Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the Civil War prevented it being enacted in much of the South. Emancipation Day, now known as Juneteenth, commemorates June 19, 1865, when around 250,000 enslaved people were declared free in Texas. NHPR's Peter Biello talks with historian Annette Gordon-Reed, whose book, On Juneteenth, gives a view of the country’s road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and episodes from her life growing up in Texas. In 1965, she was the first child to integrate her town’s all-white schools. Juneteenth became a N.H. state holiday in 2019.

Last summer, many trails were overcrowded as outdoor enthusiasts and newcomers took advantage of the Granite State’s natural resources. In a conversation recorded before Memorial Day this year, we discussed what lessons we take from that experience and what to expect this summer. We discussed how we can balance sharing the trails with all those who want to use them, and also promote stewardship of our natural resources.

Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the Civil War prevented it being enacted in much of the South. Emancipation Day, now known as Juneteenth, commemorates June 19, 1865, when around 250,000 enslaved people were declared free in Texas. NHPR's Peter Biello talks with historian Annette Gordon-Reed, whose book, On Juneteenth, gives a view of the country’s road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and episodes from her life growing up in Texas. In 1965, she was the first child to integrate her town’s all-white schools. Juneteenth became a N.H. state holiday in 2019.

Robert Frost famously said “good fences make good neighbors” and if you’re out for a walk in the woods in New Hampshire, you will likely find a stone wall. We talk with Kevin Gardner, a master stone builder and author of several books on the subject, about the on-going appeal of stone walls and how to build them. He explains the philosophy behind the craft of placing stone and examines the mythology of the stone wall and its place in the New England imagination.

Have you hiked Mount Lafayette in N.H.'s Franconia Notch? We talk with N.H. author Ty Gagne, about his new book “The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites." It’s the true story of two friends on a winter hike that goes awry, and the search-and-rescue efforts that keep it from becoming a bigger tragedy. What makes it especially relevant for this moment is the insight into how we make high-stakes decisions and manage risk in uncertain situations.

You may have zoomed right by the broad green signs, but stopping for a moment to read a historical roadside marker gives a sense of the depth and complexity of the state’s past. The markers encompass a broad range of N.H. history: Abenaki Native Americans, poets, painters, contemporary sports figures, meeting houses, stone arch bridges, and long-lost villages, as well as factories and cemeteries. Any organization or individual can propose a historical highway marker and shepherd it through to reality. We discuss the process leading to the state's latest marker in Dover, honoring John Parker Hale.

We discuss the latest news about the new state budget, including the controversial 24-week abortion ban. We also explore the extension of the federal eviction moratorium and what that means for housing here in New Hampshire. And, we cover the latest COVID news in the Granite State.

The Exchange presents a special broadcast of Writers on a New England Stage with Rebecca Carroll. Carroll is an award-winning author, podcast host and Black culture critic.

The Exchange presents a special broadcast of Writers on a New England Stage with Diane Rehm.

The Exchange presents a special broadcast of Writers on a New England Stage with economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

The Exchange presents a special broadcast of Writers on a New England Stage with environmental activist Erin Brockovich.

The Exchange presents a special broadcast of Writers on a New England Stage with Kevin Kwan. Host Peter Biello talks with the author of the bestselling Crazy Rich Asians about his latest book, Sex and Vanity.

First responders are looking for workers’ compensation agreement amid the COVID-19 outbreak

The Legislature passes an emergency insulin plan but bipartisan support is slipping for the governor’s coronavirus orders

Schools will remain closed; a new coronavirus testing plan

Will the stay at home order be extended? And tribal governments look for help from the Trump administration

A new budget report is due; more pressure on Gov. Walz to reopen businesses

The pandemic hits the state budget; hospitals prepare to reopen for non-emergency procedures

Lawmakers ponder their next steps on the budget

State leaders say they have a new plan to fight COVID-19 in nursing homes.

It’s the last week of the legislative session, sort of

Partisan differences over the best way to fight the pandemic; state workers may lose a pay raise

Gov. Walz to lay out next steps on reopening; remembering Steve Anderson

Trying to make nursing home safer from COVID-19

The legislative session ends, but a special session is coming; Ellison goes to court to try to stop bar owner from reopening

What the Legislature wants to do when it returns; more businesses cautiously reopen

Nurses say they need more protective equipment; Asian owned businesses have been especially hard hit

Walz takes heat from those saying he’s moving too slowly on reopening businesses and churches

Results from the latest Minnesota Poll

Minneapolis city council members want to defund the police department; new agenda items for special legislative session

Six months after Gov. Tim Walz first declared the peacetime emergency, where is Minnesota in the response to the pandemic and what will the next few months bring? On this week’s Politics Friday, MPR News host Mike Mulcahy talked with Walz, discussing some of the pressing issues in Minnesota and taking listener questions from around the state. 

On Politics Friday, host Mike Mulcahy speaks with the legislative leaders of both parties about the major issues in the State Senate and House of Representatives races.

Sen. Tina Smith and her Republican challenger Jason Lewis sparred over the coronavirus response, public safety, climate change and immigration Friday during a debate on MPR News. 

What’s being done to confront the coronavirus and stem the economic fallout from the pandemic are central to this year’s election campaigns. That was clear when the candidates in Minnesota’s 2nd and 6th Congressional Districts met in separate MPR News debates Friday.

The front-runners in Minnesota’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts took part in telephone debates on Politics Friday.

The candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s 7th and 8th districts debated the major issues, on Politics Friday with host Mike Mulcahy.

Is there really such a thing as a "shy Trump voter"? Who is contacted to take part in pre-election polls? And are they reliable or not?

Striking machinists voted to reject an agreement that would have boosted wages by 35 percent. It’s another blow for Boeing, which reported a $6 billion quarterly loss on Wednesday.

The mayoral race is highlighting some of St. Cloud’s most pressing challenges, including a housing crunch, a struggle to revive its downtown and a perception that the city is less safe. Both candidates talk about addressing those problems, but they differ — sometimes subtly — on how to do so.

Many middle-income families are frustrated by the cost of higher education, feeling they earn too much for financial aid, but not enough to pay for it themselves.

Four residents of a central Minnesota mobile home park are suing its owner, claiming a faulty sewer system caused sewage to back up into their homes. The suit also claims the park’s owners installed inaccurate water meters that wildly overcalculated the amount of water residents used, and deceived them into signing new leases with stricter terms.

State environmental regulators and a group of northeastern Minnesota residents have filed separate lawsuits to block a proposed $45 million resort development near Ely and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

The Borealis route is Amtrak’s second daily train from St. Paul to Chicago and hit a ridership milestone on Oct. 24.

Pensions are a major sticking point between Boeing and its striking machinists union. Many workers want the company to restore the pension plan they lost a decade ago, but Boeing hasn’t budged.

Do you have a book in you? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a book agent and the founder of a small publishing company about changes in the publishing industry and what it takes to get your story in print.

Over 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the first few days following news that The Washington Post would not endorse any presidential candidate.

Don't be surprised if you see fewer chocolate treats in your trick-or-treating loot. Customers are souring on costly chocolate, resulting from a few disappointing cocoa crop years.

Shoppers complain that Starbucks isn’t fancy enough — but they also say it’s too expensive. The new CEO, Brian Niccol, is ordering up big changes.

Older homes are the only ones many Americans can afford, but they are costly to fix and maintain, especially for seniors. A patchwork of programs to help are underfunded and have years-long waitlists.

Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000 percent markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general.