Vermont Edition

The outcome of the presidential election has yet to be determined, as some states continue to count ballots through the end of the week. This hour, a panel of political analysts joins us to talk through the latest developments. Will there be recounts? Is all of this headed to the U.S. Supreme Court?

On Tuesday, first-time candidate Taylor Small of Winooski won one of two seats in the Vermont House for the Chittenden 6-7 district. Small is a Progressive-Democrat, and though results are still unofficial, she is slated to be the first openly transgender person to serve in the Vermont Legislature.

This hour, we spend the hour looking at the results of yesterday's historic day of voting with a focus on key local and federal races. We talk about the makeup of the next U.S. Senate and check in on some of Vermont's statewide and local races. 

Local election polls have just closed in all parts of the state, and now the important job of counting votes will begin. This hour, Jane Lindholm and Bob Kinzel team up to analyze some of the early results, along with any trends in the statewide races.

Today is Election Day. The homestretch of an election year unlike any other, marked by COVID-19 era campaign strategies and record early voting numbers. This hour, we bring you special coverage of Election Day in Vermont. We check in with town clerks in Addison and Windham Counties, and with a veteran poll worker in Landgrove. Plus, Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters offers a snapshot of midday voter turnout across the state, and VPR's Liam Elder-Connors joins us with voices from the polls in Chittenden and Franklin Counties.

As COVID-19 cases rise and the holidays get closer, the health department is asking Vermonters to limit travel and narrow down their close circles. This hour, we check in with the Deputy Health Commissioner for our weekly health update. Plus, we get an update on the cyberattack at the University of Vermont Medical Center and how it could affect COVID-19 testing. 

Charly Dickerson is a retired public administrator and a longtime resident of Montpelier, who is running as an independent candidate for governor.

Ralph Corbo is a candidate for lieutenant governor from Wallingford. His name appears on the ballot with the party affiliation “Banish The F-35s.” In the past, he’s worked as a U.S. postal service employee.

Michael Devost is a Newport City-based independent candidate for governor. He works as a housekeeper, and is concerned that the Scott Administration has overstated the dangers of COVID-19.

Kevin Hoyt is a conservative gun rights activist running for governor as an independent candidate in the 2020 general election. He has been a vocal critic of Gov. Phil Scott's efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 by shutting down sectors of Vermont's economy.

Emily Peyton is running for governor as a candidate with the “Truth Matters” party. She believes in the right of citizens to decline vaccines and disputes the Vermont Department of Health’s assertion that 58 people have died of COVID-19 in Vermont since March.

The City of Burlington announced this month that it's going to expand a pilot project tracking COVID-19 in the city's wastewater treatment plants and continue the program for at least another three months. The project surveys wastewater for RNA strands that carry the novel coronavirus. But what good does finding it in the city's sewage actually do for how the city and state can respond to coronavirus in the population? We'll check in with the project leader to get the details. 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been one of the most unusual campaign seasons in Vermont history. It's been difficult for candidates to hold political rallies and meet with members of the public. This hour, we talk with a roundtable of Vermont reporters about the people and issues that are shaping political campaigns in 2020. 

The Vermont National Guard's former equal employment and diversity manager says the guard has a hypermasculine culture that leads to pervasive sexual harassment and assault. We'll speak with Doris Sumner about what she thinks the Guard needs to do better. And we'll get a statement from Adj. Gen. Greg Knight about how he plans to use an audit to address these issues.  

As the weather becomes colder, many families in Vermont are anxiously searching for housing and programming to support their basic needs. We'll speak with a Burlington homeless shelter to hear about their plans for the winter months amid the continuing pandemic.

On Friday, Governor Phil Scott and Health Commissioner Mark Levine outlined a framework for the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in Vermont. The plan is expected to evolve as new federal guidance becomes available. This hour, we talk more about what this means for Vermont as part of our weekly COVID-19 update, and we answer your questions.

COVID-19 has thwarted many of our seasonal travel plans, so why not live vicariously through our free-flying migrating birds? This hour, Bridget Butler shares her tips for autumn birding in Vermont. What species are headed south for the winter? What species winter here? We find out and answer your questions.

A record number of Vermont voters have cast early ballots for the November third election, and thousands more are expected to mail their ballots in the days ahead. But this new method of voting has raised some questions among voters. This hour, we put some of those questions to Vermont election experts and take your calls, tweets, and emails.

Publishing a book is always challenging, but it's been even more so during the pandemic. This hour, we want to celebrate local authors, booksellers and readers. Tell us if you've written or published a book recently, and what local authors you've been reading! Plus, how are you helping to keep local bookstores and libraries going during this strange time?