Fifteen years ago, President Clinton signed a law giving unpaid leave and job protection to employees having a baby, suffering from an illness or dealing with a family emergency. Yet some businesses say the law’s been abused, sparking an effort to make some serious reforms. We’ll look at the history of the Family and Medical Leave Act, its impact and the proposed reforms.

Guests

• Andrea Chatfield, attorney at the McLane Law Firm who has done extensive work with FMLA
• Marc Freedman, director of Labor Law Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Vicky Lovell, director of Employment and Work Life Programs at the Institute For Women’s Policy Research

It's been a tough few years for northern New Hampshire, leading many to look for new keys to economic vitality. A new prison’s already there; a new biomass plant is right around the corner. But other plans, like high-tech corporations, arts houses and more tourism, could be years away for a region many say needs a boost now. We’ll look at the state of the North Country’s economy and what could come next.

Guests

• Peter Riviere, executive director of the Coos Economic Development Corporation
• Charles Jordan, editor of the Colebrook Chronicle

We'll also hear from

• Charles Bass, former Congressman and Senior Advisor to the CEO of Laidlaw Energy Group, which has acquired part of the former Fraser Paper Mill in Berlin to construct a new biomass-energy power plant
• Pat Corso, President and CEO of the Mount Washington Resort
• Katie Paine, president and CEO of K.D. Paine and Partners, a market research company based in Berlin

In Manchester, city revenues are down. And as a result, the Mayor and aldermen are grappling with a tighter financial situation.

The Mayor's proposed budget has prompted an emotional public reaction and the specter of layoffs. The city's schools may take a particularly hard hit.

NHPR correspondent Ellen Grimm went to one city middle school to find out what a tighter school budget might mean. She files this report.

As Scott explains, The funny-looking and reclusive American Woodcock puts on one of the most spectacular displays of the spring.

In the North Country, spring means the mountains turn green, the rivers flow wildly and on Friday - against all odds - one of the nation's oldest movie theaters opens for the summer.

NHPR correspondent Chris Jensen has this story about the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem.