>> the "inside story" year in review starts right now. good morning, everyone. i'm matt o'donnell. it is sunday, december 26, 2015. it's almost 2016, so we're gonna talk about the big stories that have happened throughout the year. but first, let's meet our panelists this week. we have g. terry madonna from the f&m college poll. looking very handsome, terry. >> happy new year, matt. >> yes, happy new year. nia meeks, communications executive, looking ravishing. >> thank you, darling, and happy new year. >> you too. >> christine flowers, attorney, journalist, looking stupendous. >> hello, my dear. >> yes. [ laughs ] and sam katz... [ party favor clicking ] ...documentarian and true party animal. [ laughter ] thank you all for joining us. we may be, you know, making some noise later on, but, hey, let's talk about our first topic. all right, you ready for this? what is it, what is it, what is it? the papal visit.

>> all right. >> this is the biggest thing that happened here in, you know, decades. so, at one point, some even wondered if anyone would come because of the massive security operation for pope francis' first trip to the united states, but the city of philadelphia, the world meeting of families, and tens of thousands of area residents who showed up managed to pull it off. the pope was protected. he delivered so many special moments, the events were practically flawless, and philadelphia shined in the world spotlight. so has the city proven they can not only handle the upcoming democratic national convention, which is in 2016, but maybe a world cup, maybe a summer olympics? what do you think, nia? >> well, i don't know about the summer olympics yet, because that still requires lots and lots of money, but we will give kudos to the city overall. city government did its role, but really, the people of philadelphia made the papal visit. i mean, everyone i talked to, all the pilgrims, they were so impressed with the city, and people who watched it all around the world said, "wow, philadelphia looks great. i love the commons. it's a wonderful space." so who knows? we might actually finally be in the big leagues, so long as we don't have the locals weighing in on it.

>> thank you. thank you for that segue. i think what was wonderful about the whole experience was there were some people who were complaining about, you know, closed areas, stores being shuttered, but overall, i think that the people of philadelphia showed that we really are the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. we really embraced the pilgrims. but i also have to say the pilgrims were wonderful, as well. in fact, one article talked about a hospital executive saying, "we didn't have a lot of people coming into the emergency rooms, because these are pilgrims, and they generally weren't imbibing substances that rock concert goers imbibe. [ laughter ] so they were healthy pilgrims, healthy visitors. >> first of all, i agree with everything that was said, but let's be honest, philadelphia is known for its history, way back in something that happened in 1787, but we are talking here about one of those great events that translates historically into one of those moments that historians will write about it,

and it's something i think that the city can be very proud of. it was done -- there are always problems with these events. overall, on balance, how could you not say it was a huge plus for the city, and it does show that the city's capable of doing great things? >> it's more than just a big event. you know, this is, also, a big spiritual moment for people. the people who came i think had a blessed experience. i think there was really a wonderful feeling. a lot of people stayed away, because some of the messaging was a little reminiscent of the 1976 bicentennial. a lot of military terms. but if you missed it, you can buy this dvd online at the world meeting of families' website, which has a presentation of the papal visit, the world meeting of families, and the mass on sunday. i thought not only was it a spectacular experience, but i thought it was the best coverage by this station. >> absolutely. >> it was spectacular news journalism, for those who were

not there, but this is another way for you to see it if you missed it. >> and can i just say -- i just want to give kudos to the archdiocese of philadelphia and the world meeting of families, the way that they interacted. archbishop chaput did a magisterial job. it really, truly was philadelphia's welcome to the world, and that dvd is well worth the money, because it's something -- as terry said, it was a moment in history. i was 18 or 19 when pope john paul ii came to philadelphia. it is one of the key moments in my personal history. i will never forget it. i will never forget when i was at independence mall and i listened to pope francis give a speech on immigration. >> and it was ecumenical -- i mean, people of every faith. >> sure. >> so they felt touched and blessed by this man, this visit, and all the pilgrims that were drawn. so kudos to philadelphia. cheer, cheer. >> there's a moment at the beginning of the process where archbishop chaput is concerned about the archdiocese that he has just taken over, with closings of schools and

consolidation of parishes and financial issues and the priest sexual abuse problem, all of which he inherits. and on the sunday morning, pope francis at the st. charles seminary takes a private visit with five victims of priest sexual abuse. and, then, the first comments out of his mouth among the seminarians at the seminary was about their obligation and responsibility to heal. so i thought this was a really pivotal moment for the archdiocese of philadelphia towards them. >> and those remarks were not on his prepared remarks, 'cause i remember that moment, and, you know, it surprised many people. and your earlier point, sam, action news spent countless hours covering this thing, and it was a blast for everyone. we as journalists really -- >> beautifully done, i have to say. >> all right, next topic. what is it, what is it? 'cause there's got to be some drama here, right? the ascension of jim kenney, okay? >> now, the philadelphia native was an understudy of now disgraced former state senator vince fumo, went on to ally

himself with the union boss john docherty, and then the former councilman surprised everyone with a well-managed campaign for mayor that didn't even begin until february. it was kind of late. now, kenney trounced his competition in the primary, including the one-time front runner, anthony williams, and obliterated his republican opponent in the general election, which is typically what happens. >> not so typically obliterates. >> [ laughs ] >> that's right. >> now, the man who runs city hall will for the first time in eight years not be named michael nutter. so, and let me ask you, sam, because you thought about, you know, entering the race and ultimately decided not to, did you doubt a kenney candidacy at any point early on? >> well, there wasn't a kenney candidacy until february, so i have to say that the rise of jim kenney, which hopefully will be a great thing for philadelphia, is as much a product of a flawlessly executed campaign as it was from a group of awol opponents. >> right. >> he really for the first time in my adult lifetime ran in a primary in which his opponents didn't show up, and i was

stunned by the campaign. and you thought with the campaign-finance rules the supporters of anthony williams, who had enormous resources, would have created the ability of an independent-expenditure committee to compete, and they opted instead to advocate for school choice, and that's what their campaign was about. it really wasn't about tony williams. >> yeah, he's right. now, i polled in this guy's race for mayor. he lost i think by 2 points. >> sam came very close. >> no, no, no. the closest republican in forever in the city in a well-run campaign. i agree with what he has said. but here's something that's fascinating, and that if you look at the career of jim kenney from, as you point out, the wards of south philly, an acolyte of vince fumo, to now what is not arguably i think going to be a very liberal mayor -- i'm not using liberal here pejoratively. i'm using it descriptive. and whether he looks a lot more

at the end of the day like bill de blasio, the mayor of new york, or how does that fit into the culture in this city, which in many respects is still dominated by ward politics? but he has all that experience and years on city council, got the support of the president of city council. that relationship is, as [laughs] he is smiling over there, not always been the greatest. that transition is what really i think historians like that guy over there, who will do some filming on it, is truly remarkable. >> matt, you used the term "ascension," right? after talking about the pope, there was kind of like, you know, a biblical transfer there. but i think it's really on point, because it was almost a miraculous transubstantiation of a man who is known as a scrappy, south philadelphia fighter who is very, very pugilistic, let's say, with those people who do not agree with him, into a

statesman, into a man who apparently is going to try and be as mayoral as he possibly can be. and, as terry said, he is liberal now. he has morphed into someone who has adopted or embraced progressive ideals. not that he didn't do that throughout his career since 1993, but it has been a progression. but i think that that's the miraculous change here. you know, you go from the scrappy, vince fumo, south philly fighter into someone who may very well be able to deal with all of the different ethnicities and factions in the city and bring them together. and let's hope that he doesn't have a twitter feed any longer. >> [ laughs ] >> do you think he can do that? not about the twitter feed, but bring people -- he'll still tweet, i'm sure. but can he bring other ethnicities together in the city? >> the great opportunity with jim kenney is that he is authentically philly. and at a time when the city is going through such tremendous change, with so many new people coming in and not necessarily

having much regard for the history and the culture of the existing residents, he can perhaps be that bridge between the old and the new. he's evolved in a lot of his policies and thoughts and what have you. but he has appeal with some of those new people, and he has the ties with the old. so he could possibly be that bridge philadelphian candidate and that bridge philadelphia mayor that we will need to help lead us into this next iteration of the city. >> and the other point is the tremendous gap between the rich and the poor. >> absolutely. >> between the well-off in center city and some neighborhoods and the poverty, you know, feet away, if you will, from center city, which remains in many respects i think the biggest single challenge for urban mayors. >> even in his parts of south philadelphia -- excuse me. i was just gonna say in his native south philadelphia, you see that kind of tension going on right now. to have a native son being able to step in and understand both sides of it -- >> and that gives him a great opportunity here. >> it gives him the credibility and the opportunity. >> sam? >> i'd like to see jim do some of the things that he expresses publicly in a more private way on occasion.

i think he was right about temple stadium, temple's new football stadium. he sort of sprung it on them in public, and then his attack on the eagles for not being good citizens. i think that in time, those are things that would be better done privately and then announce the results, and that's the only thing about this launch. his organization of the cabinet and his recruitment of people is first-rate, and i think he has great possibilities, but he has to avoid that sort of natural jim kenney instinct, which is what makes him so lovable, but also complicated. >> topic three -- policing in philadelphia. and a lot has really gone on in the last year. commissioner charles ramsey will be leaving. richard ross is in. stop and frisk is not going to be a policy any longer. the u.s. justice department actually updated the police-involved shootings scenario, saying that the department made a lot of changes and reduced the police-involved shootings. black lives matter protests occurred in the city.

they were disruptive, but they weren't violent like other cities. homicides are up slightly, but not an enormous jump. maybe i'll ask you this, christine -- should philadelphians prepare for a very different philadelphia police department in 2016? >> i think it's going to be -- i think it's going to be a continuation of what chief ramsey started. i think he was the best thing to happen to the philadelphia police department in decades. and as he noted in his outgoing -- as he's been noting in his outgoing interviews, he's been working with other law-enforcement organizations and agencies -- outside, neutral agencies -- to make sure that there is integrity and accountability in the philadelphia police department. but he's also been the biggest booster for the philadelphia police, as well. there hasn't been -- there's not this sense of "us against them." he's always been a community organizer, a community bridge maker, and i really do think that we're not going to see a newer, better philadelphia

police department. i think we're gonna be seeing an evolved philadelphia police department which cares about the community but also recognizes that these men and women are heroic and put their lives on the line every single day and need to be respected. >> i was gonna say -- evolution is the key word there, because, i mean, all the things that ramsey has put into place -- he's respected in almost every community. i've not been to one where people don't have kind words for him. and they understand a lot of what he's dealing with has been intrinsic to the department. even now, the fraternal order of police is resistant to a proposal that has the state police investigate officer-involved shootings, which sounds reasonable, and most people embrace that. and the rationale of saying, "well, you know, to take away employment opportunities for our local police." really? i mean, i see richard ross coming in, and because he is one of theirs, that he will be embraced, but he also has a lot of the training and a lot of the insights that ramsey brought forth. so, everything from recruitment to try to have a police force that's more reflective of the city which is being policed is a positive moving forward.

i think that the philadelphia police department is really on the cusp of moving into a new direction, just like much of the rest of the city. it's gonna be an exciting time, but we still need patience. and thankfully, we still have a face at the head of the police department that people trust. >> sam, terry? >> they've implemented, i think, about a third of the recommendations, one of which is -- i think they're gonna go ahead and do it -- is they have the state police conduct investigations when there's a police-involved murder or, you know, shooting. >> yeah, we'll see about that. >> yeah, we'll see about that as well as some of the other ones about getting quickly into an investigation after there is a police-involved shooting. and when you think about it that way, getting these recommendations implemented, i think, is very important, because that's going to help instill confidence in -- particularly in the minority community, where there is considerable tension over this. >> we got to go to a break. we'll be right back with more "inside story." >> "inside story" is presented

by temple university. temple fuels students with academics and opportunities to take charge. plugged into the city, powered by the world. temple.edu/takecharge.

>> "inside story" year in review topic number four -- governor wolf's first year and the state-budget mess. the democrat arrived in harrisburg in his famous jeep, promised to change how the state deals with taxes, with the gas industry, school funding, the overall state budget, and yet nearly six months have passed since the budget deadline.

and as of this taping -- as of this taping, no agreement has been reached, but it's likely it will set a record in modern times for being the latest budget. now, rather than getting into the process going on right now, terry, how did we get here? is this naivety or is this stubbornness or a combination of both with wolf and the legislature? >> probably a combination of both. look, governor wolf was elected by 10 points. he ran on a campaign to increase education spending and to pay for it by a shale tax. the voters elected him. the problem is the republicans increased their majorities in both chambers -- a record 120 house members, 30 republican senators. they were elected -- no tax hikes, cut down government spending to the extent that they could, fewer regulations. you've got mars and venus in the same building in harrisburg, and both sides say they have a mandate from their electorate. when you take gerrymandering, throw that in, where 110 state

house members, matt, didn't' have a general-election opponent. we've seen the death of competition. there's probably 25 or 30 seats out of 253 that are even competitive. each side thinks they're right. we've got a polarization unlike anything we've seen in modern history, and i'm out of breath. >> there you have it right there. [ laughter ] >> that was about as cogent a thesis as you could present, but the one thing that you need in an executive, whether it's a mayor, governor, or president -- in the case of a governor, you got to be able to count to 103 and 26. now, i can't understand for the life of me where, in the course of the electoral process of 2014, when tom wolf was elected, he could see a way to get to 103 and 26 for the budget that he proposed. and the budget that is hopefully likely to pass or has passed, as the case may be, is a budget that could have been passed in june, given the nature of the

compromises that have to have been made. if you take a checklist out of all the things in governor wolf's budget message and asked yourself the question, "how many of them are still in the mix?" or looked at pension reform or liquor privatization, all of this is so far away from what everybody said they wanted to do that it is gonna ultimately be a compromise. that's point number one. point number two, and quickly, the -- at least in the house republican caucus, the ability of the leadership to speak for the caucus, which is true in congress and was what lost john boehner his speakership, is a diminishing aspect of governance of our country and our states. people don't want other people to speak for them. and that is going to make legislative sausage making much more difficult in the future. >> and the shame of it all is there probably will be very few political consequences behind this. i mean, these folks who are elected to represent the people

have not taken care of the people's business, particularly the nonprofits that are out there that are struggling. right now, there are tax credits that are on the table that may go away, and at this moment, there are families, there are soup kitchens, there are food cupboards that are closing because they do not have these funds that are coming through. so, ultimately, it's people that are being hurt by these intransigent, you know, battles over ideology that have accomplished quite little, because, again, we're all these months later. there's not that much that has changed. >> christine? >> nia spoke for me. there are kids without books. >> ditto. >> there are schools that are going to open late or not open at all next semester, and, you know -- and there aren't going to be any political consequences for this. >> most of these folks will get re-elected. >> as you were saying, as well. >> not convinced yet about governor wolf. remember, governors -- all but one in modern history have had horrific first years. this is not -- this is not unusual. but they've recovered. a guy named tom corbett did not

recover, and so we'll look into next year and the year after to see if he -- if somehow they find a way, as sam points out, to start to compromise, to move beyond the terrific partisanship we see. >> topic five -- kathleen kane. we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about her. now, remember, she received more votes in pennsylvania than president obama in 2012. she's a rising star. and now there is headline after headline. she has felony charges of perjury that she's facing in montgomery county. andocumentary. [ laughter ] >> it well might be. >> full disclosure -- you're making one. >> this is why i am producing "the kane mutiny." that would the k-a-n-e mutiny. and what is that mutiny? it's the mutiny of kathleen kane against the old-boy network. it's a mutiny against kathleen kane by people who have seen her as not up to the job. it's some very bone-headed decisions on her part and some very bone-headed decisions on the parts of people who are supreme court justices, who are

prosecutors, who have used race and misogyny and homophobia, and you can't make this stuff up, matt. and if i tried to make a feature film, nobody would believe it was true, but a documentary -- i think it's gonna be great. >> we'll be interested to see it. >> it's a horror story, matt. and the one thing i would say is, yes, there has been a lot of juicy, sexy stuff about porn and, you know, all of these other things that are happening. my disaffection with kathleen kane stems from her refusal to do her job, which was when doma -- when the defense of marriage act -- the pennsylvania doma was being challenged in federal court as being unconstitutional, she basically said, "i'm going to go with my gut on this. i feel that the kathleen kane constitution is the one that i'm going to follow." and she didn't agree to defend it in court. that was an obligation -- >> some would say she was ahead of the tide on that situation. >> that was an obligation of her right. >> we got new year's resolutions. you guys have them, right? we have to do them next. we'll be right back.

>> "inside story" is presented by temple university. temple fuels students with academics and opportunities to take charge. plugged in to the city, powered by the world. temple.edu/takecharge. [ noisemakers rattle] >> whoo! >> i told you they're party animals. [ laughter ] we have insiders giving their new year's resolutions. we start with terry. >> all right. i think we need, as americans, to come together to end the divisions, to end the partisanship, to get a concerted effort on how to deal with terror in the world, how to deal with poverty, how to raise incomes. we need a new unity in the country, and hopefully, [chuckles] here we go, 2016 will move us towards that. >> love the hat. nia? >> you know, building on what terry said, i'm going to be resolved to be more optimistic,

despite all the shenanigans that we're likely to see in 2016, particularly as it comes to the presidential election. i'm going to trust that the american people will do the right thing. i'm gonna trust that philadelphians will continue to move along the right path and that we can, indeed, come together. >> thank you, nia. christine? >> like my brother and sister, i want us to start using language the way it should be used in a kinder way. i don't want us to equate muslims with terrorists. i don't want us to equate mexicans with rapists and murderers. and i want a child to be called a child and not a fetus. >> all right. thank you, christine. and sam? >> being a filmmaker has taught me a lot about collaboration. because you can't make films, you can't do almost anything without working with great teams, and i am resolved, in 2016, to be more grateful for and appreciative of the people who i collaborate with across all spectrums of things in which i'm involved. >> all right. thank you to you all, and i have one, too. it's really simple. i actually have many, but i don't share all of them with people. i want to stop doing this so often. [ laughter ] >> oh, yeah. >> yeah.

>> don't we all? >> 'cause i think that in 15 years, we're gonna look back at pictures of us doing it all the time, and we're gonna be like, "what the heck were we doing?" >> yeah, yeah. >> always looking down at these things, and there's -- so, that's mine. >> put your hat on. >> and all those selfies with no one else in them. >> you guys want to -- >> happy new year! >> happy new year! >> happy new year! [ cheering ] >> thank so much to all of you for watching us all year in 2015. have a great 2016. thanks to our panelists. happy new year, everyone! >> happy new year! >> yay! yay! ♪ >> i'm nydia han along with eva pilgrim. coming up next only "action news,.gov" stating tornados around callous are being blamed for 11 deaths and left hundreds homeless. an early morning accident in camden. >> the washington beats up on the eagles taking the nfc title dashing he had playoff hopes for the birds.

we'll hear from disappointed fans. those stories and more next on "action news."

>> good afternoon, it is sunday, december 27. i'm in an anyone along with eva pilgrim. >> here's some of the stories we're following on knack, dallas searches for the missing, and takes stock of the damage after