Midday Newscast: December 11, 2008

Governor Jim Douglas is before a congressional committee at this hour to make a pitch for financial help for the states; before he left for Washington, Gov. Douglas weighed in on the future of the Vermont Yankee power plant; the Vermont League of Cities and Towns says a debate about the education property tax rate could have a very real impact on local budgets — and taxpayers’ budgets; schoolchildren in the Northeast Kingdom town of Sutton started Christmas vacation early this year.