Vermont Edition

Latest Episodes:

3 tips for weathering the current financial upheaval and trade wars Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

A Montreal economist, Burlington financial advisor and Waitsfield money mindset coach share their best advice for this uncertain economic time.

Vt.'s Secretary of State and two superintendents on the real-world effects of federal cuts Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Today on Vermont Edition, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. We’ll discuss the SAVE Act, which she opposes, and get her take on Vermont’s election integrity in the face of cuts to the federal office that handles election security infrastructure.

Then, we'll be joined by the superintendents of two school districts, one from central Vermont and the other in the Northeast Kingdom. We’ll hear how their school budgets are shaping up and how they're preparing for education changes from Washington.

Spring bird show: the Bird Diva's favorite migratory species Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Spring bird show: the Bird Diva's favorite migratory species

Layoffs at Health and Human Services, and Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Today on Vermont Edition, we'll explore the massive changes underway at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A program known as LIHEAP offsets utility bills for more than 6 million Americans. Vermont Public reporter Abagael Giles tells us about the future of the program. We’ll also talk with a Head Start supervisor in Windham Southeast school district, and the head of an agency that feeds hundreds of low-income, older Vermonters.

Plus: Vermont’s poet laureate, Bianca Stone helps us celebrate National Poetry Month.

Bike commuters face an uphill battle in Vermont Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

For some Vermonters, biking is simply a fun form of recreation or exercise. But for others, it’s how they get to work or school.

Bike advocates across the region are trying to make commuting by bike more accessible and safe for Vermonters. Joining us is Jonathon Weber of Local Motion, Hanif Nazerli of the Capital City Corridor bike share project, and Darren Ohl of the Vermont Bicycle Shop in Barre discussed road safety, to discuss bike infrastructure development, and access to good bikes and gear.
Broadcast live on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermont needs more tradespeople. Is Gen Z the solution? Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Programs for careers like welding, construction, and automotive tech are in hot demand. The Central Vermont Career Center, a career technical school in Barre, has more applicants than they have space to admit. A recent report by Vermont Public found that enrollment is up statewide at most of Vermont’s 17 career and technical education centers. It’s a national trend, and it’s earned Gen Z the nickname “The Toolbelt Generation.”
We talk with CVCC's director Jody Emerson and Nick Cantrick, a construction technology instructor at the Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury, about their students' career opportunities.
We also discuss current labor needs in Vermont with Richard Wobby, Executive Vice President at the Associated General Contractors of Vermont, and Kendal Smith, Deputy Commissioner at the Vermont Department of Labor.

Broadcast live on Monday, April 7, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

The latest on Vermont sports and food Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

WCAX sports director Jack Fitzsimmons and Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry share recent exciting stories from their beats.

Vermont’s amphibians are amped up for their Big Night Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

As the soil thaws, rain falls, and warmer spring days fill up the forecast, the little critters that live in our region are on the move. It is the amphibian migration season and frogs and salamanders have places to be.

We talk with herpetologist Jim Andrews of Salisbury who tells us about so-called Big Nights, when humans help salamanders, frogs, and toads cross roads without getting flattened by tires. And he suggests ways to support these species during their migration season, and how to report your own sightings of these travelling amphibians.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Vermont's top health regulator says 'We are in a crisis situation' Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Many Vermonters are frustrated and worried about the high cost of healthcare in the state. One of the main organizations trying to figure out what to do about it is Green Mountain Care Board. It controls the rate of health care costs in the state.

Green Mountain Care Board president Owen Foster joins us to talk about the rising costs of health insurance premiums, and the financial challenges facing rural hospitals.

Then, Some Vermont-based employers are trying to diversify their hiring pool. But it can be tough to get BIPOC hires to move to a majority white state. We’ll hear about a program that helps people of color feel less alone when they move here for work.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Where do our tax dollars actually go? Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

When we file our taxes, we all have a guess as to where our money’s going. Education, infrastructure, the military, foreign aid. But for most of us, it’s just that – a guess.

We break down where exactly our tax dollars go, both at the state and federal level. Vermont’s new tax commissioner Bill Shouldice explains where the state’s pot of tax dollars comes from, and where it gets allocated He also breaks down how his office estimates property taxes every year.

Then, Chuck Marr helps us understand how it works. He’s steeped in the minutiae of federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. He tells us about the biggest programs our tax dollars fund, like Medicare and Medicaid, and how that could be changing with this new Administration and Congress.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected