Latest news with #VTDigger
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Cop Charged With Killing Cyclist Was Watching Transphobic YouTube Video At The Wheel
Matt Walsh is a far-right agitator, self-described fascist, and virulent transphobe, so it's only natural that the United States' most aggrieved and insecure icons of state-sanctioned violence are big fans of his. In fact, some cops love Walsh so much that they're apparently happy to watch his videos while driving, paying such rapt attention to his blithering inanity that they forget they're in control of a motor vehicle and mow down a roadside cyclist. At least, that's what one Vermont cop allegedly did, according to court documents. Kyle Kapitanski, a sergeant in Shelburne, Vermont, had a Matt Walsh debate video playing in his cruiser when he hit and killed cyclist Sean Hayes, according to the Burlington Free Press. Kapitanski was driving 40 mph in a 35 zone at 2:40 AM, and didn't hit his brakes until 85 feet after he hit Hayes. The officer is being charged with "grossly negligent operation" of his cruiser, according to NBC 5, and has already plead not guilty. His attorney is making the case that, although Kapitanski had YouTube clips playing for 11 minutes in his cruiser, he wasn't actively interacting with the screen — just watching a YouTube video instead of the road is, apparently, not negligent at all. Read more: Apparently It's Illegal To Put A 'For Sale' Sign In Your Truck Now Kapitanski was driving a Ford Explorer cruiser, according to VTDigger, a vehicle with a front-end height known to increase pedestrian fatalities. You'd think a driver in such a vehicle — an officer theoretically dedicated to protect and serve, no less — would maybe want to keep an eye on where they're going, rather than watching a man who wants trans people "erased from the earth" for being "abusers" with "proclivities towards sin." Apparently not, though, given that Kapitanski clearly thought this 58-second portrait-oriented clip was more important than Hayes' life. It's obvious that police think of civilians as some sort of lesser species, existing only to be exterminated at the slightest provocation, but rarely do we see it spelled out so clearly. Kapitanski was so enraptured by the speech of a man whose media presence is entirely built on bloodlust that he killed a man in an instant, and is now working with attorneys to argue that such a situation doesn't even qualify as gross negligence. This is how cops think. They are not here to help you. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than a thousand people protest Vice President JD Vance's visit to Vermont
People hold signs in protest against Vice President JD Vance's visit to the Mad River Valley at the base of the Sugarbush Ski Resort in Warren, where Vance was rumored to be skiing on March 1. (Photo by Evan L'Roy/VTDigger) This story was originally published by VT Digger. In the wake of Vice President JD Vance's ski trip to Sugarbush resort this weekend, the Mad River Valley was transformed into a hotbed of protests against the administration of President Donald Trump. In the largest planned demonstration Saturday morning, Vermonters and visitors stood along a stretch of Main Street by the Mad River Green in Waitsfield toting protest signs and flags that expressed concerns ranging from the state of democracy to climate change to LGBTQ+ rights. A stream of vehicles sporting similar signage drove by honking and waving, joining in on the morning rally. Protest organizers estimated the turnout in Waitsfield ranged between 1,000 and 3,000 people. Ginny Sassaman, a protest organizer from the Indivisible Calais group, said many Vermonters are fearful under the Trump and Vance administration's policies and she feels 'democracy is in peril.' However, Sassaman said protesting is a central form of resisting, along with voting and legal actions. 'Some of us are scared about losing Social Security or Medicaid or parks or having measles epidemics or climate change,' Sassaman said. 'We the people are the ones who have to do this work, and that means we have to take advantage of every opportunity we've got to come together and build our togetherness and raise our voices as loud as we can.' Tisa Rennau, a protest organizer from North Fayston with the group Indivisible Mad River Valley, said many Vermonters were outraged to learn Vance was coming to the region to recreate and vacation after the Trump's administration's widespread federal funding cuts and worker layoffs in recent weeks. Rennau added that Trump and Vance's clash in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning undermined America's position on the international stage and motivated more people to show up that day. 'People are angry, especially after what occurred in the White House yesterday where we absolutely humiliated an ally,' Rennau said. 'We are no longer the leader of the free world. What has happened? This is not the America we expect to be.' Many protesters donning the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag lined the streets, and Rennau held a flower bouquet of the same color scheme herself. Along with other Indivisible groups around the state, Geri Peterson from 50501, a national decentralized protest movement, joined the coalition of organizers to ensure the safety of everyone, given the large expected turnout. Katayoun Lam, another 50501 organizer, said the Trump administration's policies regarding LGBTQ+ rights and immigration motivated her to get involved with the Waitsfield protest. 'As a trans person and as a person of color, I'm extremely concerned about the new policies about trans people. I'm concerned about the ICE raids,' Lam said. 'I have friends who are trans. I have friends who are immigrants who've been reaching out to me and saying we're scared.' Among the Waitsfield protesters was former Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who carried a handmade sign that read 'efficiency, sure, but not carnage, hate and lies.' Zuckerman said the current administration's stated goal of efficiency has negatively affected farmers' loan programs and people's health care and food access. 'I think you have many folks who feel despair in Vermont right now, including myself,' Zuckerman said. 'They're not following the rules, and nobody's supposed to be above the law.' In the neighboring town of Warren, a coinciding protest Saturday morning drew a smaller crowd at the Pitcher Inn, where Vance had originally planned to stay until he canceled those plans. Many protesters wore kaffiyehs and held pro-Palestinian flags and signs with watermelon imagery, often used as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, at the rally organized by the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, Cooperation Vermont and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Michelle Eddleman McCormick, an activist with the coalition and Cooperation Vermont, said the protest's goal was to demand the Trump administration stop funding the Israeli government and instead put money toward 'schools and health care and infrastructure here in the U.S. instead of bombing and devastating an entire population in Palestine.' 'We came out here today to make sure that a message is being sent loud and clear from Vermont to Vance and the entire administration, that anything short of a fully free and liberated Palestine is a nonstarter,' McCormick said. The protest dotted with Palestinian flags outside the Pitcher Inn was met with people holding pro-Trump and Vance signs across the street and cars passing by with American and 'Make America Great Again' flags. Gregory Thayer, a recent Republican candidate for lieutenant governor from Rutland City, called the counter-protesting group he helped organize 'a positive support rally.' 'We support him and President Trump's mission and what they're trying to do for the country,' Thayer said. 'We're really excited about the amount of people here. We have farmers. We have business people, truck drivers and working people. This is working Vermonters.' Later that morning, two protesters stood outside the Sugarbush resort's main entrance as a pro-Trump and Vance motorcade circled the Sugarbush parking lot. Heated exchanges of yelling and vulgar language erupted between the two factions. A handful of protesters also perched by a lift where Vance was rumored to be skiing. Montpelier resident Dan Vidali said he decided to demonstrate at Sugarbush resort because it is important to protest 'where the people in power are.' 'Every day, the Trump-Vance administration is putting Vermonters at risk and hurting Vermonters. He's also hurting everyone in this country, and he's hurting our allies like Ukraine. He's hurting people around the world,' Vidali said. 'We're here to say that we reject that in Vermont.' Besides the sprinkling of protesters on the mountain, the ski resort appeared to operate as normal, and the central lifts and lodges remained open Saturday during Vance's visit. Sugarbush Resort did not immediately respond to requests for comment. VT Digger is a sharing partner of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, which includes Maine Morning Star, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters Hit JD Vance With A Frosty 'F**k Off' On Ski Trip After Zelenskyy Clash
JD Vance's family ski trip in Vermont hit rocky terrain Saturday after the gratitude-demanding vice president was welcomed by hundreds of protesters following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The vice president — along with his wife Usha Vance and their three children — headed to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont as part of a planned vacation and their visit was met with a sea of signs calling the former Ohio senator a 'traitor,' telling him to 'fuck off' and 'go ski in Russia.' The demonstrators signaled their support of Ukraine following the blowout in the Oval Office where Vance and President Donald Trump publicly berated Zelenskyy for being 'disrespectful' and not showing thanks to the U.S. (despite his public record of thanking the country). Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R), in a statement on Thursday, reminded residents that 'while we may not always agree, we should be respectful' as Vance and his family vacation in the state. Sugerbush snow reporter Lucy Welch also had harsh words for Vance ahead of his ski outing, per Jason Kottke's blog as she slammed the Trump administration in a daily report on Saturday. 'Right now, National Forest lands and National Parks are under direct attack by the current Administration, who is swiftly terminating the positions of dedicated employees who devote their lives to protecting the land we love, and to protecting us while we are enjoying that land,' Welch wrote. The previously announced visit to The Green Mountain State sparked plans for protests, the VTDigger noted, as one organizer pointed to residents' concerns with the Trump administration's mass federal cuts and firings, adding that the clash in the White House drew more protesters to the streets. 'People are angry, especially after what occurred in the White House yesterday where we absolutely humiliated an ally,' said Tisa Rennau, an organizer with the Indivisible Mad River Valley group, in an interview with the VTDigger. 'We are no longer the leader of the free world. What has happened? This is not the America we expect to be.' VTDigger's Evan L'Roy snapped pictures of protesters lining a nearby road with trans, Palestinian and Ukrainian flags as well as signs reading 'Trump Vance betraying all that America stands for,' 'JD Vance Zelenskyy is 10x the man you are,' 'Have you no shame? Support Ukraine' and 'Where's your decency?' Others at and near the resort held signs reading 'Spineless fascists can't ski,' 'Warning thin ice' and 'This is the coup's last run.' 'Every day, the Trump-Vance administration is putting Vermonters at risk and hurting Vermonters. He's also hurting everyone in this country, and he's hurting our allies like Ukraine. He's hurting people around the world,' Dan Vidali, a Vermont resident, told the VTDigger. 'We're here to say that we reject that in Vermont.' A Russian State Media Reporter Gained Oval Office Access During Trump-Zelenskyy Talk Bill Maher Slams Trump For 'Deplorable' Zelenskyy Meeting: 'Great Day To Be An American' Trump's Oval Office Thrashing Of Zelenskyy Shows Limits Of Western Allies' Ability To Sway Trump
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters Hit JD Vance With A Frosty 'F**k Off' On Ski Trip After Zelenskyy Clash
JD Vance's family ski trip in Vermont hit rocky terrain Saturday after the gratitude-demanding vice president was welcomed by hundreds of protesters following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The vice president — along with his wife Usha Vance and their three children — headed to Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont as part of a planned vacation and their visit was met with a sea of signs calling the former Ohio senator a 'traitor,' telling him to 'fuck off' and 'go ski in Russia.' The demonstrators signaled their support of Ukraine following the blowout in the Oval Office where Vance and President Donald Trump publicly berated Zelenskyy for being 'disrespectful' and not showing thanks to the U.S. (despite his public record of thanking the country). 🚨 BREAKING: After torpedoing yesterday's meeting with Zelensky, JD Vance fled to Vermont for vacation—only to be met by hundreds of furious have happened to a better guy! — Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) March 1, 2025 JD Vance went to Sugarbush for the weekend and is getting a warm welcome….I love Vermont! — Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) March 1, 2025 Vermont's message to JD Vance: Not in our town, you fascist piece of shit. 😡😡😡😡😡👇 — Bill Madden (@maddenifico) March 1, 2025 Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R), in a statement on Thursday, reminded residents that 'while we may not always agree, we should be respectful' as Vance and his family vacation in the state. Sugerbush snow reporter Lucy Welch also had harsh words for Vance ahead of his visit, per Jason Kottke's blog as she slammed the Trump administration in a daily report. 'Right now, National Forest lands and National Parks are under direct attack by the current Administration, who is swiftly terminating the positions of dedicated employees who devote their lives to protecting the land we love, and to protecting us while we are enjoying that land,' Welch wrote. The previously announced visit to The Green Mountain State sparked plans for protests, the VTDigger noted, as one protest organizer pointed to residents' concerns with the Trump administration's mass federal cuts and firings, adding that the clash in the White House drew more protesters to the streets. 'People are angry, especially after what occurred in the White House yesterday where we absolutely humiliated an ally,' said Tisa Rennau, an organizer with the Indivisible Mad River Valley group, in an interview with the VTDigger. 'We are no longer the leader of the free world. What has happened? This is not the America we expect to be.' VTDigger's Evan L'Roy snapped pictures of protesters lining a nearby road with trans, Palestinian and Ukrainian flags as well as signs reading 'Trump Vance betraying all that America stands for,' 'JD Vance Zelenskyy is 10x the man you are,' 'Have you no shame? Support Ukraine' and 'Where's your decency?' Others at and near the resort held signs reading 'Spineless fascists can't ski,' 'Warning thin ice' and 'This is the coup's last run.' 'Every day, the Trump-Vance administration is putting Vermonters at risk and hurting Vermonters. He's also hurting everyone in this country, and he's hurting our allies like Ukraine. He's hurting people around the world,' Dan Vidali, a Vermont resident, told the VTDigger. 'We're here to say that we reject that in Vermont.' A Russian State Media Reporter Gained Oval Office Access During Trump-Zelenskyy Talk Bill Maher Slams Trump For 'Deplorable' Zelenskyy Meeting: 'Great Day To Be An American' Trump's Oval Office Thrashing Of Zelenskyy Shows Limits Of Western Allies' Ability To Sway Trump
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
JD Vance headed to Vermont's Sugarbush ski resort for family vacation, officials say
This week, Vermonters Vice President JD Vance speaks at the annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Advertisement Sugarbush representatives did not respond to a request for comment about the vice president's visit or changes to operations this weekend. Local news outlet VTDigger State police are following standard procedure for whenever a president, vice president, or other head of state visits Vermont, 'Members of the public should expect an increased law-enforcement presence in areas near the vice president's location and may encounter related delays,' Silverman wrote in an email in VTDigger. 'VSP encourages the public to plan for delays and be patient if traveling in the area this weekend.' Some Vermonters plan to protest Vance's visit to the deep blue state, according to Lamson, who works for Vermont's five-term Republican governor. The group While Scott's office supports any Vermonters who want to exercise their First Amendment rights, Lamson said, demonstrators must do so mindfully, given that Vance plans to be with his three young children. Advertisement 'We urge Vermonters to be respectful and treat him like we would any other guest,' Lamson said Friday. Facebook posts show there was a The governor has no plans to meet with Vance during his family's visit to Vermont, Lamson said. In a 'I welcome the Vice President and his family to Vermont and hope they enjoy their weekend here. It's no surprise they chose Vermont, we've had a lot of snow this winter, which has been good for our economy,' Scott said in the statement. 'Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont, and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special.' Claire Thornton can be reached at
