The Spark

WITF, Inc.
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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, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

  1. 2H AGO

    Mayor Williams–City Council Rift Deepens; Broad Street Market Tops 2026 Preservation Priority List

    (00:00:00) Jonathan Bergmueller and Tirzah Christopher of Pennlive discuss their reporting on the rift between Mayor Williams and City Council.  (00:12:14) Historic Harrisburg Association Has announced its 2026 Preservation Priority List. Broad Street Market at the top of the list. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  2. 2D AGO

    The Spark Weekly | Feb. 22 | Electronic Waste and Fair Housing in Pa.

    The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has also contributed to an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  also on the program: The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-income discrimination, addressing disparate impact and segregation, improving code enforcement and habitability standards, and increasing accountability for affirmatively furthering fair housing.  The report brought together state leaders, civil rights advocates, and housing experts to address ongoing disparities and outline a path forward to ensure equal housing opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  3. 3D AGO

    Fair Housing Gaps in Pennsylvania and Early Detection for Prostate Cancer: What Communities Need to Know

    (00:00:00) The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) formally released its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The report examines current housing conditions, patterns of discrimination, and structural challenges impacting access and affordability. It also advances key policy and enforcement recommendations, including strengthening protections against source-of-income discrimination, addressing disparate impact and segregation, improving code enforcement and habitability standards, and increasing accountability for affirmatively furthering fair housing.  The report brought together state leaders, civil rights advocates, and housing experts to address ongoing disparities and outline a path forward to ensure equal housing opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. (00:22:22)Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor of the prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located in front of a man's rectum and below the bladder. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly, so chances for successful treatment increase if doctors catch the disease early. Your age and the stage of the cancer will help determine your treatment. For some men, doctors recommend active surveillance — closely monitoring the tumor — instead of treatment. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  4. 4D AGO

    How to Reduce Electronic Waste — Plus the Medieval Couples Who Redefined Love and Tragedy

    (00:00:00) The rise in the everyday use of electronic items has alco contributed in an increase of electronic waste, filling already crowded landfills and increasing risks to the environment. How can electronic items be safely disposed of, and how can the public play a part in cutting down on e-waste?  (00:23:53) Historian Chrissie Senecal going to go through the stories of several of Medieval Europe’s most famous couples. As usual, all these stories are bizarre and/or tragic or have some unusual twist.  Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  5. 5D AGO

    CHD Survivor’s Lifelong Fight for Repair — and the Double Standard That Lets Men “Fangirl” Over Sports While Women Get Mocked for Their Passions.

    (00:00:00) Men are often celebrated for passionately supporting sports teams—spending money, getting emotional, and “fangirling” over players—while women are frequently mocked for showing the same level of enthusiasm for musicians, makeup, athletes, or concerts. The double standard treats identical behaviors differently depending on gender, even though both are simply forms of fandom and joy. We take a deep dive into this idea and stigma with Professor Mary Zaborskis from Penn State Harrisburg. (00:21:03) Born in 1947 as a “blue baby” with undiagnosed Tetralogy of Fallot, he was initially given little chance of surviving childhood. After moving to Carlisle, it took seven years before a cardiologist in Philadelphia agreed to treat him. Over the decades, he underwent multiple major heart surgeries: a Blalock‑Taussig‑Thomas shunt in 1958, a Waterston shunt in 1967, and finally a full TOF repair in 1980 by Dr. John Kirklin—an operation that transformed his stamina and daily life.His long-term care continued through several cardiologists, most notably Dr. William Davidson at Penn State Hershey, who guided him through a pulmonary valve replacement in 2005 and later the implantation of an ICD to manage arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia. After Dr. Davidson’s passing in 2022, he transitioned to the care of Dr. Elizabeth Adams.Following Dr. Davidson’s advice, he became active in the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), finding community, education, and purpose as a peer mentor for others with CHD—especially those with TOF. He emphasizes that people with congenital heart disease are never “fixed,” only “repaired,” and often require ongoing interventions throughout life.Despite the challenges, he has lived a full, rich life, with a family he’s deeply proud of, and a personal mission to support and reassure others navigating CHD. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  6. 6D AGO

    From Invention to Inspiration: William Chester Ruth’s Legacy; Donegal Performing Arts’ Next Generation

    (00:00:00) Gwendolyn Ruth Dickinson talks about her grandfather William Chester Ruth (1882–1971) who was an African American machinist, inventor, and business owner from Pennsylvania. Born in Ercildoun to parents who overcame slavery, Ruth developed a passion for machinery early on, leading him to establish Ruth's Ironworks Shop in Gap, PA, in 1922. Over his career, he secured more than 50 patents for agricultural innovations, including the Combination Baler Feeder and a self-lifting farm elevator, significantly enhancing farming efficiency. Beyond his mechanical contributions, Ruth was a respected community leader and lay minister, dedicating his life to both technological advancement and spiritual guidance. (00:22:29) Donegal Performings Arts is the premier high school theater program in the Donegal School District. Each year, the program produces spectacular fall plays and spring musicals for our Central Pennsylvania community. A multidimensional theater education is the goal of the program; we hope to train students in all elements of theater: lights, sound, wardrobe, makeup, acting, singing, dancing, paint technique, set building, backstage management, and prop design. Through the training of all these skills, the theater program fosters skills of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, and empathy, making Donegal students both theater ready and life ready. This year's show is Anastasia Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  7. FEB 16

    Berks County ICE Controversy, Spring Prep Tips, and a New Take on ‘Blue Juniata'

    (00:00:00) Gabriel Martinez and Manada Fries of Spotlight PA, discuss an Ice detention facility planned for Berks County. (00:23:14) When Perry County musician Zachariah King wanted to record a cover of the 1844 song “Blue Juniata”, it led him down a rabbit hole of discovery about the song’s writer, Marion Dix Sullivan. Sullivan was from a town near Boston but had once travelled through Perry County around the time of its founding. She was inspired to write Blue Juniata while there. WITF Music’s Joe Ulrich sat down with King to hear about his research on the song and his trip up to find Sullivan’s gravestone. (00:34:17) And Erica Jo Shaffer is back to tell us how to prep for the spring season. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min

  8. FEB 14

    The Spark Weekly 2.15.2026: The Declaration of Independence at 250 and Building the Future of Local Journalism

    A standing-room-only crowd filled the room at Gettysburg College as businessman, philanthropist, and historian David Rubenstein took the stage for this year’s Blavatt Lecture, an annual event hosted by the Eisenhower Institute that brings in speakers with distinctive perspectives on American democracy. and Veteran journalist David Greene and Pennon interim President and CEO Tom Baldrige discussed Greene’s new nonprofit, Always Lancaster, which will assume ownership of LNP | LancasterOnline and transition the historic newspaper into an independent nonprofit newsroom. Greene, who moved to Lancaster as a teenager and began his journalism career at McCaskey High School before going on to the Baltimore Sun and NPR, described the effort as “almost like a calling,” outlining a three-part revenue model built on subscriptions, advertising, and philanthropy to sustain local journalism. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min
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4.5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

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, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

Information

  • Creator
    WITF, Inc.
  • Years Active
    2009 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 WITF
  • Show Website
    The Spark

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