The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

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Transgender athletes: the people, laws, and politics at the center of a national debate May 18, 2022

Show notes

There has been a lot of discussion about transgender athletes in recent months, from Lia Thomas’s success as a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, to state legislatures working overtime to keep transgender kids off the field and the court. Sometimes it seems like much of the discussion is more about the politics than the people who are actually affected. We wanted to talk about transgender athletes, remembering that these are kids and young adults that in many cases are being used to score political points. Our guest is Anne Lieberman, Director of Policy and Programs at Athlete Ally, an organization whose stated mission is to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports.

What is stopping Putin from using nuclear weapons? May 17, 2022

Show notes

There was a lot of concern at the outset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine about the possibility that this conflict would lead to the use of a nuclear weapon. That hasn't happened, but is the danger still there? What would happen if Russia used a nuke, and how would that escalate? We asked Dr. Amy Nelson, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Foreign Policy program at The Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC.

53 years of spitting the truth: Ray Didinger reflects on a career covering Philly sports May 16, 2022

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As the great Brian Dawkins once said, "Ray spits the truth." For 53 years, Ray Didinger has been an authority on Philadelphia sports, especially the Eagles. He has been a newspaper writer, radio host, television analyst NFL Films producer, author, and even playwright. He has won countless awards, including being recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Didinger announced he is deciding to retire at the end of May, after more than five decades covering Philly sports. Dave Uram has worked with Didinger at Sportsradio 94 WIP, and chatted with him for years on KYW before and after Eagles games. Dave called Ray up after his retirement announcement to have another conversation, this one about the legacy he leaves in the Philadelphia sports community.

'This is unprecedented.' Data on America's mental health crisis May 16, 2022

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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.

Pandemic economy update: Inflation peaks, tracking stubborn gas prices, and summer at the Jersey Shore May 14, 2022

Show notes

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, how is that changing how people behave? And what in the world is Elon Musk doing now? Philadelphia economist David Fiorenza is back to break down the biggest economic stories of the week and what they mean for you and me.

Why cryptocurrency crashed: explaining the crypto and stablecoin implosion and what could be next May 13, 2022

Show notes

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.

Russia has oligarchs. Does America? May 11, 2022

Show notes

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 questions and more to Dr. Lisa Baglione, professor of political science at Saint Joseph's University.

Big shifts in higher education: 'Young people don't feel prepared to fund college' May 10, 2022

Show notes

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 looking at a two-year degree as opposed to a four-year degree. We wanted to dig into what these findings mean, so we caught up with Stephanie Gambone, President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

'The student loan crisis was intentional.' Does forgiveness make sense? May 09, 2022

Show notes

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 their early 20s? We dug into this with Bryce McKibben, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

"I do not like it at all!": it's time to vent about high gas prices, plus an analysis of the Fed's latest rate hike May 06, 2022

Show notes

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!

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