Whether he wins or not, Donald Trump will be remembered as the candidate who drove the 2016 campaign -- at least before the primaries. Trump's bombastic, take-no-prisoners style, that sometimes offended, also made the headlines that forced the media and the other candidates to catch up.

It shows in the polls that have had Trump leading on the Republican side since the middle of the summer.

The most respected political pundits said and many still say Trump would never last -- that his abrasive persona would not play well with voters.

Polls are one thing -- actual voting is another. Within the next three weeks, voters will decide on the candidates they support in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire Primary.

Another surprise has been the effectiveness of Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders. Former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expected to cruise to the nomination. But the polls have Clinton behind or running neck-in-neck with Sanders in both states.

Now that the election year of 2016 is actually here -- we wanted to refresh our look at the campaigns on Smart Talk.

Franklin and Marshall College Political Analyst Dr. G. Terry Madonna joins us on Monday's program.

WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Mary Wilson appears on Friday's Smart Talk with Capitol-Week-in-Review. What a week it has been.

At least a dozen members of the State House of Representatives or State Senate have announced they're leaving Harrisburg. They have different reasons, including the partisan atmosphere at the Capitol.

A State Senate Committee that could recommend removing Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane from her job held a hearing this week.

And still no final state budget -- more than six months after it was due.

Also, Friday's program will be fun, featuring a conversation about a sport people love to participate in, but might not know much about: ice skating.

Interested in knowing what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to ice skating stereotypes? Ever wanted to take up skating as a hobby, but worry you're too old, too busy or not coordinated enough?

Janice Reinke, Skating Director at Twin Ponds Family Recreation Center, joins us on Friday along with Renee Greenawalt, Vice President of the Central PA Figure Skating Club, to discuss the ins and outs of ice skating, local skaters on their way to the National Competition this week, what it's like being skate parents and coaches, why they love the sport, and think you should, too.

Tune in to hear why the fast spins don't make a skater dizzy, how skating can be implemented in an exercise plan and how to get started skating at any age. You'll also get some insight into how the testing and scoring process works, how to avoid injury while skating and what it really takes to make it to the Olympics.

Americans may not be convinced, but the U.S. economy is healthier than it has been for a long time.

Job growth in the past two years was the best since 1999. The economy added a robust 292,000 jobs in December. Average hourly wages were flat in December but were up 2.5% from the end of 2014. The Federal Reserve finally thinks the economy is strong enough to increase interest rates.

So what does all this mean for the Central Pennsylvania region's economy?

We'll find out from PNC Financial Services Economist Kurt Rankin on Thursday's Smart Talk.

In the summer of 2012, the Curiosityrover landed on Mars - 140 million miles from Earth. It doesn't get the kind of attention that the Apollo moon landings did, but it is not an exaggeration to say it was one of this nation's greatest scientific achievements.

At the helm of putting a vehicle on Mars was Adam Steltzner, who has written a new book The Right Kind of Crazy: A True Story of Teamwork, Leadership, and High Stakes Innovation.

Steltzner, who has a colorful background, appears on Thursday's Smart Talk.

Wednesday's Smart Talk is being broadcast live from the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

In what has become a bit of a tradition, the live broadcast acts as a "State of Agriculture in Pennsylvania."

Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Russell Redding joins us to discuss the challenges facing the state's farmers and Ag-related industries. It's the 10th edition of the Farm Show this year so we'll discuss the history and what the world's largest indoor agricultural exhibition means to the state.

Another tradition that Farm Show visitors look forward to every year is the milkshakes. For 60 years, milkshakes have come in just two flavors -- vanilla and chocolate. This year the strawberry and cream milkshake made its debut. We'll find out why that's significant.

Mushrooms are a highlight of the 2016 Farm Show. Pennsylvania is the nation's leading mushroom producing state and we'll hear from the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers.

Finally, a display getting attention at this year's show is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association. During the show, we'll address land environmental restoration.

The federal government is out with new dietary guidelines that are designed to advise Americans on foods that are healthy to eat and those that are not.

This is the eighth edition of the guidelines and even though they're based on research, the guidelines still change and that sometimes creates confusion.

For example, previous guidelines recommended against eating a lot of eggs because too many could increase cholesetrol. However, eggs were taken off the not recommended list this time because they contain good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Sugar and salt were targets this time. Vegetables and fruits were not surpringsly recommended.

Capital Blue Cross Registered Dietitian Hilary Gillette appears on Tuesday's Smart Talk to discuss the guidelines.

Also, Terri Roberts, whose son Charles shot and killed five Amish girls and wounded five others in October, 2006 joins us to tell her fascinating story.

Terri Roberts tells a story of forgiveness by the Amish community and how she befriended one of the victims who was disabled in the shooting.

President Obama has the nation's attention focused on guns and gun violence after a series of executive actions he took last week and the town hall meeting he held on guns Thursday night.

Any time there is a discussion of guns, it becomes a debate and this is no different.

The president wants to expand background checks to most people who sell guns, overhaul the background check system, hire 200 new Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents, spend $500 million on mental health, and use technology like "smart" guns that could only be used by the gun's owner.

Obama's proposals come just a few weeks after the mass shooting in California that turned out to be a terrorist attack, but he has referenced the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut while making his proposals.

Guns and gun violence is the subject of Monday's Smart Talk.

Appearing on the program are York County Congressman Scott Perry, who opposes the president's actions, Shira Goodman of CeaseFirePA, Dr. D. Scott McCracken, who sees gun violence as a public health threat and John Olson, a sales associate from Musser's Outdoors store in Ephrata.

Smart Talk finishes the week Friday with a show that will be a lot of fun.

Describe it as Antiques Roadshow on radio. David Cordier, President and CEO of Cordier Auctions and Appraisals, appears on Friday's show to discuss antiques, collecting, and value.

The program may be the most interactive one we've ever had. That's because we're encouraging you to either call the show at 800-729-7532 to describe an antique item that you have or send a description and photograph to [email protected]. Mr. Cordier will try to provide a rough estimate of its value, based on what he sees and hears.

Do you have a family heirloom that has been handed down or maybe something you've picked up along the way? Perhaps an old letter or postcard -- something with a famous person's signature on it?

Downton Abbey is in its sixth and final season as the most widely acclaimed TV program on PBS. The next great series -- Mercy Street -- premieres right after Downton Abbey on Sunday, January 17 at 10 p.m. on WITF-TV.

Mercy Street is another historical drama -- this time set in an 1862 Civil War hospital. Unlike other Civil War TV shows or movies, Mercy Street doesn't focus on battles or commanders. It follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict but working in the same Alexandria, Virginia hospital where wounded soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies are treated.

Mercy Street is about the people who lived through that time period and the challenges they faced. It is probably different than any other Civil War era TV series you've ever seen.

We'll discuss Mercy Street, the time period being portrayed in the show, and Civil War medicine on Thursday's Smart Talk.

Appearing on the program are Lisa Wolfinger, Executive Producer Co-Creator of Mercy Street, Dr. Jill Ogline Titus, Associate Director, Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, and Dr. Ian Isherwood, Assistant Director Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College.

Pennsylvania is more than six months into the fiscal year and there still isn't a final budget.

Last week, an angry Gov. Tom Wolf used his line-item veto power to blue line some $7 billion from a Republican passed $30.3 billion budget. The move got money flowing to cash-starved schools and social service organizations that had been borrowing, scrimping, cutting services and laying off workers.

But it didn't provide the state with a final spending plan.

As a result, negotiators are back at it this week trying to resolve issues the governor and Republican legislative leaders disagree on like taxes, spending and pension reform.

Wolf and Republican leaders said they had a framework in place before Thanksgiving. The Senate approved a budget bill the governor called reasonable. But House leaders balked saying they saw no need to raise taxes and didn't know where additional revenue was coming from.

So, less than a month before Gov. Wolf is scheduled to propose next year's budget, Wednesday's Smart Talk focuses on the latest in the current deadlock.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Policy and Planning John Hanger and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman appear on the program.

It has been a mystery as to why the smallmouth bass population in the Susquehanna River has declined to less than a third of what it was 10 years ago.

However, a new study has narrowed the causes down to two -- endocrine-disrupting compounds and herbicides and infections from parasites and pathogens. The research says the immune systems of the fish have been weakened by the compounds and herbicides, making them more susceptible to infections.

Endocrine disrupters come from sources such as wastewater treatment plants and pharmaceuticals along with other chemicals.

The plight of the smallmouth bass raises the question of just how healthy the Susquehanna River is and is it part of larger environmental issues?

Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection John Quigley and John Arway, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission appear on Tuesday's Smart Talk.

Among the issues we'll address is whether the Susquehanna should be designated as "impaired." The Fish and Boat Commission supports the move while DEP has resisted.

We'll discuss other environmental issues as well.