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Jail-mail trial and Venezuela on the brink

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What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, February 28, 2019:

Hearings are underway in a federal case over whether Pennsylvania’s prison system is violating inmates’ First Amendment Rights.

The Department of Corrections and their handling of legal mail is at the center of the legal action.

Also, the Pennsylvania legislature is well into the 2019 session. What legislation is gaining momentum and moving forward?

Katie Meyer is WITF’s Capitol bureau chief and she joins us on Smart Talk to discuss the new legislative session and the priorities for state lawmakers.

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Katie Meyer

Also, Venezuela is experiencing an unparalleled political and humanitarian crisis, and it appears to be getting worse.

The situation there is complicated and involves the near collapse of the state-controlled oil industry, hyperinflation and wide-spread food shortages. The political volatility is only making matters worse, with two men claiming the presidency.

More than three million people have fled the country in the past four years, which also threatens to destabilize neighboring countries and the region.

With humanitarian aid poised along the border, what is Venezuela’s future?

Joining Smart Talk on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Venezuela is Dr. Evan Ellis, Latin America Research Professor, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute.

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Dr. R. Evan Ellis

 

 

 

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