White House, Governors Call Out PJM on Data Center Costs

Editor’s Note: The following analysis is intended as a high-level overview. The issue is complex and highly nuanced. Additional pieces will follow as the debate unfolds, including conversations with expert guests on Talkline. Listen to “White House Calls Out PJM on Data Center Costs” on Spreaker. The prospect of data centers locating in the Mountain

This and That from Legislative Week One

Listen to “This and That from Legislative Week One” on Spreaker. The West Virginia Senate and House both gaveled in Wednesday, officially kicking off the 60-day legislative session, followed later that evening by Governor Morrisey’s State of the State address. Here are a few rapid-fire, off-the-cuff observations. One: Senator Laura Wakim Chapman published a letter

Can West Virginia Dems Deliver?

Listen to “Can WV Dems Deliver?” on Spreaker. Most political buzz around the Capitol is squarely focused on the Republican supermajorities in both chambers, and on the governor’s State of the State address Wednesday night. Democrats are small in number — just nine members in the House and two in the Senate — so their

Consensus or chaos in the Senate?

  The 60-day legislative session officially commences at noon on Wednesday, and it is anyone’s guess what the next nine weeks will bring. Leadership in the House of Delegates has laid out an agenda that focuses on economic development, but on the opposite end of the Capitol, it is unclear whether the Senate will have

GOP Keeps Independents Locked Out

Listen to “Commentary – TJ Meadows” on Spreaker. West Virginia Republicans have gone and done it — again — as the saying goes. This weekend’s GOP Winter Meeting presented an opportunity to re-examine the decision to close the Republican primary to Independent voters. That opportunity never saw the light of day. Instead, the issue was

Some School Systems Near Financial Disaster

Editor’s Note: An early version of this commentary identified Wood County Schools as having not submitted financials to the State Department of Education. The Department this morning re-issued a report noting that Wood had indeed submitted financials in October of 2025. Data that crossed my desk this week stopped me cold… the kind of information

Closed Republican Primary Debate Heats Up, Again

Listen to “Commentary – TJ Meadows” on Spreaker.   Two years ago this month, West Virginia Republicans made a significant move: they voted to close their primary elections. Why? Certain factions within the party — reportedly including then-gubernatorial hopeful Patrick Morrisey and U.S. Senate hopeful Alex Mooney — believed the change would benefit more right-leaning

Remembering a West Virginian who played a key role in U.S. history

  Today is the birth anniversary of one of the most intriguing figures in West Virginia history, who played a key role in American history.   You may not know his name, but someone I’m sure you do know, considered him his best friend.   Ward Hill Lamon was born in Summit Point in the Eastern Panhandle, on

Venezuela is “Wait and See”

Listen to “Venezuela is Wait and See” on Spreaker.   U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the early hours of Saturday morning, acting on orders from President Donald Trump. Later that day, speaking from Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump said the United States would “run Venezuela.” By Sunday, Secretary of State Marco

What a Difference a Year Makes

Listen to “What a Difference a Year Makes” on Spreaker. Next week marks one year since Dave Wilson and I inherited MetroNews Talkline. It still feels a little unreal. Flash back to the year 2000. I cracked a mic a time or two at West Virginia Radio Charleston on what was then 98.7 The Beat

Garnishing Wages Overdue

The federal government is preparing to restart one of its most aggressive student-loan collection tools: wage garnishment. Beginning early next year, the U.S. Department of Education will notify borrowers who have fallen into default that a portion of their paychecks will be withheld to cover unpaid loans. The initial rollout will be limited — roughly

How a local radio DJ introduced the US to Country Roads

David Hoyt was a young radio disc jockey, still in high school, when he first heard a song by a folk singer, describing the nostalgia of returning home. Even though Hoyt was just a teen after hearing just a few bars of the song that had not been released in the United States, he knew

Big Business is Good!

Today’s digital world is where like-minded purveyors of opinion tend to group together – if for no other reason than to hold a virtual pep rally reaffirming shared beliefs. Totally fine if that’s your thing. One unexpected upside? It’s never been easier to see what everyone thinks. Time has proven social media to be a

Berger Correct to Halt Food Dye Law

News broke late Tuesday of a federal court injunction issued in Charleston that temporarily halts West Virginia’s proposed ban on foods containing certain artificial coloring dyes. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger of the Southern District of West Virginia issued a 30-page preliminary injunction after finding serious constitutional flaws in the statute. The law was challenged

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Merry Christmas! To me, this season is about slowing down, reconnecting with family and friends, reliving old memories and making new ones. That’s my wish for you. Most of all, today is a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A day of thankfulness for the hope His message brings. Instead

A Christmas gift from 1863

With Christmas Day approaching, hopefully the holiday for you means plenty of family, friends and remembering the reason for the season.   The first Christmas for West Virginia as a state in 1863 was eventful in a variety of ways.  West Virginia entered the Union on June 20th, but statehood didn’t bring peace to the

Looking Back: Part One – Vaccination Debate

As the year begins to wind down, a commentary or two will look back at the issues that defined 2025 – and how they are likely to shape the debate heading into 2026. Let’s start with compulsory vaccinations. Anyone who follows West Virginia politics knows where things currently stand. The issue is now before the

Christmas on the hill

For those who have the luxury, today is the final workday before Christmas vacation, and some may even start their trek to their Christmas destinations. Growing up, we did not have far to go; almost our entire family lived in or near my hometown of St. Marys, but we still had our destinations to get

No-barrier shelter is actually getting in the way

Cities across the state are trying to develop strategies for dealing with a growing homelessness problem. Even small towns in the most rural parts of West Virginia have reported an uptick in homelessness and the problems that are associated with it. Non-profit organizations and volunteers often lead the charge to provide critical housing and services.

Media environment has evolved but has not changed

The way we consume news is changing dramatically. Hoppy Kercheval effectively illustrated how younger generations increasingly rely on social media, particularly TikTok, and influencers for their information. Today’s social media landscape is filled with misinformation, AI-generated deep fakes, and algorithms that prioritize content users already prefer. Social media personalities, striving to make a name for