SUNDAY ROUNDUP: 7/20/25
Catching up on the week's news
56 years ago today, mankind set foot on the moon for the first time. This monumental achievement, coming just 66 years after the Wright Brothers first demonstrated powered flight, stands, in my opinion, as the greatest feat in human history and capped off a century of remarkable technological advancement.
In 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed, but crossing the Atlantic still took weeks aboard steamships. Automobiles and airplanes were still in the future. Important messages could be sent by telegraph, but neither the telephone nor radio had been invented.
Just a century later, three men left Earth’s atmosphere, orbited the moon, and two of them landed. All three returned safely home.
It was, truly, a monumental achievement. Even if man sets foot on Mars in our lifetimes, it will be only an echo of what Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and the thousands of supporting staff accomplished in 1969.
As you know, the Gem State Chronicle is reader supported:
Paid subscribers via Substack get bonus notes with some articles, giving me an opportunity to share behind-the-scenes thoughts with supporters, as well as early access to podcasts.
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. Take the time to visit my regular sponsors, Lynn Bradescu’s Keller Williams Realty and Money Metals! I appreciate the support!
I’ve relaunched the Merch Store with a couple of new branded items. Let me know if you have any ideas for items you’d like to see made available.
This week at the Chronicle…
On Monday, I explained how Texas-based Young Americans for Liberty has expanded its war on Idaho conservatives who refuse to bow before its mandates. Now they’re attacking the chair of the Idaho GOP.
On Tuesday, I shared a bunch of guest opinions that I’ve recently published here at the Chronicle.
On Wednesday, I delved into the subject of taxation, and asked readers what they would like to see done with our current system. After being open for three days, a plurality wants to see property taxes eliminated, followed closely by more than a third who want to see all taxes lowered as much as possible.
On Thursday, I shared how I’ve been using AI in my daily work, and cautioned against outsourcing your thinking to LLMs.
On Friday, I updated readers on the work I’ve been doing for Idaho Insider, a feature of the Gem State Chronicle that brings you as much information about your elected representatives as possible.
I also published numerous op-eds and newsletters this week: Sen. Mike Crapo, Brian Parsons, Branden Durst, Devin Miller, Lynn Bradescu, the Idaho Family Policy Center, Idaho GOP chair Dorothy Moon, Kootenai County GOP chair Brent Regan, and Attorney General RaĂºl Labrador.
Whether we agree or disagree with our elected officials and influential political figures, I think it’s important to hear what they have to say. The Gem State Chronicle is a resource for as much information as possible to help you be more effective and engaged.
If you would like Gem State Chronicle to publish your work, please submit it to editor@gemstatechronicle.com. We are pleased to provide an outlet for a wide variety of figures in the world of Idaho politics to share their own messages.
In other news…
Auron MacIntyre spoke with Ryan Turnipseed about a document written by 19th century statesman John C. Calhoun about the nature of government. Interesting stuff that you probably didn’t get in high school history:
Michael Malice brought on Dr. Drew to talk about psychology and how it impacts politics and society:
The enigmatic Shoe0nHead responded to a Fox News interview in which Laura Ingraham and Tomi Lahren blamed young men for all of society’s problems:
Finally, as I share the Lord of the Rings movies with my children for the first time, I found this interesting video explaining how the writers attempted to stay faithful to Tolkien even when departing from the books:
Upcoming events…
Young Republicans from Ada and Canyon Counties have two events coming up this week. On Thursday, they will be meeting at the Canyon County Fair for a concert, followed by some time volunteering at the Boise Rescue Mission next Saturday.
Send a message via X or text to Alexis on the first poster if you’re a young person who wants to participate.
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!