Crews finishing wildlife crossing + Yellowstone to conduct invasive species removal + GOP path to retaining US House majority narrowing

By Christina Lords | Editor-in-Chief

“We were seeing just all kinds of problems there; we were losing at least 100 deer a year. Over 10 years, that is 1,000 animals we know we lost.” - Idaho Transportation Department public information officer Justin Smith

Crews are completing the new Rocky Point Wildlife Underpass south of Montpelier in Bear Lake County. (Photo by Julia Barton/Greater Yellowstone Coalition)

ENVIRONMENT

Crews finishing new wildlife crossing in southeast Idaho to protect migrating deer

By Clark Corbin

The wildlife crossing features three underpasses, as well as extensive fencing on either side of the project to direct animals like deer to the wildlife crossing.

A tagged non-native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout is returned to Red Rock Creek after being collected in a fish trap at the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

ENVIRONMENT

Yellowstone National Park to conduct invasive species removal to preserve cutthroat trout

By Micah Drew

Invasive rainbow trout have been competing and hybridizing with native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River.

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at the Detroit NAACP Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner on April 26, 2026. Jeffries is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win control of the chamber in November. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

ELECTION 2026

GOP path to retaining US House majority narrowing as midterms near

By Shauneen Miranda

The GOP’s current House majority stands at 218-212. The Cook Political Report lists 21 House races as toss-ups, with Republicans defending 16.

MORE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS FROM US

Ninth Circuit win for Nevada over Kalshi sets up potential Supreme Court showdown | Dana Gentry

ICYMI

Shining a light on other Idaho politics reporting

Note: Some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall

Boise State Public Radio: Study: Nearly half of land burned in last 25 years tied to heatwaves
East Idaho News: From Idaho farm boy to Ike’s cabinet: The complicated legacy of Ezra Taft Benson
Idaho EdNews: ‘Hazardous to the public:’ Insurance department files to take over school benefit trust
Valley Lookout: ‘The direction we’re going is not healthy’: Firefighter union sounds alarm on McCall Fire leadership

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