Weekly N.H. News Roundup

Just days before the September 8 primary, we take a look at themes and issues playing out among campaigns, including for Governor, U.S. Congress, Districts 1 and 2, and U.S. Senate.  We also explore aspects of the final report of the Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency, a group formed by Governor Sununu in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing to examine issues of police training, racial bias, and commmunity relations. And we talk with the editor of The New Hampshire, the student newspaper of UNH, about a recent spike in coronavirus cases on campus and an increase in the number of students quarantined.  

Ahead of the September 8 primaries, we talk with two candidates. Steve Negron, a Republican from Nashua, hopes to challenge incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Annie Kuster in New Hampshire’s second district. And Republican Matt Mayberry hopes to clinch his party’s nomination for New Hampshire’s first Congressional district. And we hear about how one very average N.H. strip mall is riding out the pandemic and what it tells us about the health of our economy.

Air date: Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. 

The Meet the Candidates series continues with Lynne Blankenbeker, Republican candidate for the second Congressional District.  NHPR’s Casey McDermott takes a look at preparations for the September primary and what the state is anticipating. We also visit with State Representative Denny Ruprecht who was tapped as a rising star to be a part of  the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. And we go to Laconia, to learn about preparations for Laconia Motorcycle Week.

Air date: Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. 

We continue our series of conversations with candidates running in contested primaries with Republican Matt Mowers. He's seeking his party's nomination in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. We'll also check in on the news of the week, including Governor Sununu implementing a mask requirement for large gathers, and New Hampshire reaction to Joe Biden's selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate.

Air date: Friday, Aug. 14, 2020.

The Exchange continues its summer series of primary candidate interviews with Republican Matt Mowers. He's running in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. Mowers, who lives in Bedford, is a former executive director for the New Hampshire Republican Party. He worked as a state department official in the Trump administration. As always, we welcome your questions - send them before the show to exchange@nhpr.org.

Air date: Friday, Aug. 14, 9-9:20 am

On the Weekly N.H. News Roundup, we'll speak with Executive Councilor and Democratic candidate for governor Andru Volinsky. We'll get his take on racial justice, handling the pandemic, and re-opening schools. Also, as the primary and general elections approach, are local polling places prepared to keep voters and poll workers safe? 

Air date: Friday, Aug 7, 2020

Sen. Maggie Hassan joins us for the first part of the Weekly N.H. News Roundup for an update on the debate over a new coronavirus relief package in the Senate. Later in the hour, NHPR reporter Annie Ropeik and Concord Monitor reporter Ethan DeWitt join us, to talk about the week's news, including Gov. Chris Sununu lifting the state's ban on reusable bags, but continuing to refuse calls for a statewide mask requirement.

Air date: Friday, July 31, 2020

We continue our summer primary candidate series with Senator Dan Feltes. The Democrat from Concord is hoping to win his party's primary in September and challenge incumbent Governor Chris Sununu in November. We'll also discuss how COVID disproportionally affects communities of color and talk about NHPR's recent police coverage. In addition, we'll examine UNH's recent controversial consent agreement. 

Air date: Friday, July 24, 2020. 

We continue or summer primary candidate series with Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Donald Bolduc. The Republican from Stratham is hoping to win his party’s primary in September and challenge Democrat U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen in the general election this fall.  Bolduc joins us for the first segment. Then, at 9.20 a.m., we turn to the news of the week, with a look at Governor Sununu's plan for reopening schools in the fall and an update on the Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Transparency, and Community.

Air date: Friday, July 17, 2020

Portsmouth prepares for a presidential visit amid concerns over the coronavirus and large gatherings. The legislature sends some bills to Governor Chris Sununu's desk,  including one that would assist renters and homeowners and another that overhauls the sate's election process in response to the pandemic. And the COVID-19 Equity Response Team, a group formed by Governor Sununu to address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic,  finalizes its set of recommendations. 

Republican Bryant "Corky" Messner of Wolfeboro, a military veteran and attorney,  has pitched himself as a political outsider. Messner, who has been endorsed by President Trump, is seeking to become the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate.  Messner joined us for the first in our summer series of primary candidate interviews.  For more on this series, see below. 

Air date: July 10, 2020. 

Juneteenth celebrations, to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S., are happening around New Hampshire and online this Friday, and protests against police brutality have led to increased scrutiny of law enforcement practices in the Granite State. And at the end of the first week of reopening since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the state, we check in on the latest health updates. 

Air date: Friday, June 19, 2020.

We look at how protests of racial injustice and debates over transparency on police procedures are playing out in New Hampshire. For the second time in history, the New Hampshire House meets somewhere other than the State House. The Executive Council nixes Governor Sununu's nomination for the state Board of Education. And the Secretary of State's Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support outlines recommendations for voting this year.

Black Lives Matter holds protests against racial injustice and vigils across the state in memory of those who lost their lives. After more than two months of roped off parking and patrolled sand, New Hampshire’s beaches reopen with some caveats. We discuss Nashua's emergency public health ordinance requiring masks. And he state has begun the process to allow Granite Staters to register by mail to vote in this fall’s elections and making it easier to vote absentee.

Some Granite Staters have gotten COVID-19 and recovered; we discuss how, even if you’re fortunate enough to survive the virus, it can still have long-term emotional and physical impacts. In the midst of this pandemic, we are longing for the pastimes of summer, including the sights and sounds of a Red Sox game. We talk about the cancellation of the Boston Marathon, the role of sports in our lives, and what the future may hold. And we check in on NHPR's Spanish language audio newscast, ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire? (What’s New, New Hampshire?). It provides the latest information on coronavirus-related developments and other news to Spanish speakers in the state. 

With longterm care facilities accounting for over 3 out of 4 COVID-19 deaths in the state, we discuss how the state is responding. Hospitals are beginning to allow elective surgeries and other procedures. And we go to the Seacoast and the state of Maine to see what “re-opening” efforts look like there.

As the federal goverment looks for ways to protect people and businesses from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we'll speak with Congressman Chris Pappas about those efforts and what's likely to gain traction in the House. We'll also get an update from state epidimiologist Dr. Ben Chan. And we'll check in with newspaper editors from the Seacoast and the North Country about how the coronavirus is impacting those regions.  

Air date: 10-11 am, Friday, April 10, 2020

Governor Sununu issues a stay-at-home order until May 4th, and announced schools will remain closed until that date. The federal government is set to enact a $2 trillion stimulus package to support the economy as the coronavirus continues to have widespread impact on the country. And testing challenges for COVID-19 remain in New Hampshire, as healthcare facilities prepare for even more cases. 

Read all of NHPR's coronavirus coverage. 

Air date: Friday, March 27, 2020

Friday on The Exchange, it's the Weekly New Hampshire News Roundup, and we'll take stock of a week when the coronavirus pandemic life changed for so many in the Granite State. Schools shut down, restaurants closed, and large gatherings banned. We'll examine changes to the state's unemployment benefits, the capacity for testing COVID-19, and the roll out of remote learning plans. 

The growing number of COVID-19 cases has prompted governments to encourage behaviors that will slow or stop the spread of coronavirus, and in some cases, that has meant closing schools. Some large gatherings of people have been canceled, but lawmakers still gathered in Concord this week to debate legislation. 

Seven Republican lawmakers were reprimanded on the floor of the New Hampshire House for not completing newly mandatory anti-harassment and discrimination training in a contentious debate.  Lawmakers advance what they're calling a new compromise on net energy metering, and put forth new bills on gun laws and marijuana legalization. And we get an update on the seal rescued from the roadway in Rye Harbor a few weeks ago.