Senator Sanders

Student Assistance Uncertainty clouding the future of the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. diminished Thursday with the announcement of $1.3 million in federal funds for servicing student loans, the Burlington Free Press reported. "Our ongoing efforts ... have paid off," Sen. Bernie Sanders said. LINK

Town Meetings More than 100 constituents gathered at a Morrisville high school cafeteria for one in a series of meetings that Sen. Sanders scheduled this week to focus on how the proposed federal budget would affect families and children, according to the Stowe Reporter.  LINK

Ryan Budget In a conference call on Thursday hosted by the Alliance for Retired Americans, spokesmen for Sens. Patrick Leahy and Sanders said they would not support drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, vtdigger.com reported. LINK

The Fed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke held a historic news conference Wednesday. The Fed has been harshly criticized for its handling of the 2008 financial crisis. In last year's financial regulatory overhaul, lawmakers led by Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ron Paul won an audit of the Fed's emergency lending activities, Congressional Quarterly reported. LINK

Left and Right History professor Thaddeus Russell said on Fox Business Network that Rep. Ron Paul makes a mistake by running as a Republican and instead should align with the left. "In fact, he's talked with Ralph Nader in public and with Bernie Sanders and other very left-wing people in American political discourse about doing just that." VIEW

St. J. Office The Caledonian-Record weighs in on the side of the town of St. Johnsbury in a squabble over management of a welcome center that houses offices of Sen. Sanders. LINK

World

The Newlyweds With fanfare and flags under cool, gray skies in Westminster, Prince William and Kate Middleton were married on Friday, The New York Times reported. LINK

National

Damage is Catastrophic Communities across the Southeast are preparing to bury the dead this weekend after the deadliest day of tornadoes in 37 years killed nearly 300 people, USA Today reported. LINK

Debt-limit Defiance A growing number of Democrats are threatening to defy the White House over the national debt, joining Republican calls for deficit cuts, The Washington Post reported. The pushback has come from Sens. Conrad, Manchin, Pryor and Klobuchar. LINK

Profit Jumps at Exxon and Shell Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell reported huge increases in their first-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by higher oil prices and earnings from refining, The New York Times reported. LINK

Dollar Slides The U.S. dollar fell Thursday to its lowest point since the summer of 2008, but officials aren't showing signs that they are alarmed by the currency's descent or acting to stem it. LINK

Town Meetings Since the Tucson shootings, U.S. Capitol Police have urged members of Congress to be more vigilant. There is cause for the concern. Between October and March, 53 serious threats against members of Congress were reported, a 13 percent increase from the same six-month period a year earlier, law enforcement authorities told The Washington Post. LINK

Vermont

Flooding Floodwaters are receding but many Vermont roads remain closed, More than 100 people evacuated from Cambridge apartments were put up at Smugglers Notch condominiums. The Inn at Shelburne Farms cancelled Mother's Day tours because the overflowing Lake Champlain flooded a parking field, AP reported. LINK

Pete's Greens Gov. Shumlin announced a $300,000 state grant for an organic farm in Craftsbury that suffered a devastating fire in January, Vermont Public Radio reported. LINK