VPR News

The streets of Brattleboro get a summer makeover. Plus: COVID-19 updates, a record-breaking heat wave, and sea lamprey.

Gov. Phil Scott is slowly re-opening the economy, and downtowns and business owners across the state are now working to encourage people to come back out after sheltering at home for three months. In Brattleboro, the town is taking away some downtown parking spaces so restaurants can extend their outdoor seating.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down two major rulings last week: one protecting LGBTQ employees from workplace discrimination, and another preserving DACA , a program that protects more than 600,000 so-called "DREAMers" from deportation. We look at what the rulings mean for the country and how these rulings are personally affecting some Vermonters.

Kids are not immune to COVID-19, as we've seen in the recent outbreak centered in Winooski, where nearly half of the positive tests are in children. This hour: we'll spend some time looking at coronavirus and children with Dr. Breena Holmes, the director of maternal and child health for Vermont's Health Department. And Winooski's mayor Kristine Lott joins us as well.

Traveling safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus: Rutland’s summer set-up, coronavirus numbers, and a meadow.

This year, a summer vacation may seem like a pipe dream thanks to the novel coronavirus. But with restrictions easing in many parts of the country, travel agents say they’re getting an increasing number of calls from people considering trips, especially to see family members who live out-of-state.

This week, a Native American student group at Dartmouth College lobbied for the removal of the college's iconic copper weathervane atop the Baker Library, saying it depicts a racist stereotype. Valley News news editor John Gregg spoke with VPR about the students' request, the symbol's history and what the college plans to do next.

To date, Vermont has maintained relatively encouraging numbers when it comes to containing the spread of the new coronavirus. At the COVID-19 press conference on Monday, June 15, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine spoke briefly about the current state of serology testing, or antibody testing.

Hear from some young people making music during the pandemic. Plus: the first COVID-related death since May, a push for changes to Vermont’s school system, and maple syrup.

The K-12 education system could soon be in line for tens of millions of dollars from the federal COVID relief funds allocated to Vermont. And along with that influx of one-time money, some advocates want to see fundamental changes in the education system.

Kevin Bubriski is an award-winning documentary photographer who lives in Shaftsbury, Vermont. His work is part of permanent collections in numerous museums and the International Center of Photography. He has a new book out called Our Voices, Our Streets: American Protests 2001-2011 that collects some of his work chronicling more than a decade of demonstrations.

Small businesses around Vermont want federal COVID-19 money, and quickly. But it still might not be enough. Plus, coronavirus numbers, visits to long-term care, and Nectar’s re-opens for indoor concerts.

Just over half of Vermont residents have responded to the 2020 census. Passing the halfway mark is an important milestone, but still leaves the Green Mountain State with one of the lowest response rates in the country for the once-a-decade head count. We look at why Vermont's lagging behind, how census takers are working to improve the count and how they're reaching hard-to-count groups amid a global pandemic.

Calls for police reform in Bennington and Burlington. Plus: the Vermont state budget, coronavirus case numbers, and the Canadian border.

George Floyd's death in Minneapolis has led to national calls to reform and even defund police departments. In Vermont, law enforcement reform has quickly gained momentum in Burlington, the state's largest city, and Bennington, where police have long been accused of racial bias.