The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

For the first time in about 25 years, the NCAA is adopting a new constitution. Dr. Karen Weaver, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explains the constitution's key features and how they will affect member schools. Attention mid-major fans: you'll want to give this a listen!

There's an interesting lawsuit in the pipeline brought by four former minor league baseball affiliates that is challenging major league baseball’s anti-trust exemption. We wanted to talk about the lawsuit and the exemption so we reached out to Ken Jacobsen, Practice Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

As our world becomes more and more digital, people are finding new ways to adapt. For artists, NFTs - or non-fungible tokens - are one way. But for many of us, they don't quite make sense yet. So what is an NFT? We asked Dr. Bora Ozkan, Associate Professor of Finance at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He explains where NFTs came from, how their value is determined, their place in the m...

This episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth is part two of a mini series called Doomsday Scenarios, where we ask very smart people if this, that, or the other thing could destroy life as we know it. Today: Have you ever heard of the Thwaites Glacier in Antartica? If not, you will soon enough and won’t like why. It's massive, it's collapsing, and when it goes - sea levels are going to rise by a signific...

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is set to retire from the Supreme Court. We wanted to examine his legacy, and then talk about the top candidates to replace him on the highest court in the land. Will Republicans try to fight a Biden nominee, and is there anything they can do? Dr. Lisa A. Tucker, Associate Professor of Law at Drexel University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law is on the podcast t...

There are major tensions between Russia and Ukraine heading quickly towards a boiling point right now. And with Russian troops active near Ukraine, Ukrainians are fearing for the worst but hoping the military threat won't turn into armed conflict. So how is this going to end? To understand what's happening and what could happen next, we need to dive into the roots of the conflict and try to unders...

January 26th, 2022 marks two years since Kobe Bryant's shocking death in a helicopter crash. The eight other passengers on board, including Bryant's teenage daughter, Gianna, were killed as well. Soon after the tragedy, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski set out on a reporting deep dive into Bryant's origin story. The outcome was a comprehensive look at the NBA Hall of Famer's early years -...

A pandemic that won't go away. Global maneuvering by Russia, China, and Iran. Less-than-stable democracy in the United States. These are some of the top risks of 2022, and on today's episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth we find out why. The geopolitical risk firm the Eurasia Group is out with its annual Top Risks list, a look at top global risks on the table for the new year. Ali Wyne, Senior Analyst...

We just passed the one year mark of the Presidency of Joe Biden. What kind of grade has he earned? There have been some big successes, like the infrastructure bill and the vaccine rollout. And on the other side of the coin, there's the widely disparaged Afghanistan withdrawal, and the state of the economy for average people two years into a pandemic. So what has President Biden accomplished? Where...

Jobless claims are on the rise for the first time in a while, but Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza says there isn't reason to panic...yet. He also explains why a trend in residential permits could bring good news. Plus, are brick and mortar banks a dying breed?

In the weeks after a fire tore through a rowhome in Fairmount, a lot of people are concerned about the fire safety in their own homes. KYW Newsradio anchor Michelle Durham talks with Gustav Baumann, the Battalion Chief of Fire Prevention for the Philadelphia Fire Department, to get his advice on how to make sure you're prepared - whether you live in a rowhome, a house, or a high rise. We talk abou...

Are we in the midst of the Great Resignation or the Great Shift? We might not know the answer to that question for a while, but what is clear is that more Americans are currently choosing to leave their jobs than during any other period in modern history. Saint Joseph's University Associate Professor of Management Dr. Eric Patton explains the factors driving this phenomenon, and why the trend coul...

We have heard a lot about COVID long haulers over the last year or so. And since we're learning new things about this pandemic all the time, we wanted to learn more about what doctors are seeing in long COVID patients right now and whether the omicron variant is complicating things. Dr. Andrew Martin, Chair of Pulmonary Medicine at Deborah Heart and Lung Center joins the podcast to talk about long...

Ghislaine Maxwell was recently convicted in a court of law after a month-long trial connected to Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls and her role in the abuse. So what happens next, and is there another shoe yet to fall? Lauren Ouziel, Associate Professor of Law at Temple University's Beasley School of law joins the podcast to explain what happened in the trial, what the verdict means...

Did you know the Civil Rights anthem ‘We Shall Overcome’ has roots in a church on Broad Street in Philadelphia? On this episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth, listen to Reverend Robert L. Johnson tell the rich history of Tindley Temple United Methodist, where he serves as pastor, and how he’s trying to keep the legacy and memory of the church’s namesake — Dr. Charles A. Tindley — alive.

The Supreme Court issued rulings on two critical cases involving the Biden Administration's vaccine mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The justices said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is not allowed to implement a rule requiring employers with more than 100 workers to have their workers either get vaccinated for the virus or test weekly and wear a mask in the office. In the ot...

Jobless claims, retail sales, inflation, and some very nervous onlookers keeping an eye on interest rates and housing prices. It's been a busy week in the economy, so Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza is here help break down the news you need to know and what it means for you. 

We're starting a mini series on KYW Newsradio In Depth called Doomsday Scenarios, where we ask very smart people if this, that, or the other thing could destroy life as we know it. Today: could an asteroid strike earth with enough mass and force to kill the planet? How much should we be concerned about this actually happening? How big would something have to be to do catastrophic damage to the pla...

Nearly 2 years into the coronavirus pandemic and testing is still an issue in the United States. It's very difficult to find at home tests to purchase right now, and it's tough to find an appointment at a testing site as well. How did we get here? Why does it seem like we never really got this right? Jennifer Kolker, Associate Dean for Practice and External Relations at the Dornsife School of Publ...

Public health messaging has been a challenge in the pandemic, to say the least. People are getting frustrated and confused with constantly changing protocols and advice. So we asked Dr. Sarah Bass, Associate Professor and Director of the Risk Communication Laboratory at Temple University College of Public Health, to help us look back at our messaging throughout the past two years on both federal a...

The last two years have been very hard for schools trying to come up with policies to keep kids and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key groups that has helped schools create policies during the pandemic is the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab. They recently updated their guidance for schools, so KYW Newsradio's Jim Melwert reached out to PolicyLab's Director Dr. Da...

COVID-19 vaccines remain a constant focus as the pandemic rages on. For as much as we talk about boosters, one portion of the population hasn’t even been cleared yet to get their first shots. What is the status of a vaccine for kids under the age of five years old? Why is it taking so long? How can parents of young children navigate the Omicron surge? Dr. Jennifer Hamilton, Professor of Family, Co...

It's a new year, so it's time to take a look at the biggest economic questions and issues we're going to run into in 2022. From jobs, inflation, and rising wages, to interest rates, the labor pool and the great resignation, Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza is on the podcast to break down the economic news of the week and the big picture questions as we start a new year.

Extremism is on the rise in the US. One of the most egregious examples of extremist violence in recent memory was one year ago today, the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. So what can normal people do to help fight extremism and to stop hate before it takes root? Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has written a new book titled 'It Could Happen Here' about what we are seeing,...

We all know how much damage misinformation and disinformation have done to society, but how do we combat it, and get people to understand the difference between fact and fiction? Perhaps the answer lies in the idea of 'information literacy.' Dr. Denise Agosto, Professor in the College of Computing and Informatics and Director of the Masters of Science and Information at Drexel University, discusse...