The Spark

The saying that every cloud has a silver lining might in fact ring true during the coronavirus pandemic. There is plenty of bad news, to be sure, but every so often there is good news, too. Since the nation and Pennsylvania went under stay-at-home orders in March there is a noticeable improvement in air quality. … Continue reading "The coronavirus on Smart Talk Tuesday: The air we breathe and Teacher Appreciation Week"

The bad news for Pennsylvania schools keeps pouring in. Financial analysts met last week and issued a dire prognosis on the budget fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. Tax revenues that support Pennsylvania schools are so unpredictable that best guess estimates put shortfalls in the neighborhood of more than one billion dollars. And that is just … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Monday: Public schools in Pa. facing billion dollar tax loss impact and is telework the new normal?"

Former Pennsylvania Governor and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is speaking out about the nationwide protests against stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. Ridge is especially critical of those who attended the rallies armed with semi-automatic rifles and other firearms — many who called themselves patriots. The former governor authored an opinion column on the … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Friday: Former Gov. Ridge takes on protesters, how virus gained a foot hold in Pa’s nursing homes, and voting by mail"

“We’re all in this together.” That is a sentiment that we’ve heard often during the last two months as the coronavirus has changed our ways of life significantly. Staying at home, not being able to visit or even communicate with others, losing jobs, worrying about our finances, and the anxieties that come with protecting ourselves … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Thursday: Mental health providers face challenge treating from a distance and Pa to see some restrictions eased"

Throughout the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. we heard that food was plentiful at the nation’s grocery stores. Certain non-food items like toilet paper or cleaning supplies were in such demand that stores couldn’t keep them in stock and still are limiting purchases if the stores have those items at all. … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Wednesday: How grocers and farmers are managing shift in demand and increase in business"

Consumer groups are behind a campaign to enact “right-to-repair” legislation in Pennsylvania. According to PennPirg, a consumer rights organization, “manufacturers often withhold critical information, tools, and parts to fix a wide range of products including cell phones, hospital equipment, tractors, and other devices.” PennPirg says the proposal has taken on urgency during the coronavirus pandemic … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Tuesday: Right-to-repair medical equipment; Social media during pandemic"

Public health nurses are often under-appreciated for their role as first responders. Their job in the community is to educate and serve at-risk populations, with a focus on disease prevention. Their responsibilities in the community have put them front and center in the battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But limited staffing and … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Monday; Public Health Nurses integral to virus battle and COVID-19, fact vs. fiction"

Nearly a quarter of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Medical Services shut down between 2012 and 2018 due to a lack of funding and not enough emergency service technicians, paramedics or volunteers to staff ambulances. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, emergency responders face exposure to patients infected by the virus and risking their own health, as … Continue reading "Coronavirus on Smart Talk Thursday: Pandemic puts emergency responders in tough spot; PennDOT adapts"

Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities were facing major financial challenges before the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the schools to online classes only, but the coronavirus outbreak has made the institutions’ situation even more dire. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s 14 universities are projected to lose up to $100 million as a result of the spring semester … Continue reading "The coronavirus on Smart Talk Wednesday: Insurance questions answered and Pa. state universities at a turning point"

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to address several questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fetterman was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf last week to lead a task force to address the disparity between how African-Americans, Latinos and Asian Pacific Pennsylvanians are affected by the COVID-19 virus. Pennsylvania doesn’t have thorough … Continue reading "Smart Talk and coronavirus on Tuesday: Lt. Gov. John Fetterman"