The Exchange

New Hampshire beaches may look generally clean, but there's a big threat posed by tiny microplastics. Microplastics are defined as plastics between 1-5mm in size. They may be fragments of degraded larger plastic debris, synthetic fibers, or microbeads from cosmetics and toothpaste. We learn about research studying the prevalence of this microscopic debris on New Hampshire beaches, the threat it poses to marine ecosystems, and what we can do about it.

For years, Facebook has collected personal information in order to direct advertising to consumers. But a recent scandal with political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which was able to collect this data, has raised huge concerns and a Congressional inquiry.

We look at the impact Paul Ryan's retirement may have, if any, on congressional races in New Hampshire. Former Democratic State Senator Molly Kelly decides to run for governor. Debates over voting laws and victims' rights draw crowds at the statehouse.

In this Race for the 1st conversation, we talk with Deaglan McEachern , a Democrat running in the closely watched race for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District.

Author Debby Irving's memoir, "Waking Up White" serves as inspiration for New Hampshire's Oyster River community, as it reflects on tough questions about race and tolerance. The discussions come after incidents revealing discrimination and racism, in an area where many believed they had the best intentions. We examine how a state like New Hampshire, that is mostly white, fits into the national narrative of racial strife, now and in the past.

We talk with Republican and Democratic lawmakers about some major votes coming up at the Statehouse this session, including Medicaid expansion, now in the House; a family and medical leave bill, under scrutiny in the senate; and a proposed Constitutional amendment on victims' rights, called Marsy's Law.

David Folkenflik joins us as part of our Justice & Journalism series with UNH Law School. We talk about the vast changes in journalism he's seen in recent years, from the impact of social media, to "fake news," to covering the #MeToo movement, including at NPR.

It's feeling a lot like primary season in New Hampshire, with two past, and possibly future, Presidential hopefuls making the rounds in the state. The Internal Revenue Service also visits New Hampshire, examining state liquor sales. And despite several high-profile animal abuse reports in the state, a bill to tighten breeding regulations gets pushback.

Recent ransomware attacks in Atlanta and elsewhere in the country have cities, and businesses, rethinking their network security. And blockchain, a secure method of processing cryptocurrency, is getting a lot of buzz. What is it, who should use it, and why?

In this Race for the 1st conversation, we talk with Terence O'Rourke , a Democrat running in the closely watched race for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. O'Rourke is the City Attorney for Rochester and a military veteran who served as an officer in the Iraq War. O'Rourke also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Alabama, and in New Hampshire as assistant county attorney in Rockingham and Carroll counties. Our Race for the First conversations will focus on the issues at the