State & Regional News

Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent hoped the attack on former President Donald Trump would lead to Americans softening the rhetoric that has consumed American election campaigns. A wounded Trump was whisked offstage as one spectator was shot and killed and two others were critically injured. “It’s a sad state of affairs for where our political system is right now,” said one Lehigh Valley lawmaker.

The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally grounds in Butler, north of Pittsburgh. One spectator was killed and two were critically injured after the attacker fired "multiple shots," according to the Secret Service.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory and excessive heat watch for the Lehigh Valley and southeastern Pennsylvania. The heat advisory will be in effect from Sunday into Monday. Then the temperature really turns up, with heat indexes in triple digits.

The 2024 fundraising efforts comes on the heels of the most successful campaign the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley has ever had. It raised a record-breaking $25 million last year.

The position, budgeted for one year after the annual process turned contentious, focuses on creating and facilitating sustainability initiatives while capturing grant funding to cover the cost of related projects.

The start of Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual hawk watch is just over a month out, and preparations are well underway. A tradition in its 64th year, volunteers count birds of prey as they migrate along the raptor "superhighway" in the Lehigh Valley’s backyard.

North Bethlehem Little League is hosting the Pennsylvania State Little League Intermediate 50/70 Tournament through Monday. The local team dropped its opening-round game on Thursday night, but remains alive in the tourney.

A Pennsylvania think tank brings together medical providers and researchers to look at where the state's health care system can be improved. The panel, held by the Commonwealth Foundation, said cost, access, and attention to care are the most important issues to those who live in PA.

Albeit late, lawmakers passed a $47.6 billion plan for the fiscal year that started July 1, with much focus on education this year.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued 19 recommendations for PPL Electric to improve upon, including fixing its poor customer service and restoring power to customers faster following an outage.

Police in the Lehigh Valley say the size of these gatherings presents a difficult operational challenge: how to respond without escalating already dangerous conditions involving fast-moving riders and large crowds.

Former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure became the first candidate to attack one of his Democratic rivals, criticizing Bob Brooks for old social media posts that drew national headlines this week.

Lehigh County Commissioner Sarah Fevig is pushing to change how the county oversees elections, arguing the current system is too partisan and no longer reflects today’s voters.

Carol Obando-Derstine, Lamont McClure and Ryan Crosswell, candidates in the Democratic primary of Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, weighed in on the shrinking federal government and the hyper-partisanship at the heart of American politics.

Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine this month discussed their goals to strengthen the economy and thoughts on tariffs during interviews with Lehigh Valley Public Media.

“This is a proactive step in getting this out of firefighting foam,” Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton, one of the co-sponsors of the legislation, said in a phone call Tuesday.

World Xtreme Wrestling is set to relaunch in Allentown, returning to Mountainville Memorial Hall, the longtime base of the promotion founded by the late WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoaʻi Sr.

Campaign spending in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District already is trending ahead of the $30 million record set in the 2024 election.

The $27,731,984 raised this year tops last year's record of $26,231,833. When including donations to United Way’s Critical Support Fund and contributions through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, United Way raised $30,436,542 this year.

President Donald Trump’s latest target, Pope Leo XIV, could present political risks that differ from his past high-profile attacks, particularly among Catholic voters in key swing states.

Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine will appear in a 5-part PBS39-TV series to discuss their governing philosophies and policy points. Candidate Bob Brooks did not participate.

“This is not just a one-day spike,” the weather service said in its forecast discussion. “Very warm and above normal temperatures will continue through the upcoming weekend.”