August 18, 2025 • 94 mins
WV Attorney General JB McCuskey details a lawsuit filed over the opioid epidemic. CBS News Scott McFarlane is live from DC where WV National Guard troops are being deployed. The UMWA's Brian Sanson explains the dangers of delaying a rule aimed at reducing miners' exposure to silica dust. Fox's Jared Halpern has the latest on Ukrainian peace talks.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hope you had a great weekend. Lots to cover today
another high stakes meeting, this time in d C. I'll
also followed concerning opioids here in West Virginia and a
silica rule delayed. We'll get into all of that. Metro
News talk Line is underway.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network,
The Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with
Dave Wilson and d J.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Meadows activate swit's new control from Charles.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
The morning stand by you, David, DJ, You're on.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Metronews. Talk Line is presented by Encovia Insurance, encircling you
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Speaker 1 (01:18):
Gangs al here ready to go on a Monday. Hope
you are prepared as well. Zach Carrolchik is running the
video stream this morning, Man of the People, and Sophia
Wasik is our audio producer. You can talk to Sophia
give her a call eight hundred and seven to sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven six five eight two five five,
She'll put you through to us, and that'll put you
(01:40):
on the air three oh four Talk, three oh four.
That is the text line. Those are the two ways
you can participate in today's show. Coming up later CBS News,
Scott McFarlane will join US Governor Morrisey announcing over the
weekend that three to four hundred West Virginia National Guardsmen
will be deployed or will be available to assist and
the President's federal public safety initiative. If you will in Washington,
(02:05):
d C. We'll get the latest on that second hour
of the show. Brian Sanson, you and wa scheduled to
join us to discuss the silica rule that has been
twice delayed. Later on, Jared Halpern was on the flights,
was on the trip from DC to Alaska. He's back
in DC.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Today.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
We'll get a recap of that meeting between President Trump
and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a preview of today's
meeting with Ukrainian President Voladimir Zelensky and other European leaders.
So a full show. Say good morning to TJ.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Meadows.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Morning, sir, Good.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Morning, sir. I don't know if you saw it over
the weekend. But Scottie Shuffler was dynamite, especially on seventeen
with that chip in Birdie. Maybe one of the top
ten golf shots of all time. We'd have to debate it,
but it's got to be up there.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I actually I did see that. I was flipping between
baseball games and races and whatnot, but did see the
shot on seventeen. Poor Robert McIntyre was not his day.
Speaker 6 (03:01):
No, he played great overall. I mean, he did well,
but Scotty was just that much better.
Speaker 7 (03:06):
So don't shush the crowd in front of scottischepo.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
The docile tones you hear are West Virginia State Attorney
General J. B. Mccusky. He fought a lawsuit on Friday
against Express Scripts now known as ever North Health, alleging
the pharmacy benefit manager played a central role in the
widespread oversupply of opioids here in West Virginia, and as
you already know, the Attorney General joins Usaw'm Metion News
(03:33):
talk line this morning from the Charleston Bureau.
Speaker 7 (03:35):
Good morning, sir, Good morning, How are you.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I'm doing quite well.
Speaker 7 (03:38):
How are you doing what I'm doing?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Good?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
You should have seen my double on sixteen, it was
a little less exciting than Scotty's chip in on seventeen
there triple Yeah, that was.
Speaker 8 (03:48):
You, not me.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So explain this lawsuit and how you alleged that Express
Scripts now ever, North Health contributed or was a central
architect to the over supply of opioids here in West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I think to start off with, I think we
need to realize that the opioid crisis in West Virginia.
While we are actually seeing for the first time in
a very long time, some very positive numbers as it
relates to the addiction rates in West Virginia, the overdose rates,
the death rates, some of the things that we're doing
are really starting to work. But the damage that was
(04:24):
done is generational, and the people involved, or the corporations
i should say, involved in creating this crisis were.
Speaker 7 (04:34):
Bad actors.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And one of the most crucial jobs that the Attorney
General has in protecting the consumers and the people of
West Virginia is determining who are those who have made
a mistake in the furtherance of a in the furtherance
of an otherwise positive mission, meaning companies that are trying
to do right and messed up right, we have to
(04:56):
treat them very differently than we treat people who are
in intentionally taking actions that are designed to harm West
Virginians for their own profit.
Speaker 7 (05:05):
And that is that is what we see here.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And as we've alleged in this complaint, express Scripts contracted
with drug manufacturers, the pharmacies that dispense the drugs UH
and the payers. Payers being the consumers as well as
the anybody who's paying for the drugs at the pharmacy.
That could be Peia, that could be Medicare, Medicaid, that
could be personal you know, people paying for their drugs
(05:28):
out of their own pocket. And as a result, you know,
we have this system where express Scripts controls an enormous
amount of the marketplace. They control the data, they control
the cost of the drugs, they control how the drugs
are marketed. And it's not just express Scripts they're there.
Their competitors are are Optimum CVS and and all of
(05:49):
these groups have sort of weaseled their way into the
middle of our healthcare and they've done so in a
way that has made their companies incredibly profitable and really large.
They all started as essentially part of sort of the
drug the pharmacy world, and as a result of their
manipulation in the market, they've become bigger than the very
(06:10):
companies that spun them off. And so they were really
sitting at the center of the drug crisis the entire time.
And instead of using their power and using their influence
and using their data and using their control to pump
the brakes on the opioid crisis and to tell prescribers
(06:31):
and to tell pharmacies, hey, we know that there's a
million pills going into crumb, West Virginia. There's no way
that that many people need. There's not enough people there
to ever need that many drugs. They figured, hey, we
actually kind of control how these drugs are getting out
into the marketplace, and we can exacerbate the problem to
our own profit.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
But do they because they don't write the prescriptions, they're
not the actual distributor, They never touch these drugs.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
In this case, they actually are really Yeah, Express Script
owns and maintains an online pharmacy here in West Virginia,
and so they are actually completely vertically integrated insofar as
you could order opioid prescriptions through through their online or
their their mail order pharmacy, and they controlled that system
from top to bottom.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
How does that make them different from the other PBMs.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
No, No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They they have essentially created a world where there is
no drug that enters the home or the bloodstream of
a West Virginia consumer that doesn't touch a pharmacy benefit manager.
And Express Scripts was able to conceal their behavior to
the degree where they were even able to to get
large contracts with the state to be the pharmacy benefit
(07:42):
manager for a large swath of West Virginia consumers. And
so not only were they exacerbating the problem, but they
were keeping their behavior so secretive and so and so
contained under this giant corporate veil that it was only
just very very recently that we were able to understand
the scope and the power that they had, and also
(08:06):
really what their role was in destroying the lives of
thousands and thousands and thousands of West Virginians, destroying the
hope for thousands and thousands of West Virginia children, creating
a foster care crisis that is beyond contemplation, and all
of these things, all of the things that we've seen
through the opioid crisis. We're going to hold Express Scripts
accountable for their actions to.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
State Attorney General JB. McCuskey, joining us on Metro New's
talk line, his office filing a lawsuit against Express Scripts
for its role in the opioid crisis. Was this a
bad actor or a handful of bad actors or was
this a corporate atmosphere that drove this type of action.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
I'm going to go with the former, Dave.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I can't really see the benefit of their actions as
it related to how opioids were distributed in West Virginia.
It becomes very, very obvious to me. You know, every
corporation trying to make money. That's the point. That's what
capitalism is. And capitalism in all of its forms, when
it isn't interjected with evil, is a good thing. It
(09:09):
is the greatest it's the greatest system to remove people
from poverty and to get them into the middle class
that's ever been created. But the downsides of capitalism are
that there are bad actors in the system who are
willing to use human suffering for their own profit. And
I think that's what we see here. That's the reason
why we've written the complaint in the way that we've
written it. That's the reason why I'm speaking in such
(09:32):
sort of specific terms here, and you know it is
the job of the Attorney General in many respects to
protect capitalism by holding accountable people who take advantage of
the parts of the system that enable people to get
rich using other people suffering.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
When I take a look at some of the narratives
that are out there from those that support the PBMs,
one that seems rather prolific to me is, look, our
job is cost control. It was somebody else's job to
worry about in the middle there. So I know you're
going to but that's what they said.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
I'm not going to let you say that the PBMs.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
I didn't say it, are did?
Speaker 7 (10:11):
Are well?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You said people that support them? I haven't found too
many of those. But our drug prices have never been higher.
It is one of the main focuses of President Trump's
second administration is to lower drug prices. Our drug prices
have done nothing but skyrockets since the PBMs have weaseled
their way into this system and enabled themselves to use
formularies and secret data.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
Explain that formularies explain that essentially.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
It's a list of drugs that they will provide better
rebates for pharmacies for prescribing, so so they get a kickback. Yeah,
I mean that that's your words, not mine, but it is.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Essentially, what it says is is, you know, if this
patient comes in and says they need they have X, Y,
and Z prescription, these are the ones that you need
to sell them. And if you do sell these, then
we will provide extra money back on the other end
to the other people that are that are part of
the system. And to be fair, the other people that
are part of the system don't understand the system. The
system is so big and so complicated, and they control
(11:08):
so much of the data and so much of the
language and the contracts that it's almost impossible for a
regular pharmacy to understand even what their relationship is with
the pharmacy benefit manager, to even understand what the pharmacy
benefit manager might be doing not only to the pharmacy itself,
but also to the consumers that utilize it.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
In this instance, in this lawsuit, did Express violate West
Virginia law?
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah, how so they did it in a myriad of ways.
But when you look through the when you look through
not only our rules as they relate to pharmacy benefit managers,
which the legislature has done a great job of starting
to understand this problem, starting to create some laws that
create transparency and some real consumer power as it relates
to how they are are dealing with the pharmacy benefit managers,
(11:54):
but more importantly are our consumer credit or our consumer
protection laws in West Virginia are very very about the
ways in which corporations are allowed to act, and in
multiple instances, and we can get into it at some
other time when we have a little bit more time
to talk. They blatantly violated West Virginia consumer laws, they
blatantly violated West Virginia's tort laws, and they've blatantly violated
(12:15):
multiple very very recent state laws that have been passed
by the state legislature.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
You have pending legal action, so you're limited in what
you can say, and I understand that we're talking about
express scripts. Is anyone doing it right? Is there any
PBMs that are good actors that are examples for the
rest of the marketplace that you can think of?
Speaker 7 (12:36):
I haven't seen one.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I think part of that question is is it possible
to do it right within the system of our healthcare
that is just ballooned into something that no regular person
can understand. I mean, when was the last time you
got a bill from a hospital that you could look
at and be like, Oh, I owe them this much
money and here's why. Right, And the same thing applies
when you go to the pharmacy. You can walk in
(13:00):
to Kroger's or CVS, or or into Walgreens or to
your local pharmacy. Right, there's so many great local West
Virginia owned pharmacies here in West Virginia. You walk in
there and on Tuesday it costs twenty three dollars for
your prescription. On Thursday it costs forty one dollars. If
you walk into Kroger's, it costs sixty three dollars if
you walk into Walgreens.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Totally.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
A couple of weeks back, I went to a place
for a prescription three hundred dollars, three shopped a round,
ended up getting for forty dollars. So I go to
three different places now and see who has it the cheapest.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
And do you have any understanding of why that is?
Speaker 9 (13:28):
No?
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Because I don't have time for that.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
You don't have time for it, and it is intentionally
made so confusing that people just give up, Right, and
they just say I need my prescription, I'm going to
buy it. I'm here, and you know that that is
bad for consumers and it is actually a huge part
of what some of the other things that we're investigating
as it relates to our healthcare system might involve in
(13:50):
cases in the future.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
JB, what are you asking for? What do you want
out of this lawsuit?
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I mean, ultimately, what we're asking for is money. And
you know, in this world, accountability is achieved through financial transactions,
and the amount of damage that has been done to
the people of West Virginia isn't monetizable. You can't look
at a mother who lost their son. You can't look
at a son who lost his mother and say this
(14:17):
is how much that child or that person's life was worth.
You can't look at an entire state and say we
have destroyed your workforce and we've destroyed the hopefulness of
so many incredible, hard working people and put a dollar
figure on that. And that's the really hard part about
this is how do you try to do that. They
can't really achieve accountability with an apology. Note right, this
(14:38):
isn't tittley winks, this isn't fourth grade they didn't pinch
a little girl on the playground, right. This is generational
damage that not only cost the state outrageous amounts of money,
but cost us so much more in ways that are
very very difficult to quantify.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
But quickly other states have done this, I think Kentucky, Michigan.
Have there been any outcomes in those cases yet.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
They're all still pending. And this is the first step
in what's going to be a very, very long road.
What we know about companies who are willing to conceal
their behavior in order to achieve massive profits at the
expense of state laws and at the expense of people's lives,
is that they have really good lawyers and they're willing
to spend an enormous amount of the money that they've
(15:21):
profited in order to defend their actions. And so we
have an incredible team legal team West Virginia based lawyers
here who are the best I've seen, and they're ready
with their heels dug in to fight this as long
as it needs to be fought. And we feel great
about our complaint, we feel great about our we feel
really really great about where we are.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
But it's the first step in a really long road.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
That I believe is going to end with significant accountability
and hopefully significant resources that will help us to rebuild
West Virginia.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
State Attorney General JB. Mcuskey, he's got a news conference
coming up at eleven o'clock this morning. We will have
a story posted shortly over at wmetronews dot com. Thank you, sir,
always appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 7 (16:03):
Hey, Thanks Dave. We'll talk to you guys soon.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Absolutely coming up more from the the INCOVID Insurance studios
as we continue here on talk line back in a moment.
Speaker 10 (16:13):
I'm doctor Ann Murray, Division Chief of Conference and Movement
Disorders at the WU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. West Virginia has
the third highest prevalence of Parkinson's disease in the country.
Although Parkinson's is relatively common in our state, no two
stories or two patients are the same. Here at the
R and I, we understand that and shrive to understand
you and better treat your disease so you can get
(16:35):
back to living your life. Call three h four five
ninety eight six one two seven to schedule an appointment.
Speaker 11 (16:43):
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(17:04):
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Speaker 2 (17:24):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Coming up after the news, CBS News Scott MacFarlane going
to join US members of the West Virginia National Guard,
Ohio and South Carolina going to be deployed or be
least available to assist in Washington, d C. We'll talk
about the Guard's presence there and the President's emergency authority
in Washington, d C. Three or four Talk three or
(17:55):
four is the tax line eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two five five. Let's get some text in
three or four three oh four Texters says the sad
part of the opioid settlement. Is not one single family
that lost a loved one from this garbage will receive
a penny of this money, says the Texter. The hospitals
and licensing boards in West Virginia have gone unpunished as
(18:16):
they turned a blind eye to the prescribing escalation three
or four talk three or four. You know who first
sued pharmacy benefit Manager's President Biden. Now these magafools and
this guy are acting like it's their idea. Question mark.
Remember always that Republicans have no honor or integrity. If
you hate the power that the PBMs have, just wait
(18:37):
until you see how the corporate oligarchy takes over everything
only to benefit Republican politicians.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Did you hear novelty in his idea? I mean he
said Kentucky had already done it. Michigan had already done it.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Three or four talk three or four. When doctors writing
prescriptions are held accountable, the public will see it's no
longer just about free money. For this date, West Virginia
won't hold suppliers accountable. Heck, West Virginia elected an opioid
lobbyist as governor. I think JB needs to look inside
the house for more bad actors, says the Texter. Here
(19:12):
we go West Virginia. The sue me states, dot dot
dot dot dot dot dot dot. I think I got
all the dots in there. I get your point. Though,
I got your point.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
Ask you a question. These formularies, these rebates, these kickbacks.
Who was benefiting off that was the PVM passing that
along to their customers? I don't know, but I think
it's interesting that if you've got drugs where you get
a rebate, you're obviously incentivized to try to market those drugs.
Be interested to follow this and see how the testimony
(19:41):
on all that angle of this plays out. I don't
know that business well enough to understand who was really
profiting at the end of the day. I would imagine
maybe maybe the consumer got some of the rebates and
then the PBM kept the majority of it. I don't
know that, but I find that angle and that strategy
very interesting relative of prescription drugs.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I just this is an oversimplification of everything. But when
it comes to health insurance, when it comes to just
gotta be careful here, everybody's out to screw me. That's
my pretty much my feeling as a consumer. Is everybody's
out to screw me? So I do not feel bad
when you shouldn't feel bad when you try to bargain
when you're buying a vehicle, buying whatever you're buying. I
(20:23):
know that's over simplistic and a bit jaded and probably
a bit callous, but nonetheless, everybody's out to screw me.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
So is it jaded or is it smart?
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Dave?
Speaker 6 (20:31):
I think it's smart on your part to think buy
or beware and someone is trying to I mean exhausting.
I can tell you that it's exhausting when you go
to a doctor, especially with health care, when you go
to a doctor and you're trying to figure out are
they making decisions that are in my best interest or
are they making decisions based on my insurance. Is the
insurance company making a decision that's in my best interest
(20:52):
or they just want to get me or get my
grandpa or my mom or dad moved along because that's
going to be really expensive for that company.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I had some reason, man, Yeah it is.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I've had some reason lately to learn a little bit
about the Mayo Clinic, and I must say one of
the things that has surprised me and I've I've appreciated
this about the Mayo Clinic. All the doctors there are
on salary. So if you order a thousand tests and
bring in a thousand specialists, you get the same amount
as if you do none of that in terms of
your compensation.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Coming up, we're gonna talk to CBS News Scott McFarland
Hill join us as three states, including West Virginia, have
committed National Guard troops to help in the effort in DC. Well,
talk to him about that. More of your texts coming
up as well. Three h four Talk three four and
eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five. This is Talk Linel
Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
(21:49):
It's ten thirty. Let's get a news update. Check in
with the Metro News Radio Network. Final, what's happening across
the great state of West Virginia.
Speaker 12 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins. The State Public
Service Commissions expect to at some point get a filing
from the developers of the Moral Transmission Line project, who
want to build that line through parts of several West
Virginia counties into Virginia for a data center. Community meetings
held the last two weeks have produced opposition. Berkeley County
Delegate Chris Anders attended a meeting last week at Shepherd University,
(22:19):
and not.
Speaker 9 (22:19):
One single person that showed up, not one that showed
up at this open house supported this effort. Everybody showed
up and opposed.
Speaker 12 (22:28):
The project has yet to be filed with the PSC.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is scheduled to hold
a virtual public meeting this evening to take comments on
a data center being proposed for Mingo County. That proposal
from trans Gas is under review. The virtual public meeting
set for six this evening. The startup of fall semester
classes on college campuses across the state means the welcoming
(22:49):
of the latest class of Underwood Smith Teaching Scholarship recipients.
The freshman will train for the next four years, receiving
ten thousand dollars a year in exchange for teaching in
West Virginia. Our high school graduate, Sarah Fallstick, is getting
started at WVU. She says, this group is ready to
get started. After meeting together this.
Speaker 13 (23:06):
Summer, he learned everything about the scholarshaid that we didn't
already know we met all of the other underwent Smith scholars.
I met the other one from w and like, we're
already really really good friends and already making plans to
hang out when we're down at WVU.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
You're listening to Metro News for forty years. The Voice
of West Virginia.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Got ready for some hard hitting high school football. Her
twenty twenty five season kicks off with a showdown you
won't want to miss. It's the SSAC Kickoff game presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, featuring up Parkersburg
Big Reds versus Morgantown Mohegans Thursday, August twenty eight, best
seven pm met Morgantown High School, brought to you by
(23:43):
Gomart Fresher Engineering, Marshall University and the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.
Stream the action live on Metro News Television. Visit WV
METRONEWSTV dot com for more information.
Speaker 14 (23:54):
With the right support and care, the seed can grow
into a resilient plan. Recovery takes patients intention and a
willingness to listen. Every path is different, and every story
of substance use is an opportunity for transformation. When it
comes to growing and restoring our communities, we need everyone
(24:14):
to break through addiction. Learn more at back to Life
wv dot org.
Speaker 12 (24:22):
We expect more information today from state police about a
bad crash in Tucker County Authority Stay. An ambulance and
motorcycle collided the entrance to Tucker County High School at
Hambleton at around twelve twenty Sunday morning. One person was
flown from the scene. Another hot one today in West Virginia.
Temperatures getting into the nineties and some areas the heat
(24:43):
indecks arise to be above triple digits today. From the
Metro News anchored desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Three or four Talk three four. That is the text line.
Coming up second hour of the show. Brian Sanson, treasurer
with the United mind Workers of Americas, will join us
as a silica dust rule has been delayed for a
second time. UMWA condemning that decision. We'll talk to Brian
coming up second hour about that. Over the weekend, Governor
(25:33):
Morrissey announced that members of the West Virginia National Guard
will be deployed or at least be available to assist
DC in the President's Public Safety Initiative over there. Governors
in Ohio and South Carolina have also committed National Guard
resources and troops to help. What will the National Guard's
role be moving forward?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What's it been?
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Well, let's bring Scott MacFarland into the discussion. He is
with CBS News and he joins us on Metro News
talk line. Scott, good morning, Glad you could join us again.
Let me try that again. I hit the wrong button. Scott,
good morning.
Speaker 15 (26:06):
Say that it's still nice to be here.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
So this has been going on now about a week
or so. What's the feeling been in Washington, D C?
Particularly with having the National Guard in town.
Speaker 15 (26:19):
This is a fascinating issue on so many levels, one
of which is that there's not one side and the other,
Like so many binary twenty twenty five political issues, there's
a whole range of opinions in Washington, D C. Among
the people who live here and among the people who
work here about the National Guard, including the West Virginia
National Guard, sending three to four hundred people here. There's
(26:42):
a frustration with crime in the District of Columbia, much
as there's frustration with crime in many American cities. There
are some people who like the idea of there being
more law enforcement out there. I mean, these kids are
about to go back to school. You want to go
out on a summer night to the store, to a restaurant,
walk to work. You want to feel safer. Crime may
be down a bit here in Washington, but it's not
(27:04):
acceptable at the level it's at according to anybody. This
does to some people feel heavy handed, though. To have
military hum these on neighborhood streets, to have American troops
helping police American neighborhoods just feels un American, according to
the mayor, and maybe leaving a bad taste in some
people's mouths. But this is not a binary issue where
(27:26):
there's one team on one side the other team on
the other.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Scott.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
One of the criticisms has been those National guardsmen who
are there. They're not necessarily deployed to the high crime areas.
I'm wondering if we know why that is. Could it
be because they're in support roles and actual agents or
actual police officers are now able to go to those areas,
or they just misdeployed. I'm curious you have an insight
on that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
That's a big complaint. You're spot on bringing it up.
Speaker 15 (27:54):
First off, the National Guard members at this point in
time as the week begins, are not armed, they're not carrying,
and they're publicly declaring that they're not carrying, which as
you know, is its own dynamic. And what's more, they're
not in arrest roles right now. The White House is
said that can change, but they're in a support role
with law enforcement, federal law enforcement and local police the
(28:16):
arresting and doing the firearm carrying. That may impact the
locations where they feel comfortable deploying National Guard vehicles and people.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Washington, d C.
Speaker 15 (28:28):
Term for the southeast and northeast neighborhoods that are known
to have histories of crime spikes are Wards Wards seven
and Ward eight. They have been deeply problematic with crime,
including present day. We spent a lot of time there
in the past few days. We have not seen even
the federal agents deployed visibly in those communities, and that's
(28:50):
raising questions. If you have uniformed law enforcement with carry permits,
with the ability to affect arrest, maybe they should be
more deeply ingrained in those higher crime neighborhoods. Right now,
what we're seeing is they're in the areas where there's nightclubs,
where there's nightlife, the gentrified communities of northwest Washington, d C.
And they're on the National Mall, near the monuments and
(29:12):
near the tourists.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Talking to Scott MacFarland, CBS News in Washington, d C.
So the National Guard is not caring. The National Guard
troops do not have a rest authority. What is their
role at this point is as support personnel.
Speaker 15 (29:28):
The way it was described to us initially is they'd
be there for logistics, could be for transport, could be
to hold somebody for future arrest. But they're also visual.
They're visible. I mean, this is what happens on the
New York City subway. Here in Washington, you walk out
of the train station, you will see National Guard. Now,
maybe that's a deterrent, Maybe that's a sign you don't
(29:48):
want to pop off. But I'll add this and this
is just from my perspective having been near the Maryland
West Virginia border as a resident for the last twenty
one years. There at of people from West Virginia make
that commute into this city every day. I two seventy
off of Interstate seventy is just filled with West Virginia
license plates coming through Maryland into Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Where a lot of folks work.
Speaker 15 (30:12):
So West Virginia has skin in the game here, and
the governor may be mindful of that when he makes
this deployment, knowing that it's an awful lot of his
constituents who do work in this city every day.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Will surprise you how many folks make.
Speaker 15 (30:23):
That long commute, either on the Mark train from Martinsburg
or Harper's Ferry or do the long drive. There is
an equity West Virginia has that maybe the other states
setting National Guard troops do not.
Speaker 6 (30:35):
It's interesting you bring that up. How has the dynamic changed,
if at all, from what you're hearing on the ground,
Because it's perhaps one thing under the Home Rule Act
for the DC National Guard to be deployed. Once you
bring in West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina, it would seem
that might change the essence of the argument. Are you
hearing those narratives in those themes from people who are
on the ground.
Speaker 15 (30:56):
Goodness, yes, The concern that is most transcended here is
that these people don't know our community. And if you're
going to police our community. You should know our communities.
You have relationships skin the game with people who live
in these communities, and if you have people coming from
South Carolina and Ohio, they're outsiders. We saw some protests
over the weekend, people confronting the federal law enforcement, the
(31:20):
ones who wear the masks and don't have visible badges
and IDs on them. That type of thing can be
exacerbated when you bring more outsiders into any community in America.
What's more, more protests we have, the greater the prospect
of copycats or outsiders coming in to fuel those protests,
and then they're being some type of interaction that make
(31:41):
it physical.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Talking to Scott MacFarlane with the CBS News joining us
here on Metro News talk Line this morning, I thought
everybody in DC was from somewhere.
Speaker 15 (31:50):
Else too well, in so many ways in the business district,
certainly at the government offices, at the visible parts of DC.
That's true, that it's exactly the dynamic at play here
because in some of those Southeast Northeast communities you have
people who have been here their entire lives for generations,
and there's a thus them versus us dynamic from the
(32:12):
many many of us who came from elsewhere in America
and set out to put roots down in Washington, DC
and those who've always been here, and that type of
wedge I think is exacerbated by this.
Speaker 6 (32:25):
I don't want to be too speculative, but I do
wonder thirty days is not a long period of time.
Congress is on break, but they're coming back. Is you
know what happens next? Because Congress is going to have
to get involved in this. Maybe they won't want to,
but I would think they're not going to have much
of a choice.
Speaker 15 (32:41):
Congress would have to approve any extension beyond thirty days
of the federal takeover of the nation's capital. They'd have
to approve of that. I could tell you right now
there's long shots and then there's long shots.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I mean, this wouldn't be like a lottery ticket.
Speaker 15 (32:57):
This would be like a powerball ticket for Congress to
secure Democratic votes to extend this. Considering it's a provocative
thing and the president has ownership of it right now,
and it has his fingerprints all over this thing, so
it does have to end after thirty days. The President
has alluded to he wants to keep it going. He
will extend this but in court Friday, when the District
of Columbia must I legal challenge to all this, a
(33:19):
Department of Justice attorney representing the president's administration acknowledged this
has to end after thirty days unless the Congress extends it.
But you can just hear it in the voices of
people who are concerned that this will extend or metastasize
to other US cities, even though the federal government doesn't
have the autonomy it has in the District of Columbia.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Not to make it about politics, but it's DC. Everything
has some sort of political consequence here, Scott, as you know,
but much better than I do. But has Trump again
painted his opponents into a corner where they've got to
argue some sort of existential you know, is it right
or wrong? She's got to show restraint versus at the
(34:03):
same time that he can go, well, then you don't
you want crime? I'm just trying to stop crime. Here
make an argument against why I shouldn't stop crime. He's
kind of it feels like he's painted them into a
precarious political corner.
Speaker 15 (34:14):
This is this is definitely a wedge issue among Democrats,
and the president knows that his congressional allies know that
they've had votes in the last few years. I matters
involving the district of Columbia, and it splits the Democratic
caucus because people don't want to be seen as soft
on this or soft on that, or support of a
big government, or or more than anything, soft on crime.
(34:35):
In fact, you see those frontline Democrats, the ones who
run in really competitive districts and really overachieve compared to
the rest of the party. They split with the rest
of the caucus on this. And the President's got a
good wedge issue here, but he's also galvanizing the opposition.
And that's that's what a good wedge issue does, right,
It fires up both sides.
Speaker 6 (34:57):
So not every governor has been on board with the ask,
and it is a request, it's not in order. Vermont's governor,
a Republican, wasn't on board. Bring us up to speed there.
Speaker 15 (35:08):
Burdon's Republican governor has said no to the request for
national Guard or the recommendation to send national Guard.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
But I think the tide pushes the other way.
Speaker 15 (35:15):
You've got Governor Morrissey who has secured himself quite a
voice this weekend in America by being the first to
send those troops down I seventy to Washington, d C.
There may be other Republican governors who'd like to be
seen as supportive of the President in this initiative as well.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Scott MacFarland, CBS News, joining us from the district. Scott,
always appreciate it. Thanks for the perspective this morning.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Let's do it again anytime, coming up.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Your thoughts at three or four. Talk three h four
that is the text line. Eight hundred seven to sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five
five that is the phone number. The twenty twenty five
high school football season kicks off in just a little
more than a week. The Class Quat kickoff game, presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, comes up a
week from Thursday, August twenty eighth, seven o'clock. It'll be
(36:07):
Morgantown and Parkersburg. You can watch all of the action
on the Metro News TV app or over at WV
Metro newstv dot com. You can download the app to
your iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple, TV, Roku or Fire TV
and you can see the game. And you watch this
show and all of our other programs again. It is
the twenty twenty five Class Quad, a kickoff game presented
(36:31):
by the West Rginia Army National Guard. A week from Thursday,
seven o'clock Morgantown and Parkersburg back to talk Line in
a ballman.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Got ready for some hard hitting high school football. The
twenty twenty five season kicks off with a showdown you
won't want to miss. It's the SSAC Kickoff Game presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, featuring the Parkersburg
Being Reds versus Morgantown Mohee Games Thursday August twenty eight,
best seven pm at Morgantown High School, Brought to you
by Gomart Fresher Engineering, Marshall University and the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.
(37:01):
Stream the action live on Metro News Television. Visit WV
metronewstv dot com for more information.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
A lot of attention has been directed towards something President
Trump calls clean beautiful coal. That phrase often describes the
clean burning aspect of West Virginia coal, but there is
another type of coal, metallurgical coal, which is used to
make the steel our economy depends on, and West Virginia
has some of the highest quality met coal in the world.
(37:28):
West Virginia coal miners produce more met coal than any
other state, and seventy percent of all steel makers in
the United States rely on West Virginia met coal. This
accounts for two hundred billion dollars in economic impact throughout
the country and helps sustain over a half billion jobs.
As President Trump reinvigorates our economy, he will need a
lot of our high quality met coal. So the West
(37:50):
Virginia Coal Association asks you to join with them to recognize,
honor and salute our West Virginia coal miners. They built
this country and will play a vide role in rebuilding
the economy that will power the twenty first century.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
A message from the Friends of Coal.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Oh by the way, the ACLU West Virginia has refiled
its lawsuits to block the Governor's executive order regarding religious
exemptions for school vaccinations. Remember it's lawsuits filed on behalf
of a couple of parents in Kanawa County have been
tossed out on a technical issue that has been refiled.
So there's your vaccine saga update for today. Look, I
(38:53):
don't mean to poop poo the topic because I know
it's very important to a lot of you out there,
and I understand that. But we all know this is
going to eventually end up, and I know this is
to mess to play out. I just wish there was
an express lane. This will end up at the State
Supreme Court. That's where this is going to be settled.
The sooner the better. But there's your lawsuit update for
the day.
Speaker 6 (39:12):
Sincere question, do we get a standing judicial resolution within
this school year?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
No, you know how the courts play out, that seems
like it's that's a big lift. That's less than a year.
Nine months, you're going to get nine months something from
the State Supreme Court. Within nine months they may have
a Hey, we may have a law in place before
the court ever gets a hold of this thing.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
No bet, no, bet.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Oh, it'll take up a lot of oxygen when we
get back to the State Capitol in January. That's almost
a guarantee, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
Look if I were one of the folks that were
trying to get a law passed, I'd be whipping that
thing hard. Now, I'd be trying to build consensus. Now,
I'd be ready to go day one, and I would
try my hardest to get that through the legislative session
as quickly as possible. Will that happen?
Speaker 7 (40:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
I mean, wouldn't your pitch if you were if you
were whipping this wouldn't part of the pitch. Be Hey,
either we can decide what the law is going to be,
or the court's going to decide for us. And I
think so we may not like that decision.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
And if you're the other side of this issue, and
you were comfortable in not having a law, and you're
comfortable with the law as it is on the books,
now you have to ask yourself, what are the merits
of the case. What kind of confidence do I have
that I will prevail in court? And if I believe
I will prevail in court, you're going to do your
(40:47):
darnness to stop any kind of law. So somebody somewhere
in the smoke filled room where you're not allowed to
smoke anymore needs to be and it probably is having
these conversations.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I just hope that room exists somewhere, and there are
cigars in brandy because why not? Why wouldn't you have
that in your smoke filled room? And mustaches, long curly mustaches.
Speaker 7 (41:11):
I digress.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
All right, let's take a break. We'll get to your
text coming up. Three h four Talk three oh four
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Speaker 8 (41:44):
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Speaker 11 (42:15):
Looking for a big new game to play, well, there's
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Speaker 1 (43:00):
Three or four talk three oh four. That is the
text line eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five. Brian sansum United
Mine Workers of America will join us coming up top
of next hour. There has been a rule that would
reduce miners exposure to silica dust in the mines that
(43:20):
has been delayed now twice, and the UMWA is of
course condemning those decisions. We'll talk to Brian Sanson that
coming up, and Jared Halpern will join a second hour
of the show. Jared was on the trip to Alaska
for the high stakes sum up between Trump and Putin,
and he is back in DC where the President is
set to meet with Voldemir Zelinski from Ukraine and several
(43:42):
European leaders later today. So hopefully Jared doesn't get pulled
in some other direction between now and then he'll join us.
Coming up bottom of next hour three or four Talk
three oh four. Texter wants to know how much does
the National Guard which is going to DC cost per
day and why aren't we using that money to fix
the roads? Well, you will be relieved know that the
(44:03):
funding for this will come from the FEDS. State money
will not be used for this assignment. Three h four Talk,
three oh four. Have you guys seen the story that
Putin had his number two's waist using air quotes there
shipped out of Alaska with him, presumably so Americans cannot
study it to get insight into his health. Well, it's
(44:24):
a good thing Trump wears diapers. He's saving America money
and someone's dignity by wearing a diaper.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Go Trump.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
I did not see that story.
Speaker 6 (44:32):
But I did the same thing, don't we do we?
I'm pretty sure that that goes back a lot of administrations. Now, yeah,
if the president is going somewhere, there is some apparatus
to ensure that. Yeah, they cleaned the room to make
sure there's no DNA left behind. Yeah, yeah, you can
google it. I think we do the same thing, though.
Speaker 16 (44:50):
How would you like to have that?
Speaker 1 (44:51):
That has to be an entry level job, right, go
make sure the president goes at the proper place. Huh,
this is what I signed up for. Uh, somebody wants
in Epstein. Okay, Epstein update today, question Mark, you are
taking why President Trump has gone sign on the Epstein
issue because we've moved on. That's why have we we
(45:12):
have it'll be back. Has it been on the have
you seen it on the cable news this week? Last
two weeks?
Speaker 4 (45:17):
We moved on.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
We've moved on our news side.
Speaker 6 (45:20):
I think we've moved on for good.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
You think we've moved on for good for a while
for the time being.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
Let's see.
Speaker 6 (45:25):
That's what I'm getting at. It's not going to die
for good.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
I'm going to do it.
Speaker 6 (45:28):
Zelensky's not gonna do it. It'll be back.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
But our attention spanned. The news cycle is so short
these days, so short. And look, we're getting into the
season now. Things Congress is going to come back in.
We're going to shut down the government in September. There
are going to be other things to occupy the national media.
There'll be the Epstein hit at the perfect time of
year for cable news. There was nothing happening, right, there
(45:53):
was nothing. I mean, I mean not nothing, But there's
that void in the middle of summer. Perfect time to
latch one of that and carry it for a couple
of weeks. Now there'll be a lot going on. There'll
be a lot going on. I'm just telling you, uh,
three or four talk three or four. So yeah, we
got a couple of minutes here.
Speaker 10 (46:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
It's nice that Dave and TJ run cover for an
obvious authoritarianism exercised by a sex abuser who most certainly
is a pedophile that is hiding the evidence of the
Epstein file. Well, there's your Epstein file. Remember when the
sex abuser celebrated the violence and attack at the capitol
in January sixth, did not send the National Guard to
stop it, and then pardon fifteen hundred criminals claiming they
(46:31):
were patriots. Republicans have no honor of integrity or integrity.
Speaker 6 (46:36):
Can somebody make a gift of me just shaking my
head like in and we can just put that back
on the tech stream when this kind of stuff comes in.
I mean, seriously, Uh, get groc on.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Have you played with grok at all?
Speaker 6 (46:47):
By the way you were telling me you had? I haven't.
I need.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
Yeah, I've been animating some pictures. It's a it's a
total waste of time, but you know, but it entertains you.
It does, and the friends I send those pictures to.
Speaker 6 (46:59):
Which you read the do that or watch the tonight show,
because it doesn't look like many.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
People are watch rather tonight play with rock. All right,
we'll get back to more of your texts coming up second.
Our Brian Sanson, U and Wa will join us six
minutes from now. Jared Halpern at eleven thirty three, go
grab you another cup of coffee. This is talk Line
on Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
Speaker 4 (47:27):
Metro News.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
Talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling you with
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dot com. To learn more.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
Metro News talk line already in progress here on a Monday.
Phone number is eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. That's the
phone number if you'd like to call in. Sofia Wassick
is our producer sitting by awaiting your call. Zach Carroll
Check is running the video stream this morning, three or
four time three to four. That is the text line,
(48:01):
and by the way, more of your texts coming up
bottom of the hour. Jared Halpern will join us. He
was on the trip from DC to Alaska last week.
He's back in DC today. We'll get a recap of
that high stakes summit between President Trump and Russian President
Vladimir Putin, and today's meeting between the presidents and Ukrainian
(48:23):
President voldemir' Zelenski and the European officials on hand as well.
So lots to get to this morning. Once again. Good morning, TJ.
Meadows at our Encod Insurance studios in Charleston today.
Speaker 6 (48:34):
Good morning, Good morning sir, and are you ready for this?
President Trump saying today he would sign a new executive
order to quote help bring honesty to the twenty twenty
six mid term elections, saying on his truth social post,
the mail in ballot hoax using voting machines that are
a complete and total disaster must end now. So we
don't like mail in ballots, we don't like voting machines,
(48:56):
and all this coming after Putin said the same thing
during their meeting in Alaska. I mean, I'm not even
going to comment on it, but my goodness, gracious well, we're.
Speaker 5 (49:05):
Back to that again.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Okay, it's Monday.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
I can't hit all this on a Monday.
Speaker 1 (49:12):
Give me a couple of days. Get into the week,
all right, Jared Halper, Bottom of the Hour. A federal
rule to limit the amount of silica dust miners can
be exposed to has been delayed for a second time.
Speaker 9 (49:23):
And now.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
That rule was finalized last spring and was scheduled to
go into effect for coal mines in April, reducing the
amount of silica dust miners can be exposed to. Obviously,
that was delayed, with industry groups filing a request in
the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals citing high cost and
challenges posed by turnover in the administrations. This month the
rule was scheduled go into place. It was delayed again
(49:45):
at least until October, with another status update scheduled in
October in federal court. Joining us on Metro News talk
line this morning is the treasure of the United Mine
Workers of America. Brian Sanson, Brian, good morning, Glad you
can join us.
Speaker 9 (49:59):
Good morning.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
You called the decision bureaucratic cowardice. Why is that, Brian, Well,
our members have been.
Speaker 17 (50:13):
Exposed to this dust now for a long time. You know,
we've been up on the hill lobbying to put a
rule in place since twenty and ten. Miners are mining
through dinner seams of coal and they're as a result,
(50:34):
they're more rock, more silicon in the air, which is
increasing the rates of black lung dramatically.
Speaker 6 (50:45):
What's causing the hold up, I mean, break it down.
Is it one government agency or another? Why can't we
get this thing across the finish line?
Speaker 17 (50:53):
Well, it took a long time to get this rule
in place, and the union push the previous administration, this administration,
and now that the rule was finally in place, you
had delay after delay. The hard rock industry led the
(51:15):
challenge and the union actually tried to intervene in the
court and we were surprised when IMSHA actually opposed our intervention.
We are the largest coal mining union in the United
States and the fact that we weren't allowed to weigh
(51:37):
in on this was upsetting, But the industry has always
had a long history of opposing any rule or any change.
They denied that black one even existed for decades, so
as we moved forward that they blamed NAGE for or
(52:00):
the lack of respirators dust monitors. But keep in mind,
they knew this rule was coming for at least a year,
and that was plenty enough time to be able to
put everything in place to be prepared for this rule.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Rian Sanson is joining US Treasure with the UMW A. Brian,
So how would the rule work? How would this reduce
miners exposure to silica dust, which is known to cause
black lung disease.
Speaker 17 (52:29):
Well, it really brings it to a national standard. OSHA
has had a a compliance limit for industry in general
since goingness at least ten years. If you look at
(52:51):
the history of silica, it's been a problem for over
one hundred years. Take a look at the Hawks a
tunnel disaster. NASH recommended that the fifty microgram limit be
put in place fifty years ago. You know this is
(53:14):
just the bureaucracy that it's worse, and now IM she's
talking about a settlement. I don't know how you could
propose a settlement or what that could even be. The
science is clear, the fights are clear. Miners are getting
sicker and dying at younger ages due to silica dust.
Speaker 18 (53:39):
IM.
Speaker 17 (53:40):
She's own numbers show that these illnesses would be reduced
by thousands if this rule was put into place, So
we're not sure how they can turn their bick on
these kind of numbers.
Speaker 6 (53:57):
As I read about this issue, some lawmakers are arguing
that it places undue burdens on the mining industry. You
talked about that to some extent, but specifically claims of
the fact that the policies itself don't take into account
rotating shifts or even take into account the fact that
respirators are used. What would you say to those criticisms.
Speaker 17 (54:18):
Co company's I've heard claims that it's going to cost
anywhere from ten cents a ton to fifty cents a
ton at the highest end, But these companies always want
to put their profits over miners who are dying a
slow and painful suffocating death. That's nothing new. You know,
(54:42):
they've been rotating shifts for the long as I've been around,
and long before I was over here. You know that
this is nothing new. They manage ventilation and how airflows
with rotating shifts. So I don't know that that even
(55:05):
has any merit.
Speaker 1 (55:07):
Treasurer the UMW A Brian Sanson joining us. The silica
rule that would limit further or further limit minors exposure
to silica dust in the minds has been delayed twice.
What are you hoping for out of this status here
which will come up in October? Are you optimistic this
could be implemented later this fall?
Speaker 17 (55:28):
I would hope. So I think that you know, people
take an interest in this and contact IMPSHA and ask
for some movement here, then that is a possibility.
Speaker 6 (55:42):
You know.
Speaker 17 (55:43):
A couple of real concerns as we have is that
imps just doesn't have the stomach to enforce its own rule.
Why not, Well, I think it's a matter of an
administrative change it in the Department of Labor at the
at IMSHA. The industry has a biggercy at the table now, So.
Speaker 6 (56:10):
What needs to change within MSHA? Do we need new
leaders in MSHA that that have more gumption.
Speaker 17 (56:17):
Well, this culture of corporate or I'm sorry, this culture
of corporate that I don't know the easiest way to
put to Instead of enforcement, they're they're they're helping them comply,
so you know they're going to put the new programs
(56:39):
out there. The mind inspectors leave their citation books at home.
They go around the mind they show companies how to
comply out with the law. That that's not their job.
Their job is to go in and enforce the rules
and regulations.
Speaker 1 (56:59):
It's all my Brian, what you describe as atmosphere of
Rather than telling a corporation this is what you need
to do, it's more of an ask. Is that air
a fair characterization of your statement?
Speaker 17 (57:13):
That's a very fair characterization, and I would not be
surprised as some kind of resolution was reached between the
parties that reflected that kind of view.
Speaker 6 (57:24):
Let me take the flip side of that for sake
of Devil's argument. If they are teaching people how to comply,
then aren't they identifying what is wrong? And as long
as it gets into compliance, aren't miners better off?
Speaker 2 (57:38):
For that.
Speaker 17 (57:42):
Co companies they've tried this compliance approach multiple times. It
seems like every time there are different administrations with different views,
they go back to this compliance and the fact are
as they always have young them. The companies don't do
(58:04):
anything voluntarily. They do it because they're forced to. And
I think that's no different than the rest of society.
That's why we have speed limits, that's why we have regulations.
It's because people in general just don't do what they're
supposed to do. They do what they're forced to do.
Speaker 1 (58:25):
Ran And we're talking to Brian Samson, Secretary treasure with
the United mind Workers of America. The longer this rule
is delayed, what's the impact on the workers who have
to go underground.
Speaker 17 (58:37):
Well, we're seeing spikes in these coal fields that are scary.
Speaker 18 (58:43):
You know.
Speaker 17 (58:43):
Twenty we saw NAHS had research that showed twenty percent
of minors who worked in West Virginia, Kentucky or Virginia
had black long and this was a disturbing increase. This
was back when rates were at their lowest in the nineties.
(59:04):
Now it's also had data from nineteen to twenty three
that showed that a three percent of miners with severe
black one in West Virginia and Kentucky and Virginia. So
Appalagia is affected the worst by delays.
Speaker 6 (59:24):
If the delay isn't addressed, what tools do you have
in your toolbox to ensure that it's addressed. Is this
something that the UNWA is willing to try to walk
out over? How do you become the catalyst for the
change you want? If it can't happen through the routine channels, the.
Speaker 17 (59:43):
Union will do what it always does. We advocate for
workers in whatever form that takes. Yeah, going back to
the days of the original black Lung movement, it was
the union that led that, and we have led for
more progressive safety in the minds ever since. Every piece
(01:00:07):
of federal legislation has been at the urging and lobbying
of the union. So we will continue to fight in
the same manner that we've historically fought.
Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
Brian Sanson, Secretary Treasurer of the United mind Workers of America.
There will be a status hearing coming up in October
ahead of the scheduled implementation date of October seventeenth for
the silica dust rule. Brian, thank you so much. Keep
us posted. Okay, thank you absolutely coming up, we'll get
to your text three or four Talk three oh four.
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Visit WVHTF dot org. High Technology Foundation shaping West Virginia's future.
Speaker 1 (01:02:18):
Jared Helping Fox News Radio joins us ten minutes from now.
He was on the trip to Alaska for the Trump
Putin summit. He's back in DC today where the President
will be meeting with Voldemir Zelenski will get to Jared
coming up bottom of the hour right now, your thoughts
at eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five and threeho four talk
(01:02:40):
three oh four. When will the UMWA address the issue that,
according to impshad data, represented minds are more unsafe and
less compliant than union minds than union free operations. Uh, well,
you'll have to ask them. I'm not sure. I haven't
seen the day. I'd have to go look at the
(01:03:01):
data as well. Uh, three or four talk three or four.
Coal companies have demonstrated for decades they don't give a
rats behind about the safety of coal miners. Nice at
it on the fly, Yeah, can't wait. Tear TJ's take
on how silica dust remediation and worker protection will increase
the rate which customers pay care to address.
Speaker 6 (01:03:22):
Mister Meadows, Look, can you know what, Dave? Sometimes the
best strategy is not to swing at a pitch in
the dirts. That's all I have to say.
Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
Which, by the way, you know, just not to change
the subject too much. But the Rads did pull off
a win yesterday against the Brewers and remain the only
team in baseball not to be swept in a series
this year. For whatever that's worth.
Speaker 6 (01:03:46):
Where are they going? They're in Anaheim, I think. Now
for the Angels, I think so. I think they're off today.
They've got to stand with the Angels listening.
Speaker 1 (01:03:54):
Being a Reds fan feels like being the Cleveland Indians
fans that the three guys from the major movies that
sit out in the outfield, they'll blow it in the playoffs.
That's what I feel like. It's too high.
Speaker 6 (01:04:06):
It's too high, too high, too high.
Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
Three or four talk three four. Any thoughts on why
President Trump has gone from increasing sanctions on Russia to
talking about swapping land in Ukraine. Does Zelenski have more
cards to play today by bringing multiple European European leaders
with him. Certainly pose that question or some form of
it to Jared Halpern here in a couple of minutes. Look,
(01:04:31):
I am certainly no among the things. I am not
a foreign policy expert. You can put into that category
to you, Jay, but I do know that from the
experts I have read and listened to and watched for
how long has the war been going on now? A
couple of years, several years? It seems like the inevitable
end is some sort of territory swap where Russia ends
(01:04:53):
up with more territory than it starts with. Do I
like that?
Speaker 9 (01:04:55):
No?
Speaker 1 (01:04:56):
But that seems to be the inevitable end. Otherwise it's
going to take US involvement, boots on the ground to
push Russia out of Ukraine, and there is zero appetite.
Speaker 4 (01:05:08):
For that here.
Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Again, that's just my take being a non expert on
such issues, but listening to people talk, that seems like
that's the inevitable end to this particular conflict.
Speaker 6 (01:05:18):
And will Putin be happy with that if he gets
the land that he wants that Zelensky doesn't want to
give and has said he doesn't want to give. Will
it end there? Will Putin really stopped there? I ask,
somewhat tongue in cheek. Let me say this though, using
a Russian apologist who said, you know, a weekend meeting
or me of the Friday meeting, I should say that, yeah,
(01:05:40):
the election was stolen from you, mister president and then
tweeting about that today. I mean, that's just poor foreign poor, optics,
poor I don't know why the president did that.
Speaker 9 (01:05:51):
That just I.
Speaker 6 (01:05:53):
Don't understand that at all, other than I guess, hey,
if someone will carry your water, even if it is
a Russian president apologist.
Speaker 1 (01:06:00):
There's that. But look, this conflict, does one side or
the other is not going to surrender. I mean Ukraine
is not going to surrender. The world's not going to
let allow Ukraine to surrender, allow Russia to take all
that territory. Russia is certainly not going to surrender and
go back to where the borders were prior to the conflict.
So something has to give, something has to give in
(01:06:21):
this or you're going to end up with the same thing.
Speaker 6 (01:06:23):
Can you turn the war cold somehow? Can you turn
it into a war of the occasional skirmish compared to
what's going on today? And maybe that's enough. I don't know.
But you are absolutely spot on US boots on the ground.
That is a political non starter in this country. And
if we get to that, I don't care Republican Democrat,
(01:06:46):
that's not going to fly.
Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
And that's what Putin's betting on. According to the experts
I have consumed is that the longer hey, he just
wastes this thing out, the more Americans go. You know what,
we don't want to keep sending money over there. We've
got our own problems. We certainly don't want to send troops.
At some point us support Waynes and then he gets what.
Speaker 6 (01:07:04):
He wants in the end anyway, and we're thirty seven
trillion in debt, So can he wait us out?
Speaker 4 (01:07:09):
Maybe?
Speaker 5 (01:07:09):
Probably?
Speaker 1 (01:07:10):
Well, he's not going any He's not going to lose
any elections anytime soon. No, no, no, all right, text
line three or four talk.
Speaker 7 (01:07:18):
Three four.
Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
Students everywhere on students everywhere like the old days, hashtag WVU.
Am I missing something? Am I missing part of that
text somewhere is today?
Speaker 6 (01:07:33):
Back to school at WVU.
Speaker 1 (01:07:34):
Uh No, Well, students came back last week starting Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
It was moving to a downtown. Traffic was just atrocious,
just atrocious. Tonight's Fall Fest for WV students, and then
they give him a break tomorrow because of fall Fest tonight,
and then class starts on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:07:54):
A break.
Speaker 6 (01:07:55):
We were up until three in the morning with fall
Fest and classes at eight o'clock today they're soft.
Speaker 1 (01:08:01):
Eight o'clock clubs. Whose schedules eight o'clock Clott freshman, that's
who schedules everybody's business school, I mean all the way
to senior.
Speaker 6 (01:08:07):
All the professors want at eight o'clock classes. Good luck
getting out of one if you studied business.
Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
And that just because the professors want to get home
by noon.
Speaker 6 (01:08:14):
Oh yeah, exactly, because they go to bed at seven o'clock,
so they wanted to get home.
Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
I get home to watch the wheel coming up. Jared
Halpern will join to see what's on the trip from
DC to Anchorage. He's back in d C. Ukrainian President
Zelensky is in town, and so are several other European leaders.
So we'll talk to Jared about that. How did things
go in Anchorage? How are things in DC today? We'll
get that covered. Your text are welcome as well at
(01:08:41):
three or four Talk threeh four that is the text line.
Eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five that is the phone number.
Don't forget a high school football kickoff Classic coming up Thursday.
A week from Thursday, actually, Morgantown of Parkersburg get the
Metro News TV aff You can watch that and all
of our programming. This is talk line on Metro News
(01:09:03):
for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It is
eleven thirty times to get a news update. Let's check
in with the Metro News radio network. Find out what's
happening across the great state of West Virginia.
Speaker 5 (01:09:17):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Chris Lawrence. The State Department
of Environmental Protection scheduled at virtual public meeting for this
evening at six o'clock concerning proposed data centers from Mingo County. Now,
the deep will take questions and input on air quality
permits for the facility that'll be proposed by trans Gas.
Deb spokesman Terry Fletcher says already they've gotten about fifty
(01:09:38):
written comments. The trans Gas facilities are for power generation
to run those and would be about fourteen miles apart.
Construction permits for the center. Energy operations would be on
twenty two min Road near Holden, just inside the Mingo
County line, and on Twisted Gun Road near Warncliff. With
the approval of the air quality permit and the regulatory approval,
that developer hopes to be under construction by the the year.
(01:10:01):
Those wishing to participate in the event this evening can
sign up at the Deep website. Again, it's at six o'clock.
Eastern Panhandle residents also concerned about a power project.
Speaker 20 (01:10:10):
Opposition to the mid Atlantic Resiliency Link was clear and
an open house presented by First Energy in the Eastern Panhandle.
Berkeley County Delegate Chris Anders says, if your property isn't
directly or indirectly affected by the line, the pocketbooks of
all RAID payers. They'll make the sacrifice for Virginia data centers.
Speaker 9 (01:10:29):
And we get nothing in return except for our land taken,
our electric grades going up.
Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
This must stop, he says.
Speaker 20 (01:10:35):
Too many of his peers are silent. I'm Mike Nolton
for WV Metronews dot com.
Speaker 5 (01:10:40):
You're listening to Metro News for forty years, the voice
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Get ready for high school and WV football by Johnloading
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Speaker 16 (01:11:15):
Hi.
Speaker 21 (01:11:16):
I'm Alex Cook and I'm a project manager with CEC.
When people ask why I work at CEC, I tell
them it's because we turn visions into reality right here
in West Virginia. I point out the roads, parks and
bridges we've developed, and the streams we firstored. Then I
mentioned the team engineers, surveyors, scientists, all working together in
the support of culture.
Speaker 4 (01:11:35):
We share.
Speaker 1 (01:11:36):
It's CEC.
Speaker 7 (01:11:37):
We engineer progress in the great state of West Virginia.
Speaker 6 (01:11:40):
Find out what CEC can do for you visit cecinc
dot com.
Speaker 5 (01:11:45):
Kathy Mattea tells Metro News being invited to be a
member of the Grand Old Opera is a full circle moment.
Speaker 15 (01:11:51):
You know.
Speaker 19 (01:11:51):
I moved to Nashville when I was nineteen, and I
got a job at the Hall of Fame, and we
talked about the.
Speaker 9 (01:11:57):
History of country music and the history of the opera,
and so at this other end.
Speaker 8 (01:12:03):
Of my life.
Speaker 9 (01:12:04):
To get to be a member and be part of
that that I started teaching people about when I was young,
just feels like a beautiful full circle moment.
Speaker 5 (01:12:14):
From the Metro News anchored to ask, I'm Chris Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
You're calls and texts coming up? Three oh four talk
three oh four, eight hundred and seven six five eight
two five five. That is the phone number Fox News Radio.
Jared Halpern was on the trip to Anchorage last week.
He's back in DC today where President Trump will meet
with Ukrainian President Voldemir Zelenski and European leaders. Jared joins
us on Metro News talk line, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:12:56):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 9 (01:12:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:12:59):
First of all, let's go back to the High Stake
Summit in Anchorage last week. I've heard a lot of
reports about what may or may not have been said
during that meeting. What do we know coming out of
the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin?
Speaker 16 (01:13:14):
Well, we know that President Trump didn't leave there with
the ceasefire he had sought, and did not leave there
with a second meeting set up between Putin and Zelensky.
And those were kind of the two big ask that
the President had gone there with Remember he said that
this meeting is kind of the meeting before the meeting,
It is the set up a negotiation between Putin and Zelenski.
(01:13:40):
It is unclear if they are any closer to that.
The President on the way to Alaska spoke with those
of us on the plane and said he would be
disappointed if this summit with Putin ended without a ceasefire,
and he would move forward with those severe consequences. He
has not done that either now, saying that east fire
(01:14:00):
is not the way to go, that they want a
full peace agreement, and because they are negotiating that he
will hold off on those economic sanctions. That was something
that is not the preferred method by Zelenski in these
European counterparts who are now en route to the White
House to meet with President Trump this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (01:14:20):
What are the president's political opponents saying about those lacks
of outcome or the reverse in strategy. How's that being
perceived and how's it being characterized in Washington?
Speaker 16 (01:14:31):
Well, I'm not sure you characterize it as the president's
political opponents. I mean, I think support for Ukraine has
been pretty bipartisan for much of the last few years.
And you have seen even Republicans who are skeptical that
Putin is serious about making peace. That being said, I
think that there are Republicans who are inclined to give
(01:14:53):
President Trump some runway here to see what he is
able to negotiate. What is able to be agreed to
certainly be I think questions if this final agreement seems
to give Putin what he wants in the form of
territory or in the form of Ukraine not being able
(01:15:13):
to join NATO. President Trump does not support Ukraine joining NATO.
The President seems to indicate that Ukraine should give up
at least CRIMEA. Those are things that Zelensky has not
advocated for leading up to this meeting today. We did
hear from Steve Witkoff, the Special envoy, over the weekend
that one of the concessions they think that Putin is
(01:15:34):
agreeable to is a sort of security guarantee that would
be Article five esque kind of NATO light for Ukraine
that would at least ensure that in the event of
another attack or invasion, they would be defended by other
European or potentially US forces.
Speaker 1 (01:15:52):
Talking to Fox News Radios, Jared Haltburn, Jared Is there
any outcome from the people you've spoken to, the experts
that you've read as well, Is there any outcome that
does not include some sort of landswap where Russia obtains territory.
Speaker 16 (01:16:10):
Well, it depends on you. I mean, most you know,
foreign policy folks who have dealt with Putin, have dealt
in the sphere before, think that it is a mistake
to see that ground. We heard, for instance, from of
folks over the weekend who had indicated that giving Russia
territory diplomatically that they had been unable to win militarily
(01:16:33):
would be a mistake, that it could encourage, you know,
these further types of incursions, these further types of invasions.
That being said, we have heard from President Trump those
close to him that you kind of have to negotiate
in the reality. And the reality is that right now
Russian forces due control about nineteen percent of Ukraine's territory
and it has been a bloody stalemate over the last
(01:16:58):
several months, a lot of casualties. Russia mounted air strikes
last night that killed a one year old girl in Ukraine.
So you're kind of dealing with what the reality in
the ground looks like versus kind of what kind of
what is the new world order? I mean the order
(01:17:22):
in which we've lived by in Europe post World War two, right,
which is if you don't take land through through invasion.
Speaker 6 (01:17:29):
Move to today, tee up. What will be on the
agenda and what European allies are going to be there
with President Zelensky.
Speaker 16 (01:17:36):
Yeah, So the President will meet one on one with Zolensky.
It'll be just the two of them for a bit,
and then they'll bring in more of the Europeans. It
will include the NATO Secretary General Mark Gretta, It will
include the European Commission President Ursula vander Layton. It will
include the French President Emanuel Macrone, the UK Prime Minister
Keir Starmer, the German Chancellor Frederick Murrz, the Italian Prime Minister,
(01:18:00):
as well as the Finnish President. The President of Finland
one of the newer members of NATO. His name is
Alexander Stubb. He has become very close with President Trump
over the last several months. Alex Subb played college golf
at Furman University in South Carolina. He is a pretty
good stick by all accounts. Played golf with President Trump
(01:18:22):
at his golf course down in Florida several months ago.
The two of them seemed to hit it off, and
Stubb says they do talk regularly and oftentimes before and
after these these interactions with Putin and Zelensky. So it'll
be interesting to see kind of what role everybody takes
here in this multilateral meeting that is getting underway here
(01:18:44):
in about an hour and a half.
Speaker 1 (01:18:46):
Talking to Fox News Radio's Jared Halper, what's the strategy.
Is it a matter of convenience just to get everybody together?
Is their strategy to all of these European partners coming
along with Zelenski.
Speaker 9 (01:18:58):
It depends who you ask.
Speaker 16 (01:19:00):
And Layton was the EC Commissioner, that European Commissioner was
the first to kind of announce this, and she said
that she was going to join President Zelenski at his request,
and then other European leaders sort of announced that they
were also coming. The White House says that they were
all invited, that the White House wants them to be
engaged in this process because these are the partners who
(01:19:22):
the President is working with and this has to be
a European solution. But it is clear that these European
leaders are coming here with a unified front and kind
of a show of support for Ukraine and for President Zelenski.
Speaker 6 (01:19:38):
Jared, what does the smart money say in terms of
what happens next? You mentioned no commitment from Putner Moscow
in terms of a next meeting. I would think Zelensky
would want something like that. What's the smart money say
happens after today?
Speaker 9 (01:19:50):
It's a good question.
Speaker 16 (01:19:51):
I think it's going to depend on kind of how
receptive everybody is and what exactly it is that President
Trump is proposing, and how workable that it is. I
think that a success might be the ability that to
kind of say, we have a framework that can be
discussed further and you know, at a time and play
(01:20:12):
ounce to be determined. But listen, we had expectations for
the meeting that Zolensky had here six months ago, and
those did not follow through. So we'll see kind of
how this meeting goes here with not just Zelensky, but
an awful lot of European leaders Box.
Speaker 1 (01:20:26):
News Radios Jared Halpern of the meetings are later this afternoon.
Will there be I assume there will be some media
availability at some point today, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:20:34):
There's not a press conference, there will be some opportunities
for reporters to shout questions. We'll see if the president engages.
I thought it was notable as somebody who was in
the room shouting questions when he was alongside Putin, that
he did.
Speaker 9 (01:20:48):
Not take questions.
Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
What's your batting average? When you're shouting questions like that, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:20:53):
It's usually pretty good. I mean, that's why I'm saying,
like President Trump, listen is the one who does not
shy away. He almost always picks questions when the press
is in the room, oftentimes invites those questions. And so
you know the idea that you know when he was
in there with Putin and kind of just said thank
you when we shouted questions and we were ushered out quickly. Granted,
(01:21:14):
this is a different meetings, you know, with a foreign leader.
It is with Vladimir Putin. You know, Russian press was
in there all of that. But that is the exception,
not the rule, for president not to take questions when
there is media president there in front of them. He
didn't take questions at the news conference either. It was
not really a news conference, right, it was joint statements. Again,
(01:21:37):
very unusual for this president. That's why I am curious
to see, you know now that he's kind of back
on on you know, home turf of Alaska's home curf.
But here at the White House, the press corps will
be robust and questions. I'm sure we'll be shouted, and
we'll see if the President engages and maybe gives us
some more insight into his thinking about that meeting he
(01:21:59):
had with Latimer Putin on Friday, Fox News.
Speaker 1 (01:22:03):
Radios Jared Holper and those meetings taking place later today
in DC. Jared always appreciate it. Good luck, buddy, Thank you, sure,
thank you coming up your text three or four talk
three oh four at eight hundred and seven to sixty
five talk. That's the phone number and the text line.
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Speaker 23 (01:23:41):
To learn more.
Speaker 1 (01:23:42):
Text Line three or four Talk three oh four guys.
I think you are both smart enough to know that
if there is a pause or cease fire to the
war in Ukraine, Putin will rearm and invade once he's
got his military built up. Trump is giving him time
to resupply and rearm, and we'll be back to where
we are we are at in five years, says the text. Look,
(01:24:06):
I don't necessarily disagree with your assertion there. However, I
do know this that the American people sounds such like
such a politician term, but us here in the US
there does not. I have not seen any data, any
polling data, any sort of anecdotal evidence that there is
any appetite to get involved in that particular war. Obviously, TJ.
(01:24:29):
Congress is split on whether or not we should even
be funding it. There are those in Congress that don't
think we should even be sitting money over there. So
I don't know what outcome there is that doesn't end
up with Russia maybe keeping the territory that is that
it has already gained. And the threat I guess is
that if you take more than the US and all
of Europe is going to get in on this conflict.
(01:24:51):
I guess that would be the deterrent and economic sanctions
and whatnot. So I get what the text are saying,
shoulders rug emoji, because I just know America has no
appetite to get involved in this with any sort of
boots on the ground.
Speaker 23 (01:25:04):
Support.
Speaker 6 (01:25:05):
It's a very good question. And you know, Jared talked
about this Article five kind of outcome. Article five is
simply our NATO treaty, which says, if you attack an ally,
we're all in. And the thought is, to your point,
Russia keeps the land they have, Ukraine has what they have.
It's kind of like a Korea thing, right, It's a
South Korea North Korea kind of standoff in that. Okay,
(01:25:28):
we've got a partition. Problem is Dave. If Putin tests that,
you got to be all in, you have to be
all in at that point. And I don't know that
the American people want to take on that kind of commitment.
And whoever sells that, if it's I mean it's Trump, right,
he's got to hit the nail on the head. And
(01:25:51):
Putin has to be absolutely terrified of the fact of
going beyond any kind of power grab land grab, beyond
what that kind of an arrangement would spell out. I
think he'll test it. So I think we'll end up
to the point where, hey, you know, are we willing
to go all in? And what have we spent? Already
two hundred billion dollars I think has been allocated, so
I don't have the answer.
Speaker 1 (01:26:11):
And look, Putin obviously is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Sure he could wait what three years? Four years, different president,
different administration, at different foreign policy try to again, I
don't know where the where this conflict actually ends. I
don't again, not a foreign policy expert. Text line three
(01:26:33):
or four, talk three oh four. It's an embarrassment. Trump.
I'll end this war my first day in office. Haha.
Trump doesn't take questions after he rolled out the red
carpet for the invader. Putin is the criminal here? Why
is he getting any kind of concession anyway? Well, I
would say he gets concessions because again, the only way
(01:26:56):
to force Russia out of Ukraine, and from what I
understand from again listening to those who know, would be
major ally involvement here. And I don't know that, ny tej.
I don't know that. I've read anything where Europe wants
to get involved in that sort of fashion. Sending weapons,
sending money is one thing. Sending troops and getting involved
(01:27:18):
in a major, major which would be a major conflict.
I don't know. Does anybody have an app that's a
legitimate question. I don't know, does anybody have an appetite
for that.
Speaker 6 (01:27:26):
Not to be too pejorative of our European allies. They
want us to do the heavy lift. Well that's the
way it's always been. It's one thing to come to
a meeting with Zelenski, but they want us to take
on the heavy lift.
Speaker 12 (01:27:38):
And we've seen that time and again.
Speaker 6 (01:27:39):
We've seen that from from Britain. We've seen that from
all of our European allies. But we can only do
so much. Man, I mean hate to be that coppit.
I mean, we got a lot of issues. Yeah, let's
go to the phones. Clay in Jefferson County. Hey, Clay,
what's on your mind?
Speaker 4 (01:27:59):
Buddy?
Speaker 18 (01:28:00):
Well, good morning fellas. I have a quick question. Firsts
who pays the West Virginia National Guard.
Speaker 1 (01:28:10):
Uh, if you are referring to them being deployed in DC,
that will be federal funding.
Speaker 18 (01:28:16):
Oh oh, shay, I mean, but who does the state
pay them to do there? To do what they do
or are they a federally funded organization?
Speaker 6 (01:28:28):
You know, that is a good question, and my gut
would tell me without looking deeper, it probably depends on
what role they're undertaking. So if they're doing training that
would somehow benefit from a reservist perspective, I would say
the FEDS may take that up, but I'm sure the
state has an obligation there as well. Now what that
ratio is, Clay, I do not know without deeper study.
Speaker 18 (01:28:48):
And obviously you see what I'm getting at is that
you know, if my tax dollars as a West Virginian
are going to pay for the National Guard to be
in DC. I don't want West Virginians going there anyway
in our National Guard, but especially if I have to
pay the bill.
Speaker 1 (01:29:04):
Now we hear you, Clay, Well, look, we'll try to
see if we can get a better answer for you. Uh,
we got a homework assignment. See if we can get
a better answer for you tomorrow. Clay, appreciate the phone
call eight hundred and seven and sixty five talking three
or four Talk three oh four, Texas says people of
West Virginia are outraged about Morrissey sitting National Guard to
d C against American citizen Guard. Members I talk to
(01:29:25):
don't want to be put in the middle of this.
Are they outrage? That's what I was going to ask,
Are they? Are we really?
Speaker 9 (01:29:34):
Now?
Speaker 1 (01:29:35):
I believe anecdotic. I believe the Texter is telling the
truth anecdotally that if you're a guardsman, you may have
other things that you need to do beside go to
try to clean up DC's problems. I get that, but
people of West Virginia outraged. I haven't seen it.
Speaker 6 (01:29:50):
Maybe, I mean, you see the extremes on social media,
but social media is not a good barometer of at
all of what the majority thinks. Let me ask you
question because I don't know the answer, and maybe it's
another homework assignment. Is that deployment voluntary? Are we picking
and telling what guardsmen will go and they're being assigned?
Or is that something you raise your hand and say yes,
(01:30:10):
I'll go. I don't know the answer to that one.
Speaker 1 (01:30:13):
Gotta take a break back. We'll get to some more
texts before we call it a day. Three or four
talk three oh four. That's the text line eight hundred
and seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven to
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Speaker 24 (01:30:49):
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Speaker 1 (01:32:04):
Three or four talk three oh four. That is the
text line. Mister Meadows did some quick I assume you googled.
I don't know, but he's got some numbers for Clay, and.
Speaker 6 (01:32:16):
I mean, look, it's back of the napkin, right, so
take it for what it's worth very quick. But it
looks like the ratio I focused in on that. It's roughly,
for every dollar the State of West Virginia spends on
the National Guard, it gets twenty dollars from the Feds,
so it's a twenty to one federal to state ratio.
So I'm still looking at some of the final numbers
on total spend, but Clay, that'll give you a starting
(01:32:37):
point and maybe we can further crystallize it from there.
Speaker 1 (01:32:41):
This Texter says, you are correct, TJ. The Guard has
both federal and state rolls, therefore different types of funding.
They are dual status, says the Texter. This one says,
not outraged at the Guard, especially if voluntary outrage is
directed at the governor for being a boot liquor. He
only got a third of the vote in the GOP primary.
You can say that's how elections work. But the rest
of US can be angry at the Republicans for splitting
(01:33:03):
the rest of the vote, says the Texter. My son
just got commissioned this last week as a second lieutenant
in the Army National Guard for West Virginia. Here's a funny.
He lives in DC, well Alexandria. Lol uh three or
four talk three four? Great Britain has volunteered to take
(01:33:24):
on the peace keeping troops burden in Ukraine. That's if
an agreement can be reached. If we are taking such
a decisive stance at influencing agreements with input from USA,
we are obligating ourselves to participate financially or in some way.
Trump wants a Nobel Peace prize, says the Texter. Ken
here's one for with sixty seconds to go to Jay.
(01:33:47):
Can Trump be the bad guy? And you scare quotes
there where Zelensky can go back to his citizens and say, look,
this is the deal. It's Trump's fault. Can he be
the bad guy that Zelensky needs if he has to
see territory.
Speaker 6 (01:34:02):
And maybe maybe he.
Speaker 1 (01:34:03):
Thought, I don't know if it's a good thought, but yeah, throws.
Speaker 6 (01:34:06):
I think Trump's biggest thing is he doesn't care and
there's a lot of power in that, Dave, if you
do not care what other people think and you play
the long game. And I'm not saying he's necessarily doing that,
but there's power there. If you can be the one
that cares less than the other guy, there's power.
Speaker 1 (01:34:24):
We'll be back tomorrow morning ten oh six. Coming up next,
Metro News Midday on many of these same Metro News
radio stations. Joe Manchin on the gas List today, he's
got a book coming out. All right, we'll talk to
you tomorrow a teno six for Jake and Sophia and TJ.
I'm Dave. This is talk Line on Metro News for
forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
Hope you had a great weekend. Lots to cover today
another high stakes meeting, this time in d C. I'll
also followed concerning opioids here in West Virginia and a
silica rule delayed. We'll get into all of that. Metro
News talk Line is underway.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network,
The Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with
Dave Wilson and d J.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Meadows activate swit's new control from Charles.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
The morning stand by you, David, DJ, You're on.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Metronews. Talk Line is presented by Encovia Insurance, encircling you
with coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit
incovia dot com to learn more.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Gangs al here ready to go on a Monday. Hope
you are prepared as well. Zach Carrolchik is running the
video stream this morning, Man of the People, and Sophia
Wasik is our audio producer. You can talk to Sophia
give her a call eight hundred and seven to sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven six five eight two five five,
She'll put you through to us, and that'll put you
(01:40):
on the air three oh four Talk, three oh four.
That is the text line. Those are the two ways
you can participate in today's show. Coming up later CBS News,
Scott McFarlane will join US Governor Morrisey announcing over the
weekend that three to four hundred West Virginia National Guardsmen
will be deployed or will be available to assist and
the President's federal public safety initiative. If you will in Washington,
(02:05):
d C. We'll get the latest on that second hour
of the show. Brian Sanson, you and wa scheduled to
join us to discuss the silica rule that has been
twice delayed. Later on, Jared Halpern was on the flights,
was on the trip from DC to Alaska. He's back
in DC.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Today.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
We'll get a recap of that meeting between President Trump
and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a preview of today's
meeting with Ukrainian President Voladimir Zelensky and other European leaders.
So a full show. Say good morning to TJ.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
Meadows.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Morning, sir, Good.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Morning, sir. I don't know if you saw it over
the weekend. But Scottie Shuffler was dynamite, especially on seventeen
with that chip in Birdie. Maybe one of the top
ten golf shots of all time. We'd have to debate it,
but it's got to be up there.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I actually I did see that. I was flipping between
baseball games and races and whatnot, but did see the
shot on seventeen. Poor Robert McIntyre was not his day.
Speaker 6 (03:01):
No, he played great overall. I mean, he did well,
but Scotty was just that much better.
Speaker 7 (03:06):
So don't shush the crowd in front of scottischepo.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
The docile tones you hear are West Virginia State Attorney
General J. B. Mccusky. He fought a lawsuit on Friday
against Express Scripts now known as ever North Health, alleging
the pharmacy benefit manager played a central role in the
widespread oversupply of opioids here in West Virginia, and as
you already know, the Attorney General joins Usaw'm Metion News
(03:33):
talk line this morning from the Charleston Bureau.
Speaker 7 (03:35):
Good morning, sir, Good morning, How are you.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I'm doing quite well.
Speaker 7 (03:38):
How are you doing what I'm doing?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Good?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
You should have seen my double on sixteen, it was
a little less exciting than Scotty's chip in on seventeen
there triple Yeah, that was.
Speaker 8 (03:48):
You, not me.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
So explain this lawsuit and how you alleged that Express
Scripts now ever, North Health contributed or was a central
architect to the over supply of opioids here in West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I think to start off with, I think we
need to realize that the opioid crisis in West Virginia.
While we are actually seeing for the first time in
a very long time, some very positive numbers as it
relates to the addiction rates in West Virginia, the overdose rates,
the death rates, some of the things that we're doing
are really starting to work. But the damage that was
(04:24):
done is generational, and the people involved, or the corporations
i should say, involved in creating this crisis were.
Speaker 7 (04:34):
Bad actors.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And one of the most crucial jobs that the Attorney
General has in protecting the consumers and the people of
West Virginia is determining who are those who have made
a mistake in the furtherance of a in the furtherance
of an otherwise positive mission, meaning companies that are trying
to do right and messed up right, we have to
(04:56):
treat them very differently than we treat people who are
in intentionally taking actions that are designed to harm West
Virginians for their own profit.
Speaker 7 (05:05):
And that is that is what we see here.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
And as we've alleged in this complaint, express Scripts contracted
with drug manufacturers, the pharmacies that dispense the drugs UH
and the payers. Payers being the consumers as well as
the anybody who's paying for the drugs at the pharmacy.
That could be Peia, that could be Medicare, Medicaid, that
could be personal you know, people paying for their drugs
(05:28):
out of their own pocket. And as a result, you know,
we have this system where express Scripts controls an enormous
amount of the marketplace. They control the data, they control
the cost of the drugs, they control how the drugs
are marketed. And it's not just express Scripts they're there.
Their competitors are are Optimum CVS and and all of
(05:49):
these groups have sort of weaseled their way into the
middle of our healthcare and they've done so in a
way that has made their companies incredibly profitable and really large.
They all started as essentially part of sort of the
drug the pharmacy world, and as a result of their
manipulation in the market, they've become bigger than the very
(06:10):
companies that spun them off. And so they were really
sitting at the center of the drug crisis the entire time.
And instead of using their power and using their influence
and using their data and using their control to pump
the brakes on the opioid crisis and to tell prescribers
(06:31):
and to tell pharmacies, hey, we know that there's a
million pills going into crumb, West Virginia. There's no way
that that many people need. There's not enough people there
to ever need that many drugs. They figured, hey, we
actually kind of control how these drugs are getting out
into the marketplace, and we can exacerbate the problem to
our own profit.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
But do they because they don't write the prescriptions, they're
not the actual distributor, They never touch these drugs.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
In this case, they actually are really Yeah, Express Script
owns and maintains an online pharmacy here in West Virginia,
and so they are actually completely vertically integrated insofar as
you could order opioid prescriptions through through their online or
their their mail order pharmacy, and they controlled that system
from top to bottom.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
How does that make them different from the other PBMs.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
No, No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
They they have essentially created a world where there is
no drug that enters the home or the bloodstream of
a West Virginia consumer that doesn't touch a pharmacy benefit manager.
And Express Scripts was able to conceal their behavior to
the degree where they were even able to to get
large contracts with the state to be the pharmacy benefit
(07:42):
manager for a large swath of West Virginia consumers. And
so not only were they exacerbating the problem, but they
were keeping their behavior so secretive and so and so
contained under this giant corporate veil that it was only
just very very recently that we were able to understand
the scope and the power that they had, and also
(08:06):
really what their role was in destroying the lives of
thousands and thousands and thousands of West Virginians, destroying the
hope for thousands and thousands of West Virginia children, creating
a foster care crisis that is beyond contemplation, and all
of these things, all of the things that we've seen
through the opioid crisis. We're going to hold Express Scripts
accountable for their actions to.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
State Attorney General JB. McCuskey, joining us on Metro New's
talk line, his office filing a lawsuit against Express Scripts
for its role in the opioid crisis. Was this a
bad actor or a handful of bad actors or was
this a corporate atmosphere that drove this type of action.
Speaker 7 (08:44):
I'm going to go with the former, Dave.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I can't really see the benefit of their actions as
it related to how opioids were distributed in West Virginia.
It becomes very, very obvious to me. You know, every
corporation trying to make money. That's the point. That's what
capitalism is. And capitalism in all of its forms, when
it isn't interjected with evil, is a good thing. It
(09:09):
is the greatest it's the greatest system to remove people
from poverty and to get them into the middle class
that's ever been created. But the downsides of capitalism are
that there are bad actors in the system who are
willing to use human suffering for their own profit. And
I think that's what we see here. That's the reason
why we've written the complaint in the way that we've
written it. That's the reason why I'm speaking in such
(09:32):
sort of specific terms here, and you know it is
the job of the Attorney General in many respects to
protect capitalism by holding accountable people who take advantage of
the parts of the system that enable people to get
rich using other people suffering.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
When I take a look at some of the narratives
that are out there from those that support the PBMs,
one that seems rather prolific to me is, look, our
job is cost control. It was somebody else's job to
worry about in the middle there. So I know you're
going to but that's what they said.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
I'm not going to let you say that the PBMs.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
I didn't say it, are did?
Speaker 7 (10:11):
Are well?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You said people that support them? I haven't found too
many of those. But our drug prices have never been higher.
It is one of the main focuses of President Trump's
second administration is to lower drug prices. Our drug prices
have done nothing but skyrockets since the PBMs have weaseled
their way into this system and enabled themselves to use
formularies and secret data.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
Explain that formularies explain that essentially.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
It's a list of drugs that they will provide better
rebates for pharmacies for prescribing, so so they get a kickback. Yeah,
I mean that that's your words, not mine, but it is.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Essentially, what it says is is, you know, if this
patient comes in and says they need they have X, Y,
and Z prescription, these are the ones that you need
to sell them. And if you do sell these, then
we will provide extra money back on the other end
to the other people that are that are part of
the system. And to be fair, the other people that
are part of the system don't understand the system. The
system is so big and so complicated, and they control
(11:08):
so much of the data and so much of the
language and the contracts that it's almost impossible for a
regular pharmacy to understand even what their relationship is with
the pharmacy benefit manager, to even understand what the pharmacy
benefit manager might be doing not only to the pharmacy itself,
but also to the consumers that utilize it.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
In this instance, in this lawsuit, did Express violate West
Virginia law?
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah, how so they did it in a myriad of ways.
But when you look through the when you look through
not only our rules as they relate to pharmacy benefit managers,
which the legislature has done a great job of starting
to understand this problem, starting to create some laws that
create transparency and some real consumer power as it relates
to how they are are dealing with the pharmacy benefit managers,
(11:54):
but more importantly are our consumer credit or our consumer
protection laws in West Virginia are very very about the
ways in which corporations are allowed to act, and in
multiple instances, and we can get into it at some
other time when we have a little bit more time
to talk. They blatantly violated West Virginia consumer laws, they
blatantly violated West Virginia's tort laws, and they've blatantly violated
(12:15):
multiple very very recent state laws that have been passed
by the state legislature.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
You have pending legal action, so you're limited in what
you can say, and I understand that we're talking about
express scripts. Is anyone doing it right? Is there any
PBMs that are good actors that are examples for the
rest of the marketplace that you can think of?
Speaker 7 (12:36):
I haven't seen one.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I think part of that question is is it possible
to do it right within the system of our healthcare
that is just ballooned into something that no regular person
can understand. I mean, when was the last time you
got a bill from a hospital that you could look
at and be like, Oh, I owe them this much
money and here's why. Right, And the same thing applies
when you go to the pharmacy. You can walk in
(13:00):
to Kroger's or CVS, or or into Walgreens or to
your local pharmacy. Right, there's so many great local West
Virginia owned pharmacies here in West Virginia. You walk in
there and on Tuesday it costs twenty three dollars for
your prescription. On Thursday it costs forty one dollars. If
you walk into Kroger's, it costs sixty three dollars if
you walk into Walgreens.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Totally.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
A couple of weeks back, I went to a place
for a prescription three hundred dollars, three shopped a round,
ended up getting for forty dollars. So I go to
three different places now and see who has it the cheapest.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
And do you have any understanding of why that is?
Speaker 9 (13:28):
No?
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Because I don't have time for that.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
You don't have time for it, and it is intentionally
made so confusing that people just give up, Right, and
they just say I need my prescription, I'm going to
buy it. I'm here, and you know that that is
bad for consumers and it is actually a huge part
of what some of the other things that we're investigating
as it relates to our healthcare system might involve in
(13:50):
cases in the future.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
JB, what are you asking for? What do you want
out of this lawsuit?
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I mean, ultimately, what we're asking for is money. And
you know, in this world, accountability is achieved through financial transactions,
and the amount of damage that has been done to
the people of West Virginia isn't monetizable. You can't look
at a mother who lost their son. You can't look
at a son who lost his mother and say this
(14:17):
is how much that child or that person's life was worth.
You can't look at an entire state and say we
have destroyed your workforce and we've destroyed the hopefulness of
so many incredible, hard working people and put a dollar
figure on that. And that's the really hard part about
this is how do you try to do that. They
can't really achieve accountability with an apology. Note right, this
(14:38):
isn't tittley winks, this isn't fourth grade they didn't pinch
a little girl on the playground, right. This is generational
damage that not only cost the state outrageous amounts of money,
but cost us so much more in ways that are
very very difficult to quantify.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
But quickly other states have done this, I think Kentucky, Michigan.
Have there been any outcomes in those cases yet.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
They're all still pending. And this is the first step
in what's going to be a very, very long road.
What we know about companies who are willing to conceal
their behavior in order to achieve massive profits at the
expense of state laws and at the expense of people's lives,
is that they have really good lawyers and they're willing
to spend an enormous amount of the money that they've
(15:21):
profited in order to defend their actions. And so we
have an incredible team legal team West Virginia based lawyers
here who are the best I've seen, and they're ready
with their heels dug in to fight this as long
as it needs to be fought. And we feel great
about our complaint, we feel great about our we feel
really really great about where we are.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
But it's the first step in a really long road.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
That I believe is going to end with significant accountability
and hopefully significant resources that will help us to rebuild
West Virginia.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
State Attorney General JB. Mcuskey, he's got a news conference
coming up at eleven o'clock this morning. We will have
a story posted shortly over at wmetronews dot com. Thank you, sir,
always appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 7 (16:03):
Hey, Thanks Dave. We'll talk to you guys soon.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Absolutely coming up more from the the INCOVID Insurance studios
as we continue here on talk line back in a moment.
Speaker 10 (16:13):
I'm doctor Ann Murray, Division Chief of Conference and Movement
Disorders at the WU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. West Virginia has
the third highest prevalence of Parkinson's disease in the country.
Although Parkinson's is relatively common in our state, no two
stories or two patients are the same. Here at the
R and I, we understand that and shrive to understand
you and better treat your disease so you can get
(16:35):
back to living your life. Call three h four five
ninety eight six one two seven to schedule an appointment.
Speaker 11 (16:43):
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Speaker 2 (17:24):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Coming up after the news, CBS News Scott MacFarlane going
to join US members of the West Virginia National Guard,
Ohio and South Carolina going to be deployed or be
least available to assist in Washington, d C. We'll talk
about the Guard's presence there and the President's emergency authority
in Washington, d C. Three or four Talk three or
(17:55):
four is the tax line eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two five five. Let's get some text in
three or four three oh four Texters says the sad
part of the opioid settlement. Is not one single family
that lost a loved one from this garbage will receive
a penny of this money, says the Texter. The hospitals
and licensing boards in West Virginia have gone unpunished as
(18:16):
they turned a blind eye to the prescribing escalation three
or four talk three or four. You know who first
sued pharmacy benefit Manager's President Biden. Now these magafools and
this guy are acting like it's their idea. Question mark.
Remember always that Republicans have no honor or integrity. If
you hate the power that the PBMs have, just wait
(18:37):
until you see how the corporate oligarchy takes over everything
only to benefit Republican politicians.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Did you hear novelty in his idea? I mean he
said Kentucky had already done it. Michigan had already done it.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Three or four talk three or four. When doctors writing
prescriptions are held accountable, the public will see it's no
longer just about free money. For this date, West Virginia
won't hold suppliers accountable. Heck, West Virginia elected an opioid
lobbyist as governor. I think JB needs to look inside
the house for more bad actors, says the Texter. Here
(19:12):
we go West Virginia. The sue me states, dot dot
dot dot dot dot dot dot. I think I got
all the dots in there. I get your point. Though,
I got your point.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
Ask you a question. These formularies, these rebates, these kickbacks.
Who was benefiting off that was the PVM passing that
along to their customers? I don't know, but I think
it's interesting that if you've got drugs where you get
a rebate, you're obviously incentivized to try to market those drugs.
Be interested to follow this and see how the testimony
(19:41):
on all that angle of this plays out. I don't
know that business well enough to understand who was really
profiting at the end of the day. I would imagine
maybe maybe the consumer got some of the rebates and
then the PBM kept the majority of it. I don't
know that, but I find that angle and that strategy
very interesting relative of prescription drugs.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I just this is an oversimplification of everything. But when
it comes to health insurance, when it comes to just
gotta be careful here, everybody's out to screw me. That's
my pretty much my feeling as a consumer. Is everybody's
out to screw me? So I do not feel bad
when you shouldn't feel bad when you try to bargain
when you're buying a vehicle, buying whatever you're buying. I
(20:23):
know that's over simplistic and a bit jaded and probably
a bit callous, but nonetheless, everybody's out to screw me.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
So is it jaded or is it smart?
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Dave?
Speaker 6 (20:31):
I think it's smart on your part to think buy
or beware and someone is trying to I mean exhausting.
I can tell you that it's exhausting when you go
to a doctor, especially with health care, when you go
to a doctor and you're trying to figure out are
they making decisions that are in my best interest or
are they making decisions based on my insurance. Is the
insurance company making a decision that's in my best interest
(20:52):
or they just want to get me or get my
grandpa or my mom or dad moved along because that's
going to be really expensive for that company.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I had some reason, man, Yeah it is.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I've had some reason lately to learn a little bit
about the Mayo Clinic, and I must say one of
the things that has surprised me and I've I've appreciated
this about the Mayo Clinic. All the doctors there are
on salary. So if you order a thousand tests and
bring in a thousand specialists, you get the same amount
as if you do none of that in terms of
your compensation.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Coming up, we're gonna talk to CBS News Scott McFarland
Hill join us as three states, including West Virginia, have
committed National Guard troops to help in the effort in DC. Well,
talk to him about that. More of your texts coming
up as well. Three h four Talk three four and
eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five. This is Talk Linel
Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
(21:49):
It's ten thirty. Let's get a news update. Check in
with the Metro News Radio Network. Final, what's happening across
the great state of West Virginia.
Speaker 12 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins. The State Public
Service Commissions expect to at some point get a filing
from the developers of the Moral Transmission Line project, who
want to build that line through parts of several West
Virginia counties into Virginia for a data center. Community meetings
held the last two weeks have produced opposition. Berkeley County
Delegate Chris Anders attended a meeting last week at Shepherd University,
(22:19):
and not.
Speaker 9 (22:19):
One single person that showed up, not one that showed
up at this open house supported this effort. Everybody showed
up and opposed.
Speaker 12 (22:28):
The project has yet to be filed with the PSC.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is scheduled to hold
a virtual public meeting this evening to take comments on
a data center being proposed for Mingo County. That proposal
from trans Gas is under review. The virtual public meeting
set for six this evening. The startup of fall semester
classes on college campuses across the state means the welcoming
(22:49):
of the latest class of Underwood Smith Teaching Scholarship recipients.
The freshman will train for the next four years, receiving
ten thousand dollars a year in exchange for teaching in
West Virginia. Our high school graduate, Sarah Fallstick, is getting
started at WVU. She says, this group is ready to
get started. After meeting together this.
Speaker 13 (23:06):
Summer, he learned everything about the scholarshaid that we didn't
already know we met all of the other underwent Smith scholars.
I met the other one from w and like, we're
already really really good friends and already making plans to
hang out when we're down at WVU.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
You're listening to Metro News for forty years. The Voice
of West Virginia.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Got ready for some hard hitting high school football. Her
twenty twenty five season kicks off with a showdown you
won't want to miss. It's the SSAC Kickoff game presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, featuring up Parkersburg
Big Reds versus Morgantown Mohegans Thursday, August twenty eight, best
seven pm met Morgantown High School, brought to you by
(23:43):
Gomart Fresher Engineering, Marshall University and the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.
Stream the action live on Metro News Television. Visit WV
METRONEWSTV dot com for more information.
Speaker 14 (23:54):
With the right support and care, the seed can grow
into a resilient plan. Recovery takes patients intention and a
willingness to listen. Every path is different, and every story
of substance use is an opportunity for transformation. When it
comes to growing and restoring our communities, we need everyone
(24:14):
to break through addiction. Learn more at back to Life
wv dot org.
Speaker 12 (24:22):
We expect more information today from state police about a
bad crash in Tucker County Authority Stay. An ambulance and
motorcycle collided the entrance to Tucker County High School at
Hambleton at around twelve twenty Sunday morning. One person was
flown from the scene. Another hot one today in West Virginia.
Temperatures getting into the nineties and some areas the heat
(24:43):
indecks arise to be above triple digits today. From the
Metro News anchored desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Three or four Talk three four. That is the text line.
Coming up second hour of the show. Brian Sanson, treasurer
with the United mind Workers of Americas, will join us
as a silica dust rule has been delayed for a
second time. UMWA condemning that decision. We'll talk to Brian
coming up second hour about that. Over the weekend, Governor
(25:33):
Morrissey announced that members of the West Virginia National Guard
will be deployed or at least be available to assist
DC in the President's Public Safety Initiative over there. Governors
in Ohio and South Carolina have also committed National Guard
resources and troops to help. What will the National Guard's
role be moving forward?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What's it been?
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Well, let's bring Scott MacFarland into the discussion. He is
with CBS News and he joins us on Metro News
talk line. Scott, good morning, Glad you could join us again.
Let me try that again. I hit the wrong button. Scott,
good morning.
Speaker 15 (26:06):
Say that it's still nice to be here.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
So this has been going on now about a week
or so. What's the feeling been in Washington, D C?
Particularly with having the National Guard in town.
Speaker 15 (26:19):
This is a fascinating issue on so many levels, one
of which is that there's not one side and the other,
Like so many binary twenty twenty five political issues, there's
a whole range of opinions in Washington, D C. Among
the people who live here and among the people who
work here about the National Guard, including the West Virginia
National Guard, sending three to four hundred people here. There's
(26:42):
a frustration with crime in the District of Columbia, much
as there's frustration with crime in many American cities. There
are some people who like the idea of there being
more law enforcement out there. I mean, these kids are
about to go back to school. You want to go
out on a summer night to the store, to a restaurant,
walk to work. You want to feel safer. Crime may
be down a bit here in Washington, but it's not
(27:04):
acceptable at the level it's at according to anybody. This
does to some people feel heavy handed, though. To have
military hum these on neighborhood streets, to have American troops
helping police American neighborhoods just feels un American, according to
the mayor, and maybe leaving a bad taste in some
people's mouths. But this is not a binary issue where
(27:26):
there's one team on one side the other team on
the other.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Scott.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
One of the criticisms has been those National guardsmen who
are there. They're not necessarily deployed to the high crime areas.
I'm wondering if we know why that is. Could it
be because they're in support roles and actual agents or
actual police officers are now able to go to those areas,
or they just misdeployed. I'm curious you have an insight
on that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
That's a big complaint. You're spot on bringing it up.
Speaker 15 (27:54):
First off, the National Guard members at this point in
time as the week begins, are not armed, they're not carrying,
and they're publicly declaring that they're not carrying, which as
you know, is its own dynamic. And what's more, they're
not in arrest roles right now. The White House is
said that can change, but they're in a support role
with law enforcement, federal law enforcement and local police the
(28:16):
arresting and doing the firearm carrying. That may impact the
locations where they feel comfortable deploying National Guard vehicles and people.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Washington, d C.
Speaker 15 (28:28):
Term for the southeast and northeast neighborhoods that are known
to have histories of crime spikes are Wards Wards seven
and Ward eight. They have been deeply problematic with crime,
including present day. We spent a lot of time there
in the past few days. We have not seen even
the federal agents deployed visibly in those communities, and that's
(28:50):
raising questions. If you have uniformed law enforcement with carry permits,
with the ability to affect arrest, maybe they should be
more deeply ingrained in those higher crime neighborhoods. Right now,
what we're seeing is they're in the areas where there's nightclubs,
where there's nightlife, the gentrified communities of northwest Washington, d C.
And they're on the National Mall, near the monuments and
(29:12):
near the tourists.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Talking to Scott MacFarland, CBS News in Washington, d C.
So the National Guard is not caring. The National Guard
troops do not have a rest authority. What is their
role at this point is as support personnel.
Speaker 15 (29:28):
The way it was described to us initially is they'd
be there for logistics, could be for transport, could be
to hold somebody for future arrest. But they're also visual.
They're visible. I mean, this is what happens on the
New York City subway. Here in Washington, you walk out
of the train station, you will see National Guard. Now,
maybe that's a deterrent, Maybe that's a sign you don't
(29:48):
want to pop off. But I'll add this and this
is just from my perspective having been near the Maryland
West Virginia border as a resident for the last twenty
one years. There at of people from West Virginia make
that commute into this city every day. I two seventy
off of Interstate seventy is just filled with West Virginia
license plates coming through Maryland into Washington, d C.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Where a lot of folks work.
Speaker 15 (30:12):
So West Virginia has skin in the game here, and
the governor may be mindful of that when he makes
this deployment, knowing that it's an awful lot of his
constituents who do work in this city every day.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Will surprise you how many folks make.
Speaker 15 (30:23):
That long commute, either on the Mark train from Martinsburg
or Harper's Ferry or do the long drive. There is
an equity West Virginia has that maybe the other states
setting National Guard troops do not.
Speaker 6 (30:35):
It's interesting you bring that up. How has the dynamic changed,
if at all, from what you're hearing on the ground,
Because it's perhaps one thing under the Home Rule Act
for the DC National Guard to be deployed. Once you
bring in West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina, it would seem
that might change the essence of the argument. Are you
hearing those narratives in those themes from people who are
on the ground.
Speaker 15 (30:56):
Goodness, yes, The concern that is most transcended here is
that these people don't know our community. And if you're
going to police our community. You should know our communities.
You have relationships skin the game with people who live
in these communities, and if you have people coming from
South Carolina and Ohio, they're outsiders. We saw some protests
over the weekend, people confronting the federal law enforcement, the
(31:20):
ones who wear the masks and don't have visible badges
and IDs on them. That type of thing can be
exacerbated when you bring more outsiders into any community in America.
What's more, more protests we have, the greater the prospect
of copycats or outsiders coming in to fuel those protests,
and then they're being some type of interaction that make
(31:41):
it physical.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Talking to Scott MacFarlane with the CBS News joining us
here on Metro News talk Line this morning, I thought
everybody in DC was from somewhere.
Speaker 15 (31:50):
Else too well, in so many ways in the business district,
certainly at the government offices, at the visible parts of DC.
That's true, that it's exactly the dynamic at play here
because in some of those Southeast Northeast communities you have
people who have been here their entire lives for generations,
and there's a thus them versus us dynamic from the
(32:12):
many many of us who came from elsewhere in America
and set out to put roots down in Washington, DC
and those who've always been here, and that type of
wedge I think is exacerbated by this.
Speaker 6 (32:25):
I don't want to be too speculative, but I do
wonder thirty days is not a long period of time.
Congress is on break, but they're coming back. Is you
know what happens next? Because Congress is going to have
to get involved in this. Maybe they won't want to,
but I would think they're not going to have much
of a choice.
Speaker 15 (32:41):
Congress would have to approve any extension beyond thirty days
of the federal takeover of the nation's capital. They'd have
to approve of that. I could tell you right now
there's long shots and then there's long shots.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I mean, this wouldn't be like a lottery ticket.
Speaker 15 (32:57):
This would be like a powerball ticket for Congress to
secure Democratic votes to extend this. Considering it's a provocative
thing and the president has ownership of it right now,
and it has his fingerprints all over this thing, so
it does have to end after thirty days. The President
has alluded to he wants to keep it going. He
will extend this but in court Friday, when the District
of Columbia must I legal challenge to all this, a
(33:19):
Department of Justice attorney representing the president's administration acknowledged this
has to end after thirty days unless the Congress extends it.
But you can just hear it in the voices of
people who are concerned that this will extend or metastasize
to other US cities, even though the federal government doesn't
have the autonomy it has in the District of Columbia.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Not to make it about politics, but it's DC. Everything
has some sort of political consequence here, Scott, as you know,
but much better than I do. But has Trump again
painted his opponents into a corner where they've got to
argue some sort of existential you know, is it right
or wrong? She's got to show restraint versus at the
(34:03):
same time that he can go, well, then you don't
you want crime? I'm just trying to stop crime. Here
make an argument against why I shouldn't stop crime. He's
kind of it feels like he's painted them into a
precarious political corner.
Speaker 15 (34:14):
This is this is definitely a wedge issue among Democrats,
and the president knows that his congressional allies know that
they've had votes in the last few years. I matters
involving the district of Columbia, and it splits the Democratic
caucus because people don't want to be seen as soft
on this or soft on that, or support of a
big government, or or more than anything, soft on crime.
(34:35):
In fact, you see those frontline Democrats, the ones who
run in really competitive districts and really overachieve compared to
the rest of the party. They split with the rest
of the caucus on this. And the President's got a
good wedge issue here, but he's also galvanizing the opposition.
And that's that's what a good wedge issue does, right,
It fires up both sides.
Speaker 6 (34:57):
So not every governor has been on board with the ask,
and it is a request, it's not in order. Vermont's governor,
a Republican, wasn't on board. Bring us up to speed there.
Speaker 15 (35:08):
Burdon's Republican governor has said no to the request for
national Guard or the recommendation to send national Guard.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
But I think the tide pushes the other way.
Speaker 15 (35:15):
You've got Governor Morrissey who has secured himself quite a
voice this weekend in America by being the first to
send those troops down I seventy to Washington, d C.
There may be other Republican governors who'd like to be
seen as supportive of the President in this initiative as well.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Scott MacFarland, CBS News, joining us from the district. Scott,
always appreciate it. Thanks for the perspective this morning.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Let's do it again anytime, coming up.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Your thoughts at three or four. Talk three h four
that is the text line. Eight hundred seven to sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five
five that is the phone number. The twenty twenty five
high school football season kicks off in just a little
more than a week. The Class Quat kickoff game, presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, comes up a
week from Thursday, August twenty eighth, seven o'clock. It'll be
(36:07):
Morgantown and Parkersburg. You can watch all of the action
on the Metro News TV app or over at WV
Metro newstv dot com. You can download the app to
your iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple, TV, Roku or Fire TV
and you can see the game. And you watch this
show and all of our other programs again. It is
the twenty twenty five Class Quad, a kickoff game presented
(36:31):
by the West Rginia Army National Guard. A week from Thursday,
seven o'clock Morgantown and Parkersburg back to talk Line in
a ballman.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Got ready for some hard hitting high school football. The
twenty twenty five season kicks off with a showdown you
won't want to miss. It's the SSAC Kickoff Game presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard, featuring the Parkersburg
Being Reds versus Morgantown Mohee Games Thursday August twenty eight,
best seven pm at Morgantown High School, Brought to you
by Gomart Fresher Engineering, Marshall University and the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.
(37:01):
Stream the action live on Metro News Television. Visit WV
metronewstv dot com for more information.
Speaker 8 (37:07):
A lot of attention has been directed towards something President
Trump calls clean beautiful coal. That phrase often describes the
clean burning aspect of West Virginia coal, but there is
another type of coal, metallurgical coal, which is used to
make the steel our economy depends on, and West Virginia
has some of the highest quality met coal in the world.
(37:28):
West Virginia coal miners produce more met coal than any
other state, and seventy percent of all steel makers in
the United States rely on West Virginia met coal. This
accounts for two hundred billion dollars in economic impact throughout
the country and helps sustain over a half billion jobs.
As President Trump reinvigorates our economy, he will need a
lot of our high quality met coal. So the West
(37:50):
Virginia Coal Association asks you to join with them to recognize,
honor and salute our West Virginia coal miners. They built
this country and will play a vide role in rebuilding
the economy that will power the twenty first century.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
A message from the Friends of Coal.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Oh by the way, the ACLU West Virginia has refiled
its lawsuits to block the Governor's executive order regarding religious
exemptions for school vaccinations. Remember it's lawsuits filed on behalf
of a couple of parents in Kanawa County have been
tossed out on a technical issue that has been refiled.
So there's your vaccine saga update for today. Look, I
(38:53):
don't mean to poop poo the topic because I know
it's very important to a lot of you out there,
and I understand that. But we all know this is
going to eventually end up, and I know this is
to mess to play out. I just wish there was
an express lane. This will end up at the State
Supreme Court. That's where this is going to be settled.
The sooner the better. But there's your lawsuit update for
the day.
Speaker 6 (39:12):
Sincere question, do we get a standing judicial resolution within
this school year?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
No, you know how the courts play out, that seems
like it's that's a big lift. That's less than a year.
Nine months, you're going to get nine months something from
the State Supreme Court. Within nine months they may have
a Hey, we may have a law in place before
the court ever gets a hold of this thing.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
No bet, no, bet.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Oh, it'll take up a lot of oxygen when we
get back to the State Capitol in January. That's almost
a guarantee, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
Look if I were one of the folks that were
trying to get a law passed, I'd be whipping that
thing hard. Now, I'd be trying to build consensus. Now,
I'd be ready to go day one, and I would
try my hardest to get that through the legislative session
as quickly as possible. Will that happen?
Speaker 7 (40:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
I mean, wouldn't your pitch if you were if you
were whipping this wouldn't part of the pitch. Be Hey,
either we can decide what the law is going to be,
or the court's going to decide for us. And I
think so we may not like that decision.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
And if you're the other side of this issue, and
you were comfortable in not having a law, and you're
comfortable with the law as it is on the books,
now you have to ask yourself, what are the merits
of the case. What kind of confidence do I have
that I will prevail in court? And if I believe
I will prevail in court, you're going to do your
(40:47):
darnness to stop any kind of law. So somebody somewhere
in the smoke filled room where you're not allowed to
smoke anymore needs to be and it probably is having
these conversations.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I just hope that room exists somewhere, and there are
cigars in brandy because why not? Why wouldn't you have
that in your smoke filled room? And mustaches, long curly mustaches.
Speaker 7 (41:11):
I digress.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
All right, let's take a break. We'll get to your
text coming up. Three h four Talk three oh four
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Speaker 11 (42:15):
Looking for a big new game to play, well, there's
no game bigger than the new Dino sized Jurassic World
scratch off game from the West Virginia Lottery, which gives
you a chance to win up to fifty thousand instantly.
And if that weren't enough, you can enter in our
app for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii
where you could win up to one million dollars. So
(42:36):
get down to your local lottery retailer today and welcome
to Jurassic World. Must be eighteen year older to play
play responsibly.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
Three or four talk three oh four. That is the
text line eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five. Brian sansum United
Mine Workers of America will join us coming up top
of next hour. There has been a rule that would
reduce miners exposure to silica dust in the mines that
(43:20):
has been delayed now twice, and the UMWA is of
course condemning those decisions. We'll talk to Brian Sanson that
coming up, and Jared Halpern will join a second hour
of the show. Jared was on the trip to Alaska
for the high stakes sum up between Trump and Putin,
and he is back in DC where the President is
set to meet with Voldemir Zelinski from Ukraine and several
(43:42):
European leaders later today. So hopefully Jared doesn't get pulled
in some other direction between now and then he'll join us.
Coming up bottom of next hour three or four Talk
three oh four. Texter wants to know how much does
the National Guard which is going to DC cost per
day and why aren't we using that money to fix
the roads? Well, you will be relieved know that the
(44:03):
funding for this will come from the FEDS. State money
will not be used for this assignment. Three h four Talk,
three oh four. Have you guys seen the story that
Putin had his number two's waist using air quotes there
shipped out of Alaska with him, presumably so Americans cannot
study it to get insight into his health. Well, it's
(44:24):
a good thing Trump wears diapers. He's saving America money
and someone's dignity by wearing a diaper.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
Go Trump.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
I did not see that story.
Speaker 6 (44:32):
But I did the same thing, don't we do we?
I'm pretty sure that that goes back a lot of administrations. Now, yeah,
if the president is going somewhere, there is some apparatus
to ensure that. Yeah, they cleaned the room to make
sure there's no DNA left behind. Yeah, yeah, you can
google it. I think we do the same thing, though.
Speaker 16 (44:50):
How would you like to have that?
Speaker 1 (44:51):
That has to be an entry level job, right, go
make sure the president goes at the proper place. Huh,
this is what I signed up for. Uh, somebody wants
in Epstein. Okay, Epstein update today, question Mark, you are
taking why President Trump has gone sign on the Epstein
issue because we've moved on. That's why have we we
(45:12):
have it'll be back. Has it been on the have
you seen it on the cable news this week? Last
two weeks?
Speaker 4 (45:17):
We moved on.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
We've moved on our news side.
Speaker 6 (45:20):
I think we've moved on for good.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
You think we've moved on for good for a while
for the time being.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
Let's see.
Speaker 6 (45:25):
That's what I'm getting at. It's not going to die
for good.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
I'm going to do it.
Speaker 6 (45:28):
Zelensky's not gonna do it. It'll be back.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
But our attention spanned. The news cycle is so short
these days, so short. And look, we're getting into the
season now. Things Congress is going to come back in.
We're going to shut down the government in September. There
are going to be other things to occupy the national media.
There'll be the Epstein hit at the perfect time of
year for cable news. There was nothing happening, right, there
(45:53):
was nothing. I mean, I mean not nothing, But there's
that void in the middle of summer. Perfect time to
latch one of that and carry it for a couple
of weeks. Now there'll be a lot going on. There'll
be a lot going on. I'm just telling you, uh,
three or four talk three or four. So yeah, we
got a couple of minutes here.
Speaker 10 (46:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
It's nice that Dave and TJ run cover for an
obvious authoritarianism exercised by a sex abuser who most certainly
is a pedophile that is hiding the evidence of the
Epstein file. Well, there's your Epstein file. Remember when the
sex abuser celebrated the violence and attack at the capitol
in January sixth, did not send the National Guard to
stop it, and then pardon fifteen hundred criminals claiming they
(46:31):
were patriots. Republicans have no honor of integrity or integrity.
Speaker 6 (46:36):
Can somebody make a gift of me just shaking my
head like in and we can just put that back
on the tech stream when this kind of stuff comes in.
I mean, seriously, Uh, get groc on.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Have you played with grok at all?
Speaker 6 (46:47):
By the way you were telling me you had? I haven't.
I need.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
Yeah, I've been animating some pictures. It's a it's a
total waste of time, but you know, but it entertains you.
It does, and the friends I send those pictures to.
Speaker 6 (46:59):
Which you read the do that or watch the tonight show,
because it doesn't look like many.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
People are watch rather tonight play with rock. All right,
we'll get back to more of your texts coming up second.
Our Brian Sanson, U and Wa will join us six
minutes from now. Jared Halpern at eleven thirty three, go
grab you another cup of coffee. This is talk Line
on Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
Speaker 4 (47:27):
Metro News.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
Talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling you with
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Speaker 1 (47:40):
Metro News talk line already in progress here on a Monday.
Phone number is eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. That's the
phone number if you'd like to call in. Sofia Wassick
is our producer sitting by awaiting your call. Zach Carroll
Check is running the video stream this morning, three or
four time three to four. That is the text line,
(48:01):
and by the way, more of your texts coming up
bottom of the hour. Jared Halpern will join us. He
was on the trip from DC to Alaska last week.
He's back in DC today. We'll get a recap of
that high stakes summit between President Trump and Russian President
Vladimir Putin, and today's meeting between the presidents and Ukrainian
(48:23):
President voldemir' Zelenski and the European officials on hand as well.
So lots to get to this morning. Once again. Good morning, TJ.
Meadows at our Encod Insurance studios in Charleston today.
Speaker 6 (48:34):
Good morning, Good morning sir, and are you ready for this?
President Trump saying today he would sign a new executive
order to quote help bring honesty to the twenty twenty
six mid term elections, saying on his truth social post,
the mail in ballot hoax using voting machines that are
a complete and total disaster must end now. So we
don't like mail in ballots, we don't like voting machines,
(48:56):
and all this coming after Putin said the same thing
during their meeting in Alaska. I mean, I'm not even
going to comment on it, but my goodness, gracious well, we're.
Speaker 5 (49:05):
Back to that again.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Okay, it's Monday.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
I can't hit all this on a Monday.
Speaker 1 (49:12):
Give me a couple of days. Get into the week,
all right, Jared Halper, Bottom of the Hour. A federal
rule to limit the amount of silica dust miners can
be exposed to has been delayed for a second time.
Speaker 9 (49:23):
And now.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
That rule was finalized last spring and was scheduled to
go into effect for coal mines in April, reducing the
amount of silica dust miners can be exposed to. Obviously,
that was delayed, with industry groups filing a request in
the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals citing high cost and
challenges posed by turnover in the administrations. This month the
rule was scheduled go into place. It was delayed again
(49:45):
at least until October, with another status update scheduled in
October in federal court. Joining us on Metro News talk
line this morning is the treasure of the United Mine
Workers of America. Brian Sanson, Brian, good morning, Glad you
can join us.
Speaker 9 (49:59):
Good morning.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
You called the decision bureaucratic cowardice. Why is that, Brian, Well,
our members have been.
Speaker 17 (50:13):
Exposed to this dust now for a long time. You know,
we've been up on the hill lobbying to put a
rule in place since twenty and ten. Miners are mining
through dinner seams of coal and they're as a result,
(50:34):
they're more rock, more silicon in the air, which is
increasing the rates of black lung dramatically.
Speaker 6 (50:45):
What's causing the hold up, I mean, break it down.
Is it one government agency or another? Why can't we
get this thing across the finish line?
Speaker 17 (50:53):
Well, it took a long time to get this rule
in place, and the union push the previous administration, this administration,
and now that the rule was finally in place, you
had delay after delay. The hard rock industry led the
(51:15):
challenge and the union actually tried to intervene in the
court and we were surprised when IMSHA actually opposed our intervention.
We are the largest coal mining union in the United
States and the fact that we weren't allowed to weigh
(51:37):
in on this was upsetting, But the industry has always
had a long history of opposing any rule or any change.
They denied that black one even existed for decades, so
as we moved forward that they blamed NAGE for or
(52:00):
the lack of respirators dust monitors. But keep in mind,
they knew this rule was coming for at least a year,
and that was plenty enough time to be able to
put everything in place to be prepared for this rule.
Speaker 1 (52:17):
Rian Sanson is joining US Treasure with the UMW A. Brian,
So how would the rule work? How would this reduce
miners exposure to silica dust, which is known to cause
black lung disease.
Speaker 17 (52:29):
Well, it really brings it to a national standard. OSHA
has had a a compliance limit for industry in general
since goingness at least ten years. If you look at
(52:51):
the history of silica, it's been a problem for over
one hundred years. Take a look at the Hawks a
tunnel disaster. NASH recommended that the fifty microgram limit be
put in place fifty years ago. You know this is
(53:14):
just the bureaucracy that it's worse, and now IM she's
talking about a settlement. I don't know how you could
propose a settlement or what that could even be. The
science is clear, the fights are clear. Miners are getting
sicker and dying at younger ages due to silica dust.
Speaker 18 (53:39):
IM.
Speaker 17 (53:40):
She's own numbers show that these illnesses would be reduced
by thousands if this rule was put into place, So
we're not sure how they can turn their bick on
these kind of numbers.
Speaker 6 (53:57):
As I read about this issue, some lawmakers are arguing
that it places undue burdens on the mining industry. You
talked about that to some extent, but specifically claims of
the fact that the policies itself don't take into account
rotating shifts or even take into account the fact that
respirators are used. What would you say to those criticisms.
Speaker 17 (54:18):
Co company's I've heard claims that it's going to cost
anywhere from ten cents a ton to fifty cents a
ton at the highest end, But these companies always want
to put their profits over miners who are dying a
slow and painful suffocating death. That's nothing new. You know,
(54:42):
they've been rotating shifts for the long as I've been around,
and long before I was over here. You know that
this is nothing new. They manage ventilation and how airflows
with rotating shifts. So I don't know that that even
(55:05):
has any merit.
Speaker 1 (55:07):
Treasurer the UMW A Brian Sanson joining us. The silica
rule that would limit further or further limit minors exposure
to silica dust in the minds has been delayed twice.
What are you hoping for out of this status here
which will come up in October? Are you optimistic this
could be implemented later this fall?
Speaker 17 (55:28):
I would hope. So I think that you know, people
take an interest in this and contact IMPSHA and ask
for some movement here, then that is a possibility.
Speaker 6 (55:42):
You know.
Speaker 17 (55:43):
A couple of real concerns as we have is that
imps just doesn't have the stomach to enforce its own rule.
Why not, Well, I think it's a matter of an
administrative change it in the Department of Labor at the
at IMSHA. The industry has a biggercy at the table now, So.
Speaker 6 (56:10):
What needs to change within MSHA? Do we need new
leaders in MSHA that that have more gumption.
Speaker 17 (56:17):
Well, this culture of corporate or I'm sorry, this culture
of corporate that I don't know the easiest way to
put to Instead of enforcement, they're they're they're helping them comply,
so you know they're going to put the new programs
(56:39):
out there. The mind inspectors leave their citation books at home.
They go around the mind they show companies how to
comply out with the law. That that's not their job.
Their job is to go in and enforce the rules
and regulations.
Speaker 1 (56:59):
It's all my Brian, what you describe as atmosphere of
Rather than telling a corporation this is what you need
to do, it's more of an ask. Is that air
a fair characterization of your statement?
Speaker 17 (57:13):
That's a very fair characterization, and I would not be
surprised as some kind of resolution was reached between the
parties that reflected that kind of view.
Speaker 6 (57:24):
Let me take the flip side of that for sake
of Devil's argument. If they are teaching people how to comply,
then aren't they identifying what is wrong? And as long
as it gets into compliance, aren't miners better off?
Speaker 2 (57:38):
For that.
Speaker 17 (57:42):
Co companies they've tried this compliance approach multiple times. It
seems like every time there are different administrations with different views,
they go back to this compliance and the fact are
as they always have young them. The companies don't do
(58:04):
anything voluntarily. They do it because they're forced to. And
I think that's no different than the rest of society.
That's why we have speed limits, that's why we have regulations.
It's because people in general just don't do what they're
supposed to do. They do what they're forced to do.
Speaker 1 (58:25):
Ran And we're talking to Brian Samson, Secretary treasure with
the United mind Workers of America. The longer this rule
is delayed, what's the impact on the workers who have
to go underground.
Speaker 17 (58:37):
Well, we're seeing spikes in these coal fields that are scary.
Speaker 18 (58:43):
You know.
Speaker 17 (58:43):
Twenty we saw NAHS had research that showed twenty percent
of minors who worked in West Virginia, Kentucky or Virginia
had black long and this was a disturbing increase. This
was back when rates were at their lowest in the nineties.
(59:04):
Now it's also had data from nineteen to twenty three
that showed that a three percent of miners with severe
black one in West Virginia and Kentucky and Virginia. So
Appalagia is affected the worst by delays.
Speaker 6 (59:24):
If the delay isn't addressed, what tools do you have
in your toolbox to ensure that it's addressed. Is this
something that the UNWA is willing to try to walk
out over? How do you become the catalyst for the
change you want? If it can't happen through the routine channels, the.
Speaker 17 (59:43):
Union will do what it always does. We advocate for
workers in whatever form that takes. Yeah, going back to
the days of the original black Lung movement, it was
the union that led that, and we have led for
more progressive safety in the minds ever since. Every piece
(01:00:07):
of federal legislation has been at the urging and lobbying
of the union. So we will continue to fight in
the same manner that we've historically fought.
Speaker 1 (01:00:19):
Brian Sanson, Secretary Treasurer of the United mind Workers of America.
There will be a status hearing coming up in October
ahead of the scheduled implementation date of October seventeenth for
the silica dust rule. Brian, thank you so much. Keep
us posted. Okay, thank you absolutely coming up, we'll get
to your text three or four Talk three oh four.
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Visit WVHTF dot org. High Technology Foundation shaping West Virginia's future.
Speaker 1 (01:02:18):
Jared Helping Fox News Radio joins us ten minutes from now.
He was on the trip to Alaska for the Trump
Putin summit. He's back in DC today where the President
will be meeting with Voldemir Zelenski will get to Jared
coming up bottom of the hour right now, your thoughts
at eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five and threeho four talk
(01:02:40):
three oh four. When will the UMWA address the issue that,
according to impshad data, represented minds are more unsafe and
less compliant than union minds than union free operations. Uh, well,
you'll have to ask them. I'm not sure. I haven't
seen the day. I'd have to go look at the
(01:03:01):
data as well. Uh, three or four talk three or four.
Coal companies have demonstrated for decades they don't give a
rats behind about the safety of coal miners. Nice at
it on the fly, Yeah, can't wait. Tear TJ's take
on how silica dust remediation and worker protection will increase
the rate which customers pay care to address.
Speaker 6 (01:03:22):
Mister Meadows, Look, can you know what, Dave? Sometimes the
best strategy is not to swing at a pitch in
the dirts. That's all I have to say.
Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
Which, by the way, you know, just not to change
the subject too much. But the Rads did pull off
a win yesterday against the Brewers and remain the only
team in baseball not to be swept in a series
this year. For whatever that's worth.
Speaker 6 (01:03:46):
Where are they going? They're in Anaheim, I think. Now
for the Angels, I think so. I think they're off today.
They've got to stand with the Angels listening.
Speaker 1 (01:03:54):
Being a Reds fan feels like being the Cleveland Indians
fans that the three guys from the major movies that
sit out in the outfield, they'll blow it in the playoffs.
That's what I feel like. It's too high.
Speaker 6 (01:04:06):
It's too high, too high, too high.
Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
Three or four talk three four. Any thoughts on why
President Trump has gone from increasing sanctions on Russia to
talking about swapping land in Ukraine. Does Zelenski have more
cards to play today by bringing multiple European European leaders
with him. Certainly pose that question or some form of
it to Jared Halpern here in a couple of minutes. Look,
(01:04:31):
I am certainly no among the things. I am not
a foreign policy expert. You can put into that category
to you, Jay, but I do know that from the
experts I have read and listened to and watched for
how long has the war been going on now? A
couple of years, several years? It seems like the inevitable
end is some sort of territory swap where Russia ends
(01:04:53):
up with more territory than it starts with. Do I
like that?
Speaker 9 (01:04:55):
No?
Speaker 1 (01:04:56):
But that seems to be the inevitable end. Otherwise it's
going to take US involvement, boots on the ground to
push Russia out of Ukraine, and there is zero appetite.
Speaker 4 (01:05:08):
For that here.
Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Again, that's just my take being a non expert on
such issues, but listening to people talk, that seems like
that's the inevitable end to this particular conflict.
Speaker 6 (01:05:18):
And will Putin be happy with that if he gets
the land that he wants that Zelensky doesn't want to
give and has said he doesn't want to give. Will
it end there? Will Putin really stopped there? I ask,
somewhat tongue in cheek. Let me say this though, using
a Russian apologist who said, you know, a weekend meeting
or me of the Friday meeting, I should say that, yeah,
(01:05:40):
the election was stolen from you, mister president and then
tweeting about that today. I mean, that's just poor foreign poor, optics,
poor I don't know why the president did that.
Speaker 9 (01:05:51):
That just I.
Speaker 6 (01:05:53):
Don't understand that at all, other than I guess, hey,
if someone will carry your water, even if it is
a Russian president apologist.
Speaker 1 (01:06:00):
There's that. But look, this conflict, does one side or
the other is not going to surrender. I mean Ukraine
is not going to surrender. The world's not going to
let allow Ukraine to surrender, allow Russia to take all
that territory. Russia is certainly not going to surrender and
go back to where the borders were prior to the conflict.
So something has to give, something has to give in
(01:06:21):
this or you're going to end up with the same thing.
Speaker 6 (01:06:23):
Can you turn the war cold somehow? Can you turn
it into a war of the occasional skirmish compared to
what's going on today? And maybe that's enough. I don't know.
But you are absolutely spot on US boots on the ground.
That is a political non starter in this country. And
if we get to that, I don't care Republican Democrat,
(01:06:46):
that's not going to fly.
Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
And that's what Putin's betting on. According to the experts
I have consumed is that the longer hey, he just
wastes this thing out, the more Americans go. You know what,
we don't want to keep sending money over there. We've
got our own problems. We certainly don't want to send troops.
At some point us support Waynes and then he gets what.
Speaker 6 (01:07:04):
He wants in the end anyway, and we're thirty seven
trillion in debt, So can he wait us out?
Speaker 4 (01:07:09):
Maybe?
Speaker 5 (01:07:09):
Probably?
Speaker 1 (01:07:10):
Well, he's not going any He's not going to lose
any elections anytime soon. No, no, no, all right, text
line three or four talk.
Speaker 7 (01:07:18):
Three four.
Speaker 1 (01:07:22):
Students everywhere on students everywhere like the old days, hashtag WVU.
Am I missing something? Am I missing part of that
text somewhere is today?
Speaker 6 (01:07:33):
Back to school at WVU.
Speaker 1 (01:07:34):
Uh No, Well, students came back last week starting Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
It was moving to a downtown. Traffic was just atrocious,
just atrocious. Tonight's Fall Fest for WV students, and then
they give him a break tomorrow because of fall Fest tonight,
and then class starts on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:07:54):
A break.
Speaker 6 (01:07:55):
We were up until three in the morning with fall
Fest and classes at eight o'clock today they're soft.
Speaker 1 (01:08:01):
Eight o'clock clubs. Whose schedules eight o'clock Clott freshman, that's
who schedules everybody's business school, I mean all the way
to senior.
Speaker 6 (01:08:07):
All the professors want at eight o'clock classes. Good luck
getting out of one if you studied business.
Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
And that just because the professors want to get home
by noon.
Speaker 6 (01:08:14):
Oh yeah, exactly, because they go to bed at seven o'clock,
so they wanted to get home.
Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
I get home to watch the wheel coming up. Jared
Halpern will join to see what's on the trip from
DC to Anchorage. He's back in d C. Ukrainian President
Zelensky is in town, and so are several other European leaders.
So we'll talk to Jared about that. How did things
go in Anchorage? How are things in DC today? We'll
get that covered. Your text are welcome as well at
(01:08:41):
three or four Talk threeh four that is the text line.
Eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five that is the phone number.
Don't forget a high school football kickoff Classic coming up Thursday.
A week from Thursday, actually, Morgantown of Parkersburg get the
Metro News TV aff You can watch that and all
of our programming. This is talk line on Metro News
(01:09:03):
for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It is
eleven thirty times to get a news update. Let's check
in with the Metro News radio network. Find out what's
happening across the great state of West Virginia.
Speaker 5 (01:09:17):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Chris Lawrence. The State Department
of Environmental Protection scheduled at virtual public meeting for this
evening at six o'clock concerning proposed data centers from Mingo County. Now,
the deep will take questions and input on air quality
permits for the facility that'll be proposed by trans Gas.
Deb spokesman Terry Fletcher says already they've gotten about fifty
(01:09:38):
written comments. The trans Gas facilities are for power generation
to run those and would be about fourteen miles apart.
Construction permits for the center. Energy operations would be on
twenty two min Road near Holden, just inside the Mingo
County line, and on Twisted Gun Road near Warncliff. With
the approval of the air quality permit and the regulatory approval,
that developer hopes to be under construction by the the year.
(01:10:01):
Those wishing to participate in the event this evening can
sign up at the Deep website. Again, it's at six o'clock.
Eastern Panhandle residents also concerned about a power project.
Speaker 20 (01:10:10):
Opposition to the mid Atlantic Resiliency Link was clear and
an open house presented by First Energy in the Eastern Panhandle.
Berkeley County Delegate Chris Anders says, if your property isn't
directly or indirectly affected by the line, the pocketbooks of
all RAID payers. They'll make the sacrifice for Virginia data centers.
Speaker 9 (01:10:29):
And we get nothing in return except for our land taken,
our electric grades going up.
Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
This must stop, he says.
Speaker 20 (01:10:35):
Too many of his peers are silent. I'm Mike Nolton
for WV Metronews dot com.
Speaker 5 (01:10:40):
You're listening to Metro News for forty years, the voice
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Speaker 16 (01:11:15):
Hi.
Speaker 21 (01:11:16):
I'm Alex Cook and I'm a project manager with CEC.
When people ask why I work at CEC, I tell
them it's because we turn visions into reality right here
in West Virginia. I point out the roads, parks and
bridges we've developed, and the streams we firstored. Then I
mentioned the team engineers, surveyors, scientists, all working together in
the support of culture.
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We share.
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It's CEC.
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We engineer progress in the great state of West Virginia.
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Find out what CEC can do for you visit cecinc
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Speaker 5 (01:11:45):
Kathy Mattea tells Metro News being invited to be a
member of the Grand Old Opera is a full circle moment.
Speaker 15 (01:11:51):
You know.
Speaker 19 (01:11:51):
I moved to Nashville when I was nineteen, and I
got a job at the Hall of Fame, and we
talked about the.
Speaker 9 (01:11:57):
History of country music and the history of the opera,
and so at this other end.
Speaker 8 (01:12:03):
Of my life.
Speaker 9 (01:12:04):
To get to be a member and be part of
that that I started teaching people about when I was young,
just feels like a beautiful full circle moment.
Speaker 5 (01:12:14):
From the Metro News anchored to ask, I'm Chris Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
You're calls and texts coming up? Three oh four talk
three oh four, eight hundred and seven six five eight
two five five. That is the phone number Fox News Radio.
Jared Halpern was on the trip to Anchorage last week.
He's back in DC today where President Trump will meet
with Ukrainian President Voldemir Zelenski and European leaders. Jared joins
us on Metro News talk line, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:12:56):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 9 (01:12:59):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:12:59):
First of all, let's go back to the High Stake
Summit in Anchorage last week. I've heard a lot of
reports about what may or may not have been said
during that meeting. What do we know coming out of
the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin?
Speaker 16 (01:13:14):
Well, we know that President Trump didn't leave there with
the ceasefire he had sought, and did not leave there
with a second meeting set up between Putin and Zelensky.
And those were kind of the two big ask that
the President had gone there with Remember he said that
this meeting is kind of the meeting before the meeting,
It is the set up a negotiation between Putin and Zelenski.
(01:13:40):
It is unclear if they are any closer to that.
The President on the way to Alaska spoke with those
of us on the plane and said he would be
disappointed if this summit with Putin ended without a ceasefire,
and he would move forward with those severe consequences. He
has not done that either now, saying that east fire
(01:14:00):
is not the way to go, that they want a
full peace agreement, and because they are negotiating that he
will hold off on those economic sanctions. That was something
that is not the preferred method by Zelenski in these
European counterparts who are now en route to the White
House to meet with President Trump this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (01:14:20):
What are the president's political opponents saying about those lacks
of outcome or the reverse in strategy. How's that being
perceived and how's it being characterized in Washington?
Speaker 16 (01:14:31):
Well, I'm not sure you characterize it as the president's
political opponents. I mean, I think support for Ukraine has
been pretty bipartisan for much of the last few years.
And you have seen even Republicans who are skeptical that
Putin is serious about making peace. That being said, I
think that there are Republicans who are inclined to give
(01:14:53):
President Trump some runway here to see what he is
able to negotiate. What is able to be agreed to
certainly be I think questions if this final agreement seems
to give Putin what he wants in the form of
territory or in the form of Ukraine not being able
(01:15:13):
to join NATO. President Trump does not support Ukraine joining NATO.
The President seems to indicate that Ukraine should give up
at least CRIMEA. Those are things that Zelensky has not
advocated for leading up to this meeting today. We did
hear from Steve Witkoff, the Special envoy, over the weekend
that one of the concessions they think that Putin is
(01:15:34):
agreeable to is a sort of security guarantee that would
be Article five esque kind of NATO light for Ukraine
that would at least ensure that in the event of
another attack or invasion, they would be defended by other
European or potentially US forces.
Speaker 1 (01:15:52):
Talking to Fox News Radios, Jared Haltburn, Jared Is there
any outcome from the people you've spoken to, the experts
that you've read as well, Is there any outcome that
does not include some sort of landswap where Russia obtains territory.
Speaker 16 (01:16:10):
Well, it depends on you. I mean, most you know,
foreign policy folks who have dealt with Putin, have dealt
in the sphere before, think that it is a mistake
to see that ground. We heard, for instance, from of
folks over the weekend who had indicated that giving Russia
territory diplomatically that they had been unable to win militarily
(01:16:33):
would be a mistake, that it could encourage, you know,
these further types of incursions, these further types of invasions.
That being said, we have heard from President Trump those
close to him that you kind of have to negotiate
in the reality. And the reality is that right now
Russian forces due control about nineteen percent of Ukraine's territory
and it has been a bloody stalemate over the last
(01:16:58):
several months, a lot of casualties. Russia mounted air strikes
last night that killed a one year old girl in Ukraine.
So you're kind of dealing with what the reality in
the ground looks like versus kind of what kind of
what is the new world order? I mean the order
(01:17:22):
in which we've lived by in Europe post World War two, right,
which is if you don't take land through through invasion.
Speaker 6 (01:17:29):
Move to today, tee up. What will be on the
agenda and what European allies are going to be there
with President Zelensky.
Speaker 16 (01:17:36):
Yeah, So the President will meet one on one with Zolensky.
It'll be just the two of them for a bit,
and then they'll bring in more of the Europeans. It
will include the NATO Secretary General Mark Gretta, It will
include the European Commission President Ursula vander Layton. It will
include the French President Emanuel Macrone, the UK Prime Minister
Keir Starmer, the German Chancellor Frederick Murrz, the Italian Prime Minister,
(01:18:00):
as well as the Finnish President. The President of Finland
one of the newer members of NATO. His name is
Alexander Stubb. He has become very close with President Trump
over the last several months. Alex Subb played college golf
at Furman University in South Carolina. He is a pretty
good stick by all accounts. Played golf with President Trump
(01:18:22):
at his golf course down in Florida several months ago.
The two of them seemed to hit it off, and
Stubb says they do talk regularly and oftentimes before and
after these these interactions with Putin and Zelensky. So it'll
be interesting to see kind of what role everybody takes
here in this multilateral meeting that is getting underway here
(01:18:44):
in about an hour and a half.
Speaker 1 (01:18:46):
Talking to Fox News Radio's Jared Halper, what's the strategy.
Is it a matter of convenience just to get everybody together?
Is their strategy to all of these European partners coming
along with Zelenski.
Speaker 9 (01:18:58):
It depends who you ask.
Speaker 16 (01:19:00):
And Layton was the EC Commissioner, that European Commissioner was
the first to kind of announce this, and she said
that she was going to join President Zelenski at his request,
and then other European leaders sort of announced that they
were also coming. The White House says that they were
all invited, that the White House wants them to be
engaged in this process because these are the partners who
(01:19:22):
the President is working with and this has to be
a European solution. But it is clear that these European
leaders are coming here with a unified front and kind
of a show of support for Ukraine and for President Zelenski.
Speaker 6 (01:19:38):
Jared, what does the smart money say in terms of
what happens next? You mentioned no commitment from Putner Moscow
in terms of a next meeting. I would think Zelensky
would want something like that. What's the smart money say
happens after today?
Speaker 9 (01:19:50):
It's a good question.
Speaker 16 (01:19:51):
I think it's going to depend on kind of how
receptive everybody is and what exactly it is that President
Trump is proposing, and how workable that it is. I
think that a success might be the ability that to
kind of say, we have a framework that can be
discussed further and you know, at a time and play
(01:20:12):
ounce to be determined. But listen, we had expectations for
the meeting that Zolensky had here six months ago, and
those did not follow through. So we'll see kind of
how this meeting goes here with not just Zelensky, but
an awful lot of European leaders Box.
Speaker 1 (01:20:26):
News Radios Jared Halpern of the meetings are later this afternoon.
Will there be I assume there will be some media
availability at some point today, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:20:34):
There's not a press conference, there will be some opportunities
for reporters to shout questions. We'll see if the president engages.
I thought it was notable as somebody who was in
the room shouting questions when he was alongside Putin, that
he did.
Speaker 9 (01:20:48):
Not take questions.
Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
What's your batting average? When you're shouting questions like that, Jared.
Speaker 16 (01:20:53):
It's usually pretty good. I mean, that's why I'm saying,
like President Trump, listen is the one who does not
shy away. He almost always picks questions when the press
is in the room, oftentimes invites those questions. And so
you know the idea that you know when he was
in there with Putin and kind of just said thank
you when we shouted questions and we were ushered out quickly. Granted,
(01:21:14):
this is a different meetings, you know, with a foreign leader.
It is with Vladimir Putin. You know, Russian press was
in there all of that. But that is the exception,
not the rule, for president not to take questions when
there is media president there in front of them. He
didn't take questions at the news conference either. It was
not really a news conference, right, it was joint statements. Again,
(01:21:37):
very unusual for this president. That's why I am curious
to see, you know now that he's kind of back
on on you know, home turf of Alaska's home curf.
But here at the White House, the press corps will
be robust and questions. I'm sure we'll be shouted, and
we'll see if the President engages and maybe gives us
some more insight into his thinking about that meeting he
(01:21:59):
had with Latimer Putin on Friday, Fox News.
Speaker 1 (01:22:03):
Radios Jared Holper and those meetings taking place later today
in DC. Jared always appreciate it. Good luck, buddy, Thank you, sure,
thank you coming up your text three or four talk
three oh four at eight hundred and seven to sixty
five talk. That's the phone number and the text line.
This is talk line from the Encode Insurance Studios.
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To learn more.
Speaker 1 (01:23:42):
Text Line three or four Talk three oh four guys.
I think you are both smart enough to know that
if there is a pause or cease fire to the
war in Ukraine, Putin will rearm and invade once he's
got his military built up. Trump is giving him time
to resupply and rearm, and we'll be back to where
we are we are at in five years, says the text. Look,
(01:24:06):
I don't necessarily disagree with your assertion there. However, I
do know this that the American people sounds such like
such a politician term, but us here in the US
there does not. I have not seen any data, any
polling data, any sort of anecdotal evidence that there is
any appetite to get involved in that particular war. Obviously, TJ.
(01:24:29):
Congress is split on whether or not we should even
be funding it. There are those in Congress that don't
think we should even be sitting money over there. So
I don't know what outcome there is that doesn't end
up with Russia maybe keeping the territory that is that
it has already gained. And the threat I guess is
that if you take more than the US and all
of Europe is going to get in on this conflict.
(01:24:51):
I guess that would be the deterrent and economic sanctions
and whatnot. So I get what the text are saying,
shoulders rug emoji, because I just know America has no
appetite to get involved in this with any sort of
boots on the ground.
Speaker 23 (01:25:04):
Support.
Speaker 6 (01:25:05):
It's a very good question. And you know, Jared talked
about this Article five kind of outcome. Article five is
simply our NATO treaty, which says, if you attack an ally,
we're all in. And the thought is, to your point,
Russia keeps the land they have, Ukraine has what they have.
It's kind of like a Korea thing, right, It's a
South Korea North Korea kind of standoff in that. Okay,
(01:25:28):
we've got a partition. Problem is Dave. If Putin tests that,
you got to be all in, you have to be
all in at that point. And I don't know that
the American people want to take on that kind of commitment.
And whoever sells that, if it's I mean it's Trump, right,
he's got to hit the nail on the head. And
(01:25:51):
Putin has to be absolutely terrified of the fact of
going beyond any kind of power grab land grab, beyond
what that kind of an arrangement would spell out. I
think he'll test it. So I think we'll end up
to the point where, hey, you know, are we willing
to go all in? And what have we spent? Already
two hundred billion dollars I think has been allocated, so
I don't have the answer.
Speaker 1 (01:26:11):
And look, Putin obviously is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Sure he could wait what three years? Four years, different president,
different administration, at different foreign policy try to again, I
don't know where the where this conflict actually ends. I
don't again, not a foreign policy expert. Text line three
(01:26:33):
or four, talk three oh four. It's an embarrassment. Trump.
I'll end this war my first day in office. Haha.
Trump doesn't take questions after he rolled out the red
carpet for the invader. Putin is the criminal here? Why
is he getting any kind of concession anyway? Well, I
would say he gets concessions because again, the only way
(01:26:56):
to force Russia out of Ukraine, and from what I
understand from again listening to those who know, would be
major ally involvement here. And I don't know that, ny tej.
I don't know that. I've read anything where Europe wants
to get involved in that sort of fashion. Sending weapons,
sending money is one thing. Sending troops and getting involved
(01:27:18):
in a major, major which would be a major conflict.
I don't know. Does anybody have an app that's a
legitimate question. I don't know, does anybody have an appetite
for that.
Speaker 6 (01:27:26):
Not to be too pejorative of our European allies. They
want us to do the heavy lift. Well that's the
way it's always been. It's one thing to come to
a meeting with Zelenski, but they want us to take
on the heavy lift.
Speaker 12 (01:27:38):
And we've seen that time and again.
Speaker 6 (01:27:39):
We've seen that from from Britain. We've seen that from
all of our European allies. But we can only do
so much. Man, I mean hate to be that coppit.
I mean, we got a lot of issues. Yeah, let's
go to the phones. Clay in Jefferson County. Hey, Clay,
what's on your mind?
Speaker 4 (01:27:59):
Buddy?
Speaker 18 (01:28:00):
Well, good morning fellas. I have a quick question. Firsts
who pays the West Virginia National Guard.
Speaker 1 (01:28:10):
Uh, if you are referring to them being deployed in DC,
that will be federal funding.
Speaker 18 (01:28:16):
Oh oh, shay, I mean, but who does the state
pay them to do there? To do what they do
or are they a federally funded organization?
Speaker 6 (01:28:28):
You know, that is a good question, and my gut
would tell me without looking deeper, it probably depends on
what role they're undertaking. So if they're doing training that
would somehow benefit from a reservist perspective, I would say
the FEDS may take that up, but I'm sure the
state has an obligation there as well. Now what that
ratio is, Clay, I do not know without deeper study.
Speaker 18 (01:28:48):
And obviously you see what I'm getting at is that
you know, if my tax dollars as a West Virginian
are going to pay for the National Guard to be
in DC. I don't want West Virginians going there anyway
in our National Guard, but especially if I have to
pay the bill.
Speaker 1 (01:29:04):
Now we hear you, Clay, Well, look, we'll try to
see if we can get a better answer for you. Uh,
we got a homework assignment. See if we can get
a better answer for you tomorrow. Clay, appreciate the phone
call eight hundred and seven and sixty five talking three
or four Talk three oh four, Texas says people of
West Virginia are outraged about Morrissey sitting National Guard to
d C against American citizen Guard. Members I talk to
(01:29:25):
don't want to be put in the middle of this.
Are they outrage? That's what I was going to ask,
Are they? Are we really?
Speaker 9 (01:29:34):
Now?
Speaker 1 (01:29:35):
I believe anecdotic. I believe the Texter is telling the
truth anecdotally that if you're a guardsman, you may have
other things that you need to do beside go to
try to clean up DC's problems. I get that, but
people of West Virginia outraged. I haven't seen it.
Speaker 6 (01:29:50):
Maybe, I mean, you see the extremes on social media,
but social media is not a good barometer of at
all of what the majority thinks. Let me ask you
question because I don't know the answer, and maybe it's
another homework assignment. Is that deployment voluntary? Are we picking
and telling what guardsmen will go and they're being assigned?
Or is that something you raise your hand and say yes,
(01:30:10):
I'll go. I don't know the answer to that one.
Speaker 1 (01:30:13):
Gotta take a break back. We'll get to some more
texts before we call it a day. Three or four
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Speaker 1 (01:32:04):
Three or four talk three oh four. That is the
text line. Mister Meadows did some quick I assume you googled.
I don't know, but he's got some numbers for Clay, and.
Speaker 6 (01:32:16):
I mean, look, it's back of the napkin, right, so
take it for what it's worth very quick. But it
looks like the ratio I focused in on that. It's roughly,
for every dollar the State of West Virginia spends on
the National Guard, it gets twenty dollars from the Feds,
so it's a twenty to one federal to state ratio.
So I'm still looking at some of the final numbers
on total spend, but Clay, that'll give you a starting
(01:32:37):
point and maybe we can further crystallize it from there.
Speaker 1 (01:32:41):
This Texter says, you are correct, TJ. The Guard has
both federal and state rolls, therefore different types of funding.
They are dual status, says the Texter. This one says,
not outraged at the Guard, especially if voluntary outrage is
directed at the governor for being a boot liquor. He
only got a third of the vote in the GOP primary.
You can say that's how elections work. But the rest
of US can be angry at the Republicans for splitting
(01:33:03):
the rest of the vote, says the Texter. My son
just got commissioned this last week as a second lieutenant
in the Army National Guard for West Virginia. Here's a funny.
He lives in DC, well Alexandria. Lol uh three or
four talk three four? Great Britain has volunteered to take
(01:33:24):
on the peace keeping troops burden in Ukraine. That's if
an agreement can be reached. If we are taking such
a decisive stance at influencing agreements with input from USA,
we are obligating ourselves to participate financially or in some way.
Trump wants a Nobel Peace prize, says the Texter. Ken
here's one for with sixty seconds to go to Jay.
(01:33:47):
Can Trump be the bad guy? And you scare quotes
there where Zelensky can go back to his citizens and say, look,
this is the deal. It's Trump's fault. Can he be
the bad guy that Zelensky needs if he has to
see territory.
Speaker 6 (01:34:02):
And maybe maybe he.
Speaker 1 (01:34:03):
Thought, I don't know if it's a good thought, but yeah, throws.
Speaker 6 (01:34:06):
I think Trump's biggest thing is he doesn't care and
there's a lot of power in that, Dave, if you
do not care what other people think and you play
the long game. And I'm not saying he's necessarily doing that,
but there's power there. If you can be the one
that cares less than the other guy, there's power.
Speaker 1 (01:34:24):
We'll be back tomorrow morning ten oh six. Coming up next,
Metro News Midday on many of these same Metro News
radio stations. Joe Manchin on the gas List today, he's
got a book coming out. All right, we'll talk to
you tomorrow a teno six for Jake and Sophia and TJ.
I'm Dave. This is talk Line on Metro News for
forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
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