State & Regional News

The SBA is offering low-interest disaster loans to both renters and business owners, while the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has helped facilitate grant programs for renters.

PBS39 broadcast a special, hourlong community forum on "housing gridlock," in which record-high prices, a 9,000-unit deficit and high interest rates have frozen the market for the workforce and first-time buyers.

The episode examines how a partial funding standoff in Washington is contributing to delays at airport security checkpoints, with TSA staffing strained as the Department of Homeland Security remains caught in a broader political fight.

Without enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, Lehigh Valley residents have seen their Pennie premiums climb more than $300 a month on average.

Easton Fire Chief Henry Hennings said the Hotel Hampton blaze exposed critical staffing shortages, delayed response challenges and growing risks in high-occupancy buildings.

Explore how the cost of living has changed in the Lehigh Valley, with data on groceries, energy, housing and transportation over the past decade.

With primary petitions now filed, the Lehigh Valley’s election season is coming into clearer focus, with several races likely to be more competitive than they first appear.

Jessica Ortiz and Paulette Hunter filed an objection to the petition state Rep. Ana Tiburcio's campaign submitted last week in her bid for a full term representing Pennsylvania's 22nd House District.

The full story, to publish Wednesday, will explore why newly available apartments are attracting large numbers of applicants and what that reveals about the balance between housing supply and demand.

PPL Electric said it expects electric demand on its system could triple over the next decade. That growth is being driven largely by expansion of advanced manufacturing, new data centers and other large industrial electricity users.

"A Community Conversation: Protecting Your Vote" aired Wednesday on PBS39 and will be rebroadcast at 6 p.m. Thursday. It's hosted by LehighValleyNews.com politics reporter Tom Shortell.

The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday showed all of the Lehigh Valley in either “moderate” or “severe” drought.

More than 2.1 million Pennsylvania voters have been approved for a mail-in ballot this election, down from the 3 million ballots requested in 2020. Democrats saw the steepest drop, allowing Republicans to increase their share of mail-in ballots.

Donald Trump held a campaign rally before a packed house at the PPL Center in Allentown — a city with a large Puerto Rican population. He said he had done more for Puerto Ricans than any president in American history.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey held a campaign event at Cedar Crest College, urging support for women’s reproductive rights. He highlighted the need for legislation that ensures access to fertility treatments and family planning.

Thousands came to downtown Allentown for former President Donald Trump's campaign rally — exactly one week before Election Day.

"Fox & Friends" is visiting diners and restaurants in battleground states in the days leading up to Election Day. Fox News Channel said it will be at Superior Restaurant on Main Street in Emmaus on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

A Lehigh County judge granted a motion by the Lehigh County Board of Elections to extend in-person voting at the elections office at the Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Martin Sheen, whose given name is Ramón Estévez, played President Jed Bartlet on The West Wing.

This week on Political Pulse, Shortell and Borick discuss the course of the upcoming election — from President Joe Biden dropping out to divisive ads and highly contested local races.

On the eve of his father's campaign rally in downtown Allentown, Donald Trump Jr. paid a visit to Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in North Whitehall Township. A crowd of more than 1,000 showed up.

The Interfaith Temple and The Enlightenment Circle hosted an “Embrace Unity: A Call for Peace” event at the Delta Hotel in Allentown on Monday.