New Hampshire
Harris is visiting New Hampshire, away from bigger swing states, to tout her small business tax plan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is using a New Hampshire campaign stop on Wednesday to propose an expansion of tax incentives for small businesses — presenting a pro-entrepreneur plan that may soften her previous calls for wealthy Americans and large corporations to pay higher taxes.
She wants to expand from $5,000 to $50,000 tax incentives for small business startup expenses, with the goal of eventually spurring 25 million new small business applications over four years. Harris is making the announcement while visiting the Portsmouth area, across the Piscataqua River from Maine.
New Hampshire has been reliably blue in recent presidential elections, but the trip could also have some benefit across state lines since Maine splits its electoral votes, allowing candidates to win some without carrying the full state. Still, it marks a rare deviation from Harris spending most of her time visiting a tight group of Midwest and Sun Belt battlegrounds likely to decide November’s election.
Since President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and endorsed Harris, the vice president has focused on the “ blue wall ” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that have been the centerpiece of successful Democratic campaigns.
She’s also frequently visited Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, all of which Biden narrowly won in 2020, and North Carolina, which she’s still hoping to flip from Republican former President Donald Trump.
Wednesday’s stop comes after Harris marked Labor Day with Monday rallies in Detroit and Pittsburgh and before she heads back to Pittsburgh on Friday — marking her 10th visit to Pennsylvania in 2024. By contrast, Wednesday is her first visit to New Hampshire in years.
Trump has called for lowering the corporate tax rate to 15% — a break with Biden who in his budget proposal in March suggested setting the corporate tax rate at 28%. Harris has released relatively few major policy proposals in the roughly six weeks since taking over the top of the Democratic ticket, but has not suggested she’s planning to deviate greatly from his administration on tax policy.
The small business plan Harris is presenting Wednesday has lots of facets that many in the business community would like. But that contrasts another proposal Harris unveiled last month, where she promised to help fight inflation by working to combat “price gouging” from food producers that she suggests have driven grocery store prices up unnecessarily.
Harris has built her campaign around calls to grow and strengthen the nation’s middle class — and suggested that rich Americans and large corporations should “pay their fair share” in higher taxes.
Biden, who similarly built his campaign around promoting the middle class, won New Hampshire by 7 percentage points in 2020, but Trump came much closer to winning it against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Still, the Harris campaign notes that it has 17 field offices operating in coordination with the state Democratic party across New Hampshire, compared to one for Trump’s campaign.
Some of the state’s Democrats were angry that Biden directed the Democratic National Committee to make South Carolina the first state to vote in the party’s presidential primary this year — displacing Iowa’s caucus and a first-in-the-nation primary New Hampshire held for more than a century.
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Despite that, New Hampshire pressed ahead with an unsanctioned primary. Though Biden didn’t campaign in it, or appear on the ballot, he still easily won via a write-in drive.
Trump is nonetheless hoping to use what happened to his advantage, posting on his social media account that Harris “sees there are problems for her campaign in New Hampshire because of the fact that they disrespected it in their primary and never showed up.”
“Additionally, the cost of living in New Hampshire is through the roof, their energy bills are some of highest in the country, and their housing market is the most unaffordable in history,” the former president wrote. “I protected New Hampshire’s First-In-The-Nation Primary and ALWAYS will.”
New Hampshire
Walk Through 3 Million Incredible Lights at New England’s Largest Holiday Light Show
Have you heard of Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
It’s touted as “New England’s largest and most spectacular holiday light show,” and it’s just one more incredible event you should check out this Christmas season.
According to its website, Holly Jolly Journey has added a million lights for this recent season, meaning there are now over 3 million dazzling lights you can take in while walking through.
What Is Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
Located at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Holly Jolly Journey is a walk-through Christmas light event that spans over 2/3 of a mile and features some incredible displays all along the way.
Some of the spectacular things you can see include Santa’s Workshop, Candy Cane Lane, Twinkly Tunnel and Teddy’s Christmas Corner, among others.
The walk is truly mesmerizingly festive.
The Holly Jolly Journey website also notes some new stuff for the 2025/26 season, including additions to almost every scene along the walk, more trees lit, more food and drink stations, a new 28-foot centerpiece, and a new indoor party suite.
When is the Holly Jolly Journey in Litchfield, New Hampshire?
According to its website, the Holly Jolly Journey takes place from the day after Thanksgiving through January 11. It is closed on Christmas Eve.
There are multiple time slots to choose from, starting at 4:30 p.m. and with the last time slot of the day being at 10 p.m. (for those late-night holiday owls).
It should take about an hour to complete, but you can take as long as you’d like.
READ MORE: New Hampshire’s Dazzling 2-Mile Holiday Drive-Thru With 3 Million Lights Returns for 2025
Have you decided which holiday experience you should do this season? You certainly don’t have to limit yourself to one, and Holly Jolly Journey is one you might want to consider. With over 3 million lights and incredible displays on a festive walk perfect for the family, you’ll be soaking up the sparkle of Christmas in the best way possible.
You’ll also have so many Instagram-worthy pics with that glowing backdrop!
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New Hampshire
New Hampshire woman arrested after high-speed chase ends in crash
DOVER, New Hampshire (WGME) — A New Hampshire woman is facing charges after reportedly speeding more than 100 miles per hour during a police chase.
New Hampshire State Police say it happened Saturday night on Route 16 in Dover.
Troopers say they tried to pull over the driver, Stephanie Dupont, but she took off at high speed.
Troopers say they followed her to Exit 3, where she veered off the road.
After the crash, they say she jumped out of the car and tried to flee on foot.
An off-duty officer from Ogunquit happened to be near by and was able to stop her.
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Officials say Dupont suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
New Hampshire
Judge strikes down challenge to NH absentee voting law
A superior court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of visually impaired New Hampshire voters who argued a newly passed absentee voter law violates the state constitution.
In a lawsuit filed this summer, the plaintiffs alleged the measure, which was backed by state Republicans, places a disproportionate burden on people with disabilities by making it harder to vote.
On Friday, New Hampshire Superior Court Judge David Ruoff dismissed the case, ruling that the new policies are reasonable.
The new law requires people requesting an absentee ballot to prove their identity in one of three ways: either mail in a photocopy of an ID, along with their ballot application; have their ballot application notarized; or show an ID at town hall prior to an election.
In his opinion, Ruoff said, “The identification requirements impose ordinary burdens on all absentee voters, and the possibility that it may cause additional burden on a subset of absentee voters does not render the entire statute unconstitutional.”
It isn’t clear if the plaintiffs will appeal the ruling to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
“We appreciate the Court’s recognition that the identification requirements for absentee voters are reasonable, constitutional, and consistent with New Hampshire’s long-standing election practices,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, who defended the law in court.
New Hampshire residents who vote in person are already required to show an ID at the polls when requesting a ballot. Supporters of the new law say the same safeguards should be in place for those voters who request an absentee ballot.
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