Episodes
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Historic: Breaking down 2020 election with Stuart Stevens of Lincoln Project & VTDigger
The 2020 election was historic. Voter turnout records were smashed: Some 160 million Americans voted — the largest number ever, comprising 67% of eligible voters, the highest turnout rate in 120 years. In Vermont, over 360,000 voters turned out, exceeding the … Continue reading →
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“Extreme majority:” Impact of the most conservative Supreme Court in a century
“We have a far-right extreme majority on the Supreme Court,” asserts James Lyall, executive director of the Vermont ACLU. “At no point in our lifetime has the Supreme Court been so far out of step with where most of the … Continue reading →
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“A caricature of illegitimacy:” Sen. Patrick Leahy on the Barrett SCOTUS hearings
“This isn’t just illegitimate; it’s a caricature of illegitimacy,” tweeted Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy during the confirmation process of President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who is expected to be confirmed just days before the 2020 presidential … Continue reading →
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Is Trump Fascist? Yale Professor Jason Stanley on How Fascism Works
Is fascism on the rise under President Donald Trump? Jason Stanley, a professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of the bestselling 2018 book, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, discusses the fascist tactics used by Trump to … Continue reading →
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Democracy on the ballot: Gov. Howard Dean on the stakes in the 2020 election
What is at stake in the 2020 election? Is democracy on the ballot? Howard Dean has a unique perspective that extends from the Green Mountains to the nation. He served as governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003, ran unsuccessfully … Continue reading →
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Gov. Madeleine Kunin on Trump’s tirades, democracy in peril & hope
Former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin, who just turned 87, remains a keen participant in politics. Kunin is the first and only woman to be elected governor in Vermont, serving from 1985 to 1991. She was also deputy secretary of education and ambassador to … Continue reading →
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Will your vote count? Sue Halpern on election security threats
Voter suppression could affect the outcome of the November presidential election. Will everyone get to vote in November, and will their votes be counted? “It could be a big mess,” warns Sue Halpern, a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine covering … Continue reading →
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“Trump has crossed the Rubicon:” Authors Lawrence Rosenthal & John Judis on the presidential debate and white supremacy
The presidential debate held on Sept. 30 will be remembered as the first time that an American president openly allied with white supremacists. “The remarks addressed to the Proud Boys stood out as a kind of bellwether of something pretty … Continue reading →
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Can the CDC be trusted? Ex-top CDC official Dr. Howard Frumkin on political interference in science
In the midst of a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans, many people are wondering: Can the Centers for Disease Control be trusted? Dr. Howard Frumkin was a top CDC official under President Obama and is deeply alarmed by … Continue reading →
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No human is “illegal:” Trailblazing journalist Maria Hinojosa on the immigrant human rights crisis
“I don’t use the word ‘illegals’ to refer to human beings,” says Maria Hinojosa, a trailblazing Emmy Award-winning journalist who has been among the first Latina reporters at PBS, CBS, CNN, and NPR. “We have to actively get those voices … Continue reading →
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“We are at a tipping point:” Yale historian Timothy Snyder
Timothy Snyder is a professor of history at Yale and a world renowned scholar of authoritarianism. His 2017 international bestseller, On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the 20th Century, is a roadmap to how autocrats rise and democracies fall. Snyder’s newest … Continue reading →
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“I’m extremely worried:” Rep. Peter Welch on legislating during a national crisis
Peter Welch has been Vermont’s lone congressional representative since 2006. Welch is the chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus and serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He’s a … Continue reading →
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CNN’s Brian Stelter on Trump, Fox News, and ‘Distortions of Truth’
CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter has watched with amazement and alarm as the relationship between Donald Trump and Fox News has grown ever more intertwined and interdependent. Fox primetime hosts float conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated claims, and Trump tweets … Continue reading →
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Music, mental illness and ending stigma with Vermont’s Me2 Orchestra
Ronald Braunstein was a musical prodigy, becoming the first American to win the prestigious Karajan International Conducting Competition in Berlin in 1979. He was leading top orchestras around the world and his career was soaring — but his mental health … Continue reading →
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Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki & pro athletes call for voting in sports arenas to protect 2020 election
When NBA players walked off the court in protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in late August 2020, they announced a surprising precondition for their return: that the arenas in which they played should be used as voting … Continue reading →
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Hatemonger: Author Jean Guerrero on Stephen Miller & white nationalism
At last month’s Republican National Convention, President Trump declared, “Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists and agitators, and criminals who threaten our citizens.” The man behind this over-the-top … Continue reading →
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Stolen election? Ari Berman on voter suppression and threats to the 2020 election
Will the 2020 election be stolen? Will voter suppression affect the outcome? Voting rights expert and journalist Ari Berman discusses how voter suppression works and how it has already changed electoral outcomes in the U.S. He explains the strategy behind … Continue reading →
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Vermont’s RNC delegates on the “extremely successful” presidency of Donald Trump and Democratic responsibility for coronavirus deaths
A half dozen Vermont delegates to the Republican National Convention (RNC) traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina this week join 330 other Republican delegates representing 50 states, six territories and Washington, D.C., to renominate Donald Trump as their candidate for president. … Continue...
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Fighting to vote: A century of struggle for women’s suffrage
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, thus giving women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a suffrage movement that was launched in 1848 at the … Continue reading →
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“We can do this:” Vermont DNC delegates voice hope and “terror” about 2020 election
This has been the most unconventional Democratic National Convention. It is taking place, not in Milwaukee as originally planned, but virtually, due to the coronavirus pandemic. We talk with five Vermont delegates to the 2020 DNC about their roles, their … Continue reading →
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Can Vermont schools safely reopen? A top educator & pediatrician confront the challenges
Can schools safely reopen? Balancing staff and student safety against the need for children to return to school has been daunting and controversial around Vermont and the country. “The kids are not alright,” asserts Dr. Rebecca Bell, a critical care pediatrician … Continue reading →
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“You’re either a coward or complicit:” Why ex-Navy SEAL Dr. Dan Barkhuff is fighting Trump
How does a self-described “pro-life, gun-owning combat veteran” end up starring in ads against President Trump? Dan Barkhuff is a former Navy SEAL and now an emergency physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He is the founder of … Continue reading →
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“It Was All a Lie:” Top GOP operative Stuart Stevens on renouncing his party & defeating Trump
For 25 years, Stuart Stevens was a leading strategist and media consultant to top Republican politicians, helping to elect presidents, senators, congressman, and governors. He was top strategist for 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and he worked on both … Continue reading →
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Election 2020: Democratic candidates Rebecca Holcombe & David Zuckerman make their case for being Vermont’s next governor
Former Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe and Lt. Governor David Zuckerman are vying to be Vermont’s next governor. First, one of them must win the August 11 Democratic primary to advance to the general election, where they will likely face Republican … Continue reading →
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The fight to save abortion rights: UVM Prof. Felicia Kornbluh on the Supreme Court and reproductive justice
In June 2020, the US Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s attempt to severely limit abortions. This came as a shock to many because Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal majority, seemingly reversing an earlier stand that he took … Continue reading →
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Is it safe to return to school in a pandemic? Pediatrician Dr. William Raszka makes the case
Should children return to school? Will this result in the spread of COVID-19? And if a vaccine against COVID 19 is developed, will people get vaccinated? Pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. William Raszka argues that depression is becoming a major … Continue reading →
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“This is not a public health crisis — it’s a political crisis:” Stanford epidemiologist Dr. Steve Goodman on the exploding COVID-19 pandemic & the abdication of leadership
Why does the U.S. now have the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world? Dr. Steve Goodman argues that public health experts “know exactly how to [manage COVID] – we just need the political will.” He notes, “It’s not politicians who … Continue reading →
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“The Crisis of American Democracy:” WaPo media columnist Margaret Sullivan on the collapse of local journalism
Most people might assume that the greatest threat to the media is President Trump’s relentless assaults on what he falsely calls “fake news.” But Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan argues, “Another crisis is happening more quietly. Some of the … Continue reading →
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“We’re on the road to something new:” Emily Bernard, acclaimed author of “Black is the Body”
Emily Bernard’s latest book of essays, Black is the Body: Stories from my Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine, was named a Best Book of 2019 by NPR and received the LA Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. … Continue reading →
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Vt. House Speaker Mitzi Johnson on COVID relief and the road ahead
The Vermont Legislature have temporarily adjourned after appropriating about $1 billion in coronavirus relief funds. The money is intended to help Vermonters, businesses, and communities survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson discusses what was passed, how governing …...
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Black Lives Matter & criminal justice reform: Vt. Judiciary Chair Sen. Dick Sears
Vermont Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington) discusses criminal justice and policing reform in the age of Black Lives Matter protests and police brutality revelations. He also discusses reducing Vermont’s prison population and ending the “warrior mentality” of police. (July 1, 2020 … Continue reading →
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“The greatest voter fraud is denying an American the right to vote:” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
Pres. Trump declared at a rally in Arizona this week: “This will be in my opinion the most corrupt election in the history of our country, and we can not let this happen.” Trump has repeatedly claimed without proof that … Continue reading →
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We need “a radical reconception of policing:” Ex-Police Chief Brandon del Pozo
In a forceful New York Times op-ed following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Brandon del Pozo, a former NYPD officer and police chief of Burlington, Vermont, slammed police for having “aligned themselves with the president’s flagrant racism … Continue reading →
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Black Lives in the Green Mountains: Race & racism in Vermont
According to the ACLU of Vermont, “Every metric we have shows that Black Vermonters face systemic barriers to education, health care, employment, and justice.” Too often, conversations about racism consist of white reporters (like me) asking black people to explain … Continue reading →
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How Democracies Die: Harvard Prof. Steven Levitsky
Is America on the brink of authoritarianism? Steven Levitsky has been wrestling with that question. Levistky is professor of government at Harvard University and is co-author, with fellow Harvard Professor Daniel Ziblatt, of the international bestselling book, How Democracies Die. … Continue...
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Is America at a tipping point? Bill McKibben on the Uprising
Could the wave of protests around the US signal a tipping point for social change? How are the issues of climate crisis, racism, police brutality, and the COVID-19 pandemic linked? Bill McKibben, a veteran activist and author, discusses the interconnections … Continue reading →
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“Racism is death by a million cuts:” Former Rep. Kiah Morris on roots of the rebellion
America is in revolt. Following the police killings of unarmed African Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, numerous cities have erupted in mass protests against racism, police brutality, white supremacy, and inequality. We discuss racism and the uprising … Continue reading →
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“We have to defend the country from martial law:” James Lyall of ACLU of Vermont
Scenes of American soldiers and militarized police attacking peaceful protesters have shocked the world this week. James Lyall of the ACLU of Vermont says, “This is not a time for despair. It is a time for everyone to speak out, to … Continue reading →
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Essential but abandoned: Undocumented farmworkers in Vermont demand recognition
Immigrants and undocumented workers on Vermont’s dairy farms have been hit with a triple crisis: the coronavirus pandemic, the collapse of dairy farms, and the ongoing threat of deportation by ICE. Farmworkers, led by Migrant Justice, are demanding support to … Continue reading →
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“This is a crisis on top of a crisis:” Undocumented people fight for survival and support during pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic has hit immigrant communities harder than nearly any other group. But as trillions of dollars in relief money has been authorized by Congress, the undocumented, including essential workers, have been left out. We speak with two leaders … Continue reading →
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Who lives and who dies? Harvard epidemiologist Nancy Krieger on health disparities, COVID-19 & “our common humanity”
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions of people around the country and the world, but the rates of death among low-income and minority communities is disproportionately high. Why? Dr. Nancy Krieger, Professor of Social Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan … Continue reading →
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“We are in serious trouble:” Prof. Amitai Etzioni on Trump and the threat of fascism
Amitai Etzioni is from a family of German Jews who fled Germany as Hitler and the Nazis were rising in the 1930s. He worries that fascism could come to America under Donald Trump. “Now we have a demagogue who can … Continue reading →
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“We are in an unprecedented moment:” Sens. Sanders, Leahy & Rep. Welch on COVID-19 response and road ahead
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many businesses and employees are relying on lifelines from emergency federal relief programs. Vermont’s Congressional delegation — Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch — discuss the federal response and the road … Continue reading →
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Is Trump accountable for COVID-19 deaths? Eugene Jarecki launches #TrumpDeathClock
In just the first two months of the pandemic, 70,000 Americans died of COVID-19–more Americans than died during the decade-long Vietnam War. Epidemiologists have written that if Trump had instituted social distancing on March 9, a week earlier than he … Continue reading →
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“It’s time for the next generation of leadership:” Molly Gray runs for Vermont Lt. Governor
Molly Gray is a fourth generation Vermonter who grew up on a family farm and now works as an assistant attorney general in Vermont. She is running for Lt. Governor of Vermont. If elected, she would be just the fourth … Continue reading →
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“Lean on me:” Coping with COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis are impacting many people’s mental health. A recent poll by Kaiser showed that 45% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress … Continue reading →
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“We’re nowhere near where we need to be:” Stanford epidemiologist Steve Goodman on COVID-19 testing, easing restrictions & a Second Wave
As President Trump pushes states to relax their COVID-19 restrictions amid protests, many sponsored by national conservative activists including the Mercer and Koch families, we talk with Stanford epidemiologist Steve Goodman, MD, MHS, PhD, about where we are in the … Continue reading →
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Hunger grows in Vermont
The images are becoming a symbol of our time: 800 cars in line at a food shelf in Pittsburgh. New York City residents lined up for blocks to receive free food. In Vermont, food shelves are experiencing a spike in … Continue reading →
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“This is a wake-up call:” Donna Carpenter of Burton Snowboards on fighting COVID-19, climate change & paying it forward
When Donna Carpenter, owner and board chair of Burton Snowboards, heard that local hospitals were asking for donations of personal protective equipment to deal with the widening COVID-19 pandemic, she thought of the nurses and physicians who cared for her … Continue reading →
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Vermont Conversation currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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