State & Regional News

This week on Watching the Skies, WLVR's Brad Klein and Bethlehem's Backyard Astronomy Guy, Marty McGuire talk about the planet Venus and its role as the "morning star."

Ryan Mackenzie, the Lehigh Valley's freshman congressman, cast an essential vote to move President Donald Trump's signature bill through the U.S. House last week. His would-be Democratic opponents say he's sold out poor families to give billionaires a tax break.

State Treasurer Stacy Garrity said her department has returned 500 military medals and pieces of memorabilia to veterans and their families since 2021.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $1 million in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Four Lehigh Valley programs received funding.

The LVPC on Thursday hosted a workshop, “Planning + Pizza: Deploying Electric Vehicle Infrastructure,” aiming to collect feedback about where best to deploy EV infrastructure throughout the region.

Overall, 31 of the region’s 35 major climate sites were wetter than normal, with 22 of them experiencing one of their 20 wettest May 1-15 periods. Allentown took the top spot, experiencing its wettest May 1-15 ever.

The Lehigh Valley's public transit system says it will have to cut service by 20 percent and boost fares by 25 percent without additional state funding — something that Gov. Josh Shapiro has called for but that lawmakers will have to approve.

Tuesday, May 20, is Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania. Several high-profile local races are on the ballot in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Check out our procrastinator's guide and Q&A.

Drivers who have been ticketed for school bus camera violations say the process to contest them needs to change. PennDOT said thousands of citations across seven Lehigh Valley school districts are still awaiting hearings.

Republicans Roger MacLean and Mike Welsh have spent less than $8,000 combined on their race. Meanwhile, their Democratic opponent Josh Siegel has amassed more than $180,000 in his war chest. The primary election is Tuesday, May 20.

The Pennsylvania Department of State oversees the commonwealth’s elections. The agency is led by Veronica Degraffenreid, who assumed the role of acting secretary of state on Feb. 8.

Penn State is requiring all University Park campus employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 8 to comply with President Joe Biden’s executive order, the university announced Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is doling out nearly $2 million in support grants to ramp up booze production and sales.

A cursory glance at September COVID-19 data from Pennsylvania’s health department might lead some to conclude the vaccines are far less effective than they actually are, but a deeper look at who is vaccinated and who isn't paints a different picture.

Touting census data that shows a strong uptick in Pennsylvania’s non-White population, representatives from some of Pennsylvania’s communities of color say new political boundaries should give them a chance for stronger representation in Harrisburg.

The First Lady of Pennsylvania met recently with women who have been incarcerated in order to learn about the challenges they face when reentering society.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro made his long-awaited campaign for governor official in Pittsburgh Wednesday morning, solidifying his status as the Democrats’ almost-certain nominee in a state where the party has little margin for error.

At hospitals around Pennsylvania, there are now fewer available intensive care unit beds than at any point since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Pennsylvania Health Department.

A recent report from the state of Pennsylvania found child abuse and neglect-related fatalities and near fatalities rose in the commonwealth in the first 10 months of the pandemic.

A new investigative report has confirmed two Pennsylvania lawmakers with ties to the “Stop the Steal” movement were actively involved in pressuring the U.S. Justice Department to investigate disproven claims of fraud in the 2020 election.

The contest to replace outgoing Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey — one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country — is well underway. Dozens of candidates have announced bids for the seat, and several with national name recognition have raised millions to fund their efforts.

Pennsylvania has a new, tech-savvy option for hunters and anglers: digital licenses. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s new web platform allows people to apply for and download licenses in PDF form.