The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

Latest Episodes:

The pandemic habits Americans say they're keeping after COVID Feb 18, 2021

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As vaccines get into more arms, it's not crazy to fantasize about returning to some sort of normalcy sometime soon. And as the pandemic winds down, it will be interesting to see what safety protocols will continue being a part of our everyday lives once we are back to normal. Researchers at Ohio State University wanted to take a look at how people feel about keeping some pandemic habits around even after COVID-19 is a bad memory, so they conducted a nationwide study. Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to break down what the survey found, what the evidence suggests we've learned from the past year, and which pandemic habits Americans thought were actually pretty good ideas after all.

Who won the US-China trade war? Feb 18, 2021

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One of the most visible and contentious footprints left by the Trump presidency was the trade war with China. So now that the Trump presidency is over and with the benefit of hindsight, what did the trade war accomplish? Did someone win? Is the trade relationship better than it was four years ago? Were any of the Trump administration's particular grievances with China resolved by the dispute? What exactly has the Biden administration inherited, and what are they going to do with it? Dr. Kevin Fandl, Associate Professor of Business Law at Temple University's Fox School of Business joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to break down what exactly the trade war accomplished, how both China and the US were affected by it, and how US trade policy post-Trump is likely to adjust moving forward.

The rise of clean energy is all about the money Feb 17, 2021

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One of the more fascinating storylines of the coronavirus pandemic surrounds energy and power. Like, electrical grid energy, fuel, that kind of thing. We saw some crazy things happen last year, like oil going negative back in early quarantine. Then demand fell off a cliff and oil cartel shenanigans brought the price back up, and throughout it all one of the constants in the energy industry has been continued investment and buzz and market demand for cleaner and greener power. It's become pretty clear that the clean energy 'revolution' is not only here, it has eclipsed its activist roots and is now firmly being propelled by economics. So what happened to get us to the point where clean energy just makes more economic sense, even for companies who have historically trafficked in oil and petroleum and other traditional sources of energy? And what does the playing field actually look like right now for clean and renewable energy at scale? Dr. Scott Jackson, Visiting Professor of Chemical Engineering at Villanova University joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to talk about how renewable energy defied the odds and a pretty substantial amount of political pressure to take on a life of its own, and why in the end it's really just all about the money.

57 senators vs. ‘a very high bar’: Breaking down the second trial of President Donald Trump Feb 16, 2021

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The second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is in the books. He was not convicted of inciting the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol, which wasn't a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to the state of American politics recently. But it was perhaps a little surprising that 57 senators, including 7 Republicans, thought he should be held responsible by the Senate. So what did we learn? Why did Minority Leader Mitch McConnell play his hand the way he did? Why did the Republican parties in individual states censure their Republican Senators who said the former President was guilty -- is there anything else to read into that? And where do the parties go from here? Dr. William Rosenberg, Professor of Political Science at Drexel University joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to break down what happened at the second impeachment trial of President Trump and the ripple effects worth watching in the years to come.

What good is a vaccination program without a disadvantage index? Feb 16, 2021

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The coronavirus pandemic has been this massive, terrible, exhausting part of our lives for about a year now. And when the vaccines were first announced and started to get distributed -- it felt like the end was finally in sight. But it hasn't really gone the way we thought, just like everything else in this pandemic. So, is there a right way to put together some kind of coherent, effective plan to get everyone vaccinated? And at the core of the issue, what are the biggest roadblocks here that are keeping us from just getting it done? Dr. Harald Schmidt, assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to talk about what we need to do to vaccinate more effectively in the United States.

Schmidt and some of his colleagues studied initial vaccine distribution plans by states, you can look at the research here: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3351&context=facpub

Have you been cheated on financially? You're not alone. Feb 15, 2021

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According to a new survey from US News & World Report, there's a whole lot of people who say they've either been a victim of financial infidelity or committed it. This could be something like finding a credit card or bank account you didn't know about, lying about a debt or a source of income, or making an expensive purchase without telling your partner. The majority of people who were surveyed say that financial infidelity is as bad as physical or sexual infidelity. Today on KYW Newsradio In Depth, Beverly Harzog, credit card expert at US News & World Report joins the podcast to talk about what the survey found out about the ways we cheat, financially. Then Dr. Lucy Parker, a counselor and educator and Assistant Professor at LaSalle University joins the show to break down what we know about why people commit financial infidelity and the next steps to recover and heal when it happens in your relationship.

Check out the survey here: https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/financial-infidelity

Student loan debt: a big problem and an American opportunity Feb 15, 2021

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Young adults are leaving college with staggering amounts of debt in student loans. And it seems like that college degree means a lot less today than it meant a few decades ago when it comes to job prospects and projected income. It's not a great spiral for students, and it looks like real momentum is building at the federal level to take a look at student loan debt see if helping to alleviate some of it makes sense -- for the student and for the country. So how bad is the debt situation for students in the United States right now? What does student debt actually do for our economy -- is it a good thing to keep the wheels turning, or does is hold back production? And what could realistically happen in DC to address the situation given the current political reality in America? Dr. Tunde Odusami, Associate Professor of Finance at Widener University joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to talk about the state of student loan debt in the country right now, the stimulus effects of debt alleviation, and the downstream effects of making college more affordable.

The first computer is turning 75 in Philadelphia. "ENIAC set the stage for everything." Feb 12, 2021

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Philadelphia is filled to the brim with history but if you live or work here it's pretty easy to forget just how much has happened in this city. Just think of how many people walk by the Liberty Bell every day and don’t stop to think, "Oh yeah, America started here." We know about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but Philadelphia is also the birthplace of probably the most important thing in all of our lives today: the computer. The first computer was built at the University of Pennsylvania. It's called the ENIAC. And it's about to celebrate its 75th birthday. Dr. Brian Stuart, Professor of Computer Science at Drexel University joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to talk about the history of the ENIAC, how far we've come in only 75 years, and the birthday party he's helping throw for the world's first computer.

Find out more about how to participate in the celebrations here: https://venturecafephiladelphia.org/event/75th-anniversary-of-the-eniac-qa-with-the-people-behind-the-computer/

Is this COVID-19 stimulus package too big or not big enough? Feb 12, 2021

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We're still looking at spectacularly high unemployment numbers, especially considering we've been dealing with this pandemic for almost a year. Is it time to talk about inflation, or is that something to worry about after we stop the economic downward spiral for average Americans? Should the budget deficit mean anything to regular people? Consumer confidence vs consumer sentiment -- what's the difference and why should you care? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at Villanova School of Business joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to talk about what happened this week in the economy and what it means for all of us in our daily lives.

The Pennsylvania vaccine deep dive episode Feb 12, 2021

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In Pennsylvania, frustrations are mounting at just about every level over the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations, from individuals and families to communities and politicians. So why can't we seem to get this right? We wanted to try to figure out what is happening in Pennsylvania in places outside of Philadelphia, how the distribution plan was designed, and the biggest problems that are getting in the way of a smooth vaccine rollout. A day after Pennsylvania state senators grilled acting Pennsylvania Health Secretary Alison Beam, KYW Newsradio's suburban bureau chief Jim Melwert talked with Democratic Senator Maria Collett, a lawmaker with a background in healthcare, about the hearing and Pennsylvania's vaccine rollout. Jim joins KYW Newsradio In Depth to break down his interview with Senator Collett and talk about what's keeping PA from doing a better job at vaccinating people.