State & Regional News

Forecasters have turned their attention to the end of next week, saying most model guidance indicates a storm system developing and affecting the East Coast — including the mid-Atlantic —around Thanksgiving Day and into Black Friday.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey conceded to Republican challenger David McCormick on Thursday night. The Pennsylvania Department of State ended the automatic recount in the unusually close race since the result was no longer contested.

The drought is far from over, but enough precipitation has fallen to boost the confidence of state officials when it comes to outdoor fires.

Join Megan Frank every Friday at 9:30am and 6:30pm for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place, joined by politics reporter Tom Shortell and Easton reporter Brian Myszkowski.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania is conceding his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick. The concession came Thursday, more than two weeks after Election Day. A statewide recount is showing no signs of closing the gap and Casey's campaign has suffered repeated blows in court.

FirstEnergy sought to raise local customers' electric bills by more than 9%, but the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission blocked the higher rate.

The bipartisan House Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development Committee spent three days in the Lehigh Valley this week. Part of the visit included a hearing with local organizers to discuss funding celebrations of America's 250th anniversary.

After a steady – but not soaking – overnight rain, the area remains on track to break a pair of records that have stood the test of time. But more precipitation is on the way, including snow.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in effect from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon for Carbon and Monroe counties in an "elevation-dependent system."

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said the House Ethics Committee is split in deliberations over how to handle an investigations into former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz on allegations of sexual misconduct. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Gaetz to lead the Justice Department.

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.

United Nations member states pledged Friday to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. That's defined as surviving on $1.25 per person per day. What is life really like on that amount?