Covid—Not Out of the Woods Yet

West Virginia’s Covid statistics are improving nearly every day. DHHR figures show the number of active Covid cases has steadily declined—from over 20,000 in late January to about 5,000 a month ago, and now to just 508 as of midnight Monday. West Virginians continue to die from Covid, but those numbers are also declining. Hospital

Keep The Gas Tax Where It Is

West Virginia Democrats and Republicans are fighting over the state gasoline tax. Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a temporary suspension of the 35.7-cents per gallon tax to ease the burden on West Virginia motorists who are confronted with gas prices of over four-dollars a gallon. A one-month reprieve would reduce by about $35 million the

January 6th Plea Hearings Provide Clarity

One by one, many of the individuals who participated in the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol are pleading guilty. The latest was Derrick Evans from Wayne County, West Virginia. The former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C. Friday and plead guilty to

Huggins, WVU Basketball at a Critical Juncture

The Mountaineer basketball program and its legendary coach, Bob Huggins, are at a crossroads. The just-ended season was disappointing. The Mountaineers finished 16-17 overall and tallied just 4 wins in 18 Big 12 conference games, which relegated the team to last place for the second time in the last four years. The Mountaineers fortunes have

Russian Censorship vs. The First Amendment

Former President Donald Trump used the term “fake news” to dismiss news stories he did not like, and his supporters adopted the label for anything they disagreed with. But now the term “fake news” has taken on a new and more nefarious meaning. Russian lawmakers and President Vladimir Putin have approved a new law that

Manchin, Republicans Nix Biden’s Climate-Conscious Nominee to Federal Reserve

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia likely killed the Biden administration’s nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Federal Reserve Board.  Manchin cited Raskin’s opposition to carbon-based fuels as the primary reason that he could not support her. “Her previous public statements have failed to satisfactorily address my concerns about the critical importance of financing

Abortion Bill Heads to Governor Justice’s Desk

The abortion bill during this past legislative session that received the most attention would have banned abortions after 15 weeks. The bill was copied after the Mississippi law that is now pending before the United States Supreme Court. The bill failed. However, pro-life lawmakers were able to get across the finish line a much less

Thank Goodness for Deadlines

I am a fan of deadlines. As a media person, I have lived by the clock all my life. Deadlines cause stress, but they also motivate. Perhaps more importantly, deadlines provide an end point. Without them, the work may never get done. The West Virginia Legislature reached its deadline of the 60-day regular season this

The Highs and Lows of Gas Prices

Gas prices are reaching some of their highest levels ever, and that’s saying something. Prices have fluctuated significantly over the years based on a variety of factors, but the current conditions have pushed them to new peaks. The data journalism news organization Stacker used figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to measure prices at

The May Primary By The Numbers

The 2022 Primary Election in West Virginia is just two months away—May 10. This is an off-year election, so there are no presidential or statewide races. However, there are races for Congress, the State Senate, House of Delegates and local contests. Voters may need some additional time to review their ballots, since redistricting has changed

Essential History

Maya Angelou said, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” And it takes courage to study and try to understand history. I heard a West Virginia school teacher say at a public hearing just this week that where one’s comfort level ends is where

U.S. Considers Halting Imports of Russian Oil

Energy is rapidly emerging as a potentially devastating weapon in Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. Oil and gas exports account for about half of Russia’s budget, and therefore its energy exports are financing its military machine. So far, countries dependent on Russian energy have been reluctant to stop buying from the Kremlin. The Wall Street

Steam Coal is Rising

Thermal coal is on fire. Thermal coal has been reduced to an energy pariah because the power plants that use coal to generate electricity emit massive amounts of carbon that contribute to climate change. The political and environmental agenda for the world’s energy future is being constructed on top of abandoned coal mines and shuttered

Senate Bill Would Open the Door to High School Sports Transfer Portal

The state Senate has passed—and now the House of Delegates will consider—a bill that, if approved, would dramatically expand the amount of recruiting among West Virginia public schools for talented athletes. Currently, student athletes can transfer to another school, but they lose a year of eligibility. There are exceptions, and I’ll get to that in

House Republicans Contract Covid Fever

Republicans in the West Virginia House of Delegates have a bad case of Covid Fever. This ailment is not any of the Covid viruses that infected nearly one-half million West Virginians, sent hundreds to the hospital and killed, at last count, 6,381 of our citizens. No, this contagion convinces the GOP delegates they must try

West Virginia Natural Gas and Global Security

Much of the world has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and put in place sanctions aimed at damaging the country’s economy.  However, Russia’s prominent role in energy production means those same countries stop short of taking full measures. Russia is the second largest oil producing nation in the world, behind the United States, but ahead

The Light From Ukraine

The Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz said, “Everything takes a different shape when we pass from abstractions to reality.” In the abstract, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared to be no contest. Russia has almost 900,000 active military personnel, about five times the size of the Ukrainian military. Russia has an overwhelming advantage in attack

West Virginia’s Landmark EPA Case Before U.S. Supreme Court Today

West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See goes before the United States Supreme Court this morning to make arguments in a case that has deviled the coal industry, power companies, the Environmental Protection Agency, activists and federal regulators for nearly a decade: How far does the authority of the EPA extend in attempts to limit carbon

Hyperloop Was Over-Hyped

In October 2020, state officials and Sir Richard Branson announced with great fanfare that Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop company had chosen a site in West Virginia to build a research and testing facility. The center, to be located on 800 acres in Tucker and Grant Counties, would test how the hyperloop system could connect cities and

House Republicans Veer From Conservative Tenet

One of the preeminent tenets of conservatism is that the most effective government is that which is closest to the people.  For generations, Republicans who believe in conservative ideals have tried to follow that North Star when deciding how best to govern. Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature echoed that belief.  They argued repeatedly in