State & Regional News

As tariff talk raises concerns over the impact on the fireworks industry in America, retailers and production companies report this year is going well, but the future may not be so bright.

Nearly a year after the Biden administration designated xylazine as an "emerging threat" to the United States, Gov. Josh Shapiro classified it as a schedule III drug, making unauthorized possession a crime in Pennsylvania. Experts say the move has partly served to clear the way for new illicit substances to enter the drug market.

More than two years after the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, the former Northampton Community College and DeSales University student pleaded guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.

The city is the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to become certified through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.

Despite not being approved for human consumption, veterinary tranquilizers are infiltrating the illicit drug supply in Pennsylvania. Harm reduction specialists and health care professionals say these overdoses can't be approached solely with naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.

The bill would limit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, beginning in 2026.

President Donald Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement and recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have gained national and local attention. This week on Political Pulse, host Tom Shortell and political scientist Chris Borick look into the public's reaction to these raids.

After Monday brought rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rain, more severe weather is expected to target the region on Tuesday, forecasters say.

Xylazine, an animal-grade tranquilizer that's not approved for human use, has taken Pennsylvania's illicit drug supply by storm. Known on the streets as "tranq," it accounted for almost 1 in 4 overdose deaths in Pennsylvania by 2023. Last year in Lehigh County, it was a contributing cause of death in 20 of the 112 deadly overdoses, or 17.9 percent of cases.

Multiple media outlets report Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students as part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. A change of plea hearing is set for Wednesday. Kohberger’s trial had been set to begin in August

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to be her running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the decision.

A listeria outbreak has a major food company recalling deli meats across the county, including here in the Lehigh Valley. An infectious disease doctor explains the signs and symptoms of the foodborne illness.

Jason Moorehead, a former social studies teacher at Raub Middle School, claimed Allentown School District violated his constitutional rights to free speech, assembly and political affiliation.

Local state lawmakers joined members of the Legislative Latino Caucus in Allentown on Monday to celebrate how the new state budget. Specifically, they note the more than $1.1 billion in new funding for school districts, including about $526 million to correct inequities in public education.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis was in the Lehigh Valley on Monday as officials announced a $20 million federal grant for Allentown. He sat down with LehighValleyNews.com for an exclusive interview as his boss, Gov. Josh Shapiro, is in the running to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.

The Lehigh Valley has "amazing industries" and companies, "but that doesn't mean much" to people who can't access those jobs, U.S. Rep. Susan Wild said.

Musikfest organizers have already eliminated paper food and beverage tickets, and started using renewable energy sources to power tents, vendors and beer trucks – but the work continues to make the event more environmentally-friendly.

The Lehigh Valley will begin to see impacts from Tropical Cyclone Debby on Tuesday, forecasters warn, calling expected rainfall a ‘predecessor’ event as the storm begins to crawl up the coast.

Central Moravian Church hosted a joint service Sunday with congregations based at three other historic Moravian settlements that recently became the first joint UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saturday’s weather plagued Musikfest and there’s a chance more of the same is in store Sunday for the Lehigh Valley region. After a sunny Monday, heavy rain is in the forecast Tuesday.

1 in 4 menstruating students in the Allentown School District have missed class time because of the lack of access to period products. Funding for free menstrual products for students was approved in the 2024-2025 state budget.