The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, January 10, 2019: Healthcare is expensive. That we know. Unlike most other expenses in our lives, we almost never know what a medical procedure or treatment cost. Most patients don’t ask their doctor or healthcare provider’s office how much we would pay for treatment before it’s done. … Continue reading "Hospital price transparency and 2019 PA legislative priorities"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, January 9, 2019: It’s a new year and a renewed push is underway to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. Governor Tom Wolf made this initiative a priority for his administration during his first term and as he begins a second term that is not changing. The … Continue reading "Raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, January 8, 2019: Smart Talk makes our annual visit to the Pennsylvania State Farm Show for a live broadcast Tuesday. The Farm Show is a celebration of agriculture in Pennsylvania, but it also is a good time to catch up on the status of farming and hear … Continue reading "Smart Talk Road Trip to 2019 Farm Show"

(2009/AP Photo/ Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Mario Aguilera, File) What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, January 7, 2019: The images are shocking. An ocean scene of floating garbage and plastics, destroying an otherwise bucolic seascape. Images that force us to face the reality that our planet is awash in trash. Plastics are a … Continue reading "Is there a clean solution to plastic waste?"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, January, 4, 2019: The complexity of the world and the need to prepare students for the future have placed great demands on our education system. Teachers and administrators must do more with less and in the process, they are expected to achieve great results. Parents and communities … Continue reading "Intermediate Units forge community partnerships"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, January 3, 2019: Governor Tom Wolf set off fireworks before the holidays with his response to a constituent’s question during a twitter Q&A. The question was “when will Pennsylvania catch up and make recreational marijuana legal?” Wolf responded in part that because more states are successfully implementing … Continue reading "Recreational marijuana and legislative priorities in the new year"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, January 2, 2019: The 2018 holiday season set many sales records. According to industry analysts, it stacks up as the best holiday shopping season in six years with retail e-commerce exceeding 123 billion dollars. Consumers are making more purchases online and every time they complete a transaction, … Continue reading "Cybersecurity; protecting yourself online"

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro holds hands with Judy Deaven who says her son was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest as a boy, during a news conference at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, December 27, 2018: … Continue reading "Top Stories of 2018 on Smart Talk — clergy sex abuse"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, December 26, 2018: The first of three Top Stories of 2018 on Smart Talk episodes airs Wednesday. Smart Talk Road Trips have become some of the most anticipated programs produced all year. The show visits interesting places throughout the region and the state to discuss issues, history … Continue reading "2018 Smart Talk Road Trips"

Smart Talk host Scott LaMar and Code Girls author Liza Mundy at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg. What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Seventy-three years after World War II ended, we’re finally hearing about thousands of young American women who saved lives and helped defeat the enemy. In her latest … Continue reading "Code Girls author Liza Mundy"