N.H. News Recap

By NHPRNews Daily News

N.H. News Recap episodes

November 21, 2025 NH's education system faces budgetary challenges at every level
The Trump administration has dismantled the U.S. Department of Education and its special education offices. What effect could this have on programs for children here in New Hampshire?And New Hampshire's education system is facing budgetary challenges at every level. How are these schools working to bridge gaps in funding?We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Annmarie Timmins, NHPREthan DeWitt, New Hampshire BulletinTop headlines from around New Hampshire this week:Goodlander stands by video urging service members to refuse ‘illegal orders’President Donald Trump responded to the video in a series of online posts on Thursday, calling that message, quote, “seditious behavior, punishable by death."NH Supreme Court considers state’s liability in Youth Detention Center abuse caseDavid Meehan was awarded $38 million by a jury for abuse he endured at the state’s former juvenile jail. The trial judge reduced it to $475,000, citing state law that caps the state’s civil liability. The court’s ruling in Meehan’s appeal could have implications for hundreds of survivors with similar lawsuits.Senators move forward on Claremont loan funding plan, with strings attachedThe Senate Education Committee approved new caveats to proposed legislation to allow struggling school districts access to a revolving loan fund. Among them is a provision allowing all parents in the district to obtain education freedom accounts even if otherwise not eligible.Parents tell Hassan special education is a ‘lifeline’ as federal protections remain at riskSpecial education protections under IDEA remain uncertain after mass layoffs by the Trump administration at the U.S. Department of Education, despite staff reinstatement through January.More New Hampshire headlines:NH State lawmaker arrested on allegation he posted ‘revenge porn’Shutdown vote revealed a big rift among NH Democrats, but it’s not the only oneWhere to give or find help in New Hampshire this ThanksgivingNH is axing vehicle inspections. To do so, it must withdraw from an agreement to limit pollution.
14 min
November 14, 2025 NH Congressional delegation divided over government shutdown deal
Congress voted this week to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. New Hampshire’s Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan helped negotiate the deal with Republicans. Representatives Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander voted against the measure in the House, dividing the state's all-Democratic congressional delegation.And an investigation by the New Hampshire Bulletin into a series of tragedies has exposed a pattern of abuse and neglect in the state's intellectual and developmental disability care system.We discuss these stories on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Josh Rogers, NHPRWilliam Skipworth, New Hampshire BulletinTop headlines from around New Hampshire this week:As U.S. House moves to end federal shutdown, NH's Pappas and Goodlander vote noThe narrowly divided House of Representatives voted Wednesday to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with New Hampshire Representatives Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander joining all but six Democrats to oppose the stop-gap spending plan to fund the federal government through the end of January.Shaheen and Hassan defend the shutdown deal dividing their partyThe proposal, which failed to guarantee an extension of the expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits Democrats have prioritized, is dividing their party.NH residents, advocates breathe sighs of relief after SNAP benefits go outThe November payments came a week late, after being paused during the ongoing government shutdown and following federal court orders last week to fully distribute food assistance.A series of tragedies exposes patterns of abuse and neglect in New Hampshire’s disability systemWhile every story of abuse and neglect within New Hampshire’s intellectual and developmental disability care network is unique in the harm caused, collectively they point to the state’s systemic failures in oversight and accountability.More New Hampshire headlines:In North Conway, seniors and families share concerns about future of their health insuranceNashua program aims to address air traffic controller shortage amid nationwide flight disruptionsAyotte honors Veterans Day with speech and executive order prioritizing veteran hiring‘The stress is tangible.’ Demand remains high at NH food pantries amid shutdown
13 min
November 07, 2025 NH Attorney General reviews $50k payout to top Judicial Branch employee
The New Hampshire Department of Justice is reviewing a series of personnel maneuvers that allowed a top state court employee to collect nearly $50,000 in employment benefits following a layoff that lasted just 48 hours.And New Hampshire voters made their way to the polls in municipal elections this week. Several incumbent mayors were reelected. We talk through the results and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Todd Bookman, NHPRJosh Rogers, NHPRTop headlines from around New Hampshire this week:Voters reelect incumbent mayors across New Hampshire in municipal electionsSitting mayors in Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Keene and elsewhere were returned to office in Tuesday's elections.NH Attorney General launches ‘preliminary review’ of payout to top Judicial Branch stafferState prosecutors sent letters to a range of officials — including Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald — instructing them not to destroy any records related to a $50,000 payout.‘Love brings you home’: A 100-year-old family secret and the NH librarian refusing to bury itWhen Erin Moulton learned what really happened to her great-aunt, she couldn't ignore the echoes of today's fights over reproductive rights.State secures additional funding to feed women and children in need of assistanceThe federal funding should support recipients of WIC through the Thanksgiving holiday.More New Hampshire headlines:Kidney cancer rates are higher in Merrimack. Scientists say more research is warranted.Lebanon ‘very reluctantly’ repeals welcoming ordinance to comply with new state lawsSeacoast businesses offer support for shipyard workers as missed paychecks pile upAir Force details cover-up in shooting that spurred Sig Sauer investigation
14 min
October 31, 2025 Food pantries brace for surge in demand as SNAP benefits run out
Starting Saturday, federal nutrition benefits, also known as SNAP, will pause due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Tens of thousands of Granite Staters are set to lose their benefits and local food pantries are bracing for a surge in demand.The U.S Drug Enforcement Administration claimed it arrested 171 high-level members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel in New England this August. In Franklin, New Hampshire alone, there were 27 arrests. But an investigation from the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team found many of those arrested were instead low-level offenders with little to no link to the drug cartel.And voters in Manchester will head to the polls early next week to decide whether to re-elect incumbent Republican Jay Ruais for a second term as mayor. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Kate DarioJosh Rogers, NHPRSteven Porter, Boston GlobeTop stories from around New Hampshire this week:How to get food assistance, or help with neighbors in need, while SNAP is on hold in NHDue to the ongoing government shutdown, the federally-funded benefits aren’t being distributed. More than 75,000 Granite Staters rely on SNAP.The DEA said it arrested 171 ‘high ranking’ Sinaloa Cartel members. A Spotlight investigation found that’s not true.A Globe investigation found that the federal agency misrepresented the stature of its targets, claiming cartel ties at a time when the Trump administration is taking lethal military action against such groups.Geno Marconi, NH Port Director accused of retaliation, will plead guiltyMarconi is accused of leaking confidential boating records against a rival. Jury selection in his criminal case was set to begin next week.Seeking re-election, Ruais argues Manchester is on right trackRuais’ approach to leading New Hampshire's largest city has mixed traditional boosterism, partnership with Gov. Kelly Ayotte, and marginalizing local antagonists.More New Hampshire headlines:Judge hears evidence to decide if Medicaid class action case will go to trialActivists announce creation of ‘sanctuary communities’ to monitor ICE activity across NHOne of the country’s few rare earth processing plants opens in ExeterWhy researchers are drawn to Mt. Washington, ‘home of the world’s worst weather’
14 min
October 24, 2025 State, colleges step in to help Granite Staters amid federal shutdown
As the federal shutdown continues, people across the country, including here in New Hampshire are feeling the effects. To make up for delayed funds, the state is planning to provide support for the 75,000 residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.Dartmouth College has rejected a compact with the Trump administration. It was one of nine colleges and universities asked to sign the agreement. The school said it wouldn’t trade academic freedom for federal funding.We discuss these stories and more on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Kate Dario, NHPRAnnmarie Timmins, NHPRTop stories from around New Hampshire this week:NH to help SNAP recipients if government shutdown halts November benefitsWith a resolution to the government shutdown seemingly not coming any time soon, the state is planning on providing support to the more than 75,000 state residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, in the likely event November benefits are impacted.Typical NH family does not have enough money to cover basic living expenses, report findsThe median household income in New Hampshire falls nearly $2,000 short of covering annual necessities, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.Shutdown halts tuition aid for some military students. Several NH schools are stepping in.The federal government shutdown has frozen some tuition assistance for active duty military students, making it harder for them to pay for college.Dartmouth rejects Trump’s compact, saying it won’t compromise its academic freedomThe college said it will not trade academic freedom for preferential access to federal funding. The college had until Monday to make its decision.More New Hampshire headlines:In midst of budget crisis, an unusual move helped ally of NH Chief Justice collect $50KFewer options, more confusion for Medicare enrollment in New Hampshire this yearHanover, Lebanon consider updating policies ahead of new statewide ‘sanctuary city ban’John E. Sununu jumps into Senate race, setting up GOP primary with Scott BrownKeene State students say goodbye to one president and have suggestions for the next
13 min
October 17, 2025 Executive councilors hold up millions of dollars in contracts to protest Ayotte
Tensions between Gov. Kelly Ayotte and members of the state’s Executive Council boiled over this week, as the council tabled more than 20 state contracts to protest what they say is a withholding of information by the governor.And the Claremont School District continues to grapple with $5 million budget deficit. Republicans in Concord debated this week over how much the state should step in to help out.We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Rick Green, Keene SentinelEthan DeWitt, New Hampshire BulletinTop stories from around New Hampshire this week:Executive councilors hold up millions of dollars in contracts to protest AyotteCouncilors on Wednesday accused Gov. Ayotte’s departments of withholding documents from the contract packets. In protest, Republicans voted to table a wide range of contracts, seeking to disrupt Ayotte administration priorities until agencies agree to provide the information.Claremont School District budget woes prompt GOP calls for more state oversightAs the Claremont School District reels from a $5 million budget deficit, reducing staff, shutting schools, and fighting to get through the school year, Republicans in Concord are split over how much they should help out.NH bill would prohibit masked police officers during ICE raidsThe legislation is one of several Democratic proposals aimed at bringing greater public accountability to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program, under which ICE partners with state and local law enforcement in New Hampshire.More New Hampshire headlines:‘Wholly insufficient’: AG’s report finds Berlin police had 48 hours notice to prevent domestic violence homicideState’s chosen developer for Laconia site, Robynne Alexander, will spend 2.5 years in prison for wire fraudFather of Harmony Montgomery appeals his murder conviction to Supreme Court citing ‘prejudice’ in trialPortsmouth Naval Shipyard workers and others seek food, fuel aid during shutdown
13 min
October 10, 2025 Hantz Marconi case wraps up; how to solve school funding issue
New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi has been found guilty of misusing her position. She pleaded no contest Tuesday to the allegation that she tried to improperly influence former Gov. Chris Sununu, but she’ll also be able to return to her seat on the state Supreme Court.And this year the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the amount the state currently pays per student to public schools is not enough — not by thousands of dollars per student. The court didn’t say how the state should fix its funding problem or give a timeline for when that should happen. But some state lawmakers say they have ideas on how to solve the issue. One such idea includes increasing property taxes.We discuss these stories and more on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Todd Bookman, NHPREthan DeWitt, New Hampshire BulletinTop headlines from around New Hampshire this week:Hantz Marconi cleared to return to the bench, capping whirlwind week for convicted justiceThis week began for Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi with the announcement that she intended to enter into a plea deal on allegations she used her stature to try to score political favor on behalf of her husband. By Thursday, she learned that she would regain her law license and have her seat on the state’s highest court reinstated.Attorney General review of Chinese land purchase in Nashua finds no wrongdoingA review by the New Hampshire Department of Justice into the controversial purchase of an industrial property in Nashua by a China-based beverage company with alleged ties to the Communist Party has cleared a state employee who helped facilitate the transaction of any wrongdoing.After Supreme Court school funding decision, Republican floats fix: increasing property taxesIn the months since the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the state is underfunding its public schools, lawmakers have been divided over how to respond. Now, one Republican says he has a possible answer: increase — and redistribute — statewide property taxes.Amid sagging revenues, New Hampshire Republicans to push for lowering business enterprise taxNew Hampshire’s two business tax rates have dropped steadily over the last decade, descending from 2015 to 2023 under a series of cuts brought by Republicans. Now, House lawmakers are seeking to make one more reduction to one of those two taxes.More New Hampshire headlines:Investigators found evidence of potential crimes by NH prison staff. They decided not to prosecute.Federal court upholds block in birthright citizenship lawsuit; may go to Supreme CourtACLU of NH is challenging the state’s loitering lawNew England’s last coal plant has stopped operating, according to its owners
14 min
October 03, 2025 How the federal shutdown is affecting New Hampshire
There are over 9,000 federal employees working here in New Hampshire, and a number of services and programs that could be disrupted under this federal government shutdown.At the heart of the shutdown is a fight over health policy. Democrats are seeking to continue health insurance subsidies established through the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say there’s time to negotiate on those subsidies later. In New Hampshire, marketplace experts are preparing people to expect higher health care premiums whether or not subsidies through the Affordable Care Act are extended.We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Amanda Gokee, Boston GlobeOlivia Richardson, NHPRTop headlines from around New Hampshire this week:How will the federal shutdown affect New Hampshire? Here’s what we know so far.A lingering shutdown could carry hardship for people who depend on federal assistance programs including the Head Start and food aid programs.Insurance subsidies a key issues in Washington, as NH navigators warn of increased costsFunding cuts have led organizations who help people find health insurance to cut staff and limit services, as premiums are expected to go up.School districts look at savings and hiring freezes to cover a $30 million health billSchoolCare, a nonprofit insurer, sent invoices to 65 school districts and about 25 other public employers or insurers Wednesday to cover a $30 million shortfall. It cited an unanticipated spike in health care claims and pharmacy costs.More New Hampshire headlines:Taylor Caswell, who oversaw billions in COVID relief air for NH, to resignMedicare Advantage coverage in New Hampshire will shrink for 2026Documents show heavy state involvement in Chinese land purchase in NashuaFederal energy funding cancellations hits two projects in New Hampshire
13 min
September 26, 2025 Why is the DOJ suing NH to get voter information?
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing New Hampshire and five other states for access to confidential voting records. Months ago the DOJ asked New Hampshire for the data and Secretary of State David Scanlan denied the request.And the Trump administration abruptly ended funding for two programs that are helping over 5,000 New Hampshire students pursue college and careers.We discuss these stories and more on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Todd Bookman, NHPRKate Dario, NHPRAnnmarie Timmins, NHPRTop stories from around New Hampshire this week:Trump administration sues New Hampshire over access to voter dataThe suit seeks sensitive voter information including partial social security numbers. The Secretary of State has said New Hampshire law prohibits sharing such information.What we know so far about the shooting at Sky Meadow Country ClubThe 23-year-old man accused of opening fire inside a Nashua country club Saturday night, killing one person and injuring others, made his first court appearance Monday.As NH presses, Trump administration hasn’t budged on restoring programs for 5,200 NH studentsThe U.S. Department of Education said the college and career preparation advising is “not in the best interest of the federal government.” It would not say why.More New Hampshire headlines:2025 was NH’s driest summer ever recordedNH doctors say Trump's claims about autism and Tylenol use in pregnancy don't match scienceRegulators will reconsider controversial Eversource decision that raised feesRockingham County Jail could house ICE detainees: 'It's a service to the country'
13 min
September 19, 2025 Republicans propose the 'Charlie Act' in response to Kirk's assassination
The murder of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves across the country. Here in New Hampshire, his assassination is leading to a crack down from conservatives on what they perceive as left-wing ideology in public schools.We follow the local response to Kirk's murder on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.Guests:Annmarie Timmins, NHPRSteven Porter, Boston GlobeTop stories from around New Hampshire this week:At campus vigil honoring Kirk, UNH conservatives say they’re eager to speak upThe event, organized by a Republican lawmaker who is also a UNH student, offered a gathering place for students who said they felt out of place on a liberal campus.New Hampshire Republicans target schools, teachers – in Charlie Kirk’s nameNew Hampshire Republicans are backing a bill that would limit how teachers could discuss the Constitution, LGBTQ+ issues, and the legal system. They named it the "Charlie Act" for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Pease leadership says hands are tied over ICE flights; activists accuse agency of ‘complicity’The Pease Development Authority released a memorandum Tuesday outlining the legal reasons for why it believes it must allow ICE to continue operating deportation-related flights out of Portsmouth International Airport.More New Hampshire headlines:‘Emboldened and aggressive,’ top NH Republicans urge action in wake of Kirk killingNH Supreme Court to hear case of only person on death row in New EnglandRefresher Course: What is the Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’?Gould confirmed to seat on NH Supreme Court; Formella approved for another term
15 min