WITF Smart Talk Podcast

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

The symptoms appear gradually, and don’t go away.

Shortness of breath. A chronic cough. Coughing up phlegm.

Other diseases, and illnesses, can cause similar symptoms. The difference is that with a diagnosis of black lung, there is no cure, only treatment of the symptoms.

A multi-year investigation by NPR and the PBS program Frontline has identified an outbreak of the advanced stage of black lung that is far greater than previously thought or reported.

In the past, black lung was usually associated with older miners who spent their working lives underground. The trend now is that the disease is occurring in workers who have logged as little as ten years in the mines.

Appearing on Smart Talk to about the resurgence of the deadly coal miner disease is NPR Investigative Correspondent Howard Berkes. Listen to NPR report, “An Epidemic is Killing Thousands of Coal Miners. Regulators Could Have Stopped it.“

Also, emergency rooms are often the first line of help for people living with mental illness and their link to treatment resources.

WITF Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis appears on Smart Talk to discuss the impact this has on ER’S and the individuals and families seeking help. Also joining the discussion is Kenneth “KC” Johnson, WellSpan Phillhaven director of access and crisis intervention.

This story is part of WITF’s Through the Cracks project, to investigate and examine how those who are living with mental illness are coping, receiving treatment, and integrating into the community.

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

The United Nations Climate Change Conference was held earlier this month in Katowice, Poland. The conference was convened to decide the rules and guidelines for implementing the Paris Climate Accord.

The 2015 Paris agreement was touted as a major milestone in reducing global emissions, but since it was signed the Trump administration has stated the U.S. will withdraw from the agreement in 2020.

The Polish conference took on renewed urgency because of the U.S. plan and the need for slowing climate change,

Professor Donald Brown attended the climate conference and he is appearing on Smart Talk to share his observations and analysis. Professor Brown is the Scholar in Residence for Sustainability Ethics and Law for Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center.

Also, a recent demographic assessment by D.C.-based analytics firm has drawn an interesting conclusion.

Their findings show that Dauphin County is “statistically closest to resembling America as a whole.”

Called the ‘Middle America Project,’ the analysis was made using a myriad of statistical variables: income, voting patterns, race, religious affiliation, and a wide range of social and demographic characteristics.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss the analysis and what the findings mean is Patrick Ruffini, Partner and Co-Founder of Echelon Insights.

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

The year 2018 will go down as one of the wettest on record in South Central Pennsylvania. The region received between 10-to-15 inches of rainfall above the average for the last 12 months.

More rain and several significant rain events resulted in more homes being damaged by water. Whether it was a flooded basement, a damaged foundation or leaking roof, the rain took its toll on many structures. Unfortunately, some homeowners discovered after it was too late that their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies didn’t cover the damage caused by water.

They needed flood insurance even if they didn’t live near a body of water.

Flood insurance is one of the most misunderstood forms of insurance and with an average yearly premium of $700, it can be one of the most expensive.

We discuss what you need to know about flood insurance on Tuesday’s Smart Talk with Jim Enders, Vice President of Enders Insurance in Dauphin County.

Also, in his new book While Reason Slept, Thomas Brier Jr. (a Hershey native) tells the story of the nation’s founding principles and how the men who wrote the Constitution envisioned government for the common good. He writes that the Constitution has been eroded by self interest, consumerism and propaganda.

Thomas Brier appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk.

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

During the holiday season, many of us reminisce about our past. Often, a favorite gift we received will be part of those memories. For a lot of us, that favorite gift was a toy. That same toy may be in the attic as a keepsake. Even if you didn’t want to sell it, you probably have wondered how much money it is worth or its value today.

That’s where Monday’s Smart Talk comes in.

David Cordier of Cordier Auctions and Appraisals is in the studio to discuss antiques, collectibles and how much value they may have.

And it’s not just toys Mr. Cordier will be evaluating. It can be anything — furniture, firearms, heirlooms — you name it.

What makes this show fascinating is not just hearing about the estimated price of a piece, but about its history and where it came from, how it was acquired or how long it has been in the family.

Do you have an item you’d like to have appraised from a long distance? Send a brief (under 25 words) description or maybe a photograph to smarttalk@witf.org.

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

Pennsylvania could avoid a “devastating and permanent blow” to its economy and environment if it considers the ways other states have helped bail out their own failing nuclear plants… that’s according to a recent legislative report.

Two of Pennsylvania’s five nuclear plants are soon set to close prematurely.

Exelon plans to shutter its Three Mile Island plant in 2019, and FirstEnergy announced it would retire its Beaver Valley plant ahead of schedule, in 2021.

The early closures are part of a broader trend across the U.S. as the industry has struggled amid slowing demand for electricity, high operating costs, and competition from cheaper natural gas and renewables.

In recent years, other states have used various, controversial mechanisms to give billions of dollars to prop up their ailing nuclear plants by recognizing them as a source of carbon-free power… and there’s a big push to do something similar in Pennsylvania.

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss a possible bailout are Rep.Thomas Mehaffie (R- Dauphin) and David Fein, Senior Vice President of State Governmental and Regulatory Affairs at Exelon.

Also joining the program are Mark Szybist, senior attorney, Climate and Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council, Stephanie Catarino Wissman, Executive Director, Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, and Glen Thomas, President GT Power Group.

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

The last Smart Talk Road Trip of the year takes us to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. Inside the Front Street home, we’ll discuss Governor Tom Wolf’s recent re-election and his plans and priorities for the next four years. Will Wolf push for more money for education as he has in his first four years in office? What about a tax on natural gas drilling that has failed to make it through the legislature each year? Other issues that may be discussed are what the state will do, if anything, with regards to reducing emissions that contribute to climate change and how Congressional district boundaries will be drawn in the future.

First Lady Frances Wolf also joins the conversation to talk about the initiatives and platforms where she is focusing her attention. Those include the arts and education.

The holiday season is a great time to visit the Governor’s Residence that is decked out with holiday decorations. We’ll have photographs on this site after the show.

The Governor’s Residence is almost 50 years old and has a history of its own. Smart Talk explores that history and the art in the residence with Juli Bossert, Executive Residence Manager.

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