News
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pressed to recuse himself from Jan. 6 cases
Two dozen congressional Democrats are calling for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases involving the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, following revelations his wife communicated with the Trump White House about overturning the election. In addition, it appears likely that the U.S. House committee probing the attack will […]
House officials push for a new parking garage for lawmakers – with a $35 million price tag
The version of House Bill 1661 that will come before the House Thursday is a far cry from where it began. The academic issues it initially addressed are now secondary to the inclusion of $35 million for a new lawmaker parking garage. It would be paid for in cash, with state surplus money, bypassing the […]
Defending ‘divisive concepts’ statute, state argues law is not vague
New Hampshire’s new “freedom from discrimination” law barring certain teachings around race and class in public schools is legally sound and not overly vague, the Department of Justice argued in a federal court filing Friday. In a rebuttal to a pair of lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court of New Hampshire in Concord against Commissioner […]
Lawmakers see risk of losing $160 million in federal funding over vaccine mandate exemption
House members voted earlier this month to require public and private employers to excuse workers with moral objections from complying with a vaccine mandate. But when it comes to state and county medical facilities, a House committee is recommending against that measure over concerns of losing $160 million a year in federal funding. The House […]
Second COVID booster authorized by FDA for those 50 and older
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized another round of COVID-19 booster shots for people 50 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. The decision to amend an earlier emergency use authorization for a second booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is meant to increase protection against […]
Grafton County moves toward universal broadband coverage with $3.8 million in ARPA funds
Grafton County is aiming to reach universal broadband coverage, and last week the county’s executive committee approved $3.8 million in spending toward closing the gap. The money – which comes from federal dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act – will fund what’s called final engineering for broadband plans in all 39 towns. Final engineering […]
Affordable housing advocates excited about Sununu housing plan – but wary
Addressing lawmakers at his State of the State address in February, Gov. Chris Sununu pointed to one of the most pressing issues in the state: workforce housing. Then he presented a plan. New Hampshire should take advantage of one-time pandemic relief funds and set aside $100 million to encourage housing development, Sununu said. His proposal […]
Most education freedom account recipients not leaving public schools, department says
New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account program continues to see a higher than expected take-up rate since it launched in September. But the proportion of students using it to leave their public schools continues to be relatively low. As of March 1, just 204 of the 1,800 students that were enrolled in the program this school […]
Biden lays out a ‘fund the police’ budget plan
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is requesting billions in its fiscal 2023 budget from Congress to fund police departments, despite progressive Democrats’ calls for some of that spending to be reallocated to social services. President Joe Biden’s budget request to Congress unveiled Monday asks for $30 billion for state and local governments to add more […]
Court rules against House Democrats in remote participation lawsuit
This story was updated March 29, 2022 to include a comment from House Speaker Sherman Packard that was sent after deadline. A federal court has again ruled against House Democrats’ demands for remote participation on behalf of health-compromised members in a 3-2 decision. The court said Speaker Sherman Packard is protected against the lawsuit by […]
State meets ‘dramatic’ increase in cyberattacks by approving $6.7 million protection program
A $6.7 million program to protect the state from cyberattacks was approved by the Executive Council last week. The program’s funding comes from American Rescue Plan Act money, with the lion’s share of funds going toward the purchase of technology software. The move comes after a dramatic increase in cyberattacks since the start of the […]
Biden budget plan would levy minimum tax on billionaires, boost national security
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden sent a new $5.8 trillion budget request to Congress on Monday that calls on lawmakers to institute a minimum tax on billionaires and boost spending on national security. The proposal, which lawmakers will undoubtedly change, asks Congress to provide $795 billion in defense funding, a roughly 4 percent increase, and […]