Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will is America’s most widely read political columnist, and its foremost conservative voice.
The Ethan Allen Institute’s 30th Anniversary Gala with George F. Will
VT AG cracks down on auto theft, seeks recall of Korean cars
Hyundais and Kias are easy marks for car thieves. Vermont’s Attorney General wants them recalled and retrofitted.
One Day In July named best Financial Planning / Investment Firm by Vermont Business Magazine
In their 2023 Best of Business Awards, Vermont Business Magazine named One Day In July the best Financial Planning / Investment Firm in the state as voted on by their readers.
McClaughry: Pay Attention to Corporate Climate Profiteering
The Clean Heat Standard bill (S.5) is designed to shield the law from the charge of being a carbon tax – although it will have precisely the same effect on consumers.
Short-term rentals play small part in housing crunch
Air BnB’s aren’t to blame – much – for Vermont’s housing crisis.
Vermont doctor to join vax mandate roundtable at Dartmouth
Dr. Horace “Sandy” Reider will join Great Barrington Declaration co-author Martin Kulldorf at Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 26.
If Scott vetoes climate change bill, what then?
If Gov. Phil Scott vetoes S.5, what happens then is a toss-up and will decide whether S.5 becomes law or just the latest in a string of failed forced carbon emissions reduction bills.
Amid the litter, college students repent and are baptized at North Beach in Burlington
What happened Saturday, April 15 wasn’t some big evangelist outreach, it was a movement of God, a cross-carrying evangelist says.
VT Headlines: Cannabis sales ahead of long-term projections in Vt.
Medicaid reenrollment is underway, and it’s complicated; Phil Scott looks to Canada as a possible source for abortion pill, but Vermont’s drug importation plan is stuck in government bureaucracy
VT Emergency Forum to Assess the Respiratory Hazards of Masks
The Vermont Emergency Forum to Assess the Respiratory Hazards of Masks will be held Friday, May 12 from 9:00 – 4:30 pm, at Burlington City Hall in Contois Auditorium.
Wilson: Not ‘hate speech’ – just facts about bills harmful to farms and homeowners
If current legislation passes, more dairy farms will go under, landlords will continue to raise rents, energy, health care and transportation costs will rise,. We will see more lawsuits against the State of Vermont and a doubled salary increase for the legislators.
Morrisville shooting suspect arrested Sunday night
The Morrisville man police say fired a shotgun at a police officer Thursday was arrested on a Hyde Park road without incident Sunday night.
Assault sends rescue worker to hospital
A man alleged to have vandalized scores of cars and assaulted police officers was charged with punching a female Shelburne rescue worker at a homeless shelter.
Peterson: why I voted No on S.5
In my mind there was no possible way that emission reductions in Vermont would affect the world climate. They would, however, have a very noticeable effect on all of our pocketbooks.
Roper: Actions speak louder than words regarding Clean Heat Standard costs
Supporters reject amendment capping price impact at 20¢ per gallon for heating fuel.
Warner: Wolf’s Howl Part 3 – Travesty and Hope
The handling of the pandemic has resulted in a sorely divided population.
Scott, Krowinski spar over whether S.5 and its checkback will really work
S.5 just a study bill? T’aint so, Phil Scott says. Is too, Jill Krowinski insists. Read both arguments here.
Abortion/transgender shield bill passes House
S.37 passed overwhelmingly in the Vermont House.
Key to Vermont Red Wave is ‘brilliantly articulating what you’re for,’ Zeldin says
“Republicans didn’t earn a red wave nationally in 2022. I don’t blame Democrats. I blame Republicans for why there was no Red Wave nationally.”
Clean Heat Standard passes House 98-46
There is a high likelihood that whatever the PUC creates and brings back to the legislature, they will likely say is too well calibrated and complicated to adjust for whatever the legislature doesn’t like.
Rural lawmakers: Act 250 discourages smart, environmentally responsible new housing
We must address the regulatory barriers that exist on the local and state level, including reducing the barriers to environmentally thoughtful development that have been caused by Act 250.
Bills would ban outdoor smoking ban near buildings
S.147 would “prohibit smoking cigarettes or using electronic cigarettes within 25 feet of any place of public access or of a multiunit dwelling.”
Man in shootout with police still at large
A Morristown police officer responding to a kidnapping and domestic disturbance received minor injuries in a shootout Thursday night. The suspect is still on the loose.
3 indicted for “disinformation,” political beliefs
3 St. Louis residents indicted on charges of spreading ‘disinformation,’ promoting pro-Russian ‘propaganda,’ and ‘sowing discord’ through the African People’s Socialist Party.
Canadian hydro power transmission projects get second wind
As the Vermont Legislature seeks to build more instate renewable power, two huge transmission projects are seeking approval to deliver more carbon-free hydro power to New England.
VT Headlines: Developers pitch 240 apartments in White River Junction
DOC: 7 prison deaths so far this year; Vt. cannabis advocates seek to loosen consumption rules; State considers selling Caledonia airport to Beta Technologies
Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival on May 7
If you’re a wildlife enthusiast itching for spring then be sure to check out the Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival on Sunday, May 7, on the Connecticut River in Rockingham, Vermont.
LaMarche: Generation Trash
Instead of heeding numerous warnings with the threat of being towed, students decided to do what they do best: dismantle barriers.
Lipton: Is industry taking over legislation instead of common sense and science?
The bill will exacerbate climate change, impair human health, and add to the biodiversity crisis.
Senate passes one pro-abortion bill, House poised to pass another
In Vermont, the ‘peculiar institution’ of abortion is enjoying a good week in the Legislature.
Bartley: Carbon tax goes to House floor this afternoon
Calling a bill that would add $630 to individual Vermonters’ heating bills the “Affordable Heating Act” is disingenuous.
Prescribing abortion reversal drug ‘unprofessional misconduct’ under S.37
S.37, which goes to the House floor today, would allow an abortion-inducing drug mifeprestone but would prohibit prescribing an abortion reversal drug.
VT Headlines: Assisted suicide for out-of-staters on Gov’s desk
Witness says man who died at Springfield prison pleaded for help, was threatened by corrections officer; Burlington’s cannabis marketplace is quickly becoming crowded
Davis: Firearms purchase waiting period in H230 must go
Firearms purchase waiting periods don’t reduce suicides, but they do put people in danger and threaten to end gun shows
‘Safe leave’ in paid-leave bill bumped up to $17 million, veto expected
H.66 includes up to 12 weeks of paid safe leave for sexual and domestic violence survivors.
South Burlington looks at tree planting as a step toward carbon goals
Building bike paths and homes near jobs is part of South Burlington’s carbon reduction plan. So is planting more trees.
Warner: Wolf’s Howl Part 2 – Bio-War Against Americans?
Of all the malevolent findings, the most prominent is the action the vaccine takes against human reproduction.
Act 250 turf battle muted as House committees meet
The chair of the committee with Act 250 jurisdiction said she’s waiting on two important reports – both due next year.
S.5, with contradictory ‘checkback’ wording, sent to House floor
Big climate change and abortion/transgender bills are going to the House floor.
VT Headlines: Jewish Vermonters rally for Palestine on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Traffic Alert: Rolling roadblocks on I-89 Wednesday; UVM aims for carbon neutrality by 2030; UVM training students, faculty in emergency response
Alleged murderer of Fern Feather attempts prison escape
Brunell did not leave the secure section of the facility and did not pose a danger to the public during the event, authorities say.
Bartley: Housing status quo no longer acceptable
It’s clear the process is broken. Status quo can no longer be an excuse.
Simpson found guilty of kidnapping woman and son
A St. Johnsbury man has been found guilty in federal court of kidnapping a mother and son and transporting them across state lines.
Greco: S100 endangers Vermont paradise
There is a distinct possibility that the paradise that is Vermont is on the verge of being lost. Legislators in the Statehouse are considering a bill (S.100) that will force dense housing over rural lands.
RSVP for dinner honoring Linda Kirker
Honoring a longtime GOP mentor and volunteer.
De-transitioned Chloe Cole shares story at Dartmouth
We learned from Chloe Cole the events, emotions and thoughts she experienced from as young as eleven years of age that led her to enter the gender transformation machinery now available at hospitals around the United States.
Correction: House did NOT delete climate bill S.5 checkback. But there is a workaround
The Vermont House of Representatives didn’t eliminate the two-year checkback added to S.5 by popular demand. But another clause creates a possible workaround.
Dame: Housing facade
When this year’s significant housing bill, S.100, arrived at the House’s Committee on Housing, many of the members were looking forward to conducting thoughtful legislation to collaborate and make it possible to increase the housing stock in our state.
Mermel: ChatGPT predicts George Will’s EAI Speech
Columnist George Will will speak at the Ethan Allen Institute dinner May 31. What would his speech sound like if written by ChatGPT? Could you tell the difference?
VT Headlines: What’s keeping runners from this year’s Vermont City Marathon?
Employees at Ben & Jerry’s Burlington store petition to unionize; Vt. man sentenced in Burlington murder, likely to spend life in hospital setting; VTrans looks to expand EV charging locations in Vt.
DePino: Gun grabbers going after LGBTQ+ gun owners
H.230 specifically targets the LGBTQ+ community for gun control, in the name of suicide prevention.
Honoring Lee Zeldin, Linda Kirker this week
Friends, admirers and colleagues of Linda Kirker will gather Saturday night at a dinner in her honor.
Roper: Supermajority’s taxing and spending is divorced from reality
According to the Tax Foundation, in 2022 Vermont already had the 4th highest state and local tax burden in the country at 13.6 percent. But, oh, wait till next year!
Northfield lawmaker warns of $460 million in new taxes, fees
I have grave concerns that Vermonters cannot sustain the nearly one-half billion dollar increase in spending over the next two years.
Bilger: UN Report Calls for Legalizing Sex Between Adults and Children
A disturbing new report from the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) adds to growing concerns about global leaders pushing to normalize pedophilia.
Vermont becomes second destination state for assisted suicide
The assisted suicide lobby knows that many states will not legalize assisted suicide, so they are forcing states that have legalized assisted suicide to provide death to every American seeking one.
With president gone and library downgrade on hold, what’s next for Vermont State University?
Veteran executive problem-solver Mike Smith is out of retirement as the new president of Vermont State University. The deplored ‘all-digital’ library plan is on hold. But fiscal challenges remain.
Your letters: Zombies, masks, and a house divided
Will mask requirements be like zombies? Right now, they are on the wane, but might they just wake up again?
Frustrated lawmaker demands answer to chair’s refusal to allow Act 250 amendment
“You want to have it both ways. You want to say we can’t work on this, we’ve got no time, and then you want to say we can’t do this because we haven’t worked on it, I’ll tell you what word I would put in my mouth – gaslighting, that’s what that is,” Rep. Caleb Elder told Housing and General Chair Tom Stevens.
Koch: Support your legislators’ wallets?
Who do you know who is slated to get a raise of 23% plus? Answer: Your local legislator! And what’s more, that’s only part of the story—it gets worse!
Climate bill S.5 ‘checkback’ weakened by House committee
Disregarding the thousands of emails and phone calls made by citizens to legislators, the House Energy and Environment Committee mostly removed the Senate-imposed ‘checkback’ safety valve from S.5.
ESTIMATED pay/benefits package for lawmakers: $52K
The average, rank and file lawmaker would receive an ESTIMATED pay and benefits package worth about $52,000 if S.39 becomes law.
Stenger to court: don’t make me pay $250K
Mike Donoghue reports that the former president of Jay Peak wants the court to strike his $250,000 restitution order. Also, Vermont authorities knew in early 2015 of financial concerns raised about the EB-5 / NEK development deal.
House housing committee not allowed to vote on Act 250 amendment
Act 250 has its roots in Vermonters’ backlash to the civil rights movements of the 1960’s, and in practice has stopped would-be landowners of color from developing generational wealth, a Starksboro Democrat said.
Video: Special support to the youth of “marginalized communities”
H.511 would “establish a pilot program to provide community health and wellness programming and services to youth in Black, Brown, and marginalized communities throughout the State.
VT Headlines: Vt. bank rolls out “Halal Loans” specifically for Muslim Vermonters
Burlington sees post-pandemic glut of office space; UVM rolls out new life-saving stations on campus; Jewish Community of Stowe honors Holocaust Remembrance Day
Defense lawyer, prosecutor picked for Superior Court
The high-profile defense attorney who defended Ariel Quiros and the driver who killed five Harwood Union High School students has been named a Superior Court judge.
Wilson: Feeling like the Last of the Mohicans…or Republicans
The current supermajority rules and it is all about programs and committees, out-of-state agendas, and a huge growing bureaucracy. Who really stands to benefit? The very few elites.
Roper: Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote
Why not? Who cares if it’s ridiculous and unconstitutional?
FBI infiltrates Churches and dioceses to combat ‘domestic terrorism’
The FBI recently sought to develop sources inside Christian churches and Catholic dioceses as part of an effort to combat domestic terrorism, according to released internal documents.
Climate, housing bills both voted out to House floor
House committees yesterday approved the Affordable Heating Act and a housing bill that keeps the lid on rural new home construction.
Senate OKs big legislative pay, benefit hike
In addition to a big base pay hike, S.39 would give lawmakers $200/week adjournment pay, child care support, $69 in daily food money, and much more.
VT Headlines: Fraudsters target VT town bank acct.
Springfield prison super faces allegations of misconduct; Vt. delegation pushes to protect abortion pill access; VT students have been restrained or secluded at least 125 times this school year
Legislature removes 16-17 year olds’ right to marry, moves towards giving them right to vote
Teens, here’s what the grown-ups in the State House say is okay for you to do: vote in Brattleboro. But don’t get married.
Naomi Wolf’s Howl: Pfizer COVID documents reveal ‘Greatest Crime in Human History’
Author Naomi Wolf and 2,500 volunteer researchers took a deep dive on 55,000 documents released by Pfizer. And oh, what they found……
VT’s $39.5 million opioid settlement share divvied up among State, towns, cities
Each state has been allocated a percentage of the settlement funds based on opioid deaths, the number of people with opioid use disorder, the amount of state opioid sales, and population.
Warner: Convention of States Needed Now More Than Ever
The term convention of states (COS) can be confusing to the average citizen given its vague federal and constitutional implications. What are the risks if any?
Klar: Woke Theocracy Dominates America
Doubtless this new religion will eventually be challenged by American secular jurisprudence. The outcome of that court battle will determine whether America remains a land of the Constitutionally free.
Vermont has the worst internet quality for remote working
New research has revealed which US states have the worst internet for remote working, with Vermont ranking bottom, behind West Virginia and Maine.
Kauffman: Conversion therapy is reproductive freedom, too – and VT law prevents it
H89 and S37, the so-called shield bills, do not extend equal personal reproductive protection as required under Article 22.
Project Features Wild Native Lake Trout
A sign project at Vermont’s state fishing access areas featuring wild native lake trout got underway this month in a joint effort by the VT Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the Native Fish Coalition.
Willoughby Steelhead Rainbow Trout Will Be Jumping
One of the state’s premier wildlife watching opportunities is taking place in Vermont. The steelhead rainbow trout have started their upstream migration.
Legislators young and old talk generational politics and ageism
Rep. Lucy Boyden was born almost a quarter century after Sen. Dick Mazza graduated from high school in 1957.
VT, NE SWAT police ops suffer three snafus in seven days
Bad radio communications in an active shooter situation in Middlebury. Unintentional discharge of a weapon during a SWAT training on the Church Street Marketplace. And then there’s what happened in Boston….
Dem Senator slams journalistic integrity of True North
I don’t recommend True North Reports as a source for journalistic integrity,” the junior senator from Windham County told a Burlington resident this week.
Roper: Will the Clean Heat Standard destroy Vermont’s maple sugar industry?
Could the real existential threat to Vermont maple syrup be very actions taken to prevent climate change?
VT Headlines: VT man dies in motorcycle crash in Windham County
UVM students protests guns; Border communities support migrants; BFA-Fairfax threat investigated; Suicide in returned military personnel
House Dem’s appetite for new programs place water quality projects at risk, Senate GOP says
It makes both fiscal and environmental sense to budget now for the small state share in multi-year federally-funded water quality and roads programs, Sen. Randy Brock says – but House Dems won’t do it.
Fairfax school shut down after threat
A school resource officer was a vital link in reporting the latest mass violence threat to a Vermont school.
Grateful Dead summer festival moves to Cabot
Twin tribes of Grateful Dead fans will gather for a summer music festival in Cabot.
Evslin: Homeowners and Hotels Swap Guests
Government should allow and encourage (not require, not subsidize) more building of less expensive housing including rental units.
DMV fees will rise 20% if Transportation bill passes
It is becoming so clear that the Democratic/Progressives want to control everything: healthcare, wages, vehicles, food, guns, our children, religion, lightbulbs and even straws.
Scott likely to veto 16-year-old voting, waits for abortion ruling, wants illegal immigrants in VT
A bill allowing Brattleboro 16-year-olds to vote will face a gubernatorial veto if it passes the Senate.
Fernandez: UVM’S Anthony Lamb, NBA Warrior
Anthony Lamb is by far the finest competitor to ever lace up basketball shoes for UVM, and he is enjoying the most expansive post-collegiate success of any Vermont college cager.
California man rents gun, shoots himself at shop’s gun range
The gun range at a popular Waterbury gun shop was the scene of a fatal self-inflicted gunshot Saturday.
Smith: Despite absymal school proficiency, State Board focuses on DEI ‘ad nauseum’
None of the State’s findings/reports contain substantial evidence of widespread discrimination in Vermont. They don’t even provide the number of occurring incidents.
VT Headlines: Pandemic housing supports ending soon
Homeless shelter staff take “pause” after co-worker killed; Colchester Fire Dept. confronts Town about staffing shortages; Burlington police patrols, response plan prepared for summer
“Legislature is not being told the truth” about S.5 decision-making
Turns out the Vermont Climate Council left most of the decision-making analysis about S.5 to a small ‘working’ group that included many renewable power and natural gas industry advocates.
Middlesex man arrested for plotting violence at Minnesota college
The grandson of a Vermont superior court judge and nephew of a well-known campaign ‘surrogate’ for Bernie Sanders faces charges of threatening terrorism and conspiracy to commit assault.
Bananas: VPA Reinstates MVCS Thanks To Cocaine Bear
Rather than simply acknowledge their constitutional right to follow their consciences and exercise their religious liberties the VPA did what principals live to do best – hand out punishments.
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