Shapiro’s 2026 Budget, ICE and Constitutional Rights, and Why America Needs Courageous Citizenship

(00:00:00) WITF’s Jaxon White breaks down Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026 budget address, delivered to the Pennsylvania legislature on Tuesday, Feb. 3. He explains the administration’s key priorities, proposed spending, and what the plan could mean for communities across the Commonwealth. WITF reporter …

How to Live Abundantly, Prepare for Winter Storms, and Protect Women’s Health: Insights on Mindset, Weather, and Cervical Cancer Prevention

(00:00:00) Author Linda Gottfried joins us to share insights from her new book How to Live Your Life Like You’ve Already Won the Lottery, a guide to shifting perspective, embracing abundance, and finding purpose beyond financial luck. She invites readers to rethink what it means to “win” and to cu…

Hidden Lives, Recovered Histories: Renate Wildermuth and the Story of Cloe

(00:00:00) We begin with Renate Wildermuth, author of Gone Before You Knew Me, a debut novel already earning international attention. Named a “Most Anticipated Book” by Indigo, reviewed by Booklist, and soon to be featured in Teach Magazine and on North Country Public Radio, the novel blends emoti…

Earth’s Echoes, Women’s Power: Two Stories of Sound and Strength

(00:00:00) We begin with Dr. Brett McLaurin, Professor of Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences at Commonwealth University, who helps us understand why certain rocks can sing. Using the famous ringing rocks of Bucks County as a starting point, Dr. McLaurin explains how mineral compo…

Forgotten Patriots & Weather Prophets: Pennsylvania Stories That Endure

(00:00:00) First, we speak with Elizabeth Zucker of the Dauphin County Historical Society and Noah Lewis, the living historian who portrays Edward “Ned” Hector, a Black Revolutionary War soldier whose bravery at the Battle of Brandywine challenges the incomplete narratives many Americans learned i…

The Spark Weekly | 2.1.26: Social Isolation and Conversations About Race

Then we turn to a different kind of deficit: America’s growing social isolation. The Barnes Family Foundation, based in Bethlehem, has released its first Social Connection in America report — a sweeping look at how connected (or disconnected) people feel today. The findings are stark: disengagement…

News from the Commonwealth, Stories from the Yard

(00:00:00) On today’s The Spark, we start with the news shaping communities across Pennsylvania. Carmen Russell-Sluchansky of WHYY brings us the latest on Philadelphia’s cleanup efforts after last weekend’s snowstorm and explains the growing controversy over the removal of a slavery exhibit at Ind…

Scanning Prices, Measuring Belonging: A Look at PA Consumers and Communities

(00:00:00) We begin with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s recent settlement with Dollar General, following allegations that prices listed on shelves didn’t match what customers were charged at checkout. We break down what the settlement means for shoppers across the Commonwealth, why price‑accu…

Nature’s Surprises: The Coudersport Ice Mine and Morris Arboretum

(00:00:00) We begin in Potter County with Gary M. Buchsen, whose family owns and operates the Coudersport Ice Mine — a geological anomaly that has fascinated visitors for more than a century. Discovered in 1894 by silver prospector Billy O’Neill, the Ice Mine produces ice in the spring and summer,…

Evolution, Identity, and the Spaces We Create

(00:00:00) First, we visit the Center for Post Natural History, a one‑of‑a‑kind museum dedicated to documenting the living organisms that have been intentionally altered by humans, from early agricultural domestication to cutting‑edge genetic engineering. Since 2008, the Center has sparked public …