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Vermont Edition Ending at 1:00pm
Classical Music With Walter Parker Ending at 3:00pm
Friday Night Jazz Ending at 3:00pm
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 4:45am
Despite warnings of armed demonstrations in state capitols over the weekend, Montpelier had a quiet Sunday. Plus, history, race, and the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Sun, 17 Jan 2021 7:47pm
Updated 6 p.m. Sunday was a mostly quiet day in Montpelier, and the armed protests that law enforcement officials had been preparing for did not materialize.
Sat, 16 Jan 2021 3:47pm
By VPR Staff
After extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the FBI has warned of similar efforts at state capitols in the coming days.
Sat, 16 Jan 2021 9:32am
By Mary Engisch
More hunters in the woods, plus more readily-available food sources thanks to a new composting law, equaled a record number of bears taken during hunting seasons in Vermont and New Hampshire. The Valley News news editor John Gregg joined VPR to share statistics.
Sat, 16 Jan 2021 4:45am
State agencies know something’s up in West Pawlet. But no one is actively investigating.
Local news, reporting and newscasts from Vermont Public Radio
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:10am
VPR Midday Newscast for Monday, Jan. 18.
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 6:17am
VPR Morning Newscast for Monday, Jan. 18.
Sun, 17 Jan 2021 7:47pm
Updated 6 p.m. Sunday was a mostly quiet day in Montpelier, and the armed protests that law enforcement officials had been preparing for did not materialize.
Sun, 17 Jan 2021 4:22pm
VPR Newscast for 01/17/21 at 5:04 p.m.
Sun, 17 Jan 2021 11:08am
VPR Newscast for 01/17/21 at 11:04 a.m.
Vermont Edition brings you news and conversation about issues affecting your life. Hosts Jane Lindholm and Bob Kinzel consider the context of current events through interviews with news makers and people who make our region buzz.
Thu, 14 Jan 2021 8:55am
The U.S. House has voted to impeach President Trump for "inciting an insurrection" on Capitol Hill. This hour, we talk with Congressman Peter Welch about the vote, and we ask government experts: What happens next?
Tue, 12 Jan 2021 9:13am
Over the weekend, Vermont crested 9,000 total cases of COVID-19 since March. And high numbers continue, with 167 cases reported on Tuesday. Our weekly health update includes the latest on stemming the tide of new cases and an update on vaccine distribution in Vermont, as well as other COVID-19 news.
Mon, 11 Jan 2021 9:40am
The events in Washington DC last Wednesday shook many Americans, and some are now having tough conversations with family members and friends whose political beliefs don't line up with their own. This hour, we talk about the line between politics and personal relationships.
Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:09am
On Wednesday afternoon, a mob of pro-Trump extremists occupied the nation's capitol in what President-elect Joe Biden called an "unprecedented assault" on American democracy. This hour, we talk with elected officials and government experts about how the country will move forward after Wednesday's events.
Tue, 05 Jan 2021 5:39pm
Wednesday is the first day of the 2021 legislative session, and the Statehouse is faced with quite an unusual openining day, followed by a remote start to the session. This hour, we talk with freshman lawmakers and Statehouse employees about their plans, hopes and worries for 2021.
The Eye On The Sky is Vermont's weather service. It is a production of the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium and Vermont Public Radio.
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 6:05am
Weather Journal by VPR
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 6:04am
Recreational Forecast by VPR
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 5:32am
Morning Forecast by VPR
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 5:00am
Eye On The Night Sky For Monday, January 18, 2021 by VPR
Sat, 16 Jan 2021 11:28am
Midday Forecast by VPR
What if you could decide what stories Vermont Public Radio should be covering, before they're even assigned? That's the idea behind Brave Little State.
Thu, 07 Jan 2021 6:10pm
A listener question with some local implications. We pass the mic to our friends at New Hampshire Public Radio's Outside/In.
Thu, 17 Dec 2020 5:42pm
A question about blatant stereotypes, and the Green Mountain lingo we use for them.
Fri, 11 Dec 2020 2:24pm
Super-short bonus episode! Who are Vermont's three Electoral College members, and how were they chosen?
Thu, 03 Dec 2020 2:27pm
Gabrielle Coburn of Kingston, Ontario, asked us to examine this cross-border quandary.
Thu, 19 Nov 2020 12:22pm
The pandemic has shifted even more of our lives online. So what's being done to address Vermont's internet inequities?
<p><strong>NEXT</strong> is a weekly radio show and podcast about New England, one of America's oldest places, at a time of change. It's based at Connecticut Public Radio in Hartford and is hosted by Morgan Springer.</p> <p>With New England as our laboratory, NEXT asks questions about how we power our society, how we move around, and how we adapt. It's about trends that provide us challenges and present us with new opportunities. New England has old rules and customs, with well-worn pathways forged centuries ago, and its population is aging fast.</p> <p>Through original reporting and interviews, on NEXT we ask important questions about the issues we explore: <em>Where are we now? How did we get here? And what's next?</em></p>
Thu, 14 Jan 2021 6:30am
Severe storms. Heat waves. Rising seas. New England is already seeing the impacts of climate change, and scientists project they will become more deadly, shaping how we live and work in the northeastern U.S. This week on NEXT, in a special ahead of Inauguration Day, the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified look at climate change in our region and how President-elect Joe Biden’s administration could affect climate action. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:38am
Public school enrollment in New England is down during the pandemic. But even when kids are enrolled, it can be a struggle to get some to show up. This week on NEXT, how one district is tackling absenteeism and why doctors are increasingly concerned about youth mental health. Plus, Massachusetts school districts try to cope with a teacher shortage. And when a Vermonter’s business plummeted after COVID hit, she donned an inflatable T-Rex costume and started dancing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, 31 Dec 2020 6:30am
This week, in a special episode of NEXT, we listen to a collection of award-winning stories from the New England News Collaborative — from a retrospective on the couple that fought for marriage equality in Massachusetts, and later divorced, to a close look at a First Amendment dispute in New Hampshire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, 24 Dec 2020 6:30am
The brothers behind New England’s famous R&B group Tavares are of Cape Verdean descent. This week on NEXT, what that means in a Black and white America. And an effort to change the name of Faneuil Hall in Boston continues as New Englanders grapple with the region’s racist past. Plus, how author Jennifer De Leon’s childhood experience informed her debut novel about school desegregation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, 17 Dec 2020 10:56am
Most COVID-19 deaths in New England can be tied to long-term care facilities. This week on NEXT, how a nursing home – spared from the virus for months – got hit this fall. Plus, the number of lives we could save if we cut our transportation emissions. And we’ll hear how the “Fauci effect” is driving up medical school applications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid's first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!
Fri, 15 Jan 2021 3:22pm
Why are whale sharks called whale sharks? Why are guinea pigs called pigs if they're not pigs? Why are eagles called bald eagles if they're not bald? You also ask us lots of questions about why and how animals got their names. So today we're going to introduce you to the concept of taxonomy, or how animals are categorized, and we'll also talk about the difference between scientific and common names. We'll learn about the reasoning behind the names of daddy long legs, killer whales, fox snakes, German shepherds and more! Our guests are Steve and Matt Murrie, authors of The Screaming Hairy Armadillo, and 76 Other Animals With Weird Wild Names. There are some animals whose names don't really seem accurate-like daddy long legs...which certainly aren't all daddies! Or bald eagles that very clearly have plenty of feathers on their heads. Or guinea pigs, which aren't actually pigs! homo is our genus and homo sapien is our species name. homo sapien. The species name for a common black rat is rattus rattus. An Asian elephant is elephas maximus. canus lupus. That would stay the same no matter what language you're using. But in English we tend to call it a wolf; in Spanish you'd call it un lobo, and in Welsh it would be blaidd (pronounced "blythe"). Even within the same language, an animal can have lots of common names. Here in Vermont, where I live, we have an animal called a groundhog. But most people around here call it a woodchuck. And others call it a land beaver, or a whistle pig! Common names were often in use long before animals go their specific scientific names.
Fri, 01 Jan 2021 9:00am
As the new year dawns, what are you hopeful for in 2021? Even though the change of the calendar year is mostly symbolic, New Year's Day is often a time for looking back on the year that just passed and setting goals for the year ahead. We asked you to share your hopes and dreams for 2021, from the end of the COVID-19 pandemic to your own personal goals. In this episode, more than 100 kids from around the world offer New Year's resolutions. We'll also hear from Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo, climate activist Bill McKibben and Young Peoples Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript Here are just a few of the hopes and dreams you sent us: "My environmental wish for 2021 is that we can stop so much pollution. My personal wish is to learn Urdu and to convince my brother to get a cat or dog!" - Maya, Toronto, Ontario "My wish for 2021 is that the coronavirus will stop and the vaccine will come out and we can do things we haven't done this year and we can have our birthday together this year!" -Zain "I want to learn how to ride my bike by myself. - Adelaide, 6, California "What I want to happen for the new year is that I want people to start being responsible and no coronavirus. I want people to stop polluting. I want people to wear more masks. I want people to be kind to animals." - Jedi, 8, Ohio My new year’s resolution is for sloths to take over the world and for people to use less plastic. - Sloan, 7, Wisconsin
Fri, 18 Dec 2020 9:00am
Lots of people are afraid of the dark, including many kids who have shared that fear with us. In today's episode we explore the fear of the dark with Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, and a picture book for young kids called The Dark. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript | Coloring Page Then we go on a night hike with Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist Steve Parren, to talk about ways to embrace the darkness. We practice our night vision by not using flashlights and we think about how our other senses can help us navigate. Steve also answers questions about how animals see in the dark and why it sometimes look like animals' eyes are glowing back at us in the darkness. This episode features coloring pages by Xiaochun Li. Download and print My Flashlight And Me, and Hiding Under The Covers. You can color as you listen!
Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:30am
Why are babies small and grownups big? Why are babies so helpless, instead of little versions of adults? Do babies know they're babies? How do babies grow? How do babies learn to talk? Kids have been sending us lots of questions about babies! This week we’re learning more about the development of the human brain with Celeste Kidd, professor of psychology and primary investigator at the Kidd Lab at the University of California Berkeley. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides | Transcript It seems like a really bad idea, right? Human babies rely on adult humans for everything, while babies of some species never meet their parents and are able to take care of themselves as soon as their born! Why is that? While researchers aren’t sure on this one, Celeste Kidd says there are a lot of theories. “Because we are very intelligent, we need bigger brains to account for all the things we can do that other animals can’t do. If you have a big brain and you’re born via live birth – meaning you aren’t born from an egg – then there’s an upper limit on how big your head can be when you go through the birth canal,” she explains. In other words, we need those big brains to do all the things humans do, but a human head with a fully developed brain can’t fit through the birth canal. “The bigger your head needs to be ultimately, the more immature you need to be born,” Celeste says. So we have to develop and grow outside of the womb. We’re born with some of our brain power, but our brains keep growing long after we’re born, well into our 20s. And there are some advantages to that long period of childhood. “If you require dependence on your parents for a really long time, which humans do, that creates a lot of opportunity for you to learn a lot of stuff about your culture and the other people that you’re being raised with. We have a lot of knowledge that is unique to us as a species, and that’s unique to us as social groups,” Celeste says. The long childhood allows for a lot of cultural transmission – learning about tools, language, manners and arts. Some of these exist in other species, but the human systems are a lot more elaborate and take more time to learn!
Fri, 20 Nov 2020 8:30am
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.
The Vermont Center for Ecostudies and VPR unite the sounds and science of nature in this monthly feature. The program is hosted by biologists Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra, who share their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for wildlife education and conservation.
Wed, 16 Dec 2020 10:39am
Zebra Mussels are an invasive species in Lake Champlain. Not only do they consume a great deal of the food supply in the lake, but they also attack native mussel species by sticking to them and robbing them of fresh water and food. The Zebra Mussel can reach a density of 100,000 per square meter, covering exhaust and intake pipes for water treatment and power plants.
Wed, 21 Oct 2020 9:17am
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.
Fri, 28 Aug 2020 8:00am
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.
Tue, 23 Jun 2020 10:17am
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."
Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:13pm
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.
Join VPR Classical host James Stewart on a journey into the events, characters and concepts that shaped our Western musical tradition. We'll start at the very beginning and trace the steps of music through history. This music, and its history, is ours.
Mon, 18 Jan 2021 8:48am
After World War II, the iron curtain of the Soviet Union fell on all the member states. One of the goals of Stalin’s regime was to bring uniformity across the vast territory that was now under Soviet control. Russification is a term used to describe the cultural assimilation that was taking place. Russian citizens would come by the thousands and settle in these other territories, to influence the labor force and local politics. Smaller countries, like Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia saw, not just the end of their independence but the eventual eradication of their culture, their way of life.
Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:12am
Has music ever changed the world? Can culture hold a people together? This story explores those questions.
Mon, 21 Dec 2020 11:29am
Originally aired Jan 25, 2016 The years 1813 to 1816 were a dry period for Beethoven. He was wrestling with his health and with his family. His brother, Casper, had passed away and left behind a son, Karl – Beethoven’s beloved nephew. Ludwig entered into a nasty custody battle with Karl’s mother and lost. Beethoven often wrote in his journal prayers that this time of suffering would come to an end.
Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:45am
Originally aired Jan. 18, 2016 At the dawning of the 19th Century Beethoven had not given up hope that his doctors would find a treatment to reverse his hearing loss. His condition was not only affecting his musical output but also his social life, which was very important to him.
Mon, 07 Dec 2020 9:26am
This episode was originally aired on Jan, 11, 2016. Ludwig van Beethoven has been called the most admired composer in all of music history. His legacy stands as a monument for the entire 19th Century and beyond.
A five-part podcast about a school shooting that didn’t happen, the line between thought and crime, and a Republican governor in a rural state who changed his mind about gun laws.
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 8:00pm
How the events of last year changed Vermont schools and law enforcement. Also - where's Jack?
Wed, 26 Sep 2018 10:11pm
How do you know if a young person is plotting a school massacre? And what do you do then?
Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:11pm
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.
Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:40pm
When does planning a school shooting become attempted murder? The question went all the way to the Vermont Supreme Court.
Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:02pm
Who is Jack Sawyer, and why did he want to kill his former classmates?
A six-part series from Writers for Recovery and VPR, featuring conversation about addiction and original writing from the recovery community around Vermont.
Thu, 16 May 2019 5:55pm
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 .
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 8:44pm
"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."
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 8:43pm
"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."
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 8:42pm
"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."
Sun, 24 Feb 2019 8:41pm
"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."