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Pollsters at the University of New Hampshire Survey Center put Democrat Amanda Janoo ahead of Republican Gov. Phil Scott by 8 percent days before the November election. Scott won by 7 percent. In this edition of 802 News, sponsored by Red Hen Baking Co., Andrew Smith, the director of the survey center, discusses some possible reasons pollsters misjudged the race. 

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Democrats took control of the U.S Senate and House in Tuesday's midterm elections in what Sen. Peter Welch called an "astonishing repudiation" of President Donald Trump. However, Welch cautions his fellow Democrats: "Trump lost. We didn't win." Welch said Democrats need to rebrand to gain back the trust of the American people. A former head of the Vermont Senate and unsuccessful candidate for governor, Welch also discussed Gov. Phil Scott's re-election and the campaign by Democrat Amanda Janoo.  

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Republican Gov. Phil Scott is seeking a sixth two-year term as Vermont's chief executive against Democrat Amanda Janoo, an economist and political newcomer. Vermont Public reporters Peter Hirschfeld and Lola Duffort discuss the major issues in the hotly contested race. 

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Phil Scott is seeking a record sixth two-year term as Vermont governor. He's facing a challenge from Democrat Amanda Janoo. Scott, 68, said he wants to finish efforts to consolidate schools and be the state's leader during the last two years of the Trump administration. 

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The Northeast Kingdom filmmaker's latest documentary "Every Day: Big and Small" features a series of uplifting vignettes about lesser-known places, organizations and people building community, resilience and connection in Vermont. The film premieres Sept. 25th in Burlington and will tour in various locations through Oct. 11. Go to Catamount Arts for tickets and show times. 

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Winthrop is best known as the former owner/publisher of two independent weeklies -- the Vanguard Press and Vermont Times -- but he also reported in-depth pieces for the two publications, as well as the Vermont Sunday Magazine. His new book "On the Record" chronicles 17 cover stories from 1978 to 2005 along with current day updates. Many of the decades-old stories discuss issues still relevant today, including the cost of health care, the effectiveness of sending people to prison and political activism in Vermont. 

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A massive project is underway to document the history between 1850-1950 of four major immigrant groups in Burlington -- the Jewish, French-Canadian, Irish and Italian communities in the city's Old North End. Organizers Aaron Goldberg and Bob Duncan say the project mapping the four communities will be available for people to view online. The mapping project is under the auspices of The Lost Mural Project.

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Democrats and Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak are at odds over community concerns about open drug usage and homeless encampments in Burlington, particularly downtown. Democrats are calling for more enforcement. The mayor says Democrats want to “arrest and imprison” their way out of a complex crisis. In this edition of 802 News, journalist Michael Powell discusses his just-published story in The Atlantic magazine that examines cities like Burlington that have emphasized "harm reduction" when dealing with drug usage. 

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Esther Charlestin is an education consultant, former Middlebury Selectboard member and chair of the Vermont Commission on Women. She ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2024, losing to Gov. Phil Scott. She's running in the Democratic Party primary for lieutenant governor against Ryan McLaren and Molly Gray. The primary is August 11, with the winner facing incumbent Republican John Rodgers.

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Peter Gould is a Renaissance man -- an author, activist, teacher and theater director. He came to Vermont in the 70's during the back to the land movement and joined a commune in Guilford. In May he testified at the Legislature about his recent book that discusses the for-profit prison industry. Vermont contracts with a Core Civic facility in Mississippi. Gould, who lives in Brattleboro with his wife, Mollie Burke, will soon begin his 29th season directing "Get Thee to the Funnery," a Shakespeare summer camp for kids in Greensboro. Gould, 80 years young...

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Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski is not running for re-election in November after 14 years as a legislator and speaker since 2021. The 46-year-old Burlington Democrat discusses accomplishments, disappointments and challenges including a swatting incident and a stalker who required court intervention. 

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Ryan McLaren, a former top aide to Sen. Peter Welch, is running for lieutenant governor. He faces Molly Gray and Esther Charlestin in the August Democratic Party primary. The winner will face incumbent John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. McLaren, 40, says his campaign is focused on hope, housing and health care and his "opponent in this race is nihilism, the sense (people have) that nothing matters."  He suffered a spinal cord injury skiing in 2017 that resulted in partial paralysis. 

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Molly Gray, a former lieutenant governor, wants her old job back and is in a three-way primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican, in November. Gray, 42, was elected as lieutenant governor in 2020 and lost a bid in 2022 for Vermont's lone seat in the U.S. House in the primary to Becca Balint. Since then, she's served as executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance.

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Amanda Janoo, an economics and policy expert, is running for governor. She faces child care advocate Aly Richards for the Democratic Party nomination. The primary will be in August. Janoo, 38, grew up in Strafford, Vermont, lives in Burlington and works with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.  

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The former chief executive director of Let's Grow Kids is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor. Richards, 40, will face economist Amanda Janoo in the Democratic Party primary in August for the chance to run against Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who will be seeking his sixth two-year term.

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Vermont investigative journalist Jasper Craven's new book "God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood" explores how the military and its training institutions have shaped the meaning of manhood and fueled toxic masculinity. 

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Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt, calls the war in Iran a "catastrophe." He also discusses the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the role of state and local police in a recent ICE raid in South Burlington. 

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Innovation has increased maple syrup output over the last two decades, reducing fears that climate change could cause a "maple-pocalypse." Vermont sugar makers are thriving, producing half the country's syrup, using practices like vacuum tubing and reverse osmosis to increase the amount of sap per tree. Steve Palmer owns Shelburne Sugarworks, a 170-acre farm that uses many of the new techniques to produce 1,200-1,500 gallons a year as well as maple candy and maple-based ice cream.

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Leaders of South Burlington, Burlington and Vermont State Police defended their departments' actions during a March 11 federal immigration enforcement effort in South Burlington. Police Chiefs William Breault and Shawn Burke, Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison and VSP Col. Matthew Birmingham appeared before the Vermont Senate and House Judiciary Committees. Afterward, protesters and activists, including Will Lambek of Migrant Justice, criticized Vermont police actions during the day-long operation by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. 

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State Sen. Phil Baruth recounts the highs and lows of his 16 years in the Vermont State Senate, including efforts to pass gun control legislation and boosting childcare subsidies. The Democrat/Progressive is stepping down after this session and will keep writing and teaching at the University of Vermont.

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Statistics from the Burlington Police Department for 2025 show an overall decrease in violent crime, including homicides, and reductions in quality-of-life incidents including burglaries, retail theft, stolen automobiles and car break-ins. Drug arrests are up. However, domestic assaults increased. And recruitment of new police officers remains a challenge. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak discusses public safety issues, as well as ways her administration plans to deal with another multi-million dollar budget gap and gives an update on plans for an overdose prevention center.

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Vermont journalist Peggy Shinn previews some of the events and participants at this year's Winter Olympics in Italy, including several with ties to Vermont. The Northeast Kingdom native has covered eight Olympics during her career. 

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There's a new book coming out about Bernie Sanders and Burlington. The author is Dan Chiasson, a Queen City native. "Bernie for Burlington" traces the political rise of Sanders from his 1981 mayoral win to his two unsuccessful bids for the presidency. Chiasson also shares his observations about Burlington. The author will be part of a book launch event at Burlington City Hall on Feb. 3. Tickets can be purchased from Phoenix Books in Burlington. 

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Many boys and young men are struggling with isolation and loneliness and there is a significant gender gap in academic achievement, opioid deaths and suicide rates. Why? A Vermont documentary "Gone Guys" and the nationally acclaimed book "Of Boys and Men" explore these challenging issues. UVM's Ali Mahmood, assistant director of the Interfaith Center, and Evan Cuttitti, director of Men and Masculinities Programs, share their observations and the work being done to help young males.

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Burlington attorney Walter Judge was one of the approximately 4,000 people in the US who received a heart transplant this year.

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Lawmakers and Gov. Scott agreed last year to major education reform in hopes of  reducing chronic property tax increases. However, a committee charged with drawing up new school districts presented this summer a different approach. How will the governor and legislature respond when lawmakers return to Montpelier next month? We spoke with 7Days education reporter Alison Novak about Act 73.  

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Jessie Krebs is an outdoor survival skills expert. She discusses how to prepare for an adventure and what to do when things go wrong. Krebs runs O.W.L.S. Skills and teaches courses throughout the country, including here in Vermont. She graduated from Air Force survival training and lasted 46 days on the TV show "Alone."

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President Donald Trump is "an autocrat" who poses an unprecedented threat to American democracy. So says former Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Amestoy. With Trump loyalists running the Justice Dept., the FBI and the military, Amestoy worries the president will disregard court orders and election results with impunity. As Trump amasses power, Amestoy warns: "Don't look to an easy fix either from a decision of the United States Supreme Court or an election result. I don't think we're in a world where those are the answers to what we're...

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Mitra Mahtab (Naeimi), a 29-year-old Afghan woman, fled her country in 2021 after the United States completed its troop withdrawal and the Taliban regained control. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the 2001 9/11 attacks seeking to root out members of Al Quaeda. The Taliban greatly restricts the rights of Afghan women. Mitra had a long journey to reach the U.S. in 2023 and plans to help Afghan women after she graduates from the University of Vermont. She is among approximately 650 Afghans who have resettled in Vermont. 

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Interim Police Chief Shawn Burke says a lack of accountability is a major factor behind the increase in drug use, theft, violent crime and other illegal activity in Vermont's largest city.  Burke was police chief in South Burlington but agreed in March to return as the interim chief in Burlington, where he previously worked for 21 years. In an interview at City Hall Park, a problem hotspot, Burke, 53, said he is hopeful and looks forward to working with state and local leaders to reduce concerns about safety and crime.

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Heather Darby is a seventh generation farmer in Alburgh. She is an expert in sustainable agriculture at the UVM Extension Service. She has a Masters in Agronomy and a PhD in crop and soil management. We talked about this year's severe drought and her concerns about the future viability of farming here in Vermont. 

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Former Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Amestoy writes about why famed lawyer Clarence Darrow became involved in a grisly murder case in the Green Mountain State in the 1920's. 

The book, Winters' Time: A Secret Pledge, a Severed Head, and the Murder that Brought America's Most Famous Lawyer to Vermont, can be purchased from the Vermont Historical Society.

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Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas says the Trump administration is attempting to tamp down voter participation with false claims about the accuracy of elections, "witch hunt" requests she'll oppose to turn over sensitive voter information and calls to scrap mail-in voting. Those efforts, along with sending National Guard troops to patrol major cities in largely blue states, are creating "tremendous headwinds coming at our Democracy." The Bradford Democrat plans to run for re-election in 2026. 

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A grassroots group, Building Burlington's Future, recently formed to confront some of the issues facing the Queen City and advocate for policies to make the city "affordable, safe and vibrant."

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Owen Foster, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, discusses the recent cost reductions proposed by the University of Vermont Health Network and the improved communications between the regulator and the state's largest health care provider. Hospital budget hearings before the GMCB start in August. Also, Chris Pearson of Vermont Health Care 911, reacts to the proposed cuts as well. 

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PBS journalist and author Ray Suarez will preach and discuss his book "We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century" at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington on Sunday, July 20th. The book is an oral history of immigrants who've come to the United States. Suarez will also discuss the recent immigration crackdown by the Trump administration. (An event in South Hero where Suarez will speak on July 23 is sold out.)

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A new advocacy group, Vermont Healthcare 911, is taking aim at the rising costs of health care and increasing insurance rates. Coalition members Lisa Ventriss and Dr. Craig Jones discuss why they think their group's efforts -- along with the Green Mountain Care Board, the state's regulatory body -- will be more successful than past attempts to contain medical spending, particularly by the University of Vermont Health Network. Network officials say they are conscious of the affordability issues and are presenting budgets with increases in line with requests by the GMCB. 

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WCAX veteran photojournalist Joe Carroll talks about his journey after learning last year he has advanced prostate cancer. The 62-year-old host of "Super Seniors" is currently in remission. 

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The recent arrest of undocumented farmworkers by federal agents in Franklin County at the state's largest dairy operation has sparked fears of further enforcement efforts, as well as outrage against the Trump administration. Will Lambek of Migrant Justice discusses the reaction of the farming community and the resilience of the migrants who come primarily from Mexico. Vermont produces 63 percent of the milk supply in New England. 

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Does increasing tariffs make sense? UVM Economics professor Rich Sicotte explains the history, mechanics and wisdom of President Trump's push to levy higher fees on imported products.