The Spark

WITF’s Election 2020 coverage on Smart Talk continues Friday with a candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Joining us on Friday’s program is Democrat Todd Rowley who is running for the 13th Congressional District. The 13th district includes portions of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties. The … Continue reading "Smart Talk Friday; Democrat Rowley for the 13th District; Wolf administration unveils health reform plan"

A surge in gun sales and background checks across the state are getting a lot of attention. In the past three months alone, a record-breaking 406,151 background checks were conducted through the firearm background check system. Some gun stores report increased sales and subsequent shortages in items ranging from hunting weapons to handguns. Ammunition is … Continue reading "Smart Talk Thursday: Record gun purchases in Pa.; School bus industry hurting; Drought watch expanded"

WITF’s Election 2020 coverage on Smart Talk continues Wednesday as we’re joined by Jo Jorgensen, Ph.D., the Libertarian Party candidate running for President of the United States. The Democratic and Republican Party candidates get almost all of the attention during campaigns – in part because candidates from those two parties win 99% of elected offices. … Continue reading "Smart Talk Wednesday: Libertarian president candidate Jo Jorgensen; Pa. oral health plan"

The election countdown is on! With less than 30 days to the general election there are many issues and questions facing Pennsylvania voters. People want to know if the election will be secure, when they will know the results, and if they decide to vote in-person, can it be done safely? And for mail-in ballots … Continue reading "Smart Talk Tuesday: Preparing for a historic Election Day"

WITF’s Election 2020 coverage on Smart Talk Monday with a Republican candidate running for statewide office. Appearing on Monday’s program is Republican Tim DeFoor, who is running for Auditor General. The Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General is the chief fiscal watchdog of the commonwealth. It is responsible for using audits to ensure that all … Continue reading "Smart Talk Monday: Republican DeFoor for Auditor General"

The nation and the world woke to the breaking news that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the Coronavirus. Other than the potential health implications for the Trumps, what other impact with this news have for the country? Will American’s become more compliant with their state’s pandemic restrictions? How … Continue reading "Smart Talk Friday: President Trump and First Lady test positive; assessing the impact"

The arts in Pennsylvania communities are a vital component to the quality of life here. Performing arts venues, galleries and museums, all contribute to vibrant communities and active lifestyles. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the arts to a halt at the very beginning of the crisis and many venues are just now beginning to reopen. The … Continue reading "Smart Talk Thursday; State of the Arts in Pa. and how pervasive is Ageism?"

Transportation issues and infrastructure impact every Pennsylvanian, every day. It is a complex system that influences our state’s economy through revenue sources, the availability of consumer goods, access to jobs and industry, and critical economic development. Planning for transportation improvements is a 12-year program window that is updated every two years. The state recently approved … Continue reading "Smart Talk Wednesday; Pennsylvania’s 12-year transportation plan"

WITF’s Election 2020 coverage on Smart Talk continues Tuesday with candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives and statewide offices. Joining us on Tuesday’s program is Republican Dan Meuser, the incumbent Congressman in the 9th Congressional District. The 9th district is made up of Carbon, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, and Schuylkill Counties, as well as … Continue reading "Smart Talk Tuesday: 9th District Congressman Dan Meuser; Sickle cell awareness"

The September 2020 Franklin and Marshall College Poll finds that Pennsylvania voters support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden over President Trump, are in favor of wearing masks to mitigate COVID-19 by a substantial margin, and support legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. Those are just a few of the findings in a poll that ask … Continue reading "Smart Talk Monday: F&M poll on presidential race, other issues; Summer Read authors Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant"