Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg has said all week today would be the hottest day of a hot week and he's not changing that forecast today. "Today's the hottest day of the bunch, mid-to-upper 90's. I think 97 is going to be overachieving, but it's still going to be brutal with the heat and humidity," Lundberg says. Today's record high is 98 degrees.
PennDOT is ditching plans to add tolls to nine interstate bridges. Commonwealth Court had ruled the effort is in violation of state law and PennDOT announced Wednesday they would not appeal the court ruling. The initial proposal was focused on generating money for replacements and repairs. Among area bridges that were on the list to be tolled were the I-78 Lenhartsville Bridge in Berks County and the I-80 bridges over the Lehigh River in Carbon and Luzerne counties.
Allentown City Council on Wednesday introduced four proposed ordinances which would seek to prevent restrictions on abortion access. The ordinances would instruct all city officials and law enforcement agencies to deprioritize the enforcement of any abortion-related crime if abortion ever becomes illegal nationwide or in Pennsylvania; protect any abortion providers from out-of-state investigation or prosecution for providing legal abortion care; create 15-foot buffer zones at abortion facilities; and make it illegal for any limited-services pregnancy centers to advertise any pregnancy-related service that is deceptive.
A federal grand jury is reviewing the fatal shooting of Christian Hall. Hall's family says the case was under investigation by a federal grand jury and they're hopeful it will reveal the truth and lead to justice for their son. Hall was shot and killed in December of 2020 by Pennsylvania State Police troopers in Bartonsville. His family say they feel fortunate there's video of the homicide so the grand jury can see what actually happened. Prosecutors say Hall was suffering a mental health episode and holding a pellet gun that troopers thought was a handgun when he was shot.
Pennsylvania Republican senatorial candidate Mehmet Oz tells Fox News his Democratic opponent Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is soft on crime and unwilling to talk about it. "He wants to decriminalize drugs. He doesn't want any lifetime sentences, no matter what you've done wrong. He's hiding behind his radical views at home. Let's get him out, talk to people and admit what you're really representing and let the Pennsylvania decide who to vote for," Oz says. Fetterman's campaign says Oz is a phony celebrity who lives in a New Jersey mansion, and doesn't care about the working people of Pennsylvania.
Friday marks the dawn of Pennsylvania's new minimum wage laws, mostly for workers who earn tips. The change will increase the amount of tip money an employee must receive before their hourly rate can be reduced from $7.25 to as low as $2.83 per hour. Employers also will not be allowed to deduct any credit card or other payment processing fees from employees' tips.
Lottery officials are waiting for the winner of the $202 million Powerball jackpot to come forward. They say someone in Pennsylvania is holding a winning ticket for Wednesday's drawing, with an estimated lump sum payment estimated to be $119 million.
Fans of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have another way to get into Coca-Cola Park. Officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on the new Lehigh Valley Health Network center field gate. The team says the new gate was added to increase the safety of fans who previously had to walk along the side of the stadium to enter the ballpark.
The outdoor dining laws New Jersey lawmakers set up to help restaurants stay open during the pandemic have been extended for another two years. It was due to expire this November. Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation to extend the outdoor setups until November 2024. He says an increasing number of patrons have come to enjoy outdoor dining options. This comes as New York City faces a lawsuit to end outdoor dining over complaints of increased noise and traffic.