Vermont Edition

Scientists are trying to unlock some of the secrets of spider silk by sequencing the genetic code of the spiders themselves. One new study is led by the University of Vermont and the University of Pennsylvania.

President Trump's abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey has sent shockwaves through Washington and beyond, as concerns mount that the President may be trying to interfere with the investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russian election meddling.

Nokian Tyres recently announced plans to build a plant in Tennessee, but Tommi Heinonen – head of Nokian Tyres North America – says there are no plans at the moment to move the company's North American headquarters out of Vermont.

Rather than rush to judgment on some key pieces of legislation, Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe decided last week to reconvene Wednesday and Thursday. Now as state lawmakers head back to Montpelier, Sen. Ashe is our guest.

The War That Saved My Life, by author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, is a World War II-era story about a girl and her brother who have a chance to escape their cruel childhood when London is evacuated during the war.

Tick season is upon us. If you've been outside recently, you may well have already had some close encounters with the blood-suckers. And some tick-watchers are predicting that this could be the worst season in years. We're talking with experts about the spread of ticks and the diseases they carry, including Lyme, and some other nasty newcomers.

One of the state's leading advocacy organizations for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community has new leadership: Susan Hartman is executive director of the Pride Center of Vermont as of May 1.

VPR's comprehensive coverage of the last days of the legislative session continues on Monday when House Speaker Mitzi Johnson is our guest on Vermont Edition . We get her perspective on the dramatic last-minute twists in state budget negotiations, teacher health care and marijuana legalization.

Gov. Phil Scott's plan to have a statewide teachers' health care contract is emerging as a key issue at the end of the session. But many Democrats want these negotiations left at the local level. A roundtable of political reporters is with us to look at the latest developments from the Statehouse.

On Wednesday, the University of Vermont Police Services announced that a rhinoceros horn had been stolen from the UVM campus. The demand for rhino horns has led to a global black market and a string of crimes – from museum thefts to the gruesome killings of threatened rhinos. In March, a rhino was even slaughtered inside of a zoo in Paris .

The federal government's H-2B visa program allows temporary, non-agricultural workers from certain foreign countries to fill seasonal positions in the U.S. Vermont's resort, lodging, and restaurant industries rely on these workers. But a cap on the number of these visas could have a negative effect on the these employers.

Vermont lawmakers are hoping to end the legislative session by the end of this week, but there are some big issues still being debated.

Once a year, for about 10 days from mid-April through early May, nature offers a free show that provides viewers the chance to "oooh" and "aaah." It's the steelhead rainbow trout run, when the fish hurtle up the falls to get upstream to spawn.

Is it ever against the law for something to be ugly? If you don't like a building going up next to your house, do you have any power to stop it? We're talking about what rights individuals, communities and regions have to control the appearance of a changing landscape - and who gets to decide what passes muster.

It's not often you get to eat gourmet food for college credit. One lucky class at the University of Vermont was recently treated to such a meal, but with a twist – the dishes featured invasive species.