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News Jan. 2

Senator Sanders

Progressive Voice Sen. Bernard Sanders is the most vital voice on progressive issues in the U.S. Senate, according to The Nation, 143-year old weekly magazine.  The magazine cited Sanders for recognizing before many of his colleagues in Washington, D.C. that the economy was heading toward a major fall.  Sanders said he saw the warning signs that the economy was falling because he kept in close contact with his constituents.  Sanders also said 2008 saw a shift in public sentiment on key issues toward a more progressive political approach.  "People used to believe that our financial institutions would do the right thing.  No one believes that anymore," Sanders told the Rutland Herald, Times Argus, The Associated Press, WCAX, and WPTZ. LINK, LINK, VIDEO, and VIDEO

Match Fund Waiver Bailouts by themselves aren’t the answer, but the investment in our infrastructure that President-elect Obama is proposing could be. Funding at the state level could present problems to enacting this package.  The Vermont congressional delegation thinks will seek to waive the state and local match requirements. The move would give Vermont and other states facing tight budgets a much-needed boost to improve roads and bridges, support public transit agencies and upgrade rail lines at no additional cost to the federal government, according to American Construction Publications. LINK

International

Sri Lanka Takes Tamil Stronghold Government forces captured the Tamil Tigers' de facto capital in northern Sri Lanka on Friday, dealing a devastating blow to the rebels' quarter-century fight for an independent state, the president said.  But in a sign the rebels retained their ability to strike back, a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide attacker on a motorcycle detonated a bomb near the air force headquarters in the heart of Colombo during Friday's afternoon rush hour, killing two airmen, reported The Associated Press. LINK

New Urban Hunger Tactics Escalating hunger in African cities is forcing aid agencies accustomed to tackling food shortages in rural areas to scramble for strategies to address the more complex hunger problems in sprawling slums.  The United Nations World Food Program which usually takes the lead on aid in coordination with smaller organizations, began considering new tactics last year when it saw an urban hunger crisis developing in Africa, reported The Wall Street Journal. LINK

National

Army May Review Violent Crime Trend Among Recent Vets The secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, says he is considering conducting an Army-wide review of all soldiers “involved in violent crimes since returning” from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a letter sent to Sen. Ken Salazar in December. Focusing attention on soldiers charged with killings is a shift for the military, which since the start of the war in Iraq has largely deflected any suggestion that combat could be a factor in violent behavior among some returning service members, reported The New York Times. LINK

Quake Drill Finds Flaws Modern steel buildings have long been considered among the most sturdy in the event of a major earthquake. But a model of a massive quake in Southern California has sparked debate among scientists and engineers over whether these structures are more vulnerable than previously thought. The Great Southern California ShakeOut, the nation's largest quake drill, suggested that about five high-rise steel buildings in the region would collapse in the modeled magnitude 7.8 quake, according to the Los Angeles Times. LINK

Vermont

Food Stamp Eligibility Expands Starting this year, more Vermonters are now eligible for food stamps. Changes to the income and savings restrictions of beneficiaries will allow more people to apply for the federal program. Joanne Heidkamp of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger say the expansion will help both needy Vermonters and the economy. The number of Vermonters relying on food stamps has jumped to a record high of more than 60,000 residents, up 7,000 from last year, reports The Associated Press.

Emissions Auction Windfall Vermont will take home $683,645 from the December auction of carbon dioxide emissions allowances by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a consortium of 10 Northeastern states.  Vermont led the way in pledging to devote its RGGI earnings entirely to energy efficiency, but now lawmakers and the Douglas administration are at odds over the details of that program, reports The Burlington Free Press. LINK

Vote on Bigger Buildings Manchester, Vermont voters will decide in March whether to allow larger buildings to be built downtown.  The Select Board has chosen to have residents vote on two bylaw change proposals at town meeting.  The proposed changes would increase the allowable size for buildings from 3,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet on Depot Street and 7,000 square feet on Route 7A South as long as developers meet certain goals of the town plan, according to the Rutland Herald. LINK

Moose Season Wrap-Up Alexander said 1,251 moose hunting permits were issued across the state, which is coincidentally the same number as last year. He said 604 moose were taken in Vermont, the third highest total on record.  Twelve moose taken weighed over 800 pounds, the largest weighing 926 pounds was taken by Sutton's Nicholas Ott, in Granby. Moose sizes, however, are shrinking. The reason for this is population density, which the state is trying to reduce, especially in the northeastern part of the state, wrote the Bennington Banner.  LINK