Election Results: Vermont’s blue wave strengthened Democrats’ supermajorities in the Legislature, while Republican Gov. Phil Scott won a record sixth term. Molly Gray reclaimed the lieutenant governorship, Becca Balint won another term in Congress, and voters approved a constitutional equal-protection amendment protecting LGBTQ+ rights. Lake Champlain: Vermont has spent nearly $1 billion on cleanup, but a required audit was never completed and algae blooms persist. Housing: Federal figures put Vermont’s 2025 per-capita homelessness rate third-highest in the nation, as proposed motel-program cuts raise concern about leaving more Central Vermonters without shelter. Conservation: The Upper Valley Land Trust will protect 301 acres in Newbury, linking a wildlife corridor to more than 1,300 acres of conserved land. Clean Energy: Vermont and Nova Scotia agreed to explore bringing offshore wind power to New England. PFAS Research: Middlebury and partners received a $2.1 million federal grant to investigate “forever chemicals” in Vermont soil and groundwater.