New Hampshire Public Radio

02/27/2025

“See you in court.”

With those four words, Maine Gov. Janet Mills went from a 77-year-old governor serving the last two years of her final term in a lightly populated state to an unlikely heroine of the Trump resistance.

Mills’ dispute with Trump, as she put it, is about whether a president can force Maine to comply with his edict while ignoring state and federal laws.

“In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it – and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so,” Mills said in a statement released last week.

Maine Public profiled Mills, and how she has gone toe-to-toe with Trump before. READ more from Maine Public's Political Pulse here:

“See you in court.” With those four words, Gov. Janet Mills went from a 77-year-old governor serving the last two years of her final term in a...

02/27/2025

Mark the beginning of Maple Month in New Hampshire at the Squam Lakes Association, celebrate Mardi Gras in Manchester and watch Oscar-nominated short films at The Park Theatre this weekend.

Watch Oscar-nominated short films at The Park Theatre before the awards ceremony on Sunday.

02/27/2025

This week from NHPR's Civics 101: What if the press couldn't tell the truth?

When it comes to the protection of a free and fair press, there is one landmark Supreme Court case that sits at the top, and it is New York Times Company v Sullivan (1964).

This case redefined libel in the United States and is cited in almost every defamation suit since, but its origin is in the Civil Rights Movement, when newspapers were sued to the brink of collapse for covering protests in the south.

Taking us through libel, defamation, and "actual malice" are Ang Reidell, Director of Outreach and Curriculum at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and Samantha Barbas, professor at the Iowa College of Law and author of Actual Malice: Civil Rights and Freedom of the Press in New York Times v. Sullivan.

LISTEN to Civics 101 from NHPR here, or wherever you get your podcasts:

https://www.civics101podcast.org/civics-101-episodes/timesvsullivan

02/27/2025

Skiers triggered two separate avalanches in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains Wednesday.

The Mount Washington Avalanche Center reported a solo skier in Hillman’s Highway in Tuckerman Ravine was caught, carried and buried by the avalanche. Bystanders and people with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Harvard Cabin and U.S. Forest Service Snow Rangers helped get the skier out of the snow. The buried skier suffered non-life threatening injuries.

In Huntington Ravine, two skiers also triggered a large avalanche in the fan of Central Gully that spread across the ravine towards the Harvard Bulge. They were not caught or carried by the avalanche and are uninjured.

The Avalanche Center reports avalanche conditions remain dangerous, and recommends people do not travel in avalanche terrain at the moment.

READ more from NHPR's Jackie Harris here:

In a post on the Avalanche Center website, the skiers at Huntington Ravine wrote, ”While we are shaken up, and even embarrassed, the experience was incredibly educational and a serious reminder that will deeply influence our judgement moving forward.”

02/27/2025

Lawmakers discussed a statewide cap on school funding at a New Hampshire House Education Committee meeting Tuesday.

The cap is part of a Republican-backed bill that would cap local school spending at the rate of inflation, while also increasing state education spending from the current level of $4,100 per student to $7,356. The bill's next steps are unclear.

Residents have proposed local spending caps in at least seven New Hampshire districts this year, with proposed limits ranging from $1 per student in Salem to $29,000 in the Hollis-Brookline district. In five districts, residents moved to defeat the proposed limits.

NHPR's Annmarie Timmins profiled the bill and voices for and against. READ more here:

A Republican-backed bill would require NH school districts to cap local spending at the rate of inflation unless voters overrode the cap by a...

02/27/2025

Much of New Hampshire’s federal funding for climate efforts is now accessible, according to state officials, after millions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law were frozen earlier this month.

The state’s Department of Environmental Services said this week that they’re able to access all federal funding. Money for the state's Solar for...

02/26/2025

Support NHPR today and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a trip to IRELAND! ☘️ Some highlights of this incredible destination include ancient castles, stunning views from the Cliffs of Moher, and tasty cuisine. https://bit.ly/41lc2d7

02/26/2025

In the White House briefing room Tuesday, the Trump administration announced its latest steps to tighten its grip on the message it sends out and the news coverage it receives.

No longer would the White House Correspondents' Association, made up of news outlets that cover the White House, determine how they will share coverage of President Trump at major events where space is limited. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the assembled reporters the White House would make that determination instead.

02/26/2025

Housing is the biggest concern for Granite Staters, according to the most recent Granite State Poll from the University of New Hampshire. Researchers asked over 1,300 people about the biggest problem facing New Hampshire, and nearly a third said housing – followed by taxes and education.

Nearly a third of Granite Staters say housing is their biggest concern, according to the latest Granite State Poll from the University of New Hampshire.

02/26/2025

Support NHPR today and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a trip to IRELAND! ☘️ Some highlights of this incredible destination include ancient castles, stunning views from the Cliffs of Moher, and tasty cuisine. https://bit.ly/3CT0HYx

02/26/2025

In this week's episode of Outside/In, NHPR's Kate Dario looks at one patch of New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest from three different perspectives.

We hear from a conservationist who would like to see cutting halted in the White Mountain National Forest, loggers who would like to see it ramped up, and the U.S. Forest Service that has to somehow appease them both.

LISTEN to the latest episode of Outside/In here -- or wherever you get your podcasts.

One piece of public land, two very different perspectives about how to use it, and the agency that somehow has to appease them both.

02/26/2025

Sgt. Tibbs, a beloved indoor/outdoor cat, goes missing on the streets of Manchester, New Hampshire. His owner fears the worst. But when she finds out her cat was never missing at all, the truth turns out to be worse than she feared. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, a four-part series about what we owe our pets – and what we owe our neighbors.

Listen to the trailer now:

Sgt. Tibbs, a beloved indoor/outdoor cat, goes missing on the streets of Manchester, New Hampshire. His owner fears the worst. But when she finds out her cat was never missing at all, the truth turns out to be worse than she feared. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, a four-part s...

02/26/2025

The ACLU of New Hampshire is asking the federal government to disclose whether it plans to use a prison in New Hampshire to house immigration detainees.

In a Freedom of Information Act request filed Monday, the ACLU requested any records related to using the federal prison in Berlin to house immigration detainees.

READ more from NHPR's Lau Guzman:

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

02/26/2025

Join us at the Historic Theater at The Music Hall on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 7 p.m. for Writers on a New England Stage featuring Peter Wolf and NHPR's Rick Ganley for a conversation about his memoir, Waiting on the Moon.

Half lecture, half intimate conversation, Writers on a New England Stage brings world-class authors to New Hampshire to read from their latest works and talk about themselves, their creative process, and their stories.

02/26/2025

Many New Englanders grow up skating on small ponds and rinks in winter. But have you ever tried skating on wild ice? That’s the natural ice that forms on larger bodies of water like lakes and rivers.

NHPR's Rick Ganley and producer Jackie Harris gave it a try as part of NHPR's "How to New Hampshire" series.

LISTEN to their feature and watch for upcoming "How to New Hampshire" episodes here:

In this segment of How to New Hampshire, we give you the tips you need to start skating on wild ice – the natural ice that forms lakes and rivers.

02/26/2025

Ditching an initial plan that would've kept one New Hampshire location open, JoAnn Fabrics has announced it will close all of its roughly 800 stores nationwide.

The crafts retailer formerly known as Jo-Ann Fabrics had been struggling financially for several years following a DIY-driven uptick in sales...

02/25/2025

Many of President Trump's plans aren't possible without help from state leaders -- who have the power to enable or block White House goals.

Federal power only goes so far. State governors and legislatures have wide authority over local law enforcement, schools, health and how cities and...

02/25/2025

Known for his innovative blend of jazz, rock, and experimental sounds, Marco Benevento brought his unique energy and artistry into Studio D for an intimate, one-of-a-kind session. Find the performance on NHPR's YouTube page.

Artist: Marco BeneventoSong: AtariDate: Feb 20, 2025Audio: GanleyVideo: Quirk/Corcoran/Cahill