The Spark

There have been many celebrations during LGBTQ Pride Month in June, but it also is a time to highlight issues or challenges facing the LGBTQ community. Earlier this month, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order to add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as protected classes for state workers under the commonwealth’s sexual … Continue reading "Renewed calls for anti-discrimination law during LGBTQ Pride Month / How to beat the heat and stay safe during the heat wave"

One of the reason the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium complex in Surfside, Florida, shocked so many people is how uncommon it is for a building to fall down in the United States without the presence of a natural disaster or criminal intent, like a terrorist attack. The tragedy, in which at least 11 people died and … Continue reading "Florida building collapse leaves many asking questions about structure durability and safety"

Listen to Smart Talk every weekday at 9am and 7pm on WITF 89.5 & 93.3. You can also stream WITF radio live on our website or ask your smart speaker to “Play WITF Radio.” First it was mass shootings. Now it’s a significant increase in the number of murders across the country. President Joe Biden released a five-point plan … Continue reading "Murders are way up across the country"

The coronavirus pandemic disrupted millions of lives in so many ways: our health, jobs, education, social lives and more. For those who were struggling before the pandemic, the last 15 months have often made their situations even more difficult. Nonprofit organizations on the front lines were impacted as well. On Friday’s Smart Talk, we … Continue reading "Vulnerable Pennsylvanians still in need as pandemic winds down"

Ticks are a common threat during the warmer months in Pennsylvania, and their presence is more than just a nuisance. Black legged ticks, also called deer ticks, are the most common carrier of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. Ticks typically thrive in tall grass, brush and wooded areas, and they have been found in every county … Continue reading "How to protect yourself from ticks – UFO theories now mainstream"

Results from the June 2021 Franklin & Marshall College Poll show that many Pennsylvanians are feeling positively about the state of the pandemic. Fewer than 10 percent of survey respondents believe COVID-19 is currently the state’s most important problem, compared to more than 30 percent in March. The survey also asked about vaccination. Seventy-nine percent … Continue reading "Franklin & Marshall statewide poll points to dissatisfaction with current election laws – Sunrise Movement youth organization marching to stop climate change"

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced a charter school accountability plan earlier this month that “realigns what taxpayers are paying with what it costs to provide a charter option for students.” The proposals promise an estimated $395 million a year in savings and stops “draining funds from traditional public schools at a time they can least … Continue reading "Charter school accountability plan – Charter school advocates urge caution"

Before our collective attention was highjacked by the coronavirus, legislators around the state and country were focused on criminal justice reform. There was a great deal of energy behind the momentum, which seems to have taken a back seat to other pressing issues. The ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a report this month that focuses attention … Continue reading "Report details an expansion of criminal punishments over the past decade"

Enrollment in area colleges and universities began declining gradually over the past few years, but the pandemic has exacerbated the problem significantly. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that student enrollments are down more than 600,000 from a year ago; the greatest decline in more than a decade. What is behind the … Continue reading "Colleges and universities experience decline in student enrollments – Circle of Truth exhibition connects 49 artists over nine years"

Pennsylvania pays the second highest gas tax in the nation at more than 58 cents per gallon. The money generated by the tax is earmarked for the state’s highway fund to pay for transportation infrastructure construction and repair. But since the early 2000s, billions of dollars from the fund have been used to pay for … Continue reading "Billions of dollars for transportation diverted away from construction projects"