U.S. authorizes partial evacuation of Middle East embassies; Toxic chemical leak at Ohio explosives plant prompts no-fly zone, mass evacuations
CLG: Breaking: Israel strikes Iran
Independent school tuition hangs up education funding talks
Can the Vermont House and Senate agree this week on tuition for independent schools?
Fly infestation keeps Waterford families indoors
The outbreak appeared shortly after a foul, burning odor was reported on May 16. Resident Priscilla Foster likened the smell to “rotting flesh” and said flies filled the area two days later.
Letters: Thayer wants Balint resignation
I demand Becca Balint to resign her seat in Congress immediately, and for Governor Phil Scott to organize a Special election in sixty (60) days for an open special election process to replacement her.
VT Headlines: Strafford native Noah Kahan to star in new documentary about successful music career
St. Albans sees promising results from street crimes unit; Plainfield’s longtime dam faces removal amid flooding concerns
MacDonald: Is Vermont the worst state for election integrity? Almost!
Only California and Hawaii are worse.
Balint slams Republicans in defense of trans kids
Balint calls gender reassignment treatments “necessary to keep [children] alive”
McGuinness: Democrats disguise partisan messaging as public policy discussion
If pants literally caught fire when people lied, there would be no back-ends to wipe among the elected officials who participated in this “policy” forum.
Quebec father enlists son in smuggling effort
A Quebec father who attempted to use his 18-year-old son to help smuggle him illegally into the United States near the Haskell Library and Opera House in Derby Line netted both of them short jail terms and trips back home.
Scott signs eight bills, vetoes homeless housing legislation
Supporters of H.91 say it provides a framework of permanent, comprehensive continuity of care for homeless Vermonters.
Corrected post: two summer events both celebrate life
Corrected version of post published earlier this month: Vermonters in June will rally on behalf of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion, and in August in remembrance of a beloved infant who passed away in 2019 due to a non-accidental overdose of an over-the-counter medication while in daycare.
Letter: Disrespecting flag not winning you friends
No argument justifies defiling the flag that will proudly drape my coffin.
VT Headlines: ICE mum on whereabouts of Newport detainees
Big money raised for fur babies in need of home. Training for tourism workforce. Across the river, parental rights and school choice. Fireworks and tariffs.
Tourism down, political tension blamed
Henry looked at me over his muffin. “It would take a lot more than death to get my woodchuck family to leave Vermont, Ellie.”
Klar: Marxist hate derangement on the ropes?
Fortunately, the hate cult is waning in the face of truth.
MacDonald: Gender health care IS conversion therapy
Girls are being offered double mastectomies before their first kiss. How is that conversion therapy?
Pro-Trumpers to attend No Kings rally
Supporters of Trump say they plan to attend, and will wave signs depicting the iconic ‘Fight Fight Fight’ photo of Trump moments after he was shot in Butler, PA.
Tour de Slate fights addiction
The numbers don’t lie—Vermont is in the middle of an addiction crisis. These are not just statistics. Every number is a cry for help.
CLG: 700 Marines will deploy to Los Angeles after Hegseth warned CA to control riots
Federal judge rejects Newsom’s emergency motion to block Trump’s troop deployment; LA officials implement mandatory curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time; Over 80 arrested during chaotic NYC anti-ICE protest as thousands flood the streets
Suspected girlfriend killer gets 12 years in federal
Moffitt is well known to police. One month before his arrest, Moffitt sold 100 bags of suspected fentanyl/heroin to an informant in Bennington, court records show.
Banzhaf: Deter LA rioters, sue each for all the damages
Civil lawsuits can supplement LA cops, Natl Guard, and exhortations
Vermont sues Trump for allowing ‘machine gun’ conversion kit
In July 2024, the Northern District of Texas applied Cargill v. Garland to a device called a “forced-reset trigger” (FRT) and concluded that FRTs also cannot be classified as a “machinegun.”
Celebrate Flag Day, Army & Trump birthdays on State House lawn
The American Flag is 248 years old, adopted on June 14, 1777. President Trump’s birthday is June 14, 1946, he will be 79 years young. The United States Army was born 250 years ago on June 14, 1775. “That is a lot to celebrate,” Thayer said.
Collective bargaining bill vetoed
“I’m concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify,” Scott said.
Bernie Sanders partners with ‘No Kings’ protests
Earlier this year, Sanders joined Vermont officials Becca Balint and Peter Welch on a virtual call urging renewed activism.
In Goshen, two generations of poet laureates converge
Ruth Stone House endures as a haven for writers and artists.
VT Headlines: Watching the Strawberry Moon
The union in one of Vermont’s largest school districts wants a new superintendent.
Three Rutland County students head to national SkillsUSA competition
Three Rutland area students are headed to Georgia this month to represent the area in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.
Middle school suicide survivors raise awareness
I walk today for my own struggles,” Audrey said. “I have tried to take my own life until I realized how bad it hurts to lose someone to suicide.” Her younger cousin, Noah Stone, took his own life after being bullied.
Gassett: Sanders, Welch and Balint silent and complicit in Biden scandal
They are trying hard to sell their victim mentality mindset with gas-lighting, spin and Trump-hating to whomever will believe their distortions and lies.
Roper: A final plea for property tax relief
It’s time for taxpayers’ budgets to come first!
Livingston: Just enough to keep you quiet
I’m not asking anyone to burn it down. I’m just saying this: look closely. Ask more. Believe less. Because if the system has to constantly manage your perception of freedom, it was never freedom to begin with.
Massachusetts woman arrested for attempted murder after Waterbury stabbing
At 11:24 AM on June 9, state troopers responded to a report of a stabbing at the Best Western on Blush Hill Road.
If you value independent journalism…
Independent journalism must have independent-minded, committed readers.
Baker: Balint deflects rather than confront mistake
That apology seems utterly lacking in sincerity.
‘Foundation’ trouble for both high, low spending school districts
In order for districts to adopt the new foundation formula, some will need to make dramatic cuts (over $10,000 per student) and others will see massive tax increases (up to $6,000 per student).
Soulia: $2 million later, Vermont scraps wildlife crossing
Was there a smarter path?
CLG: LA immigration riots spreading, blocking traffic
IDF ordered to stop Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg; Colombia presidential candidate shot in head at rally; New Russia sanctions bill ‘on hold’ over Trump’s stance; U.S. issues security alert for Kiev
Soros-backed group plans 30 VT ‘No Kings’ protests
The 30 ‘No Kings’ demonstrations in low-population Vermont are the most per-capita in the nation.
BREAKING: Hospital cleared for fatal overdose by doctor’s adult son
Dr. David N. Krag as executor of the estate of Peter M. Krag had sued the UVM Medical Center claiming the medical care provided by Dr. Halle G. Sobel was substandard and led to the death of the well-known local jazz musician from Shelburne five years ago.
VT Headlines: Bennington Battle Monument closed for repairs
Possum-sized robot on SoBu sports field. Unpaid leave, homeless housing legislation.
Alavi: Vermont bill confuses anti-semitism with anti-Zionism
The introduction of bill H.310, saying that standing against Apartheid Israel is antisemitic is deliberately confusing antizionism with antisemitism.
Lentzner: Midnight scribbles and the school reform bill
I’m worried that the Vermont Legislature is pulling all-nighter after all-nighter, and in a year when they look back, they will regret the very urgency compelling them forward.
Roper: Climate Action Plan 2.0: Still not a plan!
Climate Council remains an expensive, incompetent, very bad joke.
Podcast: Buzz over Balint butt-wipe comment
What was Becca Balint thinking? Thoughtless faux pad or revealing moment. Guy and Paul discuss.
Nighttime bank job, arson, hitting people with a truck
Security footage showed a male suspect forcing entry through two sets of doors and stealing from the coin area. With assistance from U.S. Border Patrol and the Richford Fire Department, troopers secured the building.
Serial bank robber sentenced
Blatt handed the teller a note demanding money, stating that he wanted $100 bills with “No dye packs,” “No bait money,” and “Fast.”
VT AG backs ban on conversion therapy for minors
The legal brief, submitted this week to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, defends Michigan’s 2023 law prohibiting licensed health professionals from attempting to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
VT Headlines: New travel ban creates chaos and confusion for VT groups
Vermont Attorney General settles with private parking company after they ‘trick consumers’ into paying fines; Today’s severe threat features heavy rain, flood risk; Arlington graduate to speak at CCV graduation
CORRECTION: Pedestrian dies weeks after hit by car – DUI suspected
Diane E. Clementine, 77, died June 2 at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she had been receiving treatment since the May 8 crash in which a vehicle veered off the road and struck her.
BREAKING: Charity donation uncertain after ICE agent hoax case abandoned
Unclear if $500 donation was sent to Vergennes charity after no felony charge pursued in bogus claim about ICE agent
Swanton, Springfield MA men face child-related charges
Authorities said the investigation began after a mandated reporter contacted officials with concerns about inappropriate conduct involving a child.
St. J cop cleared of assault
Johnson, a decorated veteran and use-of-force instructor, described the past year as the most difficult of his life, even more so than his military tours in Iraq.
Vermonters saved lives, led troops under fire at Normandy Beach
Albert Sponheimer, of East Rygate, was there that day, and was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic work as a medic…. He saved countless lives while exposing himself to heavy enemy fire on the shores of Omaha Beach.
Son of immigrant Coester says, ‘Vermont first’
My father, at ten years old, met brave, kind, and generous American soldiers at the end of World War II during the U.S. occupation of West Germany.
Balint ‘wipe our a–es’ comment explodes on social media, national TV
VDC estimates our clip has been viewed 2.5 million times on X alone and millions more on national television.
Supreme Court enforces Essex Jct. zoning outlawing cannabis-duck farm
The case involved landowner Jason Struthers, who raises and sells ducks and duck eggs, and also operates a licensed outdoor cannabis growing operation at his property.
Sex offender busted for knife assault at Burlington homeless camp
Jessup arrived at the encampment appearing angry and possibly under the influence. He accused a resident of stealing from him, then escalated the confrontation by producing a knife and slashing at the person.
No charges for woman who made bogus claim about being accosted by ICE
Vergennes Police said they had issued Grangent a court citation ordering her to appear in Vermont Superior Court in May on a felony count of false swearing and a misdemeanor charge of providing bogus information to Vergennes Police.
NH senator lobbied DHS to remove husband from travel watchlist
All the while, Tulsi Gabbard, and many other Americans, were placed on the Silent Partners’ Quiet Skies list with little to no visibility, awareness, explanation, or oversight.
Soulia: Political theater over policy
Four months in, Vermont’s budget Is balanced—but the real fight might just Be delayed
VT Headlines: Free naloxone vending machines coming
Lawmakers considering bringing the catamount back to Vermont. Many Vermonters report they’re already here.
Dawson: The role of AI in the office
Implications for Vermont’s public agencies and private businesses
Gervais: Vermont’s fiscal mess
Per the Joint Fiscal Office 2025 report, Vermont has the sixth highest per capita spending, at $15,426, yet when we look at results: Johnny can’t read, and our roads are crumbling. Let’s slash bloat and restore sanity
Trump ‘reshoring’ praised in GlobalFoundries $16 billion AI tech expansion
The company plans to expand its existing New York and Vermont operations, including additional investment in silicon photonics, gallium nitride (GaN) for power applications, and 22FDX® technology—key enablers of AI and edge computing performance.
Hansen: STEM immigration from India dispossessing America, again
Tech elites are now replacing another class of American workers; instead of offshoring factories, they are onshoring low-wage Indian immigrants.
No promises of property tax relief during next two years
Whatever Montpelier decides about school funding this month, it won’t affect property taxes next year or the year after.
VT Headlines: free entrance to state parks
June 14-15 entrance to state parks is free. Declining gasoline consumption means fewer transportation $$.
SHORTS: St. J star named two-sport Gatorade Player of the Year/ Balint challenger/ New voter portal
Never before has a Vermont athlete won the Gatorade award for two sports in the same year. Until now…..
Mott: How to give due process its due
Everyone says they want due process, but most of us only want it when it thwarts the ambitions of the other side, not when it constrains our side. But that’s not how due process works.
Letters: Payton on being a doormat, Mazur on the debt crisis
Also, Livingston on the need to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the 287(g) program
Nursing homes cited for inadequate staffing
Balint’s remark, apparently intended to underscore the urgent need for immigration reform and workforce development, drew mixed reactions—earning praise from some for its honesty and urgency, while others criticized it as crass or dismissive.
Klar: The battle over lab-grown meat heats up
Texas ban raises stakes for fake-steak makers.
Murray: A call to honor the Stars and Stripes
Let’s make a statement this summer. If you fly one flag, let it be the American flag. Let it fly high above our homes, our farms, and towns. Let it be a symbol of pride—an unwavering commitment to the liberties so many fought and died to preserve.
Dr. Oscar Peterson and the Vermont Civil Defense Division
Dr. Oscar S. Peterson Jr. believed that nuclear radiation played an important role in the future, in its capacity to extend the lives of his patients, as well as its ability to cause irreparable harm. His work specializing in radiation therapy at the University of Vermont led to an invitation to serve as Vermont’s Radiological Consultant to the Civil Defense Division of the Vermont Department of Public Safety.
Law enforcement agencies in 40 states partner with ICE program – but not Vermont
Florida law enforcement tops in U.S. in ICE participation. Even its universities are involved. Vermont is at the other extreme.
Tractor trailer crash blocks I-89
Officials have not determined what caused Belaroussi to lose control, and it is unclear whether any charges will be filed. Authorities said he did not require hospitalization.
Path to adjournment expected/ New DUI penalties/ House rep moving to Canada
“Thank You, and So Long – I have received an excellent job offer in Canada, and will begin working July 7th,” Cordes wrote.
EV mileage fee begins 1/1/27
Climate change hawks have resisted mileage tax efforts for years in the interests of promoting EV affordability.
VT Headlines: Vermont Food Bank Rutland location reopens after yearlong renovation
Green Mountain Power seeks to install up to 1,200 storage batteries in remote homes; Anonymous donor gives Vermont Law and Graduate School $10 million
Samets and Feldman: Gaza is a humanitarian tragedy—but one orchestrated by Hamas
The canary died on October 7. Are you listening now?
Roper: Vermont has a $9.1 BILLION budget
Ronald Reagan once quipped that government is like a baby, an endless appetite on one end, and no discipline on the other. No place lives up to – or down to as the case may be — that analogy more so than Vermont.
Keelan: three out-of-control engines heading full speed to collision and disaster
The driverless engines of State
Ellis: The Biden trauma and tragedy
Democrats’ hubris gave us Trump. And we are living with the consequences of that disastrous decision.
List or no list, DHS pushing on against sanctuary jurisdictions, Noem tells Fox News
The 3,000 member National Sheriffs Organization said the list was published without their knowledge and offers little direction on how sheriffs should proceed.
Soulia: Same law, different outrage: The politics of deportation
Immigration enforcement is one of the most divisive issues in American politics, but when it comes to deportation numbers, the facts are clear: President Barack Obama deported more illegal aliens than any president in U.S. history.
Smokies investigate storage unit heist, drunk lawn mower driver
Troopers responded to a 911 call about a man operating a gas-powered John Deere riding lawn mower in Randolph.
Lawsuit withdrawn after state amends law targeting pregnancy centers
The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed for dismissal of its 2023 lawsuit against the State of Vermont after the 2025 Legislature amended a law targeting pregnancy resource centers’ free speech rights.
Man indicted for shooting at Border Patrol agents in Burke
The charges stem from a July 14, 2024, incident in which Sackal allegedly fired a privately manufactured 5.56 caliber AR-type pistol at five Border Patrol agents. Federal prosecutors say the weapon functioned as a machine gun but was not registered and lacked a required serial number under federal law.
Prominent doctor sues UVMMC for negligent treatment of drug-addicted son
A prominent world-renowned doctor based in Burlington is suing the University of Vermont Medical Center for medical negligence and wrongful death for the fatal overdose of his adult son five years ago.
VT Headlines: Missing woman found, hospital may close birthing center
A regional hospital may cut its birthing center due to the endemic budget crisis.
ICE detains construction workers in Newport
Mow later, save the birds. Vermont housing shortage #2 worst in nation. Cows healthy, though.
CLG: Multiple people injured in ‘targeted terror attack’ in Boulder, Colorado
Suspect in Boulder terror attack determined to be Egyptian man in U.S. illegally – FBI
Without school $$ bill, House out until June 16
House Speaker Krowinski announced the full House would come back on June 16, which was the date previously put on the calendar for a potential session to address any bills that the Governor vetoed. The plan is now for the education conferees to continue meeting over the next few weeks to hammer out an agreement that can also satisfy Governor Scott. Stay tuned.
Dame: VTGOP condemns Rep. Balint’s “wiping” comment as demeaning towards immigrants
Last week, Vermont’s sole Congresswoman, Rep. Becca Balint, held a town hall where she stated that if we don’t increase immigration, “we’re not gonna have anyone around to wipe our asses.”
Education finance impasse: “More time is needed”
Negotiations on school finance reform will go on into June.
Governor Scott’s office insists Vermont is in full compliance with federal immigration law
“Advocates with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project said 10 construction workers were detained by ICE in Newport on Thursday,”
Podcast: Feds go after ‘Sanctuary’ VT /Property taxes / CHS vampire
The undead Clean Heat Standard
Rob Roper on today’s Vermont Podcast
We will also discuss:
-DHS citing Vermont as a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’
-Vermont’s potential new health commissioner
-Clean Heat Standard is now ‘Dead’ ?
We will also discuss:
-DHS citing Vermonts as a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’
-Vermont’s potential new health commissioner
-Clean Heat Standard is now ‘Dead’ ?
And more!
BREAKING: State of Vermont cited by Department of Homeland Security as ‘sanctuary jurisdiction defying federal immigration law’
The entire state of Vermont and the cities of Burlington, Montpelier, and Winooski have been labeled as ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ by the department of Homeland Security, and now face federal funding cuts under Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown.
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