Kyle Pfannenstiel

Kyle Pfannenstiel

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Kyle Pfannenstiel is a reporter for the Idaho Capital Sun focusing on health care. He previously covered rural health care and the COVID-19 pandemic for the Post Register and Report for America and worked as a night reporter at the Idaho Press. He fell in love with storytelling as a reporter at The Argonaut, the student newspaper at University of Idaho, and later worked as media relations manager at the university. His family is from Idaho Falls. He lives in Boise, where he spends his time cycling, brewing coffee and walking with his two small poodles.

Idaho election officials randomly pick eight counties for primary election audits
Idaho election officials on Friday randomly selected eight counties — including rural counties and two in the state’s population center — to undergo audits of paper ballots after the May primary election. Plucking numbered tiles that were jumbled inside a...
The government is paying Idahoans who got sick after nuclear bomb tests. Here’s how some get proof.
Cheryl Poxleitner, 71, grew up on farms in North Central Idaho’s Lewis County. When she was 8, her family moved to Craigmont — a small town near Grangeville, where her dad raised dairy cows. “That’s probably where I was exposed...
East Idaho hospital could end contract with health insurer that covers state employees
An East Idaho hospital and a major health insurer are struggling to agree to terms on a contract that would keep the hospital in network for the insurer of Idaho’s state government employees. Earlier this month, state officials told human...
Ada County district judge race headed to a runoff in Idaho’s November general election
An Idaho race for a district judgeship in Ada County is headed to a runoff election in November, after no candidate received a majority of votes in Tuesday’s primary election. District courts are state-level courts, split up by region, that...
High school group challenging Idaho’s trans bathroom ban drops lawsuit after student’s death
Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. A lawsuit challenging Idaho’s transgender bathroom ban in K-12 public schools could end soon...
About 30% of Idaho voters turned out for 2026 primary election, early data shows
Roughly 30.3% of Idaho’s registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary election for state legislative, statewide, congressional and county officials, according to initial figures from state election officials. That is slightly above the median voter turnout for primary elections since...
Six Idaho Republican lawmakers lose primary election. Two more are trailing.
Correction: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect how many incumbent legislators lost re-election bids, and to correct which Gang of Eight members won their primaries. Nine incumbent Idaho Republican legislators lost their re-election bids in the primary election...
Today is primary Election Day in Idaho. Here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot.
Here’s what you need to know this Election Day in Idaho. This election, statewide offices like the governor, congressional seats in the U.S. House and Senate, and state legislative seats are on ballots. So are local races like for county...
Idaho farmers can band together to buy cheaper health insurance through Farm Bureau deal
For Doug Barrie, a fifth-generation farmer in East Idaho, the options for affordable health insurance have been slim pickings. The employees at his farm in Ucon include him, his son, and a handful of others, depending on the time of...
Friday is the deadline to early vote in Idaho ahead of 2026 primary election
If you want to vote without showing up to the polls on Election Day on Tuesday or via an absentee ballot, this week is your final chance. The deadline to early vote ahead of Idaho’s 2026 primary election is 5...
Idaho Supreme Court says new law could delay adoption, parental termination cases
A recent Idaho law could slow the process for some child custody disputes and even adoption cases, the Idaho Supreme Court found in a ruling this week. The law, created in 2025 through Senate Bill 1181 , means some Idaho...
It’s not clear if Idaho district judge candidate in Ada County is legally qualified for the role
It is unclear whether an attorney running to become a judge in Ada County meets the legal requirements to be an Idaho judge, a spokesperson for the agency that manages state elections said Tuesday. David J. Morse, who works in...