Politics
Pappas, Goodlander among 48 Democrats to join House GOP in passing immigrant detention bill
By CLAIRE SULLIVAN
New Hampshire’s two U.S. House members broke from most of their party in supporting legislation to detain immigrants charged with crimes such as theft and shoplifting.
Full-circle moment: A 19-year-old freshman state rep navigates his first day of the 2025 legislative session
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
James Thibault spent his final hours before the start of the 2025 legislative session on a tour of the New Hampshire State House.
On the trail: Ayotte spells out day one priorities
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte assumes office on Thursday as she’s inaugurated at the New Hampshire State House.
No answers from NH Democrats on education funding
By RICK GREEN
N.H. House and Senate Democrats held a news conference Tuesday to discuss their priorities, but they had no answers for solving the education funding problems that could come to dominate this year’s legislative session.Lawmakers will soon begin...
Republicans return to Concord in firm control — and facing steep budget challenges
By JOSH ROGERS
When Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte is sworn into office Thursday, she and her fellow Republicans who gained ground in Concord on Election Day will have the power to implement many of the policies they ran on — from housing, to immigration, to taxes.But the...
As a new session begins, with 1,155 bills, here’s how to find, track, and testify on legislation
By CLAIRE SULLIVAN and ETHAN DeWITT
New Hampshire’s 2025 legislative session is kicking off this month. But the flood of legislation proposed by lawmakers this year means State House staff are scrambling to get it all ready. All told, there have been 830 House bills and 325 Senate bills...
Budget top of mind for New Hampshire legislators
By CLARE SHANAHAN
WEST LEBANON — The biennial state budget is first thing on the minds of Upper Valley elected officials headed to Concord this legislative session, which begins Wednesday.So far, state agencies have submitted their budget requests totaling $16.9...
‘Dead before it even hits the floor’: Some NH bills could soon be passed over for public hearings
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
Jean Slepian visits the State House anywhere from six to 10 times a year. A retired medical librarian from Stoddard and a longtime animal rights activist, she typically works on smaller bills that don’t get much attention.Now, she fears a...
Shaheen lands $11M from Congress for N.H. law enforcement; Concord PD to upgrade forensic tech
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
The Concord Police Department starts 2025 with several positions still vacant.Deputy Chief Steve Smagula hopes funding from Congress – $73,000 that’ll be used for evidence recovery technology and training – will help attract more candidates to work...
What is fairness? NH officials work to design civics curriculum – and wrestle with large questions
By ETHAN DeWITT
For the group gathered around a conference table last month, the goal was a lofty one: design a curriculum to teach first graders the basics of civics and constitutional law.But the slide of the draft lesson projected before the members of the...
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...
Your Daily Puzzles
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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Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
