State & Regional News

Legislators worked to establish penalties for xylazine use and trafficking in an attempt to lessen its presence in Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply. Some say doing so made way for a new, unclassified veterinary tranquilizer to take its place — medetomidine.

The tax and spending plan drew praise from Republicans for lowering taxes and funding border security, but Democrats condemned it for slashing Medicaid coverage and raising the deficit.

As tariff talk raises concerns over the impact on the fireworks industry in America, retailers and production companies report this year is going well, but the future may not be so bright.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

More than two years after the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, the former Northampton Community College and DeSales University student pleaded guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.

The city is the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to become certified through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

President Donald Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement and recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have gained national and local attention. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick look into the public's reaction to these raids.

After Monday brought rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rain, more severe weather is expected to target the region on Tuesday, forecasters say.

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center on Tuesday released its “Dirty Dozen” report, a ranking of the commonwealth’s top climate polluters.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, in order to vote in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary.

When voters go to the polls or fill out their mail ballots for Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary election, they’ll see a slew of local candidates. Here are some steps you can take to prepare.

The probe has been focused on a natural gas pipeline as safety investigators try to figure out the cause.

On Sunday, a counterclockwise-spinning low pressure system was moving up the coast. The Lehigh Valley was on the western side of the low, which meant heavy rainfall.

On July 1, the Girls on the Run Lehigh Valley and Pocono chapters will merge.

Monday, May 1, is the last day to register to vote in the Pennsylvania primary.

Hundreds of power outages were reported across the Lehigh Valley early Monday following heavy rains. At least 2.35 inches fell at the airport.

Proposed shipping routes showed Norfolk Southern trains carrying LNG directly through several Lehigh Valley municipalities on their way to southern New Jersey.

A $1.5 million grant program has been announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to support the Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification.

Ticks are showing up in greater numbers this year across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. So far, more than 700 ticks have been sent in for a testing program in Connecticut that normally would have gotten 200 to 300 by now.

In an effort to close the news gap, the Harrisburg NPR member affiliate welcomes the gift from the Steinman family, owners of Lancaster County's main news operation.