The Why: Philly Explained

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jason Nark recently made a surprising discovery: There are lots of people in Pennsylvania who believe in Bigfoot. As legend has it, the large primate — also known as the Sasquatch — is mostly spotted in the Pacific Northwest. So why are there so many alleged sightings and Bigfoot enthusiasts here in Pennsylvania? And why is interest in the creature being rekindled in popular culture?

Members of Pennsylvania’s Amish and Mennonite communities are coming to terms with a widespread sexual abuse crisis that is at odds with their separatist cultures and commitment to unconditional forgiveness. Pittsburgh-Post Gazette reporters Shelly Bradbury and Stephanie Strasburg how abuse in those communities has gone unchecked and why it’s been covered up until now.

When Princeton High School performed the 1934 musical “Anything Goes” this spring, students complained about the show’s racist stereotyping of Asians. The incident sparked a debate about how to handle older plays some people are fond of, but that include offensive language or characters. WHYY’s Alan Yu and Steph Yin explain why some theater directors are rethinking the way they stage the classics.

Twenty years ago, 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger died after taking part in a clinical trial for gene therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. The tragedy sent shock waves through Philadelphia’s biotech industry and across the medial world. Meir Rinde wrote about the case for the Science History Institute’s magazine Distillations and explains why Gelsinger’s death changed gene therapy.

About one-third of Philadelphia’s garbage goes to a facility in Chester, Pa. where it’s burned and converted into energy. But that incinerator also pollutes the air Chester residents breathe and researchers say it’s one of the dirtiest in the U.S. WHYY’s Catalina Jaramillo explains why the city continues to send its trash there — and why many incinerators like this one are located in low-income communities of color.

The Farris Institute for Parenthood was once Philadelphia’s premiere clinic for artificial insemination. When it closed, it left an unknown number of babies who grew up wondering who their fathers really were. Maiken Scott, host of WHYY’s The Pulse, explains why there was so much secrecy around early fertility medicine — and why that’s changing.

New Jersey recently became the eighth state to decriminalize assisted suicide, and allow terminally ill residents to end their lives with medical help. Two-time cancer survivor Judy Govatos explains why she’s pushing lawmakers in Delaware to follow suit.

To fight the drug epidemic, public health officials, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies have been working to limit opioid prescriptions. WHYY’s Nina Feldman explains why that’s leading some patients to use more dangerous drugs — putting them at a higher risk of contracting diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV.

It’s been nearly a month since the Philadelphia First Judicial District shut down their websites after a virus threatened their computer system. Max Marin, reporter for WHYY’s PlanPhilly, says this has caused chaos; thousands of people — judges, lawyers, and their clients — rely on the website to access critical court documents. Why hasn’t this been fixed yet? And how is everybody coping?

Pennsylvania ranks No. 1 in the nation for student debt, with students owing an average of $36,193. Temple University professor Sara Goldrick-Rab studies the student loan crisis and explains why the debt burden is so high here and how it’s affecting the way students and grads live.