Brave Little State

What are your options for returning your mail-in ballot? What should you do if you lose it? And how can you track your ballot to make sure it’s received? Check out VPR's Guide To Voting In Vermont For The 2020 Election to learn more. Still have questions? Let us know at bravelittlestate.org . Our journalism is better when you're a part of it — and stronger when you support it. Make a donation at b...

With mail-in voting already underway and a president who has COVID-19 — and who has not pledged to accept the results if he loses — we talk to some of his supporters. This episode is a follow-up to our 2016 episode: Almost 100,000 Vermonters Voted For Donald Trump. Why? Love our show? Ask a question about Vermont, make a donation and sign up for our free newsletter at bravelittlestate.org .

And how do Vermonters characterize their beliefs? That's what Sue Leroux wants to know. Check out our web feature to see photos of BLS reporter Liam Elder-Connors as a 9-year-old church-goer. Love our show? Sign up for our newsletter, ask a question and donate to Vermont Public Radio at bravelittlestate.org .

Every summer, we drive across Green Mountain creation to find the origins of the strange road names you're wondering about. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

When a vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, who gets it first?

How can a state that is 94% white do better? BIPOC Vermonters weigh in to answer this listener question. Check out our web feature for bonus audio, written submissions and visuals from Vermont artists of color. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

What's a symbol from the South doing in the Green Mountain State? Jason Broughton and Megan Bellavance (both, as it turns out, librarians) asked us to investigate. Plus: Our next winning question takes our exploration of Vermont race relations in a very different direction: "How can the state, both its government and its people, support Vermonters of color?" If you're a BIPOC Vermonter, we'd love...

Michael and Stacy Lee have had a really tough year. So why do they feel so positive? Love our show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

How did these communities form, and how are they being remembered? That's what Gale Harris wanted to know. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

Everyone loves to grouse about our cost of living. Bruce Post wonders: How bad is it really? And some recommended listening this week. On current events: Why Are There So Many African-Americans Incarcerated In Vermont? Why Is Vermont So Overwhelmingly White Re: today's listener question, here are two deep dives: Why Does Vermont Have Such A Housing Crunch? Are Utility Bills 'So High' In Vermont? I...

If people — particularly elderly people — don't want doctors to take extreme measures to potentially save their lives, does that increase Vermont's COVID-19 death rate?

This hypothetical listener question has gotten a little more real. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

Bonus episode: Our current president, and his presumptive opponent, are in an age group vulnerable to the coronavirus. What happens if...? Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

Parole officers doling out hand sanitizer. Inmates cooking for those in quarantine. At the Department of Corrections, it's all hands on deck. Want more of the Brave Little State experience? Ask a question about Vermont, vote on our next episode, and sign up for our newsletter — all at bravelittlestate.org. Special thanks to Vermont Public Radio's sustaining members. If you like our show, consider...

Dispatches from our fellow Vermonters, including a nurse on the front lines and an expectant dad. Plus, some essay and poetry for our times. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

With Vermont schools now closed, many parents are facing a daunting reality. Today, a conversation between two moms — one is a veteran home-schooler and remote worker. The other is new to all of this. Plus: How's everybody doing? Whether you’re out doing essential work, or staying home to slow the spread of coronavirus, we want to hear how it’s going for you . Share your voice/art/music for our ne...

A question about a popular camel won in one of our recent public voting rounds. Sadly, our reporting did not go as planned. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

It's "Ask Bob" on Brave Little State! VPR's senior political reporter Bob Kinzel takes on your questions about Town Meeting, the location of Vermont's capital, the limited functions of our county governments and more. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

Vermont is the only state in the country that's never sent a woman to D.C. We dig into the disparity, and poll Vermonters on whether they think it's a problem. Fan of the show? Sign up for the BLS newsletter , submit a question about Vermont and/or make a gift to support people-powered journalism.

Low enrollment and financial troubles have caused a slew of Vermont’s small, independent colleges to shut their doors. What’s causing the problem — and is there a solution? Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio with a $5/month sustaining membership. We can't do this work without you! And remember: Be brave. Ask questions. Submit your question about Vermont at bravelittlestate.org...

Tanya Ocker of Burlington wonders about businesses that emphasize Vermont's "brand." Do they help our economy? Check out our web feature to see photos from our reporting. And if you liked this episode, may we recommend: Vermont's A Hard Place To Do Business? Darn Tough CEO Calls BS What Does It Take To Start And Run A Successful Small Business In Vermont? Love Brave Little State ? Sign up for the...

There are 37 Dollar General stores in Vermont. And what Danielle Drogalis of Swanton wants to know is: How did that happen? Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio. And check out our web feature to see photos from our reporting and a map of all of D.G.'s Vermont locations. And remember: Be brave. Ask questions. Submit your question about Vermont at bravelittlestate.org , and vote on...

What's the history and function of town constables in Vermont? That's what Richard Dumughn wants to know. Check out our web feature to see photos of Constable Silas Loomis and his cruiser full of constable essentials. Related episode: Who Oversees Vermont's Elected Sheriffs? Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio. And remember: Be brave. Ask questions. Submit your question about Ve...

For a state that calls itself green, Vermont sure has a lot of drivers. So what can be done? That's what Eve Jacobs-Carnahan of Montpelier wants to know. Eve's question about public transportation forces us to confront some difficult truths about life — and travel — in Vermont. Check out our web feature to see photos from our reporting and much more. And here's our related episode on Vermont's hou...

The highway project has been tangled in red tape for so long that there's a monument to bureaucracy in Burlington’s South End. What's the status? In other news: We're excited to announce that we're going twice-monthly, so we can answer even more of your questions about Vermont! Our mid-month episodes will be a little different, so let us know what you think of the format . Love the show? Sign up f...