The story of Vermont’s schools these days is largely defined by a declining number of school-aged kids. But the state’s 17 career and technical education centers are beating the odds — and seeing an increase in applicants.

From Erica Heilman: "What Now Sounds Like" is a periodic series I make about the sound of right now, and it's made up of recordings that listeners send to me from all over the world. My hope is that when you listen to all these recordings together, they start to make something that sounds familiar to you, something that is more than the sum of their parts.In this show you hear from: Carolyn and her neighbors on Coits Gore Road in Vermont, Amanda in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, dogs in Atlanta, Jeff Sharlet interviewing Pastor Pete in Holiday City, Ohio, Heather’s kids in Washington, D.C., Jarrod in West Philly, Susan and Stella in Pittsburgh, and a xylophone on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma. You heard my mom Barbara on my couch, Devon in Gladstone Missouri, the train in Melbourne Australia, Aaron in Shediac New Brunswick, and night insects in South Africa. You heard Zack in Lafayette, Indiana, Beverly and her mom in Toronto, Alice in Los Angeles, Matthew in Glasgow, Scotland, Christina breastfeeding her one-week-old daughter in Lostine, Oregon, Kelly and Dan in Randolph, Vermont, Rosann singing in Greensboro, Vermont and basketball dribbling in East Montpelier Elementary in Vermont.Rumble Strip is a podcast produced by Erica Heilman and distributed on the radio by Vermont Public. Learn more about the show here.

A 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report found that nearly 1 in 4 Vermonters said they'd experienced symptoms of anxiety. Studies show that even just petting an animal can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Shelburne's New Village Farm invites guests to pet, scratch, hold and snuggle their dog-like herd of Nigerian dwarf, Oberhasli, and French alpine goats.

Vermont produces more than half of the country’s maple syrup. And on Maple Open House Weekend, dozens of sugarhouses across the state invite visitors in to see how it’s done.

A pause on some tariffs is expected to end on April 2, and Trump is not backing down on calls for Canada to join the U.S. Some Quebec residents are increasingly angry and worried tensions could escalate.

A new study out of the University of Vermont quantifies just how much migrating female whales do to sustain ocean ecosystems. The answer is: a lot.

"When spring comes, it just feels like a new year, almost like a new chapter, a new beginning," says flower farmer Sarah Demars, who co-owns Four Blooms Farm with her husband. The couple's indoor growing operation has been producing tulips for months — and their outdoor tulips are just on the cusp of blooming.

Westminster recently held a three-day event to recognize the 250th anniversary of the Westminster Massacre, but there are questions around the event's significance in the American Revolution.

The Catamounts are headed to the NCAA Tournament after defeating the top-seeded Albany Great Danes last week. Head coach Alisa Kresge talks to Mitch Wertlieb about the team's run of success and their mindset going into Saturday's game against NC State.

The Vermont Independent talks about the recent funding resolution votes in Congress, his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour and why he wants people to get involved in the political process.