The Christmas When the Fighting Stopped

(Editor’s note: This is a commentary I post at Christmas every year.) Has there ever been a Christmas when there was no war, no fighting in any corner of our planet?   It’s difficult to imagine since the world’s history has been a series of conquests and defenses. But there was once a Christmas when

Democrats Need to Recalibrate on BBB

The headline of the opinion piece in the New York Times this week read, “Joe Manchin has given Democrats a chance to save their agenda.” Democrats, stung by the West Virginia Senator’s rebuke of the Build Back Better Act, should read it and take it to heart. Ben Ritz, director of the Progressive Institute’s Center

A Covid Christmas

It may not be a white Christmas in West Virginia, but it is going to be a Covid Christmas. No one wants to hear that, and just suggesting it will make some of you angry.  You are sick of being told you might get sick, and that you should take the necessary precautions. But weariness

White House Fumbles Effort to Get Manchin to ‘Yes’

Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement on Fox News Sunday that he was a “no” on the Build Back Better Act set off a flurry of coverage, which only intensified Monday when Manchin appeared on Talkline. The interview lasted for nearly 15 minutes, and in the first three or four minutes Manchin explained the reasons why he

Joe Says No

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has now given a hard “no” to President Biden’s and the Democrats’ Build Back Better proposal.  He announced his decision on Fox News Sunday. “I’ve done everything humanly possible,” Manchin said on his negotiations with the President and Democratic leaders.  However, he said his ongoing concerns about the cost

Pay Raises and ‘Inflatocine’ Ahead for State Workers, Teachers

Governor Jim Justice, flanked by Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley) and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay), have thrown their support behind an average five-percent pay raise for public school teachers, service workers and state employees. If approved by the Legislature when it goes into regular session next month, the raises would go into effect July

The Premature Death Knell for Coal

A transition away from carbon-based fuels to alternative and renewable energy is underway in this country and around the world. However, the simplicity of that often-repeated statement belies the rocky trajectory of that transition and the continued importance of coal in meeting future energy needs. And the current state of the coal industry, as well

Manchin Must Hold Fast on Expanded Child Tax Credit

Democrats in Washington are going all in on continuing the expanded child tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of this month. They see the permanence of monthly checks to millions of American households with children as beneficial to lifting families out of poverty. But there is a political advantage as well. 

Pay Raise Chatter at the State Capitol

There is some pre-session chatter among legislative leaders about a pay raise for teachers, service workers and state employees next year. State workers and teachers received pay raises averaging five percent in 2018 and 2019, while school service workers got a $1,100 raise in each of those two years. However, there were no raises in

Christmas Vacation

Folks, I’m off this week, so let’s have some fun!  Please answer the following question:  “If Hoppy were a character in a Christmas movie, who would he be and why?” I look forward to seeing your answers! Hop

West Virginia Becomes a Travel Destination

  So, what do West Virginia, Serbia, Trondelag County in Norway, Malta, Gabon and Birmingham, Alabama have in common?  They are all on Conde Nast Traveler (CNT) magazine’s list of top 22 places to visit in 2022. CNT said West Virginia and the 21 other locations were chosen for the best places to visit next

How the U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Abortion May Impact West Virginia

Given the make-up of the U.S. Supreme Court and some of the comments and questions by Justices during yesterday’s arguments, it appears the abortion laws of this country and here in West Virginia may be about to change.   Some have speculated the Court will rule more narrowly on the specific Mississippi law which bans

College Football Coaches Federation Attempts to Quiet the Coaching Search Chaos*

The College Football Coaches Federation (CFCF)** announced Wednesday a series of emergency steps designed to bring greater stability to the coaching profession. “The last few days have been chaotic,” said CFCF president Harvey “Lefty” Hightower.*** “We are concerned about the increased scrutiny and stress level placed upon our member coaches. Therefore, going forward, all member

New Worry for the Pandemic-Weary

I reported on the new Omicron coronavirus variant during the first segment of Talkline Monday, prompting this text from a listener: “I had a wonderful holiday weekend with family and friends.  Have not heard a word about Covid as most people never speak of it. But then you.  You lead off with it on Monday

Our Increasingly Stressful Disagreements

Thomas Jefferson had more than his share of debates in his lifetime, but he claimed to have tried to keep those discussions from affecting his personal feelings.  “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend,” Jefferson said. But not all of us can

My Thanksgiving Gratitude Deficit

I planned to write a commentary for Thanksgiving about gratitude.  I was surprised how difficult it was to put my thoughts about gratitude into words. That tells me I’m out of practice. Maybe you count your blessings each day and consistently express your thanks for all that you have. If so, good for you. I

Rittenhouse Trial Was About Facts and Justice, Not Narratives or Agendas

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse for the shooting deaths of two people and the wounding of a third in Wisconsin produced quite a few narratives. In the courtroom, the defense argued that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense during the protests in Kenosha last year, while the prosecution maintained that Rittenhouse was a reckless teenage vigilante. Outside

Booster Shots For All Adults

Hopefully, by the end of the day today or very soon thereafter, the Centers for Disease Control will have modified its recommendations for Covid-19 booster shots. The current CDC guidelines still limit boosters to individuals 65 years or older and others with certain underlying medical conditions and those who are at increased risk of exposure

Drug Crisis Worsens in WV

In March 2017, a House of Representatives subcommittee held a hearing on the drug problem in America. The hearing focused on what committee members identified as the “next wave in the opioid crisis,”—fentanyl. Later that year, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued an intelligence report identifying drug abuse and trafficking, particularly of opioids, as “a critical

Rep. Mooney Secures Trump’s Blessing for 2022

West Virginia Second District Congressman Alex Mooney made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago last Friday and, after an hour-long meeting with former President Donald Trump, came away with a prized endorsement. “Representative Alex Mooney has done an outstanding job as Congressman in West Virginia,” Trump said in a statement. “In fact, he recently opposed the horrendous