News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike discuss Regional Planning Commissions and their role in town planning. We also talk more about healthcare. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its … Read more
Comedian Jeff Dunham got a lot of mileage out of portraying his cranky, cantankerous Walter as Joe Biden. He just put aviators on him. Biden gave him all sorts of material; all he had to do was regurgitate it. I wonder if he could transition Walter into Bernie Sanders. The VT Senator is a cranky … Read more
Does CNBC’s “Best States” ranking make any sense? Yogi Berra famously said of a once favorite Yankees hangout, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” I feel like there’s a way to tweak that phrase regarding Vermont’s just winning CNBC’s “Best States to Live” for the sixth straight year: “Nobody wants to live there anymore. … Read more
As Vermont’s sole representative in the U.S. House, what has Rep. Becca Balint done to improve the plight of Vermont’s youth, the working class, senior citizens, and small businesses? If parroting her party’s line on national issues and feigning outrage over international events count, then she sure has done a lot. Meanwhile, the forgotten men … Read more
The Fiscal Alliance Foundation is expanding into Vermont and has named Waterbury resident Elizabeth Brown as its Vermont state director, charging her with leading the organization’s efforts to promote fiscally responsible, transparent, and data-driven public policy. Brown, who has lived in Vermont for three decades, brings more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alisonand Mike discuss the elected Orange County High Bailiff visiting Iran, the Governor’s Executive Order, and the poison pill in ACT 152 (rechargeable battery dispisal/recycling). Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent … Read more
Vermonters and at least one national Republican figure are responding to an elected Vermont official’s ‘death to America’ statements made last week while attending the funeral of the leader of Iran, who died in the early days of the war with Iran. According to an X post by Orange County High Bailiff Christopher Helali, he’s … Read more
Young people (18 to 34) apparently really don’t like Vermont. According to the recent University of New Hampshire Green Mountain State Poll, a whopping 64 percent of that demographic wants to very much or somewhat leave the Green Mountains for greener pastures. Less than half, just 45 percent, think Vermont is a “good place to … Read more
Videographer Hank “Planet Hank” Poitras confirmed today that he is being investigated by Attorney General Charity Clark under Vermont’s 2026 Synthetic Media law for a satire video he produced earlier this year. As first reported by Seven Days, Clark has sent him a warning letter about her investigating him for the video. He said that she says he violated the … Read more
This week on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike discuss the Independence Day celebrations they attended, what some democratic candidates are saying, and carbon markets. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its … Read more
Armed residents confronted and repelled a suspected burglar who forced his way into their home early Saturday, July 4, leaving the suspect with a minor gunshot graze wound before he was arrested by the Vermont State Police. Police also said the Bennington County State’s Attorney’s Office will determine whether charges may be brought against the … Read more
Governor Phil Scott welcomed 15 new American citizens during a naturalization ceremony Wednesday, July 1, in the Vermont Supreme Court chambers, calling on the newest Vermonters to help bridge political divides and strengthen the nation through integrity, compassion and civic engagement. The ceremony, held as the nation marks its 250th anniversary this week, included new … Read more
The Vermont Futures Project made something of a splash when it released a statistic showing that Vermont ranks 51st among 50 states (D.C. thrown in for giggles) for something they call “economic momentum.” This sounds really bad and, spoiler alert, it is. But, full confession, it’s not a statistic I was familiar with. Other organizations … Read more
New Hampshire eliminated annual passenger vehicle inspections last year. Beginning in February 2026, they are no longer mandatory. The journey from there to here is well documented on our pages, including the lawsuits, caterwauling, and fearmongering. The problem was the paradigm. People just assumed that the state’s interest in making you pay for an inspection … Read more
Senator Bernie Sanders says America has a student debt crisis. He’s right about that. Forty-three million Americans owe student loans. About 76,000 Vermonters have them. Many borrowers are struggling, and some face higher monthly payments starting tomorrow, July 1, as changes to federal repayment programs take effect. Sanders recently held a Senate roundtable featuring borrowers … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike discuss some of the upcoming America 250 July 4 events, a pending Act 73 lawsuit, and the state of the economy. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those … Read more
Mid Vermont Christian School in Quechee has asked a federal appeals court to overturn Vermont’s Act 73 exclusion of religious schools from the state’s tuition and other public education benefit programs, arguing the policy violates the First Amendment, according to a statement by Alliance Defending Freedom. Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom filed an opening brief … Read more
Four Washington County legislators are being taken to task on the Rural Vermont Rising Facebook group for what a poster says is their negative characterization of the grassroots organization’s successful efforts this year to repeal Act 181 and promote legislation protecting property rights. The criticism follows a post-session legislative forum on Wednesday, June 24, in … Read more
The former treasurer of the Board of Directors of EcoHealth Alliance, the now-defunct research group associated with coronavirus research in Wuhan, China, is a Vermont veterinarian. EcoHealth Alliance re-emerged into the COVID-19 media coverage this weekend after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released documents that revealed U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases chief Anthony Fauci’s … Read more
With Vermont’s annual budget shrinking like CNN’s viewership, the native population is fleeing the state for more affordable regions like the Carolinas or Sudan. The subsequent drop in tax revenue has many in Montpelier racing to figure out how to shore up the shortfall. The avant-garde senator from Windsor County, Becca White (Windsor D-3), who came out as the … Read more