Senator Bernie Sanders took his fight to defend Social Security on the road, unemployment numbers rose slightly in Vermont, the Vermont Lottery unveiled vending machines, the area felt tremors from a Virginia earthquake and then began to brace for some incarnation of Hurricane Irene.
These were some of the voices in the news this week.
Sanders Takes Budget Fight Across The Country (8/22/11)
(Senator Bernie Sanders) "There has been too much discussion in this country not just for Republicans but from Democrats alike that we should be making cuts in Social Security… That is wrong!"
Unemployment Numbers Show Some Job Creation (8/23/11)
(Art Woolf, University of Vermont economics professor) "My conclusion is, in this case in the last few months I think the employment numbers are more believable than the unemployment numbers and that the state economy is showing slight, very slight improvement, which is better than very slight negative."
To Boost Sales, Lottery Turns To Vending Machines (8/25/11)
(Alan Yandow, Vermont Lottery director) "We’ll have 100 of these machines throughout the state at grocery stores and C stores and we’ll see if that makes it easier for the players. So you continually look for different ways to deliver our different games or what does the new technology bring.’
D.C. Area Quake Shakes Northern New England (8/23/11)
State geologist Larry Becker) "You can have an event at a distance, and we feel it here because earthquake waves can travel further in the eastern United States than in the West."
Eye On The Sky Weather (8/25/11)
(Meteorologist Mark Breen) "Meanwhile, Hurricane Irene, 400 miles south of the North Carolina capes, will be tracking due north, crossing right over New England later Sunday and Sunday night. That means increasing amounts of rain and wind sweeping northward across the listening area on Sunday. There may be some damaging winds and flooding rains."