State & Regional News

Voters are increasingly breaking with the Republican and Democratic parties. One national poll found a record 45% of Americans consider themselves politically independent.

The forum is set to start at 6 p.m. Monday at Resurrected Life Church in Center City Allentown.

Democratic voters in Pennsylvania's 16th and 18th Senate districts may have contested races this spring. Meanwhile, Republican Zach Mako is seeking re-election in Pennsylvania's 183rd House District.

Joining host Tom Shortell on this week's Political Pulse, Ryan Crosswell said his campaign is focused on two priorities: lowering costs for families and defending democratic institutions.

The early LIHEAP crisis numbers already represent a notable share of last winter’s total in the Lehigh Valley, according to data provided by the Department of Human Services.

An extreme cold warning, combined with a wind advisory also in effect, could mean wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero for the region this weekend.

Lawmakers voted 46-1 on Senate Bill 1014, bipartisan legislation that would require public schools to adopt "bell-to-bell" policies restricting student use of smartphones and other internet-connected devices throughout the entire school day.

The rich got richer in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District race at the close of 2025. Campaign finance reports show Ryan Mackenzie, Bob Brooks and Ryan Crosswell raised nearly $1.4 million while Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine and Mark Pinsley each saw their campaigns lose money.

Amazon driver Troy Johnson, 30, of Philadelphia, also was ordered to face court on a felony count of accidents involving death and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person.

Gov. Josh Shapiro billed the agreement as the largest-ever investment by a pharmaceutical company in Pennsylvania history and the “largest-ever investment in the Lehigh Valley.”

Campaign finance reports show Republican Kevin Dellicker outraised the rest of the GOP field combined in his bid for PA-7. But Democratic incumbent Susan Wild raised twice as much as all of the Republicans put together.

Two Lehigh Valley’s representatives in the state house have recently proposed legislation to make affordable housing more accessible.

Under a proposal by Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania would cap tuition and fees at state-owned colleges to $1,000 a semester for in-state students from households earning up to the median income.

The number of people developing cancer is on the rise, but the survival rate is also going up according to the American Cancer Society. Doctors believe there are two contributing factors.

American politicians are putting political points ahead of national interests, Leon Panetta told a capacity crowd at Lehigh University. The dysfunction is emboldening the nation's adversaries such as Russia and China, the former secretary of defense said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will return to the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday to unveil the state’s new economic development strategy, his office said.

An outdated police manual from 1981, gross approval of overtime and a general lack of leadership by Chief Douglas Kish necessitate change in the Catasauqua Borough Police Department, a study showed.

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court made a ruling pertaining to abortion rights across the state. The issue being disputed is whether government funds should be used for the procedure and if there's a constitutional right to abortions in the state.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration says he plans next month to propose steps toward fixing a state higher education system that's among the worst in the nation in affordability.

Applications open Monday for the 2024 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program and are accepted until 4 p.m. March 8. The grants are earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

More than 160,000 Pennsylvania students are enrolled in brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools, with the latter’s enrollment having ballooned in recent years.

Jay Bryson, chief economist for Wells Fargo’s Corporate and Investment Bank, told Lehigh Valley business leaders Wednesday that he expects the economy will lose some steam in the coming months, but avoid a recession.