The Week in Philly: Assessing the fallout from Montco factory fire, and the trickledown effect of Trump’s executive orders

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A four-alarm fire set a historic, century-old manufacturing factory in Montgomery County ablaze last week, with flames burning for multiple days. How did firefighters and first responders get the incident under control? What threat does it still pose to residents?

On “The Week in Philly,” we explore this story and other big headlines in the Philadelphia region within the last week, including the local trickledown effect of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, District Attorney Larry Krasner’s bid for a third term, and the 2025 Roots Picnic lineup.

Look back, look ahead, and get a better understanding of the stories shaping the Philadelphia region on “The Week in Philly” with Matt Leon and KYW Newsradio’s team of reporters. 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 check out individual segments below.

It was extremely serious, but it could have been worse. After a massive fire broke out not once but twice at the historic SPS Technologies factory in Abington Township, firefighters and other first responders needed days to get the blaze under control. While local and federal officials continue to investigate the cause of the incident, KYW Newsradio’s Tim Jimenez reports on several key findings that helped prevent an already dangerous situation from doing even more damage.

President Donald Trump has been back in office for a little more than a month, but he’s been putting pen to paper on executive orders at warp speed. The pace has left lawyers around the country in a daze, trying to figure out which rules — new and old alike — can actually be enforced or challenged in court. KYW Newsradio crime and justice reporter Kristen Johanson speaks with a Philadelphia-based attorney about the local ripple effects of Trump’s policy blitz.

Between the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash and the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, there’s been no shortage of major developments in the city in recent weeks. But beneath these headlines, other important news has taken shape, like District Attorney Larry Krasner announcing his bid for a third term, and protesters taking to Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Presidents Day. KYW Newsradio City Hall bureau chief Pat Loeb checks in with the latest happenings in Philly government and politics that you should know about.

Mayor Cherelle Parker rolled out her new H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities Made Easy) initiative, which she hopes will help her fulfill her 30,000-unit affordable housing campaign promise. How feasible is her aggressive proposal? Will it actually fix Philadelphia’s affordable housing issues? KYW Newsradio’s Pat Loeb returns to provide analysis.

The fourth time’s a charm, at least in the case of the SS United States. A grand luxury liner that carried the rich and famous across the Atlantic Ocean during its heyday in the mid-20th century, the inactive ship has been in a state of decline since docking along the Delaware River waterfront in South Philadelphia nearly three decades ago. In recent months, it appeared as if the SS United States was on the verge of relocating. KYW Newsradio’s Justin Udo explains why now, after three failed attempts, the vessel is finally on its way to its last destination.

The Roots Picnic has become an annual rite of seasonal transition from spring to summer, and this year will be no different. The iconic hip-hop group announced the two-day festival will return to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts on May 31 and June 1, bringing a bill of genre-spanning acts both fresh and familiar to Fairmount Park. KYW Newsradio’s Shara Dae Howard spoke to Philly music fans about the lineup, which features headliners Philly-born Meek Mill, rocker Lenny Kravitz, and R&B superstar D’Angelo.