SATURDAY ROUNDUP: 8/31/24

Fall is in the air. You can feel a nip of cold in the early morning, and I saw a tree with orange leaves earlier today. We’re heading toward the home stretch of this big election year, with our state’s legislative session just over the horizon as well.

I have not yet run out of things to write about; in fact, my draft list keeps getting longer and longer.

As you know, I am entirely reader supported:

  • Paid subscribers via Substack get bonus notes with most articles, giving me an opportunity to share behind-the-scenes thoughts with supporters, as well as early access to podcasts and significant discounts in the merch store.
  • Do you have a small business you want to advertise? I’ll put your ad on the top of the Chronicle homepage, on the article sidebar, and will shout it out on any podcasts I release during the sponsorship. I’ll also write an article on behalf of sponsors, whether about a particular issue or just sharing their story. Send me a message and we’ll get it done. Check out this month’s sponsor, Mac Attack HVAC in Sweet!
  • Finally, I also offer freelance writing and editing services. Reach out to me if you have a project you’d like me to consult with you on.

Have you been catching the Daily Minute? It’s a one minute long summary of some piece of news that I think you’ll find interesting, published (mostly) daily Monday through Saturday. You can find the Daily Minute on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, X, and even TikTok!

Last week at the Chronicle…

On Monday, I looked at the state of public schools and the demand for universal school choice. You can bet our Legislature is going to pass a school choice bill this year, so let’s make sure they pass the right one.

On Tuesday, I suggested that the brouhaha over Donald Trump’s shifting positions on abortion is not as big a deal as many conservatives believe. We have two choice in this election: one that will codify abortion and transing your kids, the other will create room for us to push society in the other direction.

On Wednesday, I discussed Gov. Brad Little’s new executive order on protecting women’s sports and looked back on the battle we’ve fought here for the past four years.

On Friday, I used an article from the Idaho Capital Sun as a case study in how journalism often provides cover for activism. The Idaho Child Care Program is way over budget, but the Democrats and their activist friends say we should simply spend more.

There were several great guest editorials this week too:

Former state senator and candidate for state superintendent Branden Durst wrote a very good piece about how the teacher’s union’s fight against school choice is about money and power, not what is best for Idaho students.

Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon explained how various groups are fighting alongside the Republican Party against Proposition 1, ranked choice voting. It’s time to unite to fight!

Finally, Attorney General Raúl Labrador eviscerated the Idaho Statesman for misrepresenting his office yet again. It might have once been Idaho’s paper of record, but at this point the Statesman might as well brand itself with a donkey logo — or even a hammer and sickle.

In other news…

In yesterday’s episode of Fiscal Fridays, Idaho Freedom Foundation policy director Niklas Kleinworth took a closer look at the spending problem in the Idaho Child Care Program:

Jake Ball of Idaho Fair Elections joined the Ranch Podcast to explain why ranked choice voting and the jungle primary are bad ideas:

Auron MacIntyre published a great video about how science — a supposedly empirical and neutral discipline — was corrupted by the woke left:

Derek at Veritasium examined the flaws of various voting systems, including ranked choice voting, and came away with the conclusion that democracy simply doesn’t work. Well, at least mathematically. My takeaway from this interesting video is that we are better off sticking to the simple system we have than trying to engineer something much more complex that still doesn’t solve any underlying problem.

Finally, just for fun:


Thank you all for your support as I continue to bring you news and analysis that empowers you to make positive change in Idaho. Make sure to subscribe, follow me on Twitter, and follow the Chronicle on Facebook, Telegram, YouTube, and Rumble. Have a great weekend!

Get the Gem State Chronicle in your email!
Get the Gem State Chronicle in your email!