The Exchange

It was another busy week: former FBI Director James Comey gave testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday, Governor Sununu aligned with President Trump on his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and there's more wrangling over the state budget.

We can now live-stream events through programs like Facebook Live and YouTube, turning us all into potential quasi-celebrities. But what are the ethical implications of sharing our personal lives or even criminal acts online? How has the role of bystander changed in the digital era, and how should social media companies deal with objectionable material?

According to a report from the Project on Student Debt in 2016, New Hampshire college students graduate with the highest debt in the nation, at $36,101. As college tuition prices continue to rise, those in Washington look to reform the college loan system, including consolidating federal loans into management by one company. We'll discuss how this might impact our students in New Hampshire, and other issues related to affording college.

We commemorate the 100th anniversary of D-Day with a new novel by Vermont author Stephen Kiernan. "The Baker's Secret" is set in a small Normandy village on the eve of D-Day, and tells the story of a village baker who finds a way to overcome the day-to-day tyranny of the Nazi occupiers. Rather than a story of armies and battles, it offers the French perspective, as they were trapped in their coastal communities during the assault, struggling to keep hope alive by caring for each other.

The recent saga of the troublesome family of bears in Hanover, destined to be killed after they entered a home in search of food, is one of the latest examples of conflict between black bears and humans in New Hampshire. Governor Chris Sununu intervened, and the three yearlings were captured and relocated to the north country, although the mother bear has yet to be located. The Hanover human-bear conflict generated concern nationwide, with hundreds signing an online petition and flooding N.H.

Rising prices and tightening inventory spells good news for sellers and bad news for buyers, particularly first-time home buyers and the state's aging population, who have to compete for the same types of homes in an increasingly fast-paced market. What does it take to buy a home today, and what do these trends mean for the state?

After more than ten hours of debate, the New Hampshire Senate passes a GOP-crafted state budget along party lines. The N.H. House will vote on the plan next week. Three significant pieces of voting legislation are up for a final vote in the House . Former Manchester Police Chief David Mara takes over as the Governor's Advisor on Addiction and Behavioral Health, known as the "drug czar". Mara currently serves as interim police chief in Portsmouth.

All eyes have been on the Senate after the House failed to pass its own version of the budget earlier this year – for the first time in decades. The Senate budget includes much of what House budget writers agreed on, though it spends less and includes business tax cuts.

New England is not known for its sunny skies, but it is known for high rates of skin cancer. Why are Granite Staters highly vulnerable to this disease, including the most virulent type, melanoma? We'll look at this, and at why there's cause for optimism, particularly when it comes to prevention and a promising treatment, immunotherapy.

A female superhero, intergalactic travel, a beach-body reboot, and more - this year's summer film schedule is jam-packed with big action, but also some satisfying classic comedy and thought-provoking drama. We'll talk about the must-sees, and the maybe-avoids.