What exactly are Joe Manchin's plans? (And much, much more)
The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, June 1, 2024
Here’s the thing about doing a weekly news round-up on West Virginia:
Sometimes, we feel like we’re cobbling together whatever we can to make this thing interesting. Other weeks, it’s a barrage of material.
This week was the latter.
You may be a loyal reader and all, but we can’t just drivel on and on every week to no end and expect you to keep reading. Our editorial process is taken seriously — well, as much as we have the capacity to do so.
That said, I’ve always believed — and still do — that West Virginia is one of the most interesting places in the world for news.
Historically, this place matters. We’re the only state born out of the Civil War, we birthed the labor movement in the U.S. and, in recent years, have been described as “the heart of Trump Country” by some national media outlets. We’re also still a coal-producing state in a world that’s evolving in terms of energy.
Take all of that big-picture stuff out of the equation and daily news here can also make a lot of national headlines. We’ve had our fair share of natural and industrial disasters and politicians from here have become household names elsewhere. And, well, stuff just tends to come up.
As I put together this week’s recap of news, it struck me how much The West Virginia Weakly’s Saturday edition is like a five-minute newscast Giles and I put together in our real jobs. Sure, this email might come to you a few days after the news happens in West Virginia.
But, really, each of the stories I’ve included this week had at least some (if not quite a lot of) potential to be of national interest in its own way. We humbly feel like that’s a good enough reason to let us into your inbox every weekend.
The West Virginia Weakly Reader
👨🏼⚖️ Following Thursday’s conviction of former president Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, West Virginia politicians have weighed in on the matter. With West Virginia voting for Trump by wide margins in 2016 and 2020 — and with the state firmly in the hands of the GOP — the reaction should come as little surprise. Gov. Jim Justice (who’s running for U.S. Senate) called the verdict “a deeply troubling and politicized decision that undermines the principles of justice” and posted links to fundraising efforts for Trump.1 Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial nominee Patrick Morrisey posted a video to X, calling the case a “disgraceful witch-hunt.”2 As one would expect, state Democratic party chair Mike Pushkin sees Trump’s guilty verdict differently. “Democrats did not convict Trump. Biden did not convict Trump. He was convicted by a jury of his peers who heard the evidence, deliberated, and reached the conclusion unanimously,” Pushkin said.”3
🗳️ Joe Manchin is now a registered independent. The longtime Democratic stalwart can’t be called that anymore after announcing Friday morning he’s dropping his affiliation with the party. “[S]ince becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Manchin said in a statement posted on social media and his office’s website. “To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”4 The West Virginia Democratic Party expressed disappointment at Manchin’s move, but also noted his occasional opposition to national party causes.5
🏛️ News of Manchin becoming an independent draws more questions — especially when you consider he spent part of this week quashing rumors about running for governor. Speaking at an event Wednesday morning at the University of Charleston, Manchin said he won’t enter the race for governor and that he fully supports Democrat Steve Williams.6 “I don’t how this came about,” Manchin said of the rumors that began swirling following the primary election.
So, with all this news — what could possibly be next for Manchin? He’s apparently not running for governor as a Democrat. And, let’s face it, he’s been one of Washington’s most powerful players in recent years. Is Manchin really done with public office? Politicos I’ve talked to around the state certainly have their theories — and the Weakly’s editorial board is no different. We’re not going to offer our guesses quite yet (mostly because we haven’t sourced anything on this particular matter), but let us know in the comments what you think the future holds for Manchin.
🃏“Pick a card, any card,” is something one might hear from a magician. But it could be what city officials in Montgomery told Roger Landers and Shawn Malhorta on Thursday before it was decided which of the two won a seat on the city council. That election ended in a tie earlier this month, with Landers and Malhorta each receiving 109 votes. And to break that tie, Montgomery city officials had each of the two men pull a card from a deck. Landers pulled a 10; Malhorta a 4 — giving Landers the seat on the council.7
🤱The first ombudsman of West Virginia’s long-troubled foster care system has resigned, according to the state agency that oversees the program. The West Virginia Department of Health says Pamela Woodman-Kaehler will step away from the post June 6th and Elizabeth Hardy will serve as acting interim director for the office.8 Speaking about the situation Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice praised Woodman-Kaehler’s work and tried to dispel any concerns about her resignation.9
⁉️ Speaking of the child welfare system the governor indicated Wednesday his administration is still working through some details related to the death of a 14-year-old Boone County girl found in a “skeletal state” in April.10 Gov. Justice initially said Child Protective Services had no knowledge of the girl prior to her death. But investigations from news media have drawn that into question. Now, the governor seems to be dealing with whether it can be confirmed that a state trooper who did a welfare check at the girl’s home did make a referral to CPS in March 2023. Justice has promised to give an update on the investigation into the girl’s death on Thursday.11 It’ll be an in-person event (something that’s become a bit of a rarity for the governor since COVID) and media are being asked to RSVP.
⛏️ Environmental activists are urging federal mine reclamation officials to act now that a Milton-based Lexington Coal Company has racked up nearly $3 million in delinquent civil penalties brought by the West Virginia Department of Environmental protection.12 The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is reviewing Lexington’s permits after Coal River Mountain Watch wrote to them and said state regulators have failed to enforce the penalties against the coal company. This story is of particular interest to me, as I spent much of 2022 working on an investigation as a joint venture between NPR and Bloomberg13 about how some coal mining companies shed environmental obligations through bankruptcy. After Alpha Natural Resources filed for bankruptcy in 2015, Lexington took over much of Alpha’s mines — and, thus, its environmental obligations. But since then, Lexington has by and large failed to clean up the land. As part of that reporting project, I helped produce a segment on Morning Edition14 and a seven-minute long radio story on All Things Considered.15
👨🏻⚖️ The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is mulling a case that would decide whether the city of Huntington and Cabell County could file an appeal on a civil case they lost two years ago against three opioid distributors.16 Amerisource, Cardinal Health and McKesson recently filed a brief that calls on West Virginia’s high court to agree with a circuit court’s determination of what is considered a “public nuisance.” The state Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of the year.
🌪️ Officials with the National Weather Service have confirmed 15 tornados so far this year in West Virginia. But that figure — already a record for a yearly total — could very well be under-representative of the state’s 2024 tornado total, according to meteorologists at the NWS.17 The previous record was set in 1998, when 14 tornados were recorded over the course of the entire year, according to federal data.18 Something to keep in mind, though: This year’s tornado season isn’t over quite yet, opening the possibility for West Virginia’s 2024 twister count to rise. The NWS says this new yearly high-mark shouldn’t cause alarm — as technology like cell phones, doorbell cameras and social media makes it easier to confirm severe weather like tornadoes. Maybe you’re wondering whether climate change plays a factor in all of this (I certainly had to pose the question to Google)? Well, the jury is still out when it comes to climate change and tornadoes, according19 to a bunch20 of reputable sources21 I found online.
Everyone’s Got One — A look at op-ed type pieces that resonated with The Weakly ‘s editorial board this week:
Lawmakers, governor upset with results of West Virginia’s special session ~ Leeann Ray, West Virginia Watch
Jim Justice ~ Facebook
@MorriseyWV ~ X.com
West Virginia Political Leaders Speak Out On Trump ~ Joselyn King, The Wheeling Intelligencer
Manchin registers as independent ~ Office of Senator Joe Manchin, News Release, May 31, 2024
West Virginia Democratic Party ~ Facebook
Manchin addresses rumors about run for WV governor ~ Tyler McClung, Charleston Gazette-Mail
In the cards: Landers gets to keep Montgomery city council seat ~ Jessica Patterson & Jordan Mead, WOWK-TV
First ombudsman for West Virginia’s pressured foster care system has resigned ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews
Governor praises departing foster care ombudsman and brushes off concerns about her resignation ~ Brad McElhinny, WVMetroNews
W.Va. governor says CPS referral from trooper in Boone case can't be confirmed ~ Leslie Rubin & Bob Aaron, WCHS-TV
Federal action urged as prominent coal company nears $3M in delinquent penalties ~ Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
The coal is gone, but the mess remains ~ Josh Saul, Zach Mider & Dave Mistich, Bloomberg / NPR
Coal producers legally must restore damaged land, but some are dodging obligations ~ A Martinez, Josh Saul, Zach Mider & Dave Mistich, NPR
Coal companies use bankruptcy and asset transfers to shed obligations ~ Dave Mistich, NPR
Big 3 Drug Companies Argue For Supreme Court To Block Possible Appeal ~ Brianna Heaney, West Virginia Public Broadcasting
NWS says it’s possible the record number of tornadoes in W.Va. may be higher ~ Chris Lawrence, WVMetroNews
2024: A Record Year for Tornadoes in West Virginia ~ National Weather Service
Tornadoes and Global Warming: Is There a Connection? ~ National Geographic
Climate change and tornadoes: Any connection? ~ Yale Climate Connections
The exact link between tornadoes and climate change is hard to draw. Here's why ~ Rachel Treisman, NPR
I hope he decides to run against Jim Justice. But more likely, I think it's it's a just-in-case move for the Presidential campaign.