Advertise on podcast: 802 News with Mark Johnson

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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, says he's lived a magical life.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.

Send us Fan Mail 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.