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West Virginia Watch
The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state
The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state since 2022, better aligning the numbers of unfilled jobs and people seeking work. Nationally, for the first time since before the pandemic, the number of job openings and unemployed people is roughly in balance: a little more than one opening per person looking for […] The post The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Allowing the rusty MVP to go into service puts West Virginian lives and the climate at risk
West Virginians are at greater risk of pipeline explosions, environmental pollution, and climate catastrophe than we were a week ago. Last week the Federal Regulatory Commission approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline to go into operation after a decade of community resistance, six years of delayed and costly construction, and numerous violations along the construction route. […] The post Allowing the rusty MVP to go into service puts West Virginian lives and the climate at risk appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Congress silenced free speech in TikTok law, platform tells federal court
TikTok and its parent company argued Thursday in a federal court in the District of Columbia that the recently enacted law forcing a nationwide ban or sale of the popular platform violates the First Amendment. TikTok Inc., which operates the video-sharing service in the United States, and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., which was founded […] The post Congress silenced free speech in TikTok law, platform tells federal court appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
‘Extremely low pay’ cited at U.S. Senate hearing as prime reason for teacher shortage
WASHINGTON — The only reason John Arthur is able to be a public school teacher is because his wife makes much more money than he does. Arthur — the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year — testified on Thursday at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the […] The post ‘Extremely low pay’ cited at U.S. Senate hearing as prime reason for teacher shortage appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Democrats stress reproductive rights in fight for control of Congress, White House
WASHINGTON — Top Democratic campaign officials Thursday pressed their case for control of Congress and the White House by pointing toward the upcoming two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to an abortion. More than a dozen Democrats also introduced legislation in Congress to prevent a future Republican administration from using […] The post Democrats stress reproductive rights in fight for control of Congress, White House appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Backlash against DEI spreads to more states
SALT LAKE CITY — Shortly after taking office in 2023, Republican state Rep. Katy Hall heard from constituents complaining about how their adult children were required to write diversity, equity and inclusion statements while applying for medical and dental schools and other graduate programs in Utah. “It doesn’t seem right,” Hall said. “It doesn’t seem […] The post Backlash against DEI spreads to more states appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Health officer: Measles case response cost more than $15K
The local health department that responded to a single measles case in April spent more than $15,000 on the effort, the head of the agency said. Fifteen staff members of the Monongalia County Health Department spent a collective 250 hours to coordinate the contact tracing for the case. Approximately 160 people were potentially exposed to […] The post Health officer: Measles case response cost more than $15K appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Beyond the big story: There’s not enough mental health care for WV’s teen girls
You know this story. A girl was found dead on a bathroom floor in an “emaciated to a skeletal state.” Family members were charged with child neglect causing death. A government system continues to stonewall the media from getting answers. The governor says he is open to a special session to reexamine homeschooling policies to […] The post Beyond the big story: There’s not enough mental health care for WV’s teen girls appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Hope Scholarship board bans troubled Martinsburg microschool from program
Hope Scholarship board members voted Tuesday, June 18, 2024, to permanently ban a microschool in Martinsburg from participating in the program. (Hope Scholarship photo) The post Hope Scholarship board bans troubled Martinsburg microschool from program appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Swing-state legislatures diverge on election-year gun measures
Read more Stateline coverage of the 2024 election. States continued to diverge on gun policy this year, with especially intense debate in the swing states that will decide November’s election. In Michigan, legislators are considering at least half a dozen gun bills that would create storage requirements and establish gun-free zones. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are still debating […] The post Swing-state legislatures diverge on election-year gun measures appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Democratic women in U.S. Senate target Project 2025 on reproductive rights
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats held a press conference Tuesday to stand up for reproductive rights and freedoms, criticizing a plan by a conservative think tank that if adopted would hinder abortion and contraception access in a Trump administration. The lawmakers called attention to the potential restrictions former President Donald Trump could employ to reproductive health […] The post Democratic women in U.S. Senate target Project 2025 on reproductive rights appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Scientists argue over the origins of COVID-19 before U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — Scientists debated the origins of COVID-19 on Tuesday, trading barbs over whether the bulk of evidence available points to a natural spillover event from a wild animal or a virus designed in a lab and then let loose through an inadvertent leak. The hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and […] The post Scientists argue over the origins of COVID-19 before U.S. Senate panel appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Saxe accepts Berkeley superintendent job as Cabell County gears up for second levy vote
Amid an ongoing struggle between the board of education and community members who want to see increased funding to support libraries and parks, Cabell County Superintendent Ryan Saxe was hired Monday as the new superintendent for Berkeley County Schools. Saxe, a graduate of Cabell Midland High School who began serving as Cabell’s superintendent in 2017, […] The post Saxe accepts Berkeley superintendent job as Cabell County gears up for second levy vote appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. House ethics panel adds allegations to Matt Gaetz investigation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Ethics Committee released a statement Tuesday saying it has “identified additional allegations that merit review” based on its investigation of prior allegations that Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz had inappropriate sexual relationships and violated rules by accepting gifts. The committee is investigating allegations that Gaetz may have “engaged in […] The post U.S. House ethics panel adds allegations to Matt Gaetz investigation appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden to unveil protections for some undocumented spouses, easier DACA work visas
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Tuesday will announce deportation protections for long-term undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, along with quicker approval of work permits for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. President Joe Biden will formally make the announcement during an afternoon White House event to celebrate the 12th anniversary of […] The post Biden to unveil protections for some undocumented spouses, easier DACA work visas appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Foster care lawsuit: State attempting to shield more docs from scrutiny, attorneys suing state say
Attorneys suing state officials over its troubled foster care system say the state is attempting to shield emails, documents and more that could shed light on how the state has responded to the crisis. The West Virginia Department of Human Services — formerly part of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources — […] The post Foster care lawsuit: State attempting to shield more docs from scrutiny, attorneys suing state say appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
For child care workers, state aid for their own kids’ care is ‘life-changing’
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Child care worker Marci Then, 32, looked over at two 4-year-olds in her care who were tussling over a toy plate in a model kitchen set. “Are we sharing?” she gently asked them. They both let go. Then works at Little Learners Academy child care center near Providence, Rhode Island. Her daughter, […] The post For child care workers, state aid for their own kids’ care is ‘life-changing’ appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
How to rein in a Supreme Court? No one has done it like West Virginia
What if, when it comes to the U.S. Supreme Court, Democrats in the U.S. Senate took a lesson from West Virginia Republicans? Now there was a group of legislators who knew how to rein in a Supreme Court, and not let much of anything get in their way. As most readers will know, the ability […] The post How to rein in a Supreme Court? No one has done it like West Virginia appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
US judge in Kentucky blocks Biden Title IX rules, says ‘sex,’ ‘gender identity’ not the same thing
A federal judge has blocked new Title IX rules, including those aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in K-12 schools, and sided with Republican attorneys general in several states — including Kentucky and West Virginia. Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court in Eastern Kentucky on Monday issued a ruling siding with […] The post US judge in Kentucky blocks Biden Title IX rules, says ‘sex,’ ‘gender identity’ not the same thing appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
After cutting homeschool regulations, lawmakers may look to schools to fix oversight issues
After the Republican-led Legislature rolled back homeschooling reporting requirements, state lawmakers could ask public schools to bolster how they check in on homeschool families who haven’t followed regulations. The post After cutting homeschool regulations, lawmakers may look to schools to fix oversight issues 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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