The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has decided to cancel its plan for an ICE detention facility in Merrimack. New emails have been released by the federal government, providing more information about New Hampshire businessman Dean Kamen’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein. State lawmakers are currently reviewing a bill that would limit abortions to 20 weeks.
Guests on this edition of NHPR’s New Hampshire News Recap include Amanda Gokee from the Boston Globe and Todd Bookman from NHPR.
Plans for the proposed ICE facility in Merrimack will not be moving forward, causing local and state officials to express surprise and relief after Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s announcement.
New emails have shed light on Kamen’s relationship with Epstein and his associate, Marcinko. Nadia Marcinko, who is a key figure in the abuse allegations against Epstein, had worked in New Hampshire for Dean Kamen. In a rare public statement, she defends Kamen by saying, “Not everyone whose name appears in the files is guilty.”
The NH House Judiciary Committee recently heard testimony regarding a bill that would limit abortion access to 20 weeks. The committee voted against recommending the bill, which aimed to reduce the current abortion limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks.
Other headlines from New Hampshire include unsealed records revealing the motive of the Nashua country club shooting suspect, a Manchester resident charged with attempted murder following a Border Patrol shooting, the Community Power Coalition losing trust and customers due to higher rates than utilities, and legislation related to gender identity being reconsidered in the NH State House.
