State & Regional News

As smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to shroud the skies of the Lehigh Valley, air purifiers have become a hot-ticket item at just about every retailer.

The air quality in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton is so bad, it’s the equivalent of smoking more than 14 cigarettes.

Smoke blanketed the Lehigh Valley area for a second straight day on Wednesday. Light scattering from particles in the smoke turned the sky a fiery orange in some areas.

The Lehigh Valley is under a code red air quality alert in effect until midnight.

Rep. Robert Freeman's signature House Bill 450, which aims to extend the length of the Main Street program, has cleared the House. Freeman noted Easton as a prime example for the success of the program, and why it should be extended.

The borough hopes to provide amenities to its residents and drive tourism. The projects are slated for Gerald C. Yob Community Park.

The event was held May 23 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in Fogelsville. View all the photos here.

Curbed by the pandemic, some highly anticipated bus travel routes and are coming back.

The resolution, passed 129-72, empowers the House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to complete a study on the status, management and benefits of wildlife corridors across the state.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Obama agreed on at least one thing this week: They need to coordinate action to lower greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

The reasons behind the bus shutdown aren't clear, but the results have been tragic: nine drivers assassinated and a city in turmoil.

Teleporting from one place to the next looks so fun on the big and little screen. But physicists who actually can do something like that with single atoms say teleporting people would be much messier.

The dispute between two Native American tribes comes down to historical claims on a casino's proposed site — and also business.

Commentator Frank Deford isn't crazy about the new boxing movie Southpaw. He says its shortcomings are typical of Hollywood's depiction of boxing.

Nationwide, juvenile incarceration has dropped by half since 1999 — but the probations that have replaced it hold teens to sometimes subjective standards and often include electronic monitoring.

The Day of the Dead is a time when Mexicans remember loved ones with grand floral tributes. But the atmosphere is downbeat in the state of Guerrero, where 43 students are still missing.

North Carolina forcibly sterilized thousands of people between 1929 and 1976. The state has begun compensating victims, but some who were sterilized may never receive restitution from the fund.

After a four-day visit to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, she reports progress — along with the need for continued support.

There's potentially some good news about Ebola: While cases are still rising in Sierra Leone, the outbreak shows signs of slowing in Liberia. Communities are banding together to get Ebola out.

President Obama awarded the medals to two soldiers who served in Vietnam. Bennie Adkins, who suffered 18 body wounds, reflects on "a horrible, horrible type of battle."

The musicians and artists of Baghdad work under a government that prefers religious festivals to classical concerts. But with a little cunning, they're finding ways to keep the arts alive.