Commentary
Monkeypox vaccines: A virologist answers 6 questions
Monkeypox isn’t going to be the next COVID-19. But with the outbreak having bloomed to thousands of infections, with cases in nearly every state, on Aug. 4, the U.S. declared monkeypox a national public health emergency. One reason health experts did not expect monkeypox to become so widespread is that the U.S. had previously approved […]
Congress can help address the climate crisis by passing the Inflation Reduction Act
Congress is facing the opportunity of a generation to help bolster the economy of New Hampshire and the country while simultaneously addressing the existential threat of our lifetimes – climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act, under consideration in the Senate, would be the most significant achievement ever by Congress to address the climate crisis, and […]
Inflation is spiking around the world – not just in the United States
The 9.1 percent increase in U.S. consumer prices in the 12 months ending in June 2022, the highest in four decades, has prompted many sobering headlines. Meanwhile, annual inflation in Germany and the U.K. – countries with comparable economies – ran nearly as high: 7.5 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively, for the 12 months ending […]
Editor’s Notebook: A natural balance
I repaired a small retaining wall on Saturday. The decorative concrete blocks stacked in rows in front of the workshop were undermined by the spring melt, and the right side had been toppling in slow motion ever since. A more willing landscaper would have addressed the problem as soon as the ground thawed, but I […]
The independent state legislature doctrine could reverse 200 years of progress
In a case to be heard in the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide that state legislatures have control over congressional elections, including the ability to draw voting districts for partisan political advantage, unconstrained by state law or state constitutions. At issue is a legal theory called the “independent state legislature doctrine,” which […]
What the US can learn from apartheid-era book bans in South Africa
“Beloved.” “The Hate U Give.” “Maus.” “Burger’s Daughter.” Each of these books has been banned at some point in time, but one stands out. Instead of being banned in 21st-century America, Nadine Gordimer’s “Burger’s Daughter” was banned in 20th century South Africa during apartheid, that country’s period of official white supremacist rule. So why include […]
An antidemocratic philosophy called ‘neoreaction’ is creeping into GOP politics
President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election were brazenly antidemocratic. Yet Trump and his supporters nonetheless justified their actions under the dubious pretense of preserving American democracy – as a matter of getting the vote right, of reversing voter fraud. There’s a good reason they took this approach. Authoritarianism has […]
3-Minute Civics: Reflecting on the election of 1800 and John Adams’ precedent
This summer, much of the nation’s attention has been focused on the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 coup. The coup, inspired by Donald Trump’s unwillingness to accept the results of the 2020 election, was an attempt to disrupt Congress’ certification of the Electoral College’s votes. With political tension at a high as campaigning for […]
Editor’s Notebook: Five days at the edge of the world
Earlier this month, on the day the Bulletin published the first of two Amanda Gokee stories about how climate change is already affecting coastal communities in New Hampshire, I drove northeast for nearly five hours with my wife and daughters. We were headed toward the sea – not for science but spirit. Every day there […]
Next DHHS commissioner will need to keep the focus – and the faith
The NH Community Behavioral Health Association (CBHA), representing the state’s 10 community mental health centers, joins with our mental health and health care partners in recognizing Lori Shibinette for her service as commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services. The commissioner recently announced that she will leave at the end of 2022, and […]
Would legislation make it ‘virtually impossible’ to site a landfill in New Hampshire?
The vast majority of land in New Hampshire is hydrogeologically suitable for landfill siting because it lies over the type of soils that transmit groundwater slowly toward our nearby lakes and rivers. House Bill 1454 is a problem only for developers who attempt to site a landfill in sand and gravel formations that transmit groundwater […]
More young voters could vote in November, sparked by abortion and other hot political issues
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion has far-reaching personal and political implications and may help decide the midterm elections in November 2022. That influence extends to young people’s election participation. People ages 18 to 29 have historically been less likely to vote than older adults. But in recent years, […]