State & Regional News

The first of a three-session forum to address the housing availability and affordability crisis in the Lehigh Valley was held at DeSales University on Wednesday.

Just shy of 90 awardees from 45 counties were selected for the commonwealth’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Find out what got funded in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission officials last month held the first regional climate planning workshop of the year, WorkshopLV: Environment.

Forecasters are calling for calling for “quite the icy slop of wintry precipitation across the region, including both sleet and freezing rain” as a quick-hitting winter storm descends upon the region late Wednesday.

Republicans balked at Gov. Josh Shapiro's $51.4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, saying the spending patterns did not align with Pennsylvania's financial realities. Lawmakers will debate the plan and determine its outcome.

Justin Simmons, who served a decade in the Pennsylvania House, is the first Republican to announce a bid for the county’s top job.

According to a release issued by ICE, Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, “a citizen and national of Venezuela who previously entered the United States without inspection,” was arrested on Jan. 31 without incident near the prison shortly after an immigration detainer was not honored.

Tom Shortell and Chris Borick discuss the areas likely to be included in the state budget, including education funding, school vouchers and a possible bailout for SEPTA.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to deliver his budget proposal for 2025-26 to a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is expected to seek more money for public schools and public transit.

Last week, just two leases for Big Lots locations in the Lehigh Valley were listed for sale by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. Now leases for all locations in the area are for sale as the asset liquidation company enters phase two of its sales.

As part of a series of grants amounting to $30 million, the Lehigh Valley will see nearly $740,000 in funding for "Green Light-Go" improvement projects in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Deli meat company Boar's Head has recalled 7 million more pounds of meats potentially affected by a listeria outbreak less than a week after the initial recall.

Over the past few days, Lehigh Valley residents have complained of bad smells wafting through Bethlehem and surrounding areas. Residents have described the most recent heavy odor as a rotting smell.

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to launch a battleground tour next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate, with stops in seven swing states stretching from Pennsylvania to Nevada.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a new law that will regulate pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. It's intended to save local pharmacies from closing and save patients money on prescription medications.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is ramping up political spending in the region in its bid to help GOP challenger Ryan Mackenzie defeat U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley.

A group of Democratic Gen Z activists visited Rep. Susan Wild's campaign office Sunday to rally support among young voters. It's an easier lift with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the ticket, they said.

An estimated $450,000 is needed for the next step in the process of studying passenger rail. While Lehigh County officials say they will pay half, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said he thinks other local agencies should foot the bill.

“Noticing a haziness to the sky today? That is due to the smoke spreading into the region aloft from the wildfires in western North America,” the National Weather Service said on X.

PennFuture and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network earlier this month realized a win in their case against the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, or Transco, and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild touted her bill that she says would protect fertility rights. She held a news conference at the nation's Capitol on World IVF Day this week.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined local legislators at the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown on Friday to talk about the BOOST Program that will fund after-school programs across Pennsylvania. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, developed it.