Current News

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week pushed for a vote on his bipartisan Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, legislation to exempt United States-owned small businesses from tariffs imposed on Canada. Senate Republicans blocked the unanimous consent request and refused to support small businesses in their states. Senator Welch took to the Senate Floor to slam the Trump Administration’s plan to increase tariffs and enact new sweeping global tariffs on August 1. 

by Joshua Brown, University of Vermont In a first-of-its-kind experiment tracing evolution across 25 generations, scientists have discovered that marine copepods—the tiny crustaceans at the heart of the ocean food web—rely on a largely unknown biological toolkit to survive the stresses of climate change. Published July 15, 2025, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study reveals that it’s not only genetic changes (permanent alterations to DNA) that help these animals adapt to warming and acidifying ocean conditions. In addition, little-known epigenetic changes (temporary “on/off” chemical modifications to parts of DNA) play a crucial role too. Remarkably, the researchers discovered that the two mechanisms operate independently but in concert, offering what they call a “two-pronged strategy” for long-term resilience.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northern Forest Center recently awarded more than $70,000 in grants to 20 organizations across the region to support projects that help get more people involved in outdoor recreation. The community grant program is part of the Center’s overall outdoor recreation strategy, which aims to foster a regional outdoor recreation economy that generates dynamic business opportunities, helps retain and attract people to live in rural communities, honors local culture, and inspires public appreciation and stewardship of the forested landscape. The Center awarded grants to support a wide range of strategies that organizations are using to increase youth connections and access to the outdoors.

Vermont Business Magazine Hikers and rock climbers can return to Vermont cliffs now that peregrine falcon nesting season has ended.  The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Audubon Vermont have confirmed that the majority of young falcons have learned to fly and should not be disturbed by human presence on the cliffs. According to Audubon biologist Margaret Fowle, who coordinates the monitoring effort on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Department, biologists and volunteers monitored peregrine pairs that occupied at least 40 Vermont cliffs in early spring and summer. 

Vermont Business Magazine Mascoma Community Development (MCD) has announced the closing of $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to finance the Benn High project, a rehabilitation of the former Bennington High School into a mixed-use development that includes affordable housing, a childcare facility, a fitness and wellness facility, and community space. Benn High’s redevelopment will improve the existing physical infrastructure of Bennington by providing more high-quality housing for residents of all ages. The redevelopment of this mixed-use building will also benefit the Town by expanding access to centrally located childcare, wellness, and senior services. The $54 million redevelopment also includes federal ARPA funds, Evernorth Rural Ventures ($14.2 million), and National Trust Community Investment Corporation ($5 million).

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, according to a new statewide report released today by the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, and the Vermont Balance of State Continuum of Care. The report shows record-breaking numbers of unsheltered homeless residents and a homelessness response system overwhelmed by demand and undercut by funding cuts and affordable housing shortages. The 2025 Vermont State of Homelessness Report, released today, paints a stark and urgent picture of a state at a moral crossroads. On a single night in January 2025, 3,386 Vermonters were identified as experiencing homelessness, including 633 children and 215 seniors over the age of 65, according to the state’s federally mandated Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. This number marks a more than 200% increase in homelessness since 2020. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a settlement with St. Albans Creamery (the Creamery) over alleged violations at its milk and dairy processing facility in St. Albans. The State found the Creamery violated its pretreatment permit for industrial wastewater discharges on multiple occasions by discharging substantial amounts of raw milk and cream to the St. Albans wastewater treatment facility. The settlement includes a civil penalty for accountability and deterrence and on-the-ground actions at the facility to prevent future violations.

Vermont Business Magazine New Hampshire continues to be a national leader in construction employment, boasting one of the lowest construction unemployment rates in the country for June 2025, according to a state-by-state analysis released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). New Hampshire recorded a 1.3% not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate in June—the third-lowest rate in the nation, behind only South Dakota (0.8%) and North Dakota (1.2%), and tied with Montana and Oklahoma for a spot in the top five. Vermont ranked tied for 23rd at 3.0%. NH and Vermont had the lowest rates in the Northeast. The US average is 3.4%.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) announced Tuesday evening his intention to immediately force votes to block offensive arms sales to Israel in light of the daily civilian massacres and unfolding famine created by the Netanyahu government’s policies. Sanders said: “U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government. Enough is enough. We cannot continue to spend taxpayer money on a government which has killed some 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 143,000 — most of whom are women, children and the elderly. We cannot continue supporting a government which has blocked humanitarian aid, caused massive famine and literally starved the people of Gaza.”

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday joined Steven Hadfield, a patient advocate, and Vaishu Jawahar of Protect Our Care to discuss his new Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act, legislation to repeal changes to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and handouts to Big Pharma in the Republicans’ reconciliation tax and spending bill. Senator Welch’s Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act would repeal the “sick tax” imposed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which forces Medicaid enrollees to pay an out-of-pocket fee every time they need to see a provider. The bill would also repeal provisions in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act which exclude certain drugs from the Medicare drug price negotiation program and allow pharmaceutical companies to evade accountability for high-price prescription drugs. 

Vermont State Police On July 4th, 2025 the Vermont State Police and Department for Children and Families began an investigation into a reported sexual assault of a juvenile. During the investigation, probable cause was developed to charge Maria Chagnon (36) of North Troy with sexual assault.  Chagnon was arrested on July 28th, 2025, at her residence. She was transported to the Vermont State Police Derby Barracks for processing and subsequently held without bail at the Northern State Correctional Facility.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of the ongoing regional effort to make health care more affordable for patients and communities, University of Vermont Health Network today announced new steps to reduce expenses. The plan includes reducing the administrative and non-direct patient care workforce, operating more efficiently in areas like budgeting and staffing, and improving care coordination. Additionally, after discussion with the senior leadership team, UVM Health Network’s Board of Trustees has also approved a pause on performance-based variable pay for all leaders this fiscal year ending in September. As part of the latest actions, a total of 146 largely administrative and non-direct patient care positions have been eliminated across the health system. Of those, 77 were filled roles (68 staff level and 9 leader level), resulting in layoffs. This is part of their effort to reduce expenses by over $185 million.