State & Regional News

Republicans balked at Gov. Josh Shapiro's $51.4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, saying the spending patterns did not align with Pennsylvania's financial realities. Lawmakers will debate the plan and determine its outcome.

Justin Simmons, who served a decade in the Pennsylvania House, is the first Republican to announce a bid for the county’s top job.

According to a release issued by ICE, Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, “a citizen and national of Venezuela who previously entered the United States without inspection,” was arrested on Jan. 31 without incident near the prison shortly after an immigration detainer was not honored.

Tom Shortell and Chris Borick discuss the areas likely to be included in the state budget, including education funding, school vouchers and a possible bailout for SEPTA.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to deliver his budget proposal for 2025-26 to a joint session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is expected to seek more money for public schools and public transit.

Last week, just two leases for Big Lots locations in the Lehigh Valley were listed for sale by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. Now leases for all locations in the area are for sale as the asset liquidation company enters phase two of its sales.

Residents can comment on a draft of the 2025-2029 Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP, through March 3. There's a public input form, as well as scheduled webinars.

February is "going to be loaded,” meteorologist Bobby Martrich said, describing an “overrunning pattern” that goes through mid-month and could potentially bring the Lehigh Valley no fewer than three — and possibly four — storm chances before Valentine’s Day.

Forecasters say the Lehigh Valley should see another coating of snow to start off the "snowiest" month of the year. More snow is expected in the other half of the week.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver his third budget proposal to lawmakers next week. Here's what to watch for.

Bucks County tests come back negative for the coronavirus in case of people exposed at at private gathering.

Gov. Tom Wolf held a press conference Friday morning and confirmed the first two presumptive positive cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is now able to test for coronavirus. The health department announced yesterday [Tuesday] that samples will be processed by a state lab in Exton.

The Pennsylvania Health Department may start conducting its own lab tests for the coronavirus later this week. Currently the CDC is handling all testing for the virus. 

Once home to some of the country's strictest anti-illegal-immigration laws, Hazleton is now 40 percent Latino. The city is younger and bigger than it's been in decades, and the economy is thriving.

Stretching a meal over several days was once a necessity. And in the 1940s, leftovers were a culinary art. Historian Helen Zoe Veit dishes on America's complicated relationship with leftovers.

Meyer says "something fascinating and completely unfair" plagues the restaurant industry: Waiters' incomes have risen far faster than other staff. To balance salaries out, he'll charge more for food.

It's "clean diesel" engine was key to its growth strategy. But top managers' quest to make Volkswagen the world's leading carmaker very likely sowed the seeds of the company's downfall, analysts say.

More than 23,000 Americans end up in emergency rooms each year after taking dietary supplements, an analysis shows. Most cases are linked to weight-loss products or energy-boosting supplements.

How a Florida community college is testing out new tools to boost learning and graduation rates. The key: getting professors access to real-time data on student engagement and performance.

Iowa's population is changing, with the number of Latinos growing fast. Activists are working to get them more engaged in the presidential caucuses, which could impact the state's politics long after.

For the first time since World War II, Japan's military can fight beyond its borders. The move sparked weeks of protests even though the likelihood of involvement in a foreign war appears quite small.