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It’s Time To Let Light Shine on the World’s Darkness

It was several years ago we heard the sad news of a comedic genius death in the person of Robin Williams. I was talking to someone about Robin Williams, and they were telling me they remember him from TV, but they only saw the shows in re-runs. I told them that I was old enough to remember seeing it in its original season. Anyone who has been on the planet and watched TV or went to the movies, saw talk shows and news programs has seen Robin Williams. He was born in Chicago on July 21, 1951, studied theater at The Juilliard School before taking his stand-up act to nightclubs. ...

Making the Business Case for West Virginia’s Economy

I participated in my first presidential election in 1992 — well, sort of. Glen Dale Elementary School set up a mock election for the students to participate in, and I remember going into the voting booth and proudly voting for President George H.W. Bush. I guess it’s fair to say I was voting Republican in West Virginia long before it was in style. President Bush lost that election in a landslide to a relatively unknown Arkansas governor — Bill Clinton. The reason for the 1992 outcome can largely be attributed to voter sentiment that was summed up by Clinton’s chief strategist, ...

Awaiting Confirmation

West Virginians awaiting U.S. Senate confirmations will have to wait a little bit longer. Due to Senate Democrats dragging out votes on President Donald Trump’s appointees, the Republican majority has begun approving appointees in large batches. On Thursday, the Senate approved 48 Trump appointees. The next big block of appointees (hat tip Frank Thorp V at NBC News) will likely occur at the beginning of October, assuming the nation is not dealing with a government shutdown. The next block consists of 59 names, including three West Virginians. State Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, ...

First-Degree Murder With Mercy Must Mean More Than 15 Years

The brutal slaying of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte sent shockwaves across the United States. The murder shed light on a broken criminal justice system that seemingly cares more about criminals than crime victims. That’s particularly true in West Virginia, where a person convicted of first-degree murder with mercy is eligible for parole in a meager 15 years. Fifteen years. That is the same amount of time many of us spend raising a child from kindergarten through high school. It is not even the length of the most common home mortgage loan. It ...

From Steel to Code: Region’s Next Innovation Frontier

The Northern Panhandle has always demonstrated resilience. From steel mills to manufacturing, this region has reinvented itself time and again. Today, the next economic frontier is digital — blockchain, decentralized networks, and digital assets are no longer abstract technologies. They are ...

Misleading Approach From RFK Jr. on mRNA Vaccines

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made numerous misleading statements about the efficacy and safety of mRNA COVID vaccines and mRNA technology in general. His comments have stirred unease among many and reduced trust in mRNA vaccines. He has alleged that the COVID vaccines were not adequately tested prior to marketing and that long term adverse effects have not been determined. Moreover, adverse effects caused by the vaccine additives were not communicated to the public. In truth, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were tested on 33,000 and 44,000 volunteers, respectively. One half of ...