The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, August 9, 2019: College student debt in the U.S. has been labeled a crisis, as the amount of outstanding loan balances exceed $1.5 trillion. Solving the crisis, however, is not so simple. A few of the presidential candidates advocate for the cancellation of all student debt and … Continue reading "Americans are going broke getting an education"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, August 8, 2019: Bullying, like many things, is increasingly more complicated in the digital era. It used to be that kids could find respite from bullying behavior at home or once school let out. Now, because of social media and pervasive smart phone use, there is often … Continue reading "Bullying in the Age of Smart Phones and Bras Across the Bridge"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 7, 2019: More than one million Americans are living with the HIV virus. Thirty-six thousand of them are Pennsylvanians. There are about a thousand new HIV diagnoses every year in Pennsylvania. Not everyone who contracts the HIV virus develops AIDS and AIDS is no longer always … Continue reading "What advancements are being made in HIV treatments?/Proposed law on Amish horses"

Many Americans and lawmakers are demanding that something be done to prevent mass shootings like the ones in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend. Thirty-one people died in those two incidents and dozens of others were wounded and injured. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf released a statement saying he supports the U.S. Congress … Continue reading "After weekend shootings: Gun restrictions-what works?/Hate crimes in PA"

Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey joins Smart Talk to share his thoughts on the two mass shootings that took place in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend. Casey is calling for the Senate to be called back into session to, at the very least, address proposed legislation that would require universal … Continue reading "Senator Bob Casey and Online Casino Gambling Launches in PA"

Picasso: A Life in Print at the Susquehanna Art Museum. (Photo courtesy of the Susquehanna Art Museum, Twitter) What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, August 1, 2019: Smart Talk travels to the Susquehanna Art Museum to discuss the museum‘s new exhibit, PICASSO: A Life in Print. The exhibit of prints spans Pablo Picasso’s … Continue reading "Smart Talk Road Trip to the Susquehanna Art Museum"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Wednesday, July 31, 2019: Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was at a record low of 3.8% in June. That’s according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s June report. State records date back to 1976. The national unemployment rate went up one-tenth of a percentage point from May to … Continue reading "Labor numbers and job training / Author with unique Lincoln book"

A black bear in a tree in Harrisburg looks at nearby people. (Brett Sholtis/WITF News) What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, July 30, 2019: A new generation of businesspeople at Bucknell University is helping Pennsylvania entrepreneurs and small businesses get on their feet. Students at Bucknell’s Small Business Development Center have provided free, … Continue reading "What it takes to start a business / Black bears wandering into populated areas"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, July 29, 2019: The possibility of legalizing marijuana has been a hotly debated topic across Pennsylvania. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman traveled the state this year on a listening tour to gather input about recreational legalization. Gov. Tom Wolf said in December state legislators must take a serious … Continue reading "Marijuana’s place in health care / New dean at Penn State’s Dickinson Law"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, August 2, 2019: Sixty-five years old is the traditional retirement age milestone for most American workers. That’s when we are supposed to retire and ease into our golden years. But for a surprising number of Americans, age 65 does not mean it’s time to give up their … Continue reading "When Planning for Retirement,Timing is Everything"