Turning 40 has been liberating, Scarlett Johansson saysVoicemail from Michigan Lottery leaves man stunned with life-changing news

In Kelly Ayotte’s campaign for governor, the now-governor-elect was clear in ads and speeches: She would not be making changes to the state’s abortion law. That law, passed in 2021, bans abortions after six months of pregnancy except in cases of fatal fetal anomalies or to protect the life of the mother. House and Senate Republican leaders also stressed in the lead-up to Election Day that their party would not pursue further abortion restrictions. But just over a week after the deadline for House bill requests for the 2025 session, some Republicans have demonstrated an interest in taking New Hampshire’s abortion restriction further. Others have explored different laws that relate to the topic. Those bills — if they passed the Legislature — could present a political challenge for Ayotte. On the other side, Democrats are continuing to advocate for legislation that would enshrine abortion rights in New Hampshire statute. Here’s a guide to some of the legislation coming up next year. Making transportation of minors without parental consent illegal In April, a private school teacher was fired after transporting a student to an abortion clinic without parents being aware, according to a subsequent lawsuit. The student in that case was over 18, meaning they did not need to have parental permission to obtain the abortion. After initially having her state teacher’s license suspended, the teacher, referred to as “Jane Doe,” filed a lawsuit about the suspension and has since had her credentials restored. But though the student in question in that case was over 18, Rep. Glenn Cordelli says there should be a law stopping adults from making similar arrangements for minors. Cordelli, a Tuftonboro Republican, has filed a bill that would create criminal and civil penalties for the “recruitment, harboring, or transporting” of a pregnant minor to obtain an abortion without parental permission — unless that child had been emancipated. “I view it as more of a parental rights issue, not an abortion issue,” Cordelli said in an interview. “A parent has the right to know what’s going on. I’ve even heard it being termed ‘kidnapping.’ ” Cordelli said he is unaware of cases in New Hampshire where minors have been taken to get abortions without parental consent but said his bill is intended to be precautionary. Information on abortion and alternatives in sex ed Rep. John Sellers, a Bristol Republican, has submitted a bill “requiring the discussion of abortion procedures and viewing of certain videos during health education in public schools.” The idea, Sellers said in an interview, is to provide students with a full understanding of abortion. “This video would actually help them understand what goes in and what’s involved in an abortion,” Sellers said. Sellers has proposed a separate bill “requiring school districts to educate students regarding adoption during health education for grades 9 through 12.” That bill is meant to teach students about potential alternatives to abortion, Sellers said. Due to intensive attention on abortion laws and rights in recent years, Sellers argues kids are already exposed to the idea of abortion. “I’m trying to protect the kids and trying to get them more educated on not only the value of life, but also, you know, if you’re going to do an abortion, this is what it is. And you know what? You don’t have to do an abortion if you have an unplanned pregnancy. You can have an adoption.” Sellers said he hasn’t heard from constituents upset about what their schools are teaching about abortion. But he said the bill is a general response to the increasing prevalence of abortion. A further abortion ban? Despite wishes by leadership, some Republican lawmakers pushed for abortion restrictions in the last session. But their plans this time around are difficult to confirm. Rep. Katy Peternel, a Wolfeboro Republican and the assistant majority whip in the House, has submitted a bill with the description “relative to restrictions on elective abortion.” What that bill does is unclear. In a text exchange, Peternel said that her bill “will allow late-term abortion when the pregnancy poses any risk to the mother’s health or there is a fatal fetal abnormality.” But she did not answer questions about whether the bill would change the current 24-week restrictions. “I don’t have any further comments at this time,” she said in response to repeated follow-up questions. The full text of Peternel’s bill will be made public by the Office of Legislative Services — the nonpartisan office that drafts bills requested by lawmakers — around the end of December. Representatives of the office declined to provide Peternel’s legislative service request describing the bill, saying it is confidential. For his part, Sellers said he would support a 15-week ban — or a six-week ban. He said many of his constituents agree. “They think the 24-week bill is way too long,” he said of his constituents. “I mean, that’s six months. If someone hasn’t made a decision in six months, that’s pretty sad. But you get both sides. No one wants to give (the right to abortion) up, but I don’t think anybody really wants to go that far out.” But more restrictions may have difficulty gaining support. In February, the House voted down by voice vote House Bill 1541, which would have required any abortion after 15 weeks to be carried out in a hospital — not an abortion provider — and in the presence of two physicians. Watching for change For the Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund — an advocacy group that operates separately from Planned Parenthood’s medical operations — the next session is about playing defense. Kayla Montgomery, the organization’s vice president of public affairs, says she’ll be watching whether any abortion restrictions clear the House and Senate and make it to the governor’s desk. “I think it’s just really important that we remember that Gov.-elect Ayotte spent a lot of time and energy and dollars explaining to people that she would not pass any abortion restrictions or any abortion bans, and it’s really important that voters hold her accountable to that,” Montgomery said. Montgomery said she is monitoring for “TRAP laws,” an acronym used by abortion rights supporters that stands for “targeted regulation of abortion providers.” That could include any laws that require abortion providers to change staffing or building layouts such as hallway widths. There are no House legislative service requests that indicate such laws. The deadline for House submissions of legislative service requests was Nov. 22, but senators have not set their deadlines and may continue to propose legislation this month. Beyond Concord, Planned Parenthood is bracing for potential funding cuts under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. In 2018, during Trump’s previous term as president, his administration passed regulations requiring reproductive health centers to draw a “bright line” to financially separate abortion care from other health care in order to continue qualifying for Title X funds. Many organizations that provide abortions — including Planned Parenthood — pulled out of receiving federal funding. Those rules, referred to by opponents as the “domestic gag order,” were overturned by President Joe Biden, but Montgomery expects Trump to restore the order when he takes office in January. New Hampshire’s Republican-led Executive Council has also blocked state family planning and reproductive health funding from going to Planned Parenthood, as well as two other organizations that provide abortions in the state: the Equality Health Center of Concord and the Joan G. Lovering Health Center of Greenland. Without the Title X or state funding, those organizations will need to rely on outside donations to continue providing health care services, which include cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, and contraceptives.Trump Selects An Actual Astronaut To Lead NASA

NFL Week 12: Aaron Rodgers says that if he plays in 2025, he would like it to be with the JetsThe states that saw the most active attacks against election certification two years ago certified the results of this year’s races without controversy this week, prompting the Arizona secretary of state to proclaim that “election denialism” is a thing of the past. Others said they weren’t so sure. Certification proceeded normally this year in part because Donald Trump won the presidential race, quieting his supporters after he had spent the campaign making unsubstantiated claims that he could lose only through widespread cheating . The statewide certification votes Tuesday in Nevada and New Mexico follow a vote Monday to certify the results in Arizona. In all three states, the certification process was tumultuous during the 2022 midterms when Democrats won most statewide offices. Those controversies followed attempts by Trump and his allies to halt or challenge certification in Michigan, Georgia and other battleground states in 2020, disrupting what until then had been a routine administrative process. This year, some who have been the most vocal in questioning the integrity of elections have instead been celebrating Trump’s victory. “The results are being accepted in the manner that they are, in part, because those who have been eroding trust or casting doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections have a result they feel good about,” said David Levine, a former local election official in Idaho who now advises on election administration issues. “Hopefully we can get back to a place where Americans can feel confident in the results even if it’s one they disagree with.” On Tuesday, Nevada and New Mexico certified their statewide results with little discussion. During Monday’s certification in Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes reflected on the lack of controversy this year. “I think the age of election denialism, for all intents and purposes, is dead,” he said. Sitting next to Fontes, state Attorney General Kris Mayes, a fellow Democrat, said she was more skeptical. Her Republican opponent in 2022 spent two years challenging his loss . “Do I think election denialism is dead? No, I don’t,” she said. “We’ll see over the next couple of election cycles what happens, but I don’t think we’re there yet.” Public confidence in elections has dropped since Trump challenged his loss in 2020 and made false claims of widespread fraud, particularly among Republicans . Some Republicans began targeting the certification process, when local and state boards certify the results after local election officials provide them with the final tally of votes. A firestorm erupted in Georgia over the summer when the state election board, with a new pro-Trump majority, attempted to politicize the certification process with changes later blocked by the courts. While certification battles did not surface after the Nov. 5 election , a vocal segment within the Republican Party remains deeply skeptical of election processes, particularly of the availability of mail ballots and the use of ballot scanners to tally votes. During a forum Monday on the social platform X led by the group Cause of America, the group's director expressed doubt about voting equipment. Shawn Smith, who also is a retired Air Force colonel, argued the certification process suppresses legitimate concerns and goes against “the sovereignty of the people.” Although not as widespread as four years ago, this sentiment did surface sporadically at the local level this month. In Washoe County, Nevada, which includes Reno and voted narrowly for Vice President Kamala Harris, the vote to certify the results was 3-1 with one abstention. Commissioner Jeanne Herman has consistently voted against certification and did not make a public comment about her vote this year. Commissioner Mike Clark, a staunch Trump supporter who had also previously voted against certification, said he would abstain and left before the vote. “I am not an election denier and clearly the person I wanted to win, won this state,” Clark said before leaving the meeting. “However, that does not mean that all the protocols were followed and that we can truly certify the election.” Such skepticism, whether in Nevada or elsewhere, leaves the door open to certification disputes during future elections. The questioning of election results isn't limited to Republicans. Even though Harris quickly conceded after losing all seven presidential battleground states , online posts among her supporters continue to raise concerns about her loss. One Reddit community that has amassed 23,000 members features a steady drumbeat of Democrats scrutinizing a result they can’t believe is real. Some posting in the group have issued calls to contact Harris and her running mate to ask them to demand a recount or otherwise object to the outcome. Among the battlegrounds, Michigan was among those where Trump and his allies pressed to halt certification of the 2020 election for Democrat Joe Biden amid false claims of fraud and manipulation. Two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers who initially opposed certification eventually relented. The state board of canvassers eventually voted to certify, even after one Republican member abstained. This year, the state board voted unanimously on Nov. 22 in favor of certifying and praised the state’s election workers. In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified his state’s results on Nov. 22. Four years ago, the Republican state official was facing immense pressure from Trump and his allies to investigate their unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Also certifying results Tuesday, and doing so unanimously, was the state Board of Elections in North Carolina. It was the only presidential battleground state won by Trump in 2020 — and the only one where he and his allies didn't make claims of fraud. Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ken Ritter in Las Vegas, Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

The states that saw the most active attacks against election certification two years ago certified the results of this year’s races without controversy this week, prompting the Arizona secretary of state to proclaim that “election denialism” is a thing of the past. Others said they weren’t so sure. Certification proceeded normally this year in part because Donald Trump won the presidential race, quieting his supporters after he had spent the campaign making unsubstantiated claims that he could lose only through widespread cheating . The statewide certification votes Tuesday in Nevada and New Mexico follow a vote Monday to certify the results in Arizona. In all three states, the certification process was tumultuous during the 2022 midterms when Democrats won most statewide offices. Those controversies followed attempts by Trump and his allies to halt or challenge certification in Michigan, Georgia and other battleground states in 2020, disrupting what until then had been a routine administrative process. This year, some who have been the most vocal in questioning the integrity of elections have instead been celebrating Trump’s victory. “The results are being accepted in the manner that they are, in part, because those who have been eroding trust or casting doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections have a result they feel good about,” said David Levine, a former local election official in Idaho who now advises on election administration issues. “Hopefully we can get back to a place where Americans can feel confident in the results even if it’s one they disagree with.” More election coverage Trump transition team suggests sidelining top adviser over pay-to-play allegations Trump threatens to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on first day in office Voters will choose judges for Mississippi’s top courts in runoff elections On Tuesday, Nevada and New Mexico certified their statewide results with little discussion. During Monday’s certification in Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes reflected on the lack of controversy this year. What to know about Trump’s second term: Staffing the administration: Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far. Plus, a look at recess appointments and how could Trump use them to fill his Cabinet. Follow all of our coverage as Donald Trump assembles his second administration. “I think the age of election denialism, for all intents and purposes, is dead,” he said. Sitting next to Fontes, state Attorney General Kris Mayes, a fellow Democrat, said she was more skeptical. Her Republican opponent in 2022 spent two years challenging his loss . “Do I think election denialism is dead? No, I don’t,” she said. “We’ll see over the next couple of election cycles what happens, but I don’t think we’re there yet.” Public confidence in elections has dropped since Trump challenged his loss in 2020 and made false claims of widespread fraud, particularly among Republicans . Some Republicans began targeting the certification process, when local and state boards certify the results after local election officials provide them with the final tally of votes. A firestorm erupted in Georgia over the summer when the state election board, with a new pro-Trump majority, attempted to politicize the certification process with changes later blocked by the courts. While certification battles did not surface after the Nov. 5 election , a vocal segment within the Republican Party remains deeply skeptical of election processes, particularly of the availability of mail ballots and the use of ballot scanners to tally votes. During a forum Monday on the social platform X led by the group Cause of America, the group’s director expressed doubt about voting equipment. Shawn Smith, who also is a retired Air Force colonel, argued the certification process suppresses legitimate concerns and goes against “the sovereignty of the people.” Although not as widespread as four years ago, this sentiment did surface sporadically at the local level this month. In Washoe County, Nevada, which includes Reno and voted narrowly for Vice President Kamala Harris, the vote to certify the results was 3-1 with one abstention. Commissioner Jeanne Herman has consistently voted against certification and did not make a public comment about her vote this year. Commissioner Mike Clark, a staunch Trump supporter who had also previously voted against certification, said he would abstain and left before the vote. “I am not an election denier and clearly the person I wanted to win, won this state,” Clark said before leaving the meeting. “However, that does not mean that all the protocols were followed and that we can truly certify the election.” Such skepticism, whether in Nevada or elsewhere, leaves the door open to certification disputes during future elections. The questioning of election results isn’t limited to Republicans. Even though Harris quickly conceded after losing all seven presidential battleground states , online posts among her supporters continue to raise concerns about her loss. One Reddit community that has amassed 23,000 members features a steady drumbeat of Democrats scrutinizing a result they can’t believe is real. Some posting in the group have issued calls to contact Harris and her running mate to ask them to demand a recount or otherwise object to the outcome. Among the battlegrounds, Michigan was among those where Trump and his allies pressed to halt certification of the 2020 election for Democrat Joe Biden amid false claims of fraud and manipulation. Two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers who initially opposed certification eventually relented. The state board of canvassers eventually voted to certify, even after one Republican member abstained. This year, the state board voted unanimously on Nov. 22 in favor of certifying and praised the state’s election workers. In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified his state’s results on Nov. 22. Four years ago, the Republican state official was facing immense pressure from Trump and his allies to investigate their unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Also certifying results Tuesday, and doing so unanimously, was the state Board of Elections in North Carolina. It was the only presidential battleground state won by Trump in 2020 — and the only one where he and his allies didn’t make claims of fraud. ___ Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ken Ritter in Las Vegas, Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.Softchoice (TSE:SFTC) Reaches New 52-Week High – What’s Next?