The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio
1,244 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 26 ratingsHost Matt Leon and KYW Newsradio reporters recap the biggest news in Philadelphia each week. Catch up on what you missed and dig deeper into the top stories. On air Saturdays and Sundays from 3-4pm on 103.9 FM and 1060 AM.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Could ranked choice voting help strengthen democracy?
May 09, 2024 13:27 - 30 minutesWe live in an age where polarization and extremism are two significant qualities of our politics. It isn’t healthy, so how can it be addressed? Ranked choice voting is one potential tool that's already being used in some places. We caught up with Dr. Ben Berger, associate professor of political science at Swarthmore College and Executive Director of the college's Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, to find out how ranked choice voting works and what the arguments are for and agai...
Why do we focus so much on standardized tests in schools?
May 07, 2024 14:57 - 17 minutesStandardized tests have played a key role in our educational system for a long time. But over the years, it seems that role has only grown, and now they are used to judge a lot about how a school and its students are performing. Is this a good thing? We spoke with Dr. Mary Williams, Professor of Education at La Salle University, to find out. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Why can't we make school funding equitable?
May 02, 2024 20:46 - 26 minutesIn a perfect world, every school would have all the money it needs, but that is clearly not the case now. In her new book, "Designed to Fail: Why Racial Equity in School Funding Is So Hard to Achieve", Dr. Roseann Liu, visiting assistant professor at Swarthmore College, digs into school funding and why it is almost always children of color that get shortchanged. We talked with Dr. Liu about the book, which focuses on Pennsylvania, and why it seems like we just can’t get this right. To learn...
Are bees making a comeback?
April 30, 2024 17:18 - 20 minutesYou may have heard that the bee population is under threat in recent years. Bees are critical for our environment and food production - a dwindling population could affect our ability to grow fruits and vegetables. But The Washington Post recently reported that America’s honeybee population is at an all-time high. So, what’s going on with the bees? Should we be worried? Vincent Aloyo is the master beekeeper and an adjunct professor at Delaware Valley University, where he teaches beekeeping. H...
Staying safe from violence and recognizing red flags
April 25, 2024 14:15 - 15 minutesMillions of women are the victims of violence every year. This includes random attacks out in public, but also violence instigated by someone a woman knows or even an intimate partner. Barbara Jordan is a personal safety expert and the founder of the organization Always BEV. We spoke with Jordan about her organization and the tragedy that led to its founding. We also discuss how women can stay vigilant and safe in public and recognize red flags in relationships. To learn more about listener...
Mental health check-in - when, why, and how to seek treatment
April 18, 2024 14:16 - 20 minutesTalking about one’s mental health has become much more common, as has seeking treatment for mental health issues. A lot of progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go, and allowing mental health issues to go untreated can lead to a lot of problems. We caught up with Dr. Christopher Pagnani, the founder and medical director of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia, to talk about the progress society has made in addressing mental health and the problems that can ari...
“Judge shopping” - how our court system gets manipulated
April 16, 2024 04:00 - 21 minutesIn certain situations, plaintiffs in federal court are able to basically pick which judge hears their case by choosing which district and division they file in. Critics of this “judge shopping” say it has led to cases that overturned government policies, like the Texas case that suspended FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone before it was advanced to the Supreme Court. In March, a federal judicial panel issued a policy to try to stop judge shopping in cases like this, but it’s not a...
It could be the end of “the line” on NJ ballots
April 11, 2024 17:41 - 20 minutesThere has been a lot of attention on the 2024 New Jersey Senate race. But past the candidates, an important aspect of this race was a lawsuit that was filed by Democratic Congressman and Senate candidate Andy Kim, along with two other candidates. It could end up having a lasting impact on New Jersey politics, as it could change the way primary ballots are designed in the state forever - it already has for the Democratic primary in June. We talk with Dr. Benjamin Dworkin, Director of the Rowan...
A push to change solitary confinement in Pennsylvania
April 09, 2024 17:41 - 27 minutesA lawsuit filed in March is trying to change the way Pennsylvania handles solitary confinement. There’s a lot of evidence showing the negative mental health effects of isolation, especially on people who already had mental health diagnoses - so why are people put into solitary confinement? Are there limits, and what would this lawsuit change? Dr. Jill McCorkel is a professor of sociology and criminology at Villanova University, and she’s seen the conditions of solitary confinement in many pri...
The new rules for real estate
April 04, 2024 20:08 - 22 minutesThe National Association of Realtors settled a class-action lawsuit in an agreement that will change how realtors’ fees work. Where home sellers typically used to cover a standard fee for the buyer’s agent, now many buyers will likely have to cover that fee, but they’ll be able to negotiate the percentage. Dr. Carter W. Murdoch, Executive Director of the Henderson Real Estate Institute at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, joins us to explain what this means for sellers, buyers, a...
Get ready for the April 8th eclipse!
April 02, 2024 20:22 - 24 minutesFor stargazers, April 8th is going to be about as big as it gets. No matter where you are in North America, everyone will experience an eclipse of the sun in some kind of way. How does this eclipse differ from others? Deborah Skapik, an adjunct professor of astronomy at Saint Joseph’s University, is fascinated by all facets of the April 8th eclipse. She shares information about the once-in-a-generation event, from how it could affect other living species beyond humans to ways to view it safel...
The billion dollar deadline: clock ticking on education funding
March 28, 2024 13:48 - 21 minutesThe federal government doled out a lot of money during the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant amount of that money went to schools across the country in the form of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. Tens of billions of dollars from these funds have been spent, but there are still billions unspent with a deadline approaching by which to utilize the funds. Lindsay Dworkin is Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for NWEA, a K-12 assessment and resear...
Are we prepared for the next big emergency?
March 26, 2024 04:00 - 16 minutesWe survived a global pandemic, but did we take away the lessons we needed about emergency preparedness? Trust for America’s Health recently released their annual report called “Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism”, which measures emergency preparedness by state. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are categorized as high performing, but the report says many other states are not ready to face things like extreme weather, wildfires, or a new disease. ...
How can we fix the teacher shortage?
March 21, 2024 04:00 - 27 minutesWe’ve seen a huge drop in people pursuing teaching careers in the last decade or so. It seems even more exacerbated in the past few years, with the pandemic and political debates making the role of a teacher even harder. That has led to some teachers being hired with lower levels of training. How can we address this shortage and get people who are passionate about education properly trained? Dr. Gary Henry is the dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Education and Human Development....
Presidential elections in the media should be more than a horse race
March 19, 2024 13:49 - 36 minutesIn a presidential election year, the political news coverage can be overwhelming. It seems like there’s a new poll every week, watching the stats like the score of a football game. But is the media actually getting the most important information out to voters? We're looking at a Biden vs. Trump rematch - what should we expect of the press in such a contentious and high stakes election? Dr. Geoffrey Baym is a professor in the Department of Media Studies and Production at Temple University's Kl...
Who’s in control on social media? Two SCOTUS cases could decide.
March 14, 2024 04:00 - 12 minutesThe Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a pair of cases about state laws that regulate how social media companies control content on their platforms. The laws were enacted by Republican state governments to prevent conservative voices from being silenced on social media - but do the laws violate the First Amendment by saying private companies can’t choose how to moderate their content? Dr. Michael Moreland, professor at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law, explains the a...
The global impacts of Sweden joining NATO
March 12, 2024 16:09 - 24 minutesSweden has been a historically neutral country, but when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Sweden and their neighbor, Finland, began the process of joining NATO. Finland became part of the alliance in April 2023, but Sweden just officially joined this month. What was the delay? And how could this change global politics going forward? Dr. Johannes Karreth, associate professor of politics and international relations at Ursinus College, joins us to discuss the implications of this move, for Sweden...
The increased risk of Alzheimer’s in the Black community
March 07, 2024 05:00 - 13 minutesRecent medical discoveries have made Alzheimer’s disease and dementia easier to identify and manage, but these conditions still have a disproportionate impact on Black communities. Research shows that African Americans are more at risk for developing Alzheimer’s and are less likely to be screened for it. Dr. Doris Molina-Henry works with the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. She’s trying to bridge that gap with a new set of clinical trials ca...
Childhood trauma: who’s at risk, and how much damage can it do?
March 05, 2024 21:24 - 18 minutesIn the face of trauma, just how resilient are kids? Conventional wisdom says they bounce back quickly, but that's not always the case. Dr. Marc Hauser is a evolutionary biologist and researcher. He wrote a book called Vulnerable Minds: The Harm of Childhood Trauma and the Hope of Resilience. He explains how trauma can affect early childhood development, and what's at stake if the ripple effects go untreated. Hosted by Matt Leon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices vis...
“IVF isn't the issue” - the wider impacts of Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling
February 29, 2024 16:24 - 24 minutesThe Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos being held for IVF are children according to the state’s laws. While the state government has now introduced bills to protect IVF, the decision has opened a can of worms - what would it mean for an embryo to have the same rights as a child? Can you claim a frozen embryo on your taxes? How would that conflict with the rights of a person carrying an embryo? Dr. Susan Liebell, professor of political science at Saint Joseph's University, explain...
The fascinating history and promising future of the Nile Swim Club
February 27, 2024 05:00 - 26 minutesLegendary music artists The Supremes and Harry Belafonte passed through there. It was a place of prestige and pride for Philadelphia's Black population. Such was the early legacy of the Nile Swim Club, which, in the late 1950s, opened in response to racial segregation in the borough of Yeadon. But with the passing of time, the club’s allure began to change. Declines in enrollment became so sharp that Nile was ultimately forced to declare bankruptcy. In recent years, benefactors have emerged t...
Why women could be more at risk for heart disease than men
February 22, 2024 05:00 - 19 minutesHeart disease was thought to be a men’s health problem for decades, but now we’ve learned that women die of heart attacks at twice the rate of men and women of color are nearly 50% more likely to die from heart disease. Part of the problem is that women and their doctors often don’t consider heart disease as a factor in their medical care. Dr. Stacey Rosen is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Women's Heart Alliance, a non-profit co-founded by Barbra Streisand. Dr. Rosen joins us to expl...
"A Russia victory will mean hell": two years in, the state of war in Ukraine
February 20, 2024 19:44 - 28 minutesThis week marks two years since Russia first invaded Ukraine. As the war continues, there is concern about what the stalling of the latest U.S. financial aid package in a GOP-led House of Representatives could mean for Ukraine’s cause. This week, the conflict was pushed back into the headlines after the death of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's opposition leader, in a harsh Russian penal colony. To talk about all this and see what it means in the big picture of the war, Dr. Lisa Baglione and ...
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel Interview
February 16, 2024 05:00 - 22 minutesPhiladelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel was sworn into duty in January 2024, and has been tasked by new mayor Cherelle Parker with dramatically reducing crime in the city. Gun violence, retail theft, ATV riding, and strengthening community relations are all on Bethel's mind, as is growing his own department. In an exclusive interview with KYW Newsradio Crime and Justice reporter Kristen Johanson, Bethel acknowledges the road ahead won't be easy, but refuses to let the challenge dim his ...
The FAFSA mess: families suffer, schools forced to go rogue
February 15, 2024 19:53 - 27 minutesThe cost of college is no joke, and for more than half a century, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has served as a tool to ease the financial burden of tuition. This year, despite efforts to improve the system, changes to FAFSA have triggered a stressful chain reaction. Families are limbo, schools are lost, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear sense of how to move forward. How did FAFSA end up in this mess? What are the implications for families seeking make-or-break finan...
LinkedIn: Business in the front, party in the back
February 13, 2024 05:01 - 16 minutesIf you’re looking to get hooked up with a job these days, LinkedIn is one of the first places to go, right? Well...what if you're just looking for a hook up in general? According to a recent article in Business Insider, some people are taking to LinkedIn for romance. What factors are fueling this trend? Could LinkedIn really become an effective platform for dating? Dr. Dustin Kidd is an associate professor of sociology at Temple University's College of Liberal Arts, and has studied social med...
How to avoid loneliness in old age
February 08, 2024 05:00 - 16 minutesIn recent years, loneliness has been called an epidemic. The U.S. Surgeon General even said loneliness poses as much of a health threat as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And it can be especially hard on seniors, who might have a harder time going out or might not have as many friends or family around. So what can we do to combat loneliness as we get older? Marypat Tracy is the Executive Director of Connectedly, an organization that helps seniors in Philadelphia stay socially active through both...
Presenting "Ricochet", from Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders
February 07, 2024 15:31 - 28 minutesIntroducing a new project from another KYW Newsradio Original Podcast - "Ricochet" is a mini-series from Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders that examines the gun violence crisis in our country through stories of unsolved shootings in Philadelphia. In the first episode, we talk with Joan Ortiz, whose 2-year-old daughter Nikolette was shot and killed in her arms. It was at the hands of a man named Tayvon Thomas, who grew up abused and neglected, and turned to drugs. We dig into both sides...
First Winnie. Then Mickey. Could Superman be next?
February 06, 2024 05:01 - 19 minutesMickey Mouse in a slasher film? A horror flick with Winnie the Pooh? This is what happens when iconic characters previously protected by copyright laws enter the public domain. The countdown is on for famed comic book stars Batman and Superman, too. But just because copyright protections have their limits doesn’t mean creators can do whatever they please. There’s still nuance to the process. Drexel University Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Faculty Research, and Director of the Kline Sch...
SCOTUS, Chevron deference, and a potential "bad hand" for the American public
February 01, 2024 14:46 - 25 minutesCraig Green thinks the Supreme Court, specifically its conservative justices, has been waiting to pounce, eager to topple a decades-old doctrine that essentially gives federal agencies the authority to independently interpret statutes surrounding how they operate. Now, thanks to two cases on the docket, this contingent might finally get its chance to wipe out the precedent that’s become known as Chevron deference. According to Green, the Charles Klein Professor of Law and Government at Temple...
Removing third-party cookies: good for you, or good for Google?
January 30, 2024 05:01 - 24 minutesEarlier this year, Google began removing third-party cookies from its signature Internet browser, Chrome. But there’s a catch. First-party cookies - the cookies Google has direct access to and ownership of when people use Chrome - aren’t going anywhere. So what’s really happening here? Is Google trying to do you, the consumer, a solid? Or, is the tech giant simply implementing a change that will ultimately give it more control over coveted targeting data? Dr. Elea Feit, Associate Dean for Res...
Closing the reading fluency gap
January 25, 2024 05:01 - 24 minutesReading fluency helps students unlock the world, whether they’re in kindergarten or a senior in high school. But for far too long, children from specific demographics have struggled to keep pace after moving on from elementary school. To get a handle on how to better address this systemic issue, NWEA conducted a study targeting middle schoolers from historically marginalized or impoverished populations. The findings, according to NWEA Director of Academic Services Laura Hansen, shed light on ...
Academic identity and the "invisible thread"
January 23, 2024 05:01 - 19 minutesWere you strong in math? How about English? Were there subjects in school you dreaded, and others you loved? According to Fenesha Hubbard, the way we view ourselves as learners shapes our academic identity, a concept the former teacher considers critical to getting all cogs in the educational ecosystem moving in the same direction to maximize performance for students and educators alike. Hubbard is now the lead professional learning designer for NWEA, and explains why academic identities are ...
From meds to mindset, tips on dieting and nutrition
January 18, 2024 18:31 - 28 minutesEat well? Of course we should! But actually following through on doing it is a completely different story. Guilty pleasures, genetics, and access to quality food are just some of the factors that make maintaining a healthful diet so challenging. Two nutrition experts - Rebecca Shenkman and Tracy Oliver, both from Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing - share insights on how to combat and contextualize diet and nutrition-related issues like obesity, while offering str...
The risks and new varieties of tobacco use
January 16, 2024 17:04 - 14 minutesJanuary 11th marked the 60th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, a national announcement that revealed the dangers of smoking. In 2024, far fewer people are smoking regular cigarettes, but menthol cigarettes and vaping pose concerns, especially for Black communities and youth, and the Biden administration just put off a proposed FDA rule to ban menthol cigarettes. Yolonda Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, joins us to talk...
Navigating the health insurance marketplace in 2024
January 11, 2024 16:20 - 21 minutesIf you don’t get health insurance through your employer, signing up on your own can be a complicated and frustrating process. With the open enrollment deadline approaching, we wanted to explain how you can register and what to look for when choosing a plan. Kathy Hempstead is a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an organization dedicated to health care access and equity that’s working to get more people enrolled in the healthcare marketplace. She joins us to discuss ...
Forecasting a critical watershed’s uncertain future
January 09, 2024 15:02 - 22 minutesThe Schuylkill River is more than just a tranquil aesthetic along one of the most brutal highways into and out of Philadelphia. It’s a vital tributary within the Mid-Atlantic corridor of the United States, serving other key waterways as well. With ever-changing environmental factors acting as a backdrop, Drexel University Associate Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Dr. Mira Olson was one of the lead researchers for a recently-completed study that forecasts how th...
It’s the economy, Swifties!
January 04, 2024 16:49 - 22 minutesDr. Kathryn Bender wanted to give something a try. Knowing the subject matter she teaches at the University of Delaware can, at times, be a bit dense and complex, she decided to tap into the craze surrounding the world’s biggest pop star in hopes of reaching more students, especially women. Guess what? Her hunch was right. In the eight-part workshop “Data Enchanted: Transforming Numbers Into Knowledge,” Bender, an assistant professor of economics at Delaware’s Lerner College of Business & Eco...
More than “thank you for your service” - Helping veterans struggling with mental health
January 02, 2024 16:24 - 40 minutesPeople who serve in the military often go through traumatic experiences, or just have trouble adjusting to life back at home. The mental health issues they face are unique, and it can be hard to find someone who really understands what they’ve experienced - but we all can do more to help. The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania offers mental health services for post-9/11 veterans and their families. Clinic Director Dr. Leah Blain and Outreach Manager Pete ...
You gotta have rizz to slay - How Oxford chooses its word of the year.
December 28, 2023 05:00 - 24 minutesEvery year, at least one dictionary picks a new slang term as its word of the year, and every year, older generations are baffled by it. For 2023, Oxford has chosen “rizz”, a term that’s gained popularity among Gen Z online. How did they land on that, and what does “rizz” even mean? Dr. Grant Berry is an assistant professor of Spanish and cognitive science at Villanova University, where he teaches classes on linguistics. He joins us to explain where “rizz” comes from, what Oxford looks for in...
Stressed at home? Here are some family mental health tips
December 26, 2023 05:01 - 27 minutesIt’s the most wonderful...err, stressful time of year? Gifts, trips, relatives. The holiday season has it all, for better or worse. But if you’re trying to stay sane and keep your house in order, life can get overwhelming. Dr. Maria Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Care Counseling Center. From the perils of too much screen time and social media to the necessity of self-care, she offers pointers on how to improve your individual and collective family mental health. To learn more about lis...
Get ready for another Supreme Court case on abortion
December 21, 2023 05:00 - 25 minutesAnother case regarding abortion has made its way to the nation’s highest court. This one has to do with a common abortion pill called mifepristone and whether or not to reinstate restrictions on the medication that the FDA removed. The decision could impact abortion access in all states, regardless of their individual laws. Rachel Rebouché, Dean of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, helps us understand the issues behind this case and the impacts it could have across the country - on a...
What makes a feeling bad?
December 19, 2023 18:43 - 25 minutesLife is not easy. It is full of ups and downs. Most of us do our best to focus on the ups and push through the downs as quickly as possible - but Krista K. Thomason, an associate professor of philosophy at Swarthmore College, says in her new book, "Dancing with the Devil: Why Bad Feelings Make Life Good", that maybe we should re-examine that mindset. We talk with Thomason about the book and why bad and negative feelings are important. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practi...
Are we living in the multiverse?
December 14, 2023 18:46 - 26 minutesIt seems like every superhero or sci-fi movie franchise lately is diving into the multiverse. How much is that concept based on real science? Paul Halpern is a professor of physics at Saint Joseph's University, and he has a book coming out in January called “The Allure of the Multiverse”, where he takes a scientific approach to the concept of parallel universes. He says some scientists believe it is possible, and he joins us to explain how, what that could look like, whether there could even ...
Should big brands be weighing in on big issues?
December 12, 2023 21:04 - 24 minutesFrom Fortune 500 companies to elite universities and professional sports franchises, big-name brands seem to be weighing in more frequently on big, hot-button societal issues. Why are they doing it and what are the costs of taking a stance? Villanova University Associate Dean of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Aronte Bennett takes a look at this social media-fueled landscape, and whether or not brands aligning themselves with specific causes actually mo...
Vladimir Putin: emboldened, happy, and as strong as ever?
December 07, 2023 21:21 - 21 minutesFor nearly two months, the world has turned its attention to Israel and Hamas. The early winner of the war? You could make the case it's Vladimir Putin. That’s because ever since the October 7th terror attacks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seems to have fallen from the public eye. Which country has momentum? What subplots should we be following as winter nears? And why could Russian President Vladimir Putin be just as strong now as he was before attacking Ukraine? Saint Joseph University prof...
OpenAI, Sam Altman, and how we balance safety with progress
December 05, 2023 05:00 - 26 minutesIn a matter of four days, OpenAI - the company behind ChatGPT - fired its CEO, Sam Altman, went through two interim CEOs, re-hired Altmanm, and replaced most of its board. How did all this happen, seemingly so out of the blue, to one of the most influential tech companies out there? And why? Dr. Daniel Albert, Assistant Professor at LeBow College of Business at Drexel University, joins us to discuss the turmoil at OpenAI, how safety concerns and an unusual business structure played a part, an...
The debate over gun rights for people under domestic violence restraining orders
November 30, 2023 15:24 - 22 minutesThe Supreme Court recently heard a case that challenges whether someone who is under a domestic violence restraining order should have access to a gun. Dr. Susan Liebell, professor of political science at Saint Joseph's University, joins us to talk about the case, United States vs. Rahimi. We discuss the impact it could have and how this shines a spotlight on the court's decision last year in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association vs. Bruen. To learn more about listener data ...
“Supes Ain’t Always Heroes” - What “The Boys” can tell us about society and psychology
November 28, 2023 15:03 - 31 minutes“The Boys” on Amazon Prime is not your typical superhero show - it’s gory, dark at times, and the “supes”, as they’re called, aren’t always the good guys. But with the real world pressures put on them - toxic masculinity, corporate greed and manipulation, racism - you start to understand how they got to be that way. Clinical psychologist Dr. Lynn Zubernis and counseling psychologist Dr. Matthew Snyder, both professors at West Chester University, co-edited a book called "Supes Ain’t Always Her...
COVID treatments: Where are we now?
November 23, 2023 05:00 - 17 minutesWe have sufficiently slowed the spread of COVID-19, but there is still some risk of getting it, especially as we head into the holidays with more large gatherings. Luckily, we now have a number of effective treatments. Dr. Stephen Pagkalinawan, assistant professor at Drexel University’s College of Medicine, breaks down what those treatment options are, both for mild cases and for people at a higher risk level, and he explains how much progress we’ve made with COVID treatments in just a few ye...