“As usual, Ellis combines powerful narrative with convincing analysis. His tale of the crucial summer of 1776 shows how political and military events wove together to create a new nation. Read this book and understand how America was born.” –Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs

The #1 New York Times bestselling author is back doing what he does best: spinning a wickedly funny, fiercely pointed Florida tale in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of pristine land get their comeuppance in a mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Hiaasen will join us in Portsmouth to talk about Bad Monkey on Friday, June 14th at 7:30 p.m. To get tickets & a copy of the book, visit The Music Hall.

The search for a new superintendent of the Manchester School District is expected to wrap up this weekend.

The search committee announced the names of three finalists for the job this week.

Two – Debra Livingston and Maureen Ward – are from New Hampshire.

Livingston is the superintendent of the Fall Mountain Regional School District, which covers several towns in the southwestern part of the state.

The biennial June Budget dance begins, as the State Senate passes its plan, it’ll have to resolve differences with the House and Governor.  Also: a possible breakthrough in a long stalemate, between New Hampshire hospitals and the state over Medicaid managed care. A new group launches anti-Obamacare ads in the Granite State and the potato becomes our new state vegetable. We'll look at the top NH stories for the week of June 3, 2013.

Guests

Gillnet fishermen in New Hampshire will be using new electronic devices to prevent trapping harbor porpoise in their nets. Last year, the fishermen were penalized for problems with the devices known as pingers.  And this year’s purchase marks the largest mammal catch prevention initiative of its kind.

NHPR’s Sam Evans-Brown has spent this week digging into the Common Core Standards, which will roll out in New Hampshire schools next year.  He joins us now to pull the camera back a bit, and talk about what the Common Core means in the big picture. 

White-tailed deer give birth to cryptic-colored, white-spotted fawns by early June in New Hampshire. Does typically give birth to twins, rarely triplets.  More single fawns are born to younger does, or in years of harsh winter weather with deep snow.   Does choose a secluded and yet open area to birth while scanning for any approaching danger.

GOP Senate leaders say the proposal is prudent, while democrats say republicans failed NH by opting to study – rather than expand Medicaid.

Budget debates tend to be partisan, and this was no exception. Republicans made clear from the outset their comfort with their spending calls.

"Our budget in senate finance increased spending over the house budget by 24 million dollars."

Chuck Morse chairs the finance committee.

“This is a strong budget.”

State public health officials say another person has tested positive for Hepatitis C stemming from last year’s outbreak at Exeter Hospital. 

That brings the total number to 33.

A former hospital employee was arrested last July in connection with the spread of the virus inside the cardiac catheterization lab. Prosecutors say David Kwiatkowski reused syringes on patients after injecting himself with powerful pain killers.

Dr. Jose Montero, the state’s public health director, says it appears this latest case, though, is from sexual contact.