802 News with Mark Johnson

Ginny Sweetser died by suicide after battling PTSD from her military service in Iraq. Her mother, Susan, is part of an effort to have wreaths placed at the gravesites of all Vermont veterans this holiday season. Click here to sponsor a wreath as part of the Wreaths Across America project.

Singer-songwriter Jon Gailmor's musical impact on Vermonters has stretched across 45 years and been particularly profound on children through his long-running radio program "Just Kidding." Now 76 and facing health challenges, Jon is moving to New Orleans to be closer to family.  He promises to come back and visit the Green Mountains as often as possible.

Owen Foster, the chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, discusses an analysis by Dr. Bruce Harmory that paints a bleak financial picture for many of the state's 14 hospitals and why health care reform is urgently needed.

Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak took over as mayor of Burlington in April with a focus on community safety. 

University of Vermont Medical Center officials say the state's largest hospital costs more than $2 billlion to operate. UVMMC President Stephen Leffler points to Vermont’s older population as one major reason. The Green Mountain Care Board, which recently approved "painfully high" double-digit health insurance premiums for the third year in a row, wants to hold down hospital costs, including cutting UVMMC's requested increase in patient revenues. Observers and consultants say Vermont's entire health care system is "broken," and without major reforms will be financially unsustainable by 2030. Dr. Leffler agrees: "Without change, yes, we have a giant problem."  

Ellen Kahler, executive director of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, was recently inducted into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame as an innovator for her work on the state's Farm to Plate program, which has benefited farmers and people by increasing the amount of local food consumed by Vermonters.

Retired businessman and opinion writer Bill Schubart explains why he thinks Vermont's health care system is at a "tipping point" with costs rapidly rising and accessibility diminishing. A recent study by Rees Partners presented to the Green Mountain Care Board showed where savings could be achieved.

Print and digital news outlets in Vermont are struggling financially. Seven Days reporter Colin Flanders discusses the in-depth analysis he and colleague Kevin McCallum conducted on the difficulties and efforts media sites are making to stay alive. 

Historian/Journalist Garrett Graff of Burlington discusses why the crimes and coverup that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon still resonate today. Graff is the author of "Watergate: A New History" that details the events and explains why the scandal has endured 50 years after Nixon stepped down in August of 1974.

Historian Will Randall discusses past presidents who've faced the same pressure as Joe Biden to not run again. Some allies of the 81-year-old president have been concerned about his electability after a poor debate performance against Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Vermont Democrat Sen. Peter Welch said in Washington Post opinion piece that Biden should step aside.