State & Regional News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.

If you're doing anything outdoors, do it Saturday. Rain will arrive Sunday and is forecast to intensify later in the day, with gusty winds. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday afternoon into Monday afternoon.

In a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Milou Mackenzie asked the Department of State to provide Northampton County with instructions on how to avoid more Election Day mistakes with their voting machines.

A sprawling storm system is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and snow to the region this weekend.

Almost 11,000 birds of prey were counted this year during the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn hawk watch as they made their way along the raptor "superhighway" in the Valley’s backyard.

Amtrak officials previously said passenger rail between Allentown and New York City could be restored as soon as 2024. However, a $300,000 study exploring the proposed connection is more than a month overdue.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley will see a mixed bag of precipitation in the days ahead, with snow showers possible Wednesday and Thursday and a potent storm system expected this weekend.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a visit to Allentown that as part of his 2024-25 budget, he will fund a program providing scholarships to students in poor-performing school districts.

State lawmakers on Monday held a committee hearing titled “Minimizing Risk & Harm: Preparing for Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Future.” It comes almost two months after President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two in Pennsylvania.

A state mandate requiring schools to identify sexual content in books could cost Lehigh Valley school districts significant time, money and resources.

The connection between weather and climate change has never been clearer. And simultaneous extremes, such as hot and dry weather together, are particularly dangerous.

The proceeds from the T-shirts will benefit first responders and the University of Cincinnati's Trauma Center where Hamlin had been receiving treatment.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba details the so-called ceasefire, the options he believes Vladimir Putin has left, and what counts as a victory for Ukraine from here on.

Instead of "watchful waiting," the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends intensive lifestyle and behavior therapy for young kids, and for older children, medication.

Doctors say they are still unsure what caused Hamlin's collapse during the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals a week ago.

The city's water system has suffered disruptions for years, but Christopher Wells says that the city received every loan it requested, and that an ongoing civil rights investigation is political.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey says the new ban will stop pollution from "billions of pieces of plastic." Advocates applaud the move but say it doesn't go far enough on its own.

President Biden approved an emergency declaration as parts of California issue evacuation orders and close school districts after intense downpours.

Brazil's far-right ex-president was lying low in Orlando, Fla., as a mob of his supporters stormed government buildings this weekend. Analysts say the move insulates him from possible legal jeopardy.

Khalid Mumin, who has been superintendent of the Lower Merion School district in suburban Philadelphia for a little over a year, will be nominated for education secretary after Josh Shapiro is inaugurated on Jan. 17.

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An NPR analysis of data released by the Small Business Administration shows the vast majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, even though the program was rampant with fraud.