Politics
NH Republicans resurrect efforts for a ‘parental bill of rights;’ gender reporting requirements not yet included
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
Anthony Foote has challenged the Bow School District twice in the past two years – once over a book he believed was inappropriate for schools, and now in a lawsuit over his pink armband protest at a girls’ soccer game.In 2025, a new law could cement...
Amid rise of cyanobacteria and other lake threats, state lawmakers seek stronger defenses
By CLAIRE SULLIVAN
Among New Hampshire’s most treasured natural beauties are its lakes. But those water bodies face a number of mounting stressors: climate change, pollution runoff, aging dams, cyanobacteria blooms, and more.Some of those challenges will be the focus of...
Gender-affirming care ban, bail reform, and covered bridges: The new state laws of 2025
By ETHAN DeWITT
2025 brings a wealth of changes to New Hampshire, from the governor’s office to the Legislature. It also includes a number of new laws. While most of the 378 laws signed by Gov. Chris Sununu in 2024 have already taken effect, many were timed to take...
This time of year, the Office of Legislative Services has to write more than 1,000 bills before NH lawmakers can take action
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
Each day when Courtney Eschbach walks into the New Hampshire State House, what lies ahead is anyone’s guess.She might be asked to draft election procedures and simultaneously write proposed legislation to let New Hampshire residents own pet...
Inside Concord’s prominent role in Jimmy Carter’s unlikely rise to the presidency
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
In February 1975, two months after Jimmy Carter announced he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination, he arrived at the aptly-named Carter Hill Road home of Concord Monitor editor Thomas W. Gerber for an informal gathering.The hill Carter...
On the Trail: Gearing up for a Scott Brown Jeanne Shaheen rematch?
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
The first time he ran for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, former ambassador and former Sen. Scott Brown jumped in late.Brown launched his Republican Senate campaign in April 2014, just a few months after formally changing his residency to New...
Trainers school NH lawmakers about respectful disagreements
By RICK GREEN
CONCORD — Before disagreeing with someone, it is best to first make a connection with that person.This was one of the takeaways from a Thursday training session attended by about 90 members of the 400-person N.H. House of Representatives.Trainers...
On the trail: 2028 buzz as Buttigieg makes NH radio appearance
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
Pete Buttigieg made an appearance on New Hampshire talk radio on Friday, sparking speculation that the Department of Transportation Secretary in President Joe Biden’s administration may be mulling another White House run in 2028.Buttigieg, a 2020...
Kuster bids farewell to Congress in last House floor address
By RICK GREEN
Democratic Congresswoman Annie Kuster pleaded for bipartisanship Wednesday in her final address on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as she neared the end of a 12-year tenure representing New Hampshire’s 2nd District.Kuster, 68, of...
With 3 weeks left in office, Sununu reflects on 14 years in New Hampshire government
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
In his 14 years in government, Chris Sununu has seen a lot.One of his favorite moments? He was an executive councilor and was about to vote on funding for Planned Parenthood. Activists from opposing sides crowded the council chambers as they debated...
On the Trail: Trump won the election, but not in New Hampshire, electors vote
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
Presidential electors gathered at state capitols across the country on Tuesday, to cast their electoral votes in the 2024 election, a key step in formalizing President-elect Donald Trump’s White House victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.At the...
Health group concerned with NH legislative proposals
By RICK GREEN
Proposed state legislation could end public school vaccination requirements, prohibit public water systems from fluoridating water and add work requirements for Medicaid recipients.Some health policy leaders are concerned about such measures...
Concord students to represent Granite State in U.S. Senate Youth Program
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
Will Brochu was up on a ladder, stringing up Christmas lights when he got the email: He and another Concord student, Ryan Casey, are headed to Washington, DC.“I sprinted inside and gave my mom a hug and celebrated with my family,” Brochu said. “I...
On the trail: GOP ‘comfortable’ with NH holding first primary
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
The chairman of the Republican National Committee says his party isn’t looking to change its longstanding presidential nominating calendar, which continues New Hampshire’s tradition of holding the first-in-the-nation primary.“I’ve not had any...
‘Absolutely needed’: Overwhelmed by onslaught of education bills, House will split them by policy and funding
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
In Rick Ladd’s 16 years in the State House, he’d never seen so many education bills.That is, until 2022, when they skyrocketed – so much so that Ladd, a Haverhill Republican and chair of the House Education Committee, said lawmakers can no longer...
On the trail: Scanlan’s to-do list for the next two years includes defending the NH primary
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan says he aims over the next two years to put “the finishing touches” on programs he and his team have been implementing the past couple of years.“We spent the last two years doing a lot of work with the...
Meet James Thibault: New Hampshire’s youngest representative
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
In the political library at Saint Anselm’s Institute of Politics, James Thibault sat down to do his homework in a gray suit. Pins of both the New Hampshire flag and United States flag were fastened to the lapel, and his red, white and blue tie was...
Political leaders demand ‘civility,’ bipartisanship as new lawmakers embark on the 2025 session
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
On election night, Republicans in New Hampshire delivered what many thought of as a slam dunk. But outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu doesn’t see Republicans’ trifecta control of the governor’s office, the House and the Senate in Concord as a free pass.The...
Sununu’s final request: a Dartmouth takeover of Hampstead Hospital.
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
Chris Sununu has one ask before he leaves the corner office: to see Dartmouth Health take over operations at Hampstead Hospital.He knows it’s a unique proposition – the private hospital would lease the facility from the state, gaining full control...
What’s next for abortion laws in New Hampshire
By ETHAN DeWITT
In Kelly Ayotte’s campaign for governor, the now-governor-elect was clear in ads and speeches: She would not be making changes to the state’s abortion law. That law, passed in 2021, bans abortions after six months of pregnancy except in cases of fatal...
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An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
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