State & Regional News

Political scientist Chris Borick joined Tom Shortell again this week to try to make sense of the government shutdown and what it all means.

Senate Democrats have refused to fund the federal government unless Republicans agree to extend tax subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Ryan Mackenzie supports the tax subsidies but echoed Republican demands that no deal can be struck until the federal government is funded.

A reinforcing cold front has triggered a freeze watch in the Lehigh Valley from Thursday evening through Friday morning, bringing our coldest overnight temperatures since mid-April.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2026 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

The filings, which occurred over the past few days in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, are individual filings of LLCs, including the location that was based at the Lehigh Valley Mall Lifestyle Center.

Between changes in federal policy and an unprecedented demand for energy, it's a tough time for sustainability. An hour-long panel Monday with industry experts focused on how to address those changes.

Statewide truck parking options will expand for the first time in decades, transportation officials announced Monday, with 18 new parking spaces in the Lehigh Valley by the end of 2026.

Days of temperatures in the mid to lower 80s will be wiped out by a cold front later this week, forecasters say, ending a bonus stretch of warmth and finally ushering in classic fall weather in the Lehigh Valley.

PPL Electric Utilities this week filed its first distribution base rate request in a decade, seeking approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for an 8.6% increase in annual revenue — about $356 million.

From its founding via executive order at the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiencies, or DOGE, intended to accomplish a number of lofty goals. But has DOGE lived up to its promise?

PennDOT has announced a successful construction season across District 5, including millions of dollars invested in Lehigh Valley road improvements.

While the program has expanded into the Lehigh Valley over the past few years, and is growing in popularity, officials said demand has also increased this year as federal programs and initiatives were canceled or paused.

The Lehigh Valley is in line for potential snowfall Tuesday as a coastal storm takes aim at the region, but there's a lot of uncertainty at this point," forecasters say.

After persistently dry, windy weather last year triggered concerns over the longevity of holiday trees, this year’s crop is shaping up well, Lehigh Valley growers said, with many different varieties available.

UGI Utilities Inc. on Wednesday announced a smaller-than-expected increase in the purchased gas cost rate beginning Dec. 1.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Caffrey said criminal dockets related to an interstate drug ring should have been unsealed weeks ago. LehighValleyLive.com, LehighValleyNews.com and The Morning Call had petitioned the court to release information pertaining to dozens of criminal defendants.

Commonwealth flags will fly at half-staff in Northampton County through Nov. 29 to honor fallen Northampton Fire Department Captain and retired State Police Trooper Michael Booke, who died this month.

Customers should understand that generation/supply typically make up 40% to 60% of a utility bill, the PUC said, with variables such as weather, usage and efficiency of a home heating system factoring in.

The survey, part of a project out of Lehigh’s Climate Resilience Center, is open until mid-December. As an incentive, residents who complete the survey will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

HomeToGo has ranked Bethlehem No. 1 in price, with a low median nightly rate of $55.39 per person, and No. 17 in overall travel demand, for festive U.S. holiday destinations.

This week on Watching the Skies, WLVR's Brad Klein and Bethlehem's "Backyard Astronomy Guy" Marty McGuire dissect online misinformation circulating about an approaching comet. The third interstellar comet ever detected, combined with the long-running government shutdown, slowed NASA's response to the solar phenomenon, only fueling theories about the comet.

Amid the celebrations and family gatherings, residents can be mindful of their decisions this Thanksgiving, instituting small changes that could make a big difference during one of the most wasteful times of the year.