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West Virginia Watch
Top GOP ‘election integrity’ lawyer charged in Arizona fake elector scheme
Less than a week after the Republican National Committee unveiled a “historic” new program to monitor the polls for fraud, a top lawyer with the committee was among those indicted for an alleged scheme to use false fraud claims to overturn the results of Arizona’s presidential election. Indeed, the lawyer, RNC senior counsel for election […] The post Top GOP ‘election integrity’ lawyer charged in Arizona fake elector scheme appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
State health officials: 152 potentially exposed to measles after Monongalia County case
State health officials say they’re continuing to monitor for disease transmission after West Virginia’s first measles case in 15 years was confirmed earlier this week in Monongalia County. The West Virginia Department of Health said Friday it has learned of an additional 152 people — 128 West Virginia residents from 30 counties and 24 people […] The post State health officials: 152 potentially exposed to measles after Monongalia County case appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Where is the common ground for abortion-rights opponents and supporters?
Editor’s note: This story is the second in a series about a group of people from Wisconsin trying to come up with policies to address abortion and its root causes that could be applied nationwide. Their larger goal is to find common ground on one of the most divisive issues in America. MADISON, Wis. — […] The post Where is the common ground for abortion-rights opponents and supporters? appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
More public colleges admit high schoolers even before they’ve applied
For some ninth graders near Fresno, California, the invitation — years before they’ll don a cap and gown — comes out of the blue: You’ve been accepted to Fresno State, the letter says. Public universities across the country increasingly are sending such acceptance letters even before students apply to college. In more than a third of […] The post More public colleges admit high schoolers even before they’ve applied appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Records show deceased Boone girl found emaciated was being homeschooled
A Boone County mother charged with child neglect linked to the death of her daughter had pulled the girl from public school for homeschooling, according to documents obtained from the local school district. The 14-year-old girl was found April 17 “emaciated to a skeletal state,” local deputies said. Her grandmother told WCHS that the child […] The post Records show deceased Boone girl found emaciated was being homeschooled appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
The opioid crisis is everywhere. Why aren’t our treatments for it?
In Appalachia, we’ve felt the opioid crisis in a way that few people outside of the region can really understand. West Virginia continues to have the highest overdose fatality rate in the nation — 90.9 for every 100,000 people compared to the national average of 32.4 — and we don’t have access to the resources […] The post The opioid crisis is everywhere. Why aren’t our treatments for it? appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
New EPA rules will force fossil fuel power plants to cut pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released a sweeping set of rules aimed at cutting air, water and land pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Environmental and clean energy groups celebrated the announcement as long overdue, particularly for coal-burning power plants, which have saddled hundreds of communities across the country with dirty air and […] The post New EPA rules will force fossil fuel power plants to cut pollution appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. House GOP bars earmarks for certain non-profits, after controversy over LGBTQ projects
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers will no longer be able to request earmarked funding for some nonprofits under a change in eligibility made by the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The alteration is related to an uproar during last year’s annual government funding process, when House Republicans, who are in the majority, […] The post U.S. House GOP bars earmarks for certain non-profits, after controversy over LGBTQ projects appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
PSC staff says Mountaineer Gas acted appropriately during Charleston gas outage
The staff of the West Virginia Public Service Commission says Mountaineer Gas Company acted appropriately in response to a gas outage last fall that left nearly 1,800 people on Charleston’s West Side without gas for about two weeks, and recommends the investigation be closed. In a joint memo filed Wednesday, the PSC staff wrote that […] The post PSC staff says Mountaineer Gas acted appropriately during Charleston gas outage appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
U.S. Supreme Court floats return to trial court for Trump in presidential immunity case
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Thursday of former President Donald Trump’s argument he is immune from criminal charges that he tried to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. But conservatives who dominate the court appeared open to returning key questions to a trial court, possibly delaying Trump’s prosecution beyond the November […] The post U.S. Supreme Court floats return to trial court for Trump in presidential immunity case appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Can 14 strangers from Wisconsin help America find common ground on abortion?
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series about a group of Wisconsin residents trying to come up with policies to address abortion and its root causes that could be applied nationwide. MADISON, Wis. — Thomas Lang, 61, is white, deeply Catholic and opposes abortion. “Each one of us has a beginning, and that […] The post Can 14 strangers from Wisconsin help America find common ground on abortion? appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
West Virginia lawmakers must fund fully Medicaid
Cutting Medicaid funding or services is NOT an option. Lawmakers must restore all Medicaid line items to the governor’s proposed funding levels during the proposed special session in May — we must preserve and protect services for our families. With millions of unspent funds left on the Medicaid table, Dr. Cynthia Persily, secretary of the […] The post West Virginia lawmakers must fund fully Medicaid appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Morrisey will ask U.S. Supreme Court to review West Virginia’s transgender athlete ban
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on if the state can enforce a ban on transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports. A federal appeals court last week ruled in favor of West Virginia teen Becky Pepper-Jackson, a trans girl who uses puberty blocking medication. […] The post Morrisey will ask U.S. Supreme Court to review West Virginia’s transgender athlete ban appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Supreme Court justices appear split over whether to protect abortion care during emergencies
U.S. Supreme Court justices spent two hours Wednesday debating whether a federal law about emergency treatment encompasses abortion care even in states with strict abortion bans, with no clear indication of how they may ultimately rule. A decision could come as soon as the end of June to decide whether Idaho’s near-total abortion ban means […] The post Supreme Court justices appear split over whether to protect abortion care during emergencies appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan into law
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan emergency spending law Wednesday to provide an additional $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and public pleas for Congress to approve the funding. The package also included a measure requiring the popular app TikTok be sold by its Chinese […] The post Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan into law appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Trump’s claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices […] The post Trump’s claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Millions of salaried workers to become eligible for overtime under new Biden rule
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor Tuesday announced a final rule that means millions of salaried workers who are employed in the executive, administrative or professional industries will become eligible for overtime pay. The rule will affect roughly 4 million workers in the first year of implementation and will be broken into two checkpoints. […] The post Millions of salaried workers to become eligible for overtime under new Biden rule appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Holdout states consider expanding Medicaid — with work requirements
In Humphreys County, Mississippi — about 70 miles north of the state capital, in the heart of the fertile Delta region — a third of the residents live in poverty. In Belzoni, the county seat, there are just a handful of health care clinics. The town’s only major hospital closed more than a decade ago, […] The post Holdout states consider expanding Medicaid — with work requirements appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Cabell County Board of Education’s proposed levy a slap in the face to libraries, parks
Nine months ago, I penned an open letter to the Cabell County Board of Education. I implored the members — Superintendent Ryan Saxe, Mary Neely, Rhonda Smalley, Coy Miller, Alyssa Bond and Joshua Pauley — to listen to the words of the community they supposedly represent and fund the parks and libraries of Cabell County […] The post Cabell County Board of Education’s proposed levy a slap in the face to libraries, parks appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Justice: Child Protective Services didn’t know about Boone girl found dead in a ‘skeletal state’
Child Protective Services had “no idea” about a Boone County girl who was found dead in “a skeletal state” at home last week, according to Gov. Jim Justice. The governor’s revelation on Tuesday came less than 24 hours after the head of the Department of Human Services said records related to the case must remain […] The post Justice: Child Protective Services didn’t know about Boone girl found dead in a ‘skeletal state’ 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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