January 6, 2002 – News at a glance

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Interview: FDR’s four freedoms
VPR’s Steve Delaney talks with historian Victor Henningsen about Franklin Roosevelt’s “four freedoms” speech that inspired Norman Rockwell’s series of paintings by the same name

1941 Four Freedoms speech
Monday is the anniversary of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address. (Listen to a portion of the speech online.) (VPR)

Democratic presidential field widens
The field of possible Democratic
presidential candidates is expanding. Last week, North Carolina Senator John Edwards and former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt announced their intentions to run. And in the next few weeks, several more candidates are expected to join the race. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)

Dean presidential campaign
Governor Howard Dean says President Bush is creating class warfare in the United States. Dean says the president’s economic policies continue to favor the rich over the middle class. He says the best economic stimulus would be to provide health care for every American. Dean also said over the weekend that a nuclear armed North Korea is more of a threat to the United States than Iraq. Dean says he agrees pressure has to be put on Iraq, but he says it should be done through the United Nations. (AP)

Government transition
Vermont’s political landscape is about to change dramatically. The 2003 Legislature will convene for the first time on Wednesday. Governor Howard Dean will leave office on Thursday when Governor-elect Jim Douglas, a Republican, will be sworn in. (AP)

New Legislature
The Vermont Legislature is getting younger and there are more women, too. The average age of the state Senate was 59.3 in 2001. This year it will be 57.6. And there are 57 women lawmakers this year, up from 53 last session. (AP)

Heating bills
The number of Vermonters asking for help paying their heating bills is up this year. Social workers say dipping temperatures, rising fuel costs and a sluggish economy are behind the increase. Some fear the program could run out of money before spring. (AP)

PG & E dams purchase
Town officials in Rockingham face obstacles in their bid to buy the Bellows Falls hydroelectric dam, which was recently put up for sale by Pacific Gas and Electric. PG & E is selling six of its Connecticut River dams. But P G & E says it hopes to sell its six Connecticut River dams as a complete generating system, rather than as single units. (AP)

2002 stock market recap
Vermont companies held their own in the difficult stock market of 2002. The Dow Jones industrial average posted its third consecutive losing year last year. But analysts say Vermont companies had a relatively good year. One winner was IDX Systems Corporation in South Burlington, which closed with a gain of 33% at the end of the year. (AP)

Pownal racing
A group that helped ban dog racing in Vermont is now gearing up to fight efforts to revive the Green Mountain Racetrack. The track, which is in Pownal, has been idle for years. But its owners are hoping Vermont’s soon-to-be governor, James Douglas, will allow some forms of gambling that could help them re-open the track. (AP)

Perkinsville arson
A Perkinsville woman has pleaded innocent to charges she burned down the home of her ex-boyfriend. Nancy Bartlett, 41, was arrested Thursday after fire destroyed the home of Andrew Blaise. Police say Bartlett admitted setting the fire. There were no injuries. (AP)

1951 Red Sox baseball
A Washington, Vermont man is looking to sell an autographed baseball he found in the drawer of an old bureau 35 years ago. Rod Trevett’s ball was autographed by 27 players from the 1951 Red Sox, including Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio. (AP)

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