Latest news with #Progressives
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Democrats are at odds over the Israel-Iran war as Trump considers intervening
After nearly two years of stark divisions over the war in Gaza and support for Israel, Democrats are now finding themselves at odds over U.S. policy toward Iran as progressives demand unified opposition to President Donald Trump's consideration of a strike against Tehran's nuclear program while party leaders tread more cautiously.
Boston Globe
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In Vermont, Burlington struggles to remain that hip, cool place on Lake Champlain
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT BURLINGTON, Vt. — This is a sweet time of year, here in the Queen City. Nowhere more than by the shores of Lake Champlain, which, on sunny days, glistens with sumptuous views of the Adirondacks across the water. Most of the students from the University of Vermont and Champlain College are gone for the summer, making this walkable city that never seems too crowded (pop. 45,000) even more open and inviting. Advertisement Even with the students gone, the city's downtown area is vibrant, especially along the pedestrianized Church Street Marketplace, with specialty shops, restaurants, and bars. The waterfront offers outdoor music and the 8-mile Greenway bike path along the lake. Burlington's been in the news a lot lately because the cases of high-profile ICE detainees from New England have ended up in federal court here. But locally, the news has been more about a less salubrious aspect of life in Burlington. As in other American cities, homelessness is a major issue in Burlington, but it's more obvious here because of the tight confines of the downtown area. The homeless and those struggling with addiction and mental illness are ubiquitous in areas like Church Street and City Hall Park. Business owners say that drives away customers, and many residents say they don't feel nearly as safe as they used to. Advertisement The city is famously progressive, having elected a socialist, Bernie Sanders, as its mayor in the 1980s. But some blame Burlington's problems on the permissiveness of progressives. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, a member of the Progressive Party, inherited a lot of problems when she was elected last year, none bigger than a depleted police force. While problems like homelessness and drugs were growing in recent years, the police department was shrinking. The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020 dramatically altered public safety in Burlington. The City Council, led by Progressives at the time, cut the police budget by 30 percent. Within a year, the council recognized its mistake and restored funding, but the department has been unable to hire back nearly enough officers. In that void, Mulvaney-Stanak angered some fellow Progressives when she But Mulvaney-Stanak seems to grasp that public safety, or what she calls 'community safety,' is not an ideological issue as much as a practical one. Another challenge for Mulvaney-Stanak is the city's finances. In the past 15 years, In May, Mulvaney-Stanak Advertisement Mulvaney-Stanak is determined to balance practical realities with the compassion she says progressive ideas bring to public safety, addiction treatment, and homelessness. She had been reluctant to move a free lunch program called Things have not been made easier with massive construction on downtown streets over the past year, with dust and dirt spreading around like morning dew. Burlington remains decidedly different and hipper than other New England cities. There are a dozen cannabis shops. But holding on to its cool, alternative vibe is a serious challenge. Last fall, Nectar's, the city's iconic music venue, is Advertisement Many locals have proudly displayed their progressive bona fides by turning out in large numbers to support Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk and Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi of Vermont, who were rounded up by ICE and find their cases in Burlington's federal court. Judges sitting here have Others, progressive and otherwise, are rising to the city's defense. Rather than retreat from Church Street, folks at the Vermont Italian Cultural Association just started a weekly stroll along the marketplace, passeggiata , a leisurely evening stroll. As Lisa DeNatale, president of the group, put it, 'Now more than ever, we need to support Burlington.' 🧩 6 Across: 66° POINTS OF INTEREST Mercedes Pagan, a participant in Boston Medical Center's cash-incentives program for people with addiction, met with a program coordinator in Boston. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Boston and New England Profit motive: An innovative new program at Boston Medical Center gives addicts money Scam alert: Increasingly elaborate tech support scams have surged across Massachusetts, Catch-22: Massachusetts drivers who lose the ability to renew their licenses because of unpaid tolls can find themselves locked out of the job market Deluge: The National Weather Service Gone awry: At least 10 people who got cosmetic Botox injections at a Milton spa Trump administration Where to go? As refugees who no longer feel welcome in the US look northward, New tactics: In Massachusetts and elsewhere, ICE has begun arresting undocumented immigrants Journalist suspended: ABC News suspended Terry Moran, a national correspondent, after he called Trump aide Stephen Miller 'richly endowed with the capacity for hatred' on social media. ( Into the breach: The administration canceled an $87 million grant to an MIT startup creating low-carbon cement, allegedly because it wasn't economically viable. The private sector — including Microsoft and Suffolk Construction — Fact check: The administration has questioned Harvard's academic rigor by accusing it of teaching 'remedial math' — 'like two plus two is four,' Trump said. It's actually The Nation and the World Tony Awards: 'Maybe Happy Ending' won best musical, while Darren Criss, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sarah Snook won their first Tonys. See the rest of the winners. ( Airport disruptions: The FAA will limit flights at Newark airport, where many flights have been delayed or canceled recently, through the end of the year. ( Israel-Hamas war: The CEO of Boston Consulting Group apologized for the firm's involvement in designing and running an Israeli-backed effort to deliver aid to Gaza, saying it had fired two partners and launched an investigation. ( Colombia shooting: A right-wing Colombia senator considered a potential presidential contender survived an assassination attempt in Bogota. His wife said he's 'fighting for his life.' ( BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 🗓️ Free events: Spooky movies in Allston, martial arts in Somerville, Pride parade, and other events in Boston, and 👧 Key to success: Want your kid to be a high-achiever? (Silly question.) It could hinge on whether or not parents do this one important thing. ( 🍽️ Pricey plates: Restaurant bills are bigger everywhere. 😿 It's kitten season ... that time of year when a lot of homeless cats give births, leading shelters to get overwhelmed and demand for foster or adoptive homes to soar. ( Advertisement 💿 Better late ... : In 1978, Pat Wells of West Newbury recorded one album that didn't make it big. But now songs from it have been 🎵 Reunited, almost: It looks like pop girl group Fifth Harmony could be getting back together — but without its most famous member, Camila Cabello. ( 🧩 Today's featured puzzle: Here's a hint for the Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont property taxes are increasing this year, but not by much. Here's why
Property taxes in Vermont are set to increase an average of 1.1% in fiscal year 2026, down from the 5.9% increase the Department of Taxes projected in December 2024 and significantly lower than fiscal year 2025's unprecedented 14% jump. Lawmakers bought down property tax increases for fiscal year 2026 using a one-time $77.2 million allocation from the general fund, a strategy Gov. Phil Scott proposed at the beginning of the legislative session in January. Scott, who originally wanted a zero percent increase or even a property tax decrease, signed the new property tax bill into law on May 20. Scott reiterated that the buydown should be a one-time approach to providing tax relief and reminded lawmakers of their promise to reform the education property tax system. 'After last year's significant property tax increase, we knew it was important to provide Vermonters tax relief," Scott said in a press release. "But I want to be clear, buying down rates year after year isn't good fiscal management and we should only view this as a bridge to the real education transformation our system needs." The legislature's next step, Scott said, is to pass an education transformation bill that creates a more sustainable, affordable and equitable funding structure before the legislative session adjourns. The education transformation bill in question, H.454, is currently in the senate and, if passed, will once again need the approval of the house due to the many edits senators made to the original legislation. Vermont's skyrocketing property taxes, which critics say has made living in Vermont more difficult each year, are widely believed to be the reason Democrats and Progressives lost their supermajority in both chambers in November. All parties agreed to make working on the property tax crisis their top priority this session. Additionally, school districts helped to lower property tax increases for FY26 by making significant budget cuts, Scott reported in December. Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: How much Vermont's property taxes will increase this year
Wall Street Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
JD Vance Is Wrong: The Market Isn't a ‘Tool'
Even with a few minutes to think about it, most people couldn't come up with a good definition of 'the market.' The concept is slippery. Depending on who you talk to, a market could be anything from a collection of fruit stands to a stock exchange. It could be an efficient way to increase prosperity or an arbitrary implement of economic oppression. In a world better informed about basic economics, this imprecision might not matter much. But in the world we live in, 'the market' is frequently wielded as a rhetorical weapon. Progressives use it as a synonym for capitalism, by which they mean greed. Artists deploy it as a metaphor for materialism, which they also consider synonymous with greed. Sociologists conceive of the market as a machine for exercising economic control, aka rewarding greed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vermont Progressive Party's director to step down
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont's Progressives will be looking for someone new to guide them for the first time in eight years. Josh Wronski, who became the party's executive director in January of 2017, announced Monday that he will be stepping down on July 4 to take a position with the Vermont State Employees Association. The party's executive director is its only paid position. Wronski wrote, 'I came into this role from the labor movement, and am excited to now be joining the staff of the VSEA – one of the most impactful unions in our state. Working people are under attack like never before, and the need for a powerful labor movement is clearer than ever.' Opioid overdose deaths in Vermont dropped significantly last year The Vermont Progressive Party, the third largest political party in the state after the Democrats and the Republicans, is known for its platform of 'economic, social, and environmental justice'. It currently counts among its members five members of the Vermont State Legislature and five of the twelve members of the Burlington City Council. It is frequently associated with independent Senator Bernie Sanders, from whose campaign for Burlington mayor it originated; Sanders has been an 'affiliated non-member' since 1981. Progressive candidate David Zuckerman narrowly lost the election for lieutenant governor in the state last year to Republican John Rodgers, by less than 6,000 votes out of over 330,000 cast. Anthony Pollina, who served in the Vermont State Senate from 2011 to 2023, remains as the party's chair. He thanked Wronski for his time as director, saying, 'Josh has been an incredible asset to the Progressive Party and the progressive movement in Vermont, providing leadership and working tirelessly behind the scenes. Thanks to Josh we are a stronger, more resilient party. He will be missed.' The party's leadership will meet next week to discuss next steps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
