The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 8, 2018: It’s a Smart Talk Road Trip to Beau’s Dream Dog Park at Buchanan Park in Lancaster Wednesday! Smart Talk Road Trips are usually a lot of fun for the audience and the Smart Talk crew — even when we’re discussing serious topics.  But this … Continue reading "Road Trip to Beau’s Dream Dog Park in Lancaster"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, August 7, 2018: A coalition of Pennsylvania nurses hand-carried a 10-thousand signature petition to the state Capitol last week to push lawmakers to act on legislation stalled in house and senate committees. The legislation, titled Hospital Patient Protection, mandates lower patient-to-nurse ratios. The nurse’s coalition say that … Continue reading "Nurses rally for improved staffing"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 6, 2018: Do changes to short-term, limited duration health insurance plans provide quality coverage to Pennsylvanians? That’s a question Smart Talk examines Monday. Consumers will soon be able to purchase the plans for up to three years after changes implemented by the Trump Administration.  Federal regulations … Continue reading "Is new short-term insurance a good option?/Service dogs"

WITF’s Ready Set Go Kindergarten What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, August 3, 2018: Early formative childhood education is important for kids and their families. WITF and other community organizations believe that it is an imperative for businesses and communities, as well.  Quality early childhood education has a measurable economic impact, … Continue reading "Ready Set Go Kindergarten Reinforces Early Childhood Education"

Statement Harrisburg Dicosese gave reporters on confidentiality provision waivers. (Brett Sholtis/WITF) What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, August 2, 2018: Bishop Ronald Gainer, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Wednesday released a list of 71 clergy members and others involved with the Church who have been accused of child sex misconduct or abuse.   Diocese … Continue reading "Smart Talk on Harrisburg Diocese child sex abuse"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 1, 2018: This summer is being called the worst wildfire season in over a decade in the western U.S.  There are more than 60 wildfires burning in 15 states right now.  There have been close to 90 this season.  Millions of acres have been consumed, thousands … Continue reading "PA firefighters in western wildfire fight/Should alligators be kept as pets?"

Courtesy of the US Army War College web site What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, July 31, 2018: The U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks is known as an educational institution for senior military officers and government civilians. It is lesser known, however, for the international contingent who comprise one-quarter of the … Continue reading "US Army War College International Fellows"

Activist Brittany Ferrell and crowd of protesters in WHOSE STREETS?, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, July 30, 2018: Thursday, Smart Talk hosted Jeff Weaver, the campaign manager for Bernie Sanders. Sanders identifies as a Democratic Socialist, but what exactly does that mean?  The Democratic Socialists of … Continue reading "Democratic Socialism and Whose Streets?"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, July 27, 2018: The newspaper industry has undergone a transformation over the last 10 to 15 years. With the advancement of the internet, newspapers jumped on board to develop a web presence offering ready access to their customers. While print customers paid for subscription services, the web … Continue reading "The Newspaper Industry’s Changing Landscape"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, July 26, 2018: Before this year, China was the largest buyer of recycled commodities, which were by volume the largest United States export. However, beginning January 2018, China stopped accepting two dozen foreign recyclables, including mixed paper and mixed plastics. In addition, it lowered the permitted amount … Continue reading "China not taking recyclables impacts midstate/Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager"