Public News Service

More than 200 child care centers in West Virginia closed between 2018 and 2019, according to ChildCare Aware. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Child care, tax cuts expected focus of upcoming WV special session

West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a Special Session on Sept. 30, with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax cuts and supplemental …

A proposal making the rounds in Washington, D.C., would incentivize states to incarcerate fewer people in exchange for federal funds to retool their sentencing guidelines. (Adobe Stock)

Proposal: Pay states to change sentencing guidelines, reduce prison populations

In West Virginia, 11,000 people are behind bars, mostly in state prisons and local jails. A new proposal has surfaced to bring those numbers down but …

A zombie mine is shown in Clintwood, Kentucky. (Erin Savage)

Zombie mines continue to pose environmental, health threats to Appalachia

West Virginia and other Appalachian states are littered with hundreds of "zombie mines," abandoned mines neither producing coal nor undergoing reclama…

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years had affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: One in five women personally impacted by Dobbs decision on abortion

As Texas made recent headlines for ruling against a group of women seeking abortion for serious pregnancy complications, polling found one in five …

Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is leading more than two dozen states in a lawsuit aimed at overturning the Environmental Protection Agency's recently released power plant regulations. (Adobe Stock)

Scorecard: How WV lawmakers vote on clean air, water

As West Virginia leads a group of states in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency's new emissions rules for power plants, a recent …

Children need regular well-child and dental visits to track their development and find health problems early, when they are usually easier to treat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Procedural reasons driving WV kids' loss in health coverage

More than 62,000 West Virginia kids have been dis-enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP and most were removed for p…

In the last decade, West Virginia state jails were the deadliest in the country, with 91 people who have died in jails over the past four years. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As WV’s jail crisis mounts, ‘Second Look’ policies gain traction

Amid overcrowding and unsafe conditions in West Virginia jails, state lawmakers introduced bills that would allow judges to take a 'second look' at …

A more diversified economy, including solar energy, is stopping the

putting people in West Virginia to work through paid on-the-job training. (Adobe Stock)">

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public New…

Since 2019, the total compensation paid to exonerees has nearly doubled. It now exceeds $4 billion, according to a new report by the National Registry of Exonerations. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: Compensation to exonerated people nearly doubled in five years

People wrongfully convicted of crimes in the United States have received around $2.2 billion in compensation claims since 2019. A new report by the …

Across the country, most states offer 26 weeks of unemployment insurance contingent upon the laid-off worker demonstrating their continued eligibility, according to the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Critics: Changes in WV unemployment benefits will harm families amid inflation

Critics say a bill passed by West Virginia lawmakers increases the bureaucratic red tape folks who rely on unemployment benefits have to navigate and …

The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. In 2023, the U.S. Forest Service and AmeriCorps signed a five-year agreement to establish the Forest Corps, to create job opportunities that reduce wildfire risk, support reforestation and make national forests and grasslands healthier and more resilient. (Adobe Stock)

American Climate Corps: Building more climate-resilient WV communities

A Biden administration program, the American Climate Corps, aims to hire and train 20,000 people in conservation, climate and clean energy jobs…

A survey conducted by Swiftly found 60% of Americans say they're currently struggling to pay for their groceries. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: West Virginians’ budgets shrink while corporations rake in profits

As the nation's largest corporations see their profits surge, more West Virginians are relying on assistance to meet basic needs as their spending …

Four of the five states that enacted the largest personal income tax cuts in the last few years have had slower job growth since enacting their cuts than the nation as a whole, according to the Center for Policy Budget Policy and Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV personal income tax cut will cripple communities

A new report singles out West Virginia for the state's costly tax cuts enacted this year, and the drastic lost in revenue expected to exacerbate …

The Congressional Budget Office projects the total cost of the 2018 Farm Act would be $428 billion over the five-year period between 2019 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Farm Bill extension could impact WV farmers

Despite the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, many federal agriculture programs West Virginia farmers depend on won't be authorized to operate without …

According to the group West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare, around 30% of West Virginia residents have medical debt in collections. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV could lose hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding

Since West Virginia's Medicaid eligibility review began this spring, around 100,000 residents have been kicked off the rolls. Experts have said many …

Private insurance companies deny more than 248 million claims or pre-authorization requests from their policyholders annually. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Concern mounts over denied claims by health insurers, impact on West Virginians

Congressional Democrats are investigating Medicaid prior authorization practices and denied claims by private health insurers. According to a …

A decade ago, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation began to privatize prison food, signing a three-year, $145 million contract with Aramark with the reported goal of reducing prison operating costs. (Adobe Stock)

WV prison food: Rotten or poor quality, lawsuits, lack of oversight

West Virginia's contracts with Aramark Correctional Services have come under scrutiny after a lawsuit brought by incarcerated residents, alleging …

Universities across the country are facing declining enrollment and increasing financial challenges. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Lawmakers call for special session on WVU's budget crisis

A group of West Virginia Democratic delegates is calling for a special session to address West Virginia University's budget shortfall. Del. Evan …

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2020 median salary for a police officer was $67,290, more than one-third higher than the national median for all occupations. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Ballooning Costs for Police Overtime Pay in Charleston, WV

The City of Charleston continues to funnel massive amounts of funding toward law enforcement. According to a new report, since 2020, Charleston's …

In 2021, some 53% of working adults ages 25 to 54 were parents, and more than a third of those parents had young children, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe stock)<br />

Report: More West Virginia Parents Not Working due to Childcare Issues

Thirteen percent of young children in West Virginia lived in families in which someone quit their job or refused a job because of responsibilities wit…

The number of people brought to jail on a capias arrest in West Virginia increased from 1,990 in 2012 to 4,936 in 2022, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. (Adobe Stock)<br />

New WV Law Aims to Address Jail Overcrowding

A new West Virginia law requires magistrates and judges to set a hearing within five days for people who've been arrested for not showing up to a cour…

Wetlands are valuable for flood protection, water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control, and provide habitat for thousands of species, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.(Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Conservation Groups 'Troubled' by SCOTUS Wetlands Decision

Since the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with private property owners in a battle of over wetland protections and the Clean Water Act, West Virginia …

The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills by June 5, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Billions in WV Federal Funds at Stake as Debt Ceiling Looms

Over the weekend, lawmakers announced they have reached an agreement to reduce spending and address the debt limit. The deal needs a full signoff …

Wheeling, W. Va., City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum talks to advocates at the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit, Omaha, Neb. (Michael Chameides)

WV Leaders Talk Farm Bill at Rural Policy Summit

Rural West Virginia communities are struggling to recover from decades of disinvestment, and some are counting on the next Farm Bill to help propel …

More than 5,000 workers lost their lives on the job in the United States in 2021, according to the latest Death on the Job report from the AFL-CIO. (Adobe Stock)

Worker Fatalities Rise Amid OHSA Funding Cuts

Eighteen West Virginians never returned home from their work shift last year, and advocates for workers' rights say oversight rollbacks and funding …

Lesser prairie chickens require large parcels of intact native grasslands, often in excess of 20,000 acres, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Congress Votes on Revoking Popular Game Bird’s Endangered Status

Congress votes today on whether the lesser prairie chicken -= a popular southwestern game bird -- should have its status as "endangered" overturned…

An estimated 1.5 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries are likely to save $500 per year on insulin because of measures in the Inflation Reduction Act, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Insulin Costs Shrink, Older West Virginians Can Meet Other Basic Needs

In West Virginia, older residents are no longer seeing the bulk of their household budgets go toward paying for insulin or rationing their medication…

During this year's ACA open-enrollment period, a record high of more than 16 million people signed up, with 4.4 million more enrolled for health insurance coverage since 2021, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As ACA Hits 13th Year, West Virginia Makes Coverage Gains

It's been 13 years since more than 156,000 West Virginians gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. As sweeping and …

Montgomery Mayor Greg Ingram looks out over the old library of WVU Tech, which the city is slowly attempting to repurpose. (Photo/Nick Fouriezos)

What Happens When a College Town Loses Its College?

By Nick Fouriezos for Open Campus via The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service Service for the Public News…

Research shows having access to health care can influence children's physical and emotional health, growth, development and their capacity to reach their full potential as adults. (Adobe Stock)

Eligible WV Kids Could Slip Through Cracks When Coverage Protection Ends

A pandemic-era law that helped keep children and families continuously covered is set to expire this spring, and advocates are worried the state's …

More than half of U.S. adults (51%) now consider a college education to be

Report: More West Virginians Completing College Degrees

West Virginia is among a handful of states with the highest increases in educational attainment between 2019 and 2021, according to a new report from …

According to a new report by EcoConsult Solutions, in more than a dozen states across the country, state legislatures have either passed or have pending bills that would pull state funds from investments deemed to be adverse to the fossil fuel industry. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV Taxpayers Burdened by Anti-Sustainable Investing Laws

West Virginia lawmakers are clamping down on corporations trying boost environmentally and socially responsible investing. A new report by EcoConsult …

Since 2018, a wave of public school teacher protests and strikes have occurred in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and other states. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Teachers Lambast Governor’s Proposed Tax Cuts

West Virginia's teachers' union warns that new proposed tax cuts will further shrink school budgets and drive more educators out of the profession…

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around 8.5% of funding for K-12 public schools, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Adobe Stock)">

Survey Reveals Sinking Confidence in Public Schools Among Voters

Five in 10 voters say their confidence in the public school system has decreased since the start of the Covid crisis and over the past year, …

Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits, loan guarantees and other incentives to encourage the implementation of carbon-capture technology. (Adobe Stock)">

Critics: WV Carbon Capture Hub a Boondoggle, Empty Promises

President Joe Biden's infrastructure law contains $10 billion to sow the seeds for the creation of pipelines to capture, transport and store carbon …

More than 80,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U-S between 2019 and 2020, the largest number of overdose deaths during a 12-month period ever recorded, according to the CDC. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Over-the-Counter Naloxone Spray Could Hit Shelves in 2023

West Virginians could soon be able to purchase naloxone, brand name Narcan, without a prescription. Earlier this month the Food and Drug …

The expanded Child Tax Credit offered families between $300 and $360 per month per child, which helped lift an estimated 3.7 million children out of poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Prices Climb, WV Families Face Hardship without Child Tax Credit

Some parents said they have struggled to make ends meet after federal monthly Child Tax Credit payments of between $300 and $360 a month per child sto…

Nine bipartisan candidates running for local office in Charleston have joined forces to tackle the region's most pressing issues, including the overdose crisis, broadband access and cannabis decriminalization. (Adobe Stock)

Bipartisan Candidates in WV Capital Join Forces to Combat Drug Crisis

A bipartisan group of candidates running for city council in Charleston say the city needs to tackle the region's drug crisis by decriminalizing canna…

West Virginia's Amendment 2 ballot measure puts more than $190 million in public school funding at risk, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. (Adobe Stock)

WV Ballot Measures: More Accountability, or Less Local Control?

The battle over property taxes and education in the Mountain State has intensified as Election Day nears. Opponents of Amendments 2 and 4 have …

Research shows around a quarter of Americans find it difficult to afford prescription drugs because of high out-of-pocket costs. (Adobe Stock)

Biden’s Insulin Cap is a Start, But WV Residents Can’t Afford Other Prescription Meds

The Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden last month caps the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors who have Medicare…

West Virginia has the potential to create more than 1,000 solar energy jobs, and nearly 3,000 energy efficiency jobs by 2030 and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, according to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act: A Pathway to Transition WV from Coal

West Virginia residents stand to gain from the tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation, supported by Sen. Joe Manchin…

In West Virginia's southern coal fields, coal production has steadily declined over the past decade, from nearly 117 million tons to 46 million tons, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)

In WV, a Push to Rebuild Economy from the 'Ground Up'

A new coalition of businesses and nonprofits in West Virginia is ready to create at least 3,000 new green industry jobs. They say they just need the …

The West Virginia Flood Tool is designed to provide floodplain managers, insurance agents, developers, real estate agents, local planners and citizens with an effective means by which to make informed decisions about the degree of flood risk for a specific area or property. (Adobe Stock)

WV Has 'One Chance' To Improve Flood Preparedness

The mayor of Huntington, where more than 200 homes were recently damaged by severe flooding, said now is the state's "one chance" to prevent other …

American billionaires saw their net worth climb by a collective $2 trillion, increasing 70%, during the first two years of the pandemic, according to Forbes data analyzed by Americans for Tax Fairness. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Could Gain $335 Million a Year from Billionaire Income Tax

State advocacy groups say West Virginia stands to gain from taxing billionaires. The Biden administration's "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax" would …

Fort Martin is a coal-powered electric power station outside Morgantown. In 2020, West Virginia was the second-largest coal producer in the nation, after Wyoming, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Adobe Stock)

Manchin Rails Against Inflation, Continues to Push Fossil Fuels

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., railed this week against rising inflation, and is pushing for the use of fossil fuels to combat rising gas and energy …

The nationwide unemployment rate for Black workers is 73% higher than that of white workers, according to data from the Century Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

WV Lawmakers Move to Slash Jobless Benefits

A bill moving through the West Virginia Legislature would cut unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 12. Lawmakers cite cost and the need to push …

In 2020, around 5% of West Virginia families lacked health insurance coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Bills Aim to Lower Drug Costs, Prevent Medicaid "Cliff"

West Virginia groups are pushing state lawmakers to pass several bills related to health care, bills they say would lower copays and increase access …

The Biden administration's American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit for more than 65 million kids nationwide, according to the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

For Parents in Recovery, Expanded Child Tax Credit Provided “One Less Stressor”

West Virginia families can expect a smaller federal Child Tax Credit this year, and no more advance monthly payments now that the Build Back Better …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - September 18, 2024

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WV: Budget Policy & Priorities