Audio rundown
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announces run:
On February 19, 2019, Bernie Sanders announced on VPR that he would again run for president. "I wanted to let the people of the state of Vermont know about this first," Sanders told VPR. The news was immediately picked up by national and international news outlets.
Gun legislation pushback:
About 200 gun rights advocates traveled to Randolph to weigh in on proposed gun legislation that they said violates their right to bear arms. The legislation would create a 24-hour waiting period in the state.
Waiting period bill:
In 2019 the Vermont legislature debated whether to create a waiting period for gun sales. The bill moved to the top of the legislative agenda after a 23-year-old man took his own life with a handgun he’d purchased from a local gun shop just hours before he died.
Small claims court:
It’s been more than 150 years since it was legal to arrest people in Vermont for unpaid debts. And yet, over the last two decades, roughly 200 debtors in Caledonia County’s small claims court were issued arrest warrants, often after missing hearings or failing to make payments.
Syrian family settled in Vermont:
Three years ago, Rutland was planning to become Vermont’s newest resettlement community: 100 mostly Syrian refugees were expected to arrive, with more to follow. But a cap placed on resettlement by the Trump administration meant only three families made it to Rutland. VPR caught up with one of the refugee families who moved to the city. This is the same family we profiled just days after they arrived in Rutland in January 2017.
Immigration ordinance:
The town of Hartford has become a testing ground of sorts for a new state law that gives municipalities broad authority to insulate undocumented residents from federal immigration authorities. Last summer, about 200 people packed into the Hartford High School auditorium for a tense meeting on a proposed ordinance that would limit communication between town police and federal immigration authorities.
VPR & Vermont PBS Rural Life Survey:
- VPR & Vermont PBS Rural Life Survey Spotlights Vermonters' Optimism, But Also Challenges [Oct. 21]
- 'We Get By, That's About It': 40% Of Surveyed Vermonters Can't Cover A Surprise Expense [Oct. 23]
- Surveyed Vermonters See Dairy As Key To State's Identity, But Farmers Say It's A Struggle [Oct. 22]
- Special Broadcast: 'Rural Stories On Stage,' Presented by VPR & Vermont PBS [Nov. 7]
Vermonters generally enjoy life in their rural communities, and most say they're optimistic about the future, according to the new Rural Life Survey commissioned by VPR and Vermont PBS. But the poll also reveals stark challenges threatening the future of rural economies, which experts say are in a time of "enormous transition."
Brave Little State:
What are the causes of Vermont’s tight housing market — and why aren’t things getting better? That’s the question that Peter Kerson put to Brave Little State, VPR’s people-powered journalism project. Every month we answer a question about Vermont that’s been submitted and voted on by you, our audience.
Little League playoffs:
Major League Baseball may have gone quiet during the All-Star break, but little league games continue across Vermont. We sat in the dugouts for a playoff game in the St. Johnsbury Little League.
Newscast:
VPR hosts five evening newscasts each weekday during All Things Considered. We cover the state of Vermont and within our newscasts, we strive to provide coverage that resonates with listeners throughout the state and region.
Digital content
Website:
- Will Burlington's Champlain Parkway Ever Get Built? [Nov. 15]
- 'Magical Place For Us': Syrian Family Finds New Home In Rutland [Sept. 23]
- Pass/Fail: Recapping The Fate Of 24 Bills From Vermont's 2019 Legislative Session [May 25]
- Vermont Utilities Report Widespread Power Outages After Halloween Storm [Nov. 1]
- Vermont Rural Life Survey [Oct. 21]
Instagram:
- Photos of the Right Reverend Shannon MacVean-Brown, first black woman to lead the Vermont Episcopal Church [Oct. 14]
- Portraits of student climate activists at the "Empty The Schools" March in Montpelier [Sept. 20]
Twitter:
- Video of retiring Vermont Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Skoglund parading her office boar's head to its new home [July 3]
- Brave Little State's interactive episode map [Aug. 3]
- A narrative thread about a reporting trip to cover the Bernie Sanders campaign in Iowa [Nov. 4]
- A GIF and link to a guide detailing our visual explainers – featuring one of our show hosts doing silly things – for our Did It Work? news series [Sept. 9]
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