The Why Archive

During the deadliest months of the pandemic so far, Pa.'s new electronic reporting system wasn't ready, so it didn't have an accurate count of how many people were dying.

Pa., Del. (and soon N.J.) have launched a COVID-19 app to reach people contact tracing isn't. But privacy protections could make it harder to know how effective it is.

In 2020, the question in Philly is not whether the Democratic ticket will win the city, but by how much. One key group they have to convince? Black voters.

More than 1,500 people have been shot in Philly this year. The city needs answers, and listening to John Solomon's story may be one place to start getting them.

There are many potential hurdles between Philly Latinos and a COVID-19 test — even though they're contracting the virus at high rates.

The FDA still limits gay men who've recovered from COVID-19 from donating their plasma. It's a relic of the 1980s HIV epidemic advocates say should be a thing of the past.

In Philly, long known as a blue-collar "labor town," the kinds of workers organizing is changing — a shift that started before the pandemic gave workers' issues new urgency.

The economic fallout of the pandemic has left thousands of Philadelphians struggling to pay rent. And temporary protections may not stop them from being evicted.

A Bucks woman's experience shows incarceration can make mental illness worse — and that a Pa. law meant to help people instead of putting them behind bars isn't working.

The pandemic has exposed inequities in Philly's restaurant industry. Workers are speaking out and some restaurants are making changes. Here's what it could it mean for diners.

Cobbs Creek residents have been complaining that the road is dangerous for decades. Neighbors there have called for greater safety measures, but little has changed.

The community fridges popping up during COVID-19 are an example of something called "mutual aid," which is a tradition in Philadelphia stretching back more than a century.

In the final installment of our series "Why didn't I go there?" take a virtual tour of Belmont Mansion in Fairmount Park, once a stop on the Underground Railroad.

While some businesses open back up, other workers are reckoning with the uncertainty of whether their jobs will ever come back. Here's how some people are coping.

Philly is battling two public health crises: COVID-19 and an escalating gun violence epidemic. These two crises may be related and have communities of color reeling.