WURD Radio

Sophia Strother is the co-founder of ExhalePath™, a free & bilingual survivor-informed digital platform designed to help survivors of sexual violence, trauma, and the people supporting them find clearer next steps and relevant resources. Sophia’s commitment to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness is deeply personal: she is a survivor of date rape. The man who assaulted her was convicted,...

Mark Haertzen is the author of Stay Thirsty: A Serial Entrepreneur’s Tale of Success & Failure, a memoir that chronicles Mark’s 60-year entrepreneurial journey. After leaving a secure banking career at 32, Mark built Rocket Man, Inc. from a garage prototype into an international company serving customers in 65 countries- all while navigating failures, setbacks, and major pivots. Rocket Man Inc. is...

Kenny Garrett is a Grammy Award-winning American jazz saxophonist, flutist, and composer born on October 9, 1960, in Detroit, Michigan. Widely celebrated as one of the most important and influential alto saxophonists of his generation, he first rose to prominence as a youthful member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and through his intensive four-year tenure with Miles Davis from 1987 to 1991. To K...

Danielle Belton is a media contributor for URL Media’s ‘We the Many’ Newsletter, which offers sharp, conversational analysis of the 2026 midterms through the lens of multiracial democracy, representation, and accountability. Belton is also an accomplished writer and former Editor-in-Chief of both The Root and HuffPost. Danielle will join the show to discuss her latest news stories: A desperate GOP...

How AI Scales with Racism | Life and Tech w/ Tech Life Steph - 10.11.26 by WURD Radio

All About Shapiro | On The Record s2 - 10.11.26 by WURD Radio

Terence Washington is a resident of the Florence Gardens apartment building. He joined Amadee Braxton to discuss the Citywide Tenants Union action against landlord junk fees.

State Representative Chris Rabb joined Amadee Braxton to discuss the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would make Presidential elections in the US based on the popular vote, not the electoral college.

Darisha K. Parker is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She represents District 198, which encompasses parts of Philadelphia County, including the neighborhoods of Nicetown, Germantown, Logan, East & West Oak Lane, and Olney. First elected in November 2020, she assumed office on December 1, 2020. Rep. Parker joined the show to talk a...

Belle Sherwood is the Clean Energy and Climate Advocate at PennEnvironment. She joined the show to talk about the growing number of data centers and proposed gas-fired power plants in Pennsylvania. New analysis projects a 15% increase in the state’s gas capacity by 2030. She discussed the potential impacts on air quality, public health, climate, and local communities.

Julian Makarechi is apart of The Lighthouse Inc. He joins the show alongside Justina Thompson of the City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability. They joined the show to talk about environmental justice, energy burden, and heat resilience. Through the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund, local organizations are working to address neighborhood challenges and build healthier, more...

Kasey Meehan joins the show. She is head of the "Freedom to Read" team. Kasey talks to us about book bans. Public schools banned nearly 12,000 books during the 2025-2026 school year, according to a new report released from PEN America.

Senator Nikil Saval joins the show. He talks to us about the Introduction of the PA Universal Healthcare Act, which would establish a universal, publicly administered single-payer healthcare system available to everyone who lives or works in the Commonwealth.

Councilwoman Nina Ahmad holds one of the 7 At-Large seats on City Council, and is currently the Chair of Philadelphia's Health Services. She joined WURD Radio's Sara Lomax and Dr. James Peterson to discuss the impact of the Healthcare Redetermination bill.

Darlene Robinson is a senior on welfare who wants to make sure seniors and Medicaid patients for 2027’s Healthcare Redetermination. She joined WURD Radio's Sara Lomax and Dr. James Peterson to discuss the impact of the Healthcare Redetermination bill.

Dr. Valerie Arkoosh is the Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Crystal Yates-Gale is the Deputy Managing Director Of Health and Human Services in the City of Philadelphia’s Managing Director’s Office. They joined WURD Radio's Sara Lomax and Dr. Peterson to discuss the impact of the Healthcare Redetermination bill.

Dr. Richard Wender is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Denise Wynne-Baker is a Board-Certified Pediatrician, President of the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania, and Chair of the MSEP Pipeline to Medicine Program. Amy Hennessy is the Vice President of Strategic Communicat...

Faran Savitz is a Zero Waste Advocate for PennEnvironment and the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, where he has worked on staff since 2019. He joined the show to discuss new research about the microplastics on the Delaware Watershed, and how it's affecting its water quality.

Larissa McFall is the co-lead of the Black Girl Environmentalists Philly Hub. She joined the show to talk about what Black Girl Environmentalists is, as well as it various initiatives.

Chris Norwood joined Dr. Peterson for this week's Critical Commentary segment to discuss Donald Trump, the Senatorial Election around the United States, and the Paramount and Warner Brothers merger.

Rebekah Caruthers is President and CEO at the Fair Elections Center. She is a seasoned TV guest with interviews on CNN, Scripps, PBS, FOX, and more. The midterm elections are just weeks away, and with so much at stake, Rebekah talks to us about protecting voting rights

Dr. Janet Rosenzweig holds a BS in family studies and an MS in health education, both from The Pennsylvania State University, a PhD in social work from Rutgers University. She talks to us about the Cornell rape case and how youth can be protected from sexual assaults

Philadelphia native and counterterrorism analyst Malcolm Nance joins the show. He talks to us about the war in Iran, and what could come next as we approach the midterm elections.

Lorene Cary is an Author and the Founder of #VoteThatJawn. She joined Dr. Peterson for this episode of Freedom Journeys to discuss her upbringing, her journey as a writer and educator, and #VoteThatJawn.

Sakina and Ava Parks both represent Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Hilltop Teens. They joined Dr. Peterson to discuss their Roll to the Polls event with City Commission Chair Omar Sabir, focusing on civic engagement to help young people learn why their voices and votes matter.