The Why Archive

A Philly man suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues was shot by police. Why do cops wind up being called to handle these situations?

Retired Bordentown Police Chief Frank Nucera is on trial for a hate crime. Are recordings of him using racist slurs enough to convict him?

A volunteer firefighter's interest in the extremist group the Proud Boys has Haverford Township residents fighting over whether it should vet the views of public servants.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is spending life in prison for killing babies during botched or illegal abortions. What should be done with his former West Philly clinic?

More than 5,000 people are serving life in prison in Pennsylvania. Now there are efforts to help some of them get a chance at parole.

Why did Sig Sauer, the manufacturer of the P320 handgun, fix trigger problems in the U.S. Army version more than a year before offering an upgrade to the public?

After the university sent an alert based on an unverified report of a shooter, students understandably freaked out. Did Villanova jump the gun or follow best practices?

Every school year, parents in all 50 states have to prove they've gotten their kids vaccinated — unless they get an exemption.

Councilman Bobby Henon wants to effectively ban hookah bars outside Center City. As Philly continues to grow and change, why we can expect more fights like this.

Lancaster County is home to the nation's largest Amish settlement. But even as the population continues to grow at a fast pace, some are choosing to leave.

About 180 children died at the former Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Over 100 years later, tribes are reclaiming their bodies and bringing them home.

The minimum wage for hourly workers in Pennsylvania is $7.25 — unless you work for tips. Why is the minimum wage for tipped workers so much lower?

Yo, Philadelphia’s trademark accent is more than just “jawn” and “youse guys.” What makes a Philly accent distinctive, and how are millennials killing it?

We return to our episode about the spotted lanternfly, with an update on how the "great hitchhiker" has spread over the summer and the tools being used to combat it.

Trans and nonbinary Pennsylvanians got gender-neutral markers (“X” or “U” instead of “M” or F”) long before PennDOT said they could.