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West Virginia Watch
Censorship? That’s just obscene!
Last week, the West Virginia House of Delegates was home to a scene straight out of Saturday Night Live. Several “church ladies” who could give Dana Carvey a run for his money got up in that austere chamber to read passages that ranged from oral sex to proper insertion of anal sex toys. This surreal […] The post Censorship? That’s just obscene! appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden, Yellen tout their administration’s ‘invest in America’ economic gains
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden highlighted the differences between his economic policies and those of the last Republican administration during a trip to a Wisconsin brewery on Thursday, the same day new data showed the U.S. economy grew by 3.1% last year. Biden, who appears likely to face former President Donald Trump in the November […] The post Biden, Yellen tout their administration’s ‘invest in America’ economic gains appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. Senate Republicans insist they won’t bow to Trump demands to quit immigration talks
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. Senate negotiators said Thursday that final details on an immigration policy deal remain under debate in the U.S. Senate, despite outside pressure from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump to sink any agreement as he makes immigration his central campaign message. The No. 2 Senate Republican and GOP whip, Sen. John Thune, […] The post U.S. Senate Republicans insist they won’t bow to Trump demands to quit immigration talks appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Kenneth Eugene Smith executed by nitrogen gas for 1988 murder-for-hire scheme
The state of Alabama Thursday executed Kenneth Eugene Smith for the 1988 murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett. The execution, the first ever carried out with nitrogen gas, began at 7:56 p.m., according to the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. Smith, 58, made a final statement through a mask, which muffled […] The post Kenneth Eugene Smith executed by nitrogen gas for 1988 murder-for-hire scheme appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Shortage of prosecutors, judges leads to widespread court backlogs
Still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, court systems in many states are working to clear their case backlogs. Some court systems have moved cases faster using virtual court proceedings, court data dashboards and online jury selection. In other states, lawmakers are stepping in. The pandemic worsened problems that already had caused state and local court […] The post Shortage of prosecutors, judges leads to widespread court backlogs appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden administration to temporarily halt some export approvals for liquified natural gas
The U.S. Energy Department will pause approvals of new exports of liquified natural gas to all countries without a free trade agreement with the United States, Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said on a press call Thursday. They said the agency is readying a new review framework that could […] The post Biden administration to temporarily halt some export approvals for liquified natural gas appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Lack of information about tragic foster care cases prompts oversight bill in House of Delegates
Citing tragic child abuse and neglect cases, House members unanimously signed off on legislation Thursday that would permit them to go in closed-door meetings with health departments leaders in search of answers. The state health department has faced allegations of hiding how it manages the overwhelmed child welfare system. The bill, House Bill 4595, would […] The post Lack of information about tragic foster care cases prompts oversight bill in House of Delegates appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Major changes in federal flood insurance program urged by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — Congress has spent more than six years avoiding its responsibility to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, using a series of stopgap bills to extend the life of the program that has issued nearly 5 million policies. The lackadaisical approach to brokering a five-year reauthorization of the program was one of several topics […] The post Major changes in federal flood insurance program urged by U.S. Senate panel appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Education bills focus on what should be taught in classrooms and kept out of school libraries
A group of state Senate members looked up at a television screen on Tuesday as a three-minute sepia-toned video followed the growth of a single cell to a baby with fingers and toes in the womb. The “Meet Baby Olivia” video, sponsored by anti-abortion activist group LiveAction, would be required viewing in eighth and 10th […] The post Education bills focus on what should be taught in classrooms and kept out of school libraries appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Alabama set to attempt untried method of execution
Alabama is on the verge of executing a person on death row by nitrogen suffocation, a method that has never been used on a human being. Kenneth Eugene Smith, convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Sennett, is scheduled to be executed sometime Thursday or early Friday under the new method. Smith lost two separate […] The post Alabama set to attempt untried method of execution appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Overdraft fees, late fees could be slashed as White House continues attack on junk fees
The cost of overdrawing your bank account could ease considerably under a rule proposed last week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The proposed regulation is in line with a larger effort that the Biden administration has championed the past few years to crack down on “junk fees,” which are tacked onto everything from ticket […] The post Overdraft fees, late fees could be slashed as White House continues attack on junk fees appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
House education committee advances bill for transgender bathroom ban in schools
The West Virginia House of Delegates education committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would prohibit transgender students from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. House Bill 4806 would require public schools to restrict bathroom use to students based on the gender listed on the birth certificate issued at or near the […] The post House education committee advances bill for transgender bathroom ban in schools appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Maternal health: Access in crisis
Rural access to maternal care grows ever more challenging, with more than one-third of U.S. counties considered maternity care deserts, and according to a 2022 March of Dimes report, West Virginia received a failing grade for infant and maternal health. It is undeniable that infants and people giving birth are dying at increasingly alarming rates. […] The post Maternal health: Access in crisis appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
In milestones, Black women from South Carolina and Indiana confirmed as federal judges
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Wednesday confirmed the nominations of two federal judges in South Carolina and Indiana, bringing the total number of Black women tapped by President Joe Biden and cleared by senators as federal judges to 35. Judge Cristal Brisco is now the first Black judge and woman of color to serve as […] The post In milestones, Black women from South Carolina and Indiana confirmed as federal judges appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
On to November: Trump win in New Hampshire sets up 2024 rematch with Biden
WASHINGTON — Leading Republicans — and the Biden presidential campaign — on Wednesday rushed to identify former President Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee after he won decisively in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary. Trump bested Nikki Haley, his former United Nations ambassador, by more than 10 percentage points in a moderate state with an open […] The post On to November: Trump win in New Hampshire sets up 2024 rematch with Biden appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
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West Virginia Watch is an independent, nonpartisan news service based in Charleston. Our journalists will hold public officials and agencies accountable, and inform West Virginians of what’s going on behind closed doors. We focus on issues that affect our state every day – such as poverty, access to health care, the foster care system – with an aim of filling the gaps in coverage caused by shrinking newsrooms. The Watch is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit network supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. We retain full editorial independence. West Virginia Watch is free to read without paywalls or subscription fees.
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