The pitch is appealing: more democracy, more equality, none of the gulags or secret police. But socialists themselves have been making that exact claim for more than a century—about societies we now recognize as textbook authoritarian disasters.
Page, Red Flags Press: Democratic Socialism? Deja vu, all over again
Roper: Democratic Socialists: The privileged, white, loser party?
Pollster Nate Silver breaks down who makes up the DSA.
VT Headlines: Florida evangelist speaks out about vision for former Green Mountain College campus
2 face charges after gun drawn in McDonald’s parking lot; Flash flood threat today for parts of New York, Vermont; Audit reveals Brattleboro hospital’s multiyear budget deficit has risen to at least $30 million; Vermont business leaders call for the ‘abundance agenda’
Direct descendent of Ethan Allen visits namesake tower in Burlington
The July 25 event, sponsored by the Vermont Society Sons of the American Revolution, included visits to the Ethan Allen Tower, the Ethan Allen Homestead, and Allen’s burial monument in Greenmount Cemetery.
Addison Senate candidate cites service, bipartisan commitment in contested GOP primary
Republican primaries are rare in Vermont. But in Addison County, three candidates – Andrea Treadwell, Andrew Klein, and incumbent Steve Heffernan- are competing for the GOP nomination for the two Senate seats.
Bernie defends support of Maine Senate candidate who quit the race
Within weeks of campaigning alongside his Vermont booster, Platner withdrew from the Senate campaign amid a slew of accusations highlighting alleged inappropriate behavior with women.
Keelan: Jean Freebern “know(s) when to walk away”
The present cohort of Vermont volunteers/trustees is aging, and the pool of volunteers/trustees behind them is not growing; contemporaneously, the number of nonprofits keeps proliferating.
Who are the REAL Abenaki? Among contenders, the fight goes on
The recent story about a church returning a camp to the Abenaki lands directly on top of one of the more bitter and unresolved disputes in contemporary Native American politics: whether the people receiving that land — Vermont’s four state-recognized Abenaki tribes — are who they say they are
Update: Man faces charges including attempted murder in shooting
Four people were in a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek headed northbound on Park Street when it crashed into another vehicle after the driver was apparently wounded and may have lost consciousness.
Transparency tool shows, town by town, where increased school spending has NOT led to better learning
Vermont will spend more than $2.5 billion this year on public education, even though student enrollment has fallen by roughly 30% since the late 1990s. Per-pupil spending now exceeds $30,000 each year, placing Vermont among the highest-spending states in the nation. But this unprecedented level of investment has not translated into improved student outcomes.
Blotter: Vagrants robbed and beaten, boat fire, lewd act in Walmart parking lot, gunfire/assault on cops
Miles and Sears lured the victim onto St. Paul Street from College Street with the intent to rob him, police say.
Remove unauthorized vagrant camps, Burlington Council urges
Council also says safe injection site would require changing city bylaws
VT Headlines: Another town sets short-term rental fee
Out-of-state shelter pets could carry screwworm to Vermont, officials worry; A Department of Corrections policy is quietly reshaping how long people are incarcerated in Vermont; New Vermont State University president talks enrollment challenges, future growth
Wall Street Journal spotlights health insurance overhaul ‘in Bernie Sanders’ Vermont’
Foundation for Government Accountability Data and Analytics Director Hayden Dublois is scheduled to discuss his WSJ column at 12:20 pm today, July 27,on Chronicle Conversations on WVMT AM 620 and wvmtradio.com.
Vermont just got its own search engine — and it reads the documents Google can’t
As of this morning, there is a search bar at the top of FYIVT, and it does something Google does not: It searches only Vermont, including public information the major search engines cannot see.
Compass Vermont: Under the fingernails: A day in the life of your hands in Vermont
Ten jobs employ more Vermonters than any others. Here’s what each one leaves under your nails by dinnertime — including the one that leaves nothing you can see.
Major League Fishing champ nets $100,000 win on Lake Champlain
Lane caught more than 20 pounds each day of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit event for a three-day total of 65 pounds, 7 ounces.
Bennington man faces charges including attempted murder in shooting
A Bennington man is facing multiple criminal charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and illegal possession of a firearm, following a shooting and subsequent four-vehicle crash in Bennington, officials said.
Peregrine Falcon nesting season complete
Cliffs clear to hike and climb again
Beer fest entices Canadians with at par as tourism remains low
Organizers forgo exchange rates to draw visitors from across the border.
Does Efficiency Vermont actually cut how much power we use? A reader’s question, examined.
A reader wrote in with a sharp, three-part question about Efficiency Vermont: Has the utility ever stated how much less electricity the state uses because of its work? Would that number hold up if you normalized for businesses that have left Vermont? And doesn’t cutting electricity use actually push rates up, since the grid’s fixed costs don’t go away when sales fall?
Shelburne man pleads innocent to real estate scam
To obtain the two loans, Staley submitted fraudulent tax returns to TD Bank, the indictment said.
State Police open investigation into municipal finances in Woodstock
Possible unapproved transfer of taxpayer funds from the Town of Woodstock to the Village of Woodstock to help pay for legal fees surrounding the demotion of former Police Chief Joe Swanson.
Elouise “Ellie” Ann Martin
Ellie loved Jesus, life, learning, meeting new people and sharing those things with others.
VSP: 13 more arrested for blocking ICE operations, medical office and cafe in Williston
At least three of the suspects had been arrested before for occupying the same office building in Williston.
Methodist Church returns 270-acre Covenant Hills camp to Abenaki organization
Announcing the transfer on the New England Conference website, church officials said the transfer is the first land restitution project undertaken by the New England Conference since adopting a 2023 policy directing leaders to consider land restitution when disposing of church property.
Vermont farmers see robotic weeders in action — Here’s what it takes to put one in the field
They’re bumblebee yellow, about the size of a ride-on mower, and since May they’ve been humming up and down crop rows on farms in northern Vermont with nobody driving them.
VT Headlines: Barre man pleads not guilty to hate crime against a Jewish man in Hinesburg
Man accused of vandalizing Maxie’s Deli in Rutland turns self in; Vermont governor concerned for logging industry after paper mill drops pulp production; Ex-Rutland City officer faces allegations of violating anti-bias policy, falsifying report
Iranian doctor from Atlanta remains jailed for illegal entry in VT
Court papers note that while she has strong support from a U.S. Congressman in Georgia, Ghasemi has provided false information, including a bogus date of birth, to both the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Probation Office.
Bolton Valley replaces family CEO in management shakeup
Vermont’s Bolton Valley ski resort has named a new CEO from outside the founding DesLauriers family in the latest management retooling.
Concerned about Act 181 coverage, Scott orders advertising go to local news media
Gov. Phil Scott has signed an executive order directing Vermont state agencies and departments to prioritize local newspapers, radio and television stations when purchasing advertising, in an effort to help local media inform Vermonters about what’s happening under the Golden Dome.
Kirkin’ of the Tartan in Barnet on Sunday
The 39th annual Kirkin’ of the Tartan will be held Sunday, July 26 at 11 a.m. at the Walter Harvey Meeting House in Barnet. The event honors the area’s Scottish and Reformed Presbyterian heritages.
Craft brews, theater, blueberries by the bucket, & Vermont Fairy Festival this weekend
High summer is doing its thing, and the calendar is loaded from the Champlain Islands clear down to the Shires. This weekend leans local in the best way: farm parties, a teenage cast tackling the founding fathers, blueberries by the bucket, and a whole afternoon set aside for fairies and gnomes.
Local parishes seek to block pending Roman Catholic priest abuse lawsuits
“The parishes had no authority over the pastors and priests who were assigned by the Dioceses to the parishes,” the lawsuit trying to fend off more lawsuits related to sexual abuse by Vermont Roman Catholic Church priests a half-century ago argues.
Scott approval rating falls to new low of 48% in newest UNH poll
This decline in approval comes as Scott prepares to seek a sixth term as governor and is running unopposed for the Republican nomination. If reelected, he would become the longest-serving governor in Vermont history, beating out Howard Dean who served from August 1991 to January 2003. Scott won reelection in 2024 with 73% of the vote.
CLG: Trump readies ‘massive attack’ on Iran
Trump’s Iran nightmare deepens as poll reveals Americans’ brutal verdict with war nearing five months and U.S. death toll rising.
McClaughry: Health care sharing predates health insurance
It’s worth looking back to see how a free people dealt with their health problems before government intervention accelerated in the 1930s.
BREAKING: State police bust Franklin County man for threats to troopers
An Enosburg man is facing charges of obstruction of justice, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct by electronic device after he reportedly made threats to several members of the Vermont State Police assigned to the St. Albans barracks, officials said Tuesday.
Resort supervisor charged with stealing $70K from vault
Supervisor took cash from vault, a few grand at a time, police say.
VT Headlines: Stolen Jeep found dumped and set on fire near Rutland
Iranian-born surgeon detained at Vermont border appears in federal court; Nine people, a cat displaced after Burlington house fire; Driver hits utility pole, lands on top of parked car in Ferrisburgh
Klar: Becca Balint responds hysterically to hysterical AI video
Becca Balint and Charity Clark have hypocritically indicted themselves. Hank Poitras will win his challenge, preserving the political liberties that Americans have long enjoyed despite persistent Democratic efforts to punish “misinformation” while spewing it endlessly themselves.
Moyer: New law will drive VT electricity rates even higher
These costs are pushing many Vermonters — especially our seniors/ elderly, low-income and fixed-income households — into fuel poverty.
Grant moves Vermont closer to 50% conservation goal
The Nature Conservancy’s biodiversity fund is its response to the State of Vermont goals for protecting 30% of the state by 2030 and 50% by 2050.
Morrison: Proposal 3 risks the future of right-to-work in Vermont
It would write into the Vermont Constitution a permanent ban on any future right-to-work laws for public or private sector employees, meaning future legislatures would be constitutionally barred from passing legislation banning union-membership-as-a-condition-of-employment agreements.
A cancer that spreads between fish was just confirmed in Lake Memphremagog. So can you eat what you catch?
The researchers say the disease poses no known risk to people. Vermont has never issued an advisory specific to this lake or this fish — and the only public guidance is a biologist’s personal answer.
Man charged with sex assault over 6-year-period
Held without bail.
VT Headlines: Police seek info after reported illegal dumping at state forest
VSP: missing man last seen in Duxbury; Judge denies bid by suspect’s lawyers in border patrol agent killing to change records screening process; Vermont manufacturers react to President Trump announcing new tariffs on Canadian goods; Vermont is not educating students with disabilities up to federal standards
Predator Poachers online sting group nabs suspected sex offender in Brattleboro
The video depicts police leading away a Main Street, Brattleboro resident on July 18, with Predator Poachers president Alex Rosen describing how the group posed as an 11-year-old open to a sexual encounter.
Barre Heritage Festival & Homecoming Days returns today through Saturday, celebrating Barre and Vermont pride
The festival offers something for everyone, from exploring Vermont’s granite history at the Vermont Granite Museum to enjoying live performances and local flavors in the heart of the city.
Appeals court reverses Mahdawi decision- says judge overstepped authority in deportation case
Mahdawi still free, but now must argue case in immigration courts.
Balint introduces bill to protect Vermont’s small businesses from Amazon and other retailers
Balint, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s Ending Corporate Greed Task Force, joined with New York Democrat Rep. Nydia Velázquez and several other Democratic lawmakers to introduce what they call the Online Sellers’ Bill of Rights Act of 2026.
Vermont F&W hearings on Bear Rule changes
The changes proposed by the Fish and Wildlife Board would eliminate the consecutive “early” and “late” seasons to create one bear season extending from September 1 through the last day of the regulated deer seasons.
Thayer: Memo to VT’s DSA – capitalism works, socialism doesn’t
Your website declares you want to get rid of the Presidency, the U.S. Senate, Homeland Security and ICE, State and local Law Enforcement, private businesses, prisons, our United States Constitution. What world will we live in with your ideas?
FEMA approves NEK flood repair reimbursements
The funding approved included $3.6 million to the state of Vermont to reimburse the Town of Lyndon to repair one bridge on Red Village Road and replace another washed away by the late July 2024 flooding.
Legislative crackdown on Health Care Sharing Ministries could raise costs for ratepayers, taxpayers
As Vermont’s health care insurance rates climbed higher than neighboring states, the Vermont Legislature this year tried to crack down on what some Vermonters of faith consider a more preferable, more cost-effective alternative: the health care sharing ministry (HCSM).
Bernie Sanders’ former Jewish-Outreach Director accuses him of promoting antisemitic candidates
In an interview with Jewish Insider at the Aspen Security Forum, Joel Rubin didn’t mince words, claiming that the Jewish senior Vermont U.S. senator and his movement are harming American Jews by boosting “anti-Israel, antisemitic candidates.”
Scott names former National Guard commander as Special Advisor
Governor Phil Scott also announces 144 appointments to State boards and commissions
VT Headlines: Authorities seek information about Waterbury debit, credit card thefts
Pilot rescued by residents after small plane crash in Morgan; Tractor-trailer crash closes Route 22A in Benson for hours; Youth-centered space prepares to open in Montpelier; Gas prices increase in Vermont once again
Judge eases release conditions for MA teen accused of drug-related shooting
Prosecutors argued that Said, who faces a homicide charge in the death of Christina Chatlos, 38, should not receive any additional leniency. Caledonia State’s Attorney Claire Burns told the court that the state had originally sought to hold Said without bail and remains concerned about public safety and the possibility that he could flee while living in Massachusetts.
12th Annual Brewfest brings community together to support local patients
The 12th annual Brewfest will take place July 25 from 3 to 9 p.m. at The Barn at the Top of the World, located at 1073 Upper Quarry Road in Newport. The venue is operated by Hilarie and Todd Wright, who donate its use for the charity.
Despathy: Questions to ask political candidates
It’s campaign season. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a candidate looking for your vote. Here are a few questions to ask.
Third Planet Hank video lampoons crypto king contribution in Balint’s 2022 campaign
$991,000 of the $1.1. million contribution to the LGBTQ Victory Fund was spent on behalf of Balint’s primary campaign, helping her defeat Molly Gray. Balint won easily in the general election.
Former top Sanders campaign aide arrested for trying to take cop’s gun during traffic stop
During the struggle, Healy reached toward an officer’s duty belt, grabbed the officer’s holstered firearm and attempted to remove it from the holster, police say.
Under pressure, Democrat Senate primary candidate allegedly scrubbed pro-Israel social media
Benjamin and Simon make no bones about their anti-Israel viewpoint in their article, accusing the Jewish state of “genocide in Gaza.”
Truth & Reconciliation Commission collects truth-telling tears, burns tissues
According to the commission, tissues collected during its public and private truth-telling sessions — symbolizing the tears shed as Vermonters shared their experiences — will be offered in a ceremonial fire as a gesture of healing.
VT Headlines: Vermont State Police investigating Vernon mail thefts
Memorial grows for teen killed in Burlington e-bike crash; VSP: Gun discharged accidentally into Highgate apartment; Vermont Green women finish inaugural season as national runners up; Vermont Green FC Men’s Soccer advances to USL2 Eastern Conference Finals
Homeless man with long arrest history held for assault on woman with kids present
Prior arrests for the man with ‘kill rats’ tattooed on his face include domestic assault with a deadline weapon, arson, fleeing scene of a crash.
Town Meeting initiative puts students at the center of school funding
The non-binding initiative asks whether Vermont should move toward a student-centered education funding system in which education dollars follow each child rather than being allocated primarily to school districts.
Paper mill closure bad news for Vermont forest products industry
Veteran Vermont forester and author William Sargent is warning that the closure of the Finch Wood Yard in Glens Falls could have far-reaching consequences for the Northeast’s forest products industry, calling it one of the most significant events of his more than 50-year career.
As Hawaii burns oil, Vermont gets GWSA
Perhaps electrical grids are more complicated than the mandates.
Swenson: VT healthcare system can’t handle population growth
Vermont makes a serious mistake when it treats more housing and a larger population as automatic progress. Every subdivision cut into a field, forest edge, hillside or former farm permanently removes part of the landscape that makes this state worth living in.
Two busted for drugs in South Burlington by Burlington PD
Interim Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke said the two men were arrested following a month’s long investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the downtown area of the Queen City.
Kathie Lee Gifford memoir forgives hubby Frank, who trained with New York Giants in Colchester
The New York Giants and their legends made Colchester the team’s preseason home away from home in the 1950s.
Roper: Vermont: The best place to live people are fleeing
Does CNBC’s “Best States” ranking make any sense?
Prop 3 will empower plans for a general strike
Education. Government. Health care. Prop 3 would clear obstacles to a general strike freezing activity in all three sectors.
Firefighter, motorist restrain knife-wielding transient
When the ranking firefighter confronted him assaulting the woman, Butchino allegedly threatened him with a large hunting-style knife.
Bear hound group offers reward in sow dumping case
The Vermont Bear Hound Association announced it is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible for illegally shooting and dumping the bear.
Kids injured when drunk young woman drove SUV into pool: cops
20 year old New Jersey woman charged.
Cops: 53-time repeat offender started fracas at library
Two years ago the suspect pleaded guilty to 53 charges, mostly stemming from alcohol-induced behavior.
UVM dumbs down application process amid declining enrollment
Vermont’s ranking state university is facing pushback over plans to stop requiring hopeful freshmen to submit essays with their applications.
Teenager on e-bike killed in crash
Police identified the victim as Shiloh Skalka, 16, of Burlington. Authorities said Skalka died Thursday evening from injuries suffered in the collision.
VT Headlines: Burlington protest following shooting deaths of two by ICE agents
Vermont man accused of assault with hammer, threatening baby during fight; Vermont man arrested in New York for DWI, illegal weapons possession; 25 Vermont communities could become “opportunity zones”; E-biker seriously injured after Burlington crash; Rutland County Agricultural Society shares plan to upgrade old infrastructure at Vermont State Fair; Middlebury Festival on the Green back for 47th year
Matthew Lyon, early freedom of the press champion, honored Saturday
The celebration, organized by the Fair Haven Historical Society, will begin at 11 AM in the town park with remarks from state leaders and journalists about the importance of First Amendment rights. Scheduled speakers include Gov. Phil Scott, Senate Minority Leader Brian Collamore, House Minority Leader William Canfield, and Vermont Press Association Executive Director Michael Donoghue.
Drowning in North Hero
The first deputy to arrive located the man in the water, swam out to reach him, and brought him back to shore.
Tanker fire shuts down Interstate
Vermont State Police responded at about 3:15 AM on July 17 to reports of a truck on fire in the roadway. A preliminary investigation found that a small tanker truck traveling southbound experienced an apparent mechanical problem that ignited the vehicle. The cause of the mechanical failure remains under investigation.
Son remembers….No chocolate cake like Mom’s
“July 20th was my mother and her mother’s birthday,” VDC reader recalls.
BREAKING: Massachusetts man guilty on 10 felony drug and gun counts in Vermont
It includes using 6 juveniles to sell his crack cocaine in Rutland County
New cancer drug shows promise in Mesothelioma trial
Vermont team controls disease in 67% of patients—by attacking cancer energy system
ICE looked at Derby for office space. Vermonters in the Kingdom are asking what that means.
A federal notice names Derby among sites ICE is scouting for office space. It surfaces as two ICE shootings in Maine and Texas sharpen nerves along the border.
Suspected gangster from India busted in Vermont
According to the FBI, he is accused of being a member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group, a transnational criminal organization that originated in India’s Punjab state.
Vermont Secretary of State’s office hosting free summer speaker series on Vermont history
The speaker series, titled “Those Who Came Before: 250 Years of Vermont History,” will explore the quest for liberty, equality, justice, and acceptance in Vermont. Speakers will use archival records, including those held by VSARA, to tell the stories of individuals, communities, and our nation.
Burlington Republicans to nominate Justice of the Peace candidates
GOP justice of the peace nominating meeting July 20.
Author claims cancer is a parasite: Kill it with the safe, over-the-counter antiparasitic Fenbendazole
Fenbendazole Can Cure Cancer presents Case Reports of people who have treated their own cancers along with other articles to help understand how fenbendazole works to treat cancer.
VT Headlines: Sanders denies endorsing Molly Gray for Lt. Governor
Burlington ranks number 6 in top towns to visit list; Group accuses Chittenden County sheriff’s campaign of transphobic speech against primary opponent; Ben & Jerry’s Foundation says it will shut down amid legal dispute with parent company
Fed $$ to help repurpose old high school into childcare/senior center
Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) earlier this week announced $3,547,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through the Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP).
BREAKING: Stabbing and shooting in Middlebury; Man with mental history in custody
Initial reports indicated that one man, Puma’s father, James, was stabbed and taken to Porter Hospital, apparently by his wife, Janet.
Pro-Ayatollah Orange County high bailiff moved to Russia after election
Since his November write-in election to the unpaid county post, and after he accompanied an anti-Israel activist Mohsen Mahdawi to a detention hearing in Colchester in April, 2025, Helali was reported by a Vermont community newspaper to be living in Russia.
Letters: Papal fallibility
Also, Woodstock’s budgetary correspondence. and Balint’s budgetary record.
Flagger struck by truck on Route 105 in Jay
Renee Orzolek, 49, of Craftsbury was conducting flagging operations for road maintenance near Leavitt Circle at about 3:55 p.m. when she was struck by a 2025 GMC Canyon driven by Colby Currier, 88, of Troy, according to police.
Cohen: No wonder Bernie is so hot – he’s surrounded by old people like him
Twenty-three percent of Vermont residents are over 65, placing it second nationally to Maine, with 24 percent.
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