802 News with Mark Johnson
In depth conversations with news makers, news breakers and Vermonters making a difference.
Episodes
80 episodes
Ryan McLaren: Hope Over Nihilism
Ryan McLaren, a former top aide to Sen. Peter Welch, is running for lieutenant governor. He faces Molly Gray and Esther Charlestin in the August Democratic Party primary. The winner will face inc...
Molly Gray Wants Her Old Job Back
Molly Gray, a former lieutenant governor, wants her old job back and is in a three-way primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican, in...
Who Is Amanda Janoo?
Amanda Janoo, an economics and policy expert, is running for governor. She faces child care advocate Aly Richards for the ...
Aly Richards: 'Put Me In, Coach'
The former chief executive director of Let's Grow Kids is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor. Richards, 40, will face economist Amanda Janoo in the Democratic Party primary in August for the...
Warped Masculinity
Vermont investigative journalist Jasper Craven's new book "God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making...
Sen. Welch on Iran, Bondi and ICE
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt, calls the war in Iran a "catastrophe." He also discusses the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the role of state and local police in a recent ICE raid in South Burlington.
Staving Off a "Maple-pocalypse"
Innovation has increased maple syrup output over the last two decades,
State, Local Police Defend Actions in Federal ICE Raid; Protesters Object
Leaders of South Burlington, Burlington and Vermont State Police defended their departments' actions during a March 11 federal immigration ...
Baruth Recaps 16 Years in VT Senate
State Sen. Phil Baruth recounts the highs and lows of his 16 years in the Vermont State Senate, including efforts to pass gun control legislation and boosting childcare subsidies. The Democrat/Progressive is
BTV Crime Stats and Budget Gaps
Statistics from the Burlington Police Department for 2025 show an overall decrease in violent crime, including homicides, and reductions in quality-of-li...
Winter Olympics Preview
Vermont journalist Peggy Shinn previews some of the events and participants at this year's Winter Olympics in Italy, including several with ties to Vermont. The Northeast Kingdom native has covered eight Ol...
Unpacking Bernie
There's a new book coming out about Bernie Sanders and Burlington. The author is Dan Chiasson, a Queen City native. "Bernie for Burlington" tra...
Struggling Boys and Young Men
Many boys and young men are struggling with isolation and loneliness and there is a
Walter's New Heart
Burlington attorney Walter Judge was one of the approximately 4,000 people in the US who received a heart transplant this year.
Education Reform: Now What?
Lawmakers and Gov. Scott agreed last year to major education reform in hopes of reducing chronic property tax increases. However, a committee charged with drawing up new school districts presented this summer a different approach. How wil...
Extreme Outdoor Survival
Jessie Krebs is an outdoor survival skills expert. She discusses how to prepare for an adventure and what to do when things go wrong. Krebs runs
Justice Amestoy: 'Don't Look to the Courts to Save' Democracy
President Donald Trump is "an autocrat" who poses an unprecedented threat to American democracy. So says former Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Amestoy. With Trump loyalists running the Justice Dept., the FBI and the mili...
Escape from Afghanistan
Mitra Mahtab (Naeimi), a 29-year-old Afghan woman, fled her country in 2021 after the United States completed its troop withdrawal and the Taliban regained control. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the 2001 9/11 attacks seeking to root out me...
BTV Police Chief: 'We Need Greater Accountability'
Interim Police Chief Shawn Burke says a lack of accountability is a major factor behind the increase in drug use, theft, violent crime and other illegal activity in Vermont's largest city. Burke was police chief in South Burlington but ag...
No Drought of Wisdom at Darby Farm
Heather Darby is a seventh generation farmer in Alburgh. She is an expert in sustainable agriculture at the UVM Extension Service. She ha...
The Notorious Murder that Brought Clarence Darrow to Vermont
Former Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Amestoy writes about why famed lawyer Clarence Darrow became involved in a grisly murder case in the Green Mountain State in the 1920's. The book, Winters' Time: A Secret Pledge, a...
Protecting Voters and Elections in "Unprecedented" Times
Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas says the Trump administration is attempting to tamp down voter participation with false claims about the accuracy of elections, "witch hunt" requests she'll oppose to turn over sensitive voter informatio...
Burlington Boosters
A grassroots group, Building Burlington's Future, recently formed to confront some of the issues facing the Queen City and advocate for policies to make the city "affordable, safe and vib...
