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No fun to be found in W.Va.?

Most of us are proud of the state where we live for many reasons (and not so proud for others). But we don't usually tend to think of our home territory as "fun" as compared with other places. California, for example, is ranked the most fun state in WalletHub's "Most Fun States in America (2026)." Florida is second. It's hard not to wonder whether a certain mouse has something to do with that. West Virginia ... well, we know by now how this goes. According to the researchers at WalletHub, the Mountain State is the LEAST fun in the country -- 49th for entertainment and recreation, and ...

Resurgence in socialism

Socialism is having a moment in the United States … again. Recent election wins by candidates who identify as Democratic Socialists have generated interest in what supporters believe is a new and better way of governing. The movement has gained momentum among younger voters in ...

Make a point to meet the needs of ALL students

Decades after former Ohio County Circuit Judge Arthur Recht's ruling sparked what was meant to be a fair state school funding formula, the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia is bringing the matter back into the courts. It's possible that 44 years ago those who developed a partially enrollment-based funding formula could not have foreseen the hemorrhaging of population that has taken place over the past generation or so. But certainly today's elected officials are (and have been) well aware. They have simply chosen to ignore it, on many fronts. In the case of providing an ...

U.S. intervention in Japan’s economy might not be entirely altruistic

Japan’s yen has slid back towards 160 to the dollar, despite last month’s extraordinary US-Japanese intervention. Traders are betting that its role as a cheap funding pipeline for global finance will continue. Earlier this month the Trump administration stepped in to help Tokyo stabilise its currency. “Japan’s been very good to us, with the exception, of course, of Pearl Harbor,” Donald Trump explained. More help is likely to be on its way. But this is less a rescue of the yen than an attempt by Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, to preserve a cash spigot that benefits ...

Supporting tourism is support for W.Va.’s future

Two summers ago, then-Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism Chelsea Ruby said “Our problem … is an exceptionally good one to have: Tourism is growing so fast that our workforce is straining to keep up with demand.” Ruby deserves the lion’s share of the credit for that explosive growth, which required the launch of Tourism Works, a partnership with the Department of Education, in summer 2024. It put tourism curriculum in all 55 county school districts and built career pathways for students to earn credits and certifications that would meet the needs of the tourism ...