The Week in Philly from KYW Newsradio

Host Matt Leon and KYW Newsradio reporters recap the biggest news in Philadelphia each week. Catch up on what you missed and dig deeper into the top stories.

News
1001
The May jobs report was shocking. Is this what ...
The May jobs report was much better than anyone thought it would be (at least in pandemic adjusted terms), so what's actually going on? David Fiorenza, Associate Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW In Depth to talk about if the economic recovery is happening faster than expected, what new city budgets mean for the arts, and the future of infrastructure projects in the Philadelphia area after COVID-19.   See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
11 min
1002
Indie venues like World Cafe Live are strugglin...
Every few days, an independent music venue announces it won't be able to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic. Philadelphia is home to about 20 independent venues -- places that welcome a variety of artists and bands from up and comers to national acts to open mics and garage bands. But since the coronavirus pandemic hit, indie music venues across the country are facing closures. Some have already shut their doors for good. Hal Real, founder of World Cafe Live and WCL Education joins KYW In Depth to talk about a local and national effort going on to save independent venues and hopefully welcome fans back soon, safely. Learn more about the National Independent Venue Association here: https://www.nivassoc.org/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
25 min
1003
Should insurance cover coronavirus business los...
A huge amount of businesses have been forced to shutter their doors since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and they're in rough shape right now. Right now we're seeing a lot of questions play out in boardrooms and courtrooms alike surrounding their insurance policies. Should insurance cover business losses due to a global virus pandemic? Terry Tracy, Managing Director of Conner Strong & Buckelew joins KYW In Depth to break down what's happening behind the scenes while business doors are closed, and how the coronavirus pandemic is making its mark on the commercial insurance industry. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
11 min
1004
What does financial certainty look like during ...
A lot of bank accounts are looking pretty rough right now in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. And for a lot of Americans, what little money they had in savings before all this is gone or being used to survive until workplaces get the green light to open back up. It's an incredibly difficult situation. We wanted to know what the economic fallout looks like from the perspective of someone who gives financial advice for a living -- what do you do if your job is tell people where to put their money to work for the future? Fred Hubler Jr., President of Creative Capital Wealth Management Group joins KYW In Depth to talk about the questions he's getting, his concerns for the future, and the places the wealthy put their money that the average person doesn't even have access to. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
25 min
1005
In West Philly, anguish and rage fuel both prot...
Philadelphia has seen huge crowds of people demonstrating against the killing of George Floyd since the weekend. The city has also been rocked by vandalism, arson, destruction of property, and looting. In West Philadelphia, the 52nd Street corridor was just one of the areas that suffered major damage during the riots and looting over the weekend. KYW Newsradio's Community Affairs reporter Cherri Gregg was walking the streets of West Philadelphia during it all, talking to people about the damage and why it's happening. Among the things she found -- anger, and suspicion. Frustration, and a lot of heartbreak. And generations of people publicly grappling with anguish and rage. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
22 min
1006
Tear gas and chaos: What happened at the I-676 ...
On Monday, June 1st, a crowd of people protesting the killing of George Floyd by a police officer poured from the streets of Philadelphia down onto I-676, bring traffic to a standstill on the highway. The protesters were tear gassed by police, leading to a chaotic scene as hundreds of people tried to escape. KYW Newsradio's Kristen Johanson was covering the protest when the tear gas was deployed. She joins KYW In Depth to describe what happened. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
25 min
1007
How do you make summer camp safe during COVID-19?
Summer camp is normally a place where kids can get away and make friends, learn things, and get some dirt on their hands. But this year, everything is a lot different because of coronavirus. Some camps have closed for the season altogether, while others are making some big changes to try and salvage the summer. Camp America in Chalfont, Bucks County is hoping they can welcome campers back after the county moves from red to yellow and more of the restrictions are lifted. Marc Mednick is the program coordinator for Camp America. He joins KYW In Depth to talk about what this summer will look like at camp and what they're doing to make it safe for the kids and the staff. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
16 min
1008
What tracing HIV taught us about fighting COVID-19
Contact tracing went from something only a few of us were familiar with just a few months ago to being front and center in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Perry N. Halkitis, Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health joins KYW In Depth to break down how contact tracing has developed over the decades, what scientists learned about contact tracing from studying HIV, and the process of hiring the thousands and thousands of tracers we will need for the fight against coronavirus in the United States. If you're interesting in contact tracing in New Jersey, more information can be found here: https://covid19.nj.gov/forms/tracer See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
20 min
1009
What doctors know about MIS-C, a way COVID-19 a...
Doctors are seeing an illness in kids that appears to be related to coronavirus. It's called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C. The CDC has issued a health advisory for MIS-C and now has a dedicated team investigating it. But there's still a lot of information that doctors don't know about it. Dr. Audrey John, the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia joins KYW In Depth to talk about what MIS-C is, how it attacks children, and how they're treating kids with MIS-C at CHOP. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
19 min
1010
Ask an economist: Why did home sales go up in t...
More than two million Americans newly filed for unemployment benefits last week, a staggering number on its own but just a percentage of the now more than 40 million people who have filed for unemployment since the start of the corohnavirus pandemic. Every Friday we ask David Fiorenza, Assistant Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business to help us tackle the economic news of the last week. Today we asked him about his analysis of the unemployment numbers, why home sales went up in April when everything else went down, his wish list for the next federal aid package, what the latest GDP revisions mean, and why it's a small win that the durable goods numbers were not quite as catastrophic as we thought.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
10 min
1011
Would vaccine makers consider infecting volunte...
We've been taking a look at the idea of using human challenge trials, intentionally infecting volunteers in a controlled study, to speed up development of a vaccine for the coronavirus. In Part 1, we talked to the Rutgers Bioethicist who co-authored a paper advocating for the use of challenge trials for a coronavirus vaccine. In Part 2, we talked with the founder of a website that's signing up volunteers to participate in HCTs, and one of the more than 25,000 people who have signed up to consider volunteering. But what do the scientists and researchers involved in making vaccines think about using HCTs? Dr. David Weiner, director of the Wistar Institute's Vaccine and Immunology Center joins KYW In Depth to talk about the ethics and logistics of Human Challenge Trials from the point of view of a vaccine developer. Part 1: Should HCTs be used for coronavirus? https://bit.ly/2XeyrIi Part 2: Why would someone volunteer for an HCT? https://bit.ly/3gC7iqn See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
22 min
1012
Why would someone volunteer to be infected with...
Human challenge trials are studies where people volunteer to be infected with a pathogen, like the coronavirus, hoping to speed up the development of a vaccine. In Part 1 of our series on human challenge trials, we talked to a Rutgers University bioethicist, Dr. Nir Eyal, who coauthored an article in the Journal of Infectious Diseases advocating for controlled human challenge trials to help develop a coronavirus vaccine faster.  So why would someone want to volunteer to be infected with a dangerous, sometimes deadly virus? Mabel Rosenheck is a public historian and independent scholar in Philadelphia who put her name forward as someone willing to consider volunteering for a human challenge trial. Josh Morrison co-founded 1DaySooner.org, a network of more than 25 thousand people who want to participate in human trials that could speed up a vaccination for the coronavirus. Both of them are joining KYW In Depth to talk about why they'd consider joining a human challenge trial, and why more than 25 thousand people have already signed up to volunteer.  Listen to part 1 of our series on human challenge trials: https://bit.ly/2XeyrIi Check out 1 Day Sooner at: https://1daysooner.org/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
28 min
1013
Coronavirus is causing companies to declare ban...
One of the side effects of shutting society down for months is that a lot of prominent companies have declared bankruptcy, and more are likely on the verge. So what does that mean for the company, and what does it mean for the employee who's reading the financial section on their phone and suddenly finds out their company declared bankruptcy? Bruce Grohsgal, Professor in Business Bankruptcy Law at Widener University's Delaware Law School joins KYW In Depth to talk about what corporate bankruptcy does, what it means for employees, and the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic that are rippling through companies. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
10 min
1014
Is your sleep messed up during COVID-19? You're...
For a lot of us, a solid eight hours of sleep per night was tough to get even before the coronavirus pandemic. Now there’s even more added stress and anxiety, coupled with changes to our usual routines, that could be doing a number on our sleep. Dr. Philip Gehrman, Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania joins KYW In Depth to talk about why people are having trouble sleeping or experiencing crazy dreams during the pandemic, and some simple steps you can take to get a better night's sleep. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
11 min
1015
Restaurants face massive challenges during COVI...
We've seen a lot of our favorite restaurants have to make some serious adjustments during the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, not all of them are coming back, and for the rest of them, the dining experience of 2022 will probably look different in many ways from 2019. Dr. Ceridwyn King, Associate Professor & Chairperson of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University joins KYW In Depth to talk about the biggest challenges restaurants face post-pandemic, how they're adapting, and how the industry will emerge on the other side.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
17 min
1016
COVID-19 closed showrooms, but car dealers see ...
One of the industries that has gotten hammered by the restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic is auto sales. Car dealers are starting to open up more parts of their business now, and we wanted to know what the last couple months have looked like for them, and what's next. We asked Maria Pacifico, President of the Pacifico Auto Group in Philadelphia and Tom Flynn, Pacifico Auto Group General Manager to join KYW In Depth to talk about how their business has been affected, what it's like trying to sell cars during COVID-19, and how they see the future of car dealers after we get back to whatever normal looks like. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
17 min
1017
Is COVID-19 a good reason to take a gap year be...
More incoming college freshmen are considering taking a year off because of COVID-19. But is that wise? Sara Harberson, founder of Application Nation joins KYW In Depth to talk about the pros and cons of using the coronavirus pandemic to take a year off before college and why colleges might accept one gap year request but turn down another.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
11 min
1018
Childcare was a challenge before coronavirus. ...
Things are starting to open up and a lot of people can see the light at the end of the tunnel for when they can return to work, but what do you do if you need to work but your childcare provider isn't open yet? What if your old daycare has been forced to shutter its doors for good? Dr. Blythe Rosikiewicz, Assistant Professor of Management in West Chester University’s College of Business and Public Management joins KYW In Depth to talk about the state of childcare in the US and the scale of the troubles that childcare providers and working parents are facing because of the coronavirus pandemic. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
29 min
1019
Has the coronavirus pandemic added value to com...
The coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot of changes to American society. People are out of work, a lot of families are experiencing financial hardships, and in general right now most people are staying pretty close to home. We wondered if, because of these reasons and more, COVID-19 has made community college a more attractive or valuable option to a broader section of people. So we asked Dr. Joy Gates Black, President of Delaware County Community College to join KYW In Depth to talk about how the coronavirus has affected DCCC, how enrollment has changed, the steps the school is taking to ensure safety, and why community colleges might have a leg up over other forms of higher education during the age of COVID-19.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
11 min
1020
Can recreational marijuana help broke states re...
Memorial Day weekend kicks off with even more dire economic news as another 2.4 million Americans filed for unemployment last week. David Fiorenza, Assistant Professor of Practice at the Villanova School of Business joins KYW In Depth to talk about the business of summer at the Jersey Shore, if recreational marijuana could fill empty state coffers, if a new unemployment package could be coming from Congress, and how much longer new jobless claims could stay at seven figures. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
13 min
1021
How public health emergencies like coronavirus ...
Cities are bustling, densely populated places packed with people and businesses paying a premium for housing and office space to be in the center of everyone and everything. And if you visit a city right now, you can actually "see" the results of the coronavirus pandemic. Philadelphia just looks very wrong without people everywhere, like someone hit the pause button. We've made some giant changes as families, as a workforce, and as a society over the past few months. We're working at home, we're eating at home, and it looks like some of these things might not go back to "normal" any time soon. So, we wanted to know if any of these changes could end up having an impact on cities. Are people really going to keep paying New York City rent to work from their apartment? Harris Steinberg, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University joins KYW In Depth to talk about the American City during the coronavirus pandemic. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
20 min
1022
Video chatting a ton during COVID-19? Here's ho...
Work meetings, classrooms, and even happy hours are all virtual these days due to coronavirus restrictions. And maybe you've notice that video chat meetings are way more tiring than in-person ones. So why is that, and what can you do to keep from getting burnt out? Dr. John Medaglia, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neurology at Drexel University joins the podcast to break down why our brains get zapped by Zoom. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
19 min
1023
Veterans nonprofit salutes American heroes virt...
Memorial Day weekend 2020 is going to be anything but routine for Americans still under social distancing guidelines because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Around here, Philadelphia officials are telling people not to go to the beach. Barbecues and cook outs are being scaled down at the very least, and instead of having the whole family over most people will be with just their immediate household to mark the holiday.  And for a non-profit called Carry The Load, a group that honors veterans, first responders and their families, their biggest event of the year -- a walk that takes place around Memorial Day -- had to basically be redesigned from square one. Matt Fryman, National Relay Director for Carry The Load joins KYW In Depth to talk about how they are changing and adapting during coronavirus and how they're planning to salute American heroes virtually this year.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
18 min
1024
COVID-19 is remaking insurance: "The losses are...
The insurance industry has been turned upside down by COVID-19. We wanted to learn more about how insurance companies are weathering the pandemic and the health of the industry as a whole, so we spoke to Michael and Ryan Tocicki. They are the cofounders of PREMIER Insurance Services, and they join KYW In Depth to talk about what they're dealing with day in and day out, how much the pandemic has cost the insurance industry already, and how insurance is going to change permanently because of COVID-19.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
14 min
1025
Can your employer ban you from taking public tr...
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange has been closed for a couple of months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but it's set to partially reopen on Tuesday, May 26. As the Exchange opens its doors again, there are protocols that brokers need to follow -- and one of the protocols that stuck out to us is that people are not allowed to use public transportation to get to the trading floor. This begged a bunch of questions, like... can they do that? Is that even legal? And how is it going to be enforced? Ann Juliano, Professor of Law at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law joins KYW In Depth to answer those questions and more.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
12 min