State & Regional News

Former state Sen. Pat Browne, one of Governor Josh Shapiro’s cabinet nominees, has officially become Secretary of Revenue. He represented the Lehigh Valley for nearly three decades.

Workers at a Starbucks store at Northampton Crossings are the latest to join a strike timed to Pride month, alleging unfair labor practices and disputes with the company over LGBTQ+ displays in stores. While striking, workers say they were kicked off of Starbucks property, with police involved.

Officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for all of Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley.

A tornado warning was issued in the Martins Creek area of Northampton County on Monday afternoon as severe storms moved through. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service confirmed a twister had reached the ground.

Officials gathered at The Waterfront to highlight the Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants program.

A Pennsylvania state court on Tuesday rejected the latest Republican effort to throw out the presidential battleground state's broad mail-in voting law.

Prosecutors say they are seeking the death penalty against a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death late last year.

Storms today could bring damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding or even a tornado or two across the region. The Lehigh Valley is now under an enhanced risk for severe weather.

A coalition with wealthy backers is pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to use public dollars to create tuition vouchers so K-12 students can attend private schools. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is in support of this idea.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

The Pennsylvania Health Department has unveiled the nation’s first statewide COVID-19 mobile testing unit.

This summer’s combination of record-breaking heat, Black Lives Matter activism, and the pandemic has led to conversations on environmental justice.

The Pennsylvania Department of State released a report on this year’s presidential primary over the weekend … that includes recommendations for the November 3 general election – and a request for swift legislative action.

As state lawmakers debate how to help Pennsylvania’s economy recover from the coronavirus shutdown, environmental groups see an opening for a cleaner future.

Governor Tom Wolf says his administration is learning better ways to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on Latinos in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s top health official is taking a personal stand against transphobia after weeks of headlines detailing bigoted incidents involving her across the state.

The recent death of an infant in Berks County, who tested positive for COVID-19, is sparking questions about how the virus impacts the very young.

Friday was the deadline for mandatory universal coronavirus testing for Pennsylvania’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities - but officials said about one in five couldn’t meet that deadline.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged two pipeline companies with polluting groundwater and streams in a series of spills in 2015 along a pipeline project in Washington County.

Allentown School District officials are recommending that all schools open virtually this fall. The news comes as the state’s experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases which has raised questions about student safety in the classroom.

Governor Tom Wolf has condemned transphobia in Pennsylvania. The governor released a statement Wednesday censuring actions at the Bloomsburg Fair in Eastern PA.

An Eastern PA state fair came under fire this week after posting photos that have been described as transphobic, showing a man at a Bloomsburg carnival game dressed up as Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine.