NH through the eyes of 'techno-optimists'

Good morning, New Hampshire, and welcome to Wednesday. Today, Molly Rains and William Skipworth report on last week’s two-day Freedom Summit in Manchester, a libertarian-leaning gathering of “techno-optimists” with a shared vision for the state’s high-tech future. Also, from Stateline’s Kelcie Moseley-Morris, a look at what could be the next abortion case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. And Shauneen Miranda outlines where things stand in the vote-by-mail legal fight. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the day. — Dana

By Molly Rains and William Skipworth

More than two decades after the birth of the Free State Project, another group of philosophically united individuals have their eyes trained on New Hampshire, where they envision a home for a new kind of community. Last week, a gathering of self-described “techno-optimists” drew about 200 attendees to a Manchester event venue to talk about the state’s tech industry and stir interest in a “village” planned by four New Hampshire tech workers and prospective founders. So what does the techno-optimist vision look like for New Hampshire? Here’s how that question was answered during the Freedom Summit.

By Kelcie Moseley-Morris

A federal court ruling out of Idaho has potential implications for exceptions in abortion bans nationwide and could eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court to decide. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled earlier this month that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides a narrow right for a pregnant patient to obtain an abortion if the pregnancy could be a risk to their health, including their mental health. It’s the first ruling since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health in 2022 to find that the U.S. Constitution includes a right to abortion access in certain situations.

By Shauneen Miranda

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a procedural victory to President Donald Trump on an executive order to curb mail-in voting, but the administration is still fighting a separate ruling that limits a portion of the order and remains in effect — complicating the administration’s temporary win.