AARP regularly surveys members across the country to better understand their experiences and concerns. The 2025 AARP Member Opinion Survey offers an important snapshot of what matters most to members here in Idaho—and the results highlight key challenges around financial security, health, independence, and staying connected

VIEW THE ENTIRE SURVEY HERE

Financial Security and Retirement

Economic concerns remain front and center for Idaho members. Ensuring the future of Social Security is the top economic issue, with many also worried about inflation and the rising cost of everyday necessities like groceries, utilities, and insurance. More than six in ten members are concerned about the security of their retirement plans and having enough money to retire. While many hope to retire around age 70, most expect it may take longer.

Fraud and Online Safety

Fraud continues to affect Idahoans directly. Nearly one in five members report being a victim of fraud or a scam in the past two years, and more than half are concerned about online security and privacy. Members also express concern about keeping up with technology and the growing role of artificial intelligence in daily life.

Health and Independence

Health care costs, Medicare benefits, and staying mentally sharp rank among the most common concerns. While only a small share report recent memory loss, the vast majority say maintaining mental sharpness is extremely important. Physical health and chronic conditions are also top worries for many members.

Housing and Caregiving

Most Idaho AARP members own their homes, yet many are concerned about being able to remain there as they age. Long‑term care affordability is a significant issue, especially as one in five members serves as a family caregiver. Many also worry about their ability to support a loved one in the future.

Staying Connected

While few members report recent isolation or loneliness, many are concerned about staying socially connected as they grow older. Access to technology remains uneven, with nearly three in ten Idaho members lacking high‑speed internet—creating challenges for communication, services, and online safety

Why This Matters

The 2025 survey reinforces what AARP Idaho hears every day: members want to age with financial security, good health, independence, and connection. These insights help guide AARP Idaho’s advocacy, education, and community work—ensuring we stay focused on the issues that matter most to Idahoans as they age.

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on Feb. 13.

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

34-40-49-59-68, Mega Ball: 01

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

Day: 0-4-8

Night: 0-7-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

Day: 8-2-7-7

Night: 2-2-4-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

06-18-21-35-39, Lucky Ball: 12

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from Feb. 13 drawing

05-06-12-17-39

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

• Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
• Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
• Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
• Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
• Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
• Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.

BOISE, Idaho — The National Weather Service (NWS) has many tools to keep everyone in Idaho informed about the forecast, but one device goes above all the others— literally.

Reaching heights of 100,000 feet above sea level, twice a day, every day, NWS sends weather balloons sky high to help track a number of statistics.

“They track the temperature, the humidity, and they are able to use their GPS circuitry to track wind direction and speed,” said Wasyl Hewko, a hydrometeorological technician who oversees balloon launches. “We want to get data not necessarily horizontally like we do for weather observation, but we want to get the vertical profile of the atmosphere.”

During the winter months, Hewko’s scheduled launches happen daily at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT.

Check out the hydrogen-hauled weather tracker:

This National Weather Service tracker climbs 100,000+ feet

This isn’t a solo effort either. At the same time, across the world, hundreds of balloons are launched from 900 different sites— live tracking and building a visual guide of what the world’s atmosphere and weather patterns look like in real time.

Hewko says the ultimate goal is to build “a three-dimensional profile of the atmosphere [with] all this information worldwide.”

“This is the one time where the world is holding hands, I guess, as far as that goes, you know— everyone is in it to get this information, so we can have accurate forecast models,” added Hewko.

What’s especially fascinating is that as the weather balloon gains altitude, the density of the atmosphere decreases, which allows the balloon to grow to “an incredible size,” explained Hewko.

Ultimately, the balloon pops, but before it does, it can grow to be approximately the size of a two car garage.

If you want to see the balloons take flight, you can go to Sondehub.org to find out exactly where the launches take place on any given day.