What A Week!

In this special episode of What A Week!, we sit down with Paige Balitski of Diva Productions and music director/actor Max Roche to discuss their upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning musical 1776. Northeast Pennsylvania’s only America250PA SemiQuin Grants-supported production, this show brings the debates, sacrifices, humor, and humanity surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Indepe...

In Episode 104 of What a Week!, Pennsylvania State Rep. Jamie Walsh and State Senate candidate Tyler Myers sit down with Mark for a powerful, no-holds-barred discussion on the aggressive data center expansion threatening rural Northeast PA.They break down House Bill 952 — the 2021 sales & use tax exemption that opened the floodgates — and how it’s driving massive electricity, water, and land d...

In this raw Episode 103 of What a Week!, Mark talks with TJ Fitzgerald of NEPA Republicans about his viral Super Bowl outburst at Spanish-speaking crowds during the halftime show. TJ unpacks the moment (booze, Bad Bunny comments, cultural frustration), his strong views on assimilation, English as a common language, illegal immigration, job impacts, and preserving the American melting pot. Honest,...

Frank Scavo — former Old Forge School Director, January 6 participant, and one of the most outspoken conservatives in NEPA — returns to the show for a powerful, no-holds-barred conversation. In this wide-ranging episode, Frank opens up about why he organized buses and traveled to Washington D.C. on January 6, driven by deep concerns over election integrity in Pennsylvania, including issues with la...

Tara Gallucci joins us for one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations we've ever had. Born into a world of 1% motorcycle clubs, family trauma, violence, and generational chaos, Tara shares her journey through addiction, abusive relationships, crystal meth, multiple arrests, and ultimately landing in Muncie State Correctional Institution. What happened in that prison changed everything. Toda...

We sit down with Tyler Meyers — U.S. Army veteran, father, and conservative Republican candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate District 20.Tyler enlisted after 9/11, trained as a HIMARS rocket crew member, later moved into military intelligence, and served until COVID-era vaccine mandates forced a difficult choice. In this raw, wide-ranging conversation, we cover:- His journey from field artillery...

Guest Kyle Popish brings raw, unfiltered insights to Episode 99 of What A Week!, exploring the health experiments we run on ourselves and the spiritual/mental payoffs that come with them. We dig into nicotine pouches like Zyn (face-on-fire reactions, flavors gone wrong, hidden ingredients), caffeine/nootropic pouches for sharper focus and clarity, the surprising power of placebo effects (why feeli...

In this heartfelt, no-holds-barred chat on What A Week! Podcast, Congolese immigrant Uhsu Mukelo opens up about his wild journey from stateless refugee in Uganda to proud U.S. citizen – calling naturalization his "rebirth." We dive into the struggles of building a life from scratch, the grind of raising a family, and why immigrants often outpace native-born folks in hustle and heart. Uhs...

In this raw, unfiltered episode of What A Week! Podcast, NEPA carpenter-turned-viral-truth-teller Shane Repansky pulls no punches as he lays out how COVID woke him up and sent him down the rabbit hole. From realizing the Spanish Flu experiments proved viruses aren’t contagious, to connecting “COVID” symptoms to 5G radiation and exosomes, Shane breaks down why he believes the entire pandemic narrat...

Episode 96 of What a Week! features Rob Coco and Carson Bushta from Turning Point USA for a high-energy, 3+ hour conversation on mobilizing Gen Z conservatives in Northeast Pennsylvania. The duo shares how Turning Point Action is building grassroots power in NEPA, recruiting young voters, and pushing back against cultural and political shifts. We dive into election integrity concerns, the role of...

Episode 95 of What a Week! features Fern Leard, Shannon Groshek (campaign manager and nonprofit founder), and Hannah Butterwick in a passionate discussion about the growing threat of data centers to rural Pennsylvania communities. The guests share their experiences organizing against these massive facilities, highlighting concerns over farmland loss, skyrocketing energy demands, environmental impa...

Episode 194 of What a Week! features Alyssa Fusaro, former Vice Chair of the Luzerne County Board of Elections and Registration, in a candid discussion about her 4-year term and the end-of-term report she released detailing election vulnerabilities. Alyssa shares why she joined the board after witnessing 2020 issues, her role as a liaison between voters and the Bureau of Elections, and the challen...

Episode 93 of What a Week! features Bailey Simrell, a NEPA technologist living on the bleeding edge of innovation, for a deep dive into AI, data centers, and their massive impact on Pennsylvania. Bailey breaks down his origin story—from growing up in a marketing agency to building apps in real estate, construction, government, and finance—before unpacking data centers: their massive power needs (o...

Episode 92 of  What a Week!  brings together PA State Rep Jamie Walsh and PA resident John Zola for a serious, eye-opening discussion on the data center invasion in Pennsylvania. They recount a trip to "Data Center Alley" in Ashburn, VA, where endless giant, windowless buildings sit in eerie silence, destroying farmland and communities. Walsh and Zola explain the "Stop the Line" movement, the envi...

Episode 91 is a 2-hour-35-minute casual chat with Joe Diehl and Jeff Squier, founders of NEPA Street Scene – the Northeast PA car community since 2012. Joe shares his military enlistment at 17 in 2001 (pre-9/11), deployments, injuries, PTSD, and transition to civilian life. They discuss building NEPA Street Scene, mental health advocacy, tech interests, and plans for podcasts on tech and mental he...

Episode 89 is a no-holds-barred conversation with Sam Faddis – retired CIA Chief of Station, 20-year undercover operator, former Army tanker, and the man who trained DIA & NSA field officers. Sam breaks down the Marxist playbook, Bolshevik tactics, and why the sudden explosion of data centers and nuclear plants across Pennsylvania is a massive red flag. This is a senior former intelligence off...

Episode 188 of What a Week! features John Phillips — co-owner of Parlor Root Beer and longtime tour manager for Snoop Dogg and Ice T — in a 2+ hour, unfiltered conversation about the state of America. We start with the drunk “Guido” defense at Hiles post-9/11, then dive into the country’s moral and cultural collapse, the cult-like behavior of both political parties, abortion as population control,...

Our conversation with John Lombardo, Luzerne County Council member, firefighter, and EMT. John discusses the value of long-form, unscripted conversations in politics, why some leaders avoid them, and how platforms like Joe Rogan are changing discourse. He shares his experiences on county council, concerns about spending transparency, and the importance of respectful dialogue across differences. Fa...

Episode 86 of What a Week! brings Chelsea Taylor, a NEPA social worker and musician, for a raw, honest dive into navigating life’s complexities. Chelsea shares her path from earning a master’s in social work to rocking stages, her struggles with therapy’s limits, and her newfound support for the Second Amendment. We tackle societal polarization, the “idiot” narratives driving division, and the hea...

Episode 86 of  What a Week!  brings Chelsea Taylor, a NEPA social worker and musician, for a raw, honest dive into navigating life’s complexities. Chelsea shares her path from earning a master’s in social work to rocking stages, her struggles with therapy’s limits, and her newfound support for the Second Amendment. We tackle societal polarization, the “idiot” narratives driving division, and the h...

Episode 85 of  What a Week!  is a heartfelt reflection with Bill Corcoran Jr., a fellow podcaster, as we unpack the raw edges of personal growth and reinvention. From the jitters of first podcasts to navigating life's curveballs—like job shifts, endless noise, and the pull of psychedelics—Bill shares how stepping back helped him quiet the chaos and rebuild from the inside out. We dive into the...

Episode 84 of What a Week podcast features a 2-hour, 8-minute conversation with Nikki Stone, a veteran radio host with a career spanning back to the 1980s. As a guest, Nikki shares her decades-long experience in broadcasting, including three years of intense management restrictions that limited her discussions on topics like public officials, health policies, and COVID measures. After her radio co...

Buckle up for Episode 83 of What a Week podcast, where we dive into a nearly 4-hour podcast with George Yuhas. Fresh from 90 days in Wyoming County Correctional Facility’s “supermax” hell, George unleashes his story of defiance—refusing a plea bargain for charges he swears he didn’t commit, all to protect his honor. From his gritty Marine Corps days in the chaos of 1990s Bosnia and Somalia to batt...

Join us for Episode 82 of What a Week podcast, where we sit down with TJ Fitzgerald, a passionate voice from NEPA Republicans, for a raw and heartfelt nearly three-hour conversation. Recorded on September 15, 2025, this episode explores TJ’s challenging upbringing in Wilkes-Barre, PA, marked by an absent father, an abusive stepfather, and a journey of resilience through faith. We dive into his mot...

Welcome to Episode 81 of What a Week! This week, we’re thrilled to host Geshe Phuntsho, a Tibetan Buddhist monk and scholar from the historic Gaden Shartse Monastery, alongside Mara from Heart Space Yoga. In this enlightening 90-minute conversation, Geshe Phuntsho shares his remarkable journey from Thimphu, Bhutan, to becoming a monk in 1986 and earning his Geshe-Doctorate degree, offering profoun...