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• What do Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’ mean for Vermont?

  03-04-2025 23:50 via vtdigger.org
  
  President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared sweeping tariffs on imports from most nations, escalating a trade war that state officials and business leaders have warned could have dire consequences on Vermont’s economy.At a glance, the Green Mountain State was spared the worst of what Trump has called “Liberation Day,” owing to Canada’s exemption from the president’s comprehensive reciprocal tariff package. In the early weeks of his presidency, Trump declared &
  
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• Young Writers Project: ‘Life through literature’

  06-04-2025 13:06 via vtdigger.org
  
  “Worlds Beyond,” by Grace Weinstein, YWP Media LibraryYoung Writers Project is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. Each week, VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth, ages 13-19. To find out more, please go to youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@
  
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• Rep. Phil Pouech: Where is Gov. Scott?

  06-04-2025 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Rep. Phil Pouech, D-Hinesburg.Vermont is under threat as the Trump administration cuts federal funding, reverses hard-fought environmental policies, causes economic upheaval from unwarranted tariffs on our friends to the north and threatens our individual freedoms by dismantling our democratic foundation.My constituents are scared and mad. Three days a week, people from Hinesburg are standing at the side of the road and voicing their protest of our federal administration. W
  
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• The unofficial historian of Stowe Mountain Resort

  06-04-2025 12:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  Brian Linder, inset, is known for his tireless documenting of Stowe Mountain Resort’s history, such as this photo of the Mansfield lodge in the ’40s or ’50s. Image courtesy of Brian Linder
  Owen Evans is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.Among his peers, ski patroller Brian Lindner is often described as the unofficial historian of Stowe Mountain Resort, a title he’s earned afte
  
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• Thousands of people protest Trump presidency at rallies around Vermont

  06-04-2025 00:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  Several thousand people attend a “Hands Off” rally in Montpelier on Saturday, April 5. The rally in Montpelier is one of many nationwide demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump’s policies. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — Thousands of people crowded the Statehouse green and overflowed onto the street below the golden dome on Saturday for the largest planned demonstration in Vermont against President Donald Trump since he took office again.Geri Peterson
  
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• Final Reading: Vermont’s ‘climate superfund’ comes with complications

  05-04-2025 00:41 via vtdigger.org
  
  Extensive damage to Red Village Road in Lyndon, seen on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/VTDiggerLast year, the Vermont Legislature made history by passing the nation’s first “climate superfund” law. This year is about figuring out all of the follow up questions that come with setting precedent. One piece of that is how much money and time state agencies will actually need to carry out the research the law tasks them with.Act 122 takes the polluters-p
  
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• State plans to fix fewer roads next year as transportation revenues slow

  05-04-2025 00:26 via vtdigger.org
  
  A traffic control worker at the intersection of Rt. 117 and North Williston Road in Essex on Aug. 29, 2019. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — The Vermont Agency of Transportation expects that it will pave about 220 miles of state-owned roads over a yearlong period that ends in June. In the year after that, though, it’s set to pave only about 125 miles, according to the agency’s latest spending plans — a nearly 45% reduction.That drop has raised concerns amo
  
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• Tufts graduate student’s detention case to be transferred to Vermont

  04-04-2025 23:42 via vtdigger.org
  
  Lawyers for a Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained by immigration authorities, speak to reporters after arguing her case in federal court on March 25, in Boston. Photo by Michael Casey/APA Turkish graduate student at Tufts University who was detained by federal agents in Massachusetts last week and later taken to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in St. Albans will have her case transferred to federal court in Vermont, U.S. District Court Judge Den
  
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• Phil Scott once again vetoes mid-year spending bill over motel program extension 

  04-04-2025 23:34 via vtdigger.org
  
  Gov. Phil Scott listens to a question during his weekly press conference at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerFor the second time this legislative session, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a mid-year spending package on Friday over disagreements with lawmakers about Vermont’s motel voucher program. In his veto letter, the five-term Republican governor rebuked lawmakers for continuing to use the mid-year budget adjustment bill to seek an ext
  
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• State health care regulator approves settlement with UVM Health Network

  04-04-2025 20:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  Sunny Eappen, left, and Owen Foster. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Green Mountain Care Board unanimously approved a settlement with the University of Vermont Health Network Friday, paving the way for a deal in which the hospital network will pay millions to primary care practices and the state’s largest private insurer, and will fund an outside observer to oversee the hospitals’ spending and operations.Under the terms of the deal, which UVM Health Network trustees approved last
  
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• ‘A despicable company’: Vermonters protest proposed Amazon facility in Essex

  04-04-2025 19:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  Katie DeSanto, the general manager of Phoenix Books, first heard of the plans through a customer: a proposal to build a 107,000 square-foot Amazon distribution facility in Essex.Soon after, she posted on the company’s social media page where she raised concerns about the company’s business practices and their employees’ working conditions.The post drew some attention, and since then, dozens of Vermont residents have decried Amazon’s plans for a proposed distribution facil
  
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• Mom of two goes to school to strengthen kids’ mental health

  04-04-2025 18:25 via vtdigger.org
  
  “My going back to school for counseling was a big decision for us,” says Emily Aiken of Fairfax. “My husband owns a landscaping and excavation company, where he’s been successful without a college degree. And while he can buy a piece of equipment and make money on it immediately, it’s a lot less certain to spend time and money on a degree without a guarantee that you’ll make that money back.”But for Emily, the calling to study mental health counseling wa
  
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• The art of belonging: How creativity strengthens communities

  04-04-2025 16:45 via vtdigger.org
  
  In Vermont, creativity thrives in all its forms—classical musicians enchanting guests at the Clemmons Family Farm, students charming audiences with their spirited Cyrano de Bergerac at Very Merry Theatre, and 1,400 ticket holders taking to their feet as The Flynn ignites for the unforgettable Hug Your Farmer concert to name just a few.The arts are more than beauty and entertainment—they’re essential to Vermont’s sense of connection and belonging. As Stacie Fagan, Vice Pre
  
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• Christine DiBlasio: We need to reframe gender violence as a broader societal issue

  04-04-2025 13:10 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Christine DiBlasio. She is co-founder of The Safety Team, a Vermont non-profit working to prevent violence, heal trauma, foster resilience and build safer communities. A 5th-degree black belt in Kempo-JuJitsu, Christine is also a licensed psychologist and the director of a large private outpatient mental health practice.April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but sexual violence is a pervasive problem all year long, impacting survivors and those who care about them. The st
  
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• Timothy and Jo Anne Murad: A sad day for the Queen City

  04-04-2025 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s decision, cloaked in administrative-speak of “clarity” of transition, to place Chief Jon Murad on administrative leave is an affront to the department and to the chief’s five-year tenure that was crucial to stabilizing and guiding the Burlington Police Department through tumultuous times.This out-of-the-blue (during the chief’s last days at 1 North Avenue) action by the mayor has the unintended consequence of depriving the de
  
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• Vermont libraries, museums grapple with uncertain funding future 

  04-04-2025 12:53 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Fletcher Free Library on March 20, 2020. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont libraries and museums are bracing for the impact of an executive order that aims to reduce or eliminate their federal funding.In mid-March, President Donald Trump signed an order mandating seven federal entities be stripped down to their minimum functions as required by law. The list included the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums an
  
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• Final Reading: Year after year, lawmakers consider Vermont’s continued use of out-of-state prisons

  04-04-2025 00:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Rep. Conor Casey, D-Montpelier, center, talks with Steve Howard, executive director of the Vermont State Empoyee’s Union, at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Friday, Jan. 10. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger“I think it’s below contempt.”Rep. Conor Casey, D-Montpelier, did not mince words describing Vermont’s use of a for-profit, out-of-state prison to hold more than 100 people: “I know it’s cheaper, and it’s cheaper for a reason.”The prison, Ta
  
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• Vermont Supreme Court’s chief justice, attorneys speak out against threats to rule of law

  04-04-2025 00:11 via vtdigger.org
  
  Donald Trump and Paul Reiber. Photos by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons and Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Reiber stood before a gathering of the state’s lawyers last week and detailed his concerns with the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the rule of law. He ended his remarks to a resounding standing ovation, according to several people in attendance. “Currently, it appears there is an effort in Washington, D.C., to destroy t
  
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• Federal government slashes staffers at critical heating program for Vermont

  03-04-2025 23:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  A person adjusts the temperature on a thermostat. Photo illustration by Natalie Williams/VTDiggerVermont officials are assessing how residents may be affected after the mass firing of federal workers who administer the LIHEAP program, which provides millions of dollars in heating assistance to low-income households in the state. The cuts, reported by national news outlets Wednesday, won’t immediately affect Vermonters receiving the federal assistance, according to the state Agency of
  
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• Still at odds over motel program, Senate sends another spending bill to Phil Scott

  03-04-2025 23:17 via vtdigger.org
  
  Senate Minority Leader Sen. Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, speaks during an earlier debate on the state’s motel housing program at the Statehouse on March 28, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Legislature has once again sent a midyear spending bill to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk, but a partisan standoff over Vermont’s motel voucher program continues to unfold.On Thursday afternoon, the Senate gave final approval to its second attempt at an annual budget adjustment bill, after Scott
  
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• South Burlington child care faces state violations

  03-04-2025 22:05 via vtdigger.org
  
  Photo via Adobe StockThis story by Liberty Darr was first published in the Other Paper on April 3.South Burlington child care center Little Beginnings Early Learning Center had its license degraded by the Vermont Department for Children and Families after it found the center in violation of several areas of state regulations.Violations cited by the department include the program’s director allegedly grabbing at children to move them and slamming a child down on the toilet while they were b
  
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• Vermont protests against Trump presidency see rising participation

  03-04-2025 19:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  Protesters against the presidency of Donald Trump hold signs on an Interstate 91 overpass at Brattleboro’s Exit 2. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerVermont activist Nancy Braus recalls standing up and speaking out ever since she opposed the Vietnam War as a high schooler a half-century ago. But when Donald Trump won the presidency last fall, the now 71-year-old Guilford resident wondered if she should hit mute and move on.“If it looks like people like me are being sent to prison
  
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• Curtis Clough: To protect Vermont’s essential workers, pass the extreme temperature worker protection bill

  03-04-2025 13:07 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Curtis Clough, president of Teamsters Local 597.Vermont is no stranger to extreme weather. In the summer, heat waves bake our roads and fields, pushing outdoor workers to their limits. In the winter, bitter cold and heavy snowfall make everyday tasks dangerous. As climate change affects the entire planet, these problems are only going to increase. Despite these harsh conditions, too many employers fail to provide the most basic protection for the workers who keep our s
  
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• Eric Peterson: The good old days of Bernie

  03-04-2025 13:03 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Eric Peterson of Bennington. He was a longtime columnist for the Bennington Banner and Berkshire Eagle and has written columns for the Albany Times Union and VTDigger.You’re Bernie Sanders. You’re 83 years old. You’re in your final term as a U.S. senator. In 1981 you were elected mayor of Burlington. Ten years later you were first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Then, in 2007 you became a U.S. Senator. You ran for the Democratic nomination fo
  
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• The feds are increasingly relying on Vermont’s prisons for immigration detention

  03-04-2025 12:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  Razor wire lines the perimeter fences at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town on Feb. 4, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s state prisons are part of a growing constellation of federal, state and county facilities in New England used to house people detained by federal immigration authorities. That role appears to be ramping up two months into the second term of President Donald Trump, who has made pursuing undocumented immigrants a central focus of
  
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• Next 48 hours: All gifts doubled!

  03-04-2025 02:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Reader,A group of generous donors are matching all gifts to help us stay on track during our Spring Member Drive — but only for the next 48 hours. If you can, please help us make the most of this opportunity and double the impact of your contribution now.2X your donationIn my work at VTDigger, I have the privilege of speaking with Vermonters who see their support for this newsroom as more than just a donation. They see it as an investment in their community.Their generosity and belief
  
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• All gifts doubled until April 4 at midnight!

  03-04-2025 02:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Reader,A group of generous donors are matching all gifts to help us stay on track during our Spring Member Drive — but only until Friday, April 4 at 11:59 p.m. If you can, please help us make the most of this opportunity and double the impact of your contribution now.2X your donationIn my work at VTDigger, I have the privilege of speaking with Vermonters who see their support for this newsroom as more than just a donation. They see it as an investment in their community.Their generosi
  
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• Final Reading: Lawmakers look to reform Human Services Board

  03-04-2025 00:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Rep. Francis “Topper” McFaun, R-Barre Town, listens to testimony before the House Health Care Committee on a bill that would provide health insurance to first responders at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerUnhappy that the Agency of Human Services has denied your application for housing assistance, Medicaid, food stamps or another matter?In theory, Vermont provides an outlet for your concerns: the Human Services Board, a seven-
  
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• Local group expected to acquire Burke Mountain ski resort

  02-04-2025 23:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  Burke Mountain Ski Resort. Photo by Patrick McCaffrey via Wikimedia CommonsA local group that includes longtime Burke Mountain benefactors and community stakeholders is on the cusp of acquiring the Northeast Kingdom ski resort, according to people familiar with the deal. The group, Bear Den Partners LLC, includes members of the Graham family, who have previously invested heavily in the mountain, as well as Willy Booker, head of Burke Mountain Academy, an elite training school for skiers in
  
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• Legislative lawyer calls Phil Scott’s executive order on motels unconstitutional 

  02-04-2025 23:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, urges senators to move the budget adjustment act forward without amendment at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.The Legislature’s chief lawyer has deemed Gov. Phil Scott’s move to extend motel voucher eligibility for a narrow segment o
  
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