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Who is Hakeem Jeffries? Meet the likely first Black speaker of the US House.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries got one step closer to becoming the next speaker after Democrats delivered a sweeping victory in the midterm elections. If elected by a majority of House members, Jeffries would make history as the first Black person to hold the gavel. The 56-year-old Brooklynite…

Ayotte survives Democratic surge to defeat Warmington in race for NH governor

Gov. Kelly Ayotte won a second term as New Hampshire governor Tuesday, defying a national midterm backlash against Republicans across the country and New Hampshire. But the New Hampshire the governor will lead for the next two years will be different from the one she won in 2024. Results early Wednesday morning…

The blue tsunami sweeps the US, as Democrats land huge gains in Congress

Voters across the country administered a sharp reprimand to President Donald Trump and Republicans who hold majorities in Congress, with Democrats gaining comfortable majorities in the Senate and the House. Several U.S. Senate and House races remained uncalled by The Associated Press as Election Day ended on the East…

Democrats score control of US Senate in stunning midterm victory

WASHINGTON — In a stunning upset, Democrats ousted Republicans and flipped control of the U.S. Senate Tuesday night, effectively establishing a barricade for President Donald Trump’s agenda for the last two years of his term. Democrats will now have the power to block many of Trump’s nominees, both executive and…

Goodlander wins reelection to New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander defeated Republican challenger Lily Tang Williams in the race to represent New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District Tuesday. The Associated Press called the contest at 11:05 p.m., with Goodlander holding 60% of the vote with 61% of votes counted. Williams had 37% of the vote when the race…

Shaheen defeats DiLorenzo to hold 1st District for Democrats

Stefany Shaheen spent years working up to Tuesday — and her victory over Republican Anthony DiLorenzo in the 1st Congressional District will keep the seat blue. Shaheen, 52, will replace longtime 1st District Rep. Chris Pappas, who vacated the seat to run for U.S. Senate. Shaheen, daughter of retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne…

Pappas defeats Sununu in pivotal U.S. Senate race

In an election that attracted attention across the country, Democrat Chris Pappas defeated Republican John Sununu to become New Hampshire’s next U.S. senator. He’ll be the first openly gay man to serve in the Senate. The four-term U.S. representative from Manchester won 56% of the vote as of 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, while…

Democrats win sizable US House majority amid sweep of close races

WASHINGTON — Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House early next year, after voters throughout the country rejected the policies that Republicans and President Donald Trump implemented during the last two years. The Associated Press, which States Newsroom looks to for the projected winner of congressional…

Affordability takes center stage as New Hampshire voters head to the polls

There was a common refrain at the New Hampshire polls on Tuesday: frustration with high prices. The issue of affordability dominated a contentious midterm election cycle marked by clashes over candidates’ relationships to President Donald Trump, the Iran war, and concern over rising costs for childcare, healthcare…

As Election Day arrives, Democrats poised to see gains and pump brakes on Trump agenda

WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of Americans have already cast a ballot in the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and shape President Donald Trump’s remaining policy agenda. As of Monday, more than 57 million Americans had cast a vote, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab…

US Supreme Court rejects Trump DOJ’s attempt to freeze California vote counting

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, mere hours before Election Day in the midterms that will determine control of Congress, denied the Trump administration’s final attempt to force California to set aside the ballots of 20,000 people it suspects are noncitizens. The decision marked a significant blow to President Donald…

New Hampshire Democrats face an uphill battle to win control of state Senate

As voters fan out to polling places and newsrooms prepare all-night coverage, much of the attention today will focus on control of the U.S. House and Senate. But what about New Hampshire’s legislative chambers? Recent state polls favoring Democrats and Democratic advantages in candidate recruitment this year suggest…

Explosive spending, ugly ads and courtroom battles set stage for tense midterm elections

WASHINGTON — When the polls close Tuesday night, the 2026 U.S. election will go down as one of history’s most expensive and extraordinarily ugly midterms — galvanizing record-breaking early voter turnout among a deeply divided electorate. Voters on Saturday crossed the high-water mark of 52.7 million early votes cast…

With property taxes on the ballot, New Hampshire’s caucus midterm turns hyperlocal

Pam Hicks has lived in Hollis her whole life. Not all of her neighbors have been so lucky. The town’s rural charm, its scattered farms and orchards, and its highly ranked schools come with a price: eye-watering property taxes. Over the years, some families who moved there with kids figured that out, she says. “We

Water bills surge more than other costs in US homes over 10 Years, new report shows

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. Drinking water costs spiked faster than inflation, grocery prices and median household income, researchers at nonprofit Food & Water…

Feds eye New England universities in push to reshore rare earth metal refining

U.S. Department of Energy officials came to the New Hampshire Seacoast on Friday to announce plans to distribute $70 million to universities across the U.S., a move they said was intended to boost training of mining engineers and other professionals of the domestic “critical minerals” workforce. But no university in…

Election officials brace for federal interference but expect to persevere

As concerns rise about the potential for federal influence over the results of next week’s midterm elections, many voting experts and advocates remain confident that the nation’s highly localized systems of administering and counting votes will persevere. Facing sinking approval ratings over high prices, the White…

Trump administration has slow-walked 380K potential immigrant voters

The Trump administration cut naturalization sharply over the past year, leading to accusations it’s holding back hundreds of thousands of people who might have voted in the midterms. It’s hard to say how those people might have voted had they become U.S. citizens. Naturalized citizens voted Democratic for president by…

In a blizzard of lawsuits, Trump’s DOJ battles across the US over midterm elections

The Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to combat noncitizen voting and assert authority over elections came under intense scrutiny in courtrooms across the country on Thursday, as Democrats and voting rights groups alleged federal election interference. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ordered the U.S…

Where are the tightest races for US House control right now? Here’s the rundown.

WASHINGTON — Communities throughout the country have been inundated with television ads and outside spending as politicians try to spur voter turnout in the most competitive U.S. House races in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The focus on a short list of campaigns highlights how much power voters in a small number of…

Caring for aging parents is getting more expensive

Costs are soaring for people who care for their older parents and other family members, according to a new study. Out-of-pocket expenses are nearly 60% higher than they were just five years ago for family caregivers, who now spend an average of $11,508 a year on caregiving, according to a report released this week by

Hotline available to help NH voters with disabilities access ballots on Election Day

By law, New Hampshire polling locations are required to take certain measures to make voting accessible to people with disabilities. In an effort to help ensure those measures are taken, the Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire has created a hotline for people with disabilities who encounter problems while…

Mixed reactions among disabled Granite Staters on the CFI lawsuit settlement

Kathy Bates was elated when she heard that her attorneys and the state of New Hampshire settled a yearslong lawsuit over the Medicaid program that she relies on for care. Husband and wife duo Jim and Pat Piet are more skeptical and fear that this settlement alone won’t fix the lackluster program without harming other

Courts to decide fate of Trump’s latest push to control voting as Election Day nears

Less than a week before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s unprecedented drive for power over elections has set the stage for a series of courtroom fights that could quickly lead to a high-stakes showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over the limits of federal authority. Democrats and voting rights advocates have…

Time for change? Permanent daylight saving time bill awaiting US Senate action

Senators are due to return to Washington from a lengthy recess on Nov. 9, and a push for year-round daylight saving time is expected. But it faces strong opposition from senators in rural areas and those who represent states where children could be walking to school in darkness for most of the winter.

Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots

WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of Americans have already made their way to the ballot box as early voting is underway in a midterm election that will determine control of the House and the Senate, possibly flipping one or both from Republicans to Democrats. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 34 million people have…

Federal government is again sending election monitors to New Hampshire next week

The U.S. Department of Justice will again be visiting polls in Manchester and Nashua during next week’s elections, the department told election officials. Election monitoring is a longstanding practice that has attracted new partisan suspicion amid President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about elections and his attempts to…

Trump’s DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors to 50 states; locations not yet disclosed

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to every state ahead of Election Day, expanding a long-standing practice that’s spurred concern this year among Democrats and voting rights advocates because of President Donald Trump’s push to influence elections. The Justice Department for decades has…

Rising prices squeeze more Americans ahead of pivotal midterm elections

Americans’ growing frustration over high prices has defined many political campaigns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Rising costs of healthcare, gas and groceries during President Donald Trump’s second term have put Republicans on defense, not only in Washington, but in statehouse and gubernatorial races across…

2026 ballot measures are written at a graduate-school reading level, report finds

This year’s statewide ballot measures are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level, according to a new report. The readability of 2026’s ballot questions — which ask voters to weigh in on issues as varied as abortion, property taxes, voter ID and firearms — varies by state, political data tracking…

Most US House races aren’t competitive. What does that mean for how lawmakers govern?

WASHINGTON — Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by a top political analysis as truly competitive heading into November’s midterm elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years. The other 414 of 435 House districts are viewed by the…

Trump’s DOJ sues over Alaska Senate race, expanding preelection legal fights

The U.S. Department of Justice is stepping up its legal campaign over the midterm elections, suing Alaska over its U.S. Senate election and appealing a lawsuit against suspected noncitizen voters in California. Election law experts have cast doubt on the strength of the cases, criticizing them as performative. The…

Childcare forum puts NH gubernatorial candidates’ policy differences on display

With Election Day less than two weeks away, incumbent New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic nominee Cinde Warmington on Thursday pitched childcare providers on why they are the best candidate to improve childcare. During a forum hosted by Early Learning New Hampshire and Save the Children Action Network…

E-bikes now rival motorcycles for speed. State and city laws haven’t caught up.

Earlier this month, a 50-year-old man riding his personal electric scooter in Washington, D.C., was killed when he collided with a woman on a rideshare scooter. In June, a 12-year-old Massachusetts girl died after her electric scooter slammed into a school bus in a suburb of Boston. And in April, an Atlanta woman…

US Supreme Court ruling restores NH ban on use of student IDs at polls

This story was updated on Oct. 23 at 12:54 p.m. to clarify that the Oct. 2 U.S. District Court order had blocked enforcement of House Bill 323, not the law itself. New Hampshire high school and college students will be barred from using their school identification cards to vote Nov. 3, after the U.S. Supreme

Dems in Congress say they’re wary Trump won’t accept results of election

As Election Day approaches, top Democrats on the intelligence committees in Congress are preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump will allege foreign interference to discredit unfavorable results. And they want leading U.S. intelligence officials to be immediately reachable if he does. Sen. Mark…

Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans rises again, nonpartisan survey finds

WASHINGTON — The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF. The cost of individual…

New Hampshire sets up digital system to accommodate new Medicaid work requirements

In preparation for incoming Medicaid work requirements, New Hampshire is purchasing technology systems designed to help the state implement the new policy. Congress has mandated that states like New Hampshire institute work requirements for their expanded Medicaid programs by January. The requirements mean many…

Emergency funding directed to quash spread of spotted lanternflies in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Executive Council on Wednesday approved nearly $25,000 in federal funding for “emergency” work targeting invasive spotted lanternflies near the Massachusetts border. The flies, which can damage crops, forests and other plants, were first detected in New Hampshire this August in Salem. It is possible…

Commentary: AI governance — a practical view from a writing classroom

Artificial intelligence has upended the writing classroom. Four years ago, Stephen Marche was bold enough to state that the classic college essay was dead. He was absolutely right at the time. AI appeared on the scene as a force most educators were unable to contend with and unable to counter for the sake of academic

US Supreme Court allows gender-affirming care for trans people in federal prisons

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to implement a rule that would terminate gender-affirming care for transgender people incarcerated in federal prisons. It means a lower court order that blocked the policy from going into effect will remain in place for…

Dems sue Trump, alleging election interference, as DOJ battles with California

National Democrats are suing President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of intimidating election officials and asking a federal court to block him from interfering in the midterm elections. The lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in Washington, D.C., comes as the Trump administration mounts a highly public offensive…

Commentary: US inequality is getting worse in ways you might not expect

The buzzword of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections may be affordability, but growing anger over inequality is behind the sentiment. A Pew Research survey released in October 2026 found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans — including 4 in 10 Republicans — believe there’s too much inequality in the U.S. And a growing share from

New Hampshire’s SCOTUS appeal puts student voter ID law in flux

Whether high school and college students in New Hampshire can use their student identification cards to vote on Nov. 3 remains up in the air, after the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office took the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court last week. The request, filed by the state Attorney General’s Office Thursday, asks…

New home completions are stuck at 2020 levels

Single-family home completions remain stuck at early pandemic levels as of September as costs, labor supply shortages and high interest take a toll on home builders, especially in the Northeast and South. Apartment building was a more mixed picture, down nationally but up sharply in the Midwest (53%) and West (18%)…

Ukrainians and Sudanese with temporary legal status will keep protections for now

WASHINGTON — Immigrants living in the United States with humanitarian status from Ukraine and Sudan will retain their deportation protections and work authorizations for now, the Department of Homeland Security said over the weekend. More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese with Temporary Protected…

Rochester state Senate candidate ends campaign over residency requirement concern

Cecil Abels, a Rochester Democrat running for state Senate, announced he is ending his campaign over concerns he may not meet New Hampshire’s residency requirement. New Hampshire requires state Senate candidates to live in the state for seven years before they can be elected. Abels said that in 2020, he spent nine…

GO-NORTH announces rural EMS program during RFK Jr. visit

While U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was visiting New Hampshire last week, GO-NORTH announced a new $11 million project aimed at strengthening the state’s emergency medical services. The project, officials said at a Concord press conference Friday, will provide rural EMS providers with new equipment and…

Bear killings skyrocket as garbage, bird feeders draw them into conflict

Bears are having a very bad year. Across much of the United States, a warm winter and persistent drought have decimated the natural foods that black and brown bears rely on. With nearly every station at the buffet in short supply, the adaptable eaters are turning to human food. From California to Connecticut…

Northern NH maternal health organizations receive grants from border commission

The Women of the Mountains Birth Initiative, also known as WOMB, and Families Flourish Northeast Inc. received $119,705 to help tackle the maternal health crisis in northern New Hampshire, the Northern Border Regional Commission announced. They’re two of 14 organizations across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and…

Data centers are now the largest financial bet in US history

The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Until now, no industry had driven the U.S. economy with such force since the railroad expansion of the late 1800s, when titans battled one another to lay the…

Latest No Kings protest urges Granite Staters to vote

The theme of Saturday’s nationwide No Kings protest was “vote early.” However, New Hampshire — which saw demonstrations in Portsmouth, Nashua, Littleton and other cities — doesn’t allow early in-person voting. All voting in New Hampshire, by state law, takes place on Election Day, which is Nov. 3 this year, or via…

Democrats could flip legislative chambers, break GOP supermajorities, analysis finds

Party control is up for grabs in 15 state legislative chambers across the country as Republicans are increasingly on the defensive this midterm election cycle, a new analysis found. The nonpartisan newsletter Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics released its final analysis of state…

Commentary: After the announcement, who owns the promise?

Most of us know the feeling. A statement goes out from Concord or Washington, and the thing we were worried about has been saved. New Hampshire heard that news in May, when Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest would stay open…

Bethlehem’s landfill is set to close. What happens next for residents is murky.

With Casella Waste Services’ landfill in Bethlehem slated to close at the end of this year, town officials are preparing for a post-landfill future. But with the closure arriving sooner than anticipated, those preparations have been shaded by persistent trash-related tension. The end of operations at the landfill also…

Ayotte proposes tuition assistance program for community college students

Gov. Kelly Ayotte called for a program Wednesday to provide free tuition for New Hampshire community college students with a total family income of up to $100,000, and said she would add such a proposal in her budget if reelected. The announcement, made at an event at Manchester Community College, comes on the heels of

Commentary: New Hampshire sure is beautiful this time of year, apolitically speaking

It’s mid-October, and New Hampshire has never been more stunning. How stunning? The autumn reds and golds are barely muted by the pall of another election season. Not that this campaign cycle hasn’t tried its soulless best to drape the landscape in gray. This year’s ads, namely those featuring (or targeting) U.S…

Social Security benefits increase will hit 3.6% in 2027

WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday that recipients will receive a 3.6% increase in benefits in 2027. The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will begin for 72 million Social Security beneficiaries in January. It will apply for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, recipients…

Nonpartisan government watchdog recommends automated activation of ICE body cameras

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection need to improve oversight and guidance for federal immigration officers’ use of body-worn cameras, according to a Wednesday report from independent federal investigators. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security…

Teacher recruitment and retention a continuing problem, report suggests

This story was corrected on Oct. 14 at 1:34 p.m. to state that the median two-bedroom rent in 2024 was higher than what the median teacher salary could comfortably afford. The rent itself was not higher than the median monthly salary. To choose the teaching profession in New Hampshire is to navigate a series of

Commentary: What one broken New Hampshire bridge tells us about America

I have a bridge that I’d like to sell you — maybe you’ve heard that one before. Actually, you’ve bought this bridge once before, long ago. I want you to buy it again. There’s a catch: this bridge has moved — not physically — but it’s in a different country. In 1936, Peterborough flooded. The

‘Gus the Bus’ to provide free food at Lamprey Health in Newmarket

Gather, a Portsmouth-based food pantry and community food center, is bringing its fresh food bus, nicknamed “Gus the Bus,” to Lamprey Health Care’s community health center in Newmarket. The bus will be at the facility’s parking lot — 207 South Main St. in Newmarket — every other Thursday from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30…

US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal

The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Following an Oct. 9 call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S…

US House Dem leaders condemn Homeland Security raid on home of Rep. Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in the U.S. House condemned a “deeply disturbing” raid early Monday at the District of Columbia home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who has long been a target of verbal attacks by President Donald Trump and Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Democratic…

Public school districts reminded to accept EFA recipients for free

Beginning this school year, education freedom account recipients will be allowed to take classes, join sports teams, and participate in clubs and extracurriculars at their resident public school district — without paying extra. The change, brought about with the passage of House Bill 1817, was hailed by school choice…

Election betting is booming as the midterms near. Do states have the power to curb it?

On Friday morning, the prediction market platform Kalshi gave the Democratic candidate in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race an 87% chance of winning. The volume of trading on the outcome exceeded $1.8 million. This is exactly the type of activity Minnesota and numerous other states want to shut down. “They jeopardize…

Cyanobacteria, and their toxins, are incredibly diverse. How can risk be measured?

When a greenish cloud, surface scum or other suspicious algae appears in a previously clear lake, the message is clear: Stay away. As cyanobacteria blooms become more common in New Hampshire, that precaution has become common practice across the state. The reason? Cyanobacteria, an ancient single-celled organism that…

Urban, rural hospitals closing at similar rates, study finds

Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Aging workforce, immigration crackdown are depleting skilled workers

A perfect storm of harsh immigration enforcement, aging journeymen and a building boom for data centers is wreaking havoc on the nation’s supply of skilled trade workers. Automakers and construction contractors say they need more access to workers through accelerated training, steady immigration and a cultural shift…

Trump auto-enrolls 10s of millions in child investment accounts

WASHINGTON — Every child in the United States with a valid Social Security number is now enrolled in a tax-advantaged investment account, titled a “Trump Account,” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Parents must claim the accounts by downloading a Trump Account mobile app. Children born from 2025 through 2028…

New Hampshire needs more childcare. New programs face hurdles in filling the void.

Madison Fisher, a social worker and mom of four, decided she wanted to start a childcare program after she got custody of her young niece. With children ranging from infant to elementary age, she wanted somewhere everyone could be cared for in one place, instead of all over town. “I had two of my kiddos

Commentary: A peace plan for New Hampshire Democrats’ primary wars

The shooting war with Iran and the trade “war” with Canada are not the only conflicts roiling American political life these days. In our own backyard, the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee are waging a continuing battle over New Hampshire’s place in the queue of Democratic primaries…

US Senate candidates in 9 key races quiet about Social Security benefits cliff

WASHINGTON — Nearly all of the U.S. senators elected this year will be in office when Congress debates how to restructure Social Security to prevent an automatic drop-off in retirement benefits in 2032. Very few candidates in competitive races, however, have policy proposals on their campaign websites and many, when…

In wake of high-profile death, new report on domestic violence in NH proposes changes

A group working to improve the state’s response to domestic violence incidents is proposing nearly a dozen recommendations for how the state can better protect victims — including harsher penalties for repeat offenders and training 911 dispatchers on the dynamics of domestic violence. The New Hampshire Domestic…

New Hampshire Supreme Court denies death row inmate’s latest appeal

Seven years after repealing the death penalty, New Hampshire has one inmate on death row. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court declined to intervene in his case, citing statutory authority. Michael Addison has been in prison for roughly 20 years for fatally shooting Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs in 2006. In…