What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, July 15, 2019: Last year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the Commonwealth’s legislative district map as a violation of the State Constitution and imposed its own as a substitute. But with the 2020 census on the horizon, the process of drawing new congressional districts will soon … Continue reading "The state of gerrymandering in PA and preparing for earthquakes"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, July 12, 2019: More than 33,000 Pennsylvania students attend cyber charter schools. These online education programs are public schools and receive $463 million in state funding each year, money that comes from the budgets of the public school districts in which the cyber charter students reside. In … Continue reading "Performance of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, July 11, 2019: Drug addiction affects thousands of Pennsylvanians every year. Emergency rooms across the state saw 13,499 opioid overdose-related visits in less than two years, from Jan. 1, 2018 to June 8, 2019. The Get Help Now hotline, which connects people experiencing addiction with treatment services, … Continue reading "Overcoming addiction in PA / Involuntary commitment"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Wednesday, July 10, 2019: Many households struggle with finances but don’t qualify for public assistance. These families walk a financial tightrope and are one emergency away from poverty or severe hardship. The United Way of Pennsylvania uses the ALICE report to gauge financial hardship. ALICE stands for Asset … Continue reading "Walking the fine line between poverty and financial hardship"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, July 9, 2019: WITF’s “Summer of Space” commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and man’s first steps on the moon in July, 1969. There are many programs on WITF, 89.5 FM and WITF-TV devoted to the historic event and the nation’s space program. With that … Continue reading "Astronaut Scott Altman/Novelist Catherine Chung"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, July 3, 2019: The Supreme Court concluded its latest term last week, releasing decisions on controversial issues including the census and gerrymandering. In total, the Court heard arguments in 69 cases this term that broached subjects from religious symbols on public property and federal power on Native … Continue reading "The Supreme Court and Summer of Space"

One in three privately-insured Pennsylvanians have received a surprise medical bill, an unexpected bill from a healthcare provider to a patient for treatment that an insurance company will not cover. Sometimes, these bills come when a patient inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider, while, in other cases, bills may come from “middle men” or … Continue reading "Surprise medical bills and tracking sharks"

If you or someone you know is in need of help or someone to talk to, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 800-273-8255 (TTY at 800-799-4889) or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, July 1, 2019: When a person dies by suicide their family and friends are left wondering … Continue reading "Fighting to save lives from suicide"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, June 28, 2019: Eating disorders are recognized as the most fatal mental illnesses. Someone dies as the result of an eating disorder about once an hour, according to the Eating Disorders Coalition. Eating disorders affect Pennsylvanians from all backgrounds. Genetics, environmental factors and personality traits can create … Continue reading "Understanding the threat of eating disorders"

This image released by the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday, June 17, 2019, and taken from a U.S. Navy helicopter, shows what the Navy says are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy removing an unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous. (U.S. Department of Defense via AP) What to look for … Continue reading "United States strategy in Iran and the Middle East / Philadelphia refinery fire"