Topic: Vermont

A share-the-wealth Super Tuesday means no rest for front-runner Romney

Mitt Romney won six of 10 Super Tuesday contests, enough to retain his front-runner status. But his hair-breadth's win in Ohio was not a convincing one, and the next states to vote don't favor him.

Super Tuesday impossibly close for Romney, Santorum

Both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have three states as they wait for results from Ohio to come in.  With 91 percent of the Ohio votes tallied, Romney only has a 5,000 vote lead out of the 1.1 million votes that have been counted.

Super Tuesday results roll in for six states

Mitt Romney won in three of the first primary results to come in on Super Tuesday.  Rick Santorum won two of the first states to tally their results, and Newt Gingrich took Georgia.

Super Tuesday 101: Who’s ahead where

Ten states are holding presidential primaries or caucuses Tuesday – and many Republicans are hoping the results begin to bring an unusually volatile primary season to a close.

Here’s what to look for Tuesday night, state by state:

Change Agent
5 urban garden programs that train inmates and help communities

Prison gardening programs teach inmates valuable skills, reduce recidivism, and provide those in need with fresh produce.

Oil nears $110 a barrel, gas prices jump 12 cents a gallon in a week. Eek!

Tensions with Iran have markets 'convinced there will be some type of confrontation,' says an energy analyst. Oil buyers are starting to 'horde,' and nervousness is affecting gas prices.

Rick Santorum: Can Democrats' 'mischief vote' give him Michigan win?

Michigan is an 'open primary' state, so some liberal commentators are calling for Democrats to cast a primary vote for the candidate they say is less likely to beat President Obama in the fall.

New Jersey passes gay marriage bill, awaits Christie veto

The New Jersey Assembly passes gay marriage bill on Thursday, sending the bill to Republican Governor Chris Christie, a possible vice-presidential candidate who has promised to veto the measure.

The Vote
Three weeks until Super Tuesday, but some states are already voting

Of the 10 Super Tuesday states, early voting is now under way in three: Vermont, Ohio, and Georgia. It begins in Tennessee on Wednesday. How early voting might affect the outcome. 

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signs gay marriage bill into law

Gregoire signed the bill surrounded by gay rights supporters. 'I'm proud our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate but equal,' she said.

Washington State headed toward gay marriage: a sign of shifting attitudes

Lawmakers voted to make Washington the seventh state to allow gay marriage. Opponents vow to force the measure onto the November ballot, but obtaining a voter veto of the new law will be an uphill battle.

Supreme Court on TV? Senate panel advances bill requiring cameras in high court.

The Senate committee's vote comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear five and a half hours of argument in March in a challenge to President Obama’s health-care reform law. 

Stir It Up!
Cookbook review: 'Food of Life'

'Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies' by Najmieh Batmanglij is a treasured collection of classic Iranian recipes.

Change Agent
Alison Smith works to reform campaign finance by using public funds

She helped pass a campaign finance reform law in Maine where candidates qualify for public funds and are beholden only to voters.

Why exotic animal trade grows in Asia

Rising wealth lifts demand for exotic pets and delicacies in Asia. Meanwhile, enforcers are stretched thin.

Stir It Up!
Meatless Monday: Balsamic glazed carrots and edamame grilled cheese

Carrots and edamame in a grilled cheese sandwich – why not?

A bit late, winter grips Midwest and Northeast

Snowplow drivers were out in force overnight in Chicago, where temperatures plummeted. The storm could drop up to a foot of snow on parts of Ohio along Lake Erie before moving east.

Horizons
Visiting the US? Forgot your passport? Try your iPad.

Is an iPad enough to get you across the US border? Martin Reisch says yes. Officials aren't so sure.

Minimum wage milestone: Why Washington State surpassed $9 an hour

Minimum wage laws raised the wage floor in eight states as of Jan. 1. Washington now tops all states, at $9.04 an hour. Economic effects of raising the minimum wage are in hot dispute.

For some making minimum wage, the new year holds modest promise

For middle-class workers, the new year could mean the loss of the payroll tax cut. But for workers far down the pay scale, a Jan. 1 rise in the minimum wage in eight states offers some hope.

Snowstorm US: blizzard heads north, but Southwest still digging out

Snowstorm watchers say the snowstorm that hit the southwestern US will lose some steam as it leaves the region, but travel is still difficult in Kansas and the Texas Panhandle.

Keystone XL pipeline: a jobs coup for Republicans in tax deal?

A congressional deal to preserve a payroll tax cut, approved by the Senate Saturday, contains a provision designed to force President Obama's hand on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Confusion reigns over medical marijuana as states and Feds clash

Sixteen states allow medical marijuana for patients with prescriptions. But the Feds have lately cracked down on what they say are abuses by the burgeoning industry. Will 'pot wars' ensue? 

Mitt Romney vs. Newt Gingrich: Why delegate count will be close through April

If Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are still leading in January, expect a close, three-lap primary race. Gingrich will likely win the first lap. But Romney will likely rebound in the second.

State, local policies emerge on illegal immigrants

More illegal immigrants moving beyond the border states to follow jobs and a lack of federal immigration reform has some states and communities coming up with their own enforcement policies – written or not.