Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 states in filing a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of consumers, objecting to the proposed sale of personal genetic information collected by 23andMe. The complaint and a separate objection to the bankruptcy sale, each filed in federal bankruptcy court, aim to stop 23andMe from auctioning off the private genetic data of roughly 15 million customers – including thousands of Vermonters – to the highest bidder without customers’ knowledge or consent.  23andMe, a direct-to-consumer DNA testing company, filed for bankruptcy and is now seeking to sell off its assets—including sensitive genetic and health data—in a high-stakes auction.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and falling statewide, after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels also fell after they had spiked in January, with the exception of the Montpelier site, which showed an increase last week and has now fallen back. There are also new charts on the full range of pathogens in three Vermont test sites. RSV is high at the Montpelier test site. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,294 as of May 31, 2025, with 1 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that COVID-19 deaths keep declining. The VDH is no longer reporting COVID fatalities and cases in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross VT) and Terry Bicycles are welcoming the return of the Wellness Revolution Cycling Program in Rutland for the 2025 season. This free program serves those who identify as women to help them break through barriers that keep them from getting out on their bikes. This program builds community with other women in the pursuit of a healthy activity. We are proud to continue this partnership with Terry Bicycles and to work with an incredible local team who makes this program happen in the Rutland community year after year. The Wellness Revolution program starts on July 31st, 2025, in Rutland and will run through August 17th.  These programs often fill up fast and are completely free to participants. Once registered, Wellness Revolution Rutland 2025 Registration Survey participants will receive detailed information about the program schedule.

Vermont Business Magazine Barr Hill Gin, the most awarded gin in the United States and a pioneer of Landcrafted® spirits, launches its 9th annual Bee's Knees Week (June 13-22, 2025) with an ambitious target: 300,000 additional square feet of new pollinator habitat, equivalent to 22 football fields of flowering plants. The award-winning distillery's conservation initiative will push its cumulative impact past 1.3 million square feet of pollinator habitat created since the campaign began in 2017. This year's effort has been moved to June to coincide with Pollinator Week, hosted by Pollinator Partners, and comes at a critical time for North American pollinators. Bumblebee populations have plummeted nearly 50% since 1974, with over 70 pollinator species now listed as endangered or threatened by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Vermont Business Magazine Every spring and summer, independent organizations release hospital rankings, but the mix of letter grades, star ratings, and other reviews can leave patients and families unsure of what they really mean for their care. University of Vermont Health Network is committed to helping patients make sense of these ratings, and to demonstrating how the organization continually tracks and improves the quality and safety of the care it provides. 

Vermont Business Magazine A multi-sector regional partnership dedicated to improving public health through work on initiatives ranging from food security to digital equity has been honored as a Public Health Champion by Vermont Public Health Association. University of Vermont- Central Vermont Medical Center serves as the convener and fiscal sponsor for the collaborative. The award, presented last month at the Association’s annual meeting, highlights the work of THRIVE collaborative both in promoting public health and in crisis response – specifically the group’s “effective tactical flood response and collaboration to meet vital community needs” following regional flooding in the summer of 2024. 

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, June 3, the Kraft Family and New England Patriots Foundation celebrated the 2025 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award Winners. They recognized 26 volunteers for their contributions to the New England community at an awards ceremony at Gillette Stadium. In total, $275,000 in donations were distributed to the nonprofits represented by each volunteer. Twenty-five organizations each received $10,000 and THE BASE received this year’s grand prize of $25,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Care Network-Rutland Mental Health Services (CCN-RMHS) has launched a Veteran Care Navigator program, designed to provide specialized support to Veterans and active-duty service members and their immediate families, ensuring timely and coordinated assistance for those who have served our country. CCN-RMHS Veteran Care Navigator services, facilitated by Brodie Johnson, will provide care coordination to individuals around mental health support, substance use treatment, Veterans’ benefits and housing assistance, among other supports. 

Vermont Business Magazine Research by cardiologists at University of Vermont Medical Center is giving doctors powerful new insights that may change the way cardiologists treat patients recovering from heart attacks and other serious cardiac events. Led by David Schneider, MD, chief of cardiology at UVM Medical Center, the research focuses on a specific protein found on platelets — the tiny cells in blood that help form clots. By understanding the prevalence of a specific protein on a patient’s platelets, doctors can determine whether someone is more likely to have a second heart attack – also known as recurrent heart attacks. Recurrent heart attacks account for about 25% of all heart attacks in the U.S. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Retreat has received two prestigious Lamplighter Awards from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo), as well as a major teaching honor for its Medical Staff President, Dr. Jarred Zucker. Together, these recognitions highlight the Retreat’s deep and ongoing commitment to education, both in the public sphere and in training the next generation of mental health professionals. The Unravelling podcast was recognized with a Silver Lamplighter Award. The podcast brings together expert insight and lived experience to tackle complex mental health topics. Launched in June 2024, the show has reached listeners in over 25 countries and earned a 5-star Apple Podcasts rating. It is also being used in professional development settings, such as at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed S.53 regarding certification and Medicaid coverage for doulas, S.59 regarding amendments to the Open Meeting Law, but vetoed S.125, a bill regarding collective bargaining that was supported by the unions. In his veto message, Scott said, "This bill would effectively unionize a group of Judiciary employees with a simple definitional change. I’m concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify."

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today released the following statement after President Trump bypassed California's governor to deploy National Guard troops to California: "Let’s be clear: Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in California is not about the protests there, ICE, or immigration. It is about using extremely dubious legal authority to expand his never-ending grasp for more power and his effort to move this country toward authoritarianism. This is a president who has usurped the constitutional responsibilities of Congress; threatened to impeach judges who rule against his policies; sued media that criticize him; extorted money from law firms that have represented his opponents; and is withholding funds from universities for teaching courses he doesn’t like."