Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld

    The enemy is at the gate.

    The enemy never rests.

    For the past four years, I have been warning Idahoans that our state is not as conservative as many have been led to believe. Today, we are facing another major challenge: the proposed “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act.”

    Even its title is misleading. Supporters present it as a measure about “freedom” and “privacy,” but opponents argue it would significantly expand access to abortion, including after fetal viability under certain circumstances. They also contend it would weaken parental involvement protections for minors seeking abortions and could create broader legal challenges to state regulations involving reproductive health. Some have further argued that it could affect Medicaid-funded services and future litigation involving gender-related medical procedures.

    Read full initiative, HERE.

    This is one of the most consequential policy questions Idaho voters may face.

    Churches of Idaho, I cannot overstate how important your voice, your involvement, and your vote are when it comes to the issue of life.

    According to the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, Idaho has approximately 2,392 congregations. Imagine the impact if every pastor, elder, deacon, and church leader encouraged their congregation to register, become informed, and vote.

    Together, we can stand for Idaho’s most vulnerable, God’s precious image bearers.

    Scripture leaves little room for indifference:

    James 4:17 (ESV)
    “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

    If we know what is right and choose complacency, apathy, or silence instead, what will God’s judgment be upon us?

    We have already seen the power of Idaho’s ballot initiative process. Medicaid expansion was adopted through that process, and there have been repeated efforts to legalize marijuana in Idaho through citizen initiatives as well.

    That is why I am partnering with Honor Idaho to raise awareness, raise our voices, and raise the resources necessary to oppose this initiative. Beyond this single issue, we must also have a serious conversation about whether Idaho’s ballot initiative process continues to serve the long-term interests of our state.

    The initiative process has fundamentally reshaped the policies of states like California. This year, California voters are expected to consider 14 statewide ballot measures. By comparison, in 1990, Californians voted on 45 statewide ballot propositions.

    Is this what you want Idaho to become?

    This fight will not be won by good intentions alone. It will require prayer, courage, volunteers, and the financial resources to educate Idahoans about what is at stake. If you believe that every life is created in the image of God, that parents have a God-given responsibility to protect their children, and that Idaho’s conservative values are worth defending, I ask you to stand with us today.

    Please prayerfully consider making a generous donation to Honor Idaho. Your gift will help educate voters, equip communities with the truth, and build the grassroots effort needed to defeat this initiative. Every dollar invested today is an investment in protecting Idaho’s future and defending those who cannot defend themselves.

    “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?” — Proverbs 24:11–12

    The time for watching is over.

    Now is the time to stand. Now is the time to speak. Now is the time to vote.

    Here is the direct link to donate, we will use your contribution wisely in this battle for life. Honor Idaho (Donate)

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: Why We’re Dismantling the ICC

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    Observer Staff
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    July 14, 2026

    Why We’re Dismantling the ICC
    America never agreed to a world tribunal that can override our own courts and the Constitution

    By: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

    Most of us would struggle to imagine a world in which U.S. soldiers, police officers, Border Patrol agents and elected leaders could be dragged before an international court, tried by judges from random countries across the globe, found guilty under international laws we neither consent to nor control, and then imprisoned thousands of miles from America.

    But that is what the International Criminal Court now claims the power to do.

    The ICC was born at the turn of the century. At first, it was marketed as a narrow backstop to prosecute the gravest crimes. Now the ICC and its allies seek a standing world tribunal with near-unlimited reach, empowered to override the courts and constitutions of the U.S. and other sovereign states—and to prosecute and arrest our citizens.

    Americans never agreed to any of this. Both of our major political parties opposed the prospect of handing a distant global court the power to prosecute and jail our own citizens. President Clinton refused to submit the Rome Statute (the ICC’s founding charter) to the Senate for ratification due to his “concerns about significant flaws in the Treaty.” Two years later, a bipartisan Senate supermajority passed the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act, authorizing the president “to use all means necessary”—including military force—to prevent the ICC from detaining or arresting Americans.

    Americans found themselves in the crosshairs anyway: In 2020 the ICC launched an investigation into what chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of Gambia described as “war crimes by members of the United States armed forces” in Afghanistan, declaring that the U.S. government hadn’t prosecuted enough American soldiers to satisfy the court. In effect, Ms. Bensouda was anointing herself the final judge of U.S. military policy and the entire U.S. justice system.

    The Afghanistan investigation was only the opening move in the assault against American self-government. The ICC is backed and run by a powerful network of leftist nongovernment organizations, smug globalists, and hostile Third World governments united by their enmity toward the U.S.

    In the second Trump administration, these calls have continued to grow. Last year, major activist groups urged high-ranking international officials “to take immediate and meaningful action” against the Trump administration’s deportations of violent criminals to El Salvador. Months later, a former ICC chief prosecutor declared that President Trump’s strikes against narcoterrorists amounted to “a crime against humanity” and should be treated as such under international law—a line that was echoed by United Nations leaders, and major leftist nongovernmental organizations, Democratic Party officials and politicians. In March, the Washington-based Democracy for the Arab World Now urged the Iranian regime to request an ICC investigation of “apparent war crimes” committed by American personnel.

    U.S. efforts to push back against the ICC’s illegitimate interventions have been framed as a further reason for the ICC to target Americans. When 12 U.S. senators wrote to the ICC prosecutor about their concerns, the prosecutor’s office accused them of crimes. When Mr. Trump imposed sanctions against ICC personnel, a former head of Human Rights Watch said that “all 125 ICC member states would have a legal duty to arrest him were he to show up.”

    It is only a matter of time before the ICC begins making good on these threats. Border Patrol agents working to remove violent criminals from our country, U.S. Marines risking their lives to restore order in the Western Hemisphere, federal prosecutors working to dismantle terror networks plotting attacks on the American homeland—all would face the constant risk of persecution for the “crime” of defending our country.

    The ICC’s interfering with American military and law enforcement operations isn’t only a grave overreach of its purported authorities. It would mean the death of the U.S. as a sovereign and independent nation. Our decision and our people would be at the mercy of the ICC and its collaborators in the “international community.” To accept the ICC is to surrender control of our national destiny.

    Perhaps more polite and compliant nations could make their peace with that arrangement. But this is America. Our forefathers fought a revolution against a foreign power “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.” Independence is our birthright. We don’t intend to trade it for rule by a self-appointed priesthood of “international law.”

    The Trump administration will always protect American service members from this threat. The U.S. is launching a diplomatic campaign with a simple message—sovereign states over globalism. Those who benefit from American security must not stand idly by while those who provide that security are targeted. This is only the beginning. Using all the tools at our government’s disposal, working beside every ally with whom we can make common cause, we will dismantle the ICC—brick by brick, if necessary.

    Marco Rubio was sworn in as the 72nd Secretary of State on January 21, 2025. The Secretary is creating a Department of State that puts America First.

    25th Annual POW*MIA Awareness Rally and Motorcycle Rodeo is Saturday, July 25

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    Observer Staff
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    July 16, 2026

    The 26th Annual POW*MIA Awareness Rally and Motorcycle Rodeo will take place at the Power County Fairgrounds, in American Falls, Idaho, July 25, 2025.

    The entry fee is $10 per person and veterans get free entry with ID.  Children 13 and under also get free entry.

    Camping is available at the fairgrounds.

    For more information visit: Awareness Rally – POW*MIA Rodeo

    Second Lady Usha Vance Announces Launch of Summer Reading Challenge Prize Website

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    Observer Staff
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    (Office of the Second Lady Press Release, July 15, 2026)

    On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Second Lady Usha Vance announced the launch of her Summer Reading Challenge’s prize website, where competitors can choose a reward after submitting their reading log and reflection.

    “Reading is its own reward, but I’m excited to announce that kids who participate in my Summer Reading Challenge will also receive fun prizes this summer. Congratulations to everyone who has already completed the Challenge — enjoy picking out something special on the new prize website! And if you haven’t started, there’s still plenty of time to make this the best summer of reading yet,” said Second Lady Usha Vance.

    Once students submit their reading log and reflection, they will be able to select a reward from an online prize shop featuring gifts from Crayola, Walmart, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, NASA, and more. Sample prizes include:

    • A ticket to the Crayola Experience in Florida or Pennsylvania
    • Scouting America Summer Reading Challenge patches and mini Scout Life magazines
    • A Dairy Queen gift card
    • A book selection from 24 Scholastic Books
    • A Walmart gift card
    • A ticket to the National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C.
    • Crayola markers
    • A Wendy’s Frosty coupon
    • Freedom 250 patches and stickers
    • NASA patches and stickers

    In addition to a prize from the online portal, participants of the Summer Reading Challenge receive a personalized certificate of completion, a letter from the Second Lady, an America 250-themed bookmark produced in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and a raffle entry for a visit to the White House.

    Literacy levels decline over summer break, worsening the 2024 reading proficiency levels by 31% for fourth graders and 30% for eighth graders. The Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge seeks to combat summer learning declines and encourage childhood literacy through friendly competition and rewards. To enter, children grades K-8 submit an online reading log of 12 books they have read over the summer in exchange for special prizes from the Challenge’s supporters.

    Over 20,000 students submitted reading logs as part of the 2025 pilot program. This year’s submissions are currently triple the number received this time last year. Enhancements to the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge include an expanded prize selection to better engage with participants, strengthened collaboration with schools, libraries, and community organizations, greater participation access for children with learning and developmental differences, and special mementos and partnerships celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

    Summer Reading Challenge submissions will be accepted until September 4th, 2026. Please visit wh.gov/read for more information.

    AG Labrador Issues Caution Against Rental Scams

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    Observer Staff
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    (Attorney General’s Office Press Release, July 15, 2026)

    BOISE, ID — Attorney General Raúl Labrador released a warning today about rental and property scams, along with tips at spotting this type of fraud frequently occurring in high-growth areas where there is fierce competition for available housing and high prices. Potential renters may overlook the signs of a scam in the hopes of securing a good deal.

    Scammers will fabricate or duplicate advertisements for available rentals and then demand deposits and upfront payments, especially for renters moving from out-of-state where a visit to the property may not be possible. Scammers post fake listings and grab attention with below-market rent. And since scammers can’t get physical access to the property, they make up excuses why a potential renter can’t see it in person. Scammers will also try to create a time crisis — a too-good-to-be-true deal that won’t last if you don’t pay that deposit immediately.

    “Idaho’s growth has made us a target for these types of scams, and criminals are exploiting families desperate for housing in a tight market,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Before you send a dollar, verify the listing and see the property in person or through someone you trust. Idahoans work hard for their paychecks, and my office will keep fighting to protect them from these predatory schemes.”

    Like many examples of modern fraud, another sign of a scam is a “landlord” who says you can only pay with a gift card, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer. If a potential renter pays a deposit with these almost-untraceable methods, the scammer can disappear with their money.

    Even if you’re rushing to secure a new address, slow down. Don’t ignore the warning signs or be overcome with the prospect of a good deal. Before you sign or pay for an apartment, do some research like searching for the rental address online. If you find the same property listed with a different price or landlord, it’s likely a scam. Also, check it out in person if you can. If you’re not local, ask someone you trust to go on a tour of the home for you — or to drive by to make sure the home they see matches what you saw advertised.

    For more tips and resources on scam prevention, please visit ReportScamsIdaho.com or to file a consumer protection complaint with the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

    Gov. Little Applauds Trump Administration’s Proposal to Return Greater Grizzly Bear Management to States

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    Observer Staff
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    (Governor’s Office Press Release, July 15, 2026)

    Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik Tuesday in Montana to announce a proposed federal rule that would provide states with greater flexibility to manage recovered grizzly bear populations while maintaining protections under the Endangered Species Act.

    The proposal recognizes decades of successful conservation efforts by states, tribes, federal agencies, private landowners, and local communities that have helped grizzly bear populations recover well beyond federal recovery goals in many areas.

    “Idaho has proven we can successfully conserve grizzly bears while responsibly managing wildlife and protecting our communities. This proposal is another important step toward returning wildlife management to the states, where decisions are guided by science and those closest to the land. I appreciate President Trump and Secretary Burgum for recognizing what Idaho has long maintained – that recovered grizzly populations should be managed by the states, not Washington, D.C.,” Governor Little said.

    Idaho has consistently advocated for returning grizzly bear management to the states. In 2022, Idaho petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist lower-48 grizzly bears, and in 2025, the state reached a legal settlement requiring the agency to issue a final rule addressing the grizzly bear’s listing status.

    The proposed rule announced Tuesday does not change the grizzly bear’s status under the Endangered Species Act but would provide additional management flexibility in areas where recovery goals have been achieved. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has opened a 30-day public comment period on the proposal.

    For more information on the proposed rule and public comment process, visit https://www.fws.gov/grizzlyrulemaking.

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