WITF Smart Talk

More than 63,000 nonprofit organizations operate in Pennsylvania, generating revenues of more than $220 billion. Nearly a quarter of a million Pennsylvanians work in the nonprofit sector; almost 15% of the state's workforce. These entities register as 501(c)(3) organizations, exempting them from federal tax. Late last week, the Senate passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - the tax reform bill - and it is currently being reconciled with the House before going to the president. One of the provisions of the bill as it left the House was a reduction in the number of individuals eligible to deduct charitable donations from their federal filings, reducing the pool of eligibility from 31% of individual filers to 5%. In addition, the proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate would result in a projected 13 million Americans losing healthcare coverage; nonprofit service organizations anticipate that would result in a dramatic increase in need for services. Anne Gingrich, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, recently penned an opinion piece for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette expressing the concerns of the state's non-profit community regarding the tax reform proposal, Gingrich will join Monday's Smart Talk to discuss the impact this tax bill could have on Pennsylvania's nonprofit sector and the vulnerable citizens who rely on their aid. Also, the state's Board of Education released a report last month indicating 93% of Pennsylvania schools are including Holocaust education in their curriculum. The state's General Assembly passed Act 70 in 2014, encouraging the teaching of Nazi genocide of Jews, homosexuals, disabled and ethnic minorities during WWII. The classroom instruction is age appropriate at all levels and also includes content on the Rwandan genocide and other acts against humanity. Smart Talk will discuss the importance of teaching the Holocaust to all students with Randi Boyette, the Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia's Associate Regional Director of Education and Elaine Culbert, a member of the Act 70 advisory committee and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

The mass media or mainstream media, as many call the most popular radio and TV networks, newspapers and websites, is under fire, perhaps more than at any time in recent history. Probably every American president has criticized the media at one time or another and there were times throughout the nation's history when journalists weren't responsible in reporting the news or were partisan politically, but no president has attacked the media publicly like Donald Trump. President Trump coined the name "fake news" when he hears a story he doesn't like or sees as inaccurate, has called reporters dishonest, bad people and has gone as far as saying the press is the enemy of the people. Even before Trump became a candidate or president there were Americans that saw the media as biased or unfair, but in today's atmosphere, the criticism has gone beyond not believing everything that is reported. At least 34 journalists have been physically assaulted in 2017. Just last week, Walmart agreed to remove a tee-shirt the stores were selling that read "Rope. Tree. Journalist. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED." The 2017 Poynter Media Trust Survey released last week found that about half the country trust the media. Many journalists are battling back with transparency and with a renewed committment to making sure the news they report is accurate. Tuesday's Smart Talk addresses trust in media with Dan Shelley, Executive Director of the Radio Television Digital News Association and WITF's Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert.

Pennsylvania House Bill 153 has been sitting before the State's Legislature for more than a year; the bill, sponsored by Schuylkill County Representative Jerry Knowles, passed the house with great fanfare in 2016. It has languished in committee since then. The bill would then require a constitutional amendment on an election ballot to meet full passage. HB 153 would reduce the size of Pennsylvania's Legislature from 203 seats to 151 - a reduction of 26% that would ideally save taxpayers $15 million a year. The legislative budget increased by 5.2% in 2017 to $362 million. The Commonwealth boasts the largest fulltime Legislature in the country. On the Friday edition of Smart Talk, WITF Capitol Bureau Chief Katie Meyer speaks with Mark Levy, The Associated Press' Harrisburg Correspondent and Steve Esack of the Allentown Morning Call about efforts to limit the size and budget of the state's legislature as well as the race for Pennsylvania's second-in-command. Last week, Lieutenant Governor Michael Stack announced his intention to run for re-election in 2018. Stack made the announcement from Philadelphia's City Hall, saying "It's not a secret this year has been difficult for my family and me, but we're emerging stronger and healthier." The difficulties he was referring to involve alleged abuse doled out by Stack and his wife to his state police security detail. Allegations became severe enough for Governor Wolf to launch an investigation into the Stacks' behavior and eventually strip them of the detail. The governor and Stack have had a historically rocky relationship with one capitol source telling Philly.com "Some in the front office have hated him [Stack] from Day One." Stack's announcement follows those of several other Pennsylvanians vying for the lieutenant governor's seat, including Braddock mayor John Fetterman, Montgomery County businessman Jeff Bartos and Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone.

Americans awoke Wednesday to learn that Matt Lauer, host of NBC's Today, was fired for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. He joins a growing list of high profile men who are being called out for their conduct - people who are at the highest reaches of news media, entertainment and politics. The narrative has changed since last month, when film mogul Harvey Weinstein was accused of using his clout to pressure young actresses for sex. Since, we've heard the stories of a highly regarded actor who groped young male co-workers; a respected comedian and U.S. senator who took inappropriate pictures with a female comedian while she slept; and a senatorial candidate accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Thursday's Smart Talk discusses whether this is a turning point in what's appropriate and what isn't, respect, acceptable behavior and how men and women treat each other. Kristen Houser, Chief Public Affairs Officer forthe Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape appears on the program. Also, according to an investigative report in the Reading Eagle, between 2009 and 2015, the state's Department of Health acknowledged more than 1,800 incidents of abuse of residents of nursing homes in Pennsylvania. Only three of those cases were referred to the attorney general's office. None were prosecuted. The Eagle says due to a lack of transparency in the reporting and documentation process, there is little understanding of the scale of these abuses. A 2010 amendment to The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 requires facilities to notify police within 24 hours of a reported abuse but a review of 100 incidents by The Reading Eagle found that there is little compliance with the law. The Eagle had to file three Right-to-Know requests and two open records appeals to obtain this information. On the Thursday edition of Smart Talk, we'll will parse out the scope of nursing home abuses and the reporting thereof with Reading Eagle investigative reporter, Nicole Brambila.

As of showtime Wednesday, bitcoin values reached $11,353.52 per coin. In March of 2010, one bitcoin was worth $0.003. An investment of thirty cents seven years ago would yield a return of nearly one million dollars today. Bitcoins, and their cousins Ethereum, Litecoin and others, are a form of digital currency used for "peer-to-peer" monetary transactions that take place online. The concept of e-cash was introduced in 1981 by cryptographer David Chaum to facilitate anonymous transactions; by the 2010's, users were buying drugs, weapons and hacking programs anonymously online using bitcoins and other 'crypto-coins.' On Wednesday's Smart Talk, we'll discuss the development of bitcoin and other forms of e-currency, its practical and not-so-legal uses and its incredible growth with Dmitriy Krichevskiy, Assistant Professor of Economics at Elizabethtown College. Also, fewer than 250 of two million Direct Support Professionals who work with intellectually and developmentally disabled Americans have been trained to receive credentialing. It' a career that also doesn't pay much and has a high turnover. Penn-Mar Human services is trying to change that by offering a career ladder program to those looking to become DSPs. Penn-Mar's Maryland Chief Operating Officer Laura Tieman discusses the employment crisis on Wednesday's Smart Talk.

York County leads the state in seizure of personal property by police. The York County District Attorney's Office has taken $4.4 million in property from citizens - $900,000 from auctioned cars. The rate of car seizures by York County exceeds that of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Allegheny counties combined. In some cases, money, cars and property are taken from real criminals, mostly drug dealers. But many are having cars and cash seized for petty offenses; minor possession and even association with a person accused of a drug crime. These properties are taken at arrest, prior to any attempt at due process. The recourse for getting back cars, cash and property is onerous and costly. Supporters contend civil asset forfeiture is a vital tool in discouraging drug activity; it sends a message to youth that crime doesn't pay. "Is it going to be the taxpayers, you know, to pay for enforcement or treatment, or is it going to be the bad guys?" asks York County District Attorney Tom Kearney. Counties and municipalities use revenue to support police and drug treatment programs. Critics see this as an unconstitutional seizure of private property by the government. Pennsylvania state senator Mike Folmer, a Republican representing Lebanon County and portions of York and Dauphin Counties, argues civil asset forfeiture " . . . lacks the most basic notice and due process protections provided by other civil actions, and the fact that law enforcement has a financial stake in the process can lead to distorted decisions about when to pursue forfeiture." York Daily Record reporters Ed Mahon and Dylan Segelbaum have parsed out the issue of asset forfeiture in that paper; they will join the Monday edition of Smart Talk to discuss the breadth of its use and share some startling examples from the region. Also, forty-five years ago, Hurricane Agnes hit the Yucatan Peninsula and headed north, shredding the east coast all the way through New York. While in Pennsylvania, she dumped 12 inches of rain on the capital in twenty-four hours. Flood waters rose to thirteen feet, forcing the evacuations of thousands of Harrisburg residents. Fifty Pennsylvanians died, damages exceeded $2 billion. Shippensburg University history major Frank Grumbine has researched the impact of Agnes on the region and will join Smart Talk to discuss the damage caused by Agnes and how the state has adjusted their management and response to devastating natural disasters.

In 2011, the FCC initiated the 'Connect America Fund' - an effort to provide broadband internet access for all Americans - including those in the most rural regions. This was an attempt to bridge what is being referred to as the "digital divide" - the chasm between those who can use the internet for education, commerce or entertainment and those without that access. The Connect America Fund would earmark monies from service fees paid on telephone bills and subsidize communication companies for infrastructural upgrades in rural and low-income communities. While most internet providers in Pennsylvania accepted the funds under the terms, Verizon declined the funding. This decision from Verizon is locking out $140 million for broadband upgrades in Pennsylvania. 800,000 Pennsylvanians lack high-speed internet access; twenty percent of those live in rural areas. The $140 million investment in the state's broadband delivery system could provide access for more than 60,000 residents. The state must act soon or those funds will be auctioned off to other states in 2018. "The window of opportunity is rapidly closing," says Pennsylvania Utility Commission spokesman Nils Hagen-Frederiksen. "The money was originally earmarked for Pennsylvania." "Collectively, residents and businesses in nearly every county face the prospect of losing federal financial support for high speed internet deployment," said PUC Commissioner David W. Sweet. On Tuesday's Smart Talk, we'll discuss the need for high-speed internet access, how communities could get left behind without it and what is being done to insure all Pennsylvanians have high-speed internet access with Steve Samara, president of the Pennsylvania Telephone Association and Mark Critz, executive director of the state's Rural Development Council. Also, the Lycorma delicatula, or spotted lanternfly, arrived in Berks County from Asia in 2014. The one-inch planthopper loves to eat grapes, hardwoods and hops - the ingredient that gives beer its distinctive bitterness. Growers in the region are desperate to eradicate the invasive species and on Tuesday's Smart Talk we'll talk about the threat the spotted lanternfly poses to the state's agricultural economy and efforts being undertaken to contain and destroy the bug with Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer, Jr. and state entomologist Sven-Erik Spichiger.

Pennsylvania's bear hunting season began on Saturday, the state issued around 175,000 licenses for rifle and bow hunters this year. The state is home to about 20,000 black bears and officials are expecting a 2-3% kill rate for hunters. PA hunters recorded 666 black bear kills on opening day - down from 1,142 last year. While black bears can be a common sight in the rural and mountainous regions of PA, more and more residents are reporting bears in and around developed communities. A bear's sense of smell is seven times more sensitive than a bloodhound's; they will sniff out and pursue any and all food sources. Black bear mating season runs through the summer and male bears will more than 20 miles a day to find a female, and those female pheromones can travel for miles, often across human development. This, coupled with a bear's insatiable appetite for food, will drive bears into backyards and commercial dumpsters. On Tuesday's Smart Talk, we discuss human interaction with black bears, the dangers they may pose to people and the threat of human encroachment on the state's bear population with Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife biologist Mark Ternent. Also, a team of astronomers at Penn State discovered a planet 2000 light years away with some unique weather patterns; it snows sunscreen on planet Kepler-13Ab. The planet orbits a binary star system, Kepler-13A, and is in a tidally locked orbit - like our own moon, the same side of the planet always faces its host star. On the dark side of planet Kepler-13Ab, it snows titanium oxide, the main ingredient in sunscreen. The Penn State team's discovery added Kepler-13Ab to a list of planets throughout our solar system and universe whose conditions allow for some truly weird stuff to fall from their skies. We'll discuss this discovery and some of the more bizarre forms of precipitation throughout the universe, including molten iron, glass and even diamonds with team member Thomas Beatty, an assistant research professor with Penn State's Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics.

More Americans travel during the Thanksgiving weekend than any other time of year. It's estimated that more than 50 million will travel at least 50 miles from home. About 89% of them will drive so it may take a little longer to arrive at their destinations. Gas prices are up by some 40 cents a gallon compared to Thanksgiving last year, but obviously that is not stopping people from hitting the roads. It's not just the holiday either -- Black Friday will bring out millions of shoppers and in Pennsylvania, the unofficial holiday of the first day of the antlered deer season for rifle is Monday. Oh and by the way, the weather is forecast to be seasonal without any big threats of rain or snow, at least in the southern part of the state. With so many drivers on the roads, from time-to-time Smart Talk brings in the Pennsylvania State Police to answer your driving questions. Cpl. Adam Reed, the Public Information Officer for the State Police, is on the program Wednesday. Also, deer season starts Monday. Pennsylvania Game Commission Communications Director Travis Lau updates us on the status of the state's deer herd, including population, deer management and chronic wasting disease.

Thanksgiving is in three days and kitchens across America are filled with thawing turkeys, drying bread cubes and cans of cranberry sauce and French-cut green beans. Garage refrigerators overflow with cases of domestic beer. Board games are dusted off, arguments for the possibility of a Steeler/Eagle Super Bowl are prepped while we remind ourselves not to talk politics with family. In contrast to the chaos of our day-to-day lives throughout the year, Thanksgiving is a day to take a time-out and enjoy great food, the company of loved ones and mediocre football. Even in 2017, there is a Rockwellian peacefulness to the family Thanksgiving. On Monday's Smart Talk, we'll talk about preparing your Thanksgiving table with Chef Donna Desfor; we'll answer your questions about turkey preparation, wine and beer pairings, and some fresh ideas for some standards. Chef Desfor has some tips for substitutions for forgotten ingredients and some creative desert ideas. Let this be your year to take that yam-and-marshmallow casserole to the next level.

Smart Talk is live Friday morning at the LNP Studio, 8 West King Street in downtown Lancaster for the sixth annual Extraordinary Give fundraising campaign. The Lancaster County Community Foundation says "The 2017 Extraordinary Give is the region's largest day of online giving and will benefit more than 450 regional participating nonprofit organizations. For 24-hours only on November 17, individuals can visit www.ExtraGive.org and donate to an organization of their choice; from supporting kids, health and education to the environment, animals and the arts. Every dollar donated will be stretched by $500,000 from the Lancaster County Community Foundation and presenting sponsors Rodgers & Associates and the S. Dale High Family Foundation." A full list of participating organizations from around Central PA (including witf) is here: extragive.org/leaderboard/ Last year's event raised more than $7 million. In fact, the total amount of money given by the community has increased every year since the first event raised $1.67 million in 2012. Appearing on Smart Talk are Sam Bressi, President and CEO of the Lancaster County Community Foundation, Rick Rodgers of Rodgers and Associates, Robin Stauffer of the S. Dale High Family Foundation, Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray, and respresentatives from Mom's House in Lancaster, Gaudenzia Vantage Lancaster and the Spanish-American Civic Association of Lancaster. Be sure to give and stop by to say hello.

Longer life spans and aging Baby Boomers will soon lead to a surge in the number of Americans 65 or older. By 2030, health care spending is expected to increase by 25%, largely because the population will be older. Although there is a big push to offer assistance in keeping seniors as healthy as possible while "aging in place," nearly 42 percent of people who live to age 70 will spend time in a nursing home. And, for those who want to age in place, the pool of potential family caregivers will be smaller for baby boomers than it was for their parents. Pennsylvania has one of the fastest growing older populations in the country and that means challenges are imminent or may be here already. On Thursday's Smart Talk, we examine the challenges of an aging population with Pennsylvania's Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne and Keira McGuire, producer and host of WITF's Health Smart series. Health Smart latest episode "The Aging Boom" airs on WITF-TV Thursday night at 8. Also, with all the attention of whether Russia interfered in last year's U.S. presidential election and if there was contact between the Trump campaign and Russia, what is life like inside Russia under President Vladimir Putin? Russian author and activist Masha Gessen's latest book The Future is History looks back at the history and fall of the Soviet Union and then paints a picture of a nation that although not Communist, resembles a totalitarian state. Gessen appears on Thursday's Smart Talk. Masha Gessen is at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg Monday starting at 6:30 p.m.

The United States is alone amongst industrialized countries with its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The accord gave nations of the world goals to work toward to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. After originally being accepted by the Obama Administration, President Donald Trump said Paris was a bad deal and punishes the U.S. For the past week, world leaders have been meeting in Bonn, Germany to hammer out more details on how to reach their goals. Dr. Donald Brown, Professor of Sustainability Ethics and Law at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg is participating in the conference and joins us on Smart Talk Wednesday from Bonn. The Arab Spring in 2011 held so much promise for freedom in the Middle East. Several nations benefitted but others didn't. Syria in particular fell into chaos with a horrifying civil war. Since the war began, 6.5 million people have been displaced. That's one in three Syrians. Another 470 thousand are dead. Northwestern University professor of politics and author Wendy Pearlman spoke with many refugees for her new book We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled - Voices from Syria. She appears on Wednesday's Smart Talk. Wendy Pearlman speaks at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg Wednesday night at 7.

Smart Talk discusses Pennsylvania's congressional district boundaries with reporters from the Over the Line? collaborative.

Smart Talk discuss concerns of regional officials about the placement of mini-casinos in mid-state communities and we look at a program to encourage green improvements throughout the state and efforts to facilitate economic independence for Pennsylvanians with disabilities.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank estimates that one in nine people are at risk for hunger. So are one in six children. The Food Bank, along with Feeding America, released a study earlier this year that indicates 111,000 children are struggling with hunger in the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank's 27-county service area. That's even though statistics from the federal and state governments show the nation's and Pennsylvania's economies are improving and there's a low unemployment rate. Thursday's Smart Talk Road Trip travels to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank near Harrisburg to discuss hunger, who is at risk and the efforts being made to provide food to them. The Smart Talk Road Trip comes on WITF's annual one-day fundraiser with Wegman's Food Markets and the Central Pensylvania Food Bank partnering to provide 17,000 meals to those without enough food. Appearing on the program are Joe Arthur, the Executive Director; Dave Lloyd, Youth Program Manager; Jennifer Powell, Director of Development and two volunteers -- all at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and the American Lung Association is using some startling data from recent surveys to bring attention to lung health. The 4th annual Lung Health Barometer survey of 1000 men and women found that most people don't know that lung cancer screening is covered by Medicare and most plans at no cost and that many doctors aren't ordering tests for high-risk patients. The ALA of the Mid-Atlantic is highlighting advance screening methods, such as computer tomography and emphasizing that in Pennsylvania, incidents of men with lung cancer have declined by 32% since 1978 while it has increased in women by 94% during the same period. On the Wednesday edition of Smart Talk, we'll discuss the reasons for this disparity and talk about prevention and detection of lung cancer and how efforts to lower smoking rates and environmental hazards have helped lower cancer rates in the state. Deborah Brown, executive vice president of the ALA of the Mid-Atlantic will join us in studio to parse out initiatives in the mid-state to raise awareness and we'll speak with Dr. Troy Moritz, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon who will describe screening and treatment methods. Also, we'll catch up with Franklin & Marshall College professor of public affairs and director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs G. Terry Madonna and discuss the impact of Tuesday's election results.

"There are more job openings in the United States than there have ever been. The problem is we don't have the workers to fit those jobs . . ." Those are the words of Dan White, executive director of Moody's Analytics, speaking on Monday's Smart Talk about gaps in Pennsylvania's workforce. There is growth in the manufacturing sector - 21st century style industrial growth. This means using robots and computers for design, assembly and shipping logistics rather than human hands. Those robots still require human operation, those computers are programmed and maintained by people, tracking monitored by human eyes rather than an algorithm. Those are the skills that White was referring and it is this skills gap that educators in Pennsylvania are addressing to ensure the economic stability and job growth in the region. On the Tuesday edition of Smart Talk, we discuss preparing today's youth for the jobs of tomorrow and the need to shift away from the four-year college model of workforce preparation and re-focus on teaching industrial skills that are applicable for 2018, not 1958. Lynda Morris, executive director of the Capital Region Partnership for Career Development, will join us to talk about CRPCD's efforts to develop partnerships with area schools in creating effective curriculum that includes core elements of STEM programming with practical workplace applications. Also, the Association on American Indian Affairs is a non-profit organization committed to addressing issues confronting Native American communities including the repatriation of cultural artifacts from museums, the preservation of religious traditions and protection of burial sites. The AAIA maintains the application of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 which keeps Native American families together by subverting efforts to separate Indian children from their parents. The organization also addresses disparities in the application of juvenile justice code on Native American youth. Smart Talk will speak with Shannon Keller O'Loughlin, the recently appointed executive director of the AAIA about these and other issues facing Native Americans and the legacies of the Delaware, Lenape and Susquehannock tribes of Pennsylvania.

If states learned anything from the Great Recession, it was to spot the warning signs of economic collapse and prepare accordingly. America watched the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, it shouldn't have been a surprise to watch the real estate bubble explode in 2008. It is called a bubble. This is why the findings of an October report from Moody's Analytics should raise red flags for Pennsylvanians; the Commonwealth ranks near the bottom of the fifty states insofar as being prepared to confront another economic recession. Prior to the recession, the states had a combined reserve of nearly $60 billion. The impact of the recession on states' budget stabilization funds exceeded $117 billion. Pennsylvania lacks the cash reserves needed to make the fiscal adjustments necessary to flex with the economic stress of a recession. In fact, PA is carrying a negative balance in its annual reserve. On the Monday edition of Smart Talk, we'll speak with the report's author, Daniel White of Moody's Analytics, about the ramifications of being unprepared for financial meltdown. We'll also be joined by Matthew Knittel, executive director of the state's Independent Fiscal Office who can speak to the status of the state's cash reserves and credit rating and, in turn, the state's overall preparedness. Also, in the confusion following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, it was Secretary of War Edwin Stanton who stepped up to manage the messaging and the search for the president's assassin. As one of the architects of the North's victory in the Civil War, he modernized military supply and transportation methods. Biographer Walter Stahr chronicles Stanton's career as the head of Lincoln's War Department and his administration of the Civil War in Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary; Stahr joins Smart Talk to discuss the legacy of Edwin Stanton. Walter Stahr appears at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg to discuss the book on November 11.

The 429 page Republican tax bill was unveiled on Thursday; called the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act." The bill would lower the corporate tax rate to 20%, repeal most personal exemptions and increase the standardized deduction. The bill lays out an expanded child tax credit while reducing deductions for dependent college students. State and local tax deductions would be eliminated. Supporters have claimed for decades that tax cuts encourage corporate investment and help working Americans keep more of the money they earn. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said the bill " . . . is for the middle-class families in this country who deserve a break. It is for the families who are out there living paycheck to paycheck who just keep getting squeezed." Critics argue it is a wealth grab benefiting only the 1%; Public Citizen calls the bill "a massive payback to the political donor class, conferring untold riches on those who don't need it - the superrich and giant corporations." On the Friday edition of WITF's Smart Talk, we'll discuss the bill with U.S. Representative Scott Perry, the Republican Congressman representing Adams and York Counties as well as parts of Dauphin and Cumberland Counties. Also, Governor Wolf signed into law legislation that would substantially expand the state's gambling footprint. The passage of expansion took place, as stated by the governor before the Pennsylvania Press Club, because "There's been a lot of pressure from a lot of places in the Commonwealth to actually expand (gambling) and we do need some recurring revenue." The bill allows for gambling at truck stops, airports and online as well as license ten new brick-and-mortar casinos to existing gaming entities. Pennsylvania trails only Nevada in commercial gaming revenues. Critics have argued that gaming isn't an appropriate source of tax revenue; Peach Bottom state representative Bryan Cutler told the LNP in March "Every time we've counted on gambling in the budget those revenues have undershot it or something unexpected has happened, such as the decrease of the lottery fund in response to the expansion of table games." Last week, Cutler voted in support of the expansion. A 2016 report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government indicated that "In the short-run, states indeed do raise additional revenues due to expansion of gambling activities and facilities. However, history shows that in the long-run the growth in state revenues from gambling activities slows or even reverses and declines." Smart Talk will speak with Dr. David Schwartz, director of UNLV's Center for Gaming Research about the viability of relying on gaming tax revenue to meet budget shortfalls. Later, we'll discuss educating and preparing ourselves for acts of terrorism. A radicalized ISIS adherent drove a rented truck down a bike path in Manhatten on Tuesday, killing eight and injuring twelve. Dr. Duane Hagelgans currently serves on the South Central Pennsylvania Counter Terrorism Task Force (SCTF) and the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency and teaches diaster and emergency management at Millersville University; he joins Smart Talk to discuss ways to spot suspicious activity.