Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit and motion for temporary restraining order challenging the Trump Administration’s extraordinary campaign of lawlessness during its deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol to the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Over the course of just a few weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent more than 3,000 federal agents into the area. In the brief, filed on January 22, 2026, the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to order an immediate halt to the federal government’s lawless actions – actions that show unprecedented disregard for foundational constitutional principles.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), alongside U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), recently introduced the No Taxpayer Funds for Corporate Investment in Venezuelan Oil Act, legislation to prohibit the Trump Administration from providing taxpayer reimbursements for oil companies investing in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, alongside U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senate Commerce Committee Chairman, this week reintroduced the bipartisan Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining (SAT) Act, legislation to expand access to high-speed internet in rural communities by cutting red tape that threatens investments in America’s commercial satellite industry. The Senators’ legislation aims to streamline the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) application process to ensure America remains competitive by incentivizing commercial satellite operators to base operations in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine With extreme cold forecast this weekend, the State of Vermont, in partnership with community organizations across the state, is opening six shelters around Vermont. These shelters are part of the Department for Children and Families’ Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program, administered through a partnership with Vermont Interfaith Action. Additionally, local communities and non-profit organizations may open additional shelters. Anyone who needs access to shelter should call 2-1-1 for up-to-date information about shelter locations and opening times. These low-barrier shelters will provide a warm place to sleep and get out of the dangerous cold, as well as some limited amenities. Shelters will open Friday and Saturday nights and remain open beyond that depending on temperature and location.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak today announced that Chief of Staff Erin Jacobsen will be departing City Hall following a long-discussed decision to return to the practice of immigration law, where she will focus full time on addressing the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration actions. Since the start of Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's first term, Erin Jacobsen has played an integral role in building the administration and advancing its priorities. Kara Alnasrawi, Director of the Burlington Office of Community & Economic Development (CEDO), will take over as Interim Chief of Staff, starting on February 7, 2026. 

Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont’s Specialty Food Day Tour returns for the 2026 season with 17 stops at ski areas across the state, bringing local food, beverages, and products directly to Vermont’s ski areas. The pop-up, marketplace-style events take place between January 23 and March 22, offering skiers and riders a chance to sample, shop, and connect with Vermont producers while enjoying a day on snow. The tour kicks off on January 23 at Jay Peak, coinciding with the resort’s annual Farmers Appreciation Day, before continuing to ski areas throughout the state. Three new stops join the tour this season—Stowe, Middlebury Snowbowl, and Bolton Valley—expanding the series to additional regions of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Sarah Pelkey will join CEDRR on February 2, 2026, as our new Director of Economic Development. Sarah brings strong regional experience in community and economic development, most recently serving in leadership roles with the Town of Poultney and in regional planning and outdoor recreation initiatives. As Director of Economic Development, Sarah will lead efforts to attract, retain, and expand businesses, manage grant and loan programs, and strengthen regional partnerships across Rutland County.

Vermont Business Magazine The Center for Community News at UVM has announced three new and expanded roles for its Burlington-based team as the organization continues to grow its ambitions here in Vermont and across the country. Courtney Lamdin joined CCN in January as CCN's Community News Service editor. Courtney was most recently a staff writer at Seven Days, covering politics, policy and public safety in Burlington. Scott Finn’s role at CCN expanded in 2026 as UVM’s first ever lecturer of journalism and democracy, in the Department of Sociology. Scott has worked closely with CCN Director Richard Watts and Managing Director Meg Little Reilly over the past two years. Sima Bhowmik has been hired as research assistant professor in the Department of Sociology after a prolific 17 months as CCN’s first post-doctoral research fellow.

Vermont Business Magazine The Manchester Business Association, in partnership with The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization, proudly presented the Shires Holiday Inn Tours during the 2025 holiday season, marking a record-breaking year for fundraising in the event’s more than 30-year history. Held on Saturday, December 6, and Saturday, December 13, the beloved holiday tradition welcomed more than 310 attendees to tour 17 festively decorated lodging properties throughout Bennington County. Guests experienced the warmth and charm of historic hotels, cozy inns, welcoming bed-and-breakfasts, and scenic lodges, all while enjoying seasonal beverages, local treats, and the signature hospitality Vermont is known for.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, recently joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in introducing the Power for the People Act, legislation to rein in the rising electricity costs Americans are facing by addressing the huge amounts of energy required by data centers.  Amid the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI), corporations and big technology companies’ build out of data centers has exploded in the past decade and is projected to continue to rapidly increase. As more and more data centers aim to connect to the power grid, consumers are footing the bill for the infrastructure required to bring them online.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, have sent letters demanding answers from Meta and Google after reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using their platforms to run immigration enforcement recruitment for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) using “self-deportation” and other advertisements that rely on white nationalist imagery and rhetoric. In letters sent yesterday, the lawmakers warn that these advertising campaigns are part of an effort to massively expand ICE recruitment, including to surge ICE officers to cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland, and New Orleans. To meet these recruitment targets, ICE has lowered hiring standards and turned to paid digital ads across major platforms.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Nongame Wildlife Fund is essential to the conservation and restoration of some of Vermont’s most at-risk wildlife, from bumblebees to butterflies, and mussels to mammals. The Nongame Fund checkoff option on the Vermont state income tax form makes donating to the fund easy and impactful. Vermont’s Nongame Tax Checkoff helped to recover species that were once on the brink of extinction in Vermont, like the common loon, osprey and peregrine falcon. The bald eagle was one of the most recent species to be removed from Vermont’s list of endangered species. The Nongame Wildlife Fund continues to support nest monitoring to ensure that loon, peregrine and eagle populations remain robust.