Protesters sprinkled throughout a crowd yelled "They tortured people!" and "Condi lied, people died!" during former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's remarks at Norwich University Thursday morning. A standing ovation from the crowd ultimately interrupted the protesters' shouts and they were escorted outside.

Rice, a key leader in the Bush administration who advocated for invading Iraq, told the audience that the U.S. must continue to be a global influence.

"The U.S. has to lead and step up. Why? Because we're the most powerful country in the world," she said. "We also represent an idea. It doesn't matter where you came from, it's where you're going."

She structured her speech around four shocks that she feels have influenced today's politics: the September 11 attacks, the financial crisis of 2008, the Arab Spring and what she called "Great powers behaving badly." She cited Vladimir Putin as an example, calling him a "humiliator and intimidator," and adding: "He's not the only great power behaving badly."

The Burlington school budget barely passed the second time around, but pro-budget organizers appear to have outspent their opponents by a long shot. 

Burlington Friends of Education leafletted neighborhoods and plastered the city with red lawn signs urging residents to vote for the $67.4 million budget. All that paper added up: According to its most recent campaign finance report, filed with the Secretary of State on Tuesday, the group spent roughly $4,200 on the effort. They raised $4,000, which was split nearly 50/50 between contributions of more than $100 and those less than $100. 

A group formed by school board member Scot Shumski to encourage voters to reject the budget has not submitted a report to the Secretary of State,  a step required of political action committees that spend $1,000 or more during an election cycle.

Nearly 6,500 voters came out to the polls on June 3. After a recount, city officials determined that the budget had passed by just 71 votes — a margin of less than 1 percent.

Three months ago, on Town Meeting Day, residents struck down the budget by about 700 votes. Friends of Education members admitted they hadn't done much leading up to the vote (any fundraising they did was under the $1,000 filing threshold), and the outcome caught them off-guard. The group has been sleepy for a number of years because the budget easily passed without their advocacy. 

Shumski didn't form his group until after the first vote. 

The mother of a Thetford man who died in 2012 after a Vermont State Police Trooper shot him with a stun gun has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the trooper of using excessive force and ignoring protocols.

In a 34-page lawsuit, Rhonda Taylor alleges a trooper who responded to the home of her son, MacAdam Mason, to check on his medical condition never should have fired a Taser into his chest. State law enforcement officials cleared Trooper David Shaffer of wrongdoing, returned him to active duty and released little information about the incident to the public.

"This is a very sad day, not only for Rhonda, but for the state of Vermont," her attorney, Robert Appel, said during a press conference this morning outside U.S. District Court in Burlington. "This is the only way people can hold police accountable. Left to their own devices, supervisory law enforcement officials have not done well in holding accountable the police when they break the law or protocols. It's important that these cases be filed so that people know how the police work and fail to work in a lawful way."

Four big food industry groups filed suit against Vermont state officials in federal court in Burlington Thursday, in an attempt to block the state's new GMO labeling law. Just how big are those groups?

Plaintiff one, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, represents more than 300 food, beverage and consumer product companies, according to the suit. Its members employ 2.5 million people in 50 states, and their U.S. sales total $460 billion annually.

Plaintiff two, the Snack Food Association, represents snack makers and suppliers — more than 400 companies worldwide that make everything from tortilla chips to pretzels.

Plaintiff three, the International Dairy Foods Association, has more than 550 member companies "which together represent 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States," the lawsuit says.

The filing deadline for those seeking public office this fall came and went Thursday at 5 p.m. And while nominating petitions will continue to roll in from town halls to the secretary of state's office, we now know a little bit more about who's running — and who's not.

Here are the highlights:

Democratic activist John Bauer dropped his plans to run for lieutenant governor Thursday, setting up a one-on-one race between Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and former Progressive legislator Dean Corren.

When he entered the race in March, Bauer hoped to become the first candidate in a decade to take advantage of the state's public financing system, which would have provided his campaign up to $200,000. But on Thursday afternoon, just before the deadline to file as a candidate, Bauer said he'd failed to qualify.

"Despite a strong effort from our volunteer team and our friends, colleagues, and allies, we fell short of collecting enough contributions from Vermont voters to qualify for public campaign financing by today's deadline," Bauer said in a written statement. "I am proud that we brought the idea to pursue public financing into the political conversation three months ago. We have spread the word to a whole new generation of Vermonters about public financing and how it works."

Greg Jenkins, a Burlington school commissioner representing Ward 7, has resigned, making him the third person in recent months to leave the 14-member board prematurely.

Jenkins gave word of his decision without much fanfare. He posted the following to Front Porch Forum, and declined to comment further.

Dear Ward 7

Effective 6/10 I have resigned from our school board for deeply personal, and philosophical differences. It is not in my nature to get gagged, but I was and well $225ish made it not our problem. This goes against the very nature of who I am. There are hopeful signs this board can rally. Please let us come together and fix the problem, and not bicker.

I look forward to doing something else.

Yours,
Greg Jenkins

Updated Thursday, June 12, at 12:58 p.m.

Scott Milne, a little-known Pomfret Republican and travel agency president, said Thursday he'll challenge Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin for the state’s top office.

In an interview on WDEV’s “The Mark Johnson Show,” Milne conceded that his would be a “long-shot” campaign against the two-term incumbent. But he argued that Vermonters want more balance in Montpelier and a leader with “fresh ideas.”

"Gov. Shumlin has demonstrated, in my opinion and in a lot of people's opinions that I talk to, that he doesn't have the right priorities and he's not done a good job of leading his party to get tough things done," Milne told Johnson. "I believe I have the ability to do a better job than Gov. Shumlin."

Updated Thursday, June 12, at 10:46 a.m.

For weeks, House Speaker Shap Smith (D-Morristown) has expressed ambivalence over whether to seek a seventh term in the Vermont House. Citing competing family and professional obligations, Smith said it might be time to pass the gavel to a new leader.

But on Thursday morning, just hours before nominating petitions were due, Smith filed for reelection at the Morristown municipal offices, according to town clerk Mary Ann Wilson. 

“In the end, I realized I really like the job and I thought that there was work left to be done on education, education finance, health care and health care finance,” Smith told Seven Days. “And I really wanted to finish that work, if my constituents give me the opportunity.”

Updated Wednesday, June 11, at 5:14 p.m.

Dean Corren, a former legislator and Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor, said Wednesday he's raised enough money to qualify for up to $200,000 in public financing. 

If certified by the secretary of state, Corren would become the first Vermont political candidate in a decade to run for office with public assistance. The development could dramatically recast his race against the two-term incumbent, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, who is not seeking public financing.

"I'm delighted and I'm gratified and I have been inspired by what people have done in contributing smaller contributions and getting all their friends and neighbors to do the same," Corren said. "It's just very nice to see the response from all over the state."