We ask the senator about rising energy
costs, and what role he expects to play in helping the Obama campaign choose a running mate. Also, news analysis with VPR’s John Dillon and a look back at the voices in the news this week.
Two women have started a Vermont
chapter of the National Jane Austen Society.
We talk with them about their passion for the early nineteenth century
writer. And we hear about state job cuts, and the political fallout over bonuses for some employees. Then, we stop by an adult kickball league.
The
state says it will have to wait until fall to purchase new, fuel efficient
passenger rail cars.
But
the reason for the delay is unclear. The state says it wants guidance from a
special committee chaired by the state treasurer. But the treasurer says the
Legislature has already approved the deal.
VPR’s
John Dillon reports:
The
Douglas Administration is raising questions about the financial stability of
the new owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant.
The
administration says the new company will be financially weak because it will have
to borrow billions of dollars.
But
the new questions are prompting critics to ask why the governor vetoed a recent
Vermont Yankee bill. The bill would have required the new owners to guarantee it
has enough money set aside to decommission the plant.
More
people are riding Vermont’s two passenger trains than ever before.That’s
the good news. The bad news is that the trains have a poor record for running on
time.
A
leading mental health advocacy group is calling on doctors and hospitals to
reject gifts from the pharmaceutical industry.
The
Vermont Association for Mental Health says the payments to doctors create a
conflict of interest that could compromise patient care.
But
medical professionals say they are already taking steps to limit the influence
of drug companies.
VPR’s John Dillon reports.
Vermont
Yankee’s first attempt to move radioactive spent fuel ended in a mishap last
week.
An
electrical relay on a crane failed and the fuel container slipped about four
inches to the floor.
State
and federal regulators said no radiation was released, and that the public was
not in danger.
Three
years after the state got $30 million dollars for rail improvement in western Vermont, there’s little to show for it.
Have
important rail projects come off the track? VPR’s John Dillon has a special
report.
Governor Jim
Douglas has vetoed a bill that would have required Vermont Yankee to guarantee
there’s enough money to dismantle the nuclear plant when it shuts down.
Douglas said the legislation would have forced Yankee to
charge more for electricity.
But Democrats pounced on the veto, and accused the
governor of protecting Yankee’s out-of-state owners.
Negotiators in the House and Senate have reached
agreement on next year’s budget, one of the final steps before adjournment.
The deal paves the way for the Legislature to adjourn
tomorrow.