State & Regional News

Legislators, community members, and nonprofits came together in Allentown Thursday to discuss the need to raise awareness of sex trafficking and the support required by its victims.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, along with local legislators and officials, on Thursday morning held a news conference focused on energy efficient programs frozen due to cuts enacted by President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.

Councilwoman Natalie Santos proposed the resolution just a week ago in response to President Donald Trump’s crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and his executive orders targeting transgender people.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure delivered his final State of the County address in Bethlehem on Monday. He used the speech to recap his administration's proudest accomplishments and criticize recent actions by the federal government.

Why do sports get so much attention from politicians? And do athletes have the right to express their opinions on social and political issues and even endorse political movements? This week's Political Pulse examines those questions and more.

A man who authorities said scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion where he set a fire had planned to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a hammer if he found him, according to court documents released Monday.

A fire that broke out early Sunday at the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is an "act of arson," state police said. A suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, of Harrisburg, was arrested later in the day, state police said.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who joined Congress in January, has been a vocal advocate for President Donald Trump while quietly testing the limits of his support in the battleground district of PA-7.

Almost 100 migrating birds of prey have been recorded since April 1, when this year’s count started. Officials at the sanctuary, as well as volunteers, have monitored the spring raptor migration since the 1960s.

The Allentown School District said it's working with BusPatrol and the City of Allentown to analyze the data it receives. Violations also have been high in neighboring municipalities.

As part of a yearlong investigation, The Associated Press obtained the data points underpinning several algorithms deployed by child welfare agencies to understand how they predict which children could be at risk of harm.

A chemical spill of a latex product late Friday in Bristol Township released contaminants into a Delaware River tributary, according to OEM officials.

Three people died and four remain missing in the explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate-making plant in West Reading. The grim announcement Saturday night came after a day of hope spurred by a victim found alive in the wreckage early in the day.

Pennsylvania will again operate a water assistance program for low-income households behind in their water or wastewater bills, state officials announced last week.

A century after the first women were elected to Pennsylvania’s state legislature, both chambers now have women at their helm.

While the report indicates positive trends, community advocates and leaders raised concerns about high rates of gun violence and educational outcomes. They called for more hyper-localized data to identify trends and correlations between issues impacting Black communities.

Thursday's March For Our Lives rally marks its fifth anniversary since its inception after a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school. Hundreds are expected at Thursday's rally in Harrisburg, which coincides with rallies this week in Florida, Michigan, California and Texas.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he's long admired the Lehigh Valley's unique ability to build partnerships. It's a skillset he said he hopes to bring to other communities across the state to promote economic growth. Shapiro was keynote speaker at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. annual meeting in Bethlehem.

A six-month investigation found the state’s “competency” review system is so broken it often extends incarceration, which can exacerbate mental health issues.

Another social-media fueled challenge has spurred a rise in the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in Pennsylvania, but has the trend caught on in the Lehigh Valley?

Reporting an increase in violent incidents in the state's prisons in 2022, the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association has suggested that staffing needs to increase, and policies need to be reviewed to help make the prisons safer.

U.S. Army Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert died in an attack on troops in Kuwait. His killer was sentenced to death. For Seifert's parents in the Lehigh Valley, the passage of time hasn't eased the loss. 'He was a much-wanted child and a very loved young man,' says his mother Helen.