The Capitol prepares for possible demonstrations ahead of the Inauguration

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A week after insurrectionists breached the U.S. Capitol, the FBI is warning law enforcement agencies that armed protests have been planned in all 50 state capitals.

Harrisburg Police Sgt. Kyle Gautsch said his department is aware of the FBI’s memo, but that officers are not on any special or heightened alert at this time.

Sam Dunklau is the WITF Capitol Bureau Chief and he, along with Anthony Orozco, Latino communities reporter for WITF, are covering the security situation in Pennsylvania and Harrisburg. They join Smart Talk Friday to discuss their reporting.

Social Media and First Amendment rights come under scrutiny

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended his company’s ban of President Donald Trump’s Twitter account by saying the risk to public safety created an “extraordinary and untenable circumstance” for the company, essentially leaving them no choice.

Conservative groups are crying foul over the social media cancellations saying the actions are an infringement of free speech. But are they?

Robert D. Richards, Esq., is the John & Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies, and Founding Director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Penn State University. He appears on Smart Talk Friday to analyze the issues.

Vaccinations soon available to most, but can employers require it?

The long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan is underway around the country and in Pennsylvania. Health officials have said that any American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by early summer.

There are certainly some people who, though offered a vaccine, will choose not to take it. But what if you don’t want a COVID-19 vaccine, or object to it for some reason, can your employer or even a travel provider require you take it? Is it possible in the future that you might be refused service for not being vaccinated against the Coronavirus?

Appearing on Smart Talk Friday to unravel the complexities behind this issue is Andrew Levy, Esq., McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC.