The fourth episode of the Catching the Codfather podcast.

There aren’t many things that will get me out of bed at 5:30 in the morning. But bagels—or really just the prospect of learning how to make them—is one. Recently, I stood in Wellfleet’s Bagel Hound with owner Ellery Althaus, while the windows were still dark, staring a pile of dough.

New England utilities and grid operators are working to reduce demand on the grid during times of peak use. In the long run, those efforts could help mitigate how much more infrastructure New England needs to build.

New England has some of the highest energy costs in the country. Cold winters, along with other rising expenses, have rural towns looking for ways to save money. Many have embraced a switch to electric appliances, powered by home-grown renewable energy as a strategy to spare pocketbooks and help the planet.

A prominent national association of journalists recently gave Massachusetts the "Black Hole Award"—a sarcastically and annually bestowed dishonor calling out governments that lack transparency.

A U.S. appeals court ruled Friday that immigration laws allow people to apply for asylum at the border, and the president cannot bypass this. The decision stems from Trump declaring the border situation an invasion and suspending asylum.

The Justice Department is dropping its investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, paving the way for the Senate to confirm Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee to lead the Fed.

Vermonter Noah Kahan reflects on his New England roots as he rises to stardom with new album The Great Divide. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Vermont Public's DJ Llu about the record.