430 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 97 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Read more

HARRISBURG — Montgomery County ranks among the Top 10 counties that recorded the highest number of animal abuse cases since a state anti-cruelty law known as Libre’s Law strengthened the protection of animals and went into effect in 2017, according to statistics compiled by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Read more

ArtsQuest announced the evening will be headlined by Hector Tricoche.  Read more

Dorman Products Inc., the Bucks County-based supplier of aftermarket automotive parts, produced another quarter of outstanding results. Read more

Ticks are most active during warmer months, which is why we typically see more instances of tick bites and cases of tick-borne diseases this time of year.  Read more

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s per-capita rate of long-range bonded debt is less than the national average, according to a newly released analysis. But figures elsewhere continue to portray the weight of the state’s debt burden. Read more

Arson hasn't been ruled out, and people nearby believe suspicious activity may have been involved. Read more

A judge has denied a Lehigh County man's request to use information from another homicide case in his own murder defense. Read more

Several hospitals in our area were ranked among the top in Pennsylvania. Read more

In early June the Berks County Detective’s Office say they began investigating alleged reports of sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl.  Read more

Police are expecting heavy delays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday on major and secondary roads around Lehigh County. Read more

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier announced the department will extend its partnership with virtual identity verification vendor ID.me to provide identity verification for all new Unemployment Compensation claims. Read more

'The plan is to continue as it is, and not mess it up. If I can keep it up as they did, it will be great.' Read more

This is the last hot day of the forecast, as highs pop back up to near 90 degrees, but with tolerable humidity levels by mid-summer standards. Read more

The attorney for the Berks man accused in the South Philadelphia shooting says the man who died had his client in a chokehold, squeezing his neck. Read more

Jeffrey Knopf of  Boyertown Community Ambulance says he has been noticing a shrinking number of EMS workers across Pennsylvania. Read more

'Matters between individuals in the neighborhood have gotten worse as more people are getting tickets.' Read more

The money will help offset losses experienced by the Santander Arena and the Performing Arts Center as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Borough Manager Scott McElree noted the pool's style, slide, splash pad and baby pool "have been narrowed down." Read more

The White House revealed Monday that Biden will visit Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie Township. Read more

Two Spring Township residents addressed the board about flooding from water runoff from the Alcon manufacturing plant. Read more

UPPER MOUNT BETHEL TWP., Pa. - Fire heavily damaged a home in Northampton County Monday afternoon. Read more

A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion. Read more

57 of the nation's top medical groups say it's time to mandate COVID vaccinations for health care workers. Read more

A cemetery deed dating to 1802 started the mystery. Read more

Declaring the Northern Goshawk as an endangered species could protect them from human activity. Read more

The township says the arrow was never a functioning arrow for regular traffic to have the green light to turn. Read more

PLAINFIELD TWP., Pa. - It's being called a freak accident. Read more

The leader of Tunisia’s Islamist party and speaker of parliament said Tuesday that his party is working to form a “national front.” Ennahdha party head Rachid Ghannouchi said that the front would counter President Kais Saied’s decision to suspend the legislature, fire top government officials and take control of the fragile democracy amid the country’s multi-layered crisis. Ghannouchi told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the goal is to pressure the president “to demand the return to a democratic system.” He cited plans for peaceful protests and sit-ins. There has been widespread concern in Tunisia and from allies over the president's moves which Ghannouchi says amount to a coup. Read more

American star Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team final competition following one rotation on Tuesday night, opening the door for the team of Russian athletes to win gold for the first time in nearly three decades. Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum guided the U.S. to silver while Biles cheered from the sideline in a white sweatsuit, at peace with a decision that revealed a shift not only in Biles but perhaps the sport she’s redefined. Biles is the latest in a series of high-profile athletes, including tennis star Naomi Osaka, who have used their platforms to discuss their mental heath struggles. A subject that was once taboo has become far more accepted and embraced.  Read more

The first day of the House investigation into the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol exposed daytime television viewers to profane language and racial slurs. The emotional testimony by four police officers was accompanied by video clips of mayhem and profanity, and one officer described how a racial slur was repeatedly directed at him. The hearing was carried widely, although some CBS and NBC stations opted out. It was also aired in full on Fox News Channel, the network of choice for many Republicans — some of whom have sought to minimize the events of that day. Fox's Bret Baier says it was an ‘eye-opener’ for anyone who thought it was non-violent. Read more

The lead investigator in the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts says he's confident the right man was convicted of murder and rejects claims that her abduction could be tied to two other men. Division of Criminal Investigation agent Trent Vileta said Tuesday that had they known, detectives searching for Tibbetts in 2018 would have looked into another woman’s claim that she’d been lured by a man from Tibbetts’ hometown and held in a nearby home for sex trafficking. But the woman’s complaint didn't lead to charges and Vileta says it should be disregarded given the evidence tying Tibbetts' death to local farmhand Cristhian Bahena Rivera. He testified at a hearing on whether to grant a new trial to Bahena Rivera. Read more

U.S. officials who are trying to adopt out wild horses captured on public land say they are tightening protections to guard against the illegal resale of animals for slaughter. Advocates say the government needs to do more, including ending incentive payments for adoptions. The Bureau of Land Management said in announcing the changes that the agency is committed to the health and safety of adopted wild horses and burros. It says it intends to begin making additional inspections after adoptions, improve screening of potential adopters and other measures. The bureau says an estimated 86,000 wild horses and burros living in 10 Western states is three times as many as public lands can sustain. Advocates dispute that. Read more

A man accused of killing eight people, most of them women of Asian descent, at massage businesses in Georgia has pleaded guilty to four of the murders. Robert Aaron Long was handed four sentences of life without parole on Tuesday in Cherokee County. He still faces the death penalty in the four other killings, which are being prosecuted in Atlanta. His shooting spree in March raised fears among Asian Americans. And at Tuesday's sentencing, a prosecutor said Cherokee County investigators saw no evidence of racial bias. That’s at odds with the hate crime and domestic terrorism prosecution Long faces in Atlanta. Read more

UPS had another strong quarter with shipments to homes continuing at a blistering pace, though revenue at home was a little weaker than some had expected. Its stock fell in afternoon trading Tuesday. Domestic revenue still grew 10.2% to $14.40 billion in the second quarter, with per-piece revenue rising 13.4%. However, Wall Street had projected domestic revenue of $14.76 billion. Revenue from international operations spiked 30% to $4.82 billion, which was better than the $4.57 billion analysts had expected. For the three months ended June 30, UPS earned $2.68 billion, or $3.05 per share. Stripping out one-time costs, earnings were $3.06 per share, easily beating the $2.75 that Wall Street was looking for. Read more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reversing course on some masking guidelines. The agency announced new recommendations Tuesday that even vaccinated people should return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging. Scientists cited new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people. The CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status. The new guidance follows recent decisions in Los Angeles and St. Louis to revert to indoor mask mandates amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that have been especially bad in the South. Read more

Japan won its second straight Olympic softball gold medal, beating the United States 2-0 in an emotional repeat of their 2008 victory in Beijing that again left the Americans in tears. Yukiko Ueno took a one-hitter into the sixth inning five days after her 39th birthday, and Japan snuffed out an American rally attempt with an acrobatic double play in the sixth inning. Mana Atsumi, the No. 9 batter, had a run-scoring infield hit in the fourth inning and Yamato Fujita lined an RBI single off Abbott in the fifth. Softball will not return to the Olympics until at least 2028. Read more

Robinhood is disrupting another stock market norm _ and taking a big risk _ by giving ordinary investors access to a huge slice of its initial public offering. The popular online brokerage is taking the unusual step of allowing users to buy up to a third of its IPO shares before they begin trading on the Nasdaq Thursday under the ticker symbol “HOOD.” But expanding early access to an IPO beyond Wall Street insiders isn’t without risk. The move could backfire if many individual investors, often referred to as retail traders, are tempted to flip their shares immediately for a quick profit, rather than hold them. Read more

An explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies in Germany has killed at least two people, with 31 others injured and several still missing hours later. Fire officials who tested the air said there did not appear to be a danger to nearby residents after authorities initially urged people to shelter inside. The explosion at the waste management facility of the Chempark site in Leverkusen, near Cologne, sent a large black cloud into the air on Tuesday morning. It took firefighters almost four hours to extinguish the fire that took hold after the explosion. Read more

The Vegas Golden Knights have traded reigning Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks. The return of a minor leaguer Mikael Hakkarainen indicates it was a salary dump. Fleury counts $7 million against the salary cap next season. Chicago was not on the 36-year-old's 10-team no-trade list. Agent Allan Walsh says Fleury will be taking time to talk to his family and seriously evaluate his hockey future. Among other goalie moves around the NHL, Vancouver's Braden Holtby and San Jose's Martin Jones will become free agents after going on buyout waivers. Read more

Robert Saleh and the New York Jets were focused on football again after spending the last several days mourning the loss of their friend, colleague and mentor. The death of assistant coach Greg Knapp last Thursday stunned the organization and the entire NFL community. The Jets are preparing to hit the field for their first practice of training camp Wednesday. Knapp died of his injuries from an accident on July 17 when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle near his home in California. He was 58. Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Zach Wilson was the only Jets player to not report Tuesday as he continues contract negotiations.  Read more

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is condemning an incident in which a swastika was carved into an elevator wall at the State Department. Blinken says in a message sent to all department employees that the vandalism is a painful reminder that antisemitism remains an issue in the U.S. and around the world and must be combatted relentlessly. He said the swastika has been removed and the incident is being investigated. The swastika was discovered on Monday. Blinken sent his message to employees on Tuesday. Read more

The International Monetary Fund has boosted its forecast for gross domestic product in Latin America and the Caribbean, fueled by stronger outlooks for its two largest economies. The IMF expects the region will grow 5.8% this year, up 1.2% from a forecast released in April. The IMF says in its report that the brighter regional perspective reflects favorable spillover to Mexico from the improved outlook for the United States and booming terms of trade for Brazil. The updated perspective for Brazil is in line with the median outlook from economists surveyed by the nation’s central bank, who have increased their projections for 14 straight weeks.  Read more

Alex Ovechkin has re-signed with the Washington Capitals for $47.5 million over five years. Ovechkin will count $9.5 million against the salary cap through the 2025-26 season. The Russian superstar captain and 2018 playoff MVP during Washington's Stanley Cup run held off signing a new contract until after the Seattle expansion draft. There was never any real chance Ovechkin would play for another NHL team. Ovechkin turns 36 in September. He's fifth on the career goals list with 730 and sits 164 back of Wayne Gretzky for the record. Read more

In a major step against climate change, President Joe Biden is proposing a return to aggressive Obama-era vehicle mileage standards over five years. He's then aiming for even tougher anti-pollution rules after that to forcefully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nudge 40% of U.S. drivers into electric vehicles by decade’s end. That's according to proposed rules from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation that are expected to be released as early as next week. Industry and government officials who have been briefed on the plan tell The Associated Press the requirements would start for model year 2023. Read more

Prince's “Welcome 2 America,” the first complete, previously unreleased record to come out since Prince died in 2016, offers a stunning glimpse at the depth, and quality, of what he left behind. In a review, The Associated Press’ Scott Bauer says “Welcome 2 America” manages to be as relevant, or maybe even more, relevant today than when it was recorded in 2010. From the first song and title track, which starts off with Prince bemoaning the power of the iPhone and Google, the tone of “Welcome 2 America” is made clear. It's almost as if Prince knew the record would mean more now than when he recorded it. Read more

North and South Korea exchanged messages in communication channels that have been dormant for more than a year and agreed to improve ties. That still leaves any resumption of stalled negotiations to rid the North of its nuclear weapons a long way off. Seoul officials said that liaison officials from the Koreas had several phone conversations Tuesday including one on a military hotline and agreed to resume speaking regularly. The rivals use the channels to lay out their positions on issues and even propose broader dialogue. The links are also critical to preventing any accidental clashes along their disputed sea boundary. Read more

Towns around Italy’s Lake Como have been hit by mudslides and floods in yet another example of extreme weather phenomena that an agricultural lobby says have intensified in recent years. Italian firefighters carried out more than 60 rescues Tuesday after storms wreaked havoc around the picturesque lake ringed by mountains in northern Italy. Coldiretti estimates 14 billion euros ($16.5 billion) of damage over the last decade to agriculture production, buildings and infrastructure because of climate change-provoked events like flooding and landslides.  Read more

Human Rights Watch has accused the Israeli military of carrying out attacks that “apparently amount to war crimes” during an 11-day war against the Hamas militant group in May. The international human rights group issued its conclusions on Tuesday after investigating three Israeli airstrikes that it said killed 62 Palestinian civilians. It said “there were no evident military targets in the vicinity” of the attacks. The report also accused Palestinian militants of apparent war crimes by launching over 4,000 unguided rockets and mortars at Israeli population centers. The report, however, focused on Israeli actions during the fighting.  Read more

The United States says it will keep existing COVID-19 restrictions on international travel in place for now due to concerns about the surging infection rate because of the delta variant. It was the latest sign that the White House is having to recalibrate its thinking around the coronavirus pandemic as the more infectious variant surges across the U.S. and a substantial chunk of the population resists vaccination. It was also a reversal from the sentiment President Joe Biden voiced earlier this month when he said his administration was “in the process” of considering how soon the U.S. could lift the ban on European travelers bound for the U.S.  Read more