TMI’s future/DACA from local perspective

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What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, January 17, 2018:

The Three Mile Island nuclear plant may be closer to shutting down after a ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week.  FERC rejected a plan by the Trump Administration that could have helped nuclear and coal plants financially.

The plan would have forced grid operators to guarantee “full recovery of costs” plus “a fair rate of return” to power plants that can keep 90 days of fuel on-site (according to StateImpact Pennsylvania). Only coal and nuclear plants can do that.

Nuclear and coal plants have found it hard to compete with inexpensive and abundant natural gas.

TMI’s owner has plans to close the facility 20 months from now unless another resource is found, including aid from the state. TMI employs 675 people.

On Wednesday’s Smart Talk, we hear from Republican State Senator Ryan Aument, who is part of a nuclear power caucus in the legislature.

Meanwhile, a group formed in response to efforts to keeping nuclear plants operating with government help.  The Citizens Against Nuclear Bailouts Coalition obviously opposes propping nuclear power up in Pennsylvania.

Carl Marrara, is with the Citizens Against Nuclear Bailouts Coalition and is Vice President of Government Affairs at the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.  he also is with us.

Also, the federal government could shut down later this week or next month unless Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration reach agreement on several issues, including DACA – the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Obama era initiative temporarily protected immigrants who came to the United States illegally as minors from being deported.  President Trump has said he would end the program unless a solution was agreed to.  Republicans want to make DACA part of a larger immigration policy that includes Trump’s promise to build a wall along the southern border.

Dr. Jill Family, Commonwealth Professor of Law and Government and Director, Law and Government Institute at Widener University Commonwealth Law School joins us on the program.

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra Conductor Stuart Malina/Norwegian journalist on Trump and U.S.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, January 16, 2018:

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Stuart Malina is one of Central Pennsylvania’s treasures.  A Tony Award winner, Maestro Malina had led orchestras throughout the United States and in China and Hong Kong and is respected for his work internationally.

So there may be no better person in Pennsylvania to discuss the arts and how important they are — especially to young people.

Maestro Malina and Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra Director of Education & Youth Symphony Administrator Mark Hunsberger appear on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss arts education.

Today’s public school curriculum place a heavy emphasis on teaching the core subjects of reading, writing and math to prepare students for today’s world.  It also is true that those core subjects are what students are tested in and the standardized tests are important for the students and school districts alike.

With so much attention focused on the core subjects along with tight budgets — art, music and theater sometimes get left behind.  In fact, many schools have cutback or even eliminated arts education.

That’s even though research shows the arts contribute to students’ creativity, academic performance and motor skills.

Arts organizations like Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra are making efforts to ramp up arts education.  We learn more on Tuesday’s program.

Also, last week President Trump met with Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg and discussed several issues including the sale of military equipment to Norway and the Paris climate agreement, which Trump says the U.S. will leave.

Later on in the week came the meeting with legislators from both parties to discuss immigration.  That’s when the president allegedly made remarks about disparaging countries like Haiti and Africa and added that the US should get more people from countries like Norway.

So, Norway has been mentioned as part of this controversy.  Christina Pletten is a journalist who works for Aftenposten, Norway’s largest newspaper and she was at the White House with Primate Minister Solberg and later traveled to the Pennsylvania Farm Show.  She joins us from Norway on Smart Talk.

Martin Luther King Day: Civil rights today

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On the Monday January 15th, 2018 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – a day when we remember the contributions and legacy of a man who rose above the violence and hatred of his era to demand equality through peace.  We celebrate this day on January 15th, his birthday.  This April will mark the 50th anniversary of his death, assassinated in Memphis at the age of 39.

His message inspired Americans of all colors to fight for equal rights and in some Central Pennsylvania communities, it was a hard fight.  While Pennsylvania wasn’t like the South with overt Jim Crow laws, institutional segregation did exist, and communities in the region had developed deep racial divides. By the summer of 1969 there was enough tension in York to spark riots between many white and black residents.

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Protesters in front of York City Hall in 1970. York County History Center (photo:ydr)

In the 21st Century, there have been gains in civil rights and racism may not be as overt as it was in Dr. King’s lifetime (although overt racism can still be found) but many African-Americans feel there are still barriers to equal opportunities for them and believe they are harassed and assaulted by police at a greater rate than whites.

On Monday’s Smart Talk, we discuss the legacy of Dr. King in central state communities with Dr. Nathaniel Gadsden, a Harrisburg native and Senior Pastor of Imani African Christian Church.  We will also be joined by Dr. Dorothy King, an assistant professor of sociology at PSU-Harrisburg and the Reverend Frank Allen, president of the Greater Harrisburg chapter of the NAACP and pastor of the First Zion Baptist Church.

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Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Harrisburg in 2015 (PennLive: James Robinson)

 

Road Trip to Farm Show

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What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, January 12, 2018:

Smart Talk is on the road Friday for a Smart Talk Road Trip to the Pennsylvania State Farm Show.

State Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding joins us on the program to discuss the state of farming in Pennsylvania.  Much of the discussion focuses on the challenges facing farmers across the state like milk prices and farmers making ends meet while relying on those prices and factors like the weather.  Earlier this week, President Trump addressed agriculture issues and we’ll follow up on what he said about federal policies toward farming.

Also, many more Pennsylvanians are making an effort to shop, buy and eat locally produced products, but especially foods.  The food is fresher, healthier and supports local farmers.  With that in mind, the South Central Pennsylvania Harvest Hub gathers and distributes local produce to local schools.  We’ll talk with the founder of the organization and participants about why local, fresh food is so important.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of farms permanently preserved for agricultural production.  This ensures those farms will be producing food forever.  The family farm is also a great tradition in Pennsylvania.  The state has a Century and Bicentennial Farm Program to recognize farms that remain in a family for 100 or 200 years.

Two families join us.  Their ancestors lived on the same farm land since 1816 and 1864.

 

 

Wolf declares opioid disaster/Chesapeake Bay Barometer

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On the Thursday January 11th, 2018 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has declared the heroin and opioid epidemic a statewide disaster emergency.  The declaration makes history as it is the first-of-its-kind for a public health emergency in Pennsylvania.

The governor’s action has 13 initiatives that include establishing an Opioid Command Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in Harrisburg and allowing Emergency Medical Service providers to dispense Naloxone that can be used to save overdose patients.

The Centers for Disease Control reports more than 52 hundred Pennsylvanians died of overdoses in 2017 — an increase of more than 600 from the year before.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Policy and Planning Sarah Galbally appears on Thursday’s Smart Talk to explain what the emergency disaster declaration means.

Here is additional information about fentanyl that was discussed during the program:

Fentanyl is legally prescribed by physicians, including fentanyl patches, etc., often for chronic or severe pain.  It is Schedule II.  The fentanyl that is on the streets is more often referred to as illegal fentanyl or nonpharmaceutical fentanyl. 

 Information here from the CDC on both legal and illegal fentanyl.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5729a1.htm

The Chesapeake Bay Program released a report last week indicating improvements in the health of the bay.  The Bay Barometer: Health and Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed 2016 – 2017 used twenty different metrics to record the cleanliness and sustainability of the bay, including the viability of underwater flora, water-life populations and pollution content.

Many targets were met; the blue crab population is thriving; nitrogen and phosphorus levels are dropping significantly and water quality in the bay and its tributaries are meeting standards.  The CBP report also recorded civic engagement in the preservation of the Chesapeake; “Environmental Literacy and Planning, Student Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences and Citizen Stewardship” were all factors in considering the bay’s health.

On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we discuss the findings of the report, what this means for recreation and commerce on the bay and what aspects of the Chesapeake’s sustainability still need to be addressed with Harry Campbell Executive Director Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Alison Prost, Interim Vice President of Environmental Protection & Restoration for the Bay Foundation.

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Harry Campbell – Executive Director, Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Foundation

 

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Rural Education in PA / Mariner East 2 Shutdown

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Titusville High School seniors scream during a spirit game at the homecoming pep rally (Kevin McCorry/Keystone Crossroads)

On the Wednesday January 10th, 2018 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:

Some of Pennsylvania’s rural communities are grappling with stagnant economies and declining industrial jobs, a steady drain of younger people and chronic addiction.  Many of these issues seep into their schools adversely affecting the educational development of Pennsylvania’s youth.

The current crisis of opioid addiction is having devastating consequences in the Commonwealth’s rural classrooms. Teachers and students are discussing the loss of classmates to overdoses.  Children are losing parents to addiction and incarceration while the stresses of being moved around by family members and welfare agencies create disruptions in both the student’s education and behavior.

The same issues are readily apparent in urban schools with districts channeling hundreds of millions of dollars into schools, they tend to slip off the radar in rural settings, away from the intense media coverage seen in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Keystone Crossroads reporter Kevin McCorry travelled throughout rural Pennsylvania to learn about the students, educators and families that struggle to provide a promising education for their children despite numerous obstacles.  McCorry joins us on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to share stories he heard and some of the solutions for turning around educational opportunities in our state.

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WHYY Keystone Crossroads reporter Kevin McCorry

Also, last week the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection suspended all construction on Sunoco’s Mariner East 2 pipeline, saying it has violated the conditions of two kinds of permits.  In particular, the 2.5 billion dollar, 350 mile pipeline has been plagued by mud spills and well water contaminations.  The pipeline will carry natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio to an export terminal near Philadelphia.

 

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WHYY State Impact Pennsylvania reporter Susan Phillips

State Impact Pennsylvania reporter Susan Phillips is on Smart Talk to discuss the latest iteration of the Mariner East saga, efforts to resume building and reactions from the community.

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– I am a parent of two children and the wife of a teacher in Greencastle-Antrim school district. We are in the midst of a stalemate in which our teachers have been working without a contract since August.

Our district has grown rapidly and has a very good reputation. People move here for the schools. We already have a very small per student cost in running the district.

Hold Harmless has put us way behind in funding. We are struggling and trying to figure out how to keep our standards up and financially afloat.

We are one of very few districts who have a deficit in funding from Hold Harmless. Thus, our concerns fall on deaf ears. We are in desperate need of help.

Thank you for reporting on the districts and their specific needs.

Respectfully,  Mary T.      Greencastle, PA

Why aren’t more women elected in PA?

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On the Tuesday January 9th, 2018 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:

Of the 253 seats in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, only 45 are held by women.  Pennsylvania ranks 49th in the nation in placing female representatives in elected office, ahead of Mississippi.  In the history of the Commonwealth, there have only been seven women elected to executive positions.  The United States ranks 100th globally.

Research by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University found the women in the General Assembly pass legislation and find co-sponsors for their bills at a higher rate than male legislators.  The report characterized the female delegation in Harrisburg as “few, but mighty.”

On Tuesday’s Smart Talk, we’ll discuss the findings of the PCWP study with Dana Brown, executive director of the center and explore ways to encourage political engagement and participation by women in all demographics, locally and nationally.  Also joining us are Democratic Rep. Patty Kim, who represents Harrisburg and parts of Dauphin County and Republican Rep. Sheryl Delozier of Cumberland County in the State House of Representatives.

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Rep. Patty Kim, who represents Harrisburg and parts of Dauphin County and Rep. Sheryl Delozier of Cumberland County in the State House of Representatives

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– I’d like to add to the conversation that I believe organized religion also has a lot to do with why Pennsylvania has fallen behind in electing women to politics. I personally know of women that participate in denominations that still believe a woman’s “place” is to support her husband, figuratively standing “behind” the male in the family. This becomes a cycle to the children in the family and so on and so forth. I don’t know how this compares to other states, but I do feel that Pennsylvania has strong organized religious ties that promote this belief.   – Emma

– Frequently, I think, if finances were equal amongst men and women, more women would consider running however women cannot pass laws to equalize income and opportunities unless they are in government.

I think women of lesser means cannot see a way to finance running for office while caring for a family and we need the women of greater means to run for office.

Women of lesser means have more needs that might inspire them to run for office, but the fear of financial failure and disaster is much greater. It seems to cost a lot to run for office and there is no promise you will win.

Women also have more free time and greater resources as they age; in PA our population is aging and it would be great if the baby boomer generation of women would run for office. The down side of being an older woman, however, is that older women are historically perceived as less attractive than their male counterparts; this is a factor because, despite societies efforts to resist the urge, a segment of our population determines who they vote for by how people look.                                                                             – anon

Iran Protests / Former Governor Tom Corbett

On Monday’s Smart Talk, we’ll discuss the social and economic dynamics that have brought Iranians into the streets in protest and the path moving forward in Iranian/American relations with Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh, professor of international affairs at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Also, it’s been just over three years since Tom Corbett became the first incumbent governor of Pennsylvania to lose a re-election bid. orbett spoke with WITF’s RadioPA news director Brad Christman in the last week of 2017 about his time as governor, including his thoughts on why he lost his re-election bid, and concerns regarding legalized gambling and the state’s tobacco fund as well as other issues confronted during his term.  Smart Talk will air portions of Christman’s interview with the former governor on Monday’s Smart Talk.

Antiques Roadshow: Harrisburg / Rescuing Dogs from Slaughter

On Friday’s Smart Talk, we speak with Antiques Roadshow appraisers Sebastian Clarke and David Rago about  the experience of shooting the show in Harrisburg.

Also, the Humane Society International rescued 170 dogs from farms in South Korea where they were being raised for their meat.  Throughout history, dog meat has been used as sustenance by humans in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe.  While the concept has become relatively taboo in the 21st century, there are still communities in China, Korea and Vietnam who view dog meat as part of their daily cuisine.

Seven of those rescued dogs have been placed with the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Lancaster County, Smart Talk will discuss the rescue of these dogs and efforts to end consumption of dogs around the world with John Plummer, executive director of the rescue.  We will also speak with Kelly O’Meara, Senior Director of Companion Animals and Engagement for Humane Society International, the agency responsible for the dogs’ rescue.

Civic Education

On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we discuss the role educators play in cultivating politically engaged citizens with the Honorable Marjorie Rendell, President of the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement.  David Trevaskis, Pro Bono Coordinator with the Pennsylvania Bar Association, will discuss the association’s efforts to connect students with civic outreach and engagement and we’ll be joined by Zara Ward, Student School Board Representative for McCaskey High School who can share what the value of civic education to her.