© 2025 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NewsDepth 2025-2026 | Episode 11

This week on the show: SNAP Benefits, Hurricane Melissa & Jeff eats spicy food!

This week on the show:

Millions of Americans have lost their food stamp benefits.
A brother and sister team help distribute food.
Jamaicans fight to recover after Hurricane Melissa.
And why does spicy food feel like fire—but why do we love it?

SNAP (noun): Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget

Capsaicin (noun): Compound inside chili peppers that make them hot

Endorphins (noun): Chemicals in your brain that make you feel good or relaxed

Emulsification (noun): When something oily is broken up and mixed into a liquid with the help of a protein or soap-like substance

Scrapple (noun): A loaf made of pork scraps; a regional delicacy in parts of Pennsylvania

Pre-production (noun): Term for everything that happens before a play is on the stage including planning, writing, practicing and designing sets and costumes

A meat-carving competition?

In this week’s episode, we visit the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, where they crowned this year’s winner for the Annual Scrapple Sculpting Competition.

Scrapple is a regional food from Philadelphia, and Pennsylvanians take a lot of pride in this savory dish - Just ask our Executive Producer, Mike!

For our Write-to-us this week, we want you to: tell us about your favorite regional food and what makes it special!

Students can use our inbox form online or send us an email to newsdepth@ideastream.org to share their answers.

In this week’s Spot On Science, Jeff gets “enchiladed,” that means that he ate something so spicy that he feels like his mouth is on fire!

But don’t worry! He dives into the science behind the heat, and even gives us some chemistry-based tips for when we feel like we need a firehose!

For our poll this week, we want to know: Do you like spicy food?

Students can choose between: Yes! The hotter the better. Or, No. For me, keep it mild.

Click here to vote!

Tags
NewsDepth Season 56 NewsDepth: Full Episodes
Natalia Garcia is a digital producer for the education team at Ideastream Public Media.