Africa peace deal brokered by Trump tied to U.S. resource push; Kash Patel claims he has proof former FBI bosses buried evidence that China interfered in 2020 election; Iranian nuclear scientist and his family killed in Israeli attack;
CLG: Multiple dead as snipers ambush firefighters and police in Coeur d’Alene, ID, after ‘blaze set as bait’
A Paul Bean original song: “The Ballad Of Butt Wipe Becca”
Introducing a Paul Bean Original Tune: “The Ballad of Butt Wipe Becca”
Rep. Balint’s statement on floor of Congress prompts discussion, satire on The Vermont Podcast
Political satire song lampoons Vermont congresswoman who says on the floor of the U.S. House that ICE agents are ‘vigilantes’ who ‘kidnap’ their immigrant targets.
Pro-lifers rally to defund Planned Parenthood Saturday morning
The demonstration follows a landmark ruling this week by the U.S. Supreme Court that upholds South Carolina’s decision to exclude abortion providers from its Medicaid program.
Breaking: U.S. Supreme Court rules against ‘universal injunctions’
The landmark decision came in a case involving challenges to President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160, which sought to redefine American citizenship based on parents’ immigration status.
Swanton Sector Border Patrol reports 300+ apprehensions from 45 nations
Fire displaces 10; Sledgehammer assault in St. J; Child beating
Roper: Climate action plan demands spend, spend, spend!
But no clue where the money will come from?
New historical marker recognizes early same-sex couple
“Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant lived together in Weybridge from 1807 until Charity’s death in 1851 as one of the most well-documented same-sex couples in early America,” according to a Middlebury College website.
VT Headlines: Lafayette, strawberries make triumphal return
The Marquis de Lafayette toured Vermont 200 years ago.
Migrant Justice leader linked to earlier smuggling case, feds say
The Border Patrol asked about his citizenship and De La Cruz began speaking rapidly and in a low voice that the agent could not understand. De La Cruz was asked to slow his speech, but he didn’t comply and the agent believed he was being evasive.
Deal: Balint “vigilante” comment incites sedition
Balint owes the family of slain Vermonter and Border Patrol agent David Maland an apology.
Cohen: Top Vermont lawyer goes nat’l defending “socialism s—“
“If we don’t plow the streets and fix the roads, the people aren’t going to put up with this socialism s—.” – John Franco, ex-aide to socialist Bernie Sanders
The surprising shifts climate change is bringing to Vermont farms
Vermonters turn climate uncertainty into new opportunity.
Sanders, Welch urge Hegseth to save VT veterans support program
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch wrote a letter to the Department of Defense on Wednesday, urging Secretary Pete Hegseth to restore funding for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (BYR) programs — a nationwide network of support services that includes Vermont’s Veterans and Family Outreach Program.
Coester announces 2026 bid for Congress
Pledges to “finish what we started”
White House responds to Balint’s comparing ICE agents to “vigilantes”
Balint’s remarks, delivered Wednesday during debate over immigration enforcement policy, sparked immediate backlash from the White House, with a statement calling Balint’s comments “deeply irresponsible and dangerous.”
Cohen: when Iran held a Vermont educator hostage
Former Burlington school superintendent was one of Iran’s U.S. hostages in 1979
Ex-Burlington Police Chief Murad appears to be out of the running for SB Police post
Baker said the city received 14 applications to replace Chief Shawn Burke, who resigned, effective in March, to take a two-year post as the interim police chief in Burlington.
Klar: New York bill limiting cows sparks farmer revolt
Big city sponsors face off against rural dairies.
Soulia: Why Constitutions define the law — not public opinion
Many people seem genuinely shocked when the law is enforced as written. But that kind of surprise often stems from not understanding the rules in the first place. And in the United States, those rules are defined by constitutions — at both the federal and state level.
Mexican consulate at Christ Church in Montpelier once again
Overshadowed by the recent detention of two migrant workers in Vermont, the annual mobile Mexican Consulate event at Christ Church in Montpelier brought at least 132 people from around Vermont to the capital city on Saturday, June 21. Notably fewer people attended compared to last year, when over 200 attended.
VT Headlines: Family of missing Fair Haven woman continues search for answers
Westminster’s Compass School closes its doors after 25 years; Chittenden County hotel projects continue in order to meet growing number of Vermont visitors; Morgan receives $37,000 grant for invasive species prevention at Seymour Lake
VDC joins Rob Roper on WDEV
See clips on our discussion of explosive events since Trump’s inauguration, Balint’s butt-wiping comment, and how we’ve gone from a little blog to making national headlines.
Drug arrest in Berkshire shooting/ Waterbury embezzlement
Investigators later determined that Ravelin had acquired a loan intended for Fisk’s business and diverted the funds to personal accounts from the end of 2020 through 2024.
Maine-iac drives Volvo onto footbridge, charged with DUI
Shorey drove his Volvo down a walking trail and attempted to cross a narrow wooden footbridge. The structure collapsed under the vehicle’s weight.
Breaking: Ex-Burlington Police Chief Murad finalist for SB Chief post
There is a possibility that South Burlington and Burlington will trade police chiefs.
South African man drowns near Basin Harbor in Vergennes
Emergency crews were called to the scene around 9:25 p.m. on June 24 after Kemp reportedly went underwater while swimming offshore from the Basin Harbor Club and did not resurface.
White supremacist arrested on warrant
Palermo reportedly had ties to the Brother of the White Warrior prison gang and Nazi and neo-Nazi tattoos or symbols on his body.
Roper: Did Republicans get played on Education Reform?
Republicans may have just been tricked into setting themselves up for defeat in 2026.
Highly celebrated tax relief for veterans coupled with benefits for those without a tax ID number
The long-awaited bill comes coupled with provisions that would allow eligible residents to receive public benefits if they lack a tax identification number.
Vermont non-profit tied to Chinese Communist Party-backed groups
The ISC office in China operates under the supervision of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), an entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and designated by both the Trump and Biden administrations as a CCP foreign influence operation.
VT Headlines: Plaintiff in landmark civil unions case dead at 79
The Baker case resulted in a Vermont Supreme Court decision opening the door to first civil unions, then gay marriage.
Gov. Scott to hold signing ceremony for bill easing taxes on families, retirees, veterans
The signing ceremony is scheduled for noon at the State House and will be attended by legislators, advocates, and Vermont military retirees.
Defendant who tried to hire actors for her trial pleads to have her $1.6 million fraud case tossed
Shelkrot indicated the recruited actors had been falsely told they were part of a movie and had been provided scripts for their “testimony.”
$14 mil in fed dollars tabbed for Bennington, Bolton, Rutland and Rochester – and beyond
Among other recipients, Bolton Valley Water and Community Development Co. will also receive $3 million to modernize wastewater facilities and construct new roadways to support housing and economic growth in Chittenden County.
Rare bear pair and baby bunny pix shared by Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Leave the bunnies be – and the bears too, of course.
Driver hits pedestrian, says she was fleeing armed man
A Burlington woman said she struck with her car a man pursuing her with a gun. He’s in critical condition.
Vermont Guard Soldiers prove lethality along NATO allies at Immediate Response 25
As the sun set on the final day, U.S. and Hellenic troops executed a second live-fire exercise, using U.S. Humvees and Hellenic tanks under the cover of total darkness. Working together in nighttime conditions added a new level of challenge and helped soldiers improve their coordination, communication, and trust.
Vermont rabbi quits under fire
Amid heightening tensions with his bosses for his Pro-Israel politics, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue cleric resigns immediately
CLG: Qatar says it successfully intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at US bases
Active shooter drives truck into church and opens fire on congregation in Michigan; Dow jumps 300 points as oil drops following a restrained retaliation by Iran to U.S. attacks; Suicide bomber ‘kills 22 and injures 63’ in attack on church full of worshipers in Syria
VT Headlines: South Burlington School Board to discuss superintendent’s policy noncompliance
Vermont baseball team executes ‘rough terrain evacuation’ at team bonding event; Scientists expect beech leaf disease to spread throughout Vermont this summer
Soulia: Ellis Island to ICE
The real history of U.S. Immigration Enforcement
Man held without bail after armed confrontation in Lowell
Patrick DeBonville, 30, of Island Pond was ordered held without bail by Judge Rory Thibault after pleading not guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful mischief, reckless endangerment, and illegal firearm possession by a violent felon.
Care home manager arraigned for abusing person with dementia
The alleged abuse took place in April while Agasi was employed as the house manager at Our House Too, a residential care home in Rutland.
Rosato: Defending parent of child holding F-Trump sign
The protesters were appalled by Trump and Mr. Livingston was appalled by the sign. BOTH have the right to express it.
VT pols vote to ban cellphones at school
Vermont lawmakers voted Monday to ban smartphones and other electronic devices used by students during the school day. The goal is to improve academic performance as well as battle a disturbing rise in the rates of depression and anxiety among young people in the state.
Klar: Burlington renames Church Street to Canada Street in anti-trump snub
Woke Vermonters attempt to entice Canadians with a feeble overture meant to whitewash years of poor, Marxist management that increased crime and decreased economic vitality.
Sanders, Welch, Balint say U.S. bombing Iran ‘unconstitutional’
Only Congress has the right to take the U.S. to war, said Sanders, Welch and Balint.
Shooting, two dead bodies, assault on elderly man over weekend
Tina Daigle of Hardwick was discovered deceased Thursday, June 19, at a roadside pull-off along Route 14.
VT hospital network hires 18 new doctors, providers
Health system committed to improving, preserving access to high-quality care
‘Zizian’ Cult leader indicted, linked to VT Border Patrol Agent murder
The Zizians, a group of young, highly educated computer scientists with radical vegan and transgender ideologies, gained national attention after a deadly shootout on January 20, 2025, near the Vermont-Canadian border.
Fernandez: Israel attacks Iran
A regional war could break out if Iran responds by targeting American allies and assets, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Iran could also close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.
Health insurance hike ‘down’ to 13.7%
Insurer says it’s not going bankrupt, but says recovery will take time.
In Montpelier, the pit and the jellyfish
What do a pit and a jellyfish have in common? Find out by reading ‘The Big Pit on State Street.’
Soulia: Becca Balint falls for clickbait article, falsely alarms Vermonters and veterans
Rep. Becca Balint took to Facebook recently and warned that VA doctors can now refuse care to Democrats — a claim that must have caused fear and concern to her Vermont constituents and veterans. But the troubling part isn’t just the claim itself: it’s that a sitting member of Congress, with access to primary documents and official statements, fell for a debunked narrative without pausing to verify the facts.
Gunman gets 6½ years for kidnapping Good Samaritan
Barry C. Perez, 39, formerly of Hartford, Conn., also learned he will be on supervised release for five years once he is discharged from federal prison. Chief Federal Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Perez to make $44,626 in restitution for damage to a box truck, which officials said he had stolen and crashed just before the Good Samaritan stopped to help.
VT Headlines: Cooling centers open as heat wave hits
Porta-potty urine recycled. VT art finds permanent, public home. Local hospital closes birthing center.
Woman found dead on roadside/ Intruder at Vermont Yankee
The suspected intruder, a heavy-set man with scruffy facial hair and medium-length hair, was seen inside a grey side-by-side with orange and black markings.
Klar: Immigration by the numbers
Border-crossings plummet, public approval rockets.
Judge rejects Gu’s latest legal move
Gu, who owned homes in Dorset and Winhall, maintains that all her defense lawyers before, during and after trial, including on appeals were lacking in some way, court records show. She wants her three criminal convictions overturned and to strike a $107,117 restitution order to the Bank of Bennington, one of the five financial institutions she and a co-defendant targeted in the case.
Letter: Hatred in the mouth of babes
No matter what your politics are, dragging children into the mud of adult hatred should never be normalized.
Slaves in Africa today still waiting for their Juneteenth
Reflecting on the ongoing enslavement of Black Africans in Mauritania while the nation celebrates Juneteenth.
Education reform roadmap has landmarks, offramps
As various studies and reports come back in, there will also likely be adjustments, potential detours and even offramps along the way.
Couple pleads guilty to robbing banks, cannabis dispensary
Federal authorities say Christopher Boisvert, 34, admitted in federal court in Burlington earlier this month to armed bank robbery, and Meghan Cox, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
VT Headlines: 5 years after plastic bag ban, use down 91%
Migrant Justice to protest in St. Albans today. Homeless woman (partly) blames criminal boyfriend. Pot farmers concerned about long-term future.
A week with Vermont Green: Inside the plan to build a destination for women’s soccer
Two wins and two sellouts marked this year’s women’s exhibition matches as a permanent team is in the works.
VT share of Big Pharma deal $22 mil
Vermont tax revenue down, summer school meals up.
Illegal Chinese jammers used in Vermont bank robberies, DHS says
Despite the ban, Chinese firms continue to smuggle these devices into the country. Ironically, China also prohibits civilian use of signal jammers under its own domestic law.
Study: NH, VT among states least likely to have psychopaths
In fact, if (that’s a big “if”) we’re reading this study’s charts correctly, Vermont has — by far — the lowest mean level of the “Dark Factor of Personality.”
Bananas: With any luck you’re just stupid
Recent studies by professional stupidity testers reveal what many of us have suspected for quite some time – American’s are getting stupider.
McClaughry: One big school system
Originally released Tuesday, January 1, 2002: What does it mean for a state to have One Big School System? For the answer to that, look at the only state that actually has one, Hawaii.
Donahue: The passing of the education bill, and the truth behind it
Contrary to discussions or opinions, it does not save money.
GOP Senate, House leaders: Tax relief, finally
The conversation in Montpelier has shifted from deciding which taxes to increase on already overburdened Vermonters, to deciding where we can actually provide tax relief and reduce costs.
Vermont Right to Life picnic on State House lawn
Celebrating third anniversary of the Supreme Court Dobbs decision.
Klar: Vermont free food fracas exposes Progressive folly
A controversial Burlington, Vermont, food distribution center run by self-avowed Marxist anarchists is set to be relocated due to business complaints of increasing crime and declining commerce. Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak still gave it $10k more.
VT Headlines: Juneteenth explained
45,000 Vermonters could lose health insurance under tax bill in Congress, state officials estimate.
LaFleur: my one hour of trauma at a No Kings rally
Having two schools of thought is a good thing. This is when we’re supposed to meet at the table and actually talk. But that’s no longer happening. It’s gotten violent. We’re watching it play out across the country.
Breaking: States can ban transgender transition treatments on minors
The matter, according to the Court, is one for individual states and their residents to decide.
Man killed in ATV crash
Police say Belisle had been traveling northbound on a Kawasaki Prairie ATV in rainy conditions when he went off the left side of the wet roadway and struck a tree head-on.
Photo from St. J ‘No Kings’ rally stirs outrage
Her mother said the sign was the seven-year-old girl’s own idea.
VT Headlines: Future of juvenile rehabilitation facility uncertain, sources say
Ski Vermont says ridership increased from last season compared to previous; Billings Farm hosts family-friendly dairy celebration in Woodstock
$1.8M budget blooper leaves Burlington cutting two new cops
The last-minute budget adjustments cut two of the 10 planned new hires for the short-staffed Burlington Police Department, but would maintain the planned increase in the city’s racial equity office.
Klar: Chemical-drenched corn is not MAHA-friendly
Mine is not a left-wing voice of animal rights idealism or return-to-the-land idyllicism. This is just plain old real science.
Sheriff’s deputy cited for domestic assault, placed on leave
Windsor County Sheriff’s Department placed Adams on administrative leave and requested the Bennington County Sheriff’s Department conduct an Internal Affairs administrative investigation.
Soulia: Unmasking hypocrisy
Vermont officials condemn agents who hide their faces — but not protesters
Two Massachusetts men busted in SoBu drug raid
Two Springfield, MA men arrested on drug charges.
Bunker Hill veteran opened tavern in Newbury
June 17 is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!
Sanders says no war with Iran
The bill follows Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets on Friday, June 13.
384 households will be living on the street after July 1, advocates warn
Failure to extend the program will leave Vermonters living in cars, parks, sidewalks and riverbanks, they said.
H.454 – how your legislators voted on the big school bill, and why
An unusually high number of senators chose to explain their votes.
Hundreds join “No Kings” demonstration in Newport
The group emphasized themes of constitutional rights and opposition to what they characterized as authoritarian governance. No arrests were reported.
Youth sets fishing derby record
Grayson Carey reeled in a new LCI Derby record sheepshead the morning of Sunday, June 15. It weighed in at 28.51 pounds, beating the previous record of 24.97.
Rutland County man faces $1 million IRS fraud case
A cryptocurrency trader from Rutland County is facing a federal charge of bilking the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $1 million in income taxes, penalties and interest, according to a new federal indictment filed in Burlington.
Border Patrol agents train on drone tech, Migrant Justice leaders detained
“Using unmanned aerial systems provides our agents with better situational awareness in difficult terrain, which can be critical in saving lives or preventing illegal activity,” a Border Patrol spokesperson said.
Murray: A veteran responds to the No Kings fallacies
Let’s set aside the anger, refocus on the real challenges facing our state, and come together to restore the Vermont we know and love.
VT Headlines: VT AG signs on to $7.4B national opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma
Local producers help foods co-op after major distributor recovers from cyberattack; Security increases at Vermont statehouse after Minnesota attacks
Scott highlights public safety, affordability, housing and education in adjournment address
“What we’ve accomplished over these last few months is important, but what comes next will be even more important. We cannot make the mistake others have made to declare victory and assume our many crises have been solved.”
CLG: Israeli media says U.S. is preparing to join an attack on Iran
U.S. shifts aircraft carrier closer to Israel, deploys aerial refueling tankers to Europe; Trump issues terrifying warning to 17 million people living in Tehran as he abandons G7 summit early and rushes back to Washingtoni
Keelan: Remarkable firsts the past 85 years
There have been so many more “firsts” during my lifetime, and undoubtedly there will be many more to come. Will the Town of Arlington ever develop a wastewater system that can replace the failing septic systems that now exist? What a “first” this would be.
Despathy: Solar panels Vermont’s new sacred cow
In 1925, Vermont had over 3.3 million acres of agricultural land. Fast forward to 2022 and this number has dwindled to 543,096 acres.
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