The Spark

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, March 6, 2018: Drive through areas of Pennsylvania where natural gas has been successfully drilled over the past 10 years and you’ll see new barns, farm equipment, or other items like boats or pick-up trucks that indicate new wealth.  Some landowners in the Marcellus Shale region have … Continue reading "Landowners question gas royalty payments/Lancaster a cool city — Forbes"

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, March 5, 2018: Last summer, white supremists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia chanting “Jews will not replace us.”  It’s a recent example of how Jewish people are still targeted for hate. Unfortunately, Charlottesville wasn’t an isolated incident.  In Pennsylvania, last year, there were 96 incidents of anti-Semitism — … Continue reading "PA anti-semitic incidents increase/Witnessing a life saved from overdose"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, March 2, 2018: Each year nearly 800,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke. A stroke can happen to anyone, at any time and is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. Strokes occur when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off; … Continue reading "What do you know about stroke?/College hoops scandal"

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, March 1, 2018: More than 78 hundred guns were stolen in a record-setting 577 burglaries at the nation’s gun stores last year.  Burglaries at gun shops have increased 70% since 2013 according to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. There have been a rash … Continue reading "ATF on gun shop burglaries; Wilt’s 100 points; Garden show"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, February 28, 2018: The debate over arming teachers has increased in intensity in the wake of the February 14th Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that took the lives of 17 students and teachers. President Trump stated that arming teachers would be a big deterrent to future … Continue reading "PA educators come together on school safety"

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, February 27, 2017: In a matter of a just a few weeks, the lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters charging that the state’s Congressional districts were gerrymandered by Republicans has turned into an all-out political showdown that involves the legislature, the governor, state and … Continue reading "Should PA judges be appointed?"

What to look for on SmartTalk Monday, February 26, 2018: High school students across the country have been demanding stricter laws on guns after the shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida left 17 dead on February 14. Since the attack, students across southern Flordia, Washington D.C. and other areas throughout the country have begun … Continue reading "Student Strikes Powerful in Gun Debate/Author Vegas Tenold"

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, February 23, 2018: According to NPR’s reporting, the number of threats of violence against schools across the country has increased since last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Educators School Safety Network says it recorded about 50 threats a day on average since the shooting at Marjory … Continue reading "PA schools being threatened/Spelling Bee"

2018 Congressional Map approved by PA Supreme Court What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, February 22, 2018: Republican legislative leaders have requested a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overstepped its authority when it adopted its own map for the state’s Congressional district boundaries earlier this week. … Continue reading "GOP challenge to the Congressional Map"

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, February 21, 2018: When the history of public broadcasting is written, one of the icons will be Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood — the children’s TV show that premiered on February 19, 1968 — 50 years ago this week. Wednesday’s Smart Talk is a special one … Continue reading "Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood marks 50 years"