The Exchange

International adoption peaked in 2004: That year, Americans brought 23,000 children from foreign countries into their families. But in the decade since, there's been a remarkable decline. Last year, 5000 kids from other nations were adopted, which is a slide of 70 percent. Theories abound on why this sudden, dramatic drop-off occurred, but researchers say one thing is clear: Many Americans still want to adopt internationally, and they're frustrated that it's become far more difficult.

The state legislature chooses its leadership, election laws are up for examination, and a hotel on Mt. Washington is considered even as the AMC withdraws it's application for a new hut in Crawford Notch. GUESTS: Jeff Feingold - Editor of New Hampshire Business Review. Kathleen Ronayne – New Hampshire Statehouse and politics reporter for the Associated Press. Dean Spiliotes - Civic scholar in the School of Arts and Sciences at SNHU and author of the website NH Political Capital.

Ninety autographed Franklin Pierce letters recently came up for auction, garnering attention for the New Hampshire-born politician. We look at his legacy and the context in which he governed, as well as his dubious honor of being known as one of America's worst presidents, for his mishandling of the issue of slavery leading to the civil war. We also discover items from the New Hampshire Historical Society which gives us some insight into Pierce.

President-Elect Trump's statement that "massive voter fraud" occurred in New Hampshire this election has been widely rejected by state officials. But, the issue itself, of the potential for voter fraud, has gained a lot of attention in recent years. We discuss New Hampshire's ballot system.

A four-way fight for House Speaker requires two rounds of voting. Republicans look to tighten voting laws. And l awmakers in the U.S. House pass a bill setting aside $1 billion for states battling the heroin and opioid addiction crisis.

Opposition to global trade was a huge theme in the Presidential election, and President-elect Trump promises to renegotiate NAFTA and ditch the TPP on his first day in office. We look at the implications of possible Trump administration trade policies for U.S. workers, for our international trading partners, and for the economy.

Hate incidents on college campuses have been on the rise recently, raising these questions among college and high school students alike: What's free speech? And what's hate speech? What's dissent? What's a threat?

On the week of World Aids Day, a look at HIV and AIDS in New Hampshire. New preventative methods and ever-improving treatments mean that more patients are living longer, healthier lives. But many challenges remain, including testing and insurance discrimination.

For the first time in fourteen years, New Hampshire Democrats lost the governorship to Republicans, who also held onto the legislature. These trends are playing out at statehouses around the country, with Democrats now controlling the smallest number of legislatures, ever.

After helicopter parenting and tiger moms, a new book tells American parents to back off! We talk with developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik about her book, The Gardener and The Carpenter . Gopnik draws on the science of the human brain and evolution to make the argument that children are hard-wired to learn on their own. We discuss the two possible ways of thinking about the role of parents suggested by the book's title and look at insights the new science offers into the relationship