VPR News

Large slaughterhouses across the country are being closed due to coronavirus outbreaks and illness, straining the U.S. meat supply. A presidential executive order has even kept some plants open amid the outbreak. But surging demand for locally-grown meat in Vermont is butting up against a regional processing system that's already maxed out. We talk about local meat supply, demand and changing values.

Marijah Monfette is a clerk for the local post office in Troy, Vermont and her husband is a carpenter. They’re both working during the shutdown, and their older son Chase, 13, takes care of his younger brother, Jaxton, 6, while both stay home to do online school. In the second of a two-part story, Erica Heilman talks with the family about meals they’ve been receiving from the school, which in a way, means talking about money and fear and uncertainty and even love.

The coronavirus is taking up most of the conversation around public health right now, but a new documentary by a Stowe filmmaker highlights another widespread health problem: Type 2 diabetes. The documentary is called El Susto , and it focuses on the high rates of diabetes in Mexico, linked to heavy consumption of sugary drinks and processed foods.

The Frequency is Vermont's daily news podcast from VPR. Mitch Wertlieb spoke to cohosts Henry Epp and Anna Van Dine about the process of putting the podcast together, and what it's been like to launch during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helping others, connecting with friends and family. How are Vermonters coping as the state gradually reopens? This hour, Bob Kinzel and VPR Morning Edition host Mitch Wertlieb open the lines and take your calls.

COVID-19 has highlighted the need for broadband access, as students learn remotely, employees work from home, and health services are accessed virtually. This hour, we talk with U.S. Rep. Peter Welch about a proposal to direct more than $80 million in federal funds to the nation's broadband infrastructure. Plus: a big picture look at what the next stimulus package might include.

How one rural school district is delivering food to children across the Northeast Kingdom. Plus, two collegiate level baseball teams in Vermont won’t play this due to the pandemic and Gov. Phil Scott lifts the ban on some elective medical procedures.

There’s still a chance that Major League Baseball will start up again this summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but one league here in New England will not be taking the field. On Friday, the board of the New England Collegiate Baseball League announced the cancellation of its season. That means the Vermont Mountaineers in Montpelier and the Upper Valley Nighthawks in Hartford won’t draw fans to their fields. The Mountaineers actually called off their season two days before the league followed

As Vermont loosens restrictions on work and movement in a step-by-step manner, state health officials are gearing up for an expected increase in COVID-19 cases by beefing up testing and tracing capacity. If they stay on top of new cases, they hope to be able to keep the spread to a minimum. This hour, we get a health information update and take a deeper dive into the state's approach to testing and contact tracing.

Vermonters have been helping their communities get through this pandemic by sewing face masks, delivering food, and by donating their time and money. In Windham County, the Yellow Barn Music Festival has been doing its part by bringing music to the places that need it most.

Governor Phil Scott’s unprecedented effort to monitor Vermont’s borders. Plus, a musical moving truck and the latest COVID-19 case numbers.

A massive data-gathering operation at border crossings across Vermont hasn’t shown a major influx in the number of visitors from states with COVID-19 “hotspots,” according to the Scott administration.

With in-class learning suspended at least through the end of the academic year, many Vermont school districts began distributing meals to students and their families. Students in Burlington are now getting something extra with their meals. A local toymaker, a youth organization and the city's library all converged to hand out books and toys, too.

Little by little, Gov. Phil Scott is taking steps to gradually reopen the state's economy. And in two weeks, the governor will re-evaluate the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order he issued six week ago. This hour, join Bob Kinzel and VPR Morning Edition host Mitch Wertlieb with your thoughts on this evolving process. What does it mean for you?

How the pandemic may change recycling in Vermont, at least for a while. Plus, how one business has quickly pivoted from baked goods and flowers to meal deliveries during the pandemic, the latest COVID-19 case numbers, and a real estate opportunity.