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My cousin in Manchester describes Monday's concert tragedy as “desperately sad.” She lives about six miles from the Manchester Arena, where a homemade bomb, packed with metal nuts and bolts, exploded as thousands of attendees - mostly girls and their parents - were leaving after a well-attended performance by popstar Ariana Grande.

Sen. Bernie Sanders traveled to Montana last weekend as part of his ongoing effort to transform the national Democratic Party.

A few years ago I sat in the Federal Court House in Burlington and watched the full might of the US Auto Industry on display. Vermont had joined a number of other northeast states and California in requiring higher gas mileage in cars. Auto companies had then chosen to sue three states; California, New York and Vermont. The discovery requests alone had kept several staff in the state’s environmental agency busy for months.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed legislation that would have made Vermont the ninth state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana — and the first to do so by an act of the Legislature, as opposed to a ballot initiative.

Tossing and turning all night, or drowsiness caused by staying up to play World of Warcraft too long into the night, might seem like mild irritants. But the consequences of lack of sleep can be much more dire.

Lawmakers won’t be back for their veto session until June 21, but Senate President Time Ashe says he hopes to have a resolution with Republican Gov. Phil Scott over the issue of teacher health care well before they return.

Both Sen. Patrick Leahy and Sen. Bernie Sanders serve in budget leadership roles in the new Congress, and they hope to influence the outcome of the budget debate in these positions.

I’m staring one of those big fat numbers in the face. Forty-five. Forty-five years ago, I graduated from Bennington College with a degree in literature. But I remember graduation day as if it were yesterday. I covered lots of commencements over the years as a reporter, but I’ve never been to one quite like mine.

I just happened to be in France during the recent presidential election there, and discovered the French candidates had some interesting things in common with our current president.

Invasive plant and animal species exist all around us, but some are more damaging than others. A revamped tool from UVM Extension leverages citizen science to better track where invasive species are now, and which ones are approaching our region.

A bill likely to become law would allow additional TIF districts in the state of Vermont. TIF stands for "tax increment financing" and proponents point to the districts as a way to revitalize downtowns around the state. Critics say they divert money that would otherwise go to the Education Fund.

I wanted to take this moment to tell you about a friend.

Beau Butchery and Bar, which opened in Montpelier in December, is yet another example of the growth of the local food movement. It’s also an effort to recapture the tradition of the neighborhood butcher shop.

The state's nearly $6 billion budget faces a veto and a lot of uncertainty after that – all because a $26 million question over teachers' health insurance wasn't solved. On Vermont Edition , we talk with the teachers union and the Vermont School Boards Association about what this debate means to the health plans of teachers and to the bottom lines of school districts.

Despite calls for the president’s removal either by impeachment or invoking the 25th amendment, neither’s likely. Article II of the Constitution specifies that presidents “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Article I gives a simple majority of the House of Representatives power to impeach and authorizes the Senate to conduct an impeachment trial with a two-thirds majority necessary for conviction.