WHYY reporter Tom MacDonald is a lifelong Philadelphia-area resident who has worked in the region since the mid-1980s. Tom started in commercial radio covering the MOVE standoff with police for WFIL-AM. He was also City Hall Bureau Chief, covering government and politics for more than a decade, for WWDB-FM.
Tom has been heard on numerous stations in the region during the decade he worked for Metro Traffic, doing news, traffic, and weather.
Tom has also been heard nationally, filing reports for NPR, ABC News Radio, NBC Radio, and CBS Radio.
He has won the Associated Press award for his coverage of the protests of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia and a Religious Communicators award for a post-9/11 documentary he did with the late Peter Jennings.
More from the Contributor
Snow cleanup underway in Philly region after long drought
Highway agencies around the region are working to remove the snow and ice from the roadways to keep them passable for drivers.
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2 arrested in 2022 mass shooting in Kensington
The incident outside Jacks Bar just off the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny sent nine people to the hospital.
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PECO preparing for round two of power outages
The utility has restored power for all but about 2,000 customers from Tuesday’s storms. Extra crews remain active in case of a repeat tonight.
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Philly’s first Latino deputy police commissioner, Pedro Rosario, tasked with overseeing Kensington
Rosario is the first deputy commissioner to be dedicated to a singular neighborhood in the city’s history.
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Listen 1:06Cleanup underway after flooding, heavy winds hit Philly region
Up to 3 inches of water fell on portions of the region, with wind gusts of 60 mph recorded at the Jersey Shore.
2 years ago
Macy’s building owner, others sued over security precautions during December stabbing
Eric Harrison was killed at Macy's in December. His family said there should have been more security at the time of the incident.
2 years ago
Philly DA wants city’s crime-fighting efforts to go more high-tech
The money would go towards bolstering everything from the crime lab to the cold case unit.
2 years ago
Listen 1:01Philly homicides down 20% in 2023, DA Larry Krasner says end of COVID restrictions helped
Murders peaked at 562 in 2021 before falling to 514 in 2022. In 2023, the number dropped again, as 410 people were killed on city streets.
2 years ago
‘Not just a birthday celebration’: Philly’s 2024 MLK Day of Service to focus on civil rights
The event has many service projects, including the creation of a mural to celebrate the history of the civil rights movement.
2 years ago
Listen 1:09New Philly Mayor Cherelle Parker sworn in, immediately declares public safety emergency
Cherelle Parker formally took the oath of office and delivered a passionate inaugural address, vowing to address the city's challenges.
2 years ago
Listen 1:03Mayor-elect Parker announces more key appointments, vows to take time to make right decisions
Parker said she’s not filling her positions until she has the right people for the jobs.
2 years ago
Philly fire commissioner tapped to be city’s next managing director
Thiel, who has led the city’s fire department since 2016, says he’s ready to take on the challenge. “As our folks will say in the fire department," he said, “‘We got this.’”
2 years ago
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