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.”

Onanyeli Rosario-Mesa, 25, of Allentown, has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle and related offenses in connection with a wrong-way crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

On this week’s episode of Lehigh Valley Political Pulse, Muhlenberg College political scientist Chris Borick said the SAVE America Act faces an uphill battle.

Lehigh Valley firefighters warn staffing shortages are worsening as call volumes rise, leaving departments below national standards and increasing risks for crews and residents.

More than 150 people turned out to Cedar Crest College to hear Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol-Obando Derstine square off at a debate organized by the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.

Bob Brooks, a candidate in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, is due in Northampton County Court this month over a $162,000 debt owed to his former mother-in-law.

Rising gas prices are quickly becoming a political problem as the U.S. heads toward the 2026 midterms.

Former Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana listed her job as "self-employed" on a candidate form. The lack of detail about her occupation violated state law and was grounds to remove her from the Democratic primary, Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey ruled.

Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine recorded their first debate Wednesday for WFMZ's Business Matters program. They are vying to earn the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, one of the country's most contested battlegrounds.

A lawsuit filed this week alleges Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and its parent company failed to protect a minor from a park employee who later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her.

A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.

Pennsylvania has struggled for years with a disproportionately high number of fatal fires. It leads the nation again in civilian deaths so far this year, with a 23% jump over the weekend.

The SBA is offering low-interest disaster loans to both renters and business owners, while the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has helped facilitate grant programs for renters.