It was a busy Thursday night for Allentown firefighters. Crews were called out just after 10pm to a big house fire in the area of 9th and Gordon streets. There's no word yet on if anyone was injured or what caused the fire.
As National Human Trafficking Prevention Month comes to a close, the Boys & Girls Club of Easton hosted a Thursday event on the issue. Northampton County DA Stephen Baratta says it's an issue here in the Lehigh Valley, but maybe people don't realize it or how serious a problem it is. "They don't understand not only the level of trafficking that goes on, but the insidious nature of it, and the damage that's done, and the seriousness of the charges that are filed," the DA says. Carol Andersen, CEO of the organization BLOOM, which fights human trafficking, says she's in complete agreement with Baratta. "It definitely something that happens underground and right under our noses. It happens in plain sight and I believe that to be true," Andersen says. If you suspect human trafficking, officials say you should not intervene directly but instead contact law enforcement.
Miller-Keystone Blood Center is urging residents to roll up their sleeves and help replenish a dwindling blood supply. "We usually struggle to get donations during the winter and summer," says Miller-Keystone's Krista Brodbeck. She says recent snowstorms forced several community blood drives to be canceled. She says they need about 350 donations each day to meet the needs of the hospitals in Miller-Keystone's service region.
The nation could be headed towards a government shutdown after Democrats blocked a homeland security spending package, asking the GOP to separate DHS funding from the larger bill. They're protesting the deaths of two anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota. Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick says Democrats won't get what they want from this move. "This won't affect the funding for ICE at all. It will affect the funding for FEMA, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service," McCormick says. Eight Republicans joined 47 Democrats to block the bill.
Pennsylvania's governor breaks from the Philadelphia DA over ICE. "That kind of rhetoric is unacceptable. It is abhorent and it is wrong. Period, hard-stop, end of sentence," Gov. Josh Shapiro says of Larry Krasner comparing ICE agents to 'wannabe Nazis" earlier this week. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman had similar criticism of Krasner's comments earlier in the week.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has announced plans for New Jersey to resist Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Garden State. Sherrill told the Daily Show this week that she'll take steps to ban ICE raids from state property. Sherill is also encouraging residents to record ICE agent actions on their phones and is proposing the creation of a portal for residents to send in their video. Her administration says the videos would help in making sure ICE agents are following the law and to keep records of ICE enforcement actions.
Federal officials say the most fire-related deaths in the country last year were in Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the Keystone State reported 152 deaths connected to fires in 2025. Experts say there's an increased fire risk in the Commonwealth with many old homes that lack modern safety features like updated electrical systems or sprinkler systems. They're urging residents to make sure you have a working smoke detector and to get out and call 911 instead of trying to put the fire out yourself.
The Eagles have finally settled on a new offensive coordinator. The team announced on Thursday that Sean Mannion will take over the role. The 33-year-old was the quarterbacks coach for the Packers this season after beginning his coaching career as an offensive assistant in Green Bay the year before. Mannion replaces Kevin Patullo, who was demoted after an abysmal first season as offensive coordinator.