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

PennDOT District 5 officials say there’s more than $240 million invested into road improvement projects in and around the Lehigh Valley entering 2025.

Two decades after the REAL ID Act was introduced, Real ID is about to be real. Federal enforcement finally begins May 7, 2025.

Local restaurants in the Lehigh Valley are already embracing 2025 culinary trends from the National Restaurant Association's annual report. From sustainability efforts to emerging Southeast Asian flavors, businesses have already given customers a taste of what's in store for the new year.

The National Weather Service said Monday the scenario will lead to “exceptionally high probabilities of below-normal temperatures expected across much of the East," but the true intensity of the cold is still unknown.

Former President Jimmy Carter urged Lafayette College students to create a greater, more peaceful America during a speech on the Easton campus in 2013. His longtime foreign affairs adviser Robert Pastor was an alumnus.

Allentown ranked No. 6 on Zillow's Most Popular Markets of 2024. It was the only Pennsylvania metro to make the list, which was dominated by Northeast locales.

Knowing your child and following your instincts are most important when it comes to seeking care for sick babies and kids, says one area pediatrician.

A look back to the weather headlines that dominated 2024, and what's to come for the Lehigh Valley. Could a cold and snowy January be on tap?

Owners in Pennsylvania who fail to license their dogs by Jan. 1 can face fines of up to $500 plus court costs for each unlicensed dog.

“It doesn’t matter what amount it is, it’s still treacherous on area roadways,” EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said in his latest video update.

U.S. Rep.-elect Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, has a background in labor policy. He served as the Republican chair of Pennsylvania's House Committee on Labor and Industry.

Administered by Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, with funding from the DCNR, officials said the effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.