The Deeper Dig

Vermont has maintained the lowest Covid-19 infection rate of any U.S. state for most of this summer. And while some have speculated that’s because of the state’s small population, the country’s leading infectious disease expert says the reasons aren’t so simple. Appearing at a press briefing this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said a number of factors — including Vermonters’ collective vigilance — has led to its success.

Students across Vermont returned to school on Tuesday for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus in March. It took months of preparation for schools to be able to open their doors again. Now, educators and families are waiting to see what happens next.

Guests: Barbara Pennington (West Rutland School), Steven Dellinger-Pate (U-32), Renée DeVore (Montpelier High School), Lola Duffort (VTDigger)

Many essential workers who stayed in high-risk jobs during the early months of the pandemic were cut out of an earlier plan by the state to provide hazard pay. Now, it’s unclear whether lawmakers will be able to include those workers in the next round of Covid relief.

Guests: Kristi Theise, Karen Messing (University of Québec, Montréal), Anne Wallace Allen (VTDigger)

State economists warned earlier this month that because of the pandemic, Vermont's revenue projections were "off the charts bad." So how are leaders advancing a budget that largely maintains the status quo?

The University of Vermont is undertaking what it calls the most extensive college reopening plan in the country. But with schools across the state and the nation reopening within weeks, the Department of Health is actively planning for fall outbreaks that could strain the state's testing and tracing systems.

Guests: Kelly Dougherty (Vermont Department of Health), Sawyer Loftus (VTDigger/Vermont Cynic)

New research shows that remote workers have been flocking to Vermont during the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially easing the struggle to reverse the state's population decline. What’s less clear is whether those workers will stay when the crisis is over.

Guests: Richard Watts (Center for Research on Vermont), Anne Wallace Allen (VTDigger)

The Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is now a VTDigger podcast. Goodman's show, which has aired on WDEV Radio since 2013, features in-depth interviews on local and national issues with politicians, activists, artists, changemakers and citizens who are making a difference. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify to hear more.

This week: For 25 years, Stuart Stevens was a leading strategist and media consultant to top Republican politicians, helping to elect presidents, senators, congressmen, and governors. He was top strategist for 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and he worked on both of George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns. Stevens, who lives in Vermont, has just written a book, It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump. He argues that Trump did not hijack the Republican Party, he is the natural outcome of five decades of the party’s hypocrisy, racism and self delusion.

Tens of thousands of Vermonters have already cast their ballots for the August 11 primary. Here’s what VTDigger’s politics team will be watching when the results come in.

Guests: Grace Elletson, Xander Landen, Kit Norton

Advocates say the state’s stabilization effort should temporarily stave off mass evictions, but it won’t solve the affordable housing crisis Vermont faced before the pandemic.

Guests: Jean Murray (Vermont Legal Aid), Sandrine Kibuey and Jess Hyman (Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity)

As schools in Vermont and across the country prepare to reopen, it’s clear that children who do get the coronavirus are far less likely than adults to get severely ill. Now, a growing body of evidence suggests younger children are unlikely to be the culprits in spreading Covid-19 to others — children or adults — even if the reasons why aren't totally clear.

Guests: Dr. Benjamin Lee (UVM Larner College of Medicine), Lola Duffort (VTDigger education reporter)