The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

Our collective mental health has been challenged to say the least during the last couple of years. How are we doing -- as a community, as a nation, as individuals? What does the data we have available say? And what can we do about it to make a positive impact on our collective mental health? We asked Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of Mental Health America.

The early pandemic was a story of the stock market on fire and the labor market suffering deeply. Now, Main Street looks like it's thriving, and Wall Street is sweating. Can we have both things at once? We know enough now to make an educated observation that inflation has plateaued -- still not great, but it looks like we've peaked. So what happens next? Gas prices are still outrageous right now,...

It's been some pretty rough sailing for cryptocurrency investors. Markets are in turmoil, right at a time when it seemed like crypto was starting to break a little bit more into the mainstream. So what just happened in the markets? Why did crypto coins like Luna crash? How far does the damage go, and what happens next? We asked John Sedunov, Associate Professor of Finance at Villanova University.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia's oligarchs have found themselves uncomfortably under the microscope. But the oligarch, a wealthy individual with political power, is not just a Russian thing. Political structures that reward oligarchs can be found all over the world. So how are Russia's oligarchs different? And are there any parallels to what we can see here in America? We asked these q...

New research from Junior Achievement and Citizens Bank that shows young people are worried about their financial futures, specifically paying for college. More than two-thirds of those surveyed said that rising higher education costs have affected their plans for what to do after high school, more than a quarter say they are now only considering state schools, and about one in ten say they are loo...

Student loan debt has become a crisis in this country. It seems like the Biden Administration wants to try and help alleviate at least some of that debt -- but what should that look like? If we're not also tackling college affordability at the same time as student loan debt, what's the point? And how did we get to this point where entire generations are financially capsized by the time they're in...

Two months into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, gas prices remain high - in some areas they even continue to climb. Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza doesn't like that one bit, and explains why. Plus, we look at the Fed's latest interest rate hike, and break down the new jobs report! 

The pandemic. Conspiracy theories. And now, the risk of criminal charges resulting from a mistake. These pressure points have emerged within the nursing profession in recent years, and are threatening both the short- and long-term stability of the field. Terri Hinkley, CEO of the Gloucester County, NJ-based Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses, gets us caught up to speed on the criminal case against...

A Public Health Emergency has been in place in the US since January of 2020, and it will continue to be in effect until at Least July. But there is concern among public health officials that after that, the declaration could end prematurely, even as the pandemic continues. So what does having a public health emergency in effect do, and what happens when it ends? We asked Dr. Richard Besser, the Pr...

The last couple of years have caused dramatic changes to the workforce, the type of jobs people want to do, what people want out of a job, and where they want to do it. The global data intelligence company Morning Consult recently released a report that analyzed how the workforce and its expectations have changed since the pandemic began -- Joanna Piacenza, Head of Industry Intelligence for Mornin...

We saw a stunning revelation on Monday -- a virtually unprecedented leak out of the Supreme Court appears to show the justices are prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade and abortion rights in America. We wanted to talk about what was leaked, what it could mean for the future of abortion in America, and also what it could mean for other rights that people may not realize could suddenly be in jeopardy as...

We’re working our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking with us a load of stress, anxiety, and maybe even PTSD. But remember 2 years ago when we were in lockdown? It forced us to slow down and look at life differently, and some people took that as an opportunity for self-reflection and growth. Eric A. Zillmer, PsyD, professor of neuropsychology at Drexel University, shares his resilience tool-k...

GDP declined in the first quarter, leading to some cold takes about the economy, even as the jobs numbers continue their hot streak. So what happened? If we were heading toward a recession, when and how would we know? Has inflation peaked, or is there still room to go up? And what does the summer have in store for the Jersey Shore? Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza is on the podcast to look at...

Planning for retirement is something we all should be doing, but are we doing it right? Is a 401K the right tool to rely on? Where should social security fit in in your planning? Cindy Rosen Axelrod, Associate Professor and Deputy Finance Department Chair at Temple University's Fox School of Business is on the podcast to talk about some of the biggest questions and misconceptions around retirement...

Did you know there's a 44-room castle in Doylestown? It's called Fonthill Castle, and it was built with hand mixed concrete more than a hundred years ago by Henry Mercer. Today, it's a museum, and the story behind it is fascinating. We asked Christian Murgia from the Bucks County Historical Society to come on the podcast to tell us all about the castle, the secrets and eccentricities inside, and w...

Title IX turns 50 this year, and in the five decades since its origin the civil rights law has had a profound impact on women's collegiate sports. So what has changed for women athletes in the last 50 years? And what work still needs to be done? Our guest is Dr. Karen Weaver, college athletics expert, Adjunct Assistant Professor and Academic Director at the University of Pennsylvania.

Billionaire Elon Musk is on his way to buying Twitter. What still has to happen before Musk owns the social media giant? Why would he want to do this? And should you be alarmed that more and more power and wealth is being put in fewer and fewer hands? We asked Dr. Steve Andriole, the Thomas G. Labrecque Professor of Business Technology at the Villanova School of Business to come on the podcast and...

It's been 40 years since the first NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Did you know that a Philadelphia area school made it to the final? It wasn’t a Big 5 school or Drexel -- it was Cheyney University, then Cheyney State College. The Wolves were a dominant force coached by a legend in C. Vivian Stringer, and they became the only HBCU to this day to ever make it to the title game, where...

It's a nasty surprise when you really don't need one -- you think a medical procedure is covered by your insurance, until you get a monster bill after the fact. The No Surprises Act, which went into effect this year, aims to prevent some of those unexpected charges, specifically when part of an exam or procedure is performed by someone out of your insurance network. Dr. Robert Field, Professor of...

We know a lot about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how devastating this war is because of thorough coverage and global attention. But there is also an alarming conflict in Ethiopia, a civil war that is causing devastation but getting a fraction of the attention. So what is happening in Ethiopia, and why don't we hear about it more? We asked Rowan University African history expert Dr. Kelly Duke...

There are millions more job openings than people available to work them. What does that mean for workers and for the economy? The Fed is expected to raise interest rates, is it crazy to expect a rise of as much as a half of a percent? What can we decipher from Netflix's stock woes and the CNN+ implosion? And what's going on with infrastructure spending in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware? Ph...

After a two year hiatus because of COVID-19, the Penn Relays are back! The carnival which celebrates and displays the best track and field has to offer returns to Franklin Field starting Thursday April 28th. Steve Dolan, the new director of the Penn Relays is on the podcast to talk about what’s in store and what this iconic event means to Philadelphia. 

The second full school year in a pandemic wasn't quite as chaotic as the first, but it had more than its fair share of challenges. To mask, or not to mask? How do you support students and teachers physical and mental health when everything is upside down? How do you get the most out of remote learning? We wanted to find out firsthand about how colleges and universities confronted these challenges,...

May 21st is the 5th Annual Eagles Autism Challenge, which begins at Lincoln Financial Field and includes a bike ride of varying lengths, a 5K, a sensory walk, and you can even participate virtually. The purpose of the challenge includes raising money for innovative research and programs and gathering the autism community together. Longtime Eagles center Jason Kelce and his wife Kylie are very invo...

Is there a connection between your bad mental health day and how much you're using social media? What are you actually exposing yourself to by doomscrolling? Should you think about other people before you post something negative? Dr. Nina Mendez-Diaz, Assistant professor of Psychology at La Salle University is on the podcast to talk about the good and bad of social media, and what constant exposur...