The Regional Roundup: May 9, 2022

PA senate and gubernatorial candidate reactions to the SCOTUS abortion draft leak; Philadelphia police officer faces murder charges; the rise in gardening during the pandemic

Air Date: May 9, 2022 10:00 am

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, left, accompanied by former President Donald Trump, speaks at a campaign rally in Greensburg, Pa., Friday, May 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

With about one week to go until primary elections in PA, reproductive rights have surpassed other issues on the forefront of voters’ minds following a leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. How are the candidates responding, and will this mobilize voters on both sides of the aisle? We’ll talk with Democratic political strategist DANIELLE GROSS and Republican state committee member JEZREE FRIEND.

During the pandemic, gardening surged in popularity among Americans stuck at home and struggling with loneliness. We’ll talk with Rutgers University horticultural therapist GARY ALTMAN and PAMIA COLEMAN, co-founder of Black Girls with Green Thumbs, about the fascinating ways tending to any garden can help us mentally and physically.

First, we discuss the case of 12-year-old TJ Siderio, who died after allegedly being shot by a former Philadelphia police officer, with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter RODRIGO TORREJÓN. District Attorney Larry Krasner swiftly announced murder charges against the former officer, in stark contrast to the city’s history and national trends that follow police shootings.

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