Vermont Edition

Vermont Edition takes you inside the state house for the first day of the legislative session.

Two Franklin County authors brought together stories of the Lake Champlain region and its contributions to American history for their latest book, Hidden History of Lake Champlain. Missisquoi Valley Union High School history teacher, Jason Barney, was awarded the 2023 Vermont History Teacher of the Year Award and was a semifinalist for Vermont Teacher of the Year in 2022. Librarian, genealogist and writer, Christine Eldred, has published numerous articles and guides to preserving and defending intellectual freedom in school libraries.Lake Champlain is also home to the prehistoric lake sturgeon, one of the largest freshwater fish in North American that can live more than 150 years. Fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Lee Simard, shared what lead to the sturgeon's decline and their work to protect the fish.Broadcast live on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

How can artists know if their creations are being used to train artificial intelligence? And if they are, should those artists be compensated? On today's show we speak with Vermont's Chief Data and AI Officer Josiah Raiche about the state’s role in regulating AI, and artist Jane Adams helps us parse the philosophical questions AI poses to the creative process.On Capitol Hill last year, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt) introduced nearly a half dozen bills concerning AI. He’s vowed to continue those efforts during this new Congress. Welch has also joined the influential Senate Finance Committee, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt). This committee deals with taxation, trade agreements, tariffs and government health programs. In an interview on Vermont Edition, Senator Welch explains why he opposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China proposed by President-elect Donald Trump, as well as his work on regulating AI.Broadcast live on Monday, January 6th, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

In many cold locales, saunas are a common way to heat your body and hang out with friends, especially in the dead of winter. But in Vermont, the practice hasn't taken as strong of a hold. Today, we explore the physical, mental, and social benefits of regular sauna use. This is the first installment in a health-focused series we’re running each Thursday of January called "In Good Health."Joining us for the hour is Chelsea Edgar, a Burlington-based freelance reporter and contributing editor for Seven Days. She wrote a piece for them exploring sauna culture in our region. Earric Lee is a post-doctoral researcher at The Montreal Heart Institute, and Nils Shenholm is a sauna designer and builder in Duxbury, and an North American Sauna Society Emeritus board member.Plus: Vermont Edition’s managing producing Jon Ehrens talks to his fellow heat addicts inside the Vermont Sun sauna in Middlebury.

Vermont Public CEO Vijay Singh joined Vermont Edition to reflect on his first three months leading Vermont Public. Before coming to Vermont, Singh worked for CapRadio, an NPR affiliate in Sacramento, and the Los Angeles affiliate LAist. He shared insights from these experiences and outlined his vision for the future of Vermont Public.Then, Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman shares a question about class as part of an ongoing series. We hear about her latest episodes.

Over the past year, hundreds of people in our region joined Vermont Edition as guests. We parsed out complex topics like education spending and the opioid epidemic with elected officials and journalists. We chatted about everything from deer hunting, to houseplant care, to the weather. And we shared your calls and emails as we celebrated collective joys like the eclipse, and collective heartbreaks like the summer flooding.For our last Vermont Edition of the year, we share some of our favorite interviews and moments of 2024: drag queen and Center for Cartoon Studies graduate Sasha Velour, former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, the small team of southern Vermonters who successfully lobbied for a state mushroom, and locals who witnessed the April 8th total solar eclipse.

The Vermont Almanac released its fifth volume at the end of last month. Each year, the almanac highlights prose, poetry, photography and illustrations from dozens of contributors around the state. Editors Patrick White, a Christmas tree farmer from Middlesex, and Dave Mance III, a sugarmaker in Shaftsbury, share how the almanac serves as a record of Vermont's rural traditions. Copies of the Almanac are available at indie bookstores and through their website.The Old Farmer's Almanac has been published every year since 1792. Editor-in-chief Carol Connare speaks about the publication's famous weather forecasts and other predictions for the year ahead.

Vermont Edition presents two BLS episodes. First, we hear about the U.S. Postal Service in Vermont. Then, we go hunting.

Soup is one of those meals that inherently brings people together — maybe it's the warmth, the fusion of ingredients and spices, or the act of ladling into carefully clutched bowls. Soup is also part of the culinary tradition of cultures around the globe.Vermont Edition brought together chefs and listeners to share soup-making tips. Our guests were Joe Buley Jr. of Joe's Kitchen at Screamin' Ridge Farm in East Montpelier, and Caroline Hannon and Bex Slatterly of the Queer Soup Night event series in Brattleboro. This episode also featured Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry. She joined us for our monthly chat about food and beverage news.

We were joined today by some of Vermont's finest folk musicians, Seamus Eagan, Moira Smiley and Yann Falquet, in front of a live studio audience of Vermont Public members and supporters. They brought their instruments along to perform their music and to chat with Mikaela about their inspirations, their love of folk traditions, and the local music scene.Seamus Egan is an internationally acclaimed Irish folk musician based in Vermont. He’s the founder of the Irish-American band Solas, and is well known as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition. Moira Smiley is a Bristol-based folk musician and composer. She has recorded and performed with the indie-pop band the Tune Yards, and her new album out this year is called "The Rhizome Project."Yann Falquet is a Brattleboro-based guitarist who specializes in Québécois traditional music.

The Vermont legislative session begins on January 8th, and lawmakers and administration officials are preparing for the new biennium. First elected in 2016, Gov. Phil Scott won a fifth term in November with nearly 74% of the vote. The election results signaled significant changes under the Golden Dome, as Republicans gained seats in the House and Senate, breaking the Democrats’ supermajority. Scott joins Vermont Edition to discuss his priorities for the upcoming session, including property taxes, education spending, and the incoming Trump administration.Then, Vermont Public senior reporter Bob Kinzel provides an analysis of the governor’s interview and discusses what’s unique about this political moment in Vermont and what seems like business as usual.

Over the course of the year, many of us had to say goodbye to close friends or family members. Others lost people they didn’t know well personally, but who nevertheless had a deep impact on them. Today's remembrance show is a chance to honor those who passed away in 2024. University of Vermont professor Chris Danforth shared thoughts on his colleague and friend, Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, a beloved member of the UVM and outdoors communities. Retired state senator Jane Kitchel reflected on two titans of the Vermont Statehouse, Dick Mazza and Dick Sears, both of whom served their communities for decades. Lisa Gannon, a medical assistant with Timber Lane Pediatrics in Burlington, told us about the ways in which Dr. Michelle Perron connected with her patients. Rosanne Greco, president of the board for the South Burlington Land Trust, spoke about SBLT founder Sarah Dopp and her impact on the local community. We also heard reflections on Reuben Jackson, Bill Mares, Joe Moore, Lydia Clemmons, and many listener submissions.

Driving across the Connecticut River between Hinsdale New Hampshire and Brattleboro Vermont just got a whole lot smoother. Last week the two states celebrated the ribbon cutting for a new bridge on Route 119, decades in the making. It’s called the General John Stark Memorial Bridge. we're joined by David Scott who is the the In-house Design Chief of the Bureau of Bridge Design at the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. He discusses the bridge, why it's such a huge deal for the area, and what it takes to be a bridge designer. Originally broadcast at Noon on Wednesday, Dec. 11th

If you have a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s, you know how devastating the disease can be. It’s a brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and thinking skills. Its effects are irreversible – the damage it wreaks on the brain cannot be undone. About 50 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s. It’s among the leading causes of death in the United States.Researchers across the globe are working to better understand Alzheimer’s, so we can prevent it, or slow its progression. Just recently, St Michael’s College in Colchester and the University of Vermont in Burlington announced a major breakthrough from a team of researchers. By studying spider brains, they’ve gained a better understanding of how Alzheimer’s disease develops in the human brain.We're joined by two of those researchers who tell us about their work and why the specifics of spider brains led to this breakthrough. Our guests are both associate professors of biology and neuroscience at St. Michael's College, Dr. Ruth Fabian-Fine and Dr. Adam Weaver.Broadcast live on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Cold weather means cozying up with a good book. How can a book worm choose when there's so many options? Count on Vermont Edition's winter book show as a guide for some good reads. Claire Benedict, co-owner of Bear Pond Books, along with Randal Smathers, director of the Rutland Free Library, and Megan Butterfield, youth library manager at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, give us their recommendations for the year and suggestions for readers of all ages. Broadcast live on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at noon

To kick off ski season, Vermont Edition broadcast live from Jay Peak Ski Resort in Orleans County, a ten minute drive from the Canadian border.Steve Wright, president and general manager of Jay Peak, and Martin Clements, Jay Peak’s assistant ski patrol director, share updates on snow conditions and how the resort has been preparing for this season. Former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist Barbara Ann Cochran talks about her family's skiing legacy and the ways she supports athletes' mental preparedness. Jordan and Momo Antonucci, who run the Miso Hungry food cart at Jay, give an inside scoop on their signature ramen and other après-ski favorites.

Vermont’s Republican state senators have elected Scott Beck of St. Johnsbury as their new caucus leader. Republicans ousted longtime Senator Randy Brock of St. Albans. Beck has served as a state representative since 2015. This comes as Republicans flipped six seats during the November election, which significantly narrowed their margin with Democrats. Beck joins us to outline his goals as lawmakers head into a new session in January.Broadcast live on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

In November, the University of Vermont Health Network announced cuts to a broad range of patient services. There's a growing consensus that Vermont needs to make major changes to how people get health care in the state, as Vermonters pay among the very highest prices for health care in the country. Science & Health reporter Lexi Krupp shares the latest developments and the impacts they will have on patients and Vermonters.Then, CEO of North Star Health Joshua Dufresne joins us to discuss the decision to close down the Rockingham Health Center in Bellows Falls. The announcement was made on the heels of a statewide report that called for drastic changes to the state’s hospital system to avoid bankruptcies and closures. The report called out some southern Vermont hospitals like Springfield and Grace Cottage which has led to concerns about access to care in the area. Broadcast live on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

On December 1st, 1924 — one hundred years ago yesterday — the Boston Bruins became the first American hockey franchise to take the ice in the fledgling National Hockey League, beating the Montreal Maroons in front of new fans curious about the viability of this Canadian sport.Today on Vermont Edition, guest host Mitch Wertlieb speaks with hockey historian Eric Zweig and sports business expert John Wong to discuss the infancy of the NHL and how it grew in America.

When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, are you going to be at a table with anyone with really different political views? Instead of fighting or remaining distant, could this be the year to try and find some common ground? Today, we share a recording of a recent live event at Vermont Public’s studios in conjunction with StoryCorp. It’s with Vermonters who participated in our One Small Step program. Each person was matched with a stranger with different views and life experiences. They have a facilitated conversation, and learn how to bridge their divides. They are Chris Sims of Jericho, Judy Scott of St. George, Ramona Akpo-Sani of Orwell, and Beth Howard of Williston. And from Braver Angels, we have Lincoln Earle-Centers of Montpelier and Katherine Cadwell of Fayston.We were also joined by two folks from Braver Angels, an organization with a similar mission of connecting people across political divides, Lincoln Earle-Centers of Montpelier and Katherine Cadwell of Fayston.If you are a part of an organization who would like to take part in One Small Step training, visit https://www.vermontpublic.org/2024-11-26/request-a-training-session-one-small-step-on-the-roadThis event was taped on November 17th