The True Philadelphia Podcast With Matt O'donnell

Lauren Hart thinks she has sung the Star Spangled Banner 1,000 times. Easily. It started as something neat to try at a Flyers game. Decades later and she's still performing it just as gracefully as the last time. Lauren explains why the song is so difficult to sing, how her father (the late Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart) influenced how she performs it, why it was so hard doing a duet version of "God Bless America" with the late Kate Smith, if she is scared of Gritty (the Flyers' new mascot) and why she is getting political with her upcoming new album "American Woman." Oh, and what about Fergie's version of the Star Spangled Banner?

Charlie Dent left Congress eight months before his term expired, explaining to some he was "exhausted." The Republican joins me on the podcast to talk about how moderates are dying off in Washington, why it is dangerous to build a party around a person rather than issues, who is on the GOP bench in a post-Trump world, if Democrats ever asked him to switch parties, and why other countries are experiencing the same things as the US: polarizing politics, tribalism and extreme views on immigration. Dent, now a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, speaks to Matt at his office at the Perry World House on campus.

Villanova Coach Jay Wright is preparing for another college basketball season with sky-high expectations. That's just what happens when you win two of the last three NCAA championships. I joined Wright in his office at the Davis Center to ask him about the things anyone would: Do you love the three-pointer? (he didn't always) Do you want to coach in the NBA? (yes, absolutely) Are athletes of the past tougher than today's? (yes - but that's not the whole answer) What do you think of tanking in professional sports? (he hates it) Should NCAA athletes be paid? (never) What about "one-and-dones"? The Travel Mug Podcast packs even more into a 20-minute interview with the legendary coach. I even snuck in a question about the one thing people obsess about: Jay Wright's exquisite sense of fashion. Wildcat or not, you'll find Jay Wright a fascinating coach, a fascinating parent, a fascinating person. And given that he is a Bucks County native, Wright is one of ours. Listen now!

Back in 2010, Chris Coons was the Democratic county executive of New Castle County, Delaware and preparing for what he thought would be the underdog fight of his career. Just about anyone who knew anything about Delaware politics predicted Coons would face Rep. Michael Castle (R-Delaware) in the battle for a US Senate seat that November - and would lose really badly. But something crazy happened: Castle, a widely respected, long-time moderate Republican with huge name recognition, lost the GOP primary to political upstart Christine O'Donnell. Suddenly, Coons went from being a Democratic sacrificial lamb to the overwhelming favorite to win the senate seat once held by Joe Biden. This podcast is simply an exercise in analyzing a decision we all sometimes face: whether or not to go for something that seems out of reach. As with the case of now-Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware), sometimes you just never know what is going to happen in the future. Recorded in the Inside Story studio at 6abc in Philadelphia.

The University of Delaware grad is building a phenomenal career with the Washington Mystics as one of the world's best female basketball players. Delle Donne also reminisces about her time as the leader of the Blue Hens' women's basketball team, how she broke the news to UConn that she was leaving the school and returning to Delaware, playing multiple sports, if the Sixers have the talent to win a title, how surprising Carson Wentz has been in recovering from knee surgery, kneeling in the NFL and the perception of women's sports. Our thanks to Elena for squeezing us in between her charity golf tournament and a road game for her WNBA team.

Gabe Kapler is having an outstanding first season as Phillies manager. Kapler joined me for coffee at his favorite cafe to talk about why he loves living in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, what brought him to play baseball in the first place, if a baseball manager can get too analytical...plus, Kapler reveals his all-time favorite player in any sport. Yes, he is a huge fan of the "Round Mound of Rebound!"

More American workers are required to "reset" their careers than ever before. Fewer people go to work out of school and expect to retire from the same company they started with. "The Reset" is about what to do if this happens to you. Former Philadelphia mayoral candidate Sam Katz and former Delaware news anchor Nancy Karibjanian recall how they "reset" their careers with loads of great advice like: "New chapters are usually unexpected but unexpectedly rewarding," and "Give laser like attention to what you are going to do next. And it's not to be feared, it's to be embraced." This special podcast will help inspire you to get back on your feet.

Preston Elliot of the popular Preston and Steve Show on 93.3 WMMR had the time of his life drumming in a successful cover band as he finished high school. Decades later, he discovered just how much of a price he paid for having so much fun. Preston tells Matt what led him to become a musician, relives his days playing glam rock tunes in beer-soaked bars and explains how he lives his life with hearing loss and deals with the ringing sensation known as tinnitus. Plus, Matt and Preston engage in a drum off (and Preston wears his ear plugs, of course).

Shoshana Vitale, who provides Action News Mornings with fitness tips twice a week, immediately comes across as purely motivated - and a pure motivator. She tells us how she got into fitness, how the mother of four boys prioritizes her super-busy life, how there can be an obesity epidemic when so many people seem to be living healthy, and why you don't need expensive equipment to stay in shape. Prepare to sweat with The Travel Mug!

Prepare to blow your mind, or at least bend it really far! Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute, tells us why he's always looking up, updates us on what will be the world's largest land telescope, why he thinks conspiracy theory groups like "Flat Earthers" gain traction these days, if he's worried we're living in a computer simulation, if time travel is possible, his favorite science fiction movie and whether he'd agree to go to Mars. There's far out, and then there's going too far out - which is why we have Derrick Pitts on the Travel Mug Podcast!

We ask Council President Clarke what stopped him from running for mayor in 2015 (he is very candid about this), if the Democrats need to 'break the glass' when it comes to the 2020 presidential election (he says they do), why he doesn't like the term "millennial," and if the city is too hyper-focused on attracting Amazon's second headquarters. This Inside Story 'Deep Dive' takes a newsmaker from the program and goes deeper into the conversation. We spoke to Council President Clarke in our "green room" at the 6abc studios ahead of an Inside Story broadcast.

What is your favorite movie shot in/around Philadelphia? Sharon Pinkenson almost definitely played a huge part in attracting the film to town. As the first, and only, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, Pinkenson has so many stories to tell. Did you know "Philadelphia" wasn't the original title of that Tom Hanks/Denzel Washington film? Also: Why the filming of "Creed II" seems different from other Rocky films, how Sharon sells our region to film producers, our favorite movies filmed in Philadelphia, the worst movie filmed in Philadelphia, if people will still go to theaters years from now, and whether the "Me Too" movement has hit its peak. Our podcast with Sharon Pinkenson is overloaded with films facts like a large, heaping order of buttered popcorn! We spoke to her at her office in Center City.

Tam Edwards, David Murphy and Karen Rogers join Matt for a round of Action News Morning Team Trivia. They find out how much they really know about each other after working together for more than 13 years! Plus, the Morning Team answers three very important questions about their careers.

Asa Khalif, who now heads Coalition for Black Lives, talks about how his aggressive and sometimes profane behavior has caused him to get arrested (several times) and created discomfort even amongst other Black Lives Matter supporters. You will recognize Khalif for his protests after the controversial arrests at a Center City Starbucks. He also discusses being raised by a white father, how racism persists in an American society that obsesses over black culture, whether he is anti-police and if black-on-black crime is a more important issue than police aggression. Music provided by A Pregnant Light.

Matt hangs with Van Halen tribute band Romeo Delight, which has been playing in the Philadelphia area for a decade now. Members Buddy Blanchard, Mike Beck, Ron Jones and Joby Parendier talk about their roles as David, Eddie, Alex and Michael, why they formed, their favorite VH albums and songs... And then Matt jams one of his favorite Van Halen songs with Romeo Delight. Recorded at Junction Music in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Watch Matt's performance with Romeo Delight on facebook.com/mattodonnelltv or twitter.com/matt_odonnell

Michael Chitwood, who leads the Upper Darby Police Department, talks to Matt O'Donnell about the heartbreaking incident that convinced him to temporarily stop carrying a gun on the job, plus Black Lives Matter, "emotional intelligence" in policing, the opioid epidemic, Ira Einhorn, the Ferguson Effect, school shootings, and of course the Clint Eastwood movies that inspired his nickname. A wide-ranging interview.

As this huge data-sharing scandal plays out at the social network, Matt talks to Professor Geoffrey Baym, head of Temple University's School of Media and Communications. Issues discussed: are we better off without Facebook, Twitter, etc? Are we as users being responsible enough? What would happen if social networks existed during the 9/11 attacks? And is reality fracturing before our eyes?

Mayor Kenney was a guest on Inside Story on 6abc (Sunday, March 18) to defend his tax hike plan to fund public schools. We had some extra questions for the mayor, including if the city is fighting the opioid epidemic the right way, where the Rizzo statue is going, if Kenney is thinking about re-election and whether the Eagles' Super Bowl win will truly change Philadelphia culture.

Brian Hickey from Philly Voice joins Matt to talk about one of his most controversial columns, the hit and run accident 10 years ago that nearly claimed his life, plus their time as budding journalists at the University of Delaware.

John Dunigan, Pennsylvania's top golf teacher according to Golf Digest, tries to help us figure out why golf is so hard, why we play it anyway, if Tiger Woods has a shot at greatness again, how he fixed the world's worst golf swing, and why he's so good at playing classical guitar.