In Vermont right now, jobs are plentiful and starting wages are up. Nonetheless, advocates say many people in Vermont are still struggling to afford basic necessities.

Vermont has seen record numbers of COVID-19 infections in the past week, and state officials said at the governor’s weekly press briefing today, Tuesday, Nov. 9, that they’re expecting numbers to remain high. That projection comes as Gov. Phil Scott’s response to the pandemic has come under fire recently from lawmakers who say he should be implementing stricter public health measures, like an indoor mask mandate.

A new investigation by VPR and Seven Days found that one of the bigger landlords in the state, Rick Bove, has neglected routine maintenance at many of his properties in recent years, including violating housing codes intended to protect the health and safety of tenants. And regulators have done little to stop him.The news organizations also found that many tenants even had trouble getting back money owed to them. As VPR's Liam Elder-Connors reports in part 3 of this series, nearly a dozen former tenants have sued Bove to reclaim their security deposit.

We introduce you to One Small Step, a national project that aims to bridge the political divide and bring people closer together — one conversation at a time.

Part 2: Hear reporters Liam Elder-Connors and Derek Brouwer talk about their findings from the latest joint investigation by Vermont Public Radio and Seven Days.Read or listen to the full investigation, here.

In Vermont's housing landscape, a landlord like Rick Bove, should fill an important role. Most of his apartment buildings are newer, built in the last 40 years. They're not fancy but they're designed to be functional and affordable.Bove, who's family is better known for their pasta sauce business, is one of the bigger landlords in Vermont. He has more than 400 units across multiple towns. But a joint investigation by VPR and Seven Days has found that Bove frequently neglects routine maintenance, including serious health and safety issues - leaving tenants in substandard housing. The news organizations also found that regulators have failed to consistently enforce housing standards while Bove continues to receive public subsidies.

Champlain Valley Union High School sophomore Elise Berger plays baseball really well. She was one of just 40 girls from around the country invited to train at a national girls' development camp in Florida last month. And she was so good in that camp that she was asked to stay behind to train with the U.S. Women’s National Development Baseball Team.

The focus of Gov. Phil Scott's COVID-19 media briefing today, Nov. 2, was largely around when and how children aged 5 to 11 can get vaccinated against the virus. Federal regulators are close to approving a vaccine, and state officials say they plan to quickly rollout a multi-pronged plan to get shots in arms. It will involve state-run clinics, pharmacies and pediatricians.

Vermont is among the most vaccinated states in the country. But like the rest of the world, adults — and kids — in Vermont are eager for the authorization of a vaccine for kids under the age of 12. That vaccine took a significant step forward last week, and could be rolling out in Vermont within days.

You may be ultra diligent when it comes to putting food scraps and compostable products into your compost since the Vermont law went into effect in July 2020. But that compostable foodware — the cups, plates and utensils that hold your take-out and to-go orders — are only meant to be the vehicle for getting your food scraps into the compost bin.