The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

Latest Episodes:

Monkeypox Q&A: Updates on the virus, vaccine, and treatment red tape Aug 26, 2022

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The US response to the monkeypox outbreak continues to hit snags, as access to vaccines, ability to find treatments, and even getting appropriate care in the doctor's office can be anything but a sure thing. So where are we in the timeline of this outbreak? Have we learned anything from the coronavirus pandemic that should have helped us respond to Monkeypox? And why is there still so much red tape around TPOXX, a treatment we know works? We asked these questions and a lot more to Dr. Michael LeVasseur, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health.

Vaccines, boosters, and back to school COVID risks for children Aug 24, 2022

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We're about to start another pandemic school year, but this time COVID vaccines are available to everyone over 6 months old. Plus, a new omicron-specific booster is on the way. Should you get your kids vaccinated or boosted now, or wait for the new booster? How important is it to vaccinate younger kids who haven't been getting as sick? Ross McKinney, Jr., MD, a pediatric infectious disease expert and Chief Scientific Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges, answers these questions and explains what risks children and their families could face if they're not vaccinated against COVID and other infectious diseases.

'I've never seen big pharma lose.' Big deal healthcare reform and how it works Aug 24, 2022

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The Inflation Reduction Act, the big package passed by Democrats in Congress and signed into law by President Biden addresses a lot of issues, and that includes healthcare. This law is going to have a noticeable effect on a lot of Americans' healthcare costs, and we wanted to know exactly what that will mean, so we asked Dr. Robert Field, Professor of Law and Professor of Health Management and Policy at Drexel University.

Inside the case of India Spellman and the Philly Justice Project's fight to free incarcerated women Aug 22, 2022

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"I know from all the time that I have spent in the prisons, that there are women who are absolutely both legally and factually innocent of the crimes that they've been convicted of," says Dr. Jill McCorkel, founder of The Philadelphia Justice Project for Women and Girls, a nonprofit organization working to end the mass incarceration of women in the United States. Right now, McCorkel and the Philly Justice Project are fighting to free India Spellman. Spellman was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2013, for a crime McCorkel says she clearly didn't commit. So how does something like this happen? How often does it happen? And why has McCorkel made it her mission to fight for women and girls behind bars? Today on the podcast, Matt Leon asks Dr. McCorkel about the mission and the case of India Spellman.

Learn more about the Philadelphia Justice Project for Women and Girls here: https://www.phillyjusticeproject.org/

Could supply chain issues really be going away? Weekly economy update Aug 19, 2022

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Whether because of the pandemic or Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supply chain issues have sent major ripple effects through the global economy. According to Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza, companies are starting to make savvy adjustments, which he says is good news. This week, David also takes a look at a couple other key economic trends, from inflation to the housing market. Plus, he forecasts what to expect from the Federal Reserve in its next round of rate hikes.

Liz Cheney loses, Mar-a-Lago raid, and a January 6 investigation update Aug 19, 2022

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We have been paying a lot of attention to the January 6th Committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol. With a break until the hearings resume in September, we wanted to take stock of what we have learned so far. But since the last hearing there have been so many developments on multiple fronts connected to former President Donald Trump like the FBI searching Mar-A-Lago, and connected to the committee like Liz Cheney losing her GOP primary in Wyoming. We wanted to talk about them all, so we caught up with Ben Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College and Executive Director of The Lang Center for Civic & Social Responsibility.

What are the ‘transformational’ climate change impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act? Aug 19, 2022

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Some of the biggest and most impactful items in the Inflation Reduction Act deal with the environment, sustainability, and trying to mitigate climate change. So what are they? Is it going to work? Do we have enough time to stop the acceleration of climate change before it's too late? We asked Dr. Samantha Chapman, Professor of Biology at Villanova University and Co-Director of the Center for Bio-Diversity and Ecosystem Stewardship.

What is in the Inflation Reduction Act, and what was left out Aug 17, 2022

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The Inflation Reduction Act was passed by Democrats without a single Republican vote in the House and Senate and signed into law by President Biden. It deals with climate change, healthcare, taxes and more -- and it's such a large and wide ranging piece of legislation that we needed some help to really understand of what this law does and what it doesn't do. We asked friend of the podcast Dr. Scott Deacle, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Business and Economics at Ursinus College to come on the podcast and help break all of this down.

'This case is rotten all around:' Unexpected developments in case of Breonna Taylor's killing Aug 16, 2022

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The police killing of Breonna Taylor was thrust back in the headlines recently when federal charges were announced against the four current and former Louisville, Kentucky police officers that were involved in the botched raid that led to this tragedy back in March of 2020. So why is this important? What does it mean for police departments, and police accountability? We asked Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Villanova University. Dr. McCorkel is also the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Justice Project for Women and Girls.

A new round of the American Rescue Plan is coming: weekly economy update Aug 13, 2022

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Inflation and gas prices are both down this week, and Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza is optimistic going into the fall. He updates us on job numbers, the housing market, and what we could see as a result of the second round of the American Rescue Plan Act. Plus, we find out what "stressflation" is and what that looks like in our region.