Synchronised Swimmer, Ronan Daly and his partner Charles Lambert will appear on RTEs new show, The Great House Revival, this March, showcasing a lovingly restored house that they bought in County Longford.

Kilgass was built as a gentlemens residence for Sir Henry Bate Dudley, Baronet. He was the first rector of Kilglass Church.A major part of the house was built in 1804 for Sir Henry. Earlier parts of the house are thought to date from 16th/17th century as part of an old tower house.

As the name suggests, Kilglass, meaning church with a grass/turf roof, was built on the site of a medieval monastery. The owners have a list of all the rectors of the parish of Kilglass who have lived in the house over the last 200 years.

The house and gardens are undergoing a major restoration and are 80% finished. The owners of the house are encouraging people to come to stay and experience the country house lifestyle and to see for themselves the restoration of a historic house.Kilglass is on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (No.13401921). The front has now been faithfully restored back to its 1804 original.

The beautiful home will be featured in episode three of The Great House Revival in early March.

Also read: Quad lambs born on Lanesboro farm

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Longford house to appear on RT show this March - Longford Leader

Three ornamental pillars crafted from Peterhead granite are making their way across the Atlantic for use in the restoration of a historic New York building after some detective work by Scottish stonemasons.

Natural stone specialists Fyfe Glenrock were able to identify the type of granite required for the multi-million-dollar restoration of the Big Apples oldest apartment block from a photograph of the existing columns.

The Oldmeldrum-based firm was contacted by counterparts in the States seeking a perfect match for three polished granite pillars at The Windermere, on the citys upmarket Upper West Side.

Original shipping and building records suggested that the stone for the pillars had been imported from Scotland, prompting Swenson Stone Consultants in New Hampshire to contact a firm with a worldwide reputation for granite quarrying and craftsmanship.

Fyfe Glenrock commercial manager Richard Collinson said: We have worked with this firm in the past so they were aware of our knowledge of Scottish granites and they emailed asking for confirmation of the identity of the granite used on the building which they believed to be from Aberdeenshire.

The photo they sent had sufficient detail for us to know that the pillars had been created from Peterhead granite.

"Its always very interesting when we get an unusual request like this, and were delighted to be able to help restore a building of such significant historical interest.

The Windermere was originally completed in around 1881 as a complex of three seven-storey red brick buildings. With his own daughters in mind, Superintendent Henry Sterling Goodale marketed the apartments as homes for the new woman a growing class of single and financially independent ladies and were among the first in the city to offer amenities such as hydraulic elevators and telephones.

Many decades later they were converted into single-occupancy residences and were marketed to New Yorkers struggling with sky-high rents, particularly the citys growing creative community.

One of The Windermeres most famous past residents is actor Steve McQueen.

The building slowly fell into a state of decline and in 2007 was declared unsafe by the fire department.

Two years later it was bought by a developer and the major refurbishment will see the building reopen its doors as a plush hotel, with retail space and a number of private apartments.

Peterhead granite was used extensively throughout the UK and abroad during the 19th century and comes in red and blue varieties.

The red variety is often used for ornamental construction its found in many buildings in London, Liverpool and Cambridge while the blue variety is used for decorative proposes, including the fountains in Trafalgar Square in London.

It is still quarried at Stirlinghill and Longhaven quarries, but these days it is mostly crushed for aggregate.

The pillars have been produced, polished and finished at Fyfe Glenrocks base and are now being shipped to the USA where, said Mr Collinson, they will not look out of place.

He visited New York three years ago and was struck by the amount of Peterhead granite used in building and memorial bases.

If you look at the history books, a lot of masons from the north east of Scotland migrated to and from America in the late 1800s, he said.

Due to the fact that they had a knowledge of indigenous Scottish granite and its properties, it is understandable that they would seek out Scottish materials to use there.

"So, it wasnt only the men, but the materials, that made the transatlantic journey.

Were talking about 120 years ago when stonemasonry would still have been a relatively young industry in the new world, and there would have been plenty of work opportunities.

There is some evidence to suggest that the parapet bases of the Brooklyn Bridge were made by Aberdeen masons so, given the fact that Peterhead granite was used at The Windermere, its likely that Scottish masons were involved in construction.

Fyfe Glenrock has more than 160 years experience in granite quarrying and craftmanship, and has supplied materials for many high-profile works, both at home and overseas.

It has provided indigenous Scottish granite for projects including The Scottish Parliament, the Millicent Fawcett Suffragist Memorial in Parliament Square, London and more recently The Silver Fin Building, Union Street, Aberdeen.

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From the Blue Toon to the Big Apple as north-east granite used in restoration of historic New York building - Grampian Online

Written by Sourav Roy Barman, Jignasa Sinha, Astha Saxena, Ananya Tiwari | New Delhi | Published: February 16, 2020 2:30:28 am Nitya enjoys meditating in the happiness class, and is also a member of the Punjabi and Eco clubs at her school. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Greater Kailash-II and Govindpuri Extension. In terms of social composition, infrastructure, and facilities, the two South Delhi neighbourhoods are worlds apart. Yet, on a Friday morning, at a mohalla clinic in

C R Park, part of the Greater Kailash Assembly constituency, the two worlds seemed to come together as people from the upscale GK-II queued up with patients from Govindpuri for an appointment with Dr Soma Mitra, the medical officer in-charge. They returned only after Dr Mitra had examined them and after they had collected the prescribed medicines, free of cost.

While the mohalla clinics, a crucial policy intervention of the Aam Aadmi Party government, is often credited with powering the party to its second straight full-majority win, over the last five years, many such welfare schemes of the Arvind Kejriwal government, in the areas of water, power, education, health and transport, have touched the lives of people in the Capital what Kejriwal, in his victory speech from the terrace of the party office on February 11, packaged as the politics of work.

The Lokniti-CSDS election-eve survey, available exclusively to The Indian Express, also captured the trend, with data showing that the voting choices of the well-off as well as the disadvantaged groups were determined by the schemes, helping AAP transcend the class divide in a city known for its high levels of inequality.

AAPs major poll promises of 2015 reducing power and water tariffs by half were fulfilled within three weeks of the party forming the government. The subsidy-driven model helped the AAP consolidate its base among the lower income groups, a segment that had propelled the Congress to power three times between1998 and 2009.

However, by May 2019, the sheen had worn off the AAP government. The party reeled under a series of poll reverses, particularly when it lost all seven Lok Sabha seats to the BJP, and Kejriwals ability as an administrator began to come into question.

The Supreme Court verdict of July 2018 (when the courtsaid the L-G has no independent decision-making power and must act on the aid and advice of the elected government) did help but the severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections lowered the morale of the party rank and file. This is where a conscious decision was taken to bring back the focus on Kejriwal the CM. He had at one point donned the mantle of the countrys principal opposition leader, thus alienating his voter base, said an AAP leader, requesting anonymity.

In June, Prashant Kishors Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) joined hands with AAP, along with a number of professionals who had in the past volunteered for the party.

Armed with the SC verdict that sealed the primacy of the elected government over the L-G, the government announced a series of schemes, including the free power scheme for those consuming up to 200 units and free bus rides for women. The full statehood campaign had, after all, come a cropper in the Lok Sabha polls. The entire official machinery was activated to expedite the installation of CCTVs, WiFi, establishing more mohalla clinics, bringing buses, a senior bureaucrat said.

The announcements also helped AAP dominate the public discourse. Indeed, the free public transport scheme for women which the AAP proposed would cover both bus and Metro rides became the talk of the town, involving both the common masses and the policy wonks.

For Kejriwal, it was a transformative policy intervention to boost the level of womens participation in the labour force, languishing at 11 per cent in the city. The presence of more women in public spaces would also make the city safer, he said, an argument that seems to have been met with approval in the recently concluded polls, as the Lokniti-CSDS data suggests. According to the poll-eve survey, women were 11 percentage points more likely to have voted for AAP in this Assembly election than men 60% to 49%.

The flurry of announcements in the last lap quite naturally drew criticism from the Opposition parties. Leader of Opposition and Rohini legislator Vijender Gupta, among the eight BJP MLAs to have bucked the AAP wave, said, Kejriwal spent the first four years complaining how the Centre was not letting him work. And now he talks about the politics of work. Do you see a contradiction there?

Unfazed by the criticism, AAP tactfully wove a work-oriented campaign for the Assembly polls and launched a public outreach programme, as part of which the party came out with a pamphlet titled Report Card.

It was designed like a school report card. With Kejriwal, a perception had gained traction that this person boasts more than he actually works. So it was necessary to distil the facts from the noise and package it in a way that actually connects with people, said a senior AAP leader.

Over 40 lakh copies of the pamphlet, listing 10 major accomplishments of the AAP government in the areas of education, health, water, power, transport, and development work in unauthorised colonies were distributed across the Capital through an extensive door-to-door campaign, with the slogan acche beete paanch saal, lage raho Kejriwal.

The phrase lage raho encapsulated AAPs capability and intent. It essentially conveyed that the party has done so much, while also acknowledging that a lot more needs to be done. It betrays the belief that the AAP has will and the conviction to succeed, said a senior I-PAC functionary.

My school is the best in Delhi. We have the best teachers I dont want to leave this place ever, beams Nitya Singh, 14, standing in one of the corridors of Sarvodaya Co-Ed Senior Secondary School in South Delhis Moti Bagh. The walls behind her are decorated with art work by students.

Four years ago, however, when the Class 9 student first walked into her new school, it was a different story. We studied under tin sheds. The walls were damp and we were always cold There were hardly any extra-curricular activities. We had three-four sets of carrom boards, thats all.We didnt have a playground either, and there was a gutter nearby. Now we have two grounds and even badminton courts, she says, now moving towards the school playground with her classmates.

The school is among the 1,030 Delhi government-run schools in the national Capital that have benefited from the Aam Aadmi Partys sustained focus on education over the last five years. With the government allocating nearly 25 per cent of its budget for education, schools such as Nityas have undergone a drastic makeover with clean toilets and ceiling fans, libraries, gyms and even swimming pools. Besides mending the infrastructure, the government reached out to parents through radio ads, encouraging them to attend parent-teacher meetings, invested in teachers training, even sent some abroad, and introduced concepts such as mentor teachers and the happiness curriculum.

In the run-up to one of the most bitterly contested elections in the Capital, these achievements in the education sector were central to the partys campaign strategy and appeal, even as it stayed clear of contentious national issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Of all the things Nitya hated about her school earlier, before it was renovated, bad washrooms tops the list. We would prefer to use public toilets to the schoolsstinking washroom,says Singh, dressed in her blue salwar-kurta uniform and with her two long plaits held in place by blue ribbons.

Teachers at the school, who didnt want to be named, say that earlier, students would skip school and even the staff felt discouraged because of the environment.

As the renovation work, which started four years ago, went on for nearly a year, we had to adjust for some time, says Nitya, whose family moved to the Capital from Uttar Pradeshs Bahraich five years ago. They now live near Palam Village inSouthwest Delhi.

After the summer break, when I walked into the new school building, it looked prettier than a shopping mall. There were no broken benches, we had audio-visual rooms and even a multi-purpose hall. We didnt have to sit under the sun to attend schoolfunctions,says the eldest of three siblings. While her sister studies in the same school in Class 7, her brother attends a private school.

Nityas teachers are happy about the smart-boards they have been using to teach students. The students now feel happy about coming to school Even Nitya has become more confident since she joined. She enjoys playing badminton, says a teacher.

Spread over nearly three acres, the school now has 68 classrooms and 61 teachers for 884 students.

Over the last few years, Singhs father, Dinesh Kumar, a fire security personnel at a bank, has also begun to take interest in his daughters education. Earlier, we didnt think about it much, there was no feedback, no PTMs. Now it has all changed. Now the teachers are also good to us, he says over the phone.

Apart from the basketball courts and the labs, Nitya and her classmates are excited about new subjects such as Urdu, the happiness curriculum, and the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum. I like to meditate in the happiness classes My friends and I have fun with teachers. We no longer get tired or sleepy in the class, she says.

While the AAP has been credited for fixing Delhis broken public school system, the Opposition has often hit back.

Recently, amidst the heated poll campaign, the BJP released photos and videos, ostensibly of the poor conditions at some Delhi government schools. Both Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Education Minister Sisodia rebutted the BJPs charge, saying the videos were ofnon-functional schools.

Back in Moti Bagh, Nitya now wishes her school had buses to drop students home, but adds promptly that she is making the most of the facilities now available to her. I am a part of the Punjabi and Eco-club (the school also has an Urdu club and Sanskrit club), and now we are also taught about cleanliness. We collect waste leaves, plastic and other garbage around the campus. I have also planted a sapling in the ground near the school, she says.

As she prepares to return home, sporting a Happy Badge that she got at the Magic Maths class for asking some trick questions, the 14-year-old reveals her future plans: I want to become an IAS officer and make my parents proud.

SITTING ON a wooden bench at the Peeragarhi mohalla clinic with her pregnant daughter, Geeta Bedi, 46, says, My daughters baby is due on February 22. The delivery will be done in the big sarkari hospital, but until then, we will keep coming to this doctor. We are here to show the doctor the ultrasound report.

The mohalla clinic, located at the entrance of the Peeragarhi refugee colony in West Delhi, is the first of 450 such clinics that have been inaugurated since 2015, when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) first came to power with a full majority in the national Capital. While it initially worked out of a portacabin, like a lot of other mohalla clinics in the city, the clinic is now a one-room set-up that offers free check-ups and drugs, besides diagnostic tests.

The clinic, which runs from 8 am to 2 pm, has a doctor, a technician for uploading patients Aadhaar card details and a lab assistant for collecting blood samples and disbursing medicines.

It will be a while before Geetas daughter Shikha, 26, gets her turn with the doctor there are about 10 other patients ahead of them, and many more streaming in but the mother-daughter say they are willing to wait. My daughter doesnt trust any other doctor, government or private, for her check-ups. Even after her delivery, she will stay with me for 45 days so that its easier for her to visit this clinic, says Geeta, who owns a small shop selling electrical items and whose husband runs a snacks store. I cant recall the last time I went to any other doctor This clinic has changed our lives, she adds.

In 2015, soon after the Aam Aadmi Party first came to power with a full majority, it got down to working on mohalla clinics, announcing 1,000 of them. The idea of free mohalla or community clinics in a city where healthcare was either prohibitively expensive or deeply neglected, though simple, was a radical one.

These neighbourhood clinics were to provide check-ups and any of the drugs listed essential by the Delhi government, besides diagnostic tests done from empanelled laboratories all done free of cost.

But like with a lot of the early AAP schemes, this one too ran into rough weather, with the AAP accusing the Centre-run Delhi Development Authority of not parting with land for the clinics, and the latter saying the land identified by the state government isnt suited for a clinic. But in January, with a month left for the Assembly elections, the government inaugurated 152 clinics, flagging the programme as one of its key achievements.

The mohalla clinics have also caught the interest of other states, with some such as Jharkhand, Telangana, Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir said to be keen to follow the model. Recently, while inaugurating a clinic, Kejriwal said Delhi would have a mohalla clinic every 2 km.

The Opposition BJP and the Congress, however, cried foul, accusing the government of setting up the clinics with an eye on elections, and blaming AAP for not implementing the Centres Ayushman Bharat programme. With days to go for the elections, the BJP released a sting video to show how many of these clinics lack even basic facilities.

But as the results of the recent elections showed, when people said they voted for Kejriwals kaam, or the development work initiated by his government, the mohalla clinics got prime billing.

Before this clinic came up in 2015, says Geeta, the family would either go to a dispensary 5 km from their house or to Bangali doctor, the local quack. But this is easier and free. Now I go for everything from fever to bodyache. I know everyone at the clinic, she says.

Its now Shikhas turn and Dr Alka Chaudhary, 48, the medical officer in charge of this clinic, enquires about the 26-year-olds health and asks if she is eating well. All good, the doctor says as she looks at Shikhas ultrasound report, before proceeding to check her blood pressure and examining her. The delivery can happen any time now, says Dr Chaudhary, giving Shikha instructions.

Dr Chaudhary, 48, who earlier worked with government hospitals such as Safdargunj and Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, joined the clinic in 2015. At the mohalla clinic, which gets about 40 patients on an average every day, she gets paid Rs 40 for every patient she sees.

Tomorrow, Sunday, February 16, Chaudhary wont see patients at the clinic. For one, the clinics are shut on Sundays, and then, she has to be at Ramlila Ground for the swearing-in of the new AAP government she is among 50 special guests from different sectors who have got an invitation.

AROUND 20 years ago, we used to steal electricity. By cutting the lines, laughs Meena Kumari, 58. That now seems like a long time ago, she says. Her four children three sons and a daughter were then still studying and she ran the family on the money her husband, a cycle-shop owner, brought home. Over the years, the family added a floor to the single-storeyed house they moved into 35 years ago in Dabri, near Dashrathpuri, an unauthorised colony in Palam, Southwest Delhi. The family grew too her sons married and had children, with the 11 members now sharing the five-bedroom house.

With no electricity, it used to be hard to get my children to study. Even when we had power, the lights used to go out for hours, she says, sitting in her living room as her granddaughter reads from a picture book.

Kumari says that when the neighbourhood got a regular power supply around two decades ago, the prices were cheap. During the Congress rule around 2002-03, it was around Rs 2 for a unit, before it became expensive. The family recalls the increasing power costs, which ran into a couple of thousands by the time the AAP government announced the free electricity up to 200 units in August 2019.

In August 2019, with six months to go for the Delhi Assembly elections and stung by the Aam Aadmi Partys disastrous showing in the Lok Sabha elections, the AAP government in Delhi took two back to back decisions on electricity and water.

On August 1, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that households consuming up to 200 units of electricity would not have to pay electricity bills and that those consuming between 200 and 400 units would get a 50% subsidy.

Days later, on August 27, he announced a one-time waiver of arrears on water bills and said consumers who got functional meters installed would get an exemption from late fee. This was in addition to the existing water subsidy that provided households 20,000 litres of water, free, every month.

Even as the Opposition attributed political motives to AAPs subsidies, the Congresss Delhi election manifesto said that the party would provide 50 per cent discount on 300-400 units of power consumption, 30 per cent on 400-500 units, and 25 per cent on 500-600 units. The BJP manifesto said the existing power subsidies would continue if they won.

Meenas household, with one 1 KV electricity meter, consumes about 400 units a month. The family has three water coolers and three TVs one for each sub-unit in the joint family.

The family, which used to run up electricity bills of Rs 4,500-5,000 in the summer months, now pays around half that. The family plans to install another meter soon, hoping that will cut down their bill further.

The 4.9 million domestic power consumers in Delhi of whom around 35% consume less than 200 units get their power supply from Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL). In its previous term, the Delhi government also announced the Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojna, for separate pre-paid meters for tenants, and the Mukhyamantri Solar Rooftop Scheme for cooperative housing societies.

In 2019-20, the power subsidies cost the Delhi government Rs 2,255 crore.

The AAP government is the first in the country to declare free power up to 200 units. In Mumbai, the tariffs range between Rs 2.93-Rs 4.77 per unit for 0-100 units and Rs 5.18-Rs 8.23 per unit for 101-300 units. In Bengaluru, consumers pay Rs 3.75 per unit for 0-30 units, Rs 5.20 per unit for 31-100 units, and Rs 6.75 per unit for 101-200 units.

So far, Meena is not complaining. Since Kejriwal came, the supply has become regular. Now power cuts, if at all they happen, last only for 10 minutes.

Kumaris three sons Raj Kumar, 35, Rajender Kumar, 32, and Ajay Kumar, 30 own mobile shops, with each earning an average of Rs 25,000 a month. The lower electricity bills are good, but somehow or the other, the money is never enough. I only manage to save about Rs 2,000 a month, says Rajender.

Meena says that while the lower electricity bill is a benefit, the real blessing since the AAP government came in has been the regular piped water supply. Earlier, tankers used to come once a week. My shoulders still ache from all the water I used to carry back home those days. Though the earlier Congress government laid the connections, the water came only after Kejriwal came to power.

Meena says she hopes her family saves enough money to be able to renovate their home she points to the paint thats peeling off the walls. She also wants her sons to get better jobs. What more? Just these basic things. Thats all, says Kumari.

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The winning formula - The Indian Express

BLUE HILL At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23 at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, the Blue Hill Concert Association will present the third concert of their 42nd winter season. The acclaimed Aizuri Quartet will captivate the audience with their meld of intellect, technique and emotions. Their name is drawn from aizuri-e, a style of predominantly blue Japanese woodblock printing, noted for its vibrancy and incredible detail. Emma Frucht violin, Miho Saegusa violin, Ayane Kozasa viola and Karen Ouzounian cello have been awarded the Grand Prize and CAG Management Prize at the 2018 M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition and their debut album Blueprinting was a Grammy Nomination for 2019. This CD features new works written especially for the Aizuri Quartet by five American composers.

Their Blue Hill program, Songs and Echoes of Home will include selections from Dvoraks Cypresses, Beechers Memories, selections from Komitas Folk Songs and Sibelius String Quartet Op. 56. On Feb. 24 in keeping with the Blue Hill Concert Associations commitment to young people, the Aizuri Quartet will present an educational outreach for students at The Bay School and The Blue Hill Harbor School.

During the concert intermission, landscape watercolors by local artist Paul Trowbridge will be on display and the featured institution will be Kneisel Hall, often called the cradle of chamber music.

Tickets are $30, available at the door or online. Free admission for young people 21 and under. For more information visit bluehillconcertassociation.org or phone 207-367-2918.

Excerpt from:
Blue Hill Concert Association presents the Aizuri Quartet - Bangor Daily News

Democratic presidential contenders are heading to a critical stage of the primary race after Iowa and New Hampshire showed a sharply divided party that is undecided on who is best placed to face President TrumpDonald John TrumpChanges in policies, not personalities, will improve perception of corruption in the US Union leader: Bloomberg can go all the way Pelosi: 'I'm not counting Joe Biden out' MORE in November.

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersWarren highlights work with Obama, Harry Reid in new Nevada ad Union leader: Bloomberg can go all the way Biden on Univision: Deporting 3 million 'was a big mistake' MORE (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegWill Bernie have to turn on his bros? Democratic rivals sharpen attacks as Bloomberg rises Now's a time to take a look at who's 'blooming' among Democrats MORE have emerged as the two leaders after strong showings in the Hawkeye and Granite states, but they face a much different electorate in the next contests in Nevada and South Carolina.

While polls over the past few months have consistently shown former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenWarren highlights work with Obama, Harry Reid in new Nevada ad Biden on Univision: Deporting 3 million 'was a big mistake' Pelosi: 'I'm not counting Joe Biden out' MORE leading in South Carolina, and near the top in Nevada, much of the landscape has changed.

The biggest prize, however, will come on Super Tuesday on March 3,when about a third of all pledged delegates will be allocated,with the potential to shake up the race.

Here are what polls show in each of the 15 states and territories on Super Tuesday:

Alabama:Theres a dearth of polling in Alabama by mainstream pollsters so far.

Fifty-two pledged delegates are up for grabs in the Yellowhammer State.

American Samoa:There have been no polls conducted for the American Samoa caucuses. The contest will allocate six pledged delegates

Arkansas:Former New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael Rubens BloombergUnion leader: Bloomberg can go all the way Democratic rivals sharpen attacks as Bloomberg rises A Trump supporter's defense of Michael Bloomberg MORE, who skipped the four early contests to compete in Super Tuesday, has the narrowest of leads in the only poll conducted in Arkansas by Talk Business and PoliticsHendrix College Poll,which was released Tuesday. Bloomberg has a 1-point edge over Biden and leads Sanders and Buttigieg by just 4 points.

Bloomberg is buoyed in the poll by a strong lead among seniors, while Biden has a double-digit edge among African Americans, setting up a clash of two traditional Democratic bases.

Arkansas will allocate 31 pledged delegates in its primary.

California:If Super Tuesday is the crown of the primary contest, then California is most certainly its jewel, with a whopping 415 pledged delegates at stake.

The latest poll, which was conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Timesin January, shows Sanders with a 6-point lead in California, ahead of Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenWarren highlights work with Obama, Harry Reid in new Nevada ad Biden on Univision: Deporting 3 million 'was a big mistake' Democratic rivals sharpen attacks as Bloomberg rises MORE (Mass.).

Colorado:Colorado also has not seen a lot of polls for its presidential primary, which will dole out 67 pledged delegates.

Maine:Polling has also been scarce for the Pine Tree State, whose primary will award 24 pledged delegates.

Massachusetts:Massachusetts will hand out 91 pledged delegates.

The most recent poll by the firm Falchuk & DiNatale released by FiveThirtyEightin January shows Warren leading Biden by 7 points.

Minnesota:No polls have been conductedthis yearin the Gopher State, which will allocate 75 pledged delegates.

North Carolina:Atraditional general election swing state, North Carolina has seen more polling than other Super Tuesday battlegrounds.

Biden had maintained a shrinking lead for months, but Sanders appeared to take over in a survey out Wednesday. A High Point University poll found that Sanders eclipsed Biden with 25 percent support from registered Democratic voters, compared with 19 percent for the former vice president in a new high point for the Vermont senator.

North Carolinas primary will award 110 pledged delegates.

Oklahoma:No recent polling has come out in a state that will hand out 37 pledged delegates.

Tennessee:No recentpolls have been conducted in Tennessees primary. Sixty-four pledged delegates are up for grabs in the Volunteer State.

Texas:Texas, which will grant the second-highest delegate haul of Super Tuesday, is expected to be hard-fought territory in March.

Biden has led in the polls in the Lone Star State, opening up a 16-point lead in a January pollby the University of Texas at Tyler. However, Bloomberg has crept into third place in Texas after a multimillion dollar ad blitz to gain ground there.

Texas will allocate 228 pledged delegates on Super Tuesday.

Utah:Only one poll has been conducted in Utah, where 29 pledged delegates are at stake. A Suffolk University-Salt Lake Tribune survey from January found Sanders with a 13-point lead in the state.

Vermont:No Democratic primary polls have been conducted in Vermont, where 16 pledged delegates are up for grabs.

Virginia:Biden has held double-digit leads in the small handful of polls that have been conducted in Virginia. The traditionally more moderate state shouldbe friendly territory for the former vice president, though no polls have been conducted in Old Dominion since September.

Virginias primary will allocate 99 pledged delegates.

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Where 2020 candidates stand in Super Tuesday polls | TheHill - The Hill

State attorneys general have filed an unprecedented number of lawsuits against the Trump administration, as Democratic-led states exercise new levers of power to block some of President TrumpDonald John TrumpChanges in policies, not personalities, will improve perception of corruption in the US Union leader: Bloomberg can go all the way Pelosi: 'I'm not counting Joe Biden out' MOREs most controversial initiatives.

States have formed coalitions to file 103 multi-state suits against the administration in its first three years, according to data compiled by Paul Nolette, a political scientist at Marquette University. The vast majority of those suits, 96, have been led by Democratic attorneys general.

By contrast, states filed 78 multi-state suits in the eight years ofPresident Obamas administration, and 76 multi-state suits during President George W. Bushs eight years in office. Democratic attorneys general sued Trump 40 times in his first year in office alone, more lawsuits than have ever been filed against an administration in a single year.

Every time this guy breaks the law, we take him to court, said Xavier BecerraXavier BecerraStates sue Trump administration at record pace California has a privacy law, but will companies comply? Judge approves merger between T-Mobile, Sprint MORE (D), Californias attorney general who has led 31 suits and been party to 25 others. Joining with other states to file suit adds strength, it certainly adds value, and it shows unity. It demonstrates that the unlawful action that the Trump administration is looking to take impacts more than just one state.

The attorneys general have sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more than any other agency in government. All told, the EPA has faced 31 lawsuits over proposals to roll back Obama-era environmental laws or to implement new rules. States have sued the Department of Health and Human Services and the Interior Department about a dozen times each.

Nolette said the new pattern of multi-state legal actions are part of a trend that began during the Obama administration, when Republican-led states began suing at a faster clip. The Obama administration was sued 53 times during his second term in office, twice as many suits as during his first term.

It has much less to do with the Trump administration itself than it does with the attorneys general and how theyve realized how effective their lawsuits are and how many incentives they have to bring these lawsuits in the first place, Nolette said. This is a more permanent part of the landscape now.

The Republican-led suits revolved around what the party saw as Obamas excessive reliance on executive orders once the GOP took control of Congress. Ken Paxton (R), Texass attorney general, said there is a big difference between the suits he joined against the Obama administration and the ones Democrats are filing against the Trump team.

These lawsuits against the Trump administration are just an attempt to implement policies through the courts that voters have rejected at the ballot box, Paxton said. The lawsuits attorneys general had to file against the Obama administration were about preserving our constitution and defending the rule of law, while these suits against the Trump administration are based on nothing more than policy disagreements and political posturing.

But the courts disagree. Democratic attorneys general have won 80 percent of the cases that have come to a conclusion, Nolette found, while about a third are still pending before judges at various levels. By contrast, Republicans were successful in about 60 percent of their suits against the Obama administration.

Thats a very high success rate, much higher than most litigants, actually. Even if they ultimately lose, theres a real benefit to the lawsuit, Nolette said. Theres pretty much all upside and not much downside to bringing these suits.

Even in cases the Trump administration wins, the lawsuits can move policy. A suit challenging the constitutionality of Trumps travel ban delayed implementation for years and rallied the Democratic base. The Trump administration had to revise the travel ban before the Supreme Court ultimately allowed it to go into effect.

Observers expect a new normal, regardless of whether President Trump wins a second term in November. Bruce Mehlman, a lobbyist in Washington, said the lawsuits are a function of what is becoming a much broader political fight that extends beyond the Beltway.

This is broader than the Trump era. This reflects an age of empowerment where everybody from activists to CEOs to mayors to attorneys general feel empowered to drive policy, block things they dont like and champion their own priorities, Mehlman said. Its yet one more arena for policy advocates. Twenty years ago, the fight was in Washington. Today, the fight is in Washington, state capitals, agencies implementing the laws and the courts.

The Democratic attorneys general have built something of a relationship in recent years, coordinating efforts on conference calls and at the staff level.

Weve established pretty strong relationships with many of our attorney colleagues, because theyve worked together so much, Becerra said in an interview. Usually, we find partners who are interested in working on the same issue.

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With more than a third of all pledged delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is sure to steal the spotlight during the March 3 primaries.

But in Alabama, North Carolina and Texas, there are a handful of nominating contests that will be crucial to determining control of the Senate.

Here are the Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday:

Alabamas Republican primary

More than half a dozen Republicans are vying for their partys nomination to take on Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) in November, but leading the pack is former Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsBarr back on the hot seat McCabe: 'I don't think I will ever be free of this president and his maniacal rage' DOJ won't charge former FBI Deputy Director McCabe MORE, whos looking to take his seat back after it flipped for Jones in 2017.

Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville and Rep. Bradley ByrneBradley Roberts ByrneThe Hill's Campaign Report: Rising Klobuchar, Buttigieg face test in diverse states Sessions in close race for Alabama GOP Senate nomination: poll Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday MORE (R-Ala.) present perhaps the most significant primary challenge to Sessions, who was forced out as attorney general in 2018 amid simmering tensions with President TrumpDonald John TrumpChanges in policies, not personalities, will improve perception of corruption in the US Union leader: Bloomberg can go all the way Pelosi: 'I'm not counting Joe Biden out' MORE over his decision to recuse himself from the investigation into Russias efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. And the race was thrown a curveball last summer when Roy MooreRoy Stewart MooreThe Hill's Campaign Report: Rising Klobuchar, Buttigieg face test in diverse states Sessions in close race for Alabama GOP Senate nomination: poll Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday MORE, the former state Supreme Court chief justice, jumped into the race.

Moore was the Republican nominee in the 2017 special election to replace Sessions. But his campaign was handed a loss after allegations emerged that he had sexually assaulted and pursued romantic relationships with teenage girls decades ago, when he was in his 30s.

The eventual nominee will go on to challenge Jones in the November general election. The Alabama Democrat is widely considered to be the most vulnerable senator up for reelection this year, and a challenge from a well-funded, well-known Republican like Sessions could sound a death knell for Joness Senate career.

For now, there is evidence that the GOP primary could be a tight one. Internal polling from Byrnes campaign released on Tuesday shows a closer race than previously thought. Sessions led the pack at 31 percent, while Byrne and Tuberville were locked in a statistical tie, taking 26 percent and 24 percent support, respectively.

North Carolinas Democratic primary

The Democratic Senate primary in North Carolina has largely unfolded as a two-way race between former state Sen. Cal Cunningham and state Sen. Erica Smith.

Cunningham has the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and has repeatedly outraised his opponents, raking in more than $1.6 million in the last three months of 2019. Smith, by comparison, raised just under $80,000.

But Cunninghams fundraising advantage and institutional backing hasnt translated into an outsize lead in the polls. What little public polling there is in the primary shows a tight race between the two.

One Fox News survey released in November showed Smith leading her top rival 18 percent to 13 percent. Trevor Fuller, a former chairman of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, received 10 percent support in that poll.

More recent surveys from the left-leaning Public Policy Polling, however, show Cunningham with a widening lead. One poll from thefirm in January put him ahead of Smith by a 10-point margin, and another one released last week showed him ahead by nearly 20 points.

Adding to the intrigue of the race is the involvement of Faith and Power PAC, an outside group with apparent ties to Republicans that is spending upwards of $1 million on advertisements supportive of Smiths Senate bid.

Whoever emerges victorious from the March 3 primary will take on Sen. Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisTrump pick for Fed seat takes bipartisan fire Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday Coronavirus poses risks for Trump in 2020 MORE (R-N.C.) in November. Tillis, like Jones, is among the most vulnerable senators facing reelection in 2020. He narrowly avoided a primary challenge of his own late last year when his chief challenger, businessman Garland Tucker, dropped out of the race amid financial strains.

Tillis has the backing of President Trump and may benefit from high Republican turnout in the general election. But Democrats have grown optimistic in North Carolina, as demographic changes and an influx of new residents from out of state have put the Tar Heel State in play.

Texass Democratic primary

Former Rep. Beto ORourke (D-Texas) brought Democrats closer than theyve been in years to picking up a Senate seat in Texas in 2018, when he narrowly lost to Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzCruz 'impresses' his daughter with Chris Evans meeting Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday The advantage of paying for medical care directly MORE (R-Texas). Now, a dozen candidates, encouraged by ORourkes performance, are hoping to seize on the states changing political landscape and electoral clout to oust Sen. John CornynJohn CornynBooker, Cornyn introduce bill to fund school nutrition programs Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday Democrats seek to drive wedge between Trump, GOP on whistleblowers MORE (R-Texas).

Among the top contenders for the Democratic Senate nomination are MJ Hegar, state Sen. Royce West and Annie Garcia, according to a recent Dallas Morning NewsUniversity of Texas at Tyler poll. But no candidate has managed to break away from the rest of the pack, and other candidates, like Cristina Tzintzn Ramirez, have stepped up their efforts in recent weeks.

Hegar, perhaps the most high-profile candidate in the race, has run a campaign geared more toward the general election against Cornyn. She has significantly outraised her rivals, bringing in nearly $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, and has the endorsement of the DSCC.

But Hegar was snubbed this week by The Dallas Morning Newss editorial board, which threw its recommendation behind West and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards.

Cornyn, however, may prove difficult for Democrats to take down in November. The three-term incumbent has a massive financial advantage over his potential Democratic challengers, raking in roughly $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and finishing the year with more than $12.1 million in the bank.

But Democrats say that, unlike Cruz, few Texans know who Cornyn is, giving them a potential opening this year. A University of TexasTexas Tribune poll released in November showed Cornyn with a 35 percent approval rating. Nearly a third of respondents 31 percent said they either had a neutral opinion of the senator or no opinion at all.

--Updated at 10:40 a.m.

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Three Senate primaries to watch on Super Tuesday | TheHill - The Hill

Red-lettered signs warning of "BLASTING" began appearing over the past week at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a remote desert region in southwestern Arizona bordered by Mexico to the south and a Native American reservation to the east.

Crews have been blasting the hillside while excavators and backhoes clear a path for the towering sections of border wall fast-tracked by the Trump administration a pace that has environmental groups worried that sacred burial sites and ancestral lands are at risk of being irreversibly harmed.

Since 1976, the 516-square-mile park home to more than two dozen unique species of cactus and countless varieties of wildlife has been recognized as a UNESCO ecological preserve worth conserving.

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"This is a new low even for the Trump administration," said Laiken Jordahl, a borderlands campaigner for the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity in Arizona who has been documenting the altered landscape.

"They're moving forward with complete disregard of sacred sites and indigenous sovereignty," Jordahl said Wednesday.

The controlled blasting, which has taken place in a section of the park known as Monument Hill, is expected to continue intermittently through the end of February, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. The agency added that it will "continue to have an environmental monitor present during these activities as well as on-going clearing activities." The start of the blasting was first reported by The Intercept.

With this latest spurt in construction, Jordahl and others say they're concerned by how the federal government has gone about building the wall without any consultation with the Tohono O'odham Nation, a federally recognized tribe that has land and members on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

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The Trump administration has used federal waivers, including bypassing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, to push the project ahead.

Jordahl said that despite lawsuits to halt the actions, the process involving Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has been made easier precisely because the area is federally controlled land.

"It's such a sensitive area environmentally, and it's heartbreaking to see that what's happening is because the government controls it because it's so fragile," he said. "It's become a true desecration of indigenous land."

Since August, crews have been replacing fencing with a steel bollard wall design.

Rep. Ral Grijalva, D-Ariz., whose district includes the tribe's reservation, toured the area last month and highlighted in a video tweeted Sunday that Monument Hill is a resting place for Apache warriors who once did battle with members of the Tohono O'odham Nation. In addition, activists have shared images on social media of ancient saguaro cacti, many hundreds of years old, either sawed in half or flattened.

Bulldozing is also occurring at the park's Quitobaquito Springs, a natural source of water for the tribe near where artifacts and human bone fragments have been found, Grijalva said.

"The Trump Administration is bulldozing through sacred sites to act on a campaign talking point, no matter the cost to the people of Southern Arizona," he told NBC News in a statement. "This destruction of the cultural heritage of the Tohono O'odham people for the purpose of building a monument to his racist policies is irreparable."

Grijalva said he is working with the Tohono O'odham Nation to demand that the Department of Homeland Security "stop this assault on sacred sites."

The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The federal waivers it requested last year were vague in describing the locations for the border wall project and how many miles were needed, according to The Associated Press, although the Center for Biological Diversity estimated that the plans include 100 miles in Arizona and California along the southern border.

The wall's construction has become a central theme of President Donald Trump's immigration policy. During his State of the Union speech last week, he said more than 500 miles of barriers would be up by early next year.

His pledge hasn't come without a fight from property owners opposed to surrendering their lands to the federal government.

Last fall, the administration began a new approach preparing to go through federal courts for permission to take over private lands. The move followed Trump's declaration a year ago of a national emergency along the border, a controversial executive action to free up billions of dollars to fund new border wall projects.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which borders Mexico for 30 miles, is among the places that have come under scrutiny.

The park was once considered one of the most dangerous in the U.S., favored by drug smugglers, officials said. In 2002, a park ranger was fatally shot while trying to apprehend two people who were crossing illegally. But with the number of illegal crossings down in recent years, a part of the park that was once closed to the public was reopened in 2015.

The Tohono O'odham Nation says it is troubled over the future of other sacred sites along the border, including at Las Playas, where a roadway could be built near known ancestral burial grounds harboring artifacts dating back 10,000 years.

Ned Norris Jr., the chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, told The Arizona Republic of Phoenix in January that he wants "buffer zones" around those sensitive areas.

"How would you feel if someone brought a bulldozer to your family graveyard and started uprooting the graves there?" he asked. "That is the relationship, the significance, that is the impact that we see happening here in that way."

Erik Ortiz is a staff writer forNBC News focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.

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Ancient Native American burial site blasted for Trump border wall construction - NBC News

For Mike Dyer, a pleasant Sunday morning bike ride with friends through the Calabasas hillside ended in a nightmare.

The group saw a helicopter pass overhead and remarked to each other that it seemed to be flying too low and too fast through the low clouds that obscured the landscape. Then they heard the thud and sawa column of smoke rising in the mist.

Dyer, who just released video he took of the accident, said he only learned who the victims were when he left the trail.

I was more or less scatter brained, and we kept talking about what we saw, he told Bike Magazine. It didnt hit me until I got to the parking lot. There was a reporter in the lot gathering equipment who asked us if we were at the scene.

He interviewed me and filmed me, and mid-interview, he dropped the bomb and told me that Kobe Bryant was on that helicopter. My first question was whether there were any children or families on board. He nodded, and thats when I lost it. I had to drive home. All I knew was that I wanted to go hug my 6-year-old son and my wife and tell them I loved them.

Health experts say witnesses to tragedy, such as Dyer, often suffer the consequences of post traumatic stress trouble sleeping, obsessive thoughts and fluctuating emotions, including shock, helplessness, fear and anger. Witnesses may even feel guilt that they survived when they have witnessed the death of another, even a stranger.

Even people far from the site of tragedy may be stressed when theyview images online, especially if they see repeated images of the same event. Experts say people who find their emotions getting out of control should limit exposure to images or sounds that could be triggers. Thats something Dyer can understand.

Taking it day by day, he told the magazine when asked how he was coping. Today, I was in the yard and heard helicopters flying over. Every time, I look up. I cant turn on the TV. Sam [his biking companion] and I talk a lot about it. My brains kind of noodled on the whole thing. For me, its not so much the Kobe Bryant story, but the collective loss of lifethe tragedy of losing children and parents.

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Witness to Kobe Bryant crash shares video and grief - The Hill

According to The Hill, two well-known political veterans got into it quite the spat this week.

A bombastic James Carville fired back at Sen. Bernie Sanders for calling him a political hack, calling the self-described democratic socialist a communist, according to The Hill.

The back and forth follows a week in which Carville has repeatedly sounded the alarm about a potential Sanders match-up against President Trump in November, calling the scenario the end of days for the Democratic Party while referring to Sanders supporters as a cult.

Sanders, an independent running as a democrat, returned fire during an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, arguing that political hack Carville represents the establishment his campaign is running against, The Hill noted.

James, in all due respect, is a political hack, Sanders told Cooper. We are taking on Trump, the Republican establishment, Carville and the Democratic establishment. But at the end of the day, the grass-roots movement that we are putting together of young people, of working people, of people of color want real change.

Carville, who worked as a campaign strategist for former President Bill Clinton, escalated the feud Thursday on Snapchat with former CNN reporter Peter Hamby, The Hill reported.

Last night on CNN, Bernie Sanders called me a political hack, Carville said. Thats exactly who the f- I am! I am a political hack! I am not an ideologue. I am not a purist. He thinks its a pejorative. I kind of like it! At least Im not a communist.

Trump also recently referred to Sanders as a communist.

Sanders has repeatedly pointed out: He is not a communist.

Sanders campaign yesterday announced that Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch will serve as Vermont state co-chairmen as the campaign charges toward the March 3 primary.

The Vermont state co-chairmen were announced as part of a national Bernie 2020 rollout of more than 50 co-leaders nationwide following Sanders victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

Leahy and Welch have endorsed Sanders, obviously.

Since the campaign launched, Vermont volunteers have already hosted nearly 130 events across the state, including barnstorms, phone banks and canvasses, according to his campaign.

The states leading government reform group, VPIRG, has called on legislators to establish a Code of Ethics in state law and make it enforceable by an independent Ethics Commission.

Earlier this year, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group criticized the lack of authority given the current Ethics Commission, and the commissions efforts to conceal some of its earlier work from the public.

The Senate Government Operations Committee unanimously passed a bill to put in motion a plan to strengthen the states approach to ethics.

Its a painfully slow process but it looks like legislative leaders are finally on a path toward improving our anemic state ethics program, said Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG.

Earlier this week, Vermonts six statewide elected officials sent a letter to the Chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Government Operations, urging them to continue working this session toward a Code of Ethics for public servants that is backed by the force of law. The statewide officials, including Gov. Phil Scott, noted that putting the Code of Ethics in Vermont law would provide public servants with direction and clarity on numerous issues they regularly face.

However, according to VPIRG, on Jan. 28, the Department of Human Resources informed the director of the State Ethics Commission that it had determined that no further action is warranted or necessary in response to a formal complaint lodged by VPIRG late last year.

The complaint by VPIRG alleged that the Republican governor has a conflict of interest because he has an ongoing financial interest in DuBois Construction that contracts with the state, and as governor, he is the chief executive of the state.

It is outrageous that a department of the Scott administration can dismiss without consideration a complaint alleging ethical conflicts by (the governor), said Burns. Im afraid what we have now is an administrative cover-up of a clear conflict of interest that had already been identified by the State Ethics Commission.

The states Agency of Agriculture sent out a Valentine to the state on Friday, reminding all Vermonters to spread the love for Vermonts farmers.

A time for us to express our love and appreciation for the people who brighten our lives. We got to thinking about how much happiness Vermont farmers bring to us, the post read.

The list isnt off-base:

Farmers produce the milk that makes Vermonts award-winning cheeses, butter, ice cream and yogurt.

Farmers open their land to recreation including snowmobiling, hiking and hunting.

Farmers provide us with fresh produce every day of the year.

Farmers make sure we never run out of maple creemees.

Farmers produce some of sweetest things in life Vermont maple and honey.

Farmers keep us warm with wool and fiber.

Farmers grow the grains for our bread and award-winning brews.

Farmers fill our freezers with meat.

Farmers grow the grapes for Vermonts wines.

Farmers make our fairs and field days fun.

Farmers open their farms and homes to visitors.

Farmers teach us to work hard and volunteer.

Farmers will pull you out of ditch when you get stuck.

Farmers remind us to pause and embrace the simple things in life.

We assume there are 14 because Valentines Day is on the fourteenth of the month? Or one reason per county? That would be Vermont Love.

What do Vermonters think about the coming election? What are the key issues on their minds?

For the third consecutive year, Vermont PBS and VPR are collaborating on three statewide public opinion surveys that will provide valuable insight into the minds of Vermonters in the 2020 presidential election year.

The results of the first poll will be released on Feb. 18, two weeks ahead of Town Meeting Day, Vermonts presidential primary and Super Tuesday, when 14 states and approximately one-third of the countrys voters participate in presidential primaries.

The polls are being conducted by Braun Research under the direction of Rich Clark, professor of political science at Castleton University and the former director of the Castleton Polling Institute.

Vermont PBS and VPR will publish the full results, methodology and appendices at a joint website, which will be available via VPR.org.

VPRs Morning Edition will explore the poll results with Clark in a live broadcast from Red Hen Bakery & Cafe in Middlesex that morning from 6:30-9 a.m. Additionally, VPR and Vermont PBS will provide extensive broadcast and digital coverage and analysis of the polling results throughout the week.

Two additional polls are scheduled for summer and fall.

This week, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets recognized seven Vermont school communities and two early child care organizations with important grants to support their local food programming.

The Vermont Farm to School and Childcare Grant Program strives to improve the education and health of Vermonts students, and positively impact the local economy, by providing Vermont schools and childcare programs with technical and financial assistance to develop and execute farm to school and farm to child care programs. These programs integrate fresh, healthy, locally grown foods and nutrition education into Vermonts cafeterias, classrooms and communities.

The programs are: Grafton and Westminster schools ($15,000); Shrewsbury Mountain School ($15,000); Williamstown schools ($15,000); Braintree elementary ($15,000); Northshire Day School in Bennington ($15,000); Stockbridge and Rochesters schools ($20,000); and Northeast Kingdom Community Action Head Start ($15,000).

Clean Economy Act offered

This week the Clean Economy Act of 2020 was introduced in Congress.

Leahy joined Sen. Tom Carper, a Delaware Democrat, and other U.S. senators in introducing the the bill aimed at empowering the Environmental Protection Agency to set a national goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050.

The bill would also promote American competitiveness and healthier communities, while fostering a fair and growing economy.

The EPA net-zero by 2050 plan prioritizes infrastructure investments that are more resilient to a changing climate. Additionally, the EPA plans to build up existing state, local and private sector climate programs. While doing so, this act addresses the cumulative environmental effects in economically distressed communities, communities of color and indigenous communities.

Vermont Conservation Voters presented its Environmental Rising Star Award to Sen. Andrew Perchlik, of Washington County District, and two other first-term legislators who have become leaders on environmental issues: Rep. Kathleen James, of Manchester Center, and Rep. Mari Cordes, of Lincoln.

The awards were presented at VCVs 2020 Environmental Common Agenda Reception at the State House last week, where VCV revealed its guide to this years top legislative priorities for the environment.

According to the VCV news release, Perchlik has a long history of environmental leadership, working at several small nonprofit environmental and community service organizations before getting a job focused on clean energy policy at the Vermont Public Service Department. His work at the PSD included coordinating renewable energy business leaders in the creation of Renewable Energy Vermont. He was REVs executive director for its first 10 years.

In 2010 he became the director of the restructured Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund, managing several programs that helped build the strong clean energy industry sector Vermont enjoys today.

Get ready to be counted. Between March 12-20, invitations to participate in the 2020 Census will start arriving to Vermont households and across the country.

This invitation will include instructions on how to respond to the 2020 Census online or by phone. By April 1, most households will have received an invitation delivered either by mail or by a census taker. In areas of the country that are less likely to respond online, a paper questionnaire will be included in the initial mailing to households. Reminder mailings will be sent to households that do not respond, and in the fourth mailing every household that has not yet responded will receive a paper questionnaire.

March 12-20: Initial invitations to respond online and by phone will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Areas that are less likely to respond online will receive a paper questionnaire along with the invitation to respond online or over the phone.

March 16-24: Reminder letters will be delivered.

March 26-April 3: Reminder postcards will be delivered to households that have not responded.

April 8-16: Reminder letters and paper questionnaires will be delivered to remaining households that have not responded.

April 20-27: Final reminder postcards will be delivered to households that have not yet responded before census takers follow up in person.

May 13-July 31: If a household does not respond to any of the invitations, a census taker will follow up in person.

To learn more about the Census in Vermont, watch this weeks Into the Issues with Editor Steven Pappas. His guest is Vermont Census coordinator Eloise Reid. It can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ouNne7P5R00

Leahy and University of Vermont officials this week announced new federal funding for research on the regions forest ecosystem and economy. The Northeastern States Research Cooperative, first created by Leahy in the 1998 Farm Bill, received $2 million in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for research on the Northern Forest and its 26 million acres of working landscape.

Leahy said: The forest-based economy has underpinned rural communities in Vermont and across the region for generations. But securing its future requires sustained investments in ecosystem health, sustainable management and innovative products. Im proud to have authored the legislation to create this initiative and to have been able to secure funding to continue its critical research in 2020. The future of our landscape depends on it.

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Capitol Beat: The 'hack' and the 'communist' duke it out - Barre Montpelier Times Argus