Category: Uncategorized

On October 1, 2020 — just 31 weeks from now — Pennsylvanians will be required to have a Real ID-compliant drivers’ license or another form of federally acceptable identification in order to board a domestic commercial flight or to enter a military base or federal building.

Real ID driver’s licenses and photo ID cards have been available since March 2019, and so far nearly 900,000 Pennsylvania residents have a Real ID-compliant product. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimates that around 1.3 million of their customers will get a Real ID before the deadline.

However, many people have questions about Real ID, especially how to obtain a Real ID drivers’ license.

There also is concern at locations where Real ID will be required, like area airports, that visitors or travelers won’t be compliant or will be confused.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss Real ID are Kurt Myers, Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Alexis Campbell, Press Secretary with PennDOT; and Scott Miller, Deputy Director of Business Development and Strategic Marketing at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT).

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An “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” was officially signed by both the United States and the Taliban on the February 29, 2020.

The agreement, if it holds, could bring an end to the longest war in US history that has killed and wounded thousands of US troops and cost more than $2 trillion.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the agreement and the prospects for peace is Professor M. Chris Mason, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of National Security, Strategic Studies Institute at the US Army War College and an expert on Afghanistan.

Also, Colorectal Cancer is the third leading cause of death in the US for both men and women. When their numbers are combined, the disease ranks second.

The American Cancer Society reports that men have an estimated 1 in 23 (4.4%) risk of developing Colorectal Cancer during their lifetime, while women’s risk is just slightly lower at 1 in 25 (4.1%).

Colorectal cancer often has no symptoms in its early stage, therefore regular screening is the best way to detect and possibly even prevent the disease.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss Colorectal health and screening is Dr. Purvi Panchal, M.D. from Pennsylvania Gastroenterology (PAGI), along with Mike McCormick, cancer survivor and member of the volunteer Leadership Council for the Capitol market of the American Cancer Society.

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Crime rates have dropped in Pennsylvania by 45% over the past 20 years. At the same time, Pennsylvania’s prison population fell by almost 1,500 last year — the biggest one-year decline ever.

Those numbers come from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform over much of the past decade. Efforts have been made to being “smarter” on crime and punishment. That includes making sentences for those of convicted of breaking the law more in line with the seriousness of the offense, taking into account whether a crime was violent or not, helping non-violent offenders to assimilate back into society and getting away from mandatory sentencing laws.

Proposals are still being considered to reform probation rules. The number of people on probation in Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel appears on Smart Talk to discuss the crime and incarcerations rates, along with other issues.

*This is an encore broadcast*

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The Center for Disease Control issued a dire warning last week, saying that it is not a matter of if the coronavirus will spread in the US, but when it will happen.

Officials stopped short of predicting how many people will fall seriously ill but did say that the reported surge in cases outside of China has prompted the warning.

The Trump administration responded by asking Congress for $2.5 billion to fight the virus and named Vice President Pence to lead the nation’s response.

Will these efforts be enough to stop a nation-wide spread? What are Pennsylvania health officials doing to prepare?

Joining Smart Talk on Monday to discuss the US and Pennsylvania coronavirus response, along with the how the virus presents in affected individuals, is the Secretary of the Department of Health Rachel Levine, MD.

Also, health officials are not the only experts gauging the impact of a possible global pandemic.

Economists and stock investment specialists are watching as the US Stock market reacts to the uncertainty of the virus’s effect on global markets.

Appearing on Smart Talk to analyze the potential impact is Dan Eye, Chartered Financial Analyst and head of Asset Allocation and Equity Research Roof Advisory Group.

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Seventy-five years ago,  U.S. Marines invaded the small pacific island of Iwo Jima.  The island is strategically located about 750 miles off the Japanese Coast and was considered a possible staging base for an invasion of Japan.

But before that could happen, U.S. Marines would face one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Some estimates say that all but about 200 of the 21,000 Japanese forces defending the Island were killed, along with nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines.  

Pfc. George Aukamp, a 94-year-old Lancaster County native, was one of the Marines who fought on Iwo Jima. Aukamp operated a flamethrower when he landed on the island with the 4th Marine Division. He fought for eight days before being wounded and evacuated from the battle.

George Aukamp appears on Smart Talk to share his experience as a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

 

Also, the Susquehanna Art Museum’s new exhibit, Separate and Unequal, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Negro National League, a black only baseball league that formed in 1920.

For more than thirty years, the league thrived. Black teams played other black teams, and white teams, as well. The league was the black community’s answer to sports segregation and became the “proving ground” for big names like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss the anniversary and impact of the Negro National League is Ted Knorr, a local baseball historian who specializes in the Negro League history.

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Smart Talk takes a Road Trip to the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the campus of Harrisburg Area Community College to discuss career and technical education.

Many Pennsylvania employers say they’re having difficulty finding skilled workers to fill positions – jobs that often pay good wages.

These jobs don’t always and in some case don’t ever require a four-year college degree, but the people who seek careers in fields such as automotive tech, culinary arts, welding and healthcare do need to be educated and trained.

That’s become the role of Pennsylvania career and technical schools that most often enroll students in high school and community colleges like HACC.

Appearing on Thursday’s Smart Talk Road Trip to the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the campus of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) is Gene Barr, President and CEO the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry to offer a state-wide look at the demand for a technically skilled work force.

Also on the program are Scott Rogers, Assistant Director, York County School of Technology, along with student Nadia Stuckey, a Senior in the Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing program. Justin Bruhn, Director, Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School and Kasey Davis, a senior in the Dental Assisting program are also joining the conversation to share their perspective.

Finally, both Vic Rogers, Associate Provost and workforce development agent at HACC and Laura Potthoff, Director of Business and Workforce Development with Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation will round out the panel to talk about continuing education for a skilled workforce.

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If you are wondering where this winter’s cold temps and wintry conditions are, you’re probably not alone. Globally, this year’s January has been the Earth’s hottest January on record, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

Snow trackers also point out that snow coverage in both North America and Europe are significantly lower this winter. Snow coverage is measured and analyzed because it is considered a “critical climate indicator.” Less snow and ice cover mean that the Earth’s surface can absorb more of the sun’s energy and become warmer.

David Robinson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor with the Department of Geography at Rutgers University and NJ State Climatologist tracks snow coverage through the Global Snow Lab and he appears on Smart Talk to discuss their observations.

Also, the NPR Student Podcast Challenge is back. Students in grades five through twelve can team up with their teachers to create a podcast for a chance to have it broadcast on NPR.

Submissions are accepted until March 24, 2020, and the winning podcasts from each age group will be featured in segments on either All Things Considered or Morning Edition. NPR’s Education Desk podcast staff members Lauren Migaki, Senior Producer, and Jeffrey Pierre, Assistant Producer, join Smart Talk to discuss the Student Podcast Challenge.

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Governor Tom Wolf is proposing a $204 million need-based scholarship to help thousands of middle and lower-income students attend one of the 14 state-owned universities in Pennsylvania. The so-called Nellie Bly Scholarship Program would take money from the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund.

To be eligible for the new scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time in a PASSHE undergraduate program, as well as qualify for a federal subsidized student loan. Another caveat is that students are also obligated to stay and live in Pennsylvania after graduation for the same amount of years they received the scholarship.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the Governor’s scholarship proposal are Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera and Deputy Secretary for Postsecondary and Higher Education Noe Ortega.

However, horse racing industry leaders fear the loss of the fund will signal the death knell of horse racing in Pennsylvania, along with thousands of jobs.

According to Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania’s horse industry ranks sixth in the United States and contributes $1.7 billion and 43,114 jobs to the state’s economy. When the direct and indirect effects are considered, the horse industry provides around $3.3 billion to the state’s economy – along with over 60,000 jobs.

Also joining us on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the new proposal’s impact on the horse industry are Todd Mostoller, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protection Association (PHBPA), Russell Williams, President and CEO of Hanover Shoe Farms and President of the United States Trotting Association (USTA), and Vicky Schowe, Assistant Executive Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) and a thoroughbred breeder.

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In 2016, nearly 100 million Americans did not vote – even though it was a presidential election year. That’s about 43% of the eligible voting-age population.

A study on why Americans don’t vote, released by the Knight Foundation earlier this month, found multiple repeating themes – non-voters were less engaged with the news and felt under informed, non-voters were more evenly divided on key issues and on President Trump compared to active voters, and overall found that young eligible citizens are less informed and less interested in politics than active voters.

The study focuses on the 100 million Americans who are eligible to vote but decide not to. The study is part of The 100 Million Project, a national study of the non-voting population that aims to understand voter and political disengagement.

Evette Alexander, Director of Learning and Impact at the Knight Foundation appears on Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss why non-voters don’t participate with particular attention on Pennsylvania.

Over the next ten years artificial turf is expected to produce 1 million to 4 million tons of waste. There are no companies in the United States that can completely recycle artificial turf and that creates an environmental problem.

York Daily Record Investigative Reporter Candy Woodall recently reported on an issue that many probably didn’t think about when installing artificial turf at high school sports facilities in the last 20 years – what to do with the old turf when it is time to replace. Woodall joins us on Smart Talk.

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In 2017, nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses. There were 5,456 drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania alone — twice the national average.

Last month, Republican Congressman Dan Meuser of Luzerne County proposed the Family Support Services for Addiction Act (FSSAA) that would create a $25 million grant program to aid local and national nonprofit organizations who provide family support services for addiction treatment.

Appearing on Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss the proposed legislation and substance use disorder are Courtney Hunter, Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs for the Center on Addiction, a national organization that recently merged with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and Drug Free Workplace PA educator Kathy Strain.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction you can visit drugfree.org or call the helpline at: 1-855-378-4373 or call 717-454-3100 for free resources from the Drug Free Workplace PA.

Also, the spellers who scored the highest on the written portion of WITF’s Central Pennsylvania Spelling Bee now move on to the WITF Grand Spelling Bee this weekend. The Bee takes place on February 22 at the WITF Public Media Center. The recorded competition will air on WITF TV on March 1, 4 and 6. (Visit WITF Schedule for broadcast times).

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the spelling bee is Ruth Keim, WITF’s Spelling Bee Coordinator.

In honor of the Grand Spelling Bee, WITF’s PaPost reporter Ed Mahon, WITF’s Audio Specialist Joe Ulrich, along with WITF Digital Manager Lisa Wardle, try their hands at spelling on Friday’s Smart Talk.

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