802 News with Mark Johnson

Send us Fan Mail The city council president has announced his mayoral candidacy. He is expected to face Progressive incumbent Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. Traverse, 42, says Mulvaney-Stanak has not adequately addressed the issues facing downtown, including concerns about safety and businesses closing. Traverse developed the "Burlington Forward" proposal that calls for more police visibility dow...

Send us Fan Mail Pollsters at the University of New Hampshire Survey Center put Democrat Amanda Janoo ahead of Republican Gov. Phil Scott by 8 percent days before the November election. Scott won by 7 percent. In this edition of 802 News, sponsored by Red Hen Baking Co., Andrew Smith, the director of the survey center, discusses some possible reasons pollsters misjudged the race. Scott's camp...

Send us Fan Mail Democrats took control of the U.S Senate and House in Tuesday's midterm elections in what Sen. Peter Welch called an "astonishing repudiation" of President Donald Trump. However, Welch cautions his fellow Democrats: "Trump lost. We didn't win." Welch said Democrats need to rebrand to gain back the trust of the American people. A former head of the Ver...

Send us Fan Mail Republican Gov. Phil Scott is seeking a sixth two-year term as Vermont's chief executive against Democrat Amanda Janoo , an economist and political newcomer. Vermont Public reporters Peter Hirschfeld and Lola Duffort discuss the major issues in the hotly contested race. 

Send us Fan Mail Phil Scott is seeking a record sixth two-year term as Vermont governor. He's facing a challenge from Democrat Amanda Janoo . Scott, 68, said he wants to finish efforts to consolidate schools and be the state's leader during the last two years of the Trump administration. 

Send us Fan Mail The Northeast Kingdom filmmaker's latest documentary "Every Day: Big and Small" features a series of uplifting vignettes about lesser-known places, organizations and people building community, resilience and connection in Vermont. The film premieres Sept. 25th in Burlington and will tour in various locations through Oct. 11. Go to Catamount Arts for tickets and show...

Send us Fan Mail Winthrop is best known as the former owner/publisher of two independent weeklies -- the Vanguard Press and Vermont Times -- but he also reported in-depth pieces for the two publications, as well as the Vermont Sunday Magazine. His new book "On the Record" chronicles 17 cover stories from 1978 to 2005 along with current day updates. Many of the decades-old stories discuss...

Send us Fan Mail A massive project is underway to document the history between 1850-1950 of four major immigrant groups in Burlington -- the Jewish, French-Canadian, Irish and Italian communities in the city's Old North End. Organizers Aaron Goldberg and Bob Duncan say the project mapping the four communities will be available for people to view online. The mapping project is under the auspic...

Send us Fan Mail Democrats and Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak are at odds over community concerns about open drug usage and homeless encampments in Burlington, particularly downtown. Democrats are calling for more enforcement. The mayor says Democrats want to “arrest and imprison” their way out of a complex crisis. In this edition of 802 News, journalist Michael Powell discusses his just-p...

Send us Fan Mail Esther Charlestin is an education consultant, former Middlebury Selectboard member and chair of the Vermont Commission on Women. She ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2024, losing to Gov. Phil Scott. She's running in the Democratic Party primary for lieutenant governor against Ryan McLaren and Molly Gray. The primary is August 11, with the winner facing incumbent Republican...

Send us Fan Mail Peter Gould is a Renaissance man -- an author, activist, teacher and theater director. He came to Vermont in the 70's during the back to the land movement and joined a commune in Guilford. In May he testified at the Legislature about his recent book that discusses the for-profit prison industry. Vermont contracts with a Core Civic facility in Mississippi. Gould, who lives in...

Send us Fan Mail Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski is not running for re-election in November after 14 years as a legislator and speaker since 2021. The 46-year-old Burlington Democrat discusses accomplishments, disappointments and challenges including a swatting incident and a stalker who required court intervention. 

Send us Fan Mail Ryan McLaren , a former top aide to Sen. Peter Welch, is running for lieutenant governor. He faces Molly Gray and Esther Charlestin in the August Democratic Party primary. The winner will face incumbent John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. McLaren, 40, says his campaign is focused on hope, housing and health care and his "opponent in this race is nihilism, the sense (peop...

Send us Fan Mail Molly Gray , a former lieutenant governor, wants her old job back and is in a three-way primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. Gray, 42, was elected as lieutenant governor in 2020 and lost a bid in 2022 for Vermont's lone seat in the U.S. House in the primary to Becca Balint. Since then, sh...

Send us Fan Mail Amanda Janoo , an economics and policy expert, is running for governor. She faces child care advocate Aly Richards for the Democratic Party nomination. The primary will be in August. Janoo, 38, grew up in Strafford, Vermont, lives in Burlington and works with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance .  

Send us Fan Mail The former chief executive director of Let's Grow Kids is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor . Richards, 40, will face economist Amanda Janoo in the Democratic Party primary in August for the chance to run against Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who will be seeking his sixth two-year term.

Send us Fan Mail Vermont investigative journalist Jasper Craven's new book "God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood" explores how the military and its training institutions have shaped the meaning of manhood and fueled toxic masculinity. 

Send us Fan Mail Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt, calls the war in Iran a "catastrophe." He also discusses the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the role of state and local police in a recent ICE raid in South Burlington. 

Send us Fan Mail Innovation has increased maple syrup output over the last two decades, reducing fears that climate change could cause a "maple-pocalypse." Vermont sugar makers are thriving, producing half the country's syrup, using practices like vacuum tubing and reverse osmosis to increase the amount of sap per tree. Steve Palmer owns Shelburne Sugarworks , a 170-acre farm that u...

Send us Fan Mail Leaders of South Burlington, Burlington and Vermont State Police defended their departments' actions during a March 11 federal immigration enforcement effort in South Burlington. Police Chiefs William Breault and Shawn Burke, Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison and VSP Col. Matthew Birmingham appeared before the Vermont Senate and House Judiciary Committees. Afterwar...

Send us Fan Mail State Sen. Phil Baruth recounts the highs and lows of his 16 years in the Vermont State Senate, including efforts to pass gun control legislation and boosting childcare subsidies. The Democrat/Progressive is stepping down after this session and will keep writing and teaching at the University of Vermont.

Send us Fan Mail Statistics from the Burlington Police Department for 2025 show an overall decrease in violent crime, including homicides, and reductions in quality-of-life incidents including burglaries, retail theft, stolen automobiles and car break-ins. Drug arrests are up. However, domestic assaults increased. And recruitment of new police officers remains a challenge. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stan...

Send us Fan Mail Vermont journalist Peggy Shinn previews some of the events and participants at this year's Winter Olympics in Italy, including several with ties to Vermont. The Northeast Kingdom native has covered eight Olympics during her career. 

Send us Fan Mail There's a new book coming out about Bernie Sanders and Burlington. The author is Dan Chiasson, a Queen City native. " Bernie for Burlington " traces the political rise of Sanders from his 1981 mayoral win to his two unsuccessful bids for the presidency. Chiasson  also shares his observations about Burlington. The author will be part of a book launch event at Burling...

Send us Fan Mail Many boys and young men are struggling with isolation and loneliness and there is a significant gender gap in academic achievement, opioid deaths and suicide rates . Why? A Vermont documentary " Gone Guys " and the nationally acclaimed book " Of Boys and Men " explore these challenging issues. UVM's Ali Mahmood , assistant director of the Interfaith Center...