So uh, when it comes to the um, filler words that men and women use, there are some uh, pretty big differences, according to a UPenn professor.

Mark Liberman, who teachers linguistics at Penn, took a look at two data sets from the school’s Linguistic Data Consortium which contains audio samples from 11,972 speakers. According to his studies, women use “um” about 22% more than men while men say “uh” a whopping 250% more than women.

The research also shows that men use filler words (um and uh) in general about 38% more than women.

The study also breaks down the differences in the usage of filler words when it comes to gender interaction. According to Liberman's research, men use “uh” about 14% less often when talking with women compared to when they talk to men. Women, meanwhile, use “uh” about 20% more when talking with men compared to women.

There’s a bit less disparity when it comes to “um.” Liberman’s research shows that men use “um” about 8% more often when talking to women compared to men. Women use “um” about 1% less often when talking with a man than with other women.

Finally, according to Liberman’s research, both men and women use less filler words in general as they grow older.

So what does it all mean? Liberman admits he’s not quite sure at this point.

“Are the sex effects due to functional, iconic, or physiological differences between UM and UH, or are they arbitrary gender markers?” he asks. “Do the age effects reflect a change in progress, or a life-cycle effect (e.g. due to changes in sex hormone levels)?”

You can view Liberman’s entire blog here.
 

New Jersey State Police have released dashcam video of the aftermath of a motor vehicle crash that injured actor-comedian Tracy Morgan last June. State Police released five clips in all on their website on Wednesday.

Morgan, 45, suffered a broken leg and cracked ribs when a Wal-Mart truck crashed into his Mercedes-Benz limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike on June 7. The accident killed Morgan's friend and fellow comedian, 62-year-old James McNair, and injured two other passengers.

Appearing on NBC's "Today" show Monday, Morgan's attorney Benedict Morelli said the "30 Rock" star was struggling but is "fighting hard."

Morelli has filed suit against Wal-Mart, claiming the retailer should have known the truck driver had driven 700 miles from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware.

In a statement to NBC News Wal-Mart called the accident a terrible tragedy and said the company is "cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation and working to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident."

The driver of the Wal-Mart truck, Kevin Roper, has pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto.

You can watch the dashcam footage in the videos embedded above.

Watch the video of Morelli's appearance on "Today":

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In a lot of ways, the Taney Dragons are something of an overnight success. After all, the team has been affiliated with Little League Baseball for just two years before making it to the World Series.

But to get a team prepared and skilled enough to make it to the World Series is hardly an overnight success story.

Comprised of players from the Anderson Monarchs and the Taney club, the team headed for the World Series has been working -- year round -- for just this type of success. In the wintertime, Anderson’s manager Steve Bandura runs a training program at the team’s youth center and sees the hard work paying off. 

Still, teams have to be together in order to qualify for the Little League World Series. Though the team has been together for quite awhile, it hasn’t taken very long for it to get to Williamsport.

“This is the second year we’ve been affiliated with Little League, which is pretty amazing,” Bandura said on Tuesday’s edition of Philly Sports Talk. “The kids have always been playing and they’ve been trained well and they’re talented. They just weren’t affiliated with Little League before.”

To hear more from Bandura on how Taney made its run to the Little League World Series, watch the video above.
 

After numerous delays, the newly renovated Dilworth Plaza is finally set to open in Center City in September. Paul Levy, the President and CEO of the Center City District plans to make the official announcement on August 19.

The announcement will begin a three-day celebration for the opening of the new Dilworth Park on 15th and Market streets. The park, located on the west side of city hall, will include a public space for 400 benches and chairs, a large lawn, tree groves and a fountain.

The new park will also link the Avenue of the Arts with the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and connect the office district with Market East destinations. It will also provide new entrances to SEPTA trains and trolleys and make the Market Street Line as well as subway surface lines accessible by elevator.

The park is slated for a September opening though officials have not yet revealed the specific date.

The city, state and federal governments picked up the majority of the bill for the $55 million reconstruction project while private donors handled the remaining $15 million. Levy also said last year he was relying on the private sector to cover the cost overruns.

“We’re building and actively fundraising so we will have all of the money in place to pay for all the cost,” Levy said. “We will not be asking taxpayers for any more money.”

Credit: CCD Philadelphia

Click here for more information on Dilworth Plaza.
 

A young girl was killed after she was struck by a car in Lehigh County Wednesday afternoon.

Police say 21-month-old Farrah Munoz was on the 4200 block of Mountain Road in Washington Township around 3:36 p.m. on Wednesday when she was struck by a car passing by.

The girl was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest where she was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m. Investigators say she died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Investigators have not yet revealed whether the striking vehicle left the scene of the crash.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 

The nephew of a woman murdered in Pennypack Park is one of the two men accused of trying to burglarize her home.

The attempted burglary took place at the home of Connie and Christopher Murray along the 2800 block of Tolbut Street around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Connie Murray was strangled to death, allegedly at the hands of her husband Christopher Murray, last week.

Authorities say neighbors saw the alleged burglars, identified as 32-year-old Steven Anderson and 27-year-old Brandon Howard, trying to enter the home and called police. 

When officers arrived and started questioning them, police say Anderson claimed to be the nephew of Connie Murray. Officials later confirmed that this was true.

Both men were then arrested and charged with attempted burglary and related offenses.

Connie Murrary's body was found last Monday in the Pennypack Park by a person walking their dog. Detectives say the husband later confessed to the crime after failing a lie detector test. He allegedly told detectives the couple was arguing over suspected infidelity on his part and that he snapped when his wife started slapping him.

Christopher Murray then left his wife's body in the park, near a bench, police say. He also allegedly tossed her cell phone into a storm drain before going home. He stands charged with her death. The couple have two children together.

With construction set to begin between late September and early October on the highly anticipated project connecting I-95 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials are coming up with several ways to finance the project. One method involves using loans from foreign investors in exchange for citizenship.

A new interchange will directly connect the Pa. Turnpike to Interstate 95, making I-95 continuous through the Mid-Atlantic region.

Officials say the project will reduce congestion on local Bucks County roadways and improve the flow of traffic in the Philadelphia area and along the entire east coast. With no direct link to the Pa. Turnpike, drivers on I-95 are currently forced to get off at the Route 413 exit in Bristol. They then eventually pick up the Turnpike down the road off Route 13. 

Stage 1 of the project includes high speed connections to the Pa. Turnpike and I-95 in Bucks County, a new mainline toll plaza and mainline widening. The project will make I-95 continuous through the east coast from Florida to Maine. Construction is set to be complete between 2017 and 2018.

The cost of the entire project is $1.4 billion with the majority of the money coming from federal funds. The Pa. Turnpike Commission itself is set to pay a small portion of that amount. To help with the costs, officials say that foreign investors, mostly from China, are expected to loan the Pa. Turnpike Commission $200 million.

“We’re estimating today that we would save about $35 million in savings associated with borrowing through this particular program,” said Nikolaus Grieshaber,  the CFO of the Turnpike Commission.

Grieshaber explained that the financing is possible through a federal program approved every two years by congress since the 1990’s. The program gives foreign investors and their immediate families visas to live in the U.S. and a five year path to citizenship in exchange for their money.

It’s anticipated that the first phase of the road work project will create over 4,000 jobs. As part of the requirement for the federal program, every $500,000 from a foreign investor must generate ten positions.

Sundrop Carter, of the Pa. Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, believes the program shows preferential treatment for the wealthy.

“Immigration status in this case, it sounds like, is being used as a carrot to entice investors,” Carter said. “We are really disappointed to see that congress is willing to spend time and energy making these programs happen when really what we need is an overhaul of our immigration system.”

NBC10 also learned the Department of Homeland Security runs the federal program and screens all applicants.

You can read more about the I-95 to Pa. Turnpike project here.
 

A man was stabbed to death in Pine Hill, New Jersey Wednesday night.

The victim was in the parking lot outside the Pine Hill Garden Apartments on 350 Blackwood Clementon Road when he was stabbed by an unidentified suspect.

The man was pronounced dead a short time later.

Officials have not yet revealed the victim’s identity or a description of the suspect.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 

Whole Foods Market knowingly sold its store brand yogurt containing a sugar content that was nearly six times the amount stated on the product's nutritional label, according to two class-action lawsuits filed this month.

The Austin, Texas-based supermarket chain advertised its Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Plain Greek Yogurt as having only 2 grams of sugar per serving. But a Consumer Reports analysis published in July revealed the food item had an average of 11.4 grams of sugar per serving.

"No yogurt on the market actually has only [two] grams of sugar per serving," court documents read. "The lowest sugar content of any Greek yogurt for sale is 5 grams per serving."

Even though the specialty supermarket was aware of Consumer Reports' findings, it failed to remove the mislabeled yogurt from store shelves and continued to sell the product in 12 locations in New Jersey and 10 others in Pennsylvania, the lawsuits allege.

Both class-action suits -- filed on behalf of Mark Bilder in New Jersey and Carmine Clemente and Samantha Kilgallen in Pennsylvania -- could represent as many as 35,000 plantiffs who purchased the mislabled product in the Garden State between Aug. 6, 2008 and present and in the Keystone State from Aug. 11, 2008 to present, according to estimates provided in the lawsuit.

The attorney is calling for a $100 penalty per plantiff -- totaling a possible $3.5 million.

A Whole Foods spokeswoman declined to comment on the pending litigation citing company policy. However, she said the supermarket is working to determine why its test results differed from those reported by Consumer Reports.

The suit also alleges Whole Foods officials were fully aware the labels underreported the greek yogurt's sugar content since nutrition labels on all of its store brand products -- sold under the motto "Health Starts Here" -- are evaluated for correctness.

"Whole Foods Market's website brags to consumers about how thoroughly [it] checks the accuracy of the labels of its store brands, telling consumers: 'Our Private Label registered dietician reviews each nutrition label for accuracy and completeness before the label is printed," court records show.

The inaccurate label gave Whole Foods, which specializes in natural and organic food, a competitive advantage and justified the higher prices the specialty market charges consumers, the suit alleges.

The yogurt in-question typically retails for $1.29.

"It was [the] defendant's conscious intent to induce consumers to purchase 'Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Plain Greek Yogurt' by falsely stating that the sugar content per serving was only [two] grams," court documents show

Back to school just got better for several Philadelphia students thanks to a pop superstar. Singer and actress Beyonce Knowles teamed up with her charity organization as well as a Brooklyn-based benefit corporation to donate back to school supplies and backpacks to over 2,000 students in six cities, including Philadelphia.

Beyonce’s charity #BeyGOOD as well as STATE Bags will hold a pep rally to support local organizations in Philly. A special custom #BeyGOOD State Bag backpack will also be available for purchase with all proceeds going towards the back to school program initiative.

"STATE Bags addresses an immediate, growing need here in the US," says Scot Tatelman, STATE Bags co-Founder.  "Our #BeyGOODxSTATE GIVEBACKPACK Program and inspirational bag drop events go beyond a simple material donation by providing children in underfunded communities the role models and motivation to beat the odds. Partnering with Beyonce's  #BeyGOOD movement not only creates a platform for children to receive backpacks and school supplies for the upcoming year, but also drives them to reach their full potential."

The pep rally and bag drop off will take place at the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia on August 27, In addition to Philly, Beyonce is also providing backpacks for underprivileged students in Newark, NJ, New York, NY, Charlotte, NC, Baltimore, MD, and Washington DC.
 

A man who police say was caught on surveillance cameras breaking into mailboxes at a South Jersey apartment building was arrested on Wednesday.

Phillip Willis was taken into custody after he admitted himself to the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow Township, according to police.

Investigators say Willis was recorded on surveillance video stealing from the Cooper River Plaza Apartments in Pennsauken on July 15 and July 23. He used large tin snip scissors stolen from the complex’s maintenance room to pry open the mailboxes in both incidents, according to Pennsauken Police Captain Michael Probasco.

“He gets a pair of tin snips, and then makes entry into about five mailboxes in the apartment complex,” said Probasco.

He then allegedly removed sensitive information from the mailboxes, throwing some of the mail on the ground. He then went in the elevator to the 11th floor before leaving the complex on a stolen bicycle, according to police. .

Police say Willis moved the cameras prior to committing the crime, but not before a clear image of his face was captured.

Willis is charged with burglary, theft and possession of burglary tools. Officials have not yet released any information on bail.
 

A man is fighting for his life after he was shot outside of an anti-violence concert in the East Falls section of the city.

The 20-year-old man was in the parking lot outside the Dell Music Center on Ridge Avenue and Huntingdon Drive Wednesday night. A witness told police the victim got into an argument with an unidentified man while they were both walking towards the venue. The unidentified man then pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking the victim.

Police say the gunman then fled the scene in a white Chevy Impala.

The victim was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.

The "Peace Awareness Benefit Concert" was taking place at the Dell Music Center at the time of the shooting. According to organizers, the aim of the concert, which featured local musicians, was to "promote peace in the city" and "bring a positive message about working together to break down barriers that promote violence."

The concert was not interrupted by the shooting. No one else was hurt in the incident.

Police continue to investigate.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 

A violent night left one dead, one shot nine times and two teens injured in three separate Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Gunfire rang out just after 12:30 a.m. Thursday inside a home on the 4500 block of Bouvier Street in the city’s Germantown neighborhood.

Officers arrived to find a 28-year-old man in a second-floor bedroom of a row home converted to apartments.

“(He) was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to torso, chest and both legs,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Medics rushed the man in critical but stable condition, Small said they expect the man to survive despite being shot up to nine times.

Small said a 1-year-old was inside the home during the shooting. The child wasn’t struck.

Witnesses told police that three men could be seen fleeing in different directions from the scene.

Small said narcotics paraphernalia found inside the home leads investigators to believe that the shooting could be drug-related. No exact motive was given for the shooting.

About one hour earlier, officers responded to 10th and Bainbridge Streets in the Bella Vista section of South Philadelphia.

They found two 18-year-old victims suffering from gunshots wounds near the Palumbo Recreation Center. One of the men was on a bicycle while the other was running away from the scene, according to investigators.

Both victims were rushed to Jefferson University Hospital in stable condition.

Small said investigators found 11 shell casings at the scene. He said it wasn’t clear if either victim was the intended target or if one or both men were struck by stray bullets.

Small said investigators would pour over surveillance video from both shooting scenes in an attempt to identify suspects.

These two shootings came hours after a shooting outside an “anti-violence” concert at the Dell Music Center in Fairmount Park that left a 20-year-old man dead.

Anyone with information on any of the shootings is asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

Didn't have a chance to catch up on local news yesterday? Here's what you missed.

Vehicle Crashes into Supermarket, Kills Twp. Supervisor
Members of a Chester County community are mourning the death of a town leader who died after he was struck by a pickup truck that crashed into the front of a ShopRite supermarket.

Off-Duty Philly Police Officer Dies in Crash
Members of the Philadelphia Police Department are mourning the death of one of their own. Seth Stellfox, an officer with the 39th District, was killed in a motorcycle crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Pa. County Named One of the Best in the Nation
Having three state parks is just one reason why Chester County has been ranked in the top 10 best counties in the nation.

Catcaller Knocks Man Out in Rittenhouse Square: Police
A man who police say tried to defend a group of women from catcallers landed in the hospital after he was brutally assaulted in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square.

Men Charged in Attempted Burglary at Murder Victim's Home
Philadelphia Police have charged two men for allegedly trying to burglarize the home of a woman murdered in Pennypack Park.