Politics

The Exchange sits down with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Friday, Dec. 6 at 9 a.m. before a live audience to discuss domestic and international issues, from health care and the economy to instability and conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. In recent polls, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has cast himself as a voice for unity and pragmatism, has surged into the top tier of primary candidates. What is your question for Mayor Buttigieg? We plan to include listener questions throughout the interview.

Five Democratic presidential candidates in the span of 24 hours have released sweeping plans to address climate change, ahead of a series of town halls devoted to the issue.

On Wednesday, California Sen. Kamala Harris and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg each unveiled their climate plans. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Obama cabinet member Julián Castro each laid out theirs on Tuesday.

Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano says his department won't bill President Trump's re-election campaign for any expenses associated with his visit Thursday.

The rally, to be held at the SNHU arena in downtown Manchester, is expected to draw over 11,000 people. The area around SNHU will be closed to traffic, and protests are also expected.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand presents herself as a fighter – and a winner, seemingly unfazed by low poll numbers.  Speaking on The Exchange, the New York Senator said she believes she can win over red, blue, and purple parts of the country, touting her popularity in conservative parts of her home state.

"I've never backed down from a fight. I take on the fights that other people won't, and I actually win. And that's been my story," she said. 

Democrats in the state Senate passed three bills Thursday they contend will reduce gun violence in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is one of five states featured in a new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C. think tank that is documenting spending on the opioid crisis.

The report is a comprehensive accounting of federal dollars being allocated toward the epidemic, including where and how the money is being spent.

It urges policy makers to provide stable funding in the coming years, and to allow states flexibility in how that money is used.

New Hampshire lawmakers will consider a number of restrictions on single-use plastics this session.

Rep. Judith Spang, Democrat of Durham, says she's introducing bills to ban plastic bags and plastic straws statewide.

A newly formed political action committee says it's trying to "encourage" former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, to run for president.

The group called "Tenaciously Moving for American Change in 2020" announced its formation Tuesday. The group's name is a play on McAuliffe's "TMac" nickname.

Co-founder Shannon Kane said the group is looking to raise McAuliffe's profile in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

Sean Graber and Keal Harter love to talk politics together. The recent Dartmouth graduates recall many late nights at the Tuck School of Business debating the political dramas of the day - often to the chagrin of their classmates.

It wasn’t that they always agreed, or that they enjoyed disagreeing with each other. They liked knowing that the person on the other side of the table came to the debate with an open mind and a fact-based perspective, something Graver feels the country seems to be losing.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives dealt a blow Thursday to one of Governor Chris Sununu’s key priorities on the opioid front, the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative.

The effort aims to link the private sector to the drug crisis by helping businesses better attract and retain people in recovery.

Governor Chris Sununu has vetoed a bill relating to prison sentences for those struggling with substance abuse.

In New Hampshire, if a prisoner is out on parole but has that parole revoked, he or she must be recommitted for at least 90 days. The parole board has some flexibility in handing down those sentences, though.

President Trump's speech at Manchester Community College today about the national opioid epidemic included plenty of New Hampshire references.

Trump took time to thank Governor Chris Sununu and Manchester Fire Chief Daniel Goonan for attending.

The speech ranged widely on topics including sanctuary cities, DACA and the border wall with Mexico, but the President did not make any specific announcement of new funding measures to fight the opioid epidemic.

Trump did make it clear that he wants to see tougher penalties for those convicted of drug trafficking.

Plenty of local officials grumbled about the state’s orders not to reschedule town elections because of last week’s snowstorm. But only one — the town of Washington — defied those instructions and decided to delay its votes anyway.

State officials are working on a deal to secure funding for drug recovery services in Sullivan County. That’s after the major provider in the region, Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, announced it was rolling back its offerings last month.

Voters in more than 75 towns across the state will decide on Keno at town meetings this spring.

State lawmakers legalized the lottery game last year as a way to help fund all-day kindergarten statewide.

But it still has to be approved on a city-by-city or town-by-town basis.

In Enfield, where it’ll be up for a vote at the Town Meeting next month, selectman Meredith Smith says she hopes voters reject Keno and send a message to Concord. “Gambling is not a way to fix the funding of the schools,” she said.

Governor Chris Sununu signed into law Thursday morning new protections against childhood lead exposure.

At a signing ceremony in Claremont, the Governor championed the public health impact of the new law.

"We will, without a doubt, prevent a lot of children from getting lead poisoning,” he said. “That's a really good thing"

The legislation mandates lead screenings for all one and two year olds. It also lowers the blood-lead level that triggers state intervention.