PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania — and before he was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — we learned that the elite prep school valedictorian has connections to Philadelphia.
After months of cheers and jeers, weeks of public hearings, and delay after delay after ... delay ... a preliminary vote has paved the way for a new 76ers arena to be built in Center City.
And the commonwealth's Teacher of the Year, who is from Haverford High School, is the first Black man to receive the honor. We'll talk about why that matters.
Look back, look ahead, and get a grip on the stories shaping the Philadelphia region on “The Week in Philly” with Matt Leon and KYW Newsradio’s team of journalists. Listen on KYW Newsradio 103.9 FM Saturdays at 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Episodes are also available as a podcast or, you can listen to the individual segments below.
Luigi Mangione's ties to Philadelphia
People all over the country were following the developing news this week as Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Altoona is near Pittsburgh, but it turns out Mangione passed through Philadelphia on his way from New York and has some local ties. KYW Newsradio Editor Phil Casey tells us about those connections and what it was like to be in the newsroom as the story broke.
🎧 listen
City Council's buzzer beater
A raucous collision of derisive and celebratory chants filled City Hall on Thursday morning. Despite several interruptions and incessant gaveling, Philadelphia City Council at long last cast a highly contentious vote that all but assured the approval by year’s end of plans for a new 76ers arena adjacent to Chinatown. KYW Newsradio City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb covered the pivotal Committee of the Whole hearings, and spoke with stakeholders on both sides of the project’s debate.
🎧 listen
Drones over New Jersey
It’s a bird. It’s a plane! It’s a … six-foot drone? Residents and authorities in New Jersey have been trying to get to the bottom of numerous sightings of drones — some as large as an SUV — in various parts of the state. Answers are few, but KYW’s South Jersey Bureau Chief Mike Dougherty explains what we know so far.
🎧 listen
How child porn became child sexual abuse material
“Call it what it is.” For child advocacy groups, this logic has long represented their stance on prosecuting child pornography: Give the crime a more clear, appropriate label with no room for ambiguity or misinterpretation. A recent change in Pennsylvania law banning artificial intelligence-generated deep-fake sexual images should help accomplish this goal. KYW Newsradio Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert explains how lawmakers managed to get the phrase “child sexual abuse material” written into state statute, and why using the term instead of “child pornography” could make a difference.
🎧 listen
Avast, mateys! Porch pirates 'r turnin' the waters
Shiver me timbers! The convenience of e-commerce might very well carry a cost beyond gold. No time of year reinforces that fact better than now, as porch pirates come sailing up your street daily in search of holiday treasures. But it's not "X" that marks the spot; it's that "Amazon smile."
A recent report reveals Philadelphia ranks second only to New York City in package theft. A representative from the online retail giant tells KYW Newsradio community impact reporter Racquel Williams how consumers can scupper those pirates' foul plans and find fair winds during this high-risk season.
🎧 listen
A first for Pa.'s Teacher of the Year
When Leon Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School, learned he had been named Pennsylvania’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, he didn’t even realize he was the first Black man to receive that honor. KYW Newsradio’s Justin Udo talked with Smith about what the recognition means to him and how he hopes to encourage more young people — especially Black men — to pursue teaching.