On this week's edition of The Spark Weekly:

Brett Sholtis of LNP/Lancaster Online will discuss his reporting on the rise and fall of the Paramount ATM Network

Carter Walker of VoteBeat, reporting on the number of poll workers for upcoming elections in PA

 

Also, on the program:

In a time of increasing polarization, religious leaders and scholars are coming together to address one of the most pressing and complex issues in modern faith: Christian nationalism. This movement, which intertwines national identity with religious belief, has sparked deep conversations about the role of faith in public life and the risks of conflating Christianity with political power.

On this week's edition of The Spark Weekly:
Brett Sholtis of LNP/Lancaster Online will discuss his reporting on the rise and fall of the Paramount ATM Network
Carter Walker of VoteBeat, reporting on the number of poll workers for upcoming elections in PA
&nbsp;
Also, on the program:
In a time of increasing polarization, religious leaders and scholars are coming together to address one of the most pressing and complex issues in modern faith: Christian nationalism. This movement, which intertwines national identity with religious belief, has sparked deep conversations about the role of faith in public life and the risks of conflating Christianity with political power.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark Weekly 3.23.2025: Lack of Poll Workers for Elections and Christian Nationalism

Nashville‐based singer‐songwriter Maya de Vitry returns to her hometown this week for two special homecoming events at Zoetropolis. On Tuesday, April 29, she’ll lead an interactive workshop titled “Find Your Voice, Unblock Your Creativity, and Gain the Courage to Share Your Songs,” designed to help participants mine their personal stories and sharpen their craft. Then, on Wednesday, April 30, Maya will perform with her trio—Joel Timmons on guitar and Rhees Williams on bass—showcasing material from her latest releases and her celebrated 2024 album The Only Moment.

Nashville‐based singer‐songwriter <a href="https://www.mayadevitry.com/">Maya de Vitry</a> returns to her hometown this week for two special homecoming events at Zoetropolis. On Tuesday, April 29, she&rsquo;ll lead an interactive workshop titled<a href="https://www.bandsintown.com/e/1034762698?affil_code=js_www.mayadevitry.com&amp;app_id=js_www.mayadevitry.com&amp;came_from=700&amp;utm_campaign=event&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=widget"> &ldquo;Find Your Voice, Unblock Your Creativity, and Gain the Courage to Share Your Songs,&rdquo;</a> designed to help participants mine their personal stories and sharpen their craft. Then, on Wednesday, April 30, Maya will perform with her trio&mdash;Joel Timmons on guitar and Rhees Williams on bass&mdash;showcasing material from her latest releases and her celebrated 2024 album The Only Moment.

Lancaster Native Maya de Vitry Comes Home for Songwriting Workshop and Concert

“Stress is really the body’s response to some type of a challenge,” explains Dr. Patrick DeLone, a clinical psychologist, “whether it’s a physical challenge, an emotional challenge, or a combination of both.” At its core, stress triggers the familiar “fight or flight” cascade: cortisol and adrenaline spikes that sharpen focus, speed up your heart, and prime your muscles. “In fifth grade you learned about fight and flight…your metabolism goes up, you can see better, you focus better”—all reasons why short‐term stress can actually enhance performance.

&ldquo;Stress is really the body&rsquo;s response to some type of a challenge,&rdquo; explains Dr. Patrick DeLone, a clinical psychologist, &ldquo;whether it&rsquo;s a physical challenge, an emotional challenge, or a combination of both.&rdquo; At its core, stress triggers the familiar &ldquo;fight or flight&rdquo; cascade: cortisol and adrenaline spikes that sharpen focus, speed up your heart, and prime your muscles. &ldquo;In fifth grade you learned about fight and flight&hellip;your metabolism goes up, you can see better, you focus better&rdquo;&mdash;all reasons why short‐term stress can actually enhance performance.

Understanding Stress: When It Helps—and When It Hurts

Since 2016, the Partnership for Better Health’s Match Madness campaign has raised over $5 million to bolster small and mid-sized nonprofits across the region. “We saw that our local nonprofits didn’t necessarily have the staff to do the fundraising they needed,” explains Carol Thornton, the Partnership’s Executive Director. “We spotted an opportunity to leverage our capacity…to bring in flexible funding into their organizations to meet their needs.”

The very first Match Madness matched $50,000 in partnership funds and galvanized 15 organizations to raise $116,790—more than doubling the match. Thornton recalls, “That first year showed that this was something that definitely was wanted and needed, and there was opportunity for growth.” Today, the campaign matches the first $1,500 of each nonprofit’s donations dollar-for-dollar, then allocates an additional $150,000 pool proportionally up to $30,000 per organization.

Since 2016, the Partnership for Better Health&rsquo;s Match Madness campaign has raised over $5 million to bolster small and mid-sized nonprofits across the region. &ldquo;We saw that our local nonprofits didn&rsquo;t necessarily have the staff to do the fundraising they needed,&rdquo; explains Carol Thornton, the Partnership&rsquo;s Executive Director. &ldquo;We spotted an opportunity to leverage our capacity&hellip;to bring in flexible funding into their organizations to meet their needs.&rdquo;
The very first Match Madness matched $50,000 in partnership funds and galvanized 15 organizations to raise $116,790&mdash;more than doubling the match. Thornton recalls, &ldquo;That first year showed that this was something that definitely was wanted and needed, and there was opportunity for growth.&rdquo; Today, the campaign matches the first $1,500 of each nonprofit&rsquo;s donations dollar-for-dollar, then allocates an additional $150,000 pool proportionally up to $30,000 per organization.

The Spark Weekly 3.23.2025: Lack of Poll Workers for Elections and Christian Nationalism

In 1 playlist(s)

The Spark

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips