The Exchange

In her new book, Under The Starry Flag , Lucy Salyer tells the story of a group of 40 Irish Americans who sailed to Ireland in 1867 to join the effort to end British rule. But the men, many of whom had fought in the American Civil War, were arrested by British authorities for treason as soon as they landed. Their arrests sparked an international conflict that brought the United States and Britain to the brink of war. The legal saga, a prelude to today's immigration battles, dramatized the idea

The Democratic-led House passes its version of the state spending plan, with funding for the secure psychiatric unit restored. A bill to repeal the death penalty in the state clears NH Senate with a veto-proof margin. N.H.'s 400 state legislators get paid $100 a year; we examine the conflicts of interest they sometimes encounter in this small state. And another Democrat jumps into the 2020 primary race. GUESTS: Ethan DeWitt - Concord Monitor statehouse reporter. Jeff Feingold - editor of New

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year allowed states to legalize gambling on sporting events. Now the Granite State appears poised to do so, with a House bill advancing through the legislature. We look at the details of this proposal, which include allowing betting at 10 locations and mobile betting, as well as concerns around addiction and what some consider to be "government-sanctioned" gambling.

George Washington, in his farewell address in 1796, warned about partisanship in political parties, and in years since, politicians have cautioned against a “partisan apocalypse." We look at whether partisanship is increasing in the New Hampshire legislature, and what highly partisan moments, and moments of party unity, in our state history say about our political climate. We're discussing two articles from Citizens Count, a nonpartisan nonprofit in N.H., that analyzed partisanship in the N.H.

We discuss life on the vertical with Mark Synnott, elite climber and author of "The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life." The book describes Synnott's personal climbing history, beginning with his early days at Cathedral Ledge in N.H., and documents the preparation involved in Alex Honnold's historic free solo climb of Yosemite's El Capitan.

We talk with Jared Cohen, the author of "Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America." From the unready to the unexpectedly capable, we discuss the impact of vice presidents who have, on the death of a president, filled the highest office. The framers of the constitution left the question of succession largely unanswered, and the vice president was often chosen out of political necessity or to court a constituency. "Accidental Presidents" suggests it's time we pay more attention to this

It's budget season in the legislature -- and the construction of a secure psychiatric unit, a major part of the state’s new ten-year mental health plan, is at the center of a partisan tussle. Also, the state fined real estate developer Brady Sullivan half a million dollars for breaking environmental regulations. And presidential candidates: who’s here this weekend and who’s emerging from the crowded field.

Climate change is a hot topic on Capitol Hill and on the 2020 presidential campaign trail. And it is mobilizing younger Americans: children suing the federal government , grassroots campaigns pushing for the Green New Deal, and student-led walkouts. As the legislature weighs net-metering and offshore wind, we talk with young New Hampshire leaders about the state's climate future.

As part of NHPR's Crossroad: The N.H. Opioid Reporting Project , The Exchange went on the road on February 7, 2019 to the Nashua Public Library for a live discussion on how the city is taking a multi-pronged approach to tackle the opioid crisis. This discussion was recorded at the Nashua Public Library on February 7th, and an edited version of the conversation originally aired on Thursday, February 14th. The conversation is also available below. Click here to find the full, unedited discussion .