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In his fifth inaugural speech this week, Republican Gov. Phil Scott pledged to fix a “broken and failingâ€� education system â€� and the rising costs associated with it. Democrats in the Legislature seem receptive to the broad strokes of Scott’s preliminary proposals, despite butting heads in prior sessions. ¿ªÔÆÌåÓý’s Lola Duffort will break down it all down in this week’s edition of the Capitol Recap.

We speak to 2025 Rhodes Scholar and Shelburne native Lena Ashooh, who’s interested in animal ethics and legal philosophy. Plus, Gov. Scott reiterates the need to make Vermont more affordable during his inaugural address, Republican John Rodgers is Vermont’s new lieutenant governor, a national cyberattack may have compromised local school district data, and Vermont health care providers are building an informal network to support intuitive eating habits.

The Vermont Supreme Court has re-opened public comment on a natural gas pipeline in Addison County, following years of fighting by neighbors. Plus, Vermont lawmakers elect a House speaker for the new legislative session, Senate leadership says the chamber will focus on property tax relief and reforming the education system this year, a former Addison County sheriff accused of sexual assault wants to change his plea, Vermont will receive millions in federal funding for long-term flood recovery, and officials are warning southern Vermont residents about rabies.

We prime you for the start of this year’s legislative session, after Vermont Republicans picked up more seats than in any other state during the November election. Plus, an early report shows an above-average number of Vermonters have ALS, Vermont Democrats are looking for new leadership, Killington Ski Resort is beefing up security amid passholder fraud, and a new state fish stocking program is opening up new opportunities for anglers.

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý’s Peter Hirschfeld breaks down the politics of climate policy in Montpelier, with Republicans potentially poised to block a sweeping energy proposal that would reduce Vermontersâ€� use of fossil fuels to heat their homes. Plus, the fossil fuel lobby is suing Vermont in a first-of-its-kind case, Vermont’s top federal prosecutor is stepping down, and Vermont’s AI czar is looking for new ways to streamline government interactions.

Visiting Woodstock for the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count, a citizen science project used to track the health of different species. Plus, the Agency of Agriculture begins testing Vermont’s milk supply for bird flu, the Scott administration considers allowing Vermonters to play the lottery online, a long-serving member of Burlington’s city council will not seek reelection, developers of a new ski village at Killington hope to begin construction next year, why the Dartmouth men’s basketball team has dropped its attempt to unionize, and we preview the meaningful games that will round out the NFL’s regular season in our first weekly sports report of the new year.

A dental clinic in Middlebury specializes in serving Spanish-speaking immigrant farmworkers, who typically face big barriers to care. Plus, Vermont still has one of the highest per capita homelessness rates in the country, a Shelburne nonprofit hopes to provide free online resources for people caring for aging loved ones, the new year means a new Old Farmer's Almanac, and the Rutland County Humane Society may have found a new shelter space.

Burlington launches an initiative allowing first responders to give opioid addiction treatment at the scene of an overdose. Plus, a flock of birds in Franklin County tests positive for bird flu, the most recent statewide survey on youth mental health shows levels have not rebounded from the COVID pandemic, a commission charged with overhauling Vermont’s school system issues its first report without any specific recommendations, Dartmouth Health tries to raise the number of behavioral health workers in the region by expanding student training opportunities, and officials report a hike in ridership out of airports in Rutland and Lebanon, New Hampshire.

A conversation with the new chief diversity officer for Vermont State University, who’s starting work amid nationwide efforts to roll back diversity, equity , inclusion and belonging initiatives. Plus, the state sees a 60% jump from last year in wages paid to workers under investigation for alleged misconduct, a meeting for Bennington property owners about harmful chemicals in private wells has been rescheduled, the state is seeing an uptick in fraudulent business filings, Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy is on the rise, and we’ve got a preview of hockey action following the NHL Christmas break along with the latest off-season moves made by the Boston Red Sox in our weekly recap of sports.

Touring a factory that’s home to the world’s oldest maker of musical cymbals. Plus, a judge rules a state lawsuit filed against major oil companies can proceed, Vermont and New Hampshire show a recent spike in pneumonia cases, the health department has a new plan for urging young adults to get a flu shot, St. Michael’s College announces undergrad students whose families make $100,000 or less won’t pay tuition in 2025, and why some Vermont universities are telling international students traveling over the holidays to return to the U.S. before President-elect Trump takes office.