National

Hosted by the Governor's Commission on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders and the Alzheimer's Association, Vermont Chapter.

Speakers provide a positive discussion with fellow stakeholders in the dementia community and share ways to enhance dementia education, support and services in Vermont.
Short Presentations by Commissioner Susan Wehry, MD, Vermont Department of Disabilities Aging and Independent Living, William Pendlebury, MD, Medical Director of The Memory Center at Fletcher Allen Health Care and Rhonda Williams, Chronic Disease Prevention Chief, Vermont Department of Health.

A panel discussion with our speakers and additional participants representing families living with dementia, the residential long term care community and the Alzheimer's Association completes the Town Hall Meeting.

More information at: http://www.alz.org/vermont/index.asp

Senator Leahy discusses the benefits consumers will soon see under his legislation, The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, which cleared Congress Friday and within days will reach the President’s desk. Leahy’s bill allows consumers to “unlock” their used cell phones to connect to their preferred wireless networks, and makes it easier for organizations such as WHBW to expand programs to help domestic violence victims -- for instance by providing them with used cell phones on which they can summon 9-1-1 emergency help. Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling also in attendance.

NOTE: Leahy at this news conference offers his first scheduled general comments on his breakthrough in negotiations over his USA FREEDOM Act, to end NSA’s dragnet collection of Americans’ electronic communications.
 

Senator Patrick Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, holds a field hearing in Vermont on “Preserving an Open Internet: Rules to Promote Competition and Protect Main Street Consumers.” A panel of four witnesses testify at the hearing, including Michael Copps, a former Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission; Martha Reid, Vermont State Librarian; Cabot Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store; and Lisa Groeneveld, co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of the South Burlington-based Logic Supply Inc.

The Judiciary Committee field hearing focuses on the need to restore open Internet rules to replace FCC rules that were struck down earlier this year by the D.C. Circuit Court, including the rule prohibiting broadband providers from blocking lawful content and the rule barring them from unreasonably discriminating against lawful Internet traffic. The FCC currently is accepting public comments on a new set of proposed open Internet rules.

Leahy recently introduced legislation to require the FCC to ban so-called “paid prioritization” agreements between broadband providers and content providers, to help prevent creation of a two-tiered Internet system. The legislation, the Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act, would ensure that start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses, like the Vermont Country Store and Logic Supply, have ready access to the marketplace.

The Senator is joined by Vermont's sole Representative to Congress, Peter Welch (D).

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is joined by Bishop Thomas Ely, Rabbi Joshua Chasan, the Rev. Lynn Bujnak, and Monsignor Roland Rivard focussing on wealth and income inequality.

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