Smart Talk: Penn State Health-Pinnacle merger; Poetry for at-risk kids

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, April 15, 2016:

The Federal Trade Commission is challenging the proposed merger between two of Central Pennsylvania’s largest healthcare providers — Penn State Health and Pinnacle Health.

The FTC is concerned that the deal may have a negative impact on consumers.

Testimony was heard in federal court this week.

WITF’s Ben Allen was in the courtroom and appears on Friday’s program to describe what he heard.

A bill that would make medical marijuana legal in Pennsylvania is on its way to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk for his signature.  One of the prime sponsors, Democratic Sen. Daylin Leach, talks about the bill.

At risk young people and poetry – what do the two have to do with one another?  More than you may expect in the city of Lancaster.  The Mix at Arbor Place is a youth development center in Lancaster that offers an innovative spoken word poetry program and also utilizes hip hop to encourage students to express themselves, promote literacy and improve confidence.

We’ll learn more about the program and how it works on Friday’s Smart Talk. 

Joining us are Jeremy Raff, Assistant Executive Director at The Mix at Arbor Place, Ty Gant, Program Associate at The Mix at Arbor Place and the co-winners of the Lancaster City Youth Poet Laureate program Natalia Delgado and Thea Buckwalter.