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Point: Coal Needs To Be Part of America’s Energy Future

There is no disputing it: coal isn’t disappearing. Despite reports of coal’s demise, global coal use hit a record in 2024. Since the turn of the century, coal demand has doubled. The world needs a new political discourse on coal. This is not a fuel that is going to be phased out or a technology left behind. Its importance to energy security and energy affordability is growing. The misguided idea that the West would lead the developing world away from coal needs to be put to bed. Europe’s attempted dash to renewable power has left it energy insecure and home to the world’s ...

Counterpoint: Coal Doesn’t Fit With Nation’s Energy Future

For a decade now, coal has been on the way out. The industry’s future was considered mainly dead and buried until the Trump administration decided to pull out every stop to dig it out of the grave. And this wasn’t caused by any “Green New Deal” boogeyman stuff: the coal industry does not have the economics to survive intense competition from less expensive alternatives. Donald Trump’s efforts to revive coal will cost the U.S. time and money we can’t afford to waste, driving up energy costs for Americans and leaving the mining communities behind. As we look toward the ...

Marshall Memo: Getting Ready For a New School Year

The Marshall County Board of Education will continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income for the 2025-26 school year under the Community Eligibility Option. Extra milk costs 35 cents and a second lunch is $1.70, payable in cash at the time of purchase, while accommodations for students with special dietary needs are available at no additional charge (contact your school and submit a physician-completed Special Dietary Needs Medical Statement). The district’s Wellness Policy promotes nutrition, physical activity, and student health — get involved by ...

Welcoming Bernie Sanders to Wheeling

The Wheeling Academy of Law and Science carries on the tremendous local legacies of Walter Reuther, Augustus Pollack, Everett Lee, Mother Jones and all advocates for Labor, the Environment, and the Common Good. That’s why we’re supporting Bernie Sanders coming to Wheeling; because like ...

Hot Temps, Hot Tempers

They say that heat makes people cranky, and it sure seems like tempers and egos are clashing all over the place within West Virginia state government. Take the recent drama over the Legislative Economic Development Assistance grant program, the reincarnation of the former Budget Digest, where lawmakers used to put earmarks for projects in their legislative districts. Instead of lawmakers putting earmarks in the general revenue budget, past legislatures and governors came to an agreement where the Legislature appropriates money into a line item within the Governor’s Civil ...

AI Is Upending the Job Market, But This Industry Is Hiring

Today’s college graduates face a startling reality: many of the jobs they were hoping for are rapidly disappearing because of AI. As Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame recently observed, “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to learn to code. Well, AI is coming for the coders.” ...