The Why: Philly Explained

In the next installment of our series Why didn’t I go there?, The Why co-host Shai Ben-Yaacov and his 10-year-old son Gil take a virtual tour of the time capsule that is the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. Their guide is the museum’s Cory Amsler who introduces us to the 19th century Penn archaeologist who was not just fascinated by ancient artifacts, but also had a passion for collecting the everyday stuff of his own time, from tools to … a vampire killing kit?

52nd Street, which has historically been the Black commercial hub of West Philly, has seen many ups and downs over the last few decades. It was most recently hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and then, by looting and vandalism during the unrest over racism. Retired Philadelphia Daily News Columnist Elmer Smith reflects on growing up in the neighborhood and its rich history, and PlanPhilly reporter Darryl C. Murphy talks about the latest blows to 52nd Street, and what the future could hold.

In Philadelphia alone, dozens of businesses have filed lawsuits against insurance companies — some even before their claims have been denied — as they seek coverage for business losses during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeremy Roebuck explains how another coronavirus outbreak impacted today’s disputes between small businesses and insurers, and how some state legislators are trying to compel companies to pay out claims.

Despite increased testing capacity and expanded eligibility guidelines, it can still be tough to get a COVID-19 test and timely results. WHYY health reporter Nina Feldman recently documented the roadblocks she and others have come up against trying get tested, and joins us to break down why the patchwork testing efforts people are encountering across the region reflect bigger problems with our health care system in general.

The performing arts is one of many industries rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to find its way through economic uncertainty and glitchy Zoom calls. Then, America was rocked again by the unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd. James Ijames, actor, writer, director and professor of theater at Villanova University, explains how his theater community is adapting to new ways of making art and responding to the nationwide reckoning over racial inequality.

Calls to “defund the police” range from major reallocations of resources to abolishing forces entirely. What could that look like? And what do Philadelphians want? Megan Malachi, an organizer with Philly REAL Justice, explains why her group wants to completely replace the department with trained community responders. Then, Then, PlanPhilly’s Catalina Jaramillo has the view from neighbors in North Philadelphia.

People protesting the killing of George Floyd swarmed around the statue of former Philadelphia mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo, covered it in graffiti and tried to pull it down. The city cleaned up the statue and surrounded it with a phalanx of police officers the next morning — only to remove it in the middle of the night a few days later. Why did the statue become a symbol of police brutality, and why were the recent protests literally a tipping point? Philadelphia Inquirer writer-at-large David Gambacorta examines Rizzo’s record and his legacy on policing in the city.

The national spotlight has fallen on Camden, New Jersey. That city dissolved its police department in 2013 and replaced it with a countywide force. But the reasons why that happened are very different from why activists are now calling for similar moves in departments across the country. Courier Post reporter Phaedra Trethan explains the financial crisis that led to that department’s overhaul, which, despite a lot of growing pains, has seen some positive results.

Civil unrest, a pandemic, widespread mail-in balloting, and new voting machines combined to make last Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary an unprecedented one. With the presidential nominations already decided, this low-stakes primary was an important test run for the November general election. WHYY political reporter Katie Meyer breaks down what we learned last week about preparing for the unexpected and about how long results could take to trickle in under these new systems.

As the Philly region starts to relax coronavirus restrictions, doctors are starting to reschedule routine appointments, like flu shots and dental cleanings, as well as elective surgeries. Still, some patients wonder … is it safe? WHYY health reporter Alan Yu explains how doctors have already been working to mitigate risk and treat patients during the pandemic, and how this “new normal” gives us a glimpse at the future of health care even after COVID-19 is under control.