Congress has passed a measure to overturn California’s phased-in 2035 ban on the sale of new gas cars.
Congress kills California/VT gas car ban
Timothy Page
Roper: Unless it lowers taxes, vote NO on the education “reform” bill
Don’t just do something for the sake of doing something.
VT Headlines: Vermont’s Jewish community reacts to Israeli Embassy staffers killed in DC
Vermont state auction draws deal-hunters from across the Northeast; School board ratification vote on Rutland teachers’ contract postponed, rescheduled for next week
Jesses: Young people need civics
Upon graduation, our students need to be aware of how steeped our country is in values that recognize both the uniqueness of our form of government and how exceptional our country is in offering Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness to all without regard to religion, race, sex, ethnicity, or other demographic factors.
Klar: The vindication of Dr. Bhattacharya
Banished by the medical establishment for resisting Covid policies, he now runs the agency that made them
VT Headlines: Rutland teachers union votes to ratify new contract with city school district
Wild lake trout populations have rebounded in Lake Champlain. But scientists don’t know why; 120-mile kayak trip across Lake Champlain to benefit athletes with disabilities
CLG: Biden officials hid deadly health risks of COVID vaccines, bombshell Congressional report reveals
U.S. launches doomsday Minuteman III nuclear-capable missile in dramatic show of force; Senate votes unanimously to eliminate federal taxes on tips
Most fentanyl and terrorists enter through northern border, FBI Director Patel says
The majority of illegal border crossers were reported in New York, Washington and Vermont, The Center Square reported. In addition to arresting human traffickers and violent criminals, U.S. authorities have arrested alleged Islamic terrorists, including an Iranian with terrorist ties living in Canada and a Canadian woman who tried to poison President Donald Trump, The Center Square reported.
Soulia: Is 600,000 too small to count?
In a recently released open letter to Governor Phil Scott, health educator and Vermont Stands Up director Amy Hornblass raises a stark question: why has Vermont’s Department of Health not investigated the state’s persistent surge in excess deaths since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions?
Feds DOGE $4 million earmarked for City of Montpelier
The city was notified that $2.5 million for water main replacement and $1.5 million to elevate a 20-unit building on Elm Street damaged by 2023 floodwaters will not be funded.
Bean: Mad River devastation and the growing geoengineering dilemma
In conversation over the weekend many Vermonters pointed out that it seems to be rainy every single Saturday! While this may seem like a classic complaint during mid-May, this recent flood in the Mad River Valley certainly triggers memories of floods in Vermont in recent years.
VT Headlines: One person hit and killed by train in Essex Junction, police say
Public meeting to discuss VT’s environmental protection rules this Thursday; Susan Stock: Proposed SNAP cuts would hit Vermont hard; Can U.S. residents get vaccines in Canada: Experts say yes, but at a cost
Mills: A new IEA report and the Iberian Blackout end dreams of an ‘energy transition’
Systems that can deliver reliable power at the scales necessary for robust growth remain anchored in precisely the fuels the transitionists want to abandon.
SCOTUS restores Rep. Laurel Libby’s floor privileges, enjoins Maine Dems’ censure of her
Late last month, Rep. Libby filed an emergency petition to the United States Supreme Court, asking for their intervention in her lawsuit against Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) over the fallout from her party-line censure earlier this year that stripped her of her rights to speak on the floor or vote in the legislature.
CLG: Trump says U.S. close to a nuclear deal with Iran
Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bone; Trump accuses Biden’s advisors of treason; Israel may strike Iranian nuclear facilities
McGuinness: S.28 legalizes modern-day equivalent of coat hanger abortions
Vermonters were told passage of Article 22 would keep abortion rare, safe, and legal, yet this new law opens the floodgates to unsupervised chemical abortions, making them common and dangerous, yet still legal.
Legislators preview enviro bills for next year
A House committee recently heard the introduction of seven new bills covering five topics legislators hope to tackle.
VT CO2 emissions down 20%, but it’s still not enough
State misses emissions goal, despite fossil fuel use and pollution reduction, report says. Lawmakers earlier this month listened to the report.
Roper: Unpaid Leave Bill comes with a cost
Another unnecessary hit to small businesses.
Keelan: A college education — How it has changed
What has happened in the last two or three decades that has put college operations on the front page?
VT Headlines: Hazardous materials spill closes Williston roadway for five hours
Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia; Fewer Vermonters are dying from opioid overdoses, mirroring national trends
Letters: Edmunds on surviving a system of advocacy
Pratt on “The Trillionaires Are Coming,” and Jablow on banning hounding.
Livingston: Government corruption is educating future generations
Forget textbooks. The actual civics lesson kids are absorbing is that accountability is for the weak. That truth is optional. That the loudest person wins. This isn’t some abstract worry—it’s cultural conditioning.
Bossange: Speak out before it’s too late
Trump’s MAGA Party took over the entire Republican Party and enforced internal party discipline by using political threats and intimidation to stamp out all dissent
Three-time Bradford felon facing murder charge for missing friend
James D. Nickles Jr., 42, is now facing a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Corey Crooker, 43, of Bradford, according to records in Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea. Judge Daniel Richardson also found probable cause for a felony charge of unauthorized removal and disposal of a body without a state permit and with a misdemeanor count of false information to Vermont State Police.
Burlington gun ban bill now in House
S.131 and the end of Dillon’s Rule? Burlington gun ban tests Vermont’s Constitution and State authority
VT Headlines: Severe storms leave several roads washed out, rivers rising in Vermont & New York Saturday
‘Let’s get back to work’: Greensboro grapples with vote against affordable housing project; Former AHS Secretary Mike Smith shares plans for reviewing UVM Health Network costs; Middlebury women’s lacrosse punches ticket to NCAA semifinal
Fireovid: HHS says puberty blockers high-risk, low benefit
This comprehensive review prioritizes evidence-based medicine and questions the treatment of minors with irreversible medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.
Rodgers: Tilting at windmills won’t get the hay in the barn
It’s time we refocus our efforts on the issues that matter most to Vermonters. Let’s prioritize practical solutions over costly legal battles. Humility and hard work, not hubris and fantasy. The farmer’s way. The Vermont way.
Soulia: Why won’t DCF disclose who’s using the system?
Department refuses to release even anonymized data about where recipients came from — or if they’re from Vermont at all.
VT Headlines: Family related to Winooski Superintendent self-deports following notice from ICE
US Department of Justice ends 3-year racial discrimination settlement early at Twin Valley Middle-High School; Federal judge in Vermont hears conditions for formerly detained Tufts students’ release
How tariffs could hurt or help Vermont agriculture
The state’s agriculture industries are paying close attention to prices on products they use.
Lake Champlain shipwreck program to expand access to non-divers
Yellow buoys mark the wrecks’ locations, and divers can follow their lines down to submerged signage identifying each.
CLG: Secret Service probing ex-FBI chief James Comey for allegedly threatening Trump
U.S., China strike deal after extensive talks in Switzerland as Trump official touts ‘resolving’ ongoing trade war; Trump to sign executive order to reduce cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals up to 80%
VT Headlines: NTSB releases report on Mount Equinox plane crash
Vermont City Marathoner prepares for last leg of her training; Vermont Supreme Court holds Vorsteveld farm in contempt, clouding farm’s expansion bid
Klar: Native Americans take on Wokism
The public battle over the name “Massapequa Chiefs”
Deal: Vermont National Security Consortium needed
Maybe it takes a flatlander like me to say: you may not always feel it, but Vermont is one of the best examples of such values and bipartisanship in the nation.
Accused killers from MA face federal drug charges
Fabrice “Savage” Rumama, 21, and Samuel “Smitty” Niyonsenga, 19, are charged with knowingly and intentionally conspiring with others to distribute crack cocaine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl between September and October 2024 in Vermont and elsewhere.
Thayer: Trump ’47 makes progress on education, energy, tax/tariff
Trump is doing everything that he and his Vice President JD Vance campaigned on to win back the White House from the disastrous former President, Joe Biden. He is knocking down Biden’s policies and getting rid of the deep state and lack of due diligence from the five prior Presidents.
North Country Hospital nurses celebrate and receive awards
This year’s awardees are Katrina Bennett, RN for Commitment to Quality, Jennnifer Lavelle, RN for Commitment to Professional Growth, Lucy Carpenter, LPN for Commitment to Customer Service, and Bruce Muir, RN for Commitment to Community.
Livingston: Trump’s tariff chess
A game-theory breakdown for the NDD (Narrative Dependency Disorder–Points to reliance on media narratives as a substitute for analysis) afflicted
Klar: Catholic funding by government in the political crosshairs
If funding Catholic charities that harbor illegal immigrants is acceptable, funding Catholic schools that prepare citizens for success should be a no-brainer.
VT Headlines: Is Vermont’s electrical grid safe from hackers?
Rutland teachers’ union, school board reach deal, preventing strike; Several farmworkers detained in Vermont to have bond hearing this week; Vermont welcomes 20 new American citizens
BC/BS premiums proposed to rise 23% for individuals, 14% for groups
Proposed double-digit health care premium increases could be even larger if a current federal tax credit expires, according to a statement released by the Green Mountain Care Board, the State of Vermont’s health insurance regulator.
Gassett: Vermont’s law violations and overspending have consequences
As AG Clark and her Vermont lawyer followers publicly rallied to protest, they showed their opposition to Vermont’s responsibility to adhere to our US Constitution. This action by a US State Attorney General and more than 300 licensed lawyers defies logic, and common sense.
Vermont Granite Museum asks local taxpayers for support
Voters will decide whether to provide $15,000
How local towns are handling the emerald ash borer
The bugs have been spotted in 96 out of Vermont’s 247 municipal areas, the state says
Senate sends prison parenting bill to governor
Under the bill, fathers in prison would be able to take parenting classes, visit with their children in a child-friendly space and talk to them via free video calls.
Soulia: H.91: The homelessness overhaul no one is sure about
In theory, it’s about moving decision-making closer to the ground. In practice, it’s raising serious questions — from whether local agencies are ready, to whether the state is gambling with programs that are already working.
Fireovid: Exposing Vermont educators
Incl. is a clip from a Zoom meeting where Vermont educators are encouraged to hire based on race and gender, rather than merit.
VT Headlines: Clergy-abuse survivors share stories as Burlington Diocese declares bankruptcy
Vermont fire crews rescue motorist who drove into pond; Addison County state’s attorney DUI case in court as trial date considered; Helicopter makes controlled landing in Williston
Roper: Bernie and the privileged political class
A teachable moment (for others, not Bernie, who will never learn).
Klar: Public school gaslights community after disciplining student for conservative tee shirt
A Vermont superintendent and an attorney for a public school that prohibited a young student from wearing a shirt that states “There are only 2 genders” now claim the school did not discipline her, and that it has consistently “[done its] very best to protect free speech in schools.” These officials are using local media to gaslight the Vermont public and the school community. The school’s own emails reveal what actually occurred.
McGuinness: School reform bill supports government-run schools, not education
Our legislature and governor are acting on behalf of organizations that are involved in the education industry complex.
Racanelli: Protect voting, reject the SAVE Act
There’s a bill in Congress to make voting harder for EVERYONE
Bernie says he’ll help Trump reduce prescription drug prices
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday (5/12) implementing a “Most Favored Nation” policy that aims to align U.S. prescription drug prices. Sen. Bernie Sanders immediately promised he would work with Trump to turn the EO into a law and challenged the president to get onboard when he introduces legislation.
Flannery: Trump’s China pause
President Trump’s well-oiled marketing operation was running full blast this morning with the announcement of a “historic” agreement between the U.S. and China to lower tariffs. In fact, the action only reverses some of the worst of the tariffs that President Trump himself imposed on business between the two countries earlier this year, and the reprieve is only for 90 days.
Letters: Brook on Dems’ Trump fixation/ Rowell on Califailure
Also, Jeb Smith on Saving Democracy: To be a minority attempting to overthrow the majority (such as protesting Trump, trying to work against him, or obstructing his will) is to oppose the majority, to oppose democracy and its rightfully elected candidate, President Trump.
Jericho church opens ‘second coming’ in East St. J
The Catalyst Church on Raceway in Jericho – a suburban town in Chittenden County – will open a sister church in the former Third Congregational Church at 1095 East US Route 2 in East St. Johnsbury, and will be known as the Catalyst Church on Route 2.
Study: most of U.S. sheltered homeless are asylum seekers
Three-quarters of that rise in sheltered homelessness occurred in four “sanctuary” areas representing just five percent of the population—New York City, Chicago, Denver, and Massachusetts (primarily suburban Boston).
Hartford hit with reappraisal sticker shocker
Hartford recently announced major construction is needed for the high school building after learning PCB levels are considered dangerous and in need of remediation, with no help coming from the state. A lawsuit against Monsanto may be the only thing available outside of increasing taxes.
VT Headlines: Rutland parents, students weigh in as teachers move to a possible strike
Essex Westford School District warns families of ongoing PowerSchool data threats; Northern New York Rep. Elise Stefanik discusses possible gubernatorial run in Ticonderoga
Father of three daughters slain, roommate charged
They said Mitchal Shedrick, 52, was a suspect in the slaying and by 10:30 p.m. Vermont State Police said they had arrested him on the second-degree murder charge.
Baker: How to get the right people elected
One of the readers and commenters of this great news outlet asked how do we “get someone out of office?” There are many things a single individual can do. It all counts. Do not let the devil convince you that your vote or opinion doesn’t matter. Do not hide behind that weak rhetoric.
Samets and Kanarick: Jewish identity is not a political tool
Using antisemitism as a political tool does not make Jews safer. It cheapens our suffering and casts doubt on our legitimate concerns. Worst of all, it gives antisemites a powerful talking point.
CLG: VT judge orders bail for Ozturk
U.S. District Judge William Sessions said at the end of the hearing that Ozturk raised “very substantial” and “very significant” claims of First Amendment and due process rights violations in her case.
Peyton: Sad to see Vermont legislators take on the ‘White Christian Nationalists’
The initiative fell into the same trap we’ve seen repeated again and again: othering – casting Christian conservatives as the threat, and “tolerant liberals” as the solution.
Raid with flash-bangs nets multiple drug, weapon, fugitive busts
Homeless man no longer welcome at priest’s House. Assault includes hate crime beef.
Klar: Empire Wind Project’s pause has Progressives howling
Are offshore wind turbines for the birds?
Baker: Becca Balint, the selective defender of the Constitution
Balint’s defense of constitutional rights appears to be based on the political or ideological identity of those affected, rather than on a consistent belief in protecting the rights of all individuals.
Attempted murder charge dismissed in West Glover shooting
A 35-year-old West Glover woman has received a suspended sentence of three to five years after pleading guilty to shooting at a man’s truck as he left her property.
Page: Identity or disorder?
The untold connection between transgenderism and Body Integrity Identity Disorder
Fernandez: Why do they only protest Israel?
The hard-left haters of Israel utilize “shouting, slogan jeering, propagandizing, protesting, demonstrating, defunding, accusing, and/or ignoring or censoring opposing views.” The railing resistance obstructs entry, and sometimes resorts to physical violence against their passive and outnumbered opponents.
Roper: Fate of disastrous EV cars & truck mandates rests with Governor
Desperate calls for Scott to delay unrealistic, logistically impossible GWSA requirements with Executive Order.
RFK Jr., VT Dept. of Health differ on fluoride in water
RFK: Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. VT Dept. of Health: When communities stop adding fluoride to their water, cavities go up.
VT Headlines: Vermont sees nation’s largest household income increase
South Burlington apartment fire leaves dozens displaced; South Burlington apartment fire leaves dozens displaced; Vermont films profile Cabot and Proctorsville in the aftermath of 2023 floods
Klar: Are courts doing enough to protect public health?
Given the history of American courts shielding corporations from liability for harms caused by their products — and the growing distrust of the federal agencies charged with protecting public health above corporate profits — Americans are right to question whether their judicial system is designed to keep them safe.
New York Times climate journalist hired by VTDigger, UVM to mentor young reporters
Gaffney, a 2024–2025 New York Times climate desk fellow, has reported on federal environmental policy, sea level rise, and extreme weather for the NYT and other major outlets. Her investigative work has earned national recognition, including the prestigious Sidney Award from the Sidney Hillman Foundation.
State IT projects face closer oversight under bill
It comes from the House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure, newly formed this session in part to prioritize digital technology initiatives that had been overshadowed.
Rodgers: Taxing veterans?
Everyone in this country owes our military veterans a debt of gratitude. It’s long past time for the Legislature to pay that debt forward.
CLG: India strikes ‘terrorist targets’ in Pakistan, leading to threats of nuclear war
Bush official claims U.S. built secret $21T underground ‘city’ for rich and powerful to live if ‘near-extinction event’ happens; ISIS suspect arrested in New Orleans Bourbon Street terror attack that killed 14
From Cairo to VT, tracing path of Palestinian militant movement
“The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house…”
VT Headlines: Rush to REAL ID
Ferry Road in Charlotte, Vermont closed due to HAZMAT spill, officials say; Northern Vermont Is a Hot Spot for a Rare Fungal Infection; Large turnout, long lines straddle local DMVs in rush for REAL IDs
‘State will fight lawsuits,’ says lead sponsor of Climate Superfund Bill
Supporters of Act 122 want the Legislature to budget $700,000 to implement the ‘groundbreaking’ law intended to Make Big Oil Pay.’
I ran from the law – to run a rural farm in Vermont
To be sure, the work can be grueling, the hardships of animal care can be traumatic, and I rarely get a day off. But I have found the simple lives of rural Vermonters to be rich with originality, frugality, and innovative practicality.
Victim wounded in drive-by shooting
St. Johnsbury Police and Vermont State Police are investigating a drive-by shooting of an area man, who was left wounded by 217 Concord Avenue Tuesday afternoon, May 6.
Ellis: Annie! Trump and Me
Why the Trumpers could use a little Annie in their lives.
Keelan: Legislature keeps paying for consultants
If there is one constant I have witnessed since becoming a Vermont resident in 1988, it is the Legislature’s assigning State agency tasks to costly, out-of-state consultants.
VT Headlines: Staffing crisis spurs calls for higher pay for Vermont’s prison guards
Three Vermont farm workers detained in Louisiana; Efficiency Vermont ending commercial lighting rebate program; Brattleboro officials reduce defeated town budget, yet proposed taxes remain up by double digits
Washington County Mental Health sued in double homicide
Ex-employee claims her firing due to noting inadequate response. Jordan Houston filed the lawsuit against Washington County Mental Health Services Inc. in Vermont Superior Court in Montpelier on Friday.
Klar: What makes Vermont special is farming
There is more farm art than farming in Vermont these days. It is as if the surreal has replaced the real; idyllic sentimentality has displaced the farming culture.
Roper: Climate activist admits no real savings from “Social Cost of Carbon”
If there’s any benefit at all, it doesn’t get back to the people paying the bills.
Rodgers: The cost of VT’s electric truck mandate
Vermont’s ambitious climate goals are about to become very real, and could hit many of us in the wallet.
Moore and Johnson: Unfunded laws have only theoretical benefits
Action on these measures keeps Vermont at the forefront of climate action while avoiding the pitfalls of unfunded mandates, including those that leave space for unnecessary and counter-productive legal challenges.
Klar: Is it finally time to study SSRI antidepressants properly?
A new law may help establish whether there’s a link to mass shooters and antidepressants.
Ex-Police Chief Swanson files $5 million lawsuit
Woodstock Trustees and manager among defendants
Letters: Stahler on Roy, Smith on Democracy, Page on political courage
Somehow, the fact that Vermont emits the LEAST amount of CO2 in the nation has escaped our legislators and media.
Illegal immigrant sneaks across border with loaded gun and silencer near Haskell Library
Julio Cesar Romero-Paredes, 46, will continue to be detained pending his sentencing in U.S. District Court by Judge Mary Kay Lanthier in Rutland on Aug. 27.
Banzhaf: Due process for immigrants explained
In many cases, no trial is required to deport them. Whether or not you agree with it, this is the law.
CLG: Zelensky threatens world leaders ahead of Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations
Major outbreak fears as world’s most contagious disease hits baseball game attended by 40,000; Trump announces 100% tariff for movies produced outside U.S.; AOC heckled by ‘hysterical’ protester calling her a “war criminal”
