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News

AI’s Looming Impact: Energy Costs, Workplace Bias and Digital Racism

From Pennsylvania's power grid to hiring decisions and social media, artificial intelligence is raising new concerns about its impact on everyday life. Three recent WURD conversations explored different consequences of AI's rapid expansion. Belle Sherwood, clean energy advocate with PennEnvironment, joined P.O.C. on EcoWURD to discuss how AI data centers are straining Pennsylvania's power grid, increasing pollution and driving calls for a two-year moratorium. Future Cain, founder of Future of SEL, joined Tiffany Bacon on The Midday Break Room to […]

todayOctober 16, 2026 2

News

This Week on WURD: Ilhan Omar investigation, Philadelphia police shooting, Black maternal health crisis

Mustafa Rashed, president and CEO of Bellevue Strategies, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the federal search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home weeks before the midterms. Rashid questioned the timing and political motivations of the investigation, while predicting Democrats would retake the House and face a closer battle for Senate control.Morgan Cephas, Pennsylvania state representative and chair of the Philadelphia House delegation, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the fatal shooting of […]

todayOctober 16, 2026

Politics & Government

Election 2026: Understanding What’s At Stake

With Election Day approaching on November 3, WURD is bringing you the conversations that matter as voters prepare to head to the polls. From local races to national debates, our election coverage examines the candidates, policies and decisions that will shape our communities. Explore our election coverage playlist for conversations about: Pennsylvania's push to open its primaries Voting rights and the courts Control of Congress and the stakes of the midterms

todayOctober 9, 2026

News

This Week on WURD: Sexual assault allegations at Cornell, microplastics in the Delaware River, Pennsylvania’s universal healthcare push

Dr. Janet Rosenzweig, child sexual abuse prevention expert and author of The Sex-Wise Parent, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss sexual assault allegations at Cornell University. Rosenzweig highlighted the heightened risk of campus sexual assault early in the academic year and urged parents, particularly fathers, to teach young people about consent, healthy sexuality and personal responsibility. Melinda Emerson, entrepreneur, bestselling author and small business expert known as the Small Biz Lady, joined Tech Life Steph on […]

todayOctober 9, 2026

Health & Wellness

Attack on the Safety Net: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Benefits

Changes are coming to health coverage in Pennsylvania—and thousands of families will have to navigate new requirements to keep the benefits they rely on. On October 8, WURD presented “Attack on the Safety Net: Protecting Your Health Benefits,” a special broadcast examining changes to Medicaid and other health programs resulting from the federal budget law known as H.R. 1. Sara Lomax and Dr. James Peterson broke down what’s changing, when it takes effect and what Pennsylvanians need to know to […]

todayOctober 9, 2026

News

This Week on WURD: Attack on America’s safety net, educational dilemmas for Black families, and Parker at 1,000 days

Linn Washington Jr., Philadelphia Tribune columnist, former journalist and retired Temple University journalism professor, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the Trump administration’s third-country deportation policy and its mounting costs. Washington called the policy cruel and wasteful, while also pointing to Philadelphia’s low voter turnout as potentially decisive in statewide elections. Barth Beasley, singer-songwriter, pianist and actor, joined Tiffany Bacon on The Midday Break Room to discuss his forthcoming album, Welcome to Studio B, and a […]

todayOctober 2, 2026

Education

Learning in a World We Didn’t Make: James Peterson on Nikole Hannah-Jones’s School Experience

By Dr. James Peterson Nikole Hannah-Jones’s recent New York Times Magazine essay about the life-altering decisions Black parents make in educating our children is, for me, even more powerful than The 1619 Project. The 2019 landmark long-form journalism project was a definitive historical intervention, centering the experiences of enslaved Africans and their descendants in the story America tells about itself. As someone descended from people enslaved in this country, that intervention is deeply personal to me. Several years ago, my […]

todayOctober 2, 2026

News

This Week on WURD: Press fights back, Coltrane at 100, holding on to health benefits

Deborah Roberts, co-anchor of 20/20 and ABC News senior national affairs correspondent, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD as the program begins its 49th season. Roberts called President Trump’s mounting attacks on press freedom a concern for all Americans, urging journalists to demonstrate credibility and integrity amid political pressure on news organizations. Stefan Roots, mayor of Chester, Pa., joined Ernest Owens on On the Record to discuss Philadelphia’s proposed continued use of ReWorld’s Chester incinerator. Roots called the […]

todaySeptember 25, 2026

News

This Week on WURD: AI warnings, Birth Center Week, signs of human trafficking

Dr. Elena McDonald and Dr. Delana Wardlaw, board-certified physicians known as the Twin Sister Docs, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss Pennsylvania’s worsening measles outbreak. They stressed that unvaccinated people with underlying conditions face heightened risks of severe complications as the state’s outbreak approaches 700 cases and has now been linked to four deaths. Ben Hovland, senior fellow for democracy policy at the Center for American Progress and former U.S. Election Assistance Commission commissioner, joined Dr. […]

todaySeptember 19, 2026

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