Regional Roundup: October 31, 2022

Sports superstitions...do you have one? We also talk about restaurant reviews with Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan. And, has the pandemic changed our hand washing habits?

Listen 49:15
A bartender makes a drink

A bartender makes a drink at The Belvedere Inn in Lancaster. (Kate Landis/WITF)

With Covid-19 still lurking and the arrival of flu season, murmurs of a possible “twindemic” are popping up. But not to panic, experts say there’s no need to go overboard with chemicals to keep ourselves safe. We’ll talk  about the spread of viruses and bacteria and exactly how vaccines, clean air and simple hand washing protect us.

Our guest is Dr. Emanuel Goldman (@Rutgers_NJMS), professor of microbiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.


Hundreds of restaurants shuttered their doors over the last few years, and those that survived through outdoor seating and take-out menus are understaffed or even raising prices due to inflation.

Our guest, Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan (@CraigLaBan), says we should no longer hold eateries to pre-pandemic scorecards. We’ll talk about how the industry has maybe changed for good and why he’s doing away with his famous bell-rating system.


The Phillies will play the third game of the World Series at home Monday, in a city full of sports fans often known for some infamous behavior and superstitions. Why do Philadelphians love to talk about the curse of Billy Penn or get particular about their choice of t-shirt on game day?

We’ll talk about superstitions with J.P. Romney (@romney_jp), writer for The Philadelphia Citizen.

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