The Exchange

As coronavirus cases increase in states across the country, New Hampshire has also seen an alarming surge in cases. We examine what may be contributing to this surge, including smaller gatherings that lead to community-wide spread, and we get an update on how schools are coping with Covid-19 positive cases.  Nursing homes, which have borne the brunt of this pandemic, have also been experiencing a resurgence of outbreaks; we talk with InDepthNH.org about their recent series on the challenges facing nursing homes in this state. And we get an update on voting-related issues, with the election just about a week away. 

Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican seeking his third term, and challenger Dan Feltes, a Democratic state senator, debated live on NHPR's The Exchange on Tuesday.

The candidates clashed repeatedly over policy differences as they discussed the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, New Hampshire's economic recovery, heath care, race and policing, and myriad issues the two have sparred over during Sununu's tenure as governor.

A continuación, encuentra las noticias del miércoles 7 de octubre. 

Puedes escucharlas haciendo click en el audio o leerlas.

Una nota: Lo escrito es nuestro guión para nuestras grabaciones. Tenlo en cuenta si ven algunas anotaciones diferentes.

Funcionarios reportan datos actualizados de COVID: 53 nuevos casos, 2 fallecimientos, 20 hospitalizaciones y 500 casos activos en el estado.

Los funcionarios de salud de New Hampshire anunciaron dos fallecimientos más por COVID-19 y 53 [cincuenta y tres] nuevos casos identificados el martes. 

Matt Mowers, a Republican who has worked for the Trump administration, and Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas, who is seeking a second term, have both made a special pitch to moderate and independent voters. In a debate live on NHPR on Wednesday at 9 a.m., the two candidates shared their views on the many challenges facing the country, including the pandemic, an economic crisis, and racial issues.

We talk with members of a team formed especially to study disparities in the state's pandemic response. Topmost among their messages, in a report issued this summer: Health has to do with much more than clinical care; it is a matter of housing, schooling, employment -- areas where members of racial and ethnic minority groups have suffered from discrimination. Still, the report proposes some simple starting points toward improving health outcomes. Some have already been set in motion. We look at these, as well as other more long-term goals included in the report. 

Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas joins us to discuss his campaign for re-election to represent the first congressional district.  We get an update from NHPR education reporter Sarah Gibson on how students, teachers, and parents are adjusting to a new school year under pandemic conditions.  And we talk with longtime Republican party leader Steve Duprey about former governor Stephen Merrill and his political legacy. Merrill died last Saturday, Sept. 5, in his Manchester home at the age of 74.      

On the primary ballot this year: candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, executive council, state senators and representatives, along with county offices. Among the most closely watched races is the gubernatorial contest, with Democrats Andru Volinsky and Dan Feltes vying to take on Republican Governor Chris Sununu. We'll find out who came out ahead and what it might mean for the November general election. And we'll also check in on how the voting process itself went, with the dramatic increase in absentee voting due to the pandemic.  If you're an election worker or voter, we want to hear from you. How did the day go?  How did it differ from prior years? 

Air date: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020

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.  

In the third of our four-part series, "The Exchange: Live From Home," we talk with two New Hampshire authors on parenting and education, and an infectious disease specialist, about the triumphs and challenges of back-to-school season as a family. Listen to the audio below, and watch a video of the event. 

Air date: Thursday, August 20, 2020. 

 Amid a nationwide racial justice movement and an ongoing pandemic, President Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are having to adapt, while continuing to sway voters, release plans, and take swipes at each other. We’ll hear how this race is playing out nationwide and in New Hampshire.

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

Amid coronavirus concerns and a national reckoning on issues of race and policing, it might be hard to detect that there's campaigning going on. But candidates are trying to get their message out ahead of the state's Sept. 8 primary, when voters choose Republican and Democratic contenders for the general election. We'll check in on what candidates have been saying.

Air Date: June 29, 2020

From tactics and training to issues of oversight and transparency, police conduct has come under national scrutiny in the aftermath of George Floyd's death at the hands of a former Minnesota police officer. Calls for racial justice and police reforms have resonated in the Granite State, as well, and on Tuesday, Governor Sununu announced a new commission charged with examining police accountability and transparency and issuing recommendations within 45 days. Also on Tuesday, the state senate passed a bill that includes a ban on the use of chokeholds.  

Air date: June 17, 2020

We check in with leaders from three New Hampshire cities: Keene, Nashua, and Manchester. We'll find out how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their communities - and their budgets. We'll also ask what conversations are underway right now about local policing – and racial justice.

Air date: June 15, 2020.

We look at the research, at times evolving, behind the safeguards promoted to help prevent COVID-19. As much as scientists have learned about this coronavirus, questions remain - from the six-feet-apart rule to the most effective way to wear a mask.

If you have questions about COVID-19 -- including on where, how, and when to get tested -- visit this NH DHHS site.  You can register for a test here. 

Air date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

The arrest and death of George Floyd, a brutal scene captured on video, has led to both peaceful and violent protest in cities across the country.

In New Hampshire, about 800 protesters held a gathering in downtown Manchester that police described as "peaceful" and "respectful.

From restricting access to certain areas, offering drive-through services, and delaying non-emergency procedures, veterinarians have been taking some of the same precautions as doctors who treat humans, since COVID-19 arrived.  They have even adopted telemedicine in some cases. 

This week on The Exchange:  An in-depth series on the impact of COVID-19 on our health care system. Among those most vulnerable to this disease are health care workers; many have dealt with shortages of testing supplies, equipment, and staff, as well as shifting guidelines from authorities. We talk with three New Hampshire caregivers, all in the early years of their careers, about how this pandemic has affected them and their workplaces, as well as how these experiences might help shape the future of their fields. 

Air date: May 21, 2020

While New Hampshire gradually loosens COVID-19 restrictions in hopes of restoring some sense of economic normalcy, the state should also be assembling an army of public health officials to trace the contacts of people infected with the coronavirus.

That's according to Dr. Michael Calderwood of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine. "That's going to require a public health infrastructure we have not yet had and we need to develop,  he says. 

They may have closed their doors due to the coronavirus but libraries have been busy on behalf of patrons and the wider community, from lending laptops and hot spots to using 3 D printers to make parts for masks. Libraries and librarians across the country are also pondering the future, collaborating with researchers to determine best practices for handling books and other materials while protecting the health and safety of staff and the communities they serve.

For Granite Staters struggling with mental illness -- and those caring for them -- fears about COVID-19 have added layers of anxiety. Telemedecine can help but not in all cases, and protective gear needed for in-home visits is scarce.  Community mental health centers, considered essential services, remain open around the state, with as many services as possible being provided remotely. But case managers must still at times drive patients to get their prescribed injections, and mobile crisis team members must respond in person in crisis. We talk with those managing these situations, trying to help while also keeping themselves safe. 

Air date: Monday, March 30, 9 a.m.

New Hampshire remains one of the least racially diverse states in the country, but that diversity is growing. Wednesday on The Exchange, we reflect on Black History Month and talk with leaders of color in the Granite State. We'll discuss the work they're doing in the Statehouse and in local communities, and about where New Hampshire still lags in equality and representation.

 Air date: Feb. 26, 2020.         

Now that the presidential candidates have packed up and moved on to the next primary contest, we take a look at state politics, including Governor Chris Sununu's State-of-the-State address and bills that have been making their way through the legislature -- some more smoothly than others. 

Air date: Feb. 14, 2020.

We talk with town managers from the southern tier to the north country about what challenges they have in common, what sets their communities apart, and what they're hoping to hear from Governor Chris Sununu when he delivers his State of the State address.

Watch the live broadcast of Governor Sununu's  speech.

Air date: February 13, 2020 

During an Exchange interview, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who describes herself as progressive but practical, emphasized the word "progressive" in that characterization.  

"I actually pass bills and get things done," she said, referring to the 100 bills she has passed in Washington, DC. -- a frequent campaign theme.  Among the bills she is most proud of: securing funding for a collapsed Minnesota bridge, a bill on drug shortages, and her work on broadband issues. 

Each Friday until the N.H. primary on Feb. 11, The Exchange focuses on the latest news in the presidential race. The special N.H. Primary News Roundup features state and national reporters, sound from the campaign trail, and occasional appearances by candidates.

During the second half of the show Friday, Jan. 31,  NHPR interviews Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar from Washington, D.C., before she heads back to the Senate impeachment trial.