State & Regional News

Pennsylvania lawmakers are looking to remove a provision in state law that bars educators from wearing religious garb while in the classroom. The Senate approved the legislation by a 49-0 vote on Wednesday. The measure now goes to the House.

A proposed constitutional amendment being considered in Harrisburg would bring more clarity for when a politician charged with a crime must be forced out of office.

Democrat Josh Shapiro will become the 48th governor of Pennsylvania at Tuesday's inaugural ceremony at the state Capitol, taking the oath of office on a cold winter day in the nation's fifth-most populous state on the heels of his blowout win in November's election.

Youth from across the state and Allentown in particular are attending the gubernatorial inauguration on Tuesday.

Members of the governor-elect's transition team were required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), so the public may never know how it progressed or who paid for it.

A rockslide shut down Route 611 north of Portland, Pa., in early December. Last week, PennDOT said the road isn't expected to reopen for another 7 months. On the heels of pandemic losses, many merchants said they don't know if they can withstand this hit.

A retrospective of Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf's years in office reveals the challenges he faced.

Alivia Giles, a Hellertown resident, competed against her family and friends in rabbit showing at the 2023 Pennsylvania Farm Show is Harrisburg.

Tom Shortell and Brad Klein go behind the scenes on Shortell's reporting following Pat Browne's nomination to Pennsylvania secretary of revenue.

State legislators were set to address extending the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse — a bill that had been passed in the last session — but, partisan bickering stalled the move. Local Democratic legislators explain what happened.

PBS39 broadcast a special, hourlong community forum on "housing gridlock," in which record-high prices, a 9,000-unit deficit and high interest rates have frozen the market for the workforce and first-time buyers.

The episode examines how a partial funding standoff in Washington is contributing to delays at airport security checkpoints, with TSA staffing strained as the Department of Homeland Security remains caught in a broader political fight.

Without enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, Lehigh Valley residents have seen their Pennie premiums climb more than $300 a month on average.

Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings said the Hotel Hampton blaze exposed critical staffing shortages, delayed response challenges and growing risks in high-occupancy buildings.

Jessica Ortiz and Paulette Hunter withdrew their objection to state Rep. Ana Tiburcio's candidate petition Tuesday, clearing the way for a Democratic primary battle between Tiburcio and Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach.

Explore how the cost of living has changed in the Lehigh Valley, with data on groceries, energy, housing and transportation over the past decade.

With primary petitions now filed, the Lehigh Valley’s election season is coming into clearer focus, with several races likely to be more competitive than they first appear.

The full story, to publish Wednesday, will explore why newly available apartments are attracting large numbers of applicants and what that reveals about the balance between housing supply and demand.

PPL Electric said it expects electric demand on its system could triple over the next decade. That growth is being driven largely by expansion of advanced manufacturing, new data centers and other large industrial electricity users.

“Political affiliation has become a barrier,” Ron Beitler said on this week's "Political Pulse." “It’s become a barrier when you’re talking to someone one-on-one. It’s become a barrier particularly on social media.”

Gas prices are rising across the country as global tensions push oil markets higher and lawmakers raise concerns about possible price gouging.

On this week’s episode of Political Pulse, Tom Shortell talks with political scientist Chris Borick about the political risks, messaging challenges and historical context surrounding the bombing of Iran.