The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

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Could ‘Armageddon’ really happen? NASA’s successful test launching a spacecraft at an asteroid. Oct 25, 2022

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It may sound like a sci-fi film, but NASA actually launched a spacecraft intended to crash into an asteroid earlier this month. Their DART mission - Double Asteroid Redirection Test - aimed to see if they could change the path of an object in space…and it worked. We asked Dr. Eric Jensen, Professor of Astronomy at Swarthmore College, to explain the goal of this mission, what happened, and what NASA could do after this test if an asteroid did ever threaten the planet.

Bonus: How did Liz Truss get it so wrong so fast? Oct 21, 2022

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Liz Truss made history - in the most ignominious possible way. After just six weeks as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, she submitted a shocking resignation, marking the briefest P.M. term in Britain's history. What went so wrong so fast? Where will the Conservative Party go from here to fill the leadership void? Immaculata University Associate Professor of Politics and Chair of the Department of Civic Engagement Dr. Joshua Weikert joined us when Truss was first appointed P.M., and returns for a bonus episode to explain the implications of this tumultuous development.

Surprise! The threat of a serious railroad strike is back on Oct 20, 2022

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It was only a few weeks ago that President Biden praised negotiators from both railway companies and their unions for working overtime to work out an agreement that thwarted a strike. But guess what? One of the biggest unions in the country didn't approve the terms. Now, with a new November 19th deadline and the holiday shipping season looming, the threat of a service stoppage is back on. Saint Joseph's University Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Laura Bucci explains what the unions still want, and forecasts whether there could actually be a strike.

Substance or smoke?: Examining the federal marijuana possession pardons Oct 18, 2022

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President Biden made big headlines by pardoning federal violations of simple cannabis possession, citing that “too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana." But will the decision really move the needle? Scott Burris, Professor of Law at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, examines the ripple effects of Biden’s announcement, and dives into the implications of how controlled substances, specifically marijuana, are scheduled by the federal government and states.

Ugly history repeated: politicians take a page from Reverse Freedom Rides playbook Oct 13, 2022

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Many people were shocked when Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida arranged to have a group of asylum seekers sent from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard - but we've actually seen a move like this before. In the early 1960s, a group of Black people were sent from the South to progressive cities in the North based on false promises of job opportunities. These buses were dubbed the "Reverse Freedom Rides", in response to the Freedom Riders who protested segregation on public transportation. Timothy Welbeck, Director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University, explains what happened back in the '60s and how it's reflected in what's happening today.

Child poverty is down - what have we done right, and what still needs to improve? Oct 11, 2022

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A new report from the non-profit research center Child Trends shows that from 1993 to 2019, child poverty rates in the US decreased by nearly 60%. But there is still a lot of work to do. Jennifer Ng’andu is the Program Managing Director for the public health philanthropic organization the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She joins the pod to talk about what was behind the significant drop in poverty rates, what still needs to be done, and why some incredibly effective programs - like the Child Tax Credit - were allowed to disappear.

Could Iran's future be in jeopardy? Explaining the stakes behind the protests Oct 06, 2022

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Protests are surging throughout Iran after a 22-year old woman, Mahsa Amini, was taken into custody and died. Why did she fall into the hands of the Guidance Patrol, which acts as Iran's moral police? For improperly wearing her head covering. On the surface, this event triggered a wave of unrest throughout Iran, but according to Temple University Professor of Political Science Dr. Sean Yom, the response has been a long time in the making. What are some of the unique dynamics specific to Iran that have come into play since Amini's death? How will Iranian leadership, long-known for suppressing protests with a coercive and crushing approach, handle such public displays of defiance? Yom believes the next few weeks could hold the answer, and that the implications could be dramatic.

Obesity in America: how it affects health and the economy Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Chronic heart disease. Arthritis. Diabetes. Physical disabilities. These are just some of the problems caused by obesity, which, in and of itself, is a growing problem in the United States. Just how much? Consider this troubling development: every state in America currently has an obesity rate that tops 25%. As recently as 20 years ago, not a single state had an obesity rate that high. Dara Lieberman, Director of Government Relations at Trust for America's Health, explains the ripple effects this trend is creating, and what policy makers might be able to do to help.

'Serial' started the trend of true crime. Was that good or bad? Sep 29, 2022

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'Serial' is arguably the original true crime podcast. It recently came back into the news when Adnan Syed, the man convicted of murdering of Hae Min Lee in the podcast's first season, was released from prison with his conviction overturned. If this podcast really helped correct a wrongful conviction, then it made a major positive impact. But a lot of true crime stories don't have such a great outcome. Sometimes, they end up drawing attention to the wrong places. Dr. Bess Rowen teaches a Gender, Performance, and True Crime class at Villanova University. She helps us examine the impact 'Serial' had, who benefits and who suffers from resurfacing these tragic stories, and whether or not the true crime trend can last.

Are therapy apps helping or hurting the mental health crisis? Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

Mental health care is in high demand right now, and there aren’t enough therapists to meet the need. A lot of people have turned to mental health apps - but is that really therapy? It's a start, but do these apps provide the level of help patients need? Plus, some people have concerns over privacy and therapist burnout when apps are involved. So we asked clinical psychologist Dr. Jaime Zuckerman to help us understand the pros and cons of therapy apps, what to look out for, and how to find the mental health care that's best for you.

Thanks to TJ Walsh, psychotherapist and founder of TJ Walsh Counseling, for providing background information for this episode.

If you’re looking for low-cost therapy, you can find some options through Open Path Collective.

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