VT

Slow Living Summit

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:41:31 -0500

Start: 05/30/2012 - 00:00

End: 06/01/2012 - 00:00

Timezone: Etc/GMT-5

The second annual Strolling of the Heifers Slow Living Summit is a world-changing effort at cross-sector, sustainable transformation.

The Slow Living Summit is a unique, flexible gathering designed to foster cross-sector solutions for high-quality sustainable living -- solutions for our planet in which common good is just as important as private gain.

Drug Marketing and Free Speech

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:50:47 -0400

Full article: New York Times
If the Supreme Court had treated Vermont's law forbidding the sale of doctor's records by pharmacies and their use for marketing purposes as a restriction on commercial speech instead of a violation of the First Amendment, Vermont's law would have been upheld. As it is, the court's decision unwisely narrows the gap between commercial and political speech and makes it harder to protect consumers.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Vermont Data Mining Regulation

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:46:55 -0400

Full article: Modern Health Care
Joe Carlson
In a victory for pharmaceutical and data-mining companies, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a Vermont statute that sought to outlaw the practice of pharmacies selling information to drugmakers about doctors' prescribing habits. In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled that Vermont's law violated constitutional protections on free speech even though lawmakers drafted it with the goal of preventing pharmaceutical companies from using direct marketing to convince doctors to prescribe more-costly drugs to patients.

Prosecutors Demand Limitless Warrant in Vermont Computer Search

Stevie Converse — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:40:27 -0400

Full article: Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU Vermont, urged the Vermont Supreme Court to reject prosecutors' demands to override a judge's instructions and allow a limitless warrant for a computer search.

Vermont Is Wiring Itself with Fiber Because Nobody Else Will

Stevie Converse — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:52:50 -0400

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Vermont has been an interesting broadband state to watch, from Fairpoint's collapse, to efforts to bring fiber to homes in 22 towns and efforts to prevent these kinds of community efforts from succeeding, to the fact that a Google executive is running for Vermont Governor with broadband as one of his primary campaign platforms.

Digital Divide Targeted in e-Vermont Project

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:06:01 -0400

Full article: Burlington Free Press
Joel Banner Baird
Unlike Google's lottery-like fiber broadband project, the e-Vermont initiative doesn't promise super-high-speed Internet to every home. But e-Vermont will deliver: This summer, 12 rural communities will receive financial and technical assistance to connect residents, businesses, schools and local government or strengthen the digital connections they already have.

Fairpoint Still Has Enough Cash For Anticompetitive Lobbying

Stevie Converse — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:19:11 -0400

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Fairpoint Communications has all but imploded from the acquisition of Verizon's Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont DSL networks. The carrier has skirted close to bankruptcy, faces state investigations for incompetence, and is now looking at a possible delisting by the NYSE. So it's interesting the company still has the cash on hand to spend on lobbying.

Tensions Rise Between Public Access Cable Providers and Comcast

Stevie Converse — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:43:51 -0400

Full article: Vermont Public Radio
John Dillon
Public access TV programs are paid for through a fee on cable TV bills. But the public access providers in Vermont say they face increasing pressure from their cable company, Comcast. They say that Comcast wants to micromanage their budgets and pay less for the service.

Democracy Fest

Jordan Berg — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:42:01 -0400

Start: 07/17/2009 - 15:31

End: 07/19/2009 - 15:31

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

Free Press is proud to announce that we are sponsoring this year's DemocracyFest; which features trainings, speakers and entertainment; teaching people how to make a difference and have fun doing it! The 6th Annual DemocracyFest will be held July 17th-19th at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, VT! More information about the event can be found here: http://www.DemocracyFest.net

Is Fairpoint Headed for Disaster?

Stevie Converse — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:11:21 -0400

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Before Fairpoint Communications acquired Verizon networks in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont for $2.3 billion, regulators, unions and consumer advocates doubted whether the small telco could handle the acquisition and financial strain of the deal. So far, they were right to worry.