Breaking News

Editorial

Will the cycle end?

Another mass shooting. Another school shooting. Another senseless tragedy. What is there left for us to say that someone else hasn’t already said? Thirty-one people, including more than a dozen children, can be gunned down in less than two weeks, and yet nothing will change. America is well-practiced in offering the symbolic “thoughts and prayers” — so overused now that the once sincere condolences ring hollow — and then doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. There will be heated debates, occasionally bordering on vicious arguments, about how to stop the next ...

A few words of wisdom for the Classes of 2022

West Virginia University sent off its graduates a couple weeks ago, and this weekend, area high schools will be sending off their graduates with much pomp and circumstance. So we have some words for them: Life is a journey with many destinations. Each milestone is a stepping stone to the next phase. Some phases last longer than others. Some are more pleasant than others. Some phases end with a bang, while others transition so seamlessly you don’t even realize you’re onto the next part of your journey. For high school and college graduates alike, leaving school is your first ...

Mooney continues to rack up more ethics violations

Rep. Alex Mooney now faces new allegations of unethical behavior. This, after an investigation into alleged misuse of his campaign funds was launched last summer. To recap, in August 2021, the watchdog group Office of Congressional Ethics looked into the possibility Mooney had used campaign funds to pay for vacations to West Virginia resorts and for eating out (to the tune of $3,475). It also examined over $40,000 in expenditures it says Mooney failed to properly disclose, according to CQ Roll Call, which reviewed the OCE’s report. Mooney did eventually reimburse his campaign for a ...

The new approach to nuclear power

Now that the West Virginia Legislature lifted the moratorium on nuclear energy in the Mountain State, we’ve been hearing a lot about the alternate energy form. You may remember that early this month, Rep. David McKinley paid a visit to Harrison County to oversee the signing of a deal between X-Energy and Amstead Graphite Materials. X-Energy has a Department of Energy contract to build a nuclear reactor in Washington State, but it won’t use rods. Instead, it will use “pebbles,” and West Virginia’s Amstead Graphite will provide material for the pebbles’ protective coating. ...

Discussing inflation? Don’t forget greed

“Companies are paying higher wages, spending more for materials and absorbing record freight costs, pushing up economic inflation gauges. They are also reporting some of their best profitability in years.” The above quote comes from the article “What Does Inflation Mean for American Businesses? For Some, Bigger Profits,” published in The Wall Street Journal in November 2021. The inflation rate has steadily increased since then — and so have corporate profits. While most conservative economists and commentators are quick to blame inflation on demand outpacing supply, supply ...

Good news, bad news for formula shortage

For worried parents nationwide, there is good news and bad news on the baby formula front. First, the good news: Last week was a whirlwind as Washington, D.C., finally threw its weight behind solving the infant formula crisis. President Biden used the Defense Production Act to incentivize suppliers of key formula ingredients to sell to formula manufacturers. Production has also ramped up, and restrictions on imports have been temporarily relaxed. Biden even enlisted military planes to transport formula made abroad. The Food and Drug Administration also reached a deal with Abbott ...