New Hampshire Community in Turmoil as Political Activist LGBTQ Organization Scheduled to Conduct Teacher Training

The firestorm in New Hampshire School Administrative Unit (SAU) 21 is continuing over a scheduled teacher training September 13 by political activist LGBTQ organization Seacoast Outright, which also stands with Black Lives Matter.

“In SAU21, the upcoming teacher training on September 13th has caused political factions to argue against each other,” wrote education researcher and parental rights advocate Ann Marie Banfield at Granite Grok Friday.

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New Hampshire House Passes Bill Allowing Pharmacists to Dispense Ivermectin Without a Prescription

New Hampshire may become the first state to allow the antiparasitic drug ivermectin to be obtained without a prescription. A Republican-sponsored ivermectin bill (HB 1022) passed in the N.H. State House Wednesday on a vote of 183-159 and has been sent to the State Senate for review.

“Ivermectin is available over the counter in 79 countries,”  State Representative Jim Kofalt, R-Hillsborough noted during a legislative hearing in January. “And it has a good safety profile.”

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Two U.S. House Races to Watch: New Hampshire’s 1st and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional Districts

The campaigns for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District are two races that are important to the GOP’s chances at taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas of NH-1 and Teresa Leger-Fernández of NM-3 are two Democrat incumbents that could find themselves out of a job in November if their Republican challengers have their way.

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Republicans Take Aim at New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District Seat

Republicans are taking aim at New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District seat, which is currently occupied by Democrat U.S. Representative Chris Pappas.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that they are targeting Pappas for defeat and there are four candidates in the Republican primary that are listed on their website as participating in the Young Guns program.

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Democrats Currently Lead in National Redistricting Efforts with Four States Still Completing Process

Democrats currently have the lead in redistricting efforts with four states still working on new maps.

Forty states, 46 if the states that have one congressional district are included, have finished the process of drawing new maps for U.S. House of Representatives districts. Only Florida, Missouri, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have yet to finish their redistricting process.

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New Hampshire School Boards Are Dumping the National School Boards Association After It Called Parents ‘Domestic Terrorists’

The New Hampshire School Boards Association chapter is the latest state-level organization to withdraw its membership from the National School Boards Association.

The New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA) sent out a letter to its members on Thursday that informed them of its plans “to withdraw its membership from the National School Boards Association, effective immediately.” The group cited the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) actions that “have made our continued membership untenable.”

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New Hampshire Gov. Sununu Signs Law Banning Vaccine Mandates

New Hampshire will be limited in requiring people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 under a new law signed by Gov. Chris Sununu.

The “medical freedom” law which passed the Republican-controlled Legislature on a largely party-line vote, states that people have the “natural, essential and inherent right to bodily integrity, free from any threat or compulsion by government to accept an immunization.”

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13 States Sue Biden Administration, Demand Ability to Cut Taxes

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey

Thirteen states sued President Joe Biden’s administration over an American Rescue Plan provision prohibiting states from cutting taxes after accepting coronavirus relief funds.

The 13-state coalition argued that the provision included in the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package preventing states from cutting taxes if they accept relief from the federal government is unconstitutional. The coalition, led by Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

“Never before has the federal government attempted such a complete takeover of state finances,” Morrisey said in a Wednesday statement. “We cannot stand for such overreach.”

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All New Hampshire Residents Will Be Able to Vote Absentee in Upcoming Elections

Election officials recently determined all New Hampshire residents are eligible to cast absentee ballots for municipal, primary, and general elections to keep themselves and poll workers safe from COVID-19.

“New Hampshire is working to make sure a voter will not have to choose between their personal safety and exercising their right to vote,” David Scanlan, deputy secretary of state, told The Center Square.

Under the law, voters can cast absentee ballots due to a disability.

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Commentary: In New Hampshire, Democrats Debate Who is Angrier and Most Outraged

How many of these people will survive to the next debate?

The question echoed through my mind as I watched the seven remaining (there are a couple more hangers-on but they’ll never be seen again) Democrat presidential candidates debate for the eighth time (at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, hosted by ABC News, WMUR, and Apple News and moderated by George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, Linsey Davis and WMUR-TV political director Adam Sexton) on Friday night.

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LIVE FROM IOWA: Jim Larew Explains Iowa’s First Place Standing in a Presidential Election and Defines Caucus vs Primary

  Live from WHO studios in Des Moines, Iowa Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined in studio by long-time good friend, Jim Larew and discussed Iowa’s political history while differentiating between caucus and primary in both New Hampshire and Iowa states. Leahy: I am broadcasting live from the studios of WHO radio in Des Moines, Iowa. And I am joined in the studio, we had a reunion last night, with my longtime friend, Jim Larew. Good morning Jim. Larew: Good morning Micheal. Leahy: And so Jim is, well, you’re a Democrat Jim, aren’t you? Larew: I am and I have been for a long time. Leahy: I’m just curious as to what you think is happening here in Iowa. Let’s see if we can go back to the original question. So you and I were roommates. We knew each other in college. We had a friend there, the late great Alan Brinkley. A historian. He was your thesis advisor. Larew: Yes, he was. Leahy: And you wrote a thesis on how Iowa in 1974 elected for the…

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SOLVED: Vice President Mike Pence’s Cancelled Air Force Two Trip to New Hampshire Was Reportedly Due to a Guest Under Investigation for Drug Trafficking

by Chris White   The White House abruptly cancelled a trip Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to take because he likely would’ve come face-to-face with an alleged interstate drug dealer, Politico reported Monday, citing law enforcement officials. One of the people Pence was likely to have shaken hands with at a July 3 New Hampshire event on opioid addiction was under federal investigation for moving $100,000 of fentanyl from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, the report notes. The reason for the cancellation was clouded in mystery, with President Donald Trump contributing to some of the drama. Jeff Hatch, who agreed to plead guilty Friday and spend four years in prison, works for an opioid addiction treatment center in southern New Hampshire that the vice president was set to visit. Hatch, a former New York Giants football player, has publicly discussed his own challenges with drug and alcohol addiction. The event was billed as “a roundtable discussion with former patients and alumni at the Granite Recovery Center headquarters,” which would include comments from Pence “on the opioid crisis and illegal drug flow in New Hampshire.” The vice president’s office declined to comment on the controversy, according to Politico. Hatch was caught in…

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Meet the Retired General Who Fought the Taliban on Horseback Now Running for Senate

by Peter Hasson   Retired Brig. General Don Bolduc officially announced Monday that he’s running as a Republican against Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The general was motivated to run by what he described as a crisis of leadership in national politics, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a phone interview. “We are facing a leadership crisis. Our politicians are working for themselves, and if we don’t make a change in New Hampshire, nothing’s going to change in Washington, D.C.,” Bolduc said. He said his goal is to bring “servant leadership, personal responsibility and a dedication to our core values” to the Senate. Bolduc’s 36 years in the Army included 10 tours in Afghanistan, two awards for valor, five Bronze Star medals and two Purple Hearts. He’s a former Green Beret and was the commander of Special Operations Command-Africa. The general’s announcement video highlighted his time as one of the legendary “horse soldiers” — U.S. special operations forces who invaded Afghanistan on horseback in a top-secret mission following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. I’ve always put people over politics and service over self. Check out my story ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3j83Vgli3k — Don Bolduc (@GenDonBolduc) June 24, 2019 Republicans…

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Tim Ryan on Biden Announcement: ‘I Don’t Think People Are Looking for a Superstar’

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) was on the road Friday morning after former Vice President Joe Biden officially declared candidacy, but he sat down with local media in New Hampshire to discuss the announcement. “Obviously he’s from Scranton, I’m from just outside of Youngstown—very similar communities. I think similar approaches to how we talk about these issues and recognize kind of the anxiety people are going through,” Ryan said of Biden’s announcement on the New Hampshire Now radio program. “I think the ultimate question is going to be: what’s the plan? How do you win the future? We’re divided. Who can bring the country together to win the future?” Ryan added. “People want solutions. They want answers. They want a plan. It’s not hope and change, and it’s not Make America Great Again. It’s like: tell me what you’re going to do.” The hosts then asked Ryan about Biden’s announcement video, which explicitly targeted President Donald Trump. “I don’t think people are looking for a superstar, I don’ think they’re looking for a savior. I don’t think they’re looking for a miracle. I think they’re looking for somebody who can roll their sleeves up and just grind this thing out,” Ryan…

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Former Sen. Hassan Aide Stole Gigabytes Of ‘High Value’ Data

by Luke Rosiak   A former IT aide to New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan mounted an “extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme” against the office, the culprit’s plea agreement states. The plot included the installation of tiny “keylogging” devices that picked up every keystroke. Between July and October 2018, former IT aide Jackson Cosko worked with an unnamed accomplice, a then-current Hassan employee, who repeatedly lent him a key that he used to enter the office at night and who allegedly tried to destroy evidence for him. Cosko accepted responsibility for the events revealed by federal prosecutors in court Friday. A statement of facts that Cosko agreed to says that from July to October 2018, he “engaged in an extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme, copying entire network drives, sorting and organizing sensitive data, and exploring ways to use that data to his benefit,” arranging it into folders such as “high value.” “The defendant gained access to Senator Hassan’s Office by unlawfully obtaining keys from a staffer who was (at the time) still employed in the Office” and using it to repeatedly burglarize the office. He placed small, unobtrusive devices on at least six Senate computers that captured every keystroke, including usernames and…

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New York Mayor Bill De Blasio Heads for Early-Voting State New Hampshire Ahead of Potential 2020 Run

by Evie Fordham   Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is heading to the early-voting state of New Hampshire ahead of a potential 2020 presidential run, sources close to the mayor told Politico Monday. De Blasio’s plans include a classic voter meet-and-greet at a diner in Nashua, New Hampshire, Friday morning after a meeting with Mayor Jim Donchess, reported Politico. Then he will hop over to the state’s capital city of Concord to meet with organizers from the group Rights & Democracy, New Hampshire. The group’s website says its purpose is “sending the message to our elected officials that we want policies that lead to happy, healthy, and just communities for all Granite Staters.” “[De Blasio] wants to make sure ideas like pre-K for all, paid personal time and mental health are on the table as Democrats debate the party’s vision for the future,” City Hall communications director Mike Casca told Politico. De Blasio has been quietly tapping into City Hall staffers with national political experience like Casca, who worked on Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, reported Politico. De Blasio has also tapped experienced City Hall employees Jon Paul Lupo and Jaclyn Rothenberg for his…

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Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Makes Early Moves for 2020 Presidential Bid

The only Ohio Democrat to hold or win office in the 2018 midterm elections appears to have his sights set on the White House. Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown announced that he will tour four early, and key, presidential primary states. His team refers to the trip as the “Dignity of Work” tour and will travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Concurrent with this announcement was the launch of his new website, “DignityOfWork.com.” The website is funded by America Works PAC, the senator’s personal political action committee. As of now the site only lists some of his key issues, an email registration link, and a donation page. The crux of this early campaign appears to be an appeal to the blue-collar working class that largely abandoned the Democratic party in the 2016 election in favor of President Donald Trump. He emphasizes that “dignity of work means hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are or what kind of work you do.” The campaign revolves around the point that it’s not enough to have a job, but rather a well-paying job. This is a clever messaging manipulation that both emphasizes the bipartisan call for a strong…

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Docs Suggest a Vendetta Between Two Lawyers Might Be Fueling Climate Crusade

by Chris White   Two of the attorneys representing various cities in climate litigation against oil companies have a history of suing and counter-suing each other over personal squabbles, according to documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Environmental attorneys Vic Sher and Matt Pawa got into a multi-million-dollar legal dispute in 2014 stemming from a lawsuit they both worked on against ExxonMobil. Sher, who was with Sher Leff at the time, alleged Pawa’s group, Pawa Law Group, failed to distribute money from a settlement in the case. Pawa, in turn, argued in a lawsuit that Sher was the one cheating him out of millions of dollars. Sher, who is now with Sher Edling, eventually paid Pawa about $6 million for the retributions, court documents show. The disagreement stems from a lawsuit New Hampshire filed in 2013 alleging Exxon negligently contaminated the state’s water ways with 2 billion gallons of MTBE, a gas additive experts believe poisons drinking water. The intrigue comes amid growing bad blood between the two sides. The state initially sued 26 oil companies in 2003 over the contamination. New Hampshire previously collected over $130 million for MTBE cleanup from the other defendants. The jury eventually awarded the state damages…

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New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu Among Lone Republicans Left Standing

The blue wave made its way through New Hampshire Tuesday night when both U.S. House seats went to Democrats as well as both houses of the state legislature. Neither of the state’s U.S. senators, both Democrats, were up for reelection this year. The results left incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) among the only victorious Republicans of the night in the state, beating his opponent Democrat Molly Kelly 53 percent to 46 percent. “The next two years are going to be a little bit different, but that’s OK. That’s New Hampshire. Anybody who has ideas is invited to the table,” he said in his victory speech. Sununu will also be up for reelection in 2020, since governors are elected every two years in New Hampshire. Local conservatives blamed nobody but the state GOP for the bad results. The local website GraniteGrok wrote: If the NH Republican Party wants to win, and win Consistently, act like you believe in the Platform.  Speak like you do and at each and every turn.  Vote like you do at each and every opportunity.  And Legislate like there’s no tomorrow because two days ago was that “no more tomorrow” – and you blew it. Creating additional trouble for Sununu is the state’s Executive Council, a political body…

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Voter Fraud Alert: More Than 5,000 New Hampshire Presidential Voters May Not Live In-State

Over 6,000 individuals registered to vote in New Hampshire for Election Day Nov. 8 using out-of-state driver’s licenses – and since then the vast majority have neither obtained an in-state license nor registered a motor vehicle. Speaker of the New Hampshire House Shawn Jasper, a Republican, issued the findings on Thursday based on inquiries he made…

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