Live Mail won't connect to Usenet through Verizon server

I bought this Gateway laptop in July, with Windows Vista and Windows Live
Mail installed. Everything works well, but something changed. I used my
Windows Live Mail to read Usenet newsgroups from July through November and
it worked fine. I didn't use it from November until yesterday. Now it has
a
strange problem. The newsgroup access doesn't work if I connect through the
Verizon server. The newsgroup access works when I connect through the
Microsoft server.

I get this error message:

"Windows Live Mail cannot connect to the Internet, possibly because an
antivirus or firewall program won't allow it. Make sure any antivirus or
firewall programs on your computer allow Windows Live Mail (wlmail.exe) to
access the Internet."

That's an odd message because wlmail.exe must be allowed because Live Mail
connects just fine to the Microsoft.public server.

Windows Defender is turned off.
Windows Firewall was on but I turned it off.
I added Windows Live Messenger as an exception in Windows Firewall.
I turned off the Trend Micro antivirus program.
I turned off the Spy Sweeper program.
The problem continues.
I'm stumped.

McGyver