N.H. News Recap

Kelly Ayotte is approaching her 100-day mark as New Hampshire governor. What kind of a start has she made to her first term?

A New England real estate attorney and U.S. citizen says he and his wife are pursuing legal action after they were detained at the Vermont-Canadian border without explanation. Bachir Atallah says he was handcuffed and then held by Customs and Border Patrol for several hours last weekend. Bachir and his sister Celine Atallah joined NHPR's Rick Ganley to talk about his experience. Celine is an immigration attorney here in New England.

Guests:

• Josh Rogers, NHPR
• Bachir Atallah, New England real estate attorney
• Celine Atallah, New England immigration attorney

Top headlines from around New Hampshire this week:

Republican leaders seek to ‘put a leash’ on towns and cities amid local control debate

The concept of local control — that political decision making is best when it's closest to the people — may be gospel in NH politics. But that same idea is also increasingly under threat in the State House these days.

Judge presses Trump administration to define DEI programs it seeks to ban

The National Education Association and its New Hampshire chapter are suing the U.S. Department of Education to stop its ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

From stuffed animals to steel: How Trump’s tariffs are weighting on NH businesses

A toy importer is delaying a new warehouse in Keene, while a steel fabricator in Greenfield worries other projects could dry up if Trump’s tariffs stifle economic growth.

More New Hampshire headlines:

Parts of White Mountain National Forest included in move aimed at increasing timber harvest

Hospitals sue state over New Hampshire’s Medicaid tax

Bassett to retire from NH Supreme Court, opening a seat for Ayotte to fill

Displaced Ukrainians in NH are uncertain about the future of their protected status

The New Hampshire House passed its version of the state budget this week that includes deep spending cuts and eliminates state jobs. The spending plan will now go to the Senate for review.

Students at universities across the country, and here in New Hampshire, have lost their immigration status abruptly in the last week, affecting their ability to work and conduct research. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Josh Rogers, NHPR
• Lau Guzmán, NHPR
• 
  

Top stories from around New Hampshire this week:

NH House passes budget plan that includes deep spending cuts, eliminates state jobs

The House’s budget now goes to the state Senate, which will spend weeks reviewing — and likely rewriting — the spending proposal.

Federal court issues order allowing Dartmouth Ph.D. student from China to continue research

A federal judge in New Hampshire said Wednesday she would block the Trump administration’s apparent revocation of the individual's F-1 student immigration status.

Still no answers about mistaken DHS email sent to Ukrainian evacuees in NH

Most Ukrainians who received the email weren’t expecting any changes to their immigration status.

More New Hampshire headlines:

NH Chief Justice announces hiring freeze, warns of layoffs across branch if budget passes

School funding, and lots more, still on the table at midpoint of NH Legislature’s year

NH Republicans pursue more restrictions on trans rights, building on recent bans

Casella subsidiary sues NH over Dalton landfill denial

Congressman Chris Pappas announced this week he’s running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Shaheen announced last month that she won’t be seeking election.

The New Hampshire House Finance Committee voted this week to make steep cuts to government spending in its proposed state budget for the next two years.

And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has tapped Mark Sanborn to be the next Regional Administrator for New England. Sanborn will be in charge of advancing the Trump administration’s environmental agenda across New England states and federally recognized Tribal Nations. Rick Ganley speaks with him about his goals in his new position.

Guests:

• Josh Rogers, NHPR
• Mark Sanborn, EPA Regional Administrator for New England
• 
  

Top headlines from around New Hampshire this week:

Pappas promises to bring 'fight' to Trump in Senate campaign kickoff

Pappas’ decision to run for Senate is an obvious next step for the four-term congressman, and something he signaled was all but inevitable from the moment Shaheen announced she would not be seeking reelection next year.

NH Republicans add DEI limits to House budget proposal, as Democrats cry foul

The New Hampshire House’s Finance Committee voted Tuesday to cut roughly $300 million from Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s proposed state spending plan in a series of sweeping financial moves.

Former New Hampshire regulator tapped to lead New England’s EPA office

Mark Sanborn, who served as assistant commissioner of New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services between 2021 and 2023, has worked in several federal and state government positions.

More New Hampshire headlines:

As NH Republicans aim to ban DEI, disability advocates and others sound the alarm

Judge praises NH’s progress cutting down wait times for inpatient mental health care

Planned Parenthood says Trump officials froze family planning funding in NH, Maine

As the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DODGE, has made sweeping cuts to federal spending, members of New Hampshire’s Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE, are beginning their work — though the panel says it’s taking a different approach than its federal counterpart.

New Hampshire libraries and arts organizations are bracing for possible funding cuts from both the state and federal governments. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Olivia Richardson, NHPR
• Charlotte Matherly, Concord Monitor

Top headlines from around New Hampshire this week:

NH lawmakers back off plan to defund state library but propose other funding cuts

A wave of art organizations and libraries are rallying public support for continued funding amid potential state and federal cuts.

Food pantries across NH brace for shortfalls after federal budget cuts

Pantries are considering adjustments to where they source their food and income.

As Ayotte’s COGE digs deeper, here’s where they’re looking to save state money and time

The members of Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s Commission on Government Efficiency, tasked with evaluating state government and making recommendations on how to save money and streamline operations, were more detailed in their reports at their second public meeting this week.

His job is to settle fights over government transparency. Some say there’s room for improvement.

The state's right-to-know ombudsman position was created in 2022. Now, it could be in limbo.

More New Hampshire headlines:

Family planning program for low-income Granite Staters could be on the budget chopping block

Ayotte signs bail overhaul, giving judges more discretion to detain defendant's pretrial

In Manchester, an urgent call to address NH’s rising youth homelessness

What’s it like to work on Mount Washington with the world’s most extreme weather?

Local immigration lawyers are raising concerns after two people with legal status were recently detained at Boston Logan Airport after traveling internationally. In one of those cases, a person was deported despite having a visa allowing her to work in the US. We hear how one New Hampshire immigration lawyer is advising clients to prepare if they have international travel plans.

And the number of ICE detainees at Strafford County Jail has increased since January as the Trump administration commits to mass deportations. We talk with a reporter who visited the jail and followed a program that assists people facing deportation.

We discuss these stories and more on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Lau Guzmán, NHPR
• Amanda Gokee, Boston Globe

Top stories from around New Hampshire this week:

Immigration lawyers concerned about scrutiny, civil rights for green card and visa holders

Two recent cases of people with legal status being detained or deported after arriving at Boston Logan Airport following international travel are raising concerns for immigration lawyers about enforcement at the airport.

Dartmouth urges travel precautions for immigrant, international students

School officials advised students to carry identification and immigration status documents, for international and domestic travel.

More NH law enforcement agencies agree to participate in federal immigration efforts

A growing number of New Hampshire law enforcement agencies have been approved to join a federal program that deputizes local officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement, including serving warrants and detaining people suspected of being in the country illegally.

‘You are not alone’: Inside jail, volunteers work to save ICE detainees from deportation

Volunteers with the New Hampshire Immigrant Visitation Program help with paperwork, the court process, or finding an attorney.

Amphibious migration underway in N.H., a sure sign of spring

Hundreds of wood frogs and spring peepers embark on their annual migration to the vernal pools where they mate and lay their eggs.

More New Hampshire headlines:

NH schools advised to roll back transgender protections to comply with Trump mandates

House bill sparks controversy over Abenaki identity and NH Native American Commission

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard exempted from hiring freeze by the Pentagon

Insurers warn of increased premiums if NH vaccine program is gutted

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced this week that she will not run for reelection in 2026. What's next for her and how could that decision affect the upcoming midterm elections?

And voters across the state went to the polls this week for town elections. We talk through some of those results.

Guests:

• Felice Belman, New York Times
• Abigail Ham, Keene Sentinel

Top stories from around New Hampshire this week:

Shaheen says she won’t run for reelection, ending long political career

In a video released Wednesday, the senator and former New Hampshire governor said “it’s just time” to step away from elected office

NH’s new ID requirements send some would-be voters home to grab passports, birth certificates

The law requires all new voters to show proof of their U.S. citizenship. For some, that meant making multiple trips to and from the polls before finally casting a ballot on Tuesday.

After eight years, Edelblut will step down as NH’s top education official

He'll stay on in the role through the end of this school year, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Thursday.

More New Hampshire headlines:

NH House okays tightened bail standards, with support of Ayotte and law enforcement

Steel tariffs could boost some NH manufacturers, but increase prices and hurt sales for others

Executive Council moves forward with promotion for trans National Guard captain after delay

It’s maple sugaring season in NH, and it’s not too late to produce your own syrup

President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico were slated to take effect earlier this week, but on Thursday Trump changed course, saying he would give a break to all goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. We hear if energy imports are covered in the exemptions and how tariffs could affect Granite Staters’ energy bills.

Also: A new lawsuit out of New Hampshire is challenging the Trump administration’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools. The lawsuit alleges the restrictions chill teachers’ free speech.

We discuss these stories with local reporters on this week’s edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Jeremy Margolis, Concord Monitor
• Mara Hoplamazian, NHPR

Top stories from around New Hampshire this week:

What do Canadian tariffs mean for your energy bills?

Fuel oil is New Hampshire’s top Canadian import, according to a fact sheet produced last March by the Consulate General in Boston. Much of the gasoline and diesel used in the region also comes from our northern neighbor, according to the New England-Canada business council.

Teachers union sues Trump administration over DEI ban in schools

New Hampshire’s largest teachers union is challenging the Trump administration’s threat to withhold federal funding from schools that participate in diversity, equity and inclusion programming.

More New Hampshire headlines:

Trump's tariffs take aim at a key New England trading partner: Canada

Bills aimed at transgender rights move forward in NH State House

Lawmakers hear testimony on effort to dissolve NH's Office of the Consumer Advocate

New Hampshire's bail system has been the subject of debate among state lawmakers and municipal leaders since it was overhauled back in 2018. A recent case in Manchester has helped bring that debate to the forefront once again.

A prison in Berlin will potentially be one of five federal facilities used to hold immigration detainees in the U.S. And New Hampshire farmers are feeling the effects of the Trump administration's federal funding freeze.

We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Todd Bookman, NHPR
• Amanda Gokee, Boston Globe

Top stories from around New Hampshire this week:

Manchester stabbing at the center of renewed bail reform debate in NH State House

Gov. Kelly Ayotte is highlighting a recent incident on Elm Street as proof the state’s bail laws are creating a public safety risk. The details of the case are more nuanced.

NH state troopers, local police seek to participate in immigration efforts

The New Hampshire State Police, the Gorham police department and the Belknap County Sheriff's Office are all seeking to join a program that deputizes local police officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement.

Plan to house hundreds of ICE detainees in Berlin draws pushback

The ACLU of New Hampshire filed a FOIA to confirm reports from several news outlets that claim that the Berlin Federal Correctional Institution will hold immigration detainees.

More New Hampshire headlines:

Some Medicaid recipients would pay premiums under Ayotte’s budget plan

Housing remains top concern for NH residents

Some federal climate funding unfrozen in New Hampshire

New exhibit features historical works by Black authors with ties to NH

The state’s Education Freedom Accounts program gives money to families for homeschooling costs or private school tuition. A recent analysis from the Concord Monitor found those funds can go toward a wide range of different expenses, including ski trips and horseback riding.

New Hampshire lawmakers are hoping to address a number of concerns related to maternal health this session. And businesses in the state could be losing millions of revenue to due a shortage of child care.

We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Jeremy Margolis, Concord Monitor
• Will Skipworth, New Hampshire Bulletin

Stories from around New Hampshire this week:

Inside EFAS: From books to skiing, here’s how homeschooling families spend their Education Freedom Account dollars

The bill also instructs the state Insurance Department to examine barriers to sustainability for New Hampshire maternity wards.

Lawmakers introduce ‘Momnibus 2.0’ bill to address maternal health in New Hampshire

The bill also instructs the state Insurance Department to examine barriers to sustainability for New Hampshire maternity wards.

Dartmouth researchers brace for Trump’s NIH funding cuts

As President Donald Trump seeks to hack away at the federal budget, removing programs that don’t align with his agenda, researchers backed by the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest medical research funder, stand to lose $4 billion — a fact that’s struck fear into New Hampshire’s medical research community.

More New Hampshire headlines:

Citing Harmony Montgomery case, NH lawmakers want to keep murderers from profiting off victim’s death

White Mountain National Forest employees among federal staffing cuts

NH school athletic association tells districts to enforce Trump’s transgender sports ban

NH Congolese community raises awareness about ongoing violence

Two New Hampshire high school students are challenging President Trump’s transgender sports ban. The students are also fighting the state’s version of the ban in federal court.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte presented her budget proposal to the New Hampshire Legislature this week. And a new state law allows New Hampshire voters to cap school funding in their local districts. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap.

Guests:

• Annmarie Timmins, NHPR
• Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin

Stories from around New Hampshire this week:

NH high school students challenge Trump’s transgender sports ban in federal court

Two high school athletes have asked a federal judge to expand their lawsuit challenging the state’s transgender sports ban to include President Trump and his recent order banning transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams.

Ayotte calls for state budget writers to ‘recalibrate’ in face of financial headwinds

In her budget address to lawmakers, Ayotte proposed cutting state spending by $150 million or roughly 3%, a reduction she said was undertaken “with a scalpel, not a shovel.”

Republicans say out-of-state college students should vote back home. Students disagree.

State lawmakers are considering a number of bills that, if passed, could make it more difficult for college students to vote in New Hampshire.

More New Hampshire headlines:

NH cities and towns are supposed to clean their own sidewalks. This winter, that’s been a challenge

‘Right-to-work’ legislation stalls again in NH House

NH officials suspended activity on state program to build EV chargers

NH doctors warn against bill that could gut childhood vaccine-buying program