The Spark

On October 1, 2020 — just 31 weeks from now — Pennsylvanians will be required to have a Real ID-compliant drivers’ license or another form of federally acceptable identification in order to board a domestic commercial flight or to enter a military base or federal building. Real ID driver’s licenses and photo ID cards have … Continue reading "What you need to know about Real ID"

An “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” was officially signed by both the United States and the Taliban on the February 29, 2020. The agreement, if it holds, could bring an end to the longest war in US history that has killed and wounded thousands of US troops and cost more than $2 trillion. Appearing … Continue reading "Withdrawal agreement signed with the Taliban — what happens next?"

Crime rates have dropped in Pennsylvania by 45% over the past 20 years. At the same time, Pennsylvania’s prison population fell by almost 1,500 last year — the biggest one-year decline ever. Those numbers come from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform over much of the … Continue reading "Crime and incarceration rates are falling in Pa."

The Center for Disease Control issued a dire warning last week, saying that it is not a matter of if the coronavirus will spread in the US, but when it will happen. Officials stopped short of predicting how many people will fall seriously ill but did say that the reported surge in cases outside of … Continue reading "The coronavirus: how prepared is Pennsylvania?"

Seventy-five years ago,  U.S. Marines invaded the small pacific island of Iwo Jima.  The island is strategically located about 750 miles off the Japanese Coast and was considered a possible staging base for an invasion of Japan. But before that could happen, U.S. Marines would face one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Some estimates say that all but about 200 … Continue reading "Iwo Jima veteran reflects on the 75th anniversary of the bloody battle"

Smart Talk takes a Road Trip to the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the campus of Harrisburg Area Community College to discuss career and technical education. Many Pennsylvania employers say they’re having difficulty finding skilled workers to fill positions – jobs that often pay good wages. These jobs don’t always and in some case don’t … Continue reading "Smart Talk Road Trip to the HACC Campus to discuss career and tech education"

If you are wondering where this winter’s cold temps and wintry conditions are, you’re probably not alone. Globally, this year’s January has been the Earth’s hottest January on record, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Snow trackers also point out that snow coverage in both North America and Europe are significantly lower this … Continue reading "Where is all the snow this winter?"

Governor Tom Wolf is proposing a $204 million need-based scholarship to help thousands of middle and lower-income students attend one of the 14 state-owned universities in Pennsylvania. The so-called Nellie Bly Scholarship Program would take money from the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund. To be eligible for the new scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time … Continue reading "Wolf is proposing state university scholarships using money from horse racing fund"

In 2016, nearly 100 million Americans did not vote – even though it was a presidential election year. That’s about 43% of the eligible voting-age population. A study on why Americans don’t vote, released by the Knight Foundation earlier this month, found multiple repeating themes – non-voters were less engaged with the news and felt … Continue reading "Why do so many eligible voters not vote?"

In 2017, nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses. There were 5,456 drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania alone — twice the national average. Last month, Republican Congressman Dan Meuser of Luzerne County proposed the Family Support Services for Addiction Act (FSSAA) that would create a $25 million grant program to aid local … Continue reading "Helping families struggling with substance use disorder"