The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau - Episode 104 - 01/25/2026

Pennsylvania and its citizens are preparing for the first major winter storm of the season, now dubbed Winter Storm Fern.  From border to to border, snow is expected.  That means the men and women who work at PennDOT are gearing up for a long weekend of work, made even more troublesome by the extreme cold we're enduring.  We'll hear how PennDOT is prepping for their mission of clearing the state's interstate highways and other major arterials with PennDOT Safety Press Officer, Fritzi Schreffler.  Then, we'll tackle another very pressing issue, the extremely depleted national blood supply.  It's gotten to such a low point nationwide that hospitals have begun cancelling elective surgeries, and patients who count on transfusions for life saving care face serious risk.  We'll speak with the Executive Director of the Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania, Laura Burke.