The Frequency

Vermont’s new tax commissioner explains his approach to the job and how federal action could impact the Green Mountain State. Plus, Vermont’s attorney general says the president’s voter registration plan would limit access to the polls, New England-based lawyers feel the heat from the U.S. Department of Justice as they challenge the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, drivers are urged to watch out for amphibians crossing roads during their annual spring migration, Waking Windows announces this year’s lineup, and today is the last day for a ban on winter manure spreading.

What’s behind the big enrollment numbers for Vermont’s career and technical centers. Plus, Gov. Scott extends through June emergency motel housing for certain vulnerable households, some state lawmakers are open to increasing state income taxes to offset potential cuts in federal funding, Vermont’s health department will lose up to $7 million in canceled federal grants, contentions linger as the support staff union at Central Vermont Medical Center negotiates its first contract with the hospital, and House lawmakers float a plan to use a portion of Vermont’s opioid settlement to help people struggling with stimulant addiction.

Though reforming how public schools are governed has been a major priority at the Statehouse this session, disagreements between the House and Senate could hold back comprehensive change.

Visiting a Shelburne farm where people can snuggle with goats to help release stress. Plus, after exceeding its budget last year the University of Vermont Medical Center proposes a deal to avoid potential penalties, the former president and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center has died, there’s a plan to extend shelters for unhoused families in Williston and Waterbury that were set to close down next week, and Sen. Peter Welch calls on the secretary of defense to resign after sensitive military information was inadvertently shared with a journalist.

How President Trump’s tariffs and aggressive rhetoric toward Canada are putting a serious political and social strain on the relationship between Vermont and Quebec. Plus, a rally in Montpelier calls for state-level protections of LGBTQ youth, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board considers a statewide ban on some commercial panfish, a journalism professor at Norwich University files a lawsuit alleging administrators pressured students to scrap stories putting the university in a bad light, customers of a genetic analysis firm are urged to protect their data after the company files for bankruptcy, and we move our weekly sports report up to Opening Day today for a preview of the 2025 MLB season.

New University of Vermont research explores the surprising link between whale pee and healthy ocean ecosystems. Plus, the Vermont House advances legislation that could limit the number of new retail cannabis shops, lawmakers also advance a midyear budget adjustment bill opposed by Gov. Scott, new Social Security rules could make it more difficult to access benefits, and Vermont libraries may see major impacts from federal funding cuts.

Learning how a Bristol tulip farm works, as workers gear up for the spring season. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers advance a midyear budget adjustment opposed by Gov. Scott, Brattleboro town meeting representatives reject a spending plan that would’ve raised taxes by more than 10 percent, an oral history surrounding the COVID pandemic in Vermont comes out today, and Burlington’s new interim police chief takes over.

Commemorating the Westminster Massacre amid a debate over whether it really marked the first death of the American Revolution. Plus, U.S. Border Patrol officials are restricting Canadian visitor access to a library and opera house that straddles the international boundary, Amazon wants to build a distribution facility in Essex amid significant community pushback, Vermont’s public transit agencies are being asked to trim their budgets for next year, legislation that would change the mission at Efficiency Vermont draws Gov. Scott’s attention, and Brattleboro has a new fire chief.

Lawmakers in Montpelier are debating whether to use a big pool of one-time money to bring down property taxes next year, which some fear could set taxpayers up for a financial cliff the year after.

We preview original classical music compositions written by Vermont students for a Music-COMP concert next week. Plus, what’s behind the financial shortfall hampering Randolph’s Gifford Medical Center, lawmakers consider a bill to provide emergency financial relief for Vermont’s largest health insurer if its money woes worsen, the Vermont Senate approves legislation giving financial incentives to people who take care of seriously ill family members at home, lawmakers also advance a proposed constitutional amendment further protecting Vermonters’ rights to organize and collectively bargain, the University of Vermont announces its next president, and we preview UVM's game against NC State in the opening round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament in our weekly sports report.