Welcome to another manic Monday.

Here’s some interesting news this evening:

Here’s what else is inside today’s newsletter:

📸 Dog steals horse’s toy as his own

📰 What we’re reading, news from around the state

📢 Question of the week: Is Gov. Kelly Ayotte doing enough to stand up to the Trump administration and advocate for NH?

❓ Dear Grace: Now that my kids are teens, I’m so lonely. How do I shake this?

P.S. Consider this a good-use-of-your-inbox moment. Know someone who’d appreciate it? Send it their way.

 (Courtesy of Heather Young)

Shoutout to Heather Young, who shard this photo of her dog Trooper playing with her horse Noah’s jolly ball in New Boston. Good thing Noah doesn’t seem to mind!

📸 Got a photo to share? We want to see them. Send them by hitting the button below, and we’ll feature them in this newsletter on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Senate Republicans on Thursday passed an amended version of HB 1793 on a 14-8 party-line vote, guaranteeing faculty at New Hampshire’s public and private universities the right to carry firearms in classrooms while sending the question of arming students to a summer study committee.

The vote moves forward a policy opposed by 85% of UNH students in a recent UNH survey, according to university leadership.

Colin Booth has the full story.

🐟 Environmental advocates and federal regulators are battling over PFAS contamination in Manchester’s wastewater system …

Lawyers for the Conservation Law Foundation argued this week that the EPA failed to properly analyze whether “forever chemicals” discharged from Manchester’s wastewater treatment plant are harming the Merrimack River and nearby communities. The case could shape how PFAS pollution is handled nationwide. New Hampshire Public Radio

📚 Over at the State House, lawmakers are pushing through a wave of education bills before the legislative session wraps up …

Proposals moving forward include new rules for removing books from school libraries, revived “divisive concepts” restrictions on classroom teaching, teacher disclosure requirements to parents, possible school tax cap ballot questions, expanded free school meal eligibility, and changes to special education funding formulas. New Hampshire Bulletin

🔫 Federal prosecutors say they’ve dismantled a gun trafficking network that allegedly moved dozens of firearms from New Hampshire into Canada …

Investigators say several of the weapons later turned up at violent crime scenes in Canada, including a kidnapping and attempted murder investigation in Montreal. Authorities say at least 13 people have been charged or pleaded guilty in the case. WMUR

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte withdrew her endorsement of President Donald Trump in 2016 before later backing him again in 2024, saying he was the right choice.

Ayotte has since mostly stayed silent when it comes to Trump’s tariffs, rising gas prices, the Iran war, and a number of other issues.

So this week’s question is:

Is Ayotte doing enough to stand up to the Trump administration and advocate for NH?

Here’s what you’re saying:

“Absolutely not! Anyone with an iota of integrity or morals would find any and all of Trump’s actions intolerable. She is as cowardly as the majority of the GOP.” — Jane Duggan

Welcome to our weekly advice column, courtesy of Grace: She’s the big sister who shares her own mistakes so you can avoid making them, the coworker who builds you up to ask for the raise you deserve, and the friend who is always happy to listen.

We all need someone like Grace in our corner. Submit your own questions here.

Dear Grace,

How do I shake being so lonely? I put so much into my kids, but now they are teenagers who are old enough to do their own thing. I work from home, but I don’t talk to my coworkers much. I never leave the house…I’m just working and doing chores alone. I hate who I am becoming! Help!!!

— Painfully Lonely in Pennsylvania

Dear Painfully Lonely,

First, take a breath—and be gentle with yourself. Feeling lonely after your kids grow up is completely normal, one of the most common (and least talked about) experiences in motherhood. Millions of moms pour everything into raising their children, and when those kids start doing their own thing, it can feel like losing a piece of yourself.

The U.S. Surgeon General has even named loneliness one of America’s biggest health crises—so if you’re feeling lost, just know that nothing is wrong with you. You’re human. And here’s what I need you to hear: this is not permanent. Connection and meaning are still ahead of you. I’ve got some advice that I think will help you move in that direction….

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage with stories from NBC Boston, Boston Globe, and Galvanize Together. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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