Richard Wolf
 
| USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – The line to succeed the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court likely starts with these federal appeals court judges:

Amy Coney Barrett 

A finalist for Trump’s second high court nomination, which ultimately went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, Barrett, 48, is a favorite of religious conservatives.

Barrett rocketed to the top of Trump’s list of potential nominees after her 2017 confirmation hearing for a seat on the U.S...

David Jackson
 
| USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Saturday he wants to pick a new Supreme Court justice next week, probably a woman.

“I could see most likely it would be a woman,” Trump told reporters at the White House before he departed for Fayetteville, North Carolina, for a campaign rally.

Trump said he would like to see the announcement “next week,” but did not give a specific time frame.

Trump is looking for a successor for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the court’s liberal justices, who died Friday after ...

Richard Wolf
 
| USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday, giving President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans a rare opportunity to solidify conservative control of the court, perhaps for decades to come.

Ginsburg, 87 and in failing health, had overcome four bouts with pancreatic, lung and colon cancer dating back to 1999 but apparently could not beat the most recent spread to her liver. She had announced her latest recurrence in July, again vowing to stay on the court “as long as I can do the job full steam.”

The diminutive New...

Hotels and inns across Vermont can now book all of their rooms to guests, Gov. Phil Scott announced during his Friday briefing on COVID-19. 

This change comes as the state continues to see low case counts, Scott said.

Vermont reported 1,706 cases and remained steady at 58 deaths as of Friday. The most recent announcement arrives nearly six months after Scott ordered the closure of most lodging facilities and suspended online reservations.

The governor acknowledged some may be concerned about whether the change will prompt more travel from out-of-staters, but noted that Vermont’s campgrounds, marinas and cottages operated at 100% capacity this summer.

“As a reminder, we have a travel policy in place,” Scott said of ...

Vermont high schools, athletes and coaches thought they were days away from competing for the first time since March.

Now they once again don’t know how many days it will be.

During a news conference Friday, Dan French, the state’s Secretary of Education, said his agency was unaware many schools had scheduled games to begin next week after interpreting that the state’s “Strong and Healthy Start” guidance signaled permission would likely be granted the week of Sept. 21.

Under the guidance, all schools must be in the third phase of its three-step plan for sports teams to begin games and competition for the fall season. When teams returned to practice for the first day of school on Sept...

One Chittenden County district is starting the process to bring students back for more in-person school days. 

Williston schools, part of the Champlain Valley School District, announced plans to bring kindergartners back for four days of in-person instruction.

Allen Brook School kindergarten classes would begin the schedule change starting Oct. 5. Students would attend each day except Wednesdays. Remote learning would continue for Wednesdays, which is the day the school is closed for other grade levels while deep cleaning occurs. 

A newsletter to families Sept...

Vermonters looking for a nice stroll or run this fall could look to their nearest farm. 

The Vermont Farm Walk Trail, sponsored by the state’s Farm to Plate Network Agritourism Task Force, is hoping to expand opportunities for Vermonters and regional tourists to enjoy the sights and sounds on farms across the state.

The public will be invited to walk on trails along farms such as Shelburne Farms, Knoll Farms, and Lavender Essentials of Vermont. 

For more: Lavender farm heralds next generation of agritourism in Vermont

“It has been a challenging summer for the entire tourism and hospitality sector, and farmers have had the added stress of hot dry weather, said Heather Pelham, commissioner of the state’s department ...

Canada remains off-limits for at least another month.

Officials from both the United States and its neighbor to the north on Friday confirmed that the ban on non-essential traffic between the two nations will be extended until Oct. 21.

The prohibition has been in place since March.

Vermont has seven ports of entry with Canada, all via the province of Quebec. The International Boundary between the U.S. and Canada is the longest in the world, with 119 legal land crossings over the 5,000-plus miles dividing the two countries.

Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of U.S...

August unemployment numbers for Vermont show that the rate is continuing to drop as the state continues to try to bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for August was 4.8%, according to the Department of Labor. During the previous month, the rate was estimated to be 8.3%, a report released Friday stated. 

Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate is much higher — it was estimated to be 8.4% in August.

By the numbers

At the height of the pandemic and the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order in April, the unemployment rate was estimated to be 16.5%, according to a previous report from the Department of Labor.

The unemployment rate this August...

There’s a nip in the air, but still many ways to enjoy the views over Lake Champlain from one of the Burlington city parks.

Be prepared: Restroom availability and parking rules are changing with the season.

Here is the latest update on selected parks from the Burlington Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront: 

• Burlington Boathouse: Restrooms are open until Oct. 15.
• Leddy Arena: Restrooms are closed, but there is a port-o-let.
• North Beach: There is currently no charge to park, and restrooms are open daily, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. The entrance gate closes to motorists for the season on Sept. 28.
• Oakledge Park: Parking is free. Restrooms are open only on weekends 7 a.m. – 7 p.m...