Open.VPR.org

Food is on a lot of our minds today, as we gather around the table in our annual Thanksgiving Day feasts; smaller though they may be. We might enjoy turkey, stuffing, squash, pies and homemade breads. But a record number of Vermonters are also facing food insecurity this Thanksgiving.

Vegetables, wild turkeys, gratitude, plus the news: Sen. Bernie Sanders’ future, parenting from prison, and COVID-19 numbers.

Vermont reporters provide a roundup of top news takeaways about the coronavirus, legislative leadership and more for Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Local officials are being tasked with COVID-19 communication, and some don’t want to pass along state guidelines. Plus, Thanksgiving guidelines, the pandemic’s rising death toll, and some geese.

Vermont reporters provide a roundup of top news takeaways about the coronavirus, deer season and more for Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

VPR Morning Newscast for Thursday, Nov. 26.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Food is on a lot of our minds today, as we gather around the table in our annual Thanksgiving Day feasts; smaller though they may be. We might enjoy turkey, stuffing, squash, pies and homemade breads. But a record number of Vermonters are also facing food insecurity this Thanksgiving.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

VPR Evening Newscast for 11/25/2020

Audio (audio/mpeg)

VPR Midday Newscast for Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

VPR Morning Newscast for Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

The Scott Administration has clarified its ban on multi-household gatherings in Vermont. The clarification allows those who are in an unsafe environment to take shelter in another household. And it allows outdoor activities, like walks, between two people from separate households with masks and six-foot distancing. This hour, join our weekly health update as we discuss these new allowances and answer your questions for the Vermont Department of Health.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Vermont and the health department has put a new protocol in place that will include the testing of all staff at Vermont's K-12 schools, on a rotating basis. This hour, we're joined by Education Secretary Dan French to talk about how the effort fits in with the state's surveillance testing, and how the state is working to preserve in-person learning.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

This hour, VPR's Bob Kinzel and Mitch Wertlieb ask you to share some of the strategies you are using to get through this second phase of the COVID-19 crisis -- a crisis that is likely to affect the Thanksgiving plans of almost every Vermonter.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Incarceration is never easy, and COVID-19 has created a multitude of new challenges. Since March, incarcerated parents have been limited to virtual visitation with their children. This hour, we hear from the Department of Corrections and several other voices about current visitation regulations and how they have impacted incarcerated parents.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

The Scott Administration has announced several new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont, including a temporary ban on multi-household gatherings. This hour, Deputy Health Commissioner Tracy Dolan joins us with more on what these restrictions mean for Vermonters. We also check in with the University of Vermont where a Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial is currently underway.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Weather Journal by VPR

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Recreational Forecast by VPR

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Morning Forecast by VPR

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Eye On The Night Sky For November 20, 2020 by VPR

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Eye On The Night Sky For November 19, 2020 by VPR

Audio (audio/mpeg)

The pandemic has shifted even more of our lives online. So what's being done to address Vermont's internet inequities?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Burned out on election news? We've got you. Revisit our 2019 episode about the fuel that warms you twice.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Is our population growing because of the pandemic? And what impact are COVID transplants having on their new communities?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

What are your options for returning your mail-in ballot? What should you do if you lose it? And how can you track your ballot to make sure it’s received?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

With mail-in voting already underway and a president who has COVID-19 — and who has not pledged to accept the results if he loses — we talk to some of his supporters.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

When a group of immigrants started a community farm in a Yankee farming town, their presence was complicated by race and rural American identity. This week on NEXT, the story of Bami Farm in Rhode Island. Plus, how the pandemic has accelerated the debate over driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts. And journalist Maria Hinojosa talks about what’s at stake if public media fails to become more diverse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

What we don’t learn in school can matter as much as the lessons we do learn. This week on NEXT, we talk to teachers and students about the harm of omitting stories and cultures from curricula — and how we can do better. It's a rebroadcast from our series of specials on “Racism in New England,” produced by the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Here’s the story that New England tells itself: Racism is a Southern problem. But our region’s abolitionist past hides a darker history of racism, slavery and white supremacy. It’s a legacy that lives with us today. This week on NEXT, we rebroadcast a special from our series on racism in New England — produced by the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified. This episode originally aired Sept. 17. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

America is taking a hard look at policing right now. Many wonder: can we trust the cops? In states across the country, the answer to that question is already out there – on secret lists kept by government lawyers. This week on NEXT, “The List” from New Hampshire Public Radio, which looks at one state’s decades of secrecy around police misconduct and asks: why do these lists exist? And if they were finally made public, would they solve our policing problems? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Transgender and nonbinary people can face misgendering at the polls. This week on NEXT, how that can make voting especially stressful this election. And with Nov. 3 just around the corner, we hear from the Associated Press about its process for calling the presidential race … and about 7,000 others around the country. Plus, we talk to Boston hip-hop artist Latrell James about his life and what inspired the lyrics for his new EP “Under.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

A few weeks ago we talked about why kids can't vote and we also answered some questions about the U.S. Presidential Election. It's been two weeks since the November 3rd election, but we're still getting questions about it! We get answers from NPR political reporter Ayesha Rascoe. TRANSCRIPT Here are some of the questions we're tackling in this episode: What would happen if someone counted the votes wrong? Why is President Donald Trump going to court and why are people saying Joe Biden might not be president? What is the Electoral College and why do we still have it; why haven’t we changed to a popular vote? How does the president talk to the people without being on the news? Helping us answer these questions is political reporter Ayesha Rascoe, who covers the White House for NPR. Adults, you might want to check out the NPR Politics Podcast, a daily podcast that frequently features Rascoe's reporting and expertise.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

In our most recent episode, we answered questions about  really big animals: whales! We covered a lot when it comes to these huge aquatic mammals but there was one big topic we didn't get to: and that's how whales communicate.  We'll learn more about the sounds whales make: singing, whistles, and echolocation clicks with Amy Van Cise, a biologist at NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides | Transcript

Audio (audio/mpeg)

How do whales spray water? Why are humpback whales so fat and blue whales so long, and why are blue whales blue? Do whales have belly buttons? How do you weigh a whale? And how do whales drink water in the salty ocean? We have a whale of a time answering questions about these ocean-dwelling mammals with paleontologist Nick Pyenson, author of Spying on Whales: The Past, Present and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Audio (audio/mpeg)

In the United States, where But Why is based, we have a big election coming up. Election Day is officially on November 3rd. But more Americans than usual are voting in advance this year, sometimes in person at their town hall or city office. And sometimes by mailing in their ballot-that's the piece of paper where they mark down who they want to vote for. People in lots of states are voting for their governors, who help run their states, or their Congresspeople, who work in Washington to help run the country. But the position that's getting the most attention is the election for who will be president for the next four years. We learn about voting and elections with Erin Geiger Smith, reporter and author of Thank You For Voting and Thank You For Voting Young Readers' Edition.  Also: how does the government work? Why haven't we had girl presidents before? Why are Democrats called Democrats? Why are Republicans called Republicans? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript Who Invented The President? Who Makes The Laws?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

This episode may not be suitable for our youngest listeners or for particularly sensitive kids. We're discussing animal ethics with author Hal Herzog. In a follow up to our pets episodes, we look at how we treat animals very differently depending on whether we think of them as pets, food, or work animals. Why do some cultures eat cows and others don't? Why do some cultures not have pets at all? And is it okay to breed animals like dogs that have significant health problems even though we love them? Herzog is the author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Audio (audio/mpeg)

There are 19 species of worms in Vermont. Three of them are considered invasive; they are known as snake worms or jumping worms. These busy, invasive worms change the forest floor and the content of the soil, making it difficult for new growth to take root. This affects the habitat and food source of wildlife and the future of the forest itself.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Fen grass-of-Parnassus has a beautiful white flower that blooms from mid-August to mid-September in Vermont. It is the sole food source for a rare species of bee, which are only referred to by their Latin name, andrena parnassiae.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

In these times of social distancing, when people can feel disconnected from one another, it's important to realize that nature is just outside your door. From bird songs to green frogs' croaking chatter, stay connected to the outdoors by exploring your own "backyard biodiversity."

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Birdwatchers know that when they see the Red-winged Blackbird return, spring is on its way. These birds are numerous and everywhere. The males are stark-black with a red epaulette, a striking flash of color on their wings, that they use to attract mates and ward off other competing males.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Blue jays are pretty common. We see them all the time, and yet, they still have mysteries to share with us. Blue jays are also known as the "engineers of the forest." Their diet consists of acorns and beech nuts and they take these seeds to new areas and cache, or bury, their food. Sometimes they forget to come back to get these stored nuts and seeds allowing them to grow. The birds are planting new trees and expanding the forest.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

We’ve been tracing the Palchikoffs and Sergei’s violin through the 20th Century; starting in Russia during the civil war after the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, to the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and finally to California, where Sergei retired and passed away in 1969 leaving the violin to his daughter Kaleria.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

We’ve been telling the story of Sergei Palchikoff, his family and his beloved violin that survived the bombing of Hiroshima 75 years ago. I’ve spent the better part of a year piecing this tale together from newspaper articles, old recordings and online resources. After the first episode aired on VPR Classical something remarkable happened. I got a phone call from Carmel, California; it was Anthony Drago, Sergei’s grandson.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

On Timeline, we’ve been telling the story of the Palchikoff family, their experiences fleeing Russia, settling in Japan and surviving the bomb. It’s also the story of Kaleria’s father, Sergei and his beloved violin which today, 75 years later, is being used to play songs of peace.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

August 6, 1945, was a clear, blue Monday morning in the city of Hiroshima. At 7:09 air raid sirens shattered the morning air as allied weather planes flew over, driving a city of around 345,000 people indoors and into shelters. About 15 minutes later, the planes left, the skies emptied and the all-clear sounded; Hiroshima woke back up and started their Monday over again.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Over the past few episodes we’ve been telling the stories of hibaku-pianos and violins, musical instruments that survived the atomic blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago. In our last episode we were telling the tale of Sergei Palchikoff and his violin.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

How the events of last year changed Vermont schools and law enforcement. Also - where's Jack?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

How do you know if a young person is plotting a school massacre? And what do you do then?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

How a Republican governor who had been rated "A" by the NRA decided that Vermont, one of the most gun-friendly states in the nation, needed gun control laws.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

When does planning a school shooting become attempted murder? The question went all the way to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Audio (audio/mpeg)

Who is Jack Sawyer, and why did he want to kill his former classmates?

Audio (audio/mpeg)

What role does storytelling have in addressing the opioid crisis? In March, Vermont Public Radio hosted a gathering at the Turning Point Center of Burlington to talk through that question with the team behind My Heart Still Beats .

Audio (audio/mpeg)

"When you have anxiety, or chronic depression, your mind is constantly going. And I tried opiates and realized that my brain was just quiet for a little bit."

Audio (audio/mpeg)

"When you're told over and over, 'Your child's a problem child — he's bad, he's bad, he's bad, he's bad!' ... You believe your kid's bad."

Audio (audio/mpeg)

"There were three things you could be good at: fighting, drinking or sports. So, I stink at sports. I can't fight. But I guess I can drink."

Audio (audio/mpeg)

"You’re right, I probably do deserve to be in jail the rest of my life. Or, I do deserve to give my life for hers. But since I can’t, let’s save somebody else’s life."