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We know that stress takes a toll, but what happens when we face it alone? In this episode of 12 Degrees, host Lindsey Whissel Fenton talks with Dr. Jee eun Kang, a Penn State researcher whose work explores the connection between loneliness, emotional resilience, and long-term health. Dr. Kang shares insights from her research on how loneliness can extend the impact of everyday stress and offers practical ways to support emotional recovery—for ourselves and others.

In Performance at Penn State is a monthly hour-long program that showcases performances from Penn State's School of Music. This month, hear a Trio for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon by twentieth century composer Jurriaan Andriessen from the Penns Woods Music Festival, and the students of Penn State’s Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Gerardo Edelstein, in the Symphony No. 8 in G by Antonin Dvorak.

This month, hear the "Overture on Hebrew Themes" by Sergei Prokofiev from the Penn's Woods Music Festival; Chopin’s Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor from a recital by Penn State Faculty Member Christopher Guzman; and the Penn's Woods Music Festival Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D.

This month, hear PSU faculty pianist Christopher Guzman playing the English Suite No. 3 in G Minor by Bach. Then celebrate Black History Month with music by two African American composers: the Penn State Glee Club singing “Ain’a That Good News!” by William L. Dawson; and the student musicians of the Penn State Philharmonic, led by faculty conductor Gerardo Edelstein, in the Symphony No. 3 in C Minor by Florence Price.

This month, hear a suite of Nordic folk tunes for string quartet, played by Mark Minnich and Sally Williams Minnich, violins; John Roxburgh, viola and Jonathan Dexter, cello. We’ll also hear Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, played by the Penns Woods Music Festival Orchestra, led by Gerardo Edelstein, with two central Pennsylvania-born brothers as soloists: Jeff Zehngut, violin and Gareth Zehngut, viola.

Universities are under attack—not by students or faculty, but by a wave of misinformation framing higher education as a threat to free speech. On this episode of News Over Noise, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with Dr. Bradford Vivian, author of Campus Misinformation, about how these distorted narratives take shape, why they spread, and what’s really at stake for democracy when public trust in higher ed erodes.

Even in an age of fact-checking, misinformation keeps winning hearts and headlines. In this episode, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker with Dr. Michelle Amazeen about why corrections don’t always change minds, how people perceive fact-checking, and what that means for trust in media. It’s a deep dive into the psychology, politics, and power dynamics behind what we choose to believe.

Billionaires aren’t just buying newspapers—they’re investing in bylines. In this episode of News Over Noise, Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with journalist Eoin Higgins about how right-wing donors and think tanks are funding respected journalists and media outlets to promote elite-friendly, anti-democratic narratives. It’s not always obvious, and that’s the point. We dig into how this influence campaign works, why it matters, and what it means for the future of journalism.

PBS and NPR are facing renewed political pressure, with calls to cut federal funding resurfacing under the Trump administration. Media scholar Victor Pickard joins Matt Jordan and Cory Barker to unpack what these challenges mean for the future of public broadcasting—and why a healthy democracy may depend on what happens next.

President Trump has frequently been framed as a “strong man” and “strict father.” When news outlets lean into this type of rhetoric, they miss a vital opportunity to draw attention to critical issues at the heart of a story. This goes beyond burying the lede; it fundamentally changes the nature of a story, downplaying the threats posed to the Constitution, democracy, and the very idea of law, while simultaneously bolstering the personal mythology of the person behind these actions. On this episode of News Over Noise, hosts Matt Jordan and Cory Barker talk with we'll talk with journalist Gil Duran about the role framing plays in our perception of the news.