PA impacted by Supreme Court inaction?/Parkinson’s Disease

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, June 21, 2018:

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped two cases — without ruling on whether they are Constitutional — related to how Congressional districts are drawn.  Many had hoped the Court would provide an answer to whether maps in Wisconsin and Maryland were gerrymandered.  Instead, the justices ruled unanimously that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing or couldn’t show they were negatively affected by the districts and sent the cases back to a lower court.

Will there be an impact in Pennsylvania that has been at the epicenter of a redistricting battle this year?

Political science professor Dr. Kyle Kopko of Elizabethtown College appears on Thursday’s Smart Talk to analyze.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced publicly earlier this week that he is battling Parkinson’s Disease.  Rendell indicated he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago and is being treated.

So what is Parkinson’s Disease?

It’s a neurodegenerative disorder that affects about one million Americans and 10 million people around the world. Symptoms develop over time and can include tremors, difficulty balancing, apathy and depression.

The disease is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There is no cure for Parkinson’s Disease, but medication and surgical treatments can ease its symptoms. New research is looking into potential ways to better treat the disorder.

On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we’re joined by neurologist Dr. Thyagarajan Subramanian of Penn State Health’s Hershey Medical Center.