AGP Executive Report

Caregiving Robotics: UNH-linked “A Hello Robot” is helping a Durham, N.H. family with brain-injury care by guiding exercise and daily routines, pointing to how caregiver shortages are pushing more assistive robots into homes. Construction Tech & Sustainability: Dover’s PROCON won an AGC of NH “Best in Building” award for the Lighthouse Credit Union HQ, using in-house LiDAR scanning for a 3D map of existing systems and reworking the building into a safer, higher-ceiling atrium. AI Governance & Risk: A new look at AI notetakers warns that meeting-recording tools are spreading faster than legal and compliance guardrails, especially as they retain and process conversations across jurisdictions. Cybersecurity: Eversource says phishing/social engineering exposed personal data for 3,049 customers across CT, MA, and NH, though it claims service systems weren’t affected. Space Weather: NOAA issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch, with northern lights potentially visible in New Hampshire and nearby states tonight. Community Tech Backlash: Nottingham residents pushed back hard on a proposed data center, and the planning board is drafting a temporary moratorium while it moves toward zoning changes. STEM Education Trends: A new “learning recession” scorecard finds NH students’ reading and math declines since 2019, with evidence-based literacy reforms underway.

Cybersecurity & Utilities: Eversource says phishing/social engineering attacks on two employee accounts exposed personal data for 3,049 customers across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with regulators and law enforcement notified. Energy & Climate Tech: A new “plug-and-play” thin-film solar approach is gaining attention as a lower-cost way to cut bills without full rooftop installs—an angle that matters for NH households facing rising electricity costs. Space Weather: NOAA warns a strong geomagnetic storm could bring auroras to as many as 23 states after a “cannibal” solar eruption, with impacts like radio disruptions possible. Wildlife Science: UNH and New Hampshire Fish and Game are moving ahead with a study on whether forest logging practices could change moose exposure to winter ticks—aimed at helping “zombie moose” survive parasite pressure. Education & Workforce: A study finds federal AI-related education funding is concentrated in a few states, with New Hampshire among those lagging in distribution—raising questions about access to AI training. Local Tech Governance: Nottingham residents pushed back hard on data centers; the planning board is drafting a 12-month moratorium while zoning rules are updated.

Defense & Industry: The New Hampshire Tech Alliance hosted the Northeast National Security Conference, focusing on faster defense solutions and the supply-chain risks hiding in lower-tier suppliers. Aerospace Manufacturing: Albany Engineered Composites will showcase advanced composite tech for aerospace, defense, missiles, hypersonics, and space at the Farnborough Airshow. Cyber/Privacy Policy: New Hampshire’s AGs joined coalitions opposing federal data privacy changes that would weaken state protections. Health & Outdoors: HHS announced major Lyme and tick-borne illness initiatives, including funding tied to New Hampshire, as tick season ramps up. Energy Policy: Plug-in solar rules are spreading to more states, with New Hampshire among those passing legislation. Local STEM & Community: A Bow student won the “History in the 603 Award” for research using state archives—an easy reminder that STEM skills start with good questions and real-world digging. Space Science: NASA says a meteor in Cape Cod Bay may be iron-rich and unusually dense, with limited fragments—potentially recoverable, though NASA isn’t planning a recovery.

Robotics for aging at home: UNH researchers are building dementia-support caregiving robots through the MARSS project, including “Robbie,” which can play exercise videos and send schedule reminders—aimed at easing repetitive caregiver tasks, not replacing people. Public health monitoring under threat: A proposed CDC wastewater surveillance funding cut could shrink the National Wastewater Surveillance System from about $125M to $25M a year, raising alarms as a new COVID-19 variant spreads. STEM workforce & innovation in the region: Gulf of Maine Council Visionary Awards went to NH salt marsh science leader Chris Peter and to Todd Selig for environmental stewardship. Local tech controversy: A data center proposal in Nottingham, NH triggered a fast-moving backlash and was withdrawn “for now” after petitions and public opposition. Education & visas: Lawmakers warned a New Hampshire university could lose up to 2,000 international graduate students if DHS doesn’t approve a new doctoral program by July 1. STEM learning in the community: A Smithsonian traveling exhibit on rural innovation is set to visit New Hampshire and Vermont libraries starting in June.

Tick-borne illness push: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited New Hampshire to unveil new federal efforts aimed at Lyme disease and alpha-gal, including research and prevention work meant to cut cases by 2035. Public health + policy: The same week, HHS announced a broader national tick initiative, while Wisconsin reported record Lyme numbers and linked warmer seasons to longer tick activity. Robotics for aging: The University of New Hampshire is testing in-home dementia-care robots through its MARSS project, with a robot named Robbie already helping a local family with reminders and exercise prompts. Immigration + higher ed: New Hampshire lawmakers warned a DHS approval delay could cost a university up to 2,000 international graduate students tied to a new doctoral program unless approval comes by July 1. Space science: NASA confirmed a meteor bolide over the Northeast that produced a sonic boom, with energy comparable to hundreds of tons of TNT and fragments falling near Cape Cod Bay. Data privacy: State Rep. James Spillane raised concerns about Fitbit’s transition to Google Health and whether New Hampshire’s consent rules are being followed. STEM community: A Smithsonian traveling exhibit, “Spark! Places of Innovation,” is set to tour Vermont and New Hampshire towns starting in Bellows Falls.

Tick-Borne Health Push: HHS rolled out major new Lyme and tick-borne illness initiatives, including a pilot to reduce tick populations on animals before they bite people, with New Hampshire highlighted as a key battleground. PFAS Exposure Focus: A New Hampshire Public Radio report revisits how “forever chemicals” show up in drinking water and everyday products, and why researchers at Dartmouth and others say exposure reduction is hard but still worth pursuing. Meteor Science Update: NASA confirmed a rare meteor explosion over southern New England, with fragments likely landing in Cape Cod Bay—explaining the loud booms that rattled homes across NH and nearby states. Energy & Grid Oversight: New England states urged federal regulators to reform how utilities review “asset condition” transmission projects, after complaints tied to Eversource’s X-178 project. Solar in Practice: A Concord-area nonprofit described its hands-on “barn-raising” approach to installing residential solar panels, showing how community organizing can speed up clean energy adoption. Manufacturing Spotlight: Gov. Kelly Ayotte visited Cirtronics in Milford to highlight New Hampshire’s advanced manufacturing workforce pipeline, especially in robotics and medical tech. Local Tech Business: SilverTech announced a partnership with Optimizely to help enterprises improve experimentation and personalization for digital growth. Policy Uncertainty: Net metering’s future in New Hampshire remains murky as the legislative session winds down, leaving clean-energy investors waiting on clearer rules. Infrastructure Access: A land dispute is blocking the Northern Rail Trail in Andover, forcing detours while the state looks for legal options.

Space Science: NASA says a meteor about 5 feet wide exploded over northeastern Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire, releasing energy equivalent to ~300 tons of TNT and likely dropping fragments into Cape Cod Bay—after residents reported a loud boom that shook homes. Public Health: HHS and CDC announced new Lyme and tick initiatives, including a pilot to target ticks on animals before they bite people, aiming to cut Lyme cases by 25% by 2035; meanwhile, ER visits for tick bites are at their highest for this time of year since 2017. STEM Education & Community Science: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is running butterfly programs this summer, including field training and monarch monitoring, to collect conservation data. Energy & Climate Tech (Local): A Concord-area “barn-raising” installed solar panels at a food pantry, showing how volunteer solar projects can lower costs and build community know-how. Robotics & Aging: A UNH-funded caregiver robot is helping an aging couple with daily tasks, highlighting growing interest in home robotics as care shortages worsen. STEM Pipeline: The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is seeking another high school to host a student airplane-building program.

Space Science: NASA and NOAA pinned Saturday’s “double boom” across New England to a bright bolide meteor that broke up around 40 miles up over northeast Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire, releasing energy estimated at about 300 tons of TNT and likely splashing down in Cape Cod Bay. Robotics & Aging Care: A University of New Hampshire–piloted caregiver robot is helping an N.H. couple manage daily exercise and dementia-related tasks at home, highlighting how robotics could ease the growing home-care aide shortage. Public Health (Ticks/Lyme): HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited New Hampshire to announce federal Lyme and tick-borne illness efforts, including improved testing and prevention strategies, as tick bite cases surge. Local STEM Community: MassWildLife and UMass Lowell banded peregrine falcon chicks on campus, with a webcam letting the public follow the birds as they’re monitored for conservation. Policy & Voting Tech: A federal judge struck down New Hampshire’s proof-of-citizenship voter registration law, and the state will restart a qualified voter affidavit option after the ruling.

Meteor Science: NASA confirmed a daytime fireball/bolide exploded over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire around 2:06 p.m., releasing energy estimated at about 300 tons of TNT and triggering the loud “double boom” that shook homes and sparked calls across the region. Public Health (Ticks): HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a federal Lyme disease and tick-borne illness push in New Hampshire, including work on better diagnostics, prevention efforts, and support for patients—amid rising tick-bite ER visits and ongoing concern about Lyme and alpha-gal syndrome. Robotics for Aging: A UNH-funded robot “caregiver” is helping an aging couple with a traumatic brain injury manage daily tasks at home, offering a glimpse of how home robotics could expand as caregiver shortages grow. Local STEM/Industry: New Hampshire’s aerospace and defense sector is highlighted as a growing workforce and innovation engine, with an industry consortium aiming to strengthen AI- and defense-related partnerships. Risk & Housing: A Verisk study links hail volatility and aging roofs to higher replacement costs, with roofing losses rising even as overall claims volume fell.

Hazardous Waste Enforcement: CRREL agreed to pay a $200,000 fine after New Hampshire AG investigators found 24 hazardous waste violations, including mislabeling waste and storage/reporting problems, with the penalty going to the state hazardous waste clean-up fund. Space Science & Public Safety: NASA confirmed a bright meteor/bolide fragmented over northeastern Massachusetts and southeast New Hampshire around 2:06 p.m. EDT, releasing energy estimated at about 300 tons of TNT and triggering a loud sonic boom felt across the region. Public Health (Ticks): HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a multimillion-dollar federal Lyme and tick-borne illness push in New Hampshire, including tick-control work, research and innovation challenges, and efforts to connect patients to experienced clinicians. Local Tech & Community Impact: A Nottingham data center proposal drew intense backlash and led the applicant to withdraw the application “for now,” highlighting how community opposition can quickly reshape major infrastructure plans. STEM Economy: A New Hampshire business segment spotlighted the state’s aerospace and defense sector, citing 300+ companies, 10,500 direct jobs, and growing demand for AI-skilled workforce.

Lyme fight in NH: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a major federal push against Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses during a New Hampshire stop, including a multi-million-dollar pilot to target ticks on wildlife, innovation and public-awareness funding, and a goal to cut Lyme cases by 25% by 2035. School safety tech: Manchester school leaders moved forward with a grant-funded plan to install new Pan-Tilt-Zoom security cameras at city schools to improve monitoring of outdoor, high-traffic areas. Local tech backlash: A proposed data center in Nottingham was withdrawn after community opposition surged, including a fast-growing petition and protests. Volunteer science: The New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network is recruiting volunteers for July butterfly counts, aiming to fill gaps in local species data and support conservation. AI and bias: A new study reports ChatGPT can rank states using negative traits tied to where people live, raising concerns about how AI stereotypes show up in real-world outputs. Community health access: A Keene family described how rising grocery costs are making it harder to buy fresh food, highlighting ongoing demand at local food pantries.

Lyme Disease Push: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited New Hampshire to announce new federal funding and programs aimed at cutting Lyme disease, including grants (up to $2M) for prevention and treatment efforts that use AI and open data, plus public awareness work and a goal to reduce cases by 25% by 2035. School Safety Tech: Manchester school leaders moved forward with grant-funded upgrades, recommending new Pan-Tilt-Zoom security cameras for each school to improve monitoring of entrances and outdoor gathering areas. Voting Tech & Access: A federal judge struck down New Hampshire’s hard-copy proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration, ordering the state to stop enforcing it. Community STEM & Nature Data: The New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network is inviting volunteers for July butterfly counts, aiming to fill gaps in local species data. Local Education & Career Pathways: Epping High School released its Class of 2026 Latin honors list, highlighting students with STEM and health-care training. Wildlife Spotlight: A feature on bobolinks describes the Northeast grassland bird’s “reverse tuxedo” look and breeding behavior. STEM in the Field: A homegrown guide explains hügelkultur gardening beds, using layered decomposing wood to improve water retention and early planting.

Lyme Fight: NH Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to unveil new efforts to combat Lyme disease at the State House, as tick season worsens and cases spread beyond traditional hotspots. Citizen Science: The New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network is recruiting volunteers for July butterfly counts statewide, aiming to fill gaps in local species data and support conservation. Tech + Public Safety: Investigators say facial recognition helped identify a New Hampshire man accused of attacking a Harvard student and breaking into MIT. Local Infrastructure: Keene’s committee advanced budget and bond measures, including stormwater and downtown-focused funding, plus a plan to expand fire staffing. Data Centers Under Pressure: Nottingham’s data center proposal was withdrawn hours before a town meeting after a surge of public opposition. STEM in Schools: Portsmouth High School highlighted top Class of 2026 students, including a future computer engineering student tied to UNH research and robotics. Defense Tech: BAE Systems won a major U.S. Army soft-kill active protection contract for electronic countermeasures against drones and missiles.

Cybersecurity Training: Cympire and Cyberspace Knowledge Group used the Cympire Platform to power live-fire enterprise defense training for Cyber Yankee 2026, simulating a sophisticated adversary campaign against a Fortune 500 network. AI + Policy: New Hampshire AG Jay Jones joined a coalition opposing the federal KIDS Act, arguing it would weaken state enforcement and shift online child safety oversight toward tech companies, including concerns about age checks and AI chat risks. Energy + Nuclear Planning: Connecticut and other New England states are exploring new nuclear options while backing continued operation of existing plants, including New Hampshire’s Seabrook Station, with small modular reactors on the table. Defense Industry (NH): BAE Systems plans major upgrades at its Hudson, NH campus and an Austin manufacturing overhaul, plus a U.S. Army contract for its ROOK soft-kill protection system with R&D support in Merrimack. Weather Science: NOAA’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook calls for below-normal activity tied to El Niño, but officials still urge preparedness. Local Tech/Workforce: Keefe Regional Technical School’s Class of 2026 reported 61% going to college and 50 already hired in trades.

Gun Safety & Courts: A divided federal appeals court revived a lawsuit against Newington-based Sig Sauer after a Troy, N.Y. detective said his P320 fired while holstered—judges said a jury could find a “tabbed trigger” safety might have prevented the discharge. AI & Cybersecurity: Cloudflare says it’s laying off 20% of staff while pouring more into “agentic AI,” as usage jumps sharply—an example of how tech firms are restructuring around new automation. Weather & Climate Risk: NOAA forecasts a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season tied to El Niño, but still expects multiple storms and urges preparedness. Defense Tech (NH R&D): BAE Systems (with R&D in Merrimack) won an Army contract for the ROOK soft-kill countermeasure system to disrupt drone and missile guidance. Local STEM/Tech in NH: A proposed Nottingham data center was withdrawn hours before a town hall after intense community opposition over environmental impacts and water use. Education & Workforce: Keefe Regional Technical School’s Class of 2026 reported strong college and trade placement outcomes, highlighting NH career pathways. Climate Science: Dartmouth professor Justin Mankin co-authored Nature research linking intense rainfall to drier soils—another climate-change feedback to watch. Public Health (PFAS): Maine will require insurers to cover PFAS blood tests starting Jan. 1, 2027, targeting high-exposure groups. Legal System: New Hampshire AG seeks dismissal of Pamela Smart’s latest petition to overturn her 1991 murder conviction.

Data Centers in NH: A proposed Nottingham data center backed by Thomas Moulton was withdrawn hours before a packed planning board meeting, after residents raised concerns about environmental impacts and heavy water/electricity use. Coastal Research Funding: NH Sea Grant awarded about $1.2M for six coastal and marine projects, including PFAS impacts, flooding sensors for Portsmouth, and monitoring changes in fisheries. Student Learning & Schools: A new Education Scorecard finds NH students’ academic growth is “middle of the pack,” with math slightly up and reading slightly down versus earlier years, still below pre-pandemic levels. Robotics & AI (national): Duke researchers unveiled Argus, a many-direction robot with 20 legs designed for fast movement and recovery after damage. Public Safety Outdoors: A study highlights that many hikers aren’t truly prepared for wilderness emergencies, echoing recent NH rescue incidents. Digital Safety Policy: NH-linked attorney general coalition activity continues around stronger online protections for children, pushing back on the federal KIDS Act. Home Tax Relief: NH is urging eligible homeowners to apply for the Low and Moderate Income Property Tax Relief program before the June 30 deadline, noting participation remains very low.