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Health Care

Health care coverage is on the minds of many these days, as we consider what changes at the federal level might mean for those covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Here in West Virginia, approximately 19% of the population is covered by Medicare and approximately 28% is covered by either Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to a report by the Association of Health Care Journalists. But the topic is broader than those two kinds of coverage. According to WalletHub’s “States Where People Spend the Most and Least on Health Insurance,” West Virginia ranks ...

Dear President

It’s been a month since devastating flash flooding changed life for residents in the Valley Grove and Triadelphia communities of Ohio County. To ensure ongoing recovery, it is imperative that President Trump issue a major disaster declaration to facilitate federal assistance for the affected communities. The flash flooding, which occurred in the evening hours after 4 inches of rain dropped within just 30 minutes, led to the tragic loss of nine lives. Entire neighborhoods in Valley Grove and Triadelphia were inundated, with homes destroyed, roads washed out, and critical ...

Protecting Our Youth

Outbreaks of measles are still popping up all over the country. The summer break does not seem to have slowed the spread of this dangerous disease. Canada and Mexico are experiencing thousands of cases, too. In the U.S., the total number of confirmed cases this year sits at 1,267 — just shy of the 30-year high. Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah have active outbreaks. So far, two children and one adult have died. All were unvaccinated. Irrational decisions against the vaccine are ...

Concerns

The next tax-filing season — for 2025 taxes — might be one to remember, but not for reasons taxpayers would prefer. While many provisions of the new federal budget law signed by President Donald Trump are being welcomed by probably most Americans, because of tax benefits the budget package will provide, it is the upcoming filing season itself that could be a major cause of distress and taxpayer unrest as 2026 dawns. That’s especially true for taxpayers due a refund who depend on that refund arriving quickly to meet financial obligations. Perhaps timely refunds will not be a ...

Impact

Monday marked the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter in American higher education as E. Gordon Gee stepped down from his presidency at West Virginia University. Spanning more than four decades and multiple institutions, Gee’s career has been characterized by visionary leadership, an unwavering commitment to student engagement, keen insight into the future of education and a profound impact on the nation’s academic landscape. Gee’s journey began where it ends — WVU. He first served as the university’s president from 1981-85. His leadership trajectory then took him to ...

Flooding

What happened in Texas on July 4 was unfathomable. Flash flooding and its aftermath took the lives of —at this writing — approximately 120 people. Families and communities are devastated. Help from all corners is still desperately needed. And it is coming, even from the federal government, which rightly wasted NO time in quickly delivering a robust response. President Donald Trump approved Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a major disaster declaration only one day after it was submitted. That activated Federal Emergency Management Agency resources and help for survivors and ...