State & Regional News

The tax and spending plan drew praise from Republicans for lowering taxes and funding border security, but Democrats condemned it for slashing Medicaid coverage and raising the deficit.

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.

Local Red Cross volunteers are in Florida helping with Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The Lehigh Valley chapter's executive director says this one is different than other storm system cleanups he's witnessed.

Former Gov. Tom Corbett and two former federal judges said that petitions for recounts and other litigation could cause some Pennsylvania counties to miss the deadline to certify results of the November election.

As of Monday afternoon, mile markers 94.2-97.13 of the D&L Trail in East Penn Township remain closed because of a sinkhole.

The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in Bethlehem to take public testimony about Keystone Cement Co.’s hazardous waste permit renewal application.

Northampton County’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event was held Saturday. More than 1,700 residents registered.

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg and mental health experts advocated for an increased investment in school-based health clinics at a news conference at Hays Elementary School in Allentown on Friday.

With nearly 98% of the city already built out, city officials and partners have had to get creative in bringing forth potential solutions to the broader housing crisis.

What can the Lehigh Valley expect as we head into meteorological fall? Experts have given their long-range outlooks for both temperatures and precipitation, and also weighed in on La Niña.

A fall appreciation event gave those at Miller-Keystone Blood Center the chance to say “thank you” to those who give blood. It’s the first time they’ve been able to host an event like this since the pandemic.

The US is mailing Americans COVID tests again. Here's how to get them

State officials on Thursday gathered at a Lancaster County dairy to announce the theme of the 2025 farm show. The farm show runs from Jan. 4 through Jan. 11 in Harrisburg.

The commonwealth's six-week leaf-peeping season has begun. Here's when the Lehigh Valley can expect peak colors.