From campus protests to a partial solar eclipse and all things SEPTA, here's The Year in Philly

 PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — What factors transformed Pennsylvania from blue to red in the presidential election? Why was there a rise in antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents in 2024? And what's in store for SEPTA in 2025?

For a second week, KYW is looking back on the biggest news and trends that had the Philadelphia region buzzing all year long. You can hear about them on “The Week in Philly” with Matt Leon and KYW Newsradio’s team of reporters 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.

A lot of people spoke out about the war in Gaza in 2024, especially on college campuses like The University of Pennsylvania. There, an encampment in support of Palestine went up for several weeks. KYW Newsradio’s Tim Jimenez recaps the back-and-forth between protesters and campus police as part of our year in review.

In the year after the war between Israel and Hamas began, reports showed the highest number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents ever recorded in the United States. KYW’s Community Impact Reporter Racquel Williams explains the actions we saw this past year and what organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and the Council on American-Islamic Relations say we need to stop the hate.

Just two years ago, when a United States Senate seat and the governor’s mansion were up for grabs, Democrats delivered resounding wins in Pennsylvania. This fall, the shift was dramatic, as Republicans prevailed in just about every major statewide race while securing the Commonwealth for President-elect Donald Trump. The results might have seemed surprising to some observers at the time, but, with the benefit of hindsight, KYW Newsradio Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert explains why we should have seen a GOP surge coming all along.

Senator Andy Kim was at the center of New Jersey politics in 2024, between his initiative to change the ballot and his race to take Bob Menendez’s Senate seat. KYW’s South Jersey reporter Mike Dougherty recaps the Senate drama and the Presidential election in the Garden State, and looks ahead at the candidates for governor in 2025.

Leadership changes, securing emergency funding, and averting a work stoppage. Major developments like these would be a lot for any organization to withstand in a calendar year, let alone a matter of weeks, but such were the highlights for SEPTA’s final quarter of 2024. KYW Newsradio transportation reporter Mike DeNardo recaps the wild ride and sets the stage for how these crises, while stabilized for now, will more than likely resurface in 2025.

For some, it was a powerful opportunity to connect with their inner spirit. For others, it was an excuse to throw an early spring party. Philadelphians experienced the April 8 solar eclipse in a variety of ways. The rare, much-hyped celestial event became an acute obsession in a year full of major news stories. KYW Newsradio’s John McDevitt had some fun looking back on a day when much of the world looked up, goggles and all.