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3 weeks ago | 
vermontpublic.org | Jenn Jarecki |Kevin Trevellyan
Despite all the 'likes' out there, the evidence that regular social media use is harmful to adolescents’ mental health is mounting. Then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy penned an op-ed on the subject last year. He cited a survey that found the average teen spent nearly five hours per day on social media in 2023, and he mentioned recent research that suggested spending over three hours daily on apps doubledthe risk of poor mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression.
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3 weeks ago | 
nhpr.org | Jenn Jarecki |Joey Palumbo |Nathaniel Wilson
There’s a lot going on these days, and studies suggest staying plugged into all of it is partially why more and more Americans are reporting increased anxiety. But what if your arms were wrapped around a fuzzy goat instead of your scrolling device of choice? Research consistently affirms that interacting with animals can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Vermont Public’s Jenn Jarecki visited New Village Farm in Shelburne to learn about their goat snuggling program.
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4 weeks ago | 
vermontpublic.org | Jenn Jarecki |Joey Palumbo |Nathaniel Wilson
There’s a lot going on these days, and studies suggest staying plugged into all of it is partially why more and more Americans are reporting increased anxiety. But what if your arms were wrapped around a fuzzy goat instead of your scrolling device of choice? Research consistently affirms that interacting with animals can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Vermont Public’s Jenn Jarecki visited New Village Farm in Shelburne to learn about their goat snuggling program.
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1 month ago | 
vermontpublic.org | Jenn Jarecki |Kevin Trevellyan
Spring is nearly here, which means longer days, muddier roads — and, for enthusiasts of the written word, the announcement of the Vermont Book Awards finalists. The awards honor outstanding local work in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and children’s literature. The prizes are overseen by Vermont Humanities and the state Department of Libraries.
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2 months ago | 
vermontpublic.org | Jenn Jarecki
As a young girl growing up in Iraq, Saja Almogalli did not feel comfortable approaching police. Now, she's an officer herself. At 16, Almogalli arrived in Burlington as a refugee from Iraq by way of Turkey. She taught herself and her siblings English and came to establish a life in Vermont, graduating from Burlington High School and the University of Vermont before eventually pursuing a career in law enforcement.
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2 months ago | 
vermontpublic.org | Nathaniel Wilson |Jenn Jarecki
In his first two weeks back in office, President Donald Trump issued executive orders at a blistering pace. Already, his administration is reshaping how the government approaches wide-ranging issues like federal spending, immigration, gender and climate, among other things. Local officials are figuring out how to respond to many of those seismic shifts, including State Treasurer Mike Pieciak.
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
nhpr.org | Bob Kinzel |Nathaniel Wilson |Jenn Jarecki
Early next week, a Vermont judge will consider a legal motion that could have a tremendous impact on the state's retail cannabis industry. The case involves regulations for how stores can advertise their products, which the plaintiffs argue violate free speech protections in the Vermont Constitution. A retail store in Middlebury, FLŌRACannabis, filed the lawsuit, and a number of other cannabis businesses have joined. How did the state’s cannabis advertising regulations become what they are now?
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
vermontpublic.org | Bob Kinzel |Nathaniel Wilson |Jenn Jarecki
Early next week, a Vermont judge will consider a legal motion that could have a tremendous impact on the state's retail cannabis industry. The case involves regulations for how stores can advertise their products, which the plaintiffs argue violate free speech protections in the Vermont Constitution. A retail store in Middlebury, FLŌRACannabis, filed the lawsuit, and a number of other cannabis businesses have joined. How did the state’s cannabis advertising regulations become what they are now?
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
vermontpublic.org | Bob Kinzel |Jenn Jarecki |Nathaniel Wilson
This month marks the first anniversary of online sports betting becoming legal in Vermont. Vermonters have put money down on a wide swath of events over that time: the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA championship and even table tennis during last summer’s Olympics. During the past year, the state has also beefed up its resources for people who develop gambling problems. Vermont Public's Bob Kinzel joined host Jenn Jarecki to share more. This piece was produced for the ear.
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Jan 10, 2025 | 
vermontpublic.org | Jenn Jarecki |Nathaniel Wilson
The highly selective Rhodes Scholarship is a full-time, fully funded postgraduate award to study at the University of Oxford in England. Since the prize was first handed out in 1903, 43 Rhodes Scholars have hailed from the Green Mountain State. And a new Vermonter is on the list for the first time in nearly two decades. Before she starts that work, Lena Ashooh of Shelburne is about to graduate as Harvard University’s first-ever animal studies major.
