Growing maternal health deserts in Pennsylvania and other news stories of the week
Airdate: April 7th, 2023
WITF’s Director of Journalism Scott Blanchard and WITF’s News Director Randy Parker join the Spark to discuss the week’s news.
Earlier this week NPR was listed as a ‘state-affiliated media’ organization. Scott Blanchard notes the distinction is inaccurate as there is a difference between state owned media and public media. Federal funding for NPR accounts for 1% of its overall funding and the federal government does not exercise editorial decision making at NPR.
This week Gabriela Martínez reported on growing maternal health deserts. The statistics indicate that the health risks of a pregnant woman increase significantly when the obstetrical office is more than 50 miles away from where the patient lives. This is becoming a growing concern in many of the rural areas of the state.
A Pennsylvania Latina business owner helps newer immigrants navigate their taxes. Gabriela Martinez introduces us to one of the few tax preparers in the area who is a native Spanish speaker. In 2021, undocumented households contributed $30.8 billion in total taxes.
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