Speaking at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County, President Trump told supporters his first ten months in office have seen him keep promises made on the campaign trail. "Since my inauguration, we have created nearly 50,000 new Pennsylvania jobs, including 4000 Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs that the Democrats gave up on," Trump said. President Trump spoke to a jam-packed crowd for more than an hour-and-a-half.
The Public Utility Commission heard from residents not happy with a seven percent rate hike proposed by PPL. They also heard from elected officials, including Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure. "With rising prices in all phases of our live, a trip to the grocery store brings anxiety," McClure said. Lehigh Valley St. Rep. Jeanne McNeill also spoke out against the rate increase. "There is an affordability crisis right now and a rate increase will only add to it," McNeill said. PPL is proposing the rate hike, it says, to keep up with demand and rising energy costs. The PUC will announce a decision on PPL's proposal by July 1st.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania headed lower over the past seven days. According to AAA East Central, the average price dropped a nickel from the previous Tuesday, down to $3.16 a gallon. That's ten cents less than one year earlier. In the Lehigh Valley, the average price now sits at $3.10 a gallon, about eight cents lower than the previous week and two cents cheaper than the same date in 2024. Nationally, the average price of gas dipped below the $3 mark for the first time in four-and-a-half years.
A Lehigh Valley tech billionaire is one step closer to running NASA. The Senate Commerce Committee voted Monday to advance Jared Isaacman's nomination for NASA Administrator to a full vote. After initially pulling his nomination earlier this year, President Trump renominated Isaacman to the role last month, stating that he's "ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new era." Isaacman is an ally of Elon Musk and has led two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX.
Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says the ski slopes in the Poconos will get a bit of natural snow today. He says it'll start slowly, but eventually pick up. "It tries to start, but stops. It tries to start, but stops. After lunchtime it gets a bit more serious and then by like eight or nine o'clock tonight, pretty much everything is done," Lundberg says. Two-to-four inches of snow is expected in the Poconos, with little or no accumulation likely in the immediate Lehigh Valley.
The Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee is moving ahead with legislation to take cell phones out of schools across the state. Yesterday, committee members unanimously approved a bill that would require all school leaders to adopt their own policies for keeping students from using personal devices for the entire day of classes. The measure includes some exceptions for medical reasons and other special situations. If ultimately passed, Pennsylvania would join 20 other U.S. states that make schools phone-free for students.
Penn State faculty are considering forming a union. The Service Employees International Union announced yesterday that faculty on all Penn State campuses will vote on unionizing next year. There's about six-thousand faculty members across the university system. The SEIU said they're seeking job security, economic security, and the opportunity to have a greater voice at their workplace.
Dollar General is agreeing to pay the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over one-and-a-half-million dollars after being accused of overcharging customers. The PA Attorney General's Office says the company failed more than 40 percent of pricing accuracy inspections in stores all over the state, violating the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. The settlement also requires Dollar General to fix pricing issues, making sure to honor lower costs that are displayed on products or shelf tags. Customers who see any retailer charging prices that are higher than those that are advertised or listed is encouraged to make a report with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is staying in Philadelphia. The free agent and the Phillies have agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract and manager Rob Thomson couldn't be happier. "He's a great player and he knows how to bring the heartbeat of a clubhouse down when things are going rough. And not only the clubhouse, but individuals as well. He's just a huge part of our ballclub," Thomson says. Schwarber hit 56 home runs and knocked in 132 runs last season.