Last week's new unemployment hit a pandemic-adjusted low, but the formula used to measure it changed too. After months of big tech powering stock gains, why the sputter on Wall Street? And why do you keep seeing headlines about the all-powerful American Dollar not being as big as it used to be? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW in Depth to break down the news of the week and explain what it means for the health of our economy.     Clip 1 See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

There seems to be momentum building for legalizing recreational marijuana right now in several states, including Pennsylvania. Most of the arguments are economic: states are broke and allowing people to legally buy and sell cannabis products would be a new source of tax revenue. But if we go down that road, there are going to be significant implications for criminal justice reform flashpoints as well -- like the over-policing of minority communities and the statistical overrepresentation of people of color involved in marijuana arrests. Jules Epstein, Professor of Law and Director of Advocacy Programs at Temple University's Beasley School of Law joins KYW In Depth to break down the criminal justice side of the marijuana legalization debate. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, how have agriculture and farming and the essential supply chains we rely on for food held up? John M. Urbanchuk, Assistant Professor and Chairman of the Agribusiness Department at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, PA joins KYW In Depth to talk about how food production was hit by the pandemic, how the recovery process is going, the biggest challenges to the industry right now, and why some farmers opted to leave some of their fields unplanted this year instead of putting down corn or soybeans. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Tourism has taken a massive hit during the coronavirus pandemic, and that means tough times for airlines. Just how bad is it right now, and how bad can it get? Dr. Benjamin Altschuler, Assistant Professor of Travel and Tourism at Temple University joins KYW In Depth to talk about how coronavirus has steamrolled the airline industry, the massive job losses that have happened already and what's on the horizon for an industry that's really kind of teetering on the brink right now. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The economy is difficult to read these days. Millions of people are out of work and there is economic uncertainty everywhere, but the stock market keep rolling right along, setting highs and making big gains. So, how good of an indicator is the stock market actually? Does it really paint a good picture of how the economy is doing? And how can it be doing so well when so many Americans are struggling? Scott Deacle, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Business and Economics at Ursinus College joins KYW In Depth to break down why the stock market can do well when unemployment is so high, how we should be viewing the market as an economic indicator, and why the Dow Jones is not a very useful index. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of people to deal with economic pain and uncertainty like they never have before. We've heard a lot of talk about unemployment benefits, but there are other kinds of benefits that are available for people who just need a little help during tough times. And there are people who can help you navigate the process of finding out what benefits you might qualify for, and what you need to do to apply. That's what Benefits Data Trust does for people in Pennsylvania. Trooper Sanders, CEO of Benefits Data Trust joins KYW In Depth to talk about the need right now in the Philadelphia area and the things you can do right now if you need some help.  Learn more about Benefits Data Trust at their website: https://bdtrust.org/ The BenePhilly Hotline: 833-373-5868 See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Staffing polling places on election day has always been a challenge, but right now during the coronavirus pandemic, people are even more leery of spending an entire day volunteering to be around a line of people coming and going to the polls. On top of that, a lot of the volunteers that work the polls in the US are older, which means they're at higher risk for severe illness from the virus. So what is it going to look like for people who go to vote in person in November? And with so many people voting with absentee ballots, could we see a shift in how we vote all together? Dr. Stephen Pettigrew is the Director of Data Sciences for the Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a senior analyst for the NBC News Decision Desk and Analytics Lab. He joins KYW In Depth to talk about the future of voting in the United States and what's in store for us come November. Read Dr. Pettigrew's research here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3630334 See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This is going to be a school year like we've never seen before. Just about all students will be learning at home at least part of the time, which means technology will be more important than ever. But having that technology available is easier said than done. Larry Lieberman, CEO of Mouse.org joins KYW In Depth to talk about digital divides in American homes, and tips for parents, teachers, and students to excel during a very strange and trying school year. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Another week of new jobless numbers over a million. It seems like that used to be a big number, but now it's the new normal. The Dow Jones announced a shakeup this week -- what does that mean for the storied index? And is there a light at the end of the tunnel, in the form of existing home sales? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW in Depth to break down the news of the week and explain what it means for the health of our economy. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Shifts in the labor force are painful during normal times. Right now, the workforce is changing rapidly without the kind of heads up that we normally get. This pandemic happened very quickly, and half the economy essentially shut off to try to contain it. For workers in some industries, it seems like there's not a lot of hope on the horizon. So, how exactly has COVID-19 accelerated changes in the workforce? Where are we heading? And for people watching their jobs disappear, is there a solution out there? Dr. Doug Webber, Associate Professor in the Economics Department at Temple University joins KYW In Depth to talk about the rapid changes in the labor market and what's happened in the past during similar circumstances. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

When you're tracking the health of an economy, there are a lot of indicators to look at. One of the key ones is consumer sentiment. But what exactly does that mean? How is it tracked? Why is it important, and what is it telling us about the economy? Dr. Benjamin Liebman, professor of economics at Saint Joseph's University joins KYW In Depth to talk about what you should know about consumer sentiment and consumer confidence, and how they impact the world around you. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, 28 million Americans didn't have health insurance -- but it's a lot more than that now. A former acting CDC director is warning that this is just one of the problems the coronavirus pandemic has revealed about American healthcare, and the longer COVID-19 spreads, the worse those problems will get.  Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC joins KYW IN Depth to talk about the country's response to COVID-19, where we're heading, and the state of health insurance in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic.  >>> See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for all students, but especially for students with special educational needs. We wanted to find out the extent of what families are going through right now, and what parents need to know to help make the upcoming school year just a little bit easier. Margie Wakelin, Staff Attorney in the Education Law Center's Philadelphia office joins KYW In Depth to break down the hurdles that have emerged in the spring, what we've learned from them for the upcoming school year, and what families can do to help their children stay on track. The Education Law Center: https://www.elc-pa.org/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

We're almost six months in to this pandemic and there are still tens of millions of people unemployed. Many people have been able to scrape by with unemployment assistance, but a big chunk of that, the extra $600 from the federal government, is gone now. And still others weren't able to get any assistance at all. As moratoriums on evictions around the country are expiring, KYW In Depth's Paul Kurtz talked with a few people who are having trouble making their rent or their mortgage to find out how bad the situation is, and if they have hope for the future. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Last spring the coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person learning at colleges and universities across the United States. Now classes are resuming for the fall, both online and in person. We wanted to know how students and faculty feel about being back on campus, and if college still feels the same this year as it did last year. KYW In Depth's Andrew Kramer went to Temple University to talk with students about what's different in 2020, and he also caught up with a faculty member who argues that now is the wrong time for in-person classes to resume. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The US was already facing a shortage of doctors before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the medical community is being stressed to its breaking point. There's a bipartisan bill aimed at getting them some reinforcements -- it's called the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, and it would make 40,000 unused immigrant visas available for doctors and nurses who want to come here to work. To put that number in perspective, nearly 30% of doctors and nurses in the US are from other countries. That's more than 37,000 doctors and 600,000 nurses. Today on KYW IN Depth, we're joined by two special guests to talk about the shortage of doctors and nurses and what's being done about it. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware is one of the original sponsors of the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, and Dr. William Pinsky is President and CEO of the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), the commission that vets doctors who are trying to get visas to come to the US for clinical training. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Millions of people are relying on unemployment benefits in the United States, at the same time Apple became America's first $2 Trillion company. The stock market is doing very well, even as unemployment numbers reversed a trend and went back up last week. What's going on? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW in Depth to talk about the divide in the American economy during the coronavirus pandemic, how the labor force is shifting amid continued record unemployment, and how economists are viewing the debacle over the post office. >>> See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A handful of months into the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, and a whole lot of people have traded in business casual for leggings, sweatpants, and t-shirts. So how's the fashion industry doing now that we all wear sweatpants to work at home? Jefferson University Fashion Design Program Director Farai Simoyi joins KYW In Depth to talk about how coronavirus has changed the fashion industry, the changing face of fashions weeks around the world, and how the future looks for the young stars of fashion design. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

One of the ways some people are staving off pandemic boredom is by raising chickens in the back yard. Seriously, it's a thing that's happening in 2020 more than in previous years. Something else that's happening more now: the CDC says rates of infection are 22% higher than this time last year. So, how do you take care of a backyard flock the right way? Dr. Sherrill Davison, lead avian health expert at Penn Vet joins KYW In Depth to break down what you need to know about your chickens, how to tell if they're sick, and the best things you can do to avoid salmonella and other diseases. Penn Vet website: https://www.vet.upenn.edu/ The CDC on salmonella: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/index.html See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Reserve continues to play a critical role in the American economy, and even more so during the coronavirus economic crisis. But there's been some criticism of the work the Fed has been doing. So what has worked, and what hasn't? Dr. Jonathan Scott, Professor of Finance and Department Chair at Temple University's Fox School of Business joins KYW In Depth to talk about what the Fed has been doing to help mitigate some of the economic damage, how history will look back on the response to this crisis, and why some Federal Reserve programs have been wildly successful, and others just haven't even seemed to get off the ground. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

COVID-19 has forced 2020's political conventions to go online. So will this concept stick around? Are the days of thousands of supporters crowding into crowded arenas over, even after this pandemic? Dr. Benjamin Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science and the executive director of Swarthmore College's Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility joins KYW In Depth to break down how political conventions have changed over the years, the purpose they surve in modern day America, and why they have more in common with college or reality TV than sports. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

What make a house more desirable right now during the coronavirus pandemic? Are people still moving, despite the virus? How has the process of buying and selling a house changed? Maria Quattrone, CEO and founder of Maria Quattrone & Associates at RE/MAX @ Home in Center City, Philadelphia joins KYW In Depth to talk about the challenges in real estate and the most important features new homebuyers are looking for during COVID-19. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A new school year is approaching and districts are putting forth plans on how to safely educate students during the coronavirus pandemic. And for those schools that are going to welcome students back in person in some way, there's the added question of transportation. How do you get kids to school and keep them safe? Can you even do that on a school bus? Tim Ammon and Jim Regan, co-managers of the Student Transportation Aligned for Return To School (STARTS) Task Force join KYW in Depth to talk about keeping students and drivers safe on the school bus during COVID-19 and the challenges facing school transportation right now. Check out the STARTS guidelines here:  https://www.napt.org/files/STARTS%20Report%20-%20FINAL%207_30_2020.pdf See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

As long as we're in this pandemic, there's going to be a great need for PPE -- personal protective equipment. These are things like masks and face shields that have been in short supply since COVID-19 first spread in America. Getting it remains a challenge for the doctors, nurses, and first responders who are on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus. This is where the nonprofit PPE for PA comes in, a coalition of volunteer makers, craftspeople, and coordinators who crank out face shields and face masks by the thousands with 3D printers and sewing machines. Shai Perednik is one of the leaders behind PPE for PA and the PA COVID-19 Makers Group. He joins KYW In Depth to talk about their mission, the demand for PPE, and what it takes to get PPE made and delivered. Learn more about PPE for PA here: https://www.ppeforpa.com/ The Perednik Foundation's Givebutter page: https://givebutter.com/ppeforpa/shaiperednik1 See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

New unemployment claims for last week dropped under a million for the first time since March. Congress left DC without passing another relief bill. Small businesses have gotten hammered by the pandemic, more than their bigger counterparts. Have the Federal Reserve's lending practices been fair or effective? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW in Depth to break down the good news and the news that isn't so good about the American economy right now. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.