Commentary
Editor’s Notebook: The election question we should all be asking ourselves
Like most of you, I have some ideas about how the next 11 months are going to play out in American politics. The Democrats have all but chosen their candidate and the Republicans appear to have chosen theirs, and the traditional aspects of the election – the stump speeches, debates, and soon the primaries and […]
Next Farm Bill can reject false solutions and embrace real change
Our food, agriculture, and fishing policies and practices impact just about every aspect of our lives – from ecology to economy, health, local sovereignty, resilience, rural community character, and vitality. These policies and practices can contribute to current crises, or help to solve them. Over the past year, we at the Interstate Policy Council of […]
Wrestling with statutes: The NH Supreme Court and the termination of parental rights
It isn’t often that the mechanics of figuring out what a state law means make headlines, but a recent New Hampshire Supreme Court case in which the justices were sharply divided did just that. As reported in the New Hampshire Bulletin, in In re H.C. the state’s high court split over the meaning of the […]
How to account for the human cost of climate change
Our children have a rambunctious streak. When their seemingly endless energy exceeds their not-so-endless judgment, things tend to break or get damaged. As parents, our job is to help them understand that actions have consequences. When one of them damages the family ukulele or kicks a soccer ball through the window, they must do two […]
Limited state funding for public higher education adds to workforce constraints
The Granite State is experiencing a long-predicted workforce shortage, which is related to an aging New Hampshire population and has been exacerbated by fewer residents who are employed or looking for employment than during pre-pandemic years. Given the projected need for workers in jobs that require college degrees, access to, and the affordability of, public […]
Editor’s Notebook: Welcome to December, by way of the Siberian wilderness
It’s “Stick Season,” as Vermont musician Noah Kahan dubbed this gray and dreary stretch of days in the American Northeast. It doesn’t quite feel like fall anymore, and it doesn’t yet feel like winter. It feels like cold, raw limbo. Ken Yates, a Canadian singer and songwriter who also knows a thing or two about […]
Mount Washington Valley is a top spot for ice climbers, but climate change threatens that status
For years the ice climbing guides who make a living on the frozen waterfalls of Mount Washington Valley have seen the changes – shrinking trails, unsafe ice, and rocks and dirt where there used to be cascading ice. Now an in-depth analysis of photographic evidence, historic temperature increases, and extrapolated climate models is confirming what […]
Supreme Court to consider giving First Amendment protections to social media posts
The First Amendment does not protect messages posted on social media platforms. The companies that own the platforms can – and do – remove, promote, or limit the distribution of any posts according to corporate policies. But all that might soon change. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear five cases during this current term, […]
Bridging the gap: The need for fair wages in elder care services in New Hampshire
While climate change and its concurrent risks receive public and political attention on a daily basis, there’s another threat to our society that has profound consequences on our well-being and is much more immediate. It’s a crisis that’s not getting the public attention it deserves. It’s well known that the share of older residents in […]
Healing for the NH deaf mental health community after Lewiston, Maine
Over the past few weeks, our local deaf community has been planning and attending the wakes, funerals and celebrations of the lives of four deaf men killed in the October 25th Lewiston tragedy: Billy Brackett, Bryan MacFarlane, Joshua Seal, and Steve Vozzella. As announcements of the plans unfolded, I’ve been struck with a mental image […]
How to make the U.S. more affordable
For the last two years, the debate on the economy has centered around inflation. After reaching a 40-year high last summer, inflation as measured by economists is now approaching normal levels. But despite the rapid slowdown, millions still feel squeezed by a decades-long affordability crisis. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans struggled to afford sky-high prices […]
The ever-shifting shape of Thanksgiving
Those of a certain age can appreciate my childhood dream of growing up and living in a house like “The Waltons,” with a big kitchen, a long table, and lots of family around. Holiday meals would be bountiful and boisterous, and nightfall would bring full beds and counted blessings. Thanksgiving has taken many different shapes […]