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.
Livingston: Government corruption is educating future generations
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
Update: Smugglers Notch stuckage driver ticketed, company fined $2347
Boima claimed he saw a sign telling him he could drive through.
Shorts: cybersleuth honored, new UVM clinic, tree sex mystery
Though the trees can reproduce asexually, scientists still don’t understand why the male satiny willows are so scarce.
VT school sidelines fire-prone electric school buses
The Huntsville, Ontario school bus built by Lion Electric of Quebec was packed with students when the driver began to notice problems. He ordered the kids off the bus.
Education, housing reform bills unresolved
But even among supporters, there is an acknowledgment that much of the proposal includes placeholder language likely to require substantial revision—either in a forthcoming Committee of Conference or in future legislative sessions.
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
Kinsley: YIMBY, not NIMBY
We have become better at stopping things from being built than actually building them. Klein contrasted this with China, a country that seems to have an insatiable appetite for building things and the political will to make it happen.
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.
The Vermont Podcast: Guv pauses EV mandate/ hidden comms in Chinese solar products/ Ben & Jerry’s & childhood obesity
Ben Cohen dished out obesity-inducing ice cream for decades. Now he’s worried about Medicaid funding.
Barre Legion Auxiliary offers All-Veterans dinner
All veterans dine free!
Roper: From ‘Net Zero’ to just zero
Cause of death in every case: a lethal collision with reality.
Bradford man says he killed friend
Detective Sgt. Lyle Decker spoke to a confidential informant (CI) that said he learned “Nickles shot Crooker with 2 shots to the head and a shotgun blast to the chest. The CI said they burned the body and decapitated Crooker’s head,” Merriam wrote.
Communication devices hidden in Chinese solar inverters could trigger blackouts
Experts, including the former Director of the National Security Agency, warn that these devices could be used to bypass cybersecurity protections, remotely manipulate grid-connected equipment, and potentially trigger blackouts across parts of the country.
Blotter: Cattle dispute escalates to assault
Police seek help in finding missing Enosburg woman; Man arrested in Norwich University sexual assault case; Lyndonville man arrested on felony, misdemeanor warrants; Woman arrested after domestic assault in Reading
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.
Ben Cohen exercises Heckler’s Veto, removed from Congressional hearing
This disruption by Ben Cohen and others at the hearing is yet another example of what some are calling a ‘Heckler’s Veto’ – also exercised bytrans activists at a State House seminar in March.
Medical debt relief bill sends wrong signals, Scott says – but still signs it
Medical debt payment by taxpayers sets risky precedent and disincentives repayment, guv warns.
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%
Cubans plead guilty to illegal entry
U.S. Border Patrol received an image of two individuals walking south from the Canadian border near Mud Creek on May 8.
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
Feds confirm Youngblut shot, killed Maland
Maland was fatally shot and a federal investigation is underway after a vehicle stop on Interstate 91 escalated into a deadly exchange of gunfire near the U.S.-Canada border on Monday, January 20.
Video: Gov. Phil Scott explains why he’s vetoed fewer bills this year
Somewhat paradoxically, having an effective veto means he has less reason to veto. “They have to come to the table,” he said.
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.
Bill with safe injection site $$, Muzzle bill become law
The Muzzle Bill is now law.
BREAKING: Scott shifts EV mandate into neutral
Democrats leaders in the State House grudgingly accepted a pit stop in the race to zero emissions, but only for trucks.
University of Vermont plans to pay “handful” of student athletes
UVM can’t confirm the names of the students, the amounts they will be paid, how many students will be paid, nor the sports they will play.
Senate accepts $22 mil cut, OKs General Fund budget
A significant part of the $21.6 million total spending reduction comes from a $19 million shift in Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) funds.
House approves pro-union bill over GOP objections
$1.5 million in added funding for this session of the Legislature is for 1) two added weeks, probably running through May, 2) a veto session in June, if needed, and 3) a late summer/fall session to address catastrophic federal spending cuts, if needed.
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.
Legislature OKs $112 mil capital spending on state office buildings, prisons, historic sites and more
Senate and House have agreed to capital investments for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, authorizing a total of $111,965,288.
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
Senate committee cuts class size minimums from school reform
Changes to House bill praised by NEK school leader
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.
Town road foreman charged with embezzlement
Authorities say Ashline used the card—intended solely for work-related expenses—to purchase gas for his personal vehicle, along with numerous other unauthorized items.
Ban cell phones in school? Legislature ponders, documentary says yes
The documentary highlights disturbing trends, including links between social media use and increased risk of fentanyl exposure, exploitation, and youth suicide.
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
Colchester man denies stabbing murder of woman
The Howard Center allowed Compagna to be alone for up to 30 hours at a time and is considered “independent,” police said.
House, Senate shake on three biggest ‘money’ bills
The conference committee feuded over spending $700K to launch the Climate Superfund law, then grudgingly agreed to split the difference.
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.
Mahdawi praises Vermont support, says Trump administration ‘kidnapped’ him
Palestian anti-Israel activist claims he was ‘kidnapped’ by the Trump administration.
VT Headlines: Weekend flooding looms
High school, college teachers take action. Catholics weigh in on American pope. Big vote next week in Barre.
Woman murdered with ‘sharp edge,’ man arrested
Upon arrival a minute later, officers found a woman deceased inside the home. Authorities say she had been attacked with an object with a sharp edge.
Burlington, Montpelier, others get downtown dough
Installation of streetscape amenities along Main Street in Burlington include benches, bike racks, a bus shelter, and granite elevation indicators.
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.
Historic Bradford building tagged in graffiti spree
As the Queen City on Vermont’s west coast struggles with graffiti and other signs of urban decay, a small east coast town considers installing security cameras for the same reason.
Klar: Empire Wind Project’s pause has Progressives howling
Are offshore wind turbines for the birds?
‘You reap what you sow,’ NEK senator says of downtown Burlington distress
“This has worked no where in the world but the Burlington Senators and their majority friends overrode a veto by the Governor to open this hell hole,” Ingalls adds.
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.
Mahdawi headline speaker at creation of Immigrant Legal Defense Fund
The fund hopes to raise $1 million to offer legal services to immigrants subject to deportation and other federal actions.
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
Elderly man beaten and killed, body dismembered and burned – roommate charged
On the morning of February 10, the brother reportedly witnessed Stacy punching and kicking Francis. After leaving the house and returning hours later, he said Stacy told him Francis was dead and claimed to have dismembered the body in the basement.
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
Breaking: Three immigrant farm workers deported
“Of the nine members of Vermont’s farmworker community detained by Border Patrol in April, three have been deported to Mexico while five others remain in immigration detention,” said the Migrant Justice Press Release from earlier today (5/7).
AG Clark sues RFK Jr./ Amber Alert
Earn $50/day telling your Medicaid beneficiary story.
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
Despathy: Do not twist the Clean Heat repeal story, Rep. Campbell
Are you waiting for the pending lawsuit to force these destructive mandates on Vermont? It seems as if several members of your committee, well aware of the lawsuit, actually want it to proceed in order to enact this destructive and extremist policy.
‘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.’
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