By Christina Lords | Editor-in-Chief
“We always highlight one of the great security features in Idaho’s elections is that we have paper ballots, and the paper ballot is the official record. This is part of that process. It’s not just having the paper, but going back and double checking. This just heightens all of it, and really should reassure voters.” — Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Officials with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office and students from Boise State University’s accounting program conduct an audit of Ada County primary elections results on Wednesday June 3, 2026. (Photo by Clark Corbin/Idaho Capital Sun)
ELECTION 2026
Idaho state audit confirms Ada County primary election results
By Clark Corbin
A random audit of Ada County primary election ballots on Wednesday confirmed the results reported on the night of the May 19 primary election, officials with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office said.
A plaque on the Hoff Building in downtown Boise signifying the building uses geothermal heat. (Photo by Laura Guido/Idaho Capital Sun)
ENVIRONMENT
U.S. House approves Idaho Rep. Fulcher’s bill to increase geothermal leasing
By Laura Guido
The U.S. House on Tuesday approved a bill brought by Idaho Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher to increase geothermal energy leasing on public lands.
The bill amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to require the secretary of the interior to hold a lease sale for geothermal projects every year, instead of every two years.
Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness after consuming raw dairy products. (Getty Images)
HEALTH
Nearly 60 Idahoans sick after drinking raw milk in past two weeks, officials say
By Kyle Pfannenstiel
Idaho health officials are investigating how nearly 60 people got sick after drinking raw milk in the past two weeks.
Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson AJ McWhorter said the agency didn’t name the milking operations potentially linked to the outbreaks “because this is a potential risk for any raw milk producer.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing on June 3, 2026. The department’s budget request for fiscal 2027 was the subject of the hearing. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
GOVERNMENT + POLITICS
Treasury’s Bessent mum on Trump’s IRS immunity deal
By Ashley Murray
The day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund was dead, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent evaded questions on Capitol Hill Wednesday about whether President Donald Trump, his family and the Trump Organization would be absolved from future tax enforcement, another part of the president’s IRS settlement.
Committee Chair Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, said he wanted to give Bessent a chance to “set the record straight, understanding there is ongoing litigation.”
MORE NATIONAL NEWS FROM US
US House approves measure to restrain Trump action in Iran | Ariana Figueroa
Treasury’s Bessent mum on Trump’s IRS immunity deal | Ashley Murray
ICYMI
Shining a light on other Idaho politics reporting
Note: Some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall
Coeur d’Alene Press: Kootenai County starts FY2027 budget process
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