Texas Congressman Ron Paul is anything but an establishment GOP candidate. Yet, he is at the top of the polls in Iowa, largely because his message appeals to more than just the typical Republican caucus-goer. That was made clear when he met John McCarthy and Michelle Godez-Schilling, both of whom attended a campaign stop in Dubuque, Iowa.

"I would like to say I'm an independent, and for the first time in my life I'm affiliated with one of the two major parties because of you," McCarthy told Paul.

A favorite children’s book I loved when my kids were young was The Night Tree by Eve Bunting. First published in 1991, the now 20-year-old story relates how a young family drove to a forest on a cold December night to decorate a living Christmas tree with edible ornaments for wildlife. The story and luminous illustrations capture the spirit of holiday giving and a special ritual in a cherished place.

Comic artist Marek Bennett of Henniker has always had a connection to the country of Slovakia through his ancestry. His great grandmother came to the US from Slovakia a century ago, and he has relatives living there today.

When he traveled to Slovakia last year, he found a different connection to the country: his art.

In October 2010, the Northern Pass Project, comprised of Massachusetts-based utility NStar and Northeast Utilities, formally announced a partnership with Canadian energy giant Hydro-Quebec to bring hydroelectric power from Canada through New Hampshire. Promising new construction jobs, cheaper and greener energy sources, and additional tax revenues, the plan at first enjoyed broad support.

Flakes will start to fly tonight after an unseasonably warm December.

NHPR talked to a National Weather Service forecaster about the probability of a white Christmas.

According to weather data, on any given year there’s at least at 75% chance there will be snow on the ground in New Hampshire Christmas day.

Michael Esker – a forecaster in Gray, Maine – thinks that probability isn’t going to change this year.

A storm will shoot through tonight, leaving just enough snow to frost the state and make things look festive.

Produced by Avishay Artsy

Word of Mouth revisits a Christmas classic; producer Avishay Artsy speaks with contemporary editors about the significance of Virginia O’ Hanlon’s classic letter to the editor.

Producer's note:

This piece was edited slightly to cut date-pegged references. /RL

Often, when prices go down, the number of properties sold goes up.  That was the general story during the past four months.  Not in November.  The median price dropped a bit to about  $193,000 and the number of sales ticked down about 2 percent.  Sellers are getting about 5 percent less than they did a year ago.

The realtors’ association says the latest data point to a market that is slowly stabilizing.  The number of foreclosures is headed down.  Analysts say in a year or so, the market will have worked through many of those lower priced homes.

The publishing industry stayed afloat this year by designing and selling books for e-reader; those devices jumped from novelty items to the mainstream. Brick and mortar booksellers had a rougher time. Biblio behemoth Borders closed stores across the country. Closer to home, RiverRun Books in Portsmouth nearly closed its doors, but was saved by a swarm of Locavestors. The indie bookstore is one place where unsung gems can shine. We’re ticking through some of the year’s books that didn’t have big names, big budgets, and big promoters to sell them.