The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, Nove,ber 20, 2018: Food, football, family, a nap, turkey, a chill in the air, newspapers bursting with holiday advertisements, which pie to eat for dessert, wine, the kids’ table, the aroma of turkey in the oven and thoughts of what you and your family are thankful for … Continue reading "Smart Talk talks Thanksgiving dinner"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, November 16, 2018: Winter weather arrived in Pennsylvania last week and with it, higher energy demand from area homes and businesses. The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center recently released a guide to help Pennsylvanians conserve energy and reduce waste. The energy-saving measures in the guide titled, It’s … Continue reading "Reducing energy consumption / Forest management"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, November 16, 2018: Sponsored by Lancaster County Community Foundation, the 2018 Extraordinary Give is the region’s largest day of online giving to directly benefit more than 450 participating regional nonprofit organizations. For 24-hours only on November 16, individuals can visit www.ExtraGive.org and donate to an organization of … Continue reading "Smart Talk road trip: The Extraordinary Give"

Photo by Allison Shelley What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, November 15, 2018 Melissa Block has seen a lot of change in the more than 30 years she has worked for NPR. She began her career in 1985 as an editorial assistant for All Things Considered and rose to become senior producer, and … Continue reading "NPR Correspondent Melissa Block and the role of media"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, November 14, 2018: WITF is launching a new project that investigates and examines how those who are living with mental illness are coping, receiving treatment, and integrating into the community. The project will also look at the services that are available to them and where the funding … Continue reading "“Through the Cracks” examines mental health treatment/Re-thinking America"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, November 13, 2018: A recent report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a pretty dire picture. By 2040, the world faces myriad crises — including food shortages, extreme weather, wildfires and a mass die-off of coral reefs — unless emissions are cut sharply. … Continue reading "Climate change and loss of biodiversity"

A soldier of Company K, 110th Regt. Infantry (formerly 3rd and 10th Inf., Pennsylvania National Guard), just wounded, receiving first-aid treatment from a comrade. Varennes-en-Argonne, France, on September 26, 1918. U.S. Army / U.S. National Archives What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, November 12, 2018: At the 11th hour of the 11th day … Continue reading "100th Anniversary of the ending of World War I"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, November 9, 2018: The election is over, and you may have heard, Pennsylvania Democrats picked up some new congressional seats–and helped flip the U.S. House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Democrats in the state House and Senate also made progress. The Senate flipped at least five seats and ended … Continue reading "The election is over; what lies ahead for Pennsylvania?"

A WITF original production What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, November 5, 2018: Smart Talk continues a conversation we began on Monday on the state of education in Pennsylvania. Teacher shortages and budget pressures are two issues that loom large on the public education landscape. Public schools across the commonwealth will celebrate American … Continue reading "The state of education and ‘Going Home’ series"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, November 5, 2018: The Affordable Care Act’s six-week open enrollment period began November 1 and runs through December 15. In Pennsylvania, enrollees will find more choices and rates are lower than last year, on average. Pennsylvania’s enrollment period is also shorter this year, so if you are in the market for insurance it … Continue reading "Open enrollment underway and American Education Week"