Shows
Brave Little StateWho controls the deployment of the Vermont National Guard?
The Vermont National Guard usually takes orders from the state. But at the end of 2025, President Trump deployed the Vermont guard to the Caribbean — and Gov. Scott said he had no control over the president’s orders.It gave this question from a listener newfound relevance: “Who controls the deployment of the Vermont National Guard if orders from the federal government and the state are in conflict?”You can find the web version of this story here. For more about the Vermont guard, check out this 2010 VPR series, which covered some of the 1,5...
2026-01-2220 minBrave Little StateIs it time for a new Vermont state flag?
Close your eyes and try to picture the Vermont flag…If you’re drawing a blank — you're not alone.Our flag defies almost all the flag design rules set out by the North American Vexillological Association. That’s part of the reason why Brian Sewell, of Burlington, thinks Vermont should consider an upgrade. He asked:“Other states are undergoing redesigns of their state flags. How much do Vermonters know about our flag? And is it time to update ours too?”Have an idea for a new Vermont flag design? Check out our...
2025-07-1018 min
Vermont EditionGot junk? Vermont's home organizers want to help you declutter
Spring is an annual rite of passage, a time of transition and regrowth. Some spend it gardening. Others reconnect with friends. And a few of us, like Vermont Edition's Mikaela Lefrak, derive actual joy from spring cleaning.Two professional home organizers joined Mikaela to share their best spring cleaning tips: Sarah Thompson of St. George and Amie Davis of Georgia, Vt.If you need an extra dose of motivation, you could hire a DJ like Burlington-based Taraleigh Weathers, also known as DJ Cheetahtah. She'll come to your house to play music while you clean. She's...
2025-05-2149 minVermont EditionVermont Edition At Home: François Clemmons
Vermont Edition is launching a new series, featuring intimate conversations with noteworthy Vermonters right in their own living rooms. It’s called Vermont Edition At Home. For the first installment, Mikaela Lefrak went to the Middlebury home of François Clemmons.. Clemmons is best known for playing Officer Clemmons on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.Clemmons discusses how he came to embrace his Blackness, his homosexuality, and his desire to be a performer.Broadcast live on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or c...
2025-04-2447 minVermont EditionA cross-border conversation with Québec
Vermonters and Quebeckers share much more than a border. We do business together, get our passports out for vacation, and visit family. But this year, the threads that hold us together have frayed.Vermont Edition co-hosted a cross-border conversation in partnership with Radio Noon, a call-in program from the CBC in Quebec. Mikaela Lefrak and Radio Noon host Shawn Apel took calls and emails from listeners on both sides of the border about the current state of U.S.-Canada relations. We also heard about the real-world repercussions of President Donald Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric.Verm...
2025-04-2250 minVermont EditionMud season's greetings! Ideas for enjoying this time of year
This episode of Vermont Edition also included a conversation with VTDigger reporter Peter D'Auria about plans for a juvenile detention facility in Vergennes and some possible updates to Vermont's Raise the Age law.Your shoes are soggy. Your car wheels are spinning. You're not sure if you should dress for sun, rain, or even snow. Yes, it's mud season. Some Vermonters like Keegan Tierney, the Green Mountain Club's director of field programs, approach mud season with optimism and energy. Others, like Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak, drudge their way through the sludge each year. Vermont's state geologist Ben DeJong, University...
2025-03-1849 min
Vermont EditionSo you think you've seen a catamount?The only definitive proof of a catamount living in present-day Vermont is Rally Cat, the UVM mascot dancing on the sidelines of sports games. The actual animal has not been officially documented in the state since 1881. Still, many Vermonters swear they've seen catamounts — also known as pumas, cougars, or mountain lions.On the latest installment of the Vermont Edition series Animal Hour, Mikaela Lefrak was joined by Declan McCabe, a biologist from St. Michael's University in Colchester, and renowned wildlife tracker and naturalist Sue Morse of Jericho. They discussed how to identify big cat species, be it a mountain lion, ly...
2025-03-1349 minVermont EditionBestselling author Chris Bohjalian publishes his 25th book
A wounded Union captain from Vermont and the resilient wife of a Confederate soldier cross paths — and fates — in Chris Bohjalian's new novel.Bohjalian is the New York Times bestselling author of 25 books, a playwright and a longtime Weybridge resident. His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies and an Emmy-winning TV series (The Flight Attendant on Max). His novel Midwives was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. He was a weekly columnist for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.This show was recorded on Mar. 9 at a live event, when Bohjalian sat down with Mikaela Lefrak in fro...
2025-03-1249 minBrave Little StateNew Hampshire has 6 landfills. Why does Vermont only have 1?
Vermont used to have hundreds of dumps all over the state. These days, most of the state’s trash ends up in one place: a landfill in Coventry. Question-asker Sylvia Dodge, of Lyndon, wants to know why all that trash ends up in just one small town. We visit the Coventry landfill, trash bag in hand, and talk to the people doing the dirty work. You can find photos from our reporting, and a full transcript for the episode, here.Share your feedback about BLS! We’d love to hear from you and it will help...
2025-01-2328 min
HomegoingsTalking about it: What residential schools did to Indigenous children
***A heads up: This episode contains unbleeped swearing and covers sensitive material, including sexual abuse. Please listen with care.***In this episode, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed joins Huntington, Vermont resident and Lakota elder Beverly Little Thunder and her daughter, Lushanya Echeverria, at the movies. Together they watch the documentary Sugarcane, about the horrific history and intergenerational trauma of residential or boarding schools.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.This episode was mixed and reported by Elodie Reed, with...
2025-01-0919 minBrave Little StateJeezum crow!
Jeezum crow, is it tough to find the origin of the phrase ‘jeezum crow’! Join us for our exploration into this quintessential Vermont saying, as we journey from folklore to linguistics to… crows. Thanks to Sandra Bettis of Middlesex for the great question:“Where did ‘jeezum crow’ come from and is it just a Vermont saying?”Find the web version of this episode here.This episode was reported by Mikaela Lefrak. It was produced and edited by Angela Evancie, Josh Crane, Sa...
2024-07-1810 minBrave Little StateWhat 'old streams' can teach us about flooding (encore)
Here we are again. Exactly one year after historic floods ravaged Vermont, parts of the state are again dealing with devastating flooding following heavy rains. We turn back to a 2023 episode about how understanding why these floods are so destructive is not as simple as measuring rainfall. Last year, reporter Lexi Krupp took on what turned out to be a very timely question from Gus Goodwin of East Montpelier. He wanted to know: “What does an old stream look like? Does Vermont have any? And can we manage for th...
2024-07-1228 minBrave Little StateWhat effect has noncitizen voting had in the Vermont cities where it's legal?
In recent years, Winooski, Montpelier and Burlington made it possible for all legal residents to vote — including asylum seekers, refugees and green card holders like our winning question-asker, Charlotte Blend. Charlotte has been excited to vote on local issues and she’s curious about the impact of the rule changes in the towns where it’s now legal. Reporter Mikaela Lefrak talks to new Vermont voters — and a lot of city clerks — about how the at-times controversial changes in local election policy have affected three Vermont cities, from their councils and school boards to their resi...
2023-11-1630 minBrave Little StateWhat has put Vermont on the pop culture map?
Musician Noah Kahan wrote “Stick Season” after moving back home to Vermont during the pandemic. Now, it’s a worldwide sensation, and listener Sara Morin is wondering what else has made Vermont culturally relevant.So, grab a pint of Phish Food and crack open your favorite local beverage, or go for a wander through the woods wearing homemade mittens — whatever you have to do to get ready for a pop culture edition of Brave Little State.Check out our web feature for photos and a breakdown of some of the cult...
2023-03-2352 minBrave Little StateThe complexities of medical aid in dying in Vermont
If you live in Vermont, and you have a terminal illness, where and when you die could be up to you. Charlie Bestard of Hartland asked us about the state’s medical aid in dying law: How many Vermonters have used it, and how does the medical establishment view it?To see photos of the Fitch sisters, and their parents, Stanley and Elaine, check out our web feature.Additional listening, from our Vermont Edition colleagues: Connecticut patient sues Vermont over residency mandate in aid-in-dying law...
2023-01-1934 minBrave Little StateOur 5th Annual Brief History of Vermont Road Names
Every summer, we trek across Vermont to uncover the origins of bizarre road names of your choosing. This year’s installment includes Iranistan Road in Burlington, Snipe Island Road in Jericho and … a bit of a wildcard.Thanks to this year’s question-askers: Ali Jalili, David Boyle, Sam Graulty and Katie Ruffe.And special thanks to Ken Picard, Carol McGranahan, Gary Irish, Wright Preston, Harriet Riggs, and Amy Tatko.Check out our previous road name histories:
2018: States Prison Hollow Road, Poor Farm Road, Lime Kiln Road, Kelley Stand Road
2019: Mad To...
2022-07-0729 minBrave Little StateA history of Jewish life in Vermont
A question from Sam Leveston about a religion, and a people, who have often been overlooked. An answer in five chapters.To see photos from Josh Crane’s reporting and lots of additional resources about past and present Jewish life in Vermont, check out our web feature here. Special thanks to Bruce Post, Paul Carnahan, Kate Phillips, Sue Halpern, Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein, Stacie Gabert, Mikaela Lefrak, Mary Engisch, and Robert Resnik. Thanks also to everyone who reached out to BLS on this topic: Thomas Hudspeth, Marc Es...
2022-04-0750 minBrave Little StateHow can Vermont solve its housing crisis?
A question from Dani Gagnon of Montpelier leads VPR’s Mikaela Lefrak to find out why Vermont’s housing crunch has become a crisis — and what people are doing about it.Check out the web version of this story here, featuring photos and further reading.ICYMI: Our 2019 episode about Vermont’s housing crunch.As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:
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2022-02-0330 min
Sixth & I LIVECould DC be the 51st State?As Washington, DC's decades-long push for statehood heats up, Mikaela Lefrak, host of the "51st" podcast, moderates a conversation about how the statehood movement intersects with the civil rights movement; why statehood could and should matter to people outside the District; and whether a statehood bill actually has a chance at success. Panelists include George Derek Musgrove, a history professor and co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital, Robinson Woodward-Burns, an assistant professor of political science at Howard University, and Stasha Rhodes, Campaign Director for 51 for 51, a coalition of groups advocating for...
2021-03-2256 min
What's With WashingtonVirtual Trivia Returns! July 23Calling all D.C. trivia nerds! We had so much fun at our first virtual trivia event in May so we're doing it again!
Join Mikaela Lefrak on Thursday, July 23, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. for live, local trivia. Test your knowledge of D.C. area history, geography and culture in this free, community-building event that’s open to everyone.
To participate, register by 5 p.m. on July 23. All registered participants will receive an email with instructions on how to connect to our virtual event. The event is free, but donations to WAMU are welcome!
Register now at wamu.org/events.
2020-07-1701 min
What's With WashingtonVirtual Trivia: Join Us May 14!Calling all D.C. trivia nerds! It’s time to test your knowledge and face off in WAMU’s first-ever virtual trivia event!
Join Mikaela Lefrak on Thursday, May 14 from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. for live, D.C.-themed trivia. Test your knowledge of D.C. history, sports, culture and quirks in this free, community-building event that’s open to everyone.
To participate, we ask that you pre-register on Eventbrite by 3 p.m. on May 14 (The event is free, but donations are welcome!). All registered participants will receive an email with instructions on how to connect to our virtual event.
Register now at wamu...
2020-05-0803 minWhat's With WashingtonCoronavirus Testing Explained, Plus Ways To HelpTo see the latest coronavirus coverage, visit WAMU.org and DCist.com. We're updating our stories around the clock. We've also created a Facebook group. To join, search for "D.C. Area Coronavirus Updates" on Facebook.
The reporters behind What's With Washington have been hustling to cover COVID-19 in every way they can, and in this episode, we're highlighting some of their work. Daniella Cheslow, WAMU's power and influence reporter, joins Mikaela to break down a question many of us are asking: Why is it taking so long to get lots of people tested? Then, we look for ways to...
2020-03-2415 min
What's With WashingtonWhat’s With Washington: LIVE!A few weeks ago, What’s With Washington went on the road (to NPR’s D.C. headquarters, that is) for our first ever live event. We talked about what makes a good What’s With Washington question! There was a muralist! And there was a Washington-region trivia quiz! Host Mikaela Lefrak grilled WAMU and DCist reporters on their Washington knowledge. On this episode of What's With Washington, highlights from our live event.
Take our listener survey: whatswith.org/survey
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to support the show and more great podcas...
2020-02-2526 minWhat's With WashingtonD.C.’s Buildings Have Peaked: The Height Rule, ExplainedWhat’s with the height limit on D.C. buildings? And if there were no limit, would the city be more affordable? Mikaela Lefrak gets a view from the top…of the Washington National Cathedral! Then, WAMU's chief zoning nerd Martin Austermuhle shares the history of this complicated rule and how it impacts affordable housing in the District.
You're invited to our live event on January 28th at NPR Headquarters! For more information and tickets, visit wamu.org/events.
Take our listener survey: whatswith.org/survey
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to s...
2019-12-1719 minWhat's With WashingtonBad Suits And Bold Dresses: Inside Washingtonians’ Fashion ChoicesNot everyone in D.C. is a white collar square, but nonetheless, ill-fitting navy suits and Ann Taylor Loft dresses are what come to mind when you imagine a “D.C. uniform.” Where does this stereotype come from, and is it even true? Mikaela Lefrak and 1A producer Jonquilyn Hill hit the streets to check out local fashion and figure out if D.C.’s retail clothing game has hit a ceiling.
If you LOVE What's With Washington, become a member! Head to wamu.org/donate to support the show and more great podcasts from WAMU.
To submit a question, visit...
2019-12-0319 min
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