The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

Tension between China and Taiwan is nothing new, but with their relationship increasingly at odds, their complicated dynamic is once again in the headlines. Could conflict be imminent? Dr. James Carter, Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of History at Saint Joseph's University, puts the China-Taiwan relationship into historical context on this episode of KYW Newsradio...

It wasn’t that long ago that we were hearing and seeing all kinds of headlines, stories and warnings about spotted lanternflies and how we had to work to keep them from spreading because of the damage they can cause. You don’t see quite as many headlines these days, so we were curious where we stood in the fight against the spotted lanternfly. Where are they right now, and where are they going? Ar...

With American politics as polarizing as ever, former President Donald Trump still holds a mighty grip over factions of the Republican party nearly a year after his defeat. Whether his ability to engage a portion of the GOP proves to be advantageous or divisive remains to be seen. Dr. John Kennedy, a political science professor at West Chester University, analyzes the ripple effects of the Trump ph...

The Gabby Petito homicide and the investigation into who is responsible for her death is the latest example of a tragic crime story that has captured the attention of the country. We wanted to talk about America’s fascination with the true crime genre, from news coverage, to endless TV shows and documentaries, to some people becoming amateur digital sleuths and working the internet to try and brin...

New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. says a recent study shows they have an experimental pill that reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people who are newly infected with COVID-19. They are planning to ask for emergency use authorization for the treatment. Dr. Angie Nicholas and Dr. Darren Mareiniss with Einstein Medical Center say the pill is a potential game changer....

The pandemic caused serious disruption in travel, from the hospitality and tourism industry down to finding a used car to buy. As a result, it really upended and solidified which brands Americans trust in the transportation sector. Morning Consult is a global data intelligence company and over the past several months they have been releasing some really fascinating findings as part of their Most T...

What's going on with the unemployment numbers and the GDP revisions? Inflation is up, but what does that mean to an economist? And what does the debt ceiling and funding fights in Washington mean for the economy? Economist David Fiorenza joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to break down the economic news of the week and how it applies to your life. 

Fall in the U.S. means homecoming season. For colleges and small town high schools, it's a treasured event, activating people's nostalgia and bringing in a lot of money for schools. How did this tradition start? And how has the meaning and value of homecoming changed over the years? We caught up with Bryant Simon, the Laura H. Carnell Professor of History at Temple University, who takes us through...

The threat of a government default because Republicans and Democrats are arguing over the debt ceiling is a seemingly frequent occurrence. We're going through the drama right now. And it might be the most pointless and needlessly destructive fight in Washington. Dr. Laura Bucci, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Saint Joseph's University says the stakes are too high for politicians to ca...

Many parents are anxiously waiting for the green light to get their young children under 12 vaccinated from COVID-19. Meanwhile, doctors continue to try to up the numbers of kids 12 and older to get their shots. Dr. Lee Savio Beers, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics joins the podcast to talk about kids, the COVID-19 vaccines, the dangers of the Delta variant, and how the playing fiel...

The Food Bank of South Jersey is still experiencing substantial need among the people they serve. The organization's president and CEO, Fred Wasiak, tells KYW Newsradio In Depth's Matt Leon that with the expiration of benefits and state-to-state rent moratoriums changing, there are several factors at work that could create a "tidal wave" of need. 

It looks like the housing market is seeing a bit of a resurgence, but what does that mean for people trying to buy or sell or renovate their homes? Halloween season is in full swing, and it could have major implications for the economy. There's a showdown looming over the debt ceiling. Why are politicians fighting over money that's already been spent during a pandemic? And why are we still having...

We've seen an unprecedented amount of extreme weather recently. Since September is National Preparedness Month, we thought it would be a great time to catch up with Paul Huang, FEMA's Acting Associate Administrator of Resilience, and learn about what we all can do to be prepared. Huang talks about putting together a disaster kit, checking your insurance, and how to have this conversation with kids...

Texas's new, highly restrictive abortion law, SB8, has been in effect for a few weeks now. What has it changed for residents of Texas, and what does it reflect about U.S. courts and the future of Roe v. Wade? We caught up with Rachel Rebouche, Interim Dean and Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, to talk about what's been happening in Texas, in other states, and nationally...

Part of the fallout from Texas' recent controversial abortion ruling is that the concept of a "shadow docket" has come under closer scrutiny. On this episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth, Temple University law professor Laura E. Little explains why this relatively new and previously under-the-radar practice is all of a sudden drawing so much attention, and how it could affect the perception, the mech...

For nearly 20 months, COVID-19 has been top of mind. The pandemic, however, has created another troubling development. People are now putting off addressing general health concerns that could be better managed by routine check ups or general well visits. To curb this trend, Philadelphia family practitioner Dr. Vicki Bralow says simply pick up your phone, call your doctor, and check in. She joins K...

The weekly jobless claims showed a slight increase, but they still represent a pandemic low that seems like it's stabilized a bit. Continuous claims, however, continue to go down. There was good news with retail sales which rose in August instead of dipping -- and there's a lot to talk about auto sales and the ongoing chip shortage. David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova...

Destruction caused by extreme weather events is fresh in the Philadelphia area. Tropical Depression Ida tore through the region earlier this month, leaving behind a heartbreaking trail that pointed to a harsh truth: the Delaware Valley's infrastructure wasn't prepared for the storm. What's the best course moving forward amidst increasing evidence of climate change? "Resilient" and "robust" plannin...

Four federal programs that had been helping people through the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic expired at the beginning of September, including the extra $300 per week in federal unemployment compensation, extended benefits, and help for gig workers and freelancers. Data about the effects of losing these programs will begin to ripple out over the next few months, but early indicators su...

You don’t have to look real hard to find a viral video of a passenger on an airline having a meltdown over being asked to wear a mask or because of some minor grievance. Since January 1st of this year, the FAA has received around 4000 reports of unruly behavior of passengers and handed out more than a million dollars worth of civil penalties. And a lot of these altercations are more than just disa...

Nurses are incredibly important in our society and they are chronically underappreciated. And as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, they are being pushed to their limits and then some. Understaffing, larger and larger workloads, hostility from the very people they are trying to help in some cases. So what does this mean for nursing going forward? How bad could the nursing shortage we have been experi...

If you are fully vaccinated, what is your risk of getting COVID-19? How bad can breakthrough infections get? How contagious are you, if you get the virus and you're vaccinated? What are the concerns of long COVID in fully vaccinated people? These are questions on a lot of minds right now, so we asked them to Dr. Annette Reboli, Professor of Medicine and the Dean of the Cooper Medical School at Row...

APM of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that helps provide all kinds of services with a focus on the city's Latino community. We wanted to learn more about the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (Association of Puerto Ricans on the Move) so we caught up with Nilda Ruiz, President and CEO of APM to find out about the organization, what life has been like for them during the pandemic and...

When the country needed them, they dropped everything to get to the site of the collapsed World Trade Center towers and save lives. Brian McGuire is a retired New York City firefighter. Craig Murphy is Deputy Commissioner in the Philadelphia Fire Department and a former member of Pennsylvania Task Force One. Frankie Degrand is a retired Chief Gunner’s Mate in the United States Navy. They all had v...

The third quarter of 2021 is winding down, and there are plenty of economic questions to answer, especially in light of recent vaccine and mask mandates. Some stimulus benefits are beginning to expire, and year-end job trends are starting to emerge. Plus, in a twist, Wall Street endured a difficult week. David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business, joins KYW...