The Deeper Dig

Sep 06 2024 198 ep. 23 mins 109

The Deeper Dig Podcast artwork

From Vermont's only member-supported digital news daily, VTDigger reporters go deep on key stories. Hosted by Sam Gale Rosen.

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'It's hard out here'

Sep 06 2024 37 mins

For the past few years, Vermont has had the second highest per-capita rate of homelessness in the country. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people counted as homeless more than doubled, and the numbers keep going up.Lots of people are trying to grasp: Why is this happening? Why have we seen this huge, dramatic spike in the number of people experiencing homelessness here?

A plan for what’s left of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant

Nov 20 2023 18 mins

For decades, Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power plant in Vernon, was the largest producer of electricity for the state.The plant has been shut down since 2014, and the company that now owns it is in the process of deconstructing it. That company, NorthStar, has recently submitted a plan that describes in detail the final steps of decommissioning, which is projected to be completed ahe

Edi Abeneto of Feeding Chittenden on fighting hunger and breaking down cultural barriers

Nov 09 2023 12 mins

Edi Abeneto is food shelf supervisor at Feeding Chittenden, a Burlington-based nonprofit that focuses on hunger relief and serves more than 12,000 people every year. Abeneto has worked at the organization for more than 17 years. He speaks six languages, and among other duties, he facilitates communication and provides interpretation for visitors from a wide range of backgrounds.Ove

How to raise emotionally intelligent kids

Oct 25 2023 29 mins

Managing big emotions is hard for adults, so what must it be like if you’re 3 feet tall and still in diapers? Anyone who’s been around kids knows how they can get overwhelmed by big emotional reactions. Those can run the gamut from despair to rage to laughing fits, sometimes within the same five-minute period.So, how can you teach kids to manage emotions in a healthy way? Espec

The star-studded history of a small island in Lake Bomoseen

Oct 09 2023 15 mins

Neshobe Island is a small island located on the Castleton side of Lake Bomoseen. It has two houses, a barn and some surrounding woods, and that’s about it.In the 1920s and ‘30s, though, the island hosted a who’s who of celebrities and intellectuals most summers. These included Noël Coward, Thornton Wilder, Irving Berlin, Margaret Mitchell, Dorothy Parker, Laurence Olivier, V

Who is the University of Vermont for?

Sep 25 2023 27 mins

At the University of Vermont, the share of in-state students is dwindling, and it’s raising questions about the role and mission of the state’s flagship public university.VTDigger education reporter Peter D’Auria — with the help of data reporter Erin Petenko — has been looking at the enrollment statistics over time, as well as how they compare with those of other large pu

Synagogue sold — what happens when a historic house of worship becomes something else

Sep 13 2023 19 mins

Vermont’s oldest synagogue has been sold — and its new owner plans to turn it into a food hall and apartments. The nearly 140-year-old brick synagogue in Burlington’s Old North End served as an important center for the city’s Jewish community for decades. Now deteriorating physically, with its congregation mostly dwindled away, it has been sold to an entrepreneur who plans

‘It dominates anxiety’ — unpacking the process and impact of health insurance premium hikes

Aug 29 2023 31 mins

Earlier this month, the Green Mountain Care Board made a decision that would affect most people and companies that get their health care through the state’s health insurance marketplace.The board said that two companies that offer insurance through Vermont Health Connect would be able to increase premiums by double digits in 2024.These increases will be less than insurers had ask

How flooding affects Vermont’s wildlife and ecosystems

Aug 11 2023 24 mins

Vermonters are still coming to terms with the devastating toll of this summer’s flooding, which inundated downtowns, destroyed homes and businesses, and caused two confirmed deaths. Considered from almost any angle, the impact of this extreme weather on the state has been massive.Among the issues that environmental reporter Emma Cotton has been looking into is how the floods affe

‘I was in shock.’ — Reporters on the impact of Vermont’s catastrophic flooding

Jul 24 2023 27 mins

Early this month, heavy rains led to historic flooding in many parts of Vermont, causing massive — as yet uncounted — damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. At the time of this recording, the state has confirmed that one person was killed by the floods. (https://vtdigger.org/2023/07/13/vermont-reports-first-flood-related-fatality/)Like in Tropical Storm Irene in 2011,