New Hampshire
‘It’s everything’: In largest rally yet, Trump protestors descend on Concord
Sara McNeil said she felt overwhelmed.
The Warner resident, standing in front of the New Hampshire State House, was “way past the point” of worrying only about the Trump administration’s impact on the issues that are most important to her: education and reproductive rights.
“It’s everything,” McNeil said. “It’s the environment … He’s going after the food pantries, USAID, things that are just humanity.”
McNeil joined a sea of protesters that covered the State House lawn and spilled out onto Main Street in Concord on Saturday as hundreds of people from across the state rallied against President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and cuts to federal spending, programs and jobs.
This was at least the sixth protest in Concord since Trump took office less than three months ago and was the largest by far, with organizers estimating that more than 2,000 people attended. Saturday’s was one of many demonstrations to take place across New Hampshire and the country, set up by an organization called 50501 – 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
Kathy Grondine, a Litchfield resident, said she came to the capital city to protest because of Trump’s cuts to things like medical research and children’s services.
“The whole country is just making me very sad right now,” Grondine said, “and so I wanted to speak up around how I feel the Constitution is not being followed right now, and nobody’s stepping up.”
Grondine, an administrator for the state’s Division for Children, Youth and Families who protested in her personal capacity. She’s concerned about Medicare and Medicaid – especially for her sister, who has cancer.
Article continues after…
“I worry about people who need it for treatment,” Grondine said. “I have a number of people in my life who have cancer, and that really bothers me.”
Several people also said they’re upset about the tariffs recently placed on dozens of countries, which led to a steep drop in the stock market in the days prior to the protest.
“It’s affecting everybody, I know. because I hang out with people who are the same age, who are retirement age,” said Chris Halvorson, a Peterborough resident. “We’re living off essentially what is the stock market.”
Halvorson said she chose not to look at the numbers in her retirement account yet because “I didn’t want to be depressed.”
Rally-goers also called on their members of Congress to take action. Andrew Peyton, a 22-year-old from Manchester, stood near Main Street, holding up a sign that encouraged New Hampshire’s senators and representatives to “fight back.” He said he doesn’t like that U.S. senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan have voted to confirm Trump’s cabinet members, whom he views as “unqualified” to lead the country. Both Shaheen and Hassan voted in favor of 10 Trump nominees and against 12.
“I think that voting for those and kind of supporting anything in the administration is a dereliction of duty,” Peyton said. “I want to see just more activism, more obstruction … I would like to see a lot more from them in terms of obstructing the current agenda, as well as just coming up with solutions to the problems that they’re currently facing.”
Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.
NEWINGTON, NH — The body of a missing UNH student was found in Newington on Friday, according to Durham police.
Alexis Garcia, 24, was reported missing to the Durham police on Nov. 21, 2024. About six days later, police issued a missing person report and asked for assistance from the public, according to press reports. On Nov. 26, 2024, his vehicle was found abandoned at the Scammell Bridge Rest Area. Police believed it had been there for two days before he disappeared. An extensive search was conducted attempting to find him.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Newington police reported a body located near the shoreline of Little Bay. A “subsequent investigation” and “evidence located with the body” led investigators to believe it was Garcia, Durham Deputy Chief David Holmstock said. On Sunday, the office of the chief medical examiner confirmed the body was Garcia, according to an autopsy.
Andrea Amico named among USA TODAY’s Women of the Year for New Hampshire
Andrea Amico, who sounded the alarm about toxic PFAS chemicals in contaminated drinking water, is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year.
Vermont is one of the ten best state in the U.S., according to a new ranking from U.S. News and World Report.
The Best States rankings look at eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure, and fiscal stability.
With top rankings in the crime and corrections and natural environment categories, U.S. News gave Vermont the seventh spot. That makes it the second best New England state, coming in behind New Hampshire which was ranked No. 2.
Why was Vermont ranked No. 7
Vermont ranked very high in several key metrics.
It was rated as the best state for opportunity, which looks at economic opportunity, affordability and equality It’s one of the safest states, coming in at No. 4 for crime and safety. And it doesn’t slack when it comes to the natural environment, coming in at No. 9. It also ranked No. 9 for infrastructure.
The main ranking pulling it down was fiscal stability, coming in at No. 41. It’s second lowest score was education, coming in at No. 23.
Why is New Hampshire ranked so high?
New Hampshire’s first place ranking in the crime and corrections category and fourth place ranking for natural environment helped propel the state to its second-place finish.
“The state’s natural beauty stands out more for its valleys, rivers, lakes and mountains than its mere 13 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline,” said the report. “Its highest peak, Mount Washington, stands at 6,288 feet in the White Mountains, and Lake Winnipesaukee is its best-known inland resort.”
New Hampshire was also ranked 6th in opportunity, which included a first-place ranking in economic opportunity and third-place in equality.
It’s worst category was fiscal stability, with a ranking of 37th.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte said the ranking comes as “no surprise.”
“Today’s ranking is a testament to our dedicated law enforcement officers, hardworking business leaders, and energetic, independent people,” she said in a post on X, also emphasizing the state’s high public safety ranking. “Thank you to all those who protect and serve our communities each day. Together, we will ensure our state remains the safest in the nation.”
What is the best state in the country?
According to U.S. News and World Report, Utah is the best state in the country for the third year in a row.
It earned top 10 marks in five categories: fiscal stability, economy, infrastructure, education and crime and corrections.
The report said that Utah’s economy has become one of the most diverse in the U.S., giving it great strength in the fiscal-related categories.
“In the last two and a half decades, Utah’s economy has outperformed the nation, had greater strength, and when we’ve had downturns, we have been able to rebound much more quickly in our state,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.
What are the 10 best states in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report?
- Utah
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Vermont
- South Dakota
- Massachusetts
- Washington
Ex-Colorado Buffaloes Wide Receiver Signs NFL Deal With Pittsburgh Steelers
Nebraska Lawmakers Approve Another Medical Marijuana Commission Appointee From Governor
Vice President JD Vance’s Vegas visit to affect Southern Nevada traffic this week
Missing University of New Hampshire Student Found Deceased In Little Bay: Follow-Up
In New Jersey, Juneteenth is celebrated on a different day. Here’s why
-
World1 week agoSevere storms kill at least 21 across US Midwest and South
-
News1 week agoWatch: Chaos as Mexican Navy ship collides with Brooklyn Bridge, sailors seen dangling – Times of India
-
News1 week agoMaps: 3.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern California
-
Politics1 week agoTexas AG Ken Paxton sued over new rule to rein in 'rogue' DAs by allowing him access to their case records
-
Politics1 week agoAfghan Christian pastor pleads with Trump, warns of Taliban revenge after admin revokes refugee protections
-
Politics1 week agoTrump, alongside first lady, to sign bill criminalizing revenge porn and AI deepfakes
-
World1 week agoPortuguese PM’s party set to win general election, fall short of majority
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoReview | Magellan, conqueror of Philippines, as we’ve never seen him before