State & Regional News

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development approval process for a proposed new barn at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

National politics often makes headlines, but former Bethlehem mayor Bob Donchez says municipal government impacts its residents more. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell dives into what goes on inside local government with Donchez.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Organizations such as colleges, local governments and non-profits are encouraged to apply for funding under Congress's Community Project Funding program. The Lehigh Valley has secured tens of millions in funding through federal discretionary spending in recent years.

A Lehigh County man "targeted" 23 Lowe's stores across more than a dozen counties in Pennsylvania. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against him Monday.

An influx of residents and warehouses have made highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume, with Route 33 overtaking Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

A recent bald eagle rehabilitation and release is a bright spot amid a dangerous time for bald eagles in the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the commonwealth. Bird flu continues to threaten wild bird populations, causing more than a dozen bald eagles to be euthanized across Pennsylvania.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Said LANTA planning and scheduling manager A.J. Jordan, “LANTA Planning Department is consistently working to make sure changes impact riders as little as possible."

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?

Several GOP presidential candidates are speaking at the Values Voter Summit, where Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, will be honored.

House Speaker John Boehner delivered remarks to the press Friday on his decision to resign, and President Obama offered comments on the resignation, as well.

During his trip to New York City, Pope Francis visited the Sept. 11 memorial on Friday, also taking part in an interfaith service with other religious leaders. He is visiting with families of the terror attacks' victims, as well.