VTDigger reporter Charlotte Oliver questions U.S. Senator Peter Welch, D-Vermont, during a press conference at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Friday, February 6, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Dear Reader, Today, your gift can go twice as far. Thanks to two generous donors from Burlington and Addison County, every contribution up to $500 made during our July Member Drive will be matched. Better yet, every new monthly sustaining gift will be matched for the first 12 months. If you’ve been thinking about supporting VTDigger summer, this is the best time to do it. Will you help us make the most of this match and reach our goal of 500 members by Saturday? Double your impact Good journalism doesn’t begin when news breaks. It begins months earlier. As editor-in-chief, one of my most important responsibilities is making sure our newsroom is ready for the stories Vermonters will need tomorrow, not just today. Right now, our newsroom is rolling out comprehensive coverage of primary races across Vermont, from county contests to statewide offices. We’re producing deeply reported stories examining the money in Vermont politics, candidates’ records and the issues shaping this election. We’re also putting the finishing touches on our election guide, reviewing campaign finance filings and fact-checking candidate information. Our goal is to help readers understand not just who’s running, but what’s at stake and how to participate. Readers depend on VTDigger to provide clear, independent election coverage without spin or speculation. We’ll be there this August, this November and every election that follows. Election coverage is just one example of the long-range reporting we’re investing in. Our newsroom is also working on an ambitious accountability reporting collaboration with FRONTLINE examining the lasting impacts of Vermont’s recent flooding. That project has required nearly a year of interviews, public records requests and field reporting by reporter Emma Cotton. This kind of reporting doesn’t happen overnight. It requires planning, time and sustained investment. That’s why monthly giving is especially valuable. Sustaining support allows us to make long-term commitments to investigations, election coverage and other public-service reporting that can’t be completed in a day or a week. If you value reporting that’s prepared, deeply sourced and focused on serving Vermont, please make a gift today. Every donation made during our July Member Drive will be matched. And if you become a sustaining member, your first year of monthly support will be matched, too. Double your impact Thank you for helping ensure Vermont has the independent reporting it deserves. Sincerely, Sue Allen Editor-in-chief, VTDigger Read the story on VTDigger here: How VTDigger prepares for the stories that make a difference. ...read more read less