Cables plugged into a machine.
Kynny / iStock

Consolidated Communications Will Upgrade Network To Avert Future 911 Call Problems

Consolidated Communications has agreed to upgrade its network to prevent a repeat of equipment failures that disrupted emergency 911 services three times over the last three years.

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President Donald Trump speaking into a podium mircophone.
Susan Walsh / Associated Press

Vermont Congressional Delegation Criticizes Trump's Emergency Declaration

EMT Andy Luce, left, and Cabot Select Board Chair Michael Hogan, right, stand with the town ambulance, housed at the Cabot Fire Department. The town's emergency ambulance service will stop transporting patients in June.
Amy Kolb Noyes / VPR

Lacking Volunteers, Small Towns Considering Closing, Merging EMS

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Listen, One Year Later

'First In The Nation' Voting Site Under Scrutiny For Alleged Election Law Violations

By • Feb 15, 2019

The New Hampshire primary is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 11, 2020, which is only — or "still," depending on your tolerance for campaign coverage — about a year away.

And for the past half-century, one of the most recognizable symbols of the Granite State's early electoral contest has been Dixville Notch's midnight vote.

Citizen Scientists Can Learn How To Monitor Vernal Pools

By • Feb 15, 2019
Daron Tansley, Courtesy

When Vermont’s ice and snow melts this spring, the runoff will create thousands of temporary wetlands.

Consolidated Communications Will Upgrade Network To Avert Future 911 Call Problems

By • Feb 15, 2019
Cables plugged into a machine.
Kynny / iStock

Consolidated Communications has agreed to upgrade its network to prevent a repeat of equipment failures that disrupted emergency 911 services three times over the last three years.

Introducing 'My Heart Still Beats': Conversations About Addiction & Recovery

By , , & • Feb 15, 2019
My Heart Still Beats logo.
Janelle Sing

A six-part series from Writers for Recovery and Vermont Public Radio, featuring voices from Vermont's recovery community. Coming Feburary 25.

Examining Vermont's Slavery History As Legislature Mulls Constitutional Amendment

By • Feb 15, 2019
UVM professor Harvey Amani Whitfield, seen here in his office, has studied the history of slavery in Vermont.
Sawyer Loftus / VPR

Vermont is often thought as one of the first state's to abolish slavery. The state's constitution, drafted in 1777, outlawed slavery, but it existed in the state's early years. There's an effort in the Vermont legislature this session to eliminate all references to slavery in the constitution.

Advocates: EPA’s ‘PFAS Action Plan’ Falls Short For New Englanders Exposed To Chemicals

By Annie Ropeik • Feb 15, 2019

New England activists and lawmakers say the Environmental Protection Agency's new plan to manage harmful PFAS chemicals isn't aggressive enough.

The EPA says this plan is a broad roadmap of goals for protecting people from exposure to the huge class of likely toxic PFAS chemicals.

These industrial chemicals were used for decades to make non-stick, waterproof and stain-resistant coatings, as well as firefighting foams and other industrial products.

As Trump Declares National Emergency To Fund Border Wall, Democrats Promise A Fight

By • Feb 15, 2019

Updated at 6:15 p.m. ET

Calling it "a great thing to do," President Trump declared a national emergency on Friday in order to help finance a long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. It's a highly unusual move from an unconventional president.

'The Last Laugh': Documentary Deconstructs Why We Joke About The Holocaust

By & • Feb 15, 2019

Can the Holocaust be funny? That's the premise of The Last Laugh, a documentary film that features Holocaust survivors, as well as Jewish comedians, trying to answer that question. It's being screened this weekend at the University of Vermont, followed by a panel discussion with some of the filmmakers.

UVM Board Picks Garimella As Next President

By • Feb 14, 2019
Suresh Garimella talks to reporters.
Sawyer Loftus / VPR

The University of Vermont has selected Dr. Suresh Garimella as its next president. The board of trustees Friday morning authorized its chair to negotiate a contract with Garimella.

Constitutional Amendment Would Remove Caveats To Vermont's Slavery Ban

By & • Feb 14, 2019
The Vermont Constitution may be amended to clarify its ban on slavery.
Wikimedia Commons

It's often repeated that Vermont's was the first state constitution to outlaw slavery, but the language of the document may actually have some caveats. Sponsors of a constitutional amendment want to change the language to make the ban absolute. We're talking about the history and the proposal.

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More than 50 commentators provide perspective and opinion about current events, topics of interest, and often showcase the work of writers and storytellers.

Brave Little State

Congressman Peter Welch makes a phone call from his office at Capitol Hill building in Washington, D.C.
Eman Mohammed for VPR

Legislation vs. Investigation: How Is Rep. Peter Welch Balancing His Work?

Normally our show answers your questions about Vermont, our region and its people. This month, we decided to do something a little different.

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But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids

1001slide / istock

Why Do Elephants Have Trunks? Why Do Giraffes Have Purple Tongues?

We're exploring two different animals in today's episode. One has a long neck and the other has a long trunk!

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A sundial
ArisSu / iStock

Why Do Days Start At 12 O'Clock?

An image of the moon.
NASA

Why Do We Sometimes See The Moon During The Day?

A 5-part podcast about a school shooting that didn't happen, and the surprising things that did.

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