Conspiracy theories come full circle for Donald Trump

Conspiracy theories are like springtime dandelions; they crop up, spread and despite all the best efforts to get rid of them, they keep coming back. In one way, conspiracy theories make sense because they appeal to the human inclination to look for patterns. According to Psychology Today, “We want the patterns we see to fit

Happy Independence Day

(Editor’s note:  This is a commentary I wrote a few years ago and post every year at this time.) John Adams’s letter to his wife Abigail was filled with enthusiasm, but also carried a tone of foreboding.  It was July 1776 and revolution was in the air among the delegates at the meeting of the

Morrisey’s political calculation on immunization

Governor Patrick Morrisey continues to double down on his opposition to the West Virginia state law requiring all children entering school for the first time to show proof of immunization.  This week, Morrisey endorsed a lawsuit filed by a Raleigh County mother challenging the law. At a stop in Beckley Tuesday, Morrisey stood behind a

Juneteenth is an appropriate state holiday

Today is Juneteenth.  It marks the day—June 19, 1865—when word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the slaves in  Galveston Bay, Texas. Union General Gordon Granger delivered the news that President Lincoln had issued two and a half years earlier. “Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute

Our immigration fail

It is looking more and more like it will be a long, hot summer in America. President Trump’s immigration crackdown triggered protests in California last weekend that have now spread across the country. Many of the protests are peaceful, but some are violent, destructive and unlawful. Police have arrested dozens of individuals. Trump has responded

Morrisey takes right steps for child welfare

Governor Patrick Morrisey has promised to lift the veil on West Virginia’s child welfare system. As our Brad McElhinny reported, “The governor said the changes follow a series of listening sessions held across the state with key stakeholders and a thorough review of past child fatalities and near fatalities within the child welfare system.” Morrisey

Capito’s challengers face an uphill battle

State Senator Tom Willis (R, Berkeley) is the latest to enter the 2026  race against sitting U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.  That makes three challengers to Capito so far in the Primary Election: Willis, Alexander Gaaserud and Derrick Evans. (Ogden Newspapers reporter Steven Allen Adams has more on the race here.) First, some background about

A debt that can never be fully repaid

(This is a reprint of a commentary I have posted previously about Memorial Day.) Imagine a debt that can never be fully repaid. That obligation is so great that it is nearly incomprehensible to think about, so we block it from our thoughts and pretend that it does not exist. But each of us who

‘Do your own research’

“Do your own research!” I can’t tell you how many times during my career as a talk radio host that I was told that. It was often an exclamation point by a listener who disagreed with a position I had taken who was suggesting that there was opposing information available that would expand my knowledge.

Morrisey’s executive order on immunization exemptions is wrong on multiple levels

Governor Patrick Morrisey is trying to force the state school system to abide by his executive order expanding exemptions for mandatory school immunizations.  In doing so, he apparently believes that his authority is greater than state law, the will of the Legislature and sound science. First the background: Morrisey signed an executive order just days

Medicaid cuts would hit WV harder than most states

Republicans on the MAGA team were elected, in part, to shake up Washington. Business as usual, the alleged “deep state” and excessive government spending were all in the cross hairs of the new Senate and House majorities. But campaigning and governing are two different things, and now Republicans find themselves trying to figure out where

Bill usurps the state Board of Education and gives more power to the legislature

Traditionally, Republican and conservative philosophies about education have centered on local control and parental rights. Those views fit with the concept of limited government. In one way, the super-majority led Republican legislature in West Virginia has followed that belief by dramatically expanding homeschool opportunities and by trying, but ultimately failing, to loosen mandatory immunization requirements

How the case of Abrego Garcia tests one of the bedrock principles of our country

The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia gets to the very essence of one of the bedrock principles of this country. That will sound like a stretch to some since Garcia is an El Salvadoran native who entered the country illegally 14 years ago.* But the case has broad implications. Garcia was among a group of

Nostalgia is not good economic policy

Nostalgia is, among other things, a coping mechanism. Psychologists say that when we are feeling depressed with current events, we often grow wistful about another time in the past when we believed our lives were better. Those memories may not be completely accurate, but they are powerful. J. Paul Getty said, “Nostalgia often leads to

Robert F. Kennedy’s weight-shaming in West Virginia

Former President John F. Kennedy came to know this state well when he spent weeks campaigning here prior to the 1960 Primary Election. Kennedy won the West Virginia Democratic Primary, which helped propel him to the presidency. Kennedy returned to Charleston on June 20, 1963, to participate in the celebration of the state’s centennial. On

Morrisey’s political miscalculation

Governor Patrick Morrisey’s frustration with this session of the West Virginia Legislature boiled over in a tweet this week.  The still-new governor suggested that if lawmakers do not get busy with his agenda, they will be called back into session over the summer.  Here is what he said: “The more work the Legislature gets done

DeVries Departs: Opportunity vs Loyalty

College sports fandom is rooted in the concept of loyalty. That loyalty is reflected in myriad ways: Fans buy tickets and attend games.  They watch events on TV or listen on the radio. Some make financial donations to athletic departments. West Virginia University fans pledge that loyalty aloud when they sing the Alma Mater—“Sing we

Fix foster care

The West Virginia Constitution mentions several times the guarantee of “life” and “liberty.”  These are inalienable rights and the government has a responsibility to ensure that they are protected. That is especially true for the state’s children. It is a fundamental duty of West Virginia state agencies and the courts to assure that children are

Senate bill erodes teacher-student trust

Trust is an integral aspect of education.  Parents trust that the school has their children’s best interest at heart. Students trust that what teachers are telling them is factual and critical for learning. Teachers trust that when students apply themselves, learning will result.  In the real world, these aspirational standards sometimes fall short. We are,

The chainsaw effect in West Virginia

I could not find specific data on chainsaw ownership per capita in West Virginia, but I have to believe it is very high. We have a significant forestry industry, where chainsaws are essential tools, and we are a rural state where folks have chainsaws for cutting firewood, clearing heavy brush and cutting down old trees.