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Copper thefts have been on the increase across the region recently.

High demand for the metal, especially overseas, has driven the price up making it attractive to thieves.

Last week, someone used bolt cutters to cut electrical cables on several amusement rides at the annual Rochester Fair.

Several weeks ago, police in Portsmouth charged two local residents with stealing copper from a city nursing home construction site.

In Maine, thieves have been hitting electric utility substations.

And State regulators there worry that the thefts may pose a threat to public safety.

Maine Public Radio's Keith Shortall reports from Portland.

For many people, the grass seems to be greener on the other side in terms of who is running for President in the 2008 election. While the field seems to be pretty well set on both the Democratic and Republican sides, there is still a yearning by some for another option not on the table…another person who, if they tossed their hat into the race, might prove to be that mythical "white horse" candidate, riding in to save the day at the last minute. Names tossed out have included Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, and Fred Thompson, who just entered the race officially. We'll look at the role of white horse candidates in past elections, the psychology behind the public's desire for something new, and who this year's white horse candidates may be.

Guests

• Andy Smith, Director of the UNH Survey Center and Professor of Political Science at UNH
• James Pindell, political correspondent for the Boston Globe and author of the Primary Source blog