Agriculture research and agencies that focus on issues ranging from pests that could harm crops, to food safety, could be jeopardized by the ongoing state budget impasse.

A partial spending plan was approved in December. However, Gov. Tom Wolf used his line-item veto power to blue line some $5 billion from the Republican-passed budget. Included was more than $50 million meant for agricultural research farms and Penn State Extension offices across the state.

Those programs could be shut down unless the money begins flowing from the state.

To discuss the situation on Monday's Smart Talk are Richard Roush, Dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Mark O'Neill, Director of Media and Strategic Communications with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Cumberland County farmer Matthew Meals.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 95,000 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 rectal cancers diagnosed in 2016. More than 49,000 will die from colorectal cancer this year.

It also is one of the most preventable types of cancer.

What causes colorectal cancer, how can it be prevented, and what are the symptoms?

Joining us on the program are Dr. Parvi Panchal, who is board certified in gastroenterology, as well as internal medicine and Cheri Shoemaker, a colon cancer survivor.

As the refugee crisis in Europe deepens, one Central Pennsylvanian witnessed the influx of refugees entering Greece first hand. York County youth pastor Jay Worth appears on Smart Talk to discuss his recent trip to Greece and describe efforts to assist refugees from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan find homes in Europe. Worth says he doesn't think Americans have a true perception of the refugee crisis.

Also, Pennsylvania has a new slogan and logo to attract visitors to the state. Those visitors will now be encouraged to "Pursue Your Happiness," a nod to the famous "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness" line found in the Declaration of Independence. The Executive Director of Tourism in the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Michael Chapaloney joins us on the program to discuss the process that went into the logo and slogan, its implementation and what it is designed to do.

WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Mary Wilson is also on the show, with Capitol-Week-in-Review.

Two big stories this week were budget hearings coming to an end in the legislature and advocates warning of impending trouble for farmers unless money begins flowing from the state.

Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan's water supply is bringing national attention to the topic of lead poisoning and the safety of resources we use every day. Pennsylvania's water supply is generally considered safe from lead poisoning. However, lead exposure and poisoning have been linked to paint, children's toys, and some art supplies.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, lead-based paints present the most common threat to Pennsylvanians. Any home built before 1978 could contain lead paint. Exposure to lead poisoning can stem from swallowing or inhaling the paint.

Children are especially at risk for lead exposure. Their physical and mental health can be affected permanently.

Appearing on Thursday's Smart Talk is Dr. Loren Robinson, the Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with the Pennsylvania department of Health.

Also, one of Central Pennsylvania's most popular attractions, especially at this time of year, could close without an influx of money.

Millions of migrating waterfowl stop at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on the Lebanon-Lancaster County line near the end of every winter.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is pushing for an increase in hunting license fees to generate money needed to maintain Middle Creek and for other expenses. License fees have not increased since 1999.

Game Commission Press Secretary Travis Lau explains on Thursday's Smart Talk.

NO MORE is a national campaign to end domestic and sexual violence. Spelled out in all capital letters, NO MORE sounds like a shout. A demand. It should be, considering the action needed to get the attention of batterers and sexual predators and maybe even society as a whole.

March 6 through 12 is NO MORE Week to shine a spotlight on two of the most important and dangerous issues of our time.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape have a number of activities scheduled and points to make this week.

PCADV Executive Director Peg Dierkers and PCAR Chief Public Affairs Officer Kristen Houser do just that on Wednesday's Smart Talk.

Also, the influence and history of American Jews in cinema could chronicle the history of film itself. But that's what Jewish film educator, historian and author Eric Goldman does.

Dr. Goldman makes a presentation at Chisuk Emuna Congregation in Harrisburg Saturday exploring the film depictions of what it means to be a Jew in America.

Dr. Goldman provides a preview and discusses a century of America Jews in film on Wednesday's Smart Talk.

Gov. Tom Wolf has signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage for state workers under his jurisdiction and employees of Pennsylvania state government contractors from $7.25 to $10.15 an hour.

The governor supports increasing the minimum wage statewide and this could be the first step in a campaign to do so.

Supporters say a higher minimum wage would give low-income workers more spending money and put tens of millions of dollars back into the state's economy. Opponents counter a minimum wage hike will result in a loss of jobs, especially some those workers without many skills who need the jobs the most.

We'll take a look on Tuesday's Smart Talk.

Appearing on the program are Mark Price, a labor economist with the Keystone Research Center and Alex Halper, Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

Also, there's already media speculation about who the leading presidential contenders would name as their running mates if they win their party's nomination.

It's rare to find a story that doesn't include the narrative that a potential running mate would come from a battleground state in the presidential election. The idea being that the vice presidential candidate would deliver that state's voters to the ticket.

Is that really the case?

Our guests Tuesday have researched and written a book called The VP Advantage: How Running Mates Influence Home State Voting in Presidential Elections. They are Kyle Kopko, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College and Christopher Devine, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

It seems as though every major decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years has been decided by a 5-4 vote of the justices. Usually, those one-vote rulings have come down along ideological lines between the so-called conservative and liberal justices. Justice Anthony Kennedy has often been the deciding vote.

So when Justice Antonin Scalia died last month, the nomination of a new justice was sure to be controversial, because it could swing the direction of the court for years to come.

Republicans said right away that the next nominee should not be named until after a new president is elected so the people can have a say in the selection.

President Obama plans to nominate a justice saying it is his Constitutional duty.

Widener University Commonwealth Law School Professor Michael Dimino appears on Monday's Smart Talk to discuss what the Constitution says about Supreme Court nominations and their history.

Also, we'll hear from a new group formed to preserve the historic James Bell Tavern in Cumberland County. A meeting there in 1788 started momentum toward a Bill of Rights. The building was partially demolished in January until the history was called to the owners' attention.

Eric Kelso of the Patriots of Captain James Bell Tavern joins us on Monday's show.

Pennsylvanians were shocked, saddened and disgusted this week when Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced that an investigative Grand Jury had found that more than 50 Catholic priests and other religious leaders had sexually abused children in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese. Two Bishops were accused of covering up the abuse that allegedly occurred over a 40-year period. The investigation indicated both boys and girls were victims.

Kane said no one has been criminally charged in part due to the statute of limitations. In fact, the Grand Jury recommended that Pennsylvania's statute-of-limitations for sex crimes be changed.

So how did this happen and what can be done to make sure it doesn't happen again?

Appearing on Friday's Smart Talk to address the case are Angela Liddle, President and CEO with the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance and Democratic State Representative Mark Rozzi of Berks County, an abuse survivor.

Sensing displeasure among Pennsylvanians following a controversial 2015 judicial election season, five former Pennsylvania governors and current Gov. Tom Wolf have formed a bipartisan group to make a renewed call for changes in how the state selects statewide appellate court judges.

The governors support a merit selection process over the current election of judges.

Joining us on the program to discuss the proposal are Lynn Marks, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, and Republican State Representative Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County, the House Majority Whip.

Thursday's Smart Talk features two segments that are good examples of how much healthcare is changing.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is promoting telemedicine as a tool to help the nation's 40 million family caregivers provide care and also find some assistance for themselves in dealing with the stress and other challenges they face.

AARP's National Vice President for State Advocacy and Strategy Elaine Ryan appears on the program to explain how telemedicine can make a difference.

Also, medical science has been revolutionized in the past century. Many diseases and illnesses that used to be lethal are now treated with procedures and medications that are almost routine. Technology has accelerated the progress even more in the last 20 years.

So what may surprise you is that doctors are basically being trained in medical school under a timeline developed in 1910. But that's changing and Penn State Hershey is one the medical schools leading the way.

Appearing on the program to discuss the changes are Dr. Susan Skochelak, Group Vice President for Medical Education with the American Medical Association and Dr. Jed Gonzalo, Assistant Dean for Health Systems Education, Penn State College of Medicine.

The centerpiece of President Obama's battle against climate change is the proposed Clean Power Plan.

Under the plan, states would set goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2030. The states could cut emissions in a variety of ways and it would be up to the states to decide.

Pennsylvania's target was to reduce emissions by more than 30%.

The plan was controversial because many believe it will have a negative economic impact, especially on certain industries like coal.

Lost in the vast media coverage of the New Hampshire primary three weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay against implementing the Clean Power Plan. Pennsylvania was not one of the states that challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate emissions. In fact, the Wolf Administration may go ahead and slash emissions.

We'll hear what the Administration plans are on Wednesday's Smart Talk when we're joined by John Quigley, Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection .

Since Russia became active militarily in Syria's civil war, we haven't heard much about violence between Ukrainian fighters and Russian-backed separatists. Even though a cease fire has been in place for the last six months, there are dozens of violations -- by both sides -- every day. The violations have increased since January.

Another cease-fire agreement -- this one even more fragile -- began last weekend in Syria. If it is effective will it mean the Russians will divert attention to Ukraine? And if they do, then what?

Ukraine leaning toward Europe economically, sanctions against Russia, Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin all are part of the conversation.

On Tuesday's Smart Talk, we'll also discuss the implications for the west with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer and Dickinson College Professor of History, Karl Qualls.

Ambassador Pifer speaks at Dickinson Wednesday night at 7.

Also, Pennsylvanians love the outdoors and some of our favorite activities outdoors include hiking, running, or biking on nature trails. History is also one of our favorite topics and that's why a 250-mile trail under development would be of great interest. The Grand History Trail would connect York and Gettysburg with Frederick, Baltimore and Annapolis in Maryland, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. A few of the trails exist already, but not the complete trail.

Joining us Tuesday's program are Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Cindy Dunn, and Don Gogniat, an author, educator and traveler, who is one of the biggest advocates for the Grand History Trail.