Category: Smart Talk

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, September 20, 2018:

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What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, September 19, 2018:

A top state Senate Republican has introduced legislation to open Pennsylvania’s primaries to unaffiliated voters. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati admits he doesn’t expect the bill to pass this session but is hoping to at least get the legislation to committee.

Currently in Pennsylvania, only registered Democrats and Republicans may cast ballots for their own parties’ primary races. A Scarnati staffer say’s the senator is concerned the current system is leading to Republicans and Democrats becoming more partisan, and less likely to compromise.

WITF Capitol bureau chief and host of State of the State podcast Katie Meyer joins Smart Talk to discuss the legislation.

Katie Meyer

Also, some people take transportation for granted and that getting easily from place to place is an expectation. But not everyone has access to safe and reliable transportation, often relying on the next best thing; old, rundown bikes acquired or handed down through families.

Ross Willard saw it often that young people and adults in Harrisburg rode whatever bike they had access to, regardless of functioning brakes or gears. The condition of these bikes and the dangers posed to the riders drove Willard to act. He started the non-profit Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg to provide people with access to safe, reliable and affordable bike transportation.

The Recycle Bicycle organization helps people fix and restore bikes for themselves. Individuals can pick out a bike that fits them and the organization helps them fix and make the bike safe and functional. Recycle Bicycle supplies the tools, the parts and the knowhow, so clients can “earn” a bike with sweat equity.

Willard is in the studio to talk about the program, along with Kelly Sangree, a “family biking” aficionado.

Ross Willard and Kelly Sangree

Finally, young women don’t often think about their breast health. Afterall, breast cancer is an “old lady” disease, right? Wrong! Breast cancer is an equal opportunity disease affecting women of all ages and backgrounds. The Feel Your Boobies® Foundation is on a mission to change how young women think about their breast health, primarily those under 40 (pre-mammogram age).

On Saturday, September 22, the foundation is hosting a ‘Bras Across the Bridge’ event to raise money for outreach programs that provide breast health education materials to colleges. In the past, participants walked the recognizable chain of 1600 bras from City Island into downtown Harrisburg. This year, participants will decorate and wear the bras, in addition to making the walk.

Joining Smart Talk to talk about this event and breast cancer awareness are Leigh Hurst, Feel Your Boobies founder and executive director, and Sarah Brennan, a breast cancer survivor who was first diagnosed at 38.

Leigh Hurst and Sarah Brennan

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What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, September 18, 2018:

The 2018 school year got off to a bumpy start around Pennsylvania with multiple schools closing or delaying their start after discovering mold in the buildings. In each case, the mold was remediated and, once air quality samples confirmed it was safe, the buildings and schools opened.

Why does it seem that there were more closures and mold findings this year? Is it because of the wet weather conditions or are building managers getting better at finding mold?

Mold is almost everywhere; mold spores are a regular part of the soil and are normally quite harmless. According to the CDC website, molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows how many species exist, but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand or more. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores.

So, if mold is everywhere, when does it become dangerous? Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposure include allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.

The only way to control mold growth inside buildings is to control humidity. We all know, that has been difficult to do, particularly this summer.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss mold and its impact is Rich Roush, Cumberland Analytical Laboratories, Inc.,and Dr. Mohammad Y. Ali, an Infectious Disease physician and public health practictioner with Geisinger Holy Spirit.

September is National Prostate Health Month. Despite being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, prostate cancer receives little media attention. The rate of men diagnosed with prostate cancer is very similar to the rate of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and the mortality rates are also similar. Joining us to discuss the disease are Kristine Warner, executive director of the Pennsylvania prostate cancer coalition, along with prostate cancer survivor Mike Rotz.

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What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, September 17, 2018:

Of all the stories to come out of the Grand Jury report on sexual misconduct by those associated with the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania last month, the one that got the most attention was that of five sisters from one family who were sexually assaulted, abused and molested by a priest in Dauphin County. The Grand Jury found that 300 priests and others associated with the Church had abused more than a thousand children over a 70-year period.

The Fortneys were devout Catholics who welcomed Rev. Augustine Giella into their home on numerous occasions. The Fortney sisters’ parents were completely unaware that Giella was assaulting their daughters — sometimes even when they were in the room. The girls didn’t tell anyone about the abuse until they were a little older.

The abuse began when one sister was only18-months-old. The others were five, 10 and 13 years old.

Giella eventually was arrested for sexual misconduct involving another girl but died before he went to trial.

The Fortneys are speaking out and appear on Monday’s Smart Talk. Also, joining us is Pennsylvania Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm, 1-888-538-8541.

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Photo from Shippensburg University

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, September 14, 2018:

Joining Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss student success is Dr. Laurie Carter, president of Shippensburg University. What defines successful students? Is it their GPA, how quickly they find jobs, or how quickly they graduate? Many factors, like mental and social development, contribute to a student’s overall educational success.

Dr. Carter is the first female and first African American president of Shippensburg University. She takes on the job prepared with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from public universities, all received while working full-time. She’s worked in college administration at schools such as Eastern Kentucky University and The Julliard School for over 20 years. Along the way, she developed a student affairs department from scratch and built an in-house law department at Julliard. Her time as Shippensburg president is the newest chapter in her higher education career.

Dr. Laurie Carter in studio

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Originally founded as the Cumberland Valley State Normal School in 1871, Shippensburg University was established in 1983 by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE). Located in Cumberland County, the school is home to over 6,000 graduate and undergraduate students who come from all over Pennsylvania and the US. The university emphasizes collaboration and is invested in south-central Pennsylvania communities.

Shippensburg Campus

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, September 13, 2018:

Will Hurricane Florence have an impact on Pennsylvania this weekend? Even if the storm doesn’t affect the region, it still is one of the wettest summers on record. On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we’ll speak with Eric Horst, Director of Millersville University’s Weather Center about Florence and the rainy weather over the past few weeks.

This photo provided by NASA shows Hurricane Florence from the International Space Station on Sept. 10, 2018 / Photo by NASA via AP

Beer and Pennsylvania have a long and storied past. America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling, is in Pottsville where they began brewing operations in 1829. Today, craft beer production in Pennsylvania, and the U.S., is growing rapidly. Pennsylvania appears at the top of most craft beer production lists, and currently ranks 6^th in the nation with more than 300 licensed breweries.

According to a study by the Brewers Association, Pennsylvania ranks number one in the U.S for barrels of beer produced at nearly 4 million; producing more than half a million more gallons than California coming in at number two.

If you like beer, that’s good news!

So, what defines a craft brewery? Typically, three characteristics. According to the Brewers Association, craft breweries are small; producing six million barrels of beer or less per year. They are independent; less than 25 percent of the brewery is owned or controlled by a beverage industry member (think big brewers). And their product is traditional; flavors come from traditional ingredients and fermentation methods.

The craft brewing boom comes with a huge economic impact. Small brewers in the United States contributed more than $76 billion dollars to the economy last year. In Pennsylvania, the economic impact was nearly six billion dollars, putting the state second only to California. The impact is experienced not only by the brewers, but wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and taprooms.

The craft beer industry has many economic tendrils, weaving connections into other industries, as well. Two of the state’s largest economic engines, agriculture and tourism, are supporting initiatives for the craft brewing industry. Agriculture experts are consulting with growers to improve hops productivity in Pennsylvania, and the Department of Tourism is helping communities market craft brewery’s as a destination, creating “beer trails” linking breweries as wineries have done in other areas.

Joining Smart Talk on Thursday to talk about the growth, challenges and impact of brewing in Pennsylvania are Erin Miskell and David Kozloski, co owner’s of GearHouse Brewing Co. in Chambersburg, Carrie Fischer Lepore, Deputy Secretary of Marketing, Tourism and Film, and Tom Ford, Commercial Horticulture Educator with the Penn State Extension.

David Kozloski, Erin Miskell and Carrie Fischer Lepore

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What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, September 12, 2018:

There are 147 names on the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections list of people sentenced to death in the state as of Aug. 1, 2018. This number has been decreasing, not because people are being executed, but because they die while awaiting execution or get their sentences changed. In the past 56 years – of which the death penalty was in place for 50 – three people have been executed. This information comes from a report on capital punishment in Pennsylvania published in June by the task force and advisory committee of the Joint State Government Commission.

The committee examined the death penalty system in Pennsylvania. Among the topics it investigated were impacts of bias, quality of legal representation, and monetary and emotional costs of the death penalty. The report drew on work by the Justice Center for Research at Pennsylvania State University, the Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness, and a committee of advisors.

Regarding bias:

Incorporating information from the earlier Final Report of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System, which was commissioned in 1999, the task force and advisory committee report says that the race of the victim influences administration of the death penalty, regardless of the race of the defendant. Death sentences are more likely to be assigned if the victim is white than if the victim is black. When the victim is Hispanic, prosecutors are more likely to seek the death penalty.

However, the earlier report on racial and gender bias noted that “although Pennsylvania’s minority population is 11 percent, two-thirds (68 percent) of the inmates on death row are minorities.” According to the DOC current execution list, 74 of the 147 people on Pennsylvania’s death row are black.

Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Execution List / Graphic by Avery Van Etten

The studies did not look at “possible bias associated with any other stage of the process, including arrest, charging and plea bargaining,” so racial bias in other aspects of the criminal justice system could contribute to these disproportionate ratios. The report notes that the Justice Center for Research is seeking funding to further investigate the earlier phases of the criminal justice process.

To better understand how race plays a role in sentencing, the task force and advisory committee recommends that Pennsylvania adopt a proportionality review method to study whether death sentences are “excessive or out of line with sentences imposed in other cases” in which the convicts were not sentenced to death. The review might consider data such as defendants‘ gender, race/ethnicity, psychiatric state and educational background. The report says this practice “can reveal unfair, arbitrary or discriminatory variability in outcomes.”

The two reports say that non-race-based differences also play a role in sentencing. Men are sentenced to death and executed at higher rates than women, and defendants are more likely to receive the death penalty if the victim is female. Death sentences are given more in some Pennsylvania counties than others (see page 261 of the report), and the task force and advisory committee says location is responsible for the most significant differences in sentencing. Additionally, the quality of defendants’ legal counsel influences the outcomes of their trials.

Data from “Chivalry Is Not Dead: Murder, Gender, and the Death Penalty” by Steven F. and Naomi R. Shatz, included in the report / Graphic by Avery Van Etten

Regarding quality of legal representation:

In general, capital defendants are more likely to receive the death penalty if they are represented by public defenders than if they are represented by privately retained lawyers, according to the task force and advisory committee report.

Public defenders and other forms of free counsel represent indigent defendants who cannot afford legal counsel. These indigent defendants account for 80% of capital defendants, according to the report. The report says that “some indigent defense practitioners failed to meet professional standards.” This is partly due to other differences between Pennsylvania counties – there are not statewide standards for training indigent defense practitioners, so each county is individually responsible for training and supervising these defenders.

According to the report, “Some observers have argued that many of the lawyers who represent death defendants are unqualified to meet the heavy demands of capital cases; consequently, defendants receive poor representation, resulting in reversible errors and, in some cases, the risk of convicting an innocent person.” Of the Pennsylvania inmates sentenced to death under the state’s 1978 death-penalty statute, 150 have had their sentences overturned as of May 2018 because of ineffective counsel, says the report.

To address differences in quality of legal counsel, the report recommends that Pennsylvania establish a “state-funded capital defender office” to provide legal representation to people being tried in capital cases. The task force and advisory committee suggests that in addition to reducing errors, this organization of defenders would also save money by decreasing the number of convictions that have to be reversed in subsequent proceedings.

Regarding costs:

The report by the task force and advisory committee states that the death sentence costs significantly more than a sentence of life without parole. Much of this cost comes from the appeals process and expense of incarcerating people for long periods of time on a high-security death row.

A memo from Amnesty International Group 39 that is included in the report says that research done in multiples states has found that death penalty cases are “up to 10 times more expensive than other comparable cases.” This memo also says that the appeals processes involved in death sentences cost millions of dollars.

However, the report and the memo it includes say that expediting the process would increase the risk of convicting an innocent person.

Comprehensive data on costs of death sentences versus life without parole sentences does not exist in Pennsylvania according to the report. To try to estimate the differences, report contributors sent surveys to Pennsylvania judges, prosecutors, public defenders and victim advocates. Though the sample size of completed surveys was small, the results did support the conclusion that capital murder cases are more expensive.

The report notes, “Some costs might be avoided if the prospect of a capital sentence induces one to plead guilty to avoid that sentence.” However, it also says that survey responses showed that people plead guilty in non-capital murder cases, too.

In addition to monetary costs, the report found that death sentences can also have emotional costs. Of course, capital trials and death sentences emotionally impact the accused, but the report also investigated potential secondary trauma experienced by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, defense counselors, judges, jurors, correctional officers, people close to the victims, and family of the accused due to capital cases.

Report writers distributed surveys to judges, prosecutors, public defenders and victim advocates. Of the total responses received, more than 64 percent “indicated that a typical, capital murder case causes more stress or anxiety than a typical, noncapital murder case.” Over 70 percent of the responses “indicated that a typical, capital murder case causes more emotional strain than a typical, noncapital murder case.”

Contrastingly, the cumulative majority of responses showed that capital murder cases have no negative effect on health, consumption of drugs or alcohol, family or social life, religiosity, spirituality, or morality. In 2013, Pennsylvania State University and Department of Corrections staff administered a different survey to a small sample of State Correctional Institution Greene correctional officers and victims’ and inmates’ loved ones. The report says that “the survey revealed that in no instance was the capital punishment condition associated with statistically higher PTSD, depression or stress than the non-capital punishment condition.”

The DOC execution list shows that 127 of the 147 Pennsylvania inmates on death row are housed here, at SCI Greene / Photo from Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

The report also offers information and recommendations about several other aspects of capital cases. One recommendation is that judges should determine if defendants are intellectually disabled during the pre-trial stage rather than the post-trial one, saving time and money as the case would no longer continue capitally. Another recommendation states that severely mentally ill defendants should not be allowed to receive the death penalty, similarly to the conviction of intellectually disabled murderers.

Governor Wolf imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania in 2015. It has been reported that he intends to maintain the moratorium until the recommendations in this report are addressed.

Joining us on today’s Smart Talk to discuss the report and its findings and recommendations are Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman and Co-Director of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation Marc Bookman.

Craig Stedman and Marc Bookman

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What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, September 11, 2018:

Everyone worries; some people more than others. When does excessive worry become anxiety?

While occasional anxiety is a normal part of everyday life, anxiety disorder involves more than temporary worry; it is marked by worry and fear that does not go away and gets worse over time.

According a recent Tribune Content Report, nearly one in five adult Americans experience anxiety disorder each year. Anxiety disorders in children are common, too, and affect over 25% of children between 13 and 18 years old.

There are different types of anxiety disorders, but they all can interfere with daily activities like work, school, and relationships.

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. Panic disorder and anxiety often begin during adolescence, although they may start during childhood, and sometimes run in families.

A panic attack can begin without warning. It is an abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak in a matter of minutes. The heart pounds, hands shake, and it literally feels like what is happening could kill you; they can be that frightening.

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, these symptoms are all too familiar. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, what differentiates a panic attack from other anxiety symptoms is the intensity and duration of the symptoms. Panic attacks typically reach their peak level of intensity in 10 minutes or less and then begin to subside.

For many people suffering from the attacks, the fear of them can be debilitating. They may become so worried about having another attack that they change their lifestyle and avoid situations that may trigger an event. This fear and avoidance can lead to panic disorder. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, more than three million Americans may experience this disorder in their lifetime.

Shannon Weise and Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard

Joining Smart Talk on Tuesday to discuss anxiety disorder and panic attacks is Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard, Ph.D., Clinical Director of the Anxiety Behaviors Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Also, on the program are Kristin and her 11-year-old son James, who began experiencing anxiety as early as five and was recently diagnosed with panic disorder. They are in the studio, along with Counselor Shannon Weise, licensed clinical social worker specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Kristin and James

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Coming soon to an email inbox, radio, newspaper or website near you: PA Post, a digital-first, citizen-focused news organization created by WITF Public Media.

WITF launches PAPost.org on Monday, featuring news articles and analysis focusing on Pennsylvania state policies and politics. There are three main components to PA Post. First is the website. Second is a Monday through Friday e-newsletter called The Context, which begins Sept. 17 and will include top stories (from PA Post and trusted media partners) and analysis. The Context is written by Emily Previti and edited by Scott Blanchard. The third component of PA Post is a weekly podcast, called State of the State. The podcast begins Sept. 27 and is hosted by Capitol Bureau Chief Katie Meyer.

Why PA Post? WITF Public Media has covered legislative and statewide issues since our founding in 1964, on television at first, and then on radio, in print, at community meetings and online. We’ve built both a public and commercial radio network for state government news and PA Post expands that distribution network to include newspapers and digital media organizations across the state. Select media partners will collaborate with us to contribute their content to PA Post, as well.

WITF Public Media is pleased to introduce PA Post to our fellow Pennsylvanians, and appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the initiative are WITF President and CEO Kathleen Pavelko and Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert. We are also joined by Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a digital news organization whose deep coverage of Texas served as an inspiration for the PA Post digital model.

Kathleen Pavelko and Tim Lambert

Also on Monday’s Smart Talk, the REAL ID Act, passed by Congress after 9/11, seeks to improve national security by ensuring that everyone has secure driver’s licenses and identification documents. Beginning in spring of 2019, Pennsylvanians will be able to obtain REAL IDs. These IDs will be needed to board domestic commercial flights and to enter certain federal buildings and nuclear energy plants.

It is not mandatory for Pennsylvanians to purchase REAL IDs; PennDOT says that other forms of “federally-acceptable identification,” such as passports and military IDs, can be used to board flights and gain access to secure sites, as well. A REAL ID will not be necessary for tasks such as driving and voting.

The new IDs will cost $30 up front, plus a periodic renewal fee, similar to a standard driver’s license. To make sure that people are not losing money or time in transitioning to this new form of identification, PennDOT explains, “The expiration date of the initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on your current license or ID card, plus an additional four years, unless you are…over 65 and have a two-year license.“ For more information visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website.

On Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss Pennsylvania’s implementation of the REAL ID are Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman McLaurine Klingler and PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kurt Myers.

Kurt Myers

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What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, September 7, 2018:

Smart and sustained growth is a goal for most communities. What happens, though, when planned growth and development conflicts with the interests of one or more key stakeholders?

Several high-profile community disputes involving municipalities, developers and community membersmade headlines this summer.

One such battle involved the Cumberland Valley School District, they hoped to construct a new school on the McCormick Farm, which is part of the Natural Lands Trust. After considerable public outcry and hearings, the school district withdrew their plans.

In another example of conflicting interests, developers seek a zoning text amendment to develop the Summerdale Property in East Pennsboro Township. They hope to develop a light industrial component to the property, which could include warehousing. A public debate began, and the township planning commission recently recommended rejecting any changes. Township officials take up that vote this month.  

So, if most communities seek smart and sustained growth, how do stakeholders work together toward a consensus? And if they cannot, what is the process to defend their interests?

Joining the conversation today are Kirk Stoner, director of Planning, Cumberland County, Nathan Wolf, Attorney at Law, Lisa Riggs, President, the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, and Tim Spiese, board member, Lancaster Against Pipelines.

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