State & Regional News

Thirteen speakers urged a packed house of Lehigh Valley Democrats in Bethlehem on Monday night to go to the mat for their candidates in state and federal races this November.

The Lehigh Valley has been reshaped by a massive wave of development, both in industrial and residential, that has swept over the region the last three decades. While the development boom may be slowing, the impacts to the region’s economy and the environment are clear. (First of 5 parts)

Coming this week and starting Monday, LehighValleyNews.com explores the Lehigh Valley's warehouse economy — an examination of where we are today, how we got here and where we’re going.

Roughly 2.9 million Americans' personal data was leaked this month in a National Public Data security breach. Some of the affected data includes Social Security numbers, mailing addresses and phone numbers.

An attack ad targeting U.S. Rep. Susan Wild left out important context over her record on the U.S. border while an ad supporting her appears to overstate a speaker's credentials as a police officer.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced a trade with the Washington Commanders that will bring wide receiver Jahan Dotson to Philadelphia. Dotson is a 2018 Nazareth Area High School graduate who played his college ball at Penn State. He joins fellow local star and PSU alum Saquon Barkley with the Birds.

Lehigh Valley International Airport saw a record rate of traffic in July 2024, with nearly 102,000 passengers, a near 12% increase over July 2023.

Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte and accompanying pumpkin-flavor coffee customizations are set to return Thursday. Local coffee shops plan to bring back — or already have — seasonal favorites, too.

As part of the Multimodal Transportation Fund, Easton will receive over $83,000 to improve the intersection of Pearl and Bushkill Streets.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, Monday night in his bid to defeat U.S Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.

This New Year’s Day, tens of thousands of people across the country, including dozens in the Valley, will take a guided hike through a state park to mark the beginning of 2024.

Dozens of Lehigh Valley projects cashed checks worth nearly $19 million in fiscal year 2023 thanks to support from U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. The Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation brought home $364.5 million in earmarks, which ranked in the top half of U.S. states.

Under the bill, gun owners could lose their license to carry if they try to take a loaded weapon onto a plane. This would be similar to losing a license for possessing a small amount of marijuana, one lawmaker said.

Executive Education Academy Charter has been waiting to appeal its application denial since 2021. Gov. Josh Shapiro's nominees were just confirmed by the State Senate earlier this month.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s gift ban says he can’t take tickets from groups with “financial relations with the Commonwealth.” Team Pennsylvania was awarded $1.8 million in state contracts this year.

The most popular names have been a constant the past few years, according to the major health networks. But one trend that emerged in 2023 in the Lehigh Valley seems to be tied to sports — specifically, the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies. Taylor Swift also may be having an impact.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is starting a new office to help train county election workers, Pa. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. It also plans to update its guidance for logic and accuracy testing that could have caught issues with the Northampton County voting machines.

Lafayette College will host the 2024 vice presidential debate this coming September, drawing the world's eyes to its Easton campus. Nicole Hurd, the college's president, hopes it will be an opportunity to highlight the liberal arts school and the greater Easton community.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Nippon Steel is set to pay more than $14 billion to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a deal that Rep. Susan Wild said is “really kind of heartbreaking."

Pennsylvania's gas tax– the highest in the nation in 2023 – will drop from $0.611/gallon to $0.576/gallon and will remain in place through 2024.

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.