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Congress Must Move Slowly on Federal Rail Regulations

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio — a mere 38 miles from Weirton — understandably captivated the attention of Americans for much of this year. A giant plume of black smoke tends to do that, and it also tends to lead to emotionally-driven decisions that will do little, if anything, to prevent the next disaster. While the company should absolutely aid those affected in Ohio, Pennsylvania and even West Virginia, which is crisscrossed with 2,000 miles of freight rail track, sobriety is needed in the face of sensationalist claims in the “if it bleeds, ...

‘RINO’ Accusations Are Already Flying

My friend, Wheeling radio legend Howard Monroe, had me on The Watchdog Morning Show last week to talk about the U.S. Senate race. A couple of his listeners had complained that Howard was dedicating too much time to talking about the race and how they were getting burnt out from hearing about it. How do you think people like Howard and I feel? We’re political junkies, but like any real or metaphorical drug, there can be too much of a good thing. I love politics and elections, but the last thing I wanted to do was begin covering the 2024 elections this early. People started ...

Manchin Must Keep Saying ‘No’ to Federal Asset Tax

Congress once again must take action to increase the debt ceiling while the federal government grapples with the nation’s ever-growing deficit. The debate on how best to right our fiscal ship continues to swirl while our economy remains challenging. But some of the ideas coming out of Washington, particularly related to tax reform, motivate me to speak out. During his State of the Union Address, President Joe Biden renewed his interest in a new federal asset tax, and I could not be more opposed to this idea. Families who work hard to build multi-generation businesses that create jobs ...

Marshall Memo: Tourism; Cameron; ‘Second Saturday’ Films; and Artistic Talent

This past week I came across a letter written 10 years ago from the Marshall County Tourism Committee to the Marshall County Commission dealing with its mission. The letter made mention of attractions such as Grand Vue Park, the Fostoria Glass Museum, Marshall County Historic Society, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, Cockayne Farmstead, Strand Theatre, Palace of Gold and the former WV Penitentiary, along with four restaurants that visitors might want to visit. Well, to start with there is no longer a tourism committee. Ten years later, instead of a tourism committee, there ...

The Biden Administration Must Embrace Domestic Mining

Americans are starting to see the results of the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden in 2021. Federal projects are now upgrading America’s transit systems and power grids, including a proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations. However, there’s a catch. All of these renewable technologies have spurred massive demand for key minerals and metals. But right now, global supplies of these resources are dominated by America’s rivals. The International Energy Agency estimates that demand for key minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and ...

Let the Mud Fly in West Virginia Senate Race

Judging by the crowd Thursday evening at The Greenbrier Resort, Gov. Jim Justice is heading into the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate with a lot of support. It was notable that U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, ranked number five in the Senate Republican leadership, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were the ones to introduce Justice and endorse him. I don't recall ever seeing Capito endorse in a Republican primary before; not even in the 2022 Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District that saw U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney defeat former 1st District Congressman David ...