The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, July 23, 2019: Schools are using therapy dogs to enrich students’ lives, from everyday programs to emotional support after a disaster. Districts in Lancaster, York and Dauphin counties are adding furry staff to fill a range of needs. Guest host Valerie Pritchett of ABC27 fills in for … Continue reading "Dogs become integral tool in classrooms"

Sen. Bob Casey What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, July 22: The political battles brewing in Washington may lead many to ask about the progress being made to address the many problems facing the nation and Pennsylvania. Access to health care, immigration and the economy are areas highlighted recently by Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. … Continue reading "PA Sen. Bob Casey / legislation impacting physicians / 2020 Census"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, July 18, 2019: Financier Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges has reignited a debate over a 2008 plea deal in which he received immunity from federal prosecution in exchange for pleading guilty to state prostitution charges. The political fallout has been in the spotlight as Secretary … Continue reading "Human trafficking in Pennsylvania / Author Nathaniel Philbrick"

What to look for on Smart Talk, Wednesday, July 17: More than one in four Pennsylvania residents live in one of the Commonwealth’s 48 rural counties. On average, Pennsylvania’s rural population is on the decline as death rates exceed birth rates, but more people are moving into rural Pennsylvania counties than are moving out. The … Continue reading "Challenges facing rural Pennsylvanians"

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon, July 20, 1969 What to look for on Smart Talk, July 16, 2019: 50 years ago, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 touched down on the surface of the moon. As the 50th Anniversary of the historic mission approaches, WITF’s Smart Talk Road Trip visits The … Continue reading "Smart Talk Road Trip to the North Museum of Nature and Science"

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"