The Deeper Dig

The national protest movement following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has coalesced around a policy goal: defunding police departments nationwide. Now, constituents of Vermont’s largest municipal police force are bringing that fight to Burlington.

A national protest movement touched off by a string of high-profile killings of black Americans has reached Vermont. Advocates say it’s a long overdue conversation about structural racism — but that the response is also about grief. Guests: Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown (The Episcopal Church in Vermont), Grace Elletson (VTDigger)

Fletcher, Vermont, is one of the 116 towns in the state that haven’t registered any Covid-19 cases so far. But public health researchers have singled it out for another reason: it was one of just a handful of communities in the country that avoided the deadly flu pandemic of 1918. And they want to know whether it holds lessons for today. Guests: Alex Navarro (University of Michigan Center for the...

Long lines at food distribution events have become a powerful symbol of the need faced by tens of thousands of Vermontersduring the Covid-19 pandemic. But those on the frontlines of hunger relief say that feeding the massive number of people in need is going to require more than just meal giveaways.

As more sectors of the economy reopen for business, the downturn caused by Covid-19 is already having an outsized impact on low-wage workers. And while state and federal lawmakers have advanced some short-term relief measures, analysts wonder whether the pandemic could trigger a long overdue conversation about inequality. Guests: Bram Kleppner (Danforth), Stephanie Yu (Public Assets Institute), An...

With Vermonters living under new guidelines about physical distancing and wearing masks, state agencies — and news outlets like VTDigger — have seen an uptick in reports about people who aren’t following the rules. And while we can’t do much to resolve those complaints, researchers say there’s a reason people feel an impulse to tell on each other in trying times. Guests: Liz Pinel (University of V...

Michael Akey discovered he tested positive for Covid-19 one day after he was released from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. He says the outbreak there — the first in the state to trigger facility-wide testing — could have been prevented. Guests: Michael Akey, Alan Keays (VTDigger)

The Scott administration has loosened restrictions on some workplaces for the second week in a row as part of a plan to slowly reopen Vermont’s economy. To prevent another wave of infections, public health officials are getting a second chance to try a containment strategy that wasn't possible the first time around. Guests: Mark Levine (Vermont Health Commissioner), Katie Jickling (VTDigger health...

Hospitals across the state are transforming their facilities to get ready for a potential surge of coronavirus patients. But they’re preparing without knowing exactly when that surge might hit — or how severe it could be.

New models show social distancing measures could help COVID-19 cases in Vermont peak as early as this month. But officials and experts warn that those restrictions will need to stay in place long after the worst has passed.

Skyrocketing unemployment claims show that nearly 15,000 Vermonters have already lost their jobs due to business cutbacks during the coronavirus outbreak. What happens next for those workers — and for the state's economy? Guests: Brennan Neill, Art Woolf (VTDigger columnist), Elaine McCrate (UVM economist)

Vermont’s senior senator has been in Washington for negotiations over the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak. Two bills have passed with broad bipartisan support — but the third, a trillion-dollar stimulus proposal, could see a bigger fight. Guests: U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Dr. Joshua White, the chief medical officer at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, says the COVID-19 outbreak may become even wider than many Vermonters are expecting. But that’s still not a reason to panic about its potential effects.

Tuesday’s election brought victories for newcomers Zoraya Hightower and Jane Stromberg, effectively giving the Progressives a majority on the governing body of Vermont’s largest city. But the party is already looking ahead to next year’s races — when they see the mayor’s office up for grabs.

Support for a “Vermont Green New Deal” appears to be waning among lawmakers, while another climate bill — the Global Warming Solutions Act — gains momentum. That could leave the state with a strict new set of mandates — but it’s not likely to end the push to raise new revenue for climate action. Guests: Jennifer Rushlow (Vermont Law School), Elizabeth Gribkoff (VTDigger)

Fatal police encounters are on the rise in Vermont, according to a new analysis of fifty years of law enforcement data. Now, lawmakers, advocates and police themselves are looking at how to curb the trend of rising deaths. Guests: Chief Tony Facos (Montpelier Police), Allen Gilbert (former ACLU-VT), Rep. Anne Donahue (R-Northfield), Erin Petenko (VTDigger)

Bernie Sanders’ victory in the New Hampshire primary gives the Vermont senator a boost in his push to win the Democratic nomination for president. Now, some voters are wondering not only whether he’ll make it onto the ballot — but what the general election will look like if he does.

As Bernie Sanders looks ahead to the first primary elections of 2020, the Vermont senator sees a plausible path to the Democratic nomination and maybe the presidency. How Sanders’ first campaign for public office foreshadowed the sprawling political operation he runs today. Produced by Eliza Giles for Mudseason , a podcast from the UVM Center for Research on Vermont.

The Scott administration is formalizing its plan to close the state's only juvenile detention facility. But it’s not up to them whether Woodside will close — and the legislators who will make the final call are just beginning to consider the plan. VTDigger's Alan Keays reports on the administration's latest moves. Plus, hear from Woodside employees, who have their own proposals for the Essex campu...

A paid family leave plan that’s been in the works for more than two years has finally passed the Legislature. But its path forward largely depends not on the lawmakers who think it’s too expensive — but on the ones who say it doesn’t go far enough.

As Vermont lawmakers returned for the 2020 legislative session, election updates overshadowed the policy agenda. But that wasn't the only disruption at the Statehouse this week. Guests: VTDigger's Xander Landen, John Walters, and Grace Elletson.

Independent doctors across Vermont are closing their practices, while major hospital systems take over a growing share of the state’s patients. What does that mean for Vermonters seeking care? Guests: Dr. Joe Nasca (pediatrician), Katie Jickling (VTDigger)

Water quality advocates are hailing a Vermont Supreme Court decision on dam permits as a new standard for upholding environmental rules. But the case also reveals the tensions behind the state’s ongoing push to get more energy from local renewable resources. Guests: Elizabeth Gribkoff (VTDigger), Jon Groveman (Vermont Natural Resources Council), Ken Nolan (Vermont Public Power Supply Authority).

If you’re feeling lonely, you’re not alone: data shows that a wide range of Vermonters report feeling socially isolated, particularly the elderly. Advocates for Vermont seniors are working on localized solutions — but they also say a broader cultural shift is due. Guests: Beth Hammond (Heineberg Senior Center), Marichel Vaught (Council on Vermont Elders), Erin Petenko (VTDigger)

The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles makes millions of dollars every year selling drivers' personal data to private companies. Officials and others argue that the practice is legal, regulated, and necessary. But privacy advocates say there's evidence that giving DMVs this much discretion can lead to abuse. Guests: Mike Smith (Vermont DMV), Joseph Cox (Motherboard/VICE), Susan Randall (VTPrivat...