Mitch Wertlieb
Senior Host and CorrespondentA graduate of NYU with a Master's Degree in journalism, Mitch has more than 20 years experience in radio news. He got his start as news director at NYU's college station, and moved on to a news director (and part-time DJ position) for commercial radio station WMVY on Martha's Vineyard. But public radio was where Mitch wanted to be and he eventually moved on to Boston where he worked for six years in a number of different capacities at member station WBUR...as a Senior Producer, Editor, and fill-in co-host of the nationally distributed Here and Now. Mitch has been a guest host of the national NPR sports program "Only A Game". He's also worked as an editor and producer for international news coverage with Monitor Radio in Boston.
An avid Boston sports fan, Mitch has been blessed with being able to witness world championships for two of his favorite teams (and franchises he was at one time convinced would never win in his lifetime): the Boston Red Sox in 2004, 2007, and 2013, and in hockey, the Boston Bruins, who won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years in 2011.
Mitch was known to play a music bed or two during Morning Edition featuring his favorite band The Grateful Dead. He lives in South Burlington with his wife Erin, daughter Gretchen, and their dog Fezzik. He (Mitch, not Fezzik) was host of Morning Edition on Vermont Public from 2003 until 2023. He now serves as the Senior Host and Correspondent.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders talks about building a grassroots working class agenda for the Democratic party while fighting the influence of billionaires trying to curry favor with the Trump administration. Plus, federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a woman who pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting a border patrol agent in Vermont, an infectious disease doctor explains why most people should get a COVID booster despite recent federal guidelines recommending it only for people over 65, Caledonia County's interim state's attorney has been named to the job on a permanent basis, and research is underway to determine why there appear to be more bears than usual in Vermont. -
A New Hampshire man has his dream of becoming a fishing guide blocked by a decades-old Granite State law regarding people with past felony convictions. Plus, once-frozen federal money has now been released allowing Vermont to build eleven new fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, state regulators suggest Brattleboro Memorial Hospital may need to consult an independent observer to oversee its troubled finances, a Manchester woman arrested by ICE officials has been moved to a processing center in Michigan, and environmental advocates urge people to pick up trash and other debris from their local streams as part of September’s Vermont River Clean-Up Month.
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We visit an East Barnard church with a new outhouse built on the grounds that’s free and open to the public. Plus, Sen. Sanders calls on Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign over his handling of federal vaccine policy, Rutland Regional Medical Center reaches a settlement with state regulators over a two-year old budget issue, a Shelburne police officer avoids jail time by pleading guilty to a reduced charge after fatally hitting a bicyclist with his vehicle, a Democratic primary looks likely in New York as two candidates vie to unseat Republican representative Elise Stefanik in next year’s midterms, and the Boston Red Sox get some very bad injury news regarding their superstar rookie outfielder in this week’s sports report.
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Considering the effect this summer’s drought will have on the fall foliage season. Plus, the Vermont Medical Society scores a legal victory against the Trump administration in a case about removing public health data from federal websites, the Scott administration’s plan to have state workers in their offices more often faces pushback from the union, school bus drivers return to the roads in Windham County after a company-imposed lockout against them was lifted, the UVM Medical Center is making changes to how operating rooms deliver anesthesia in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and a long-serving town manager for Bennington has died.
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Visiting a sanctuary in Springfield that rehabilitates roosters rescued from illegal cockfighting rings. Plus, Amazon plans to appeal after its proposal for a distribution facility in Essex was denied, a new UVM volunteer program aims to foster friendships between teens and seniors, Vermont’s Attorney General spearheads an effort to stop the spread of fake images made without consent, and after weathering potential closure Vermont’s universal school meals program is up and running with the start of the new academic year.
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A visit to Brattleboro’s year-round senior bowling league. Plus, Vermonters rally to show support for Brattleboro Memorial Hospital as it considers cost saving measures that include layoffs, an outside firm is being hired to develop a new visual brand identity for Vermont, the city of Vergennes and the town of Panton are in a dispute over a contested boundary, and a local volunteer organization breaks its own late-summer record with the donation of over one million blueberries.
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Examining the causes behind recent increases in wildfire smoke in Vermont. Plus, school choice advocates argue stricter rules in the new education reform law regarding where families can use publicly-funded school vouchers violate a clause in the state constitution, the head of Vermont’s cannabis control board reacts to news that the Trump administration is considering a plan to reclassify cannabis as a less harmful drug, passengers who paid for expensive last-minute airfare following the Air Canada flight attendants' strike can now apply for a refund, why the town of Pomfret is implementing traffic restrictions again this year during peak foliage season, and we consider the abrupt changes of fortune over the last week for the Red Sox and Yankees in our weekly sports report.
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Discussing new research that shows a growing number of kids and teenagers in Vermont are struggling with mental health issues. Plus, Gov. Scott disputes Trump administration claims that Vermont is illegally providing a safe haven for undocumented immigrants, hundreds of acres of land has been permanently conserved as a community forest in Wolcott, twelve of the fifteen positions being eliminated at Bennington College are union roles, the state health department says Burlington’s insurance plan will provide enough coverage for the city to house a proposed overdose prevention center, and a volunteer-led effort will help connect neighbors with local farmers in Jericho and Underhill.
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We speak with the owner of a music store in Randolph about the resurgence in vinyl records, CD’s, and other forms of physical media. Plus, Vermont’s Secretary of State says President Trump’s call for an end to mail-in voting would be unconstitutional, Vermont joins a lawsuit to block the Trump Administration from withholding over a billion dollars in federal Crime Victim Funds, the mayor of Winooski is resigning after nearly seven years in office, and two Vermonters take first prize in amateur solo bagpipe competition at Scotland’s World Pipe Band Championships.
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Exploring the joys of vinyl LPs, film cameras and tangible media.
