All Episodes

December 15, 2025 94 mins
Senator Shelley Moore Capito announces her re-election bid and discusses a number of topics. It's Bill of Rights Day and Beth White explains why the 7th Amendment is so consequentional. Tamaya Browder, with WV Center on Budget and Policy, offers her persepctive on Hope Scholarship funding. Plus, your calls and texgts. 
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's a snowy Monday morning across much of West Virginia.
Sit back, grab a hot cup of coffee, and enjoy
Metro News talk Line.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
We're underway.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
You are.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v RC
Media and the Metro News Radio and Television network. The
voice up West Virginia comes a most powerful show in
West Virginia. This is Metro ne News Talk Live with
Dave Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Activated switch network control from Charleston to.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
Morn Stand by to David.

Speaker 5 (01:14):
DJ.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
You're on. Metro News talk Line is presented by Encovia Insurance,
encircling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit encovia dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Well, this is an interesting start to a Monday morning.
Good morning, Welcome into the program Metro News Talk Line.
Dave Wilson in the Encode Insurance studio, Zach Carroll Chick
is handling the video stream, Sofia WASIK is handling our audio.
Eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty
five eight two five five. That is the phone number
three or four Talk three oh four is the text line.

(01:53):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito is going to join us momentarily.

Speaker 6 (01:57):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
But for you listeners at home, I have no phones
while I have them, but something is not working so
I can hear no audio at this point. So we're
going to take a quick break. I'm going to fix that.
We're going to talk to the Senator in a moment.
This is talk line from the Encova Insurance Studios.

Speaker 7 (02:14):
Ergical coal builds the world, and the met Coal Producers
Association is the network that makes it possible. The MCPA
unites America's met coal producers, giving members a powerful voice
in policy, partnership and progress. Producers, suppliers, and innovators come
together here to build relationships, drive growth, and strengthen our industry.

(02:36):
Join today, visit metcoal dot com. Met Coal makes it possible.
MCPA makes it personal.

Speaker 8 (02:44):
Tens of thousands of hard working West Virginians earn their
living in our states growing natural gas industry, including thousands
for Intero Resources, west Virginia's top natural gas producer, and
Taro's investments are boosting our local workforce in small businesses
proud to give back and invest locally to support West
Virginia workers producing West Virginia Energy but the Mountain State's

(03:06):
best days are ahead and in. Taro Resources is just
getting started. Visit and Taro Resources dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
To care for here at the Health Game, we are here.

Speaker 9 (03:24):
From all of us. Here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright. Whether you're wrapping gifts
are planning next year's goals, we're here for you. Happy
holidays and Merry Christmas. From our family to yours we.

Speaker 10 (03:41):
Here.

Speaker 11 (03:46):
Some say he's a man of mystery. Others say he's
the holiday hit maker.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
No one saw coming.

Speaker 8 (03:51):
It's showtime.

Speaker 11 (03:52):
The holiday hit Maker walks the office halls with West
Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 8 (03:59):
What are you bringing the holiday hype here?

Speaker 12 (04:02):
Enjoy scratch off?

Speaker 3 (04:03):
It's on me?

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Whoam ticket? My work here is done.

Speaker 11 (04:07):
Be the surprise hit maker. West Virginia Lottery Games fun,
festive and full of flare. Please play responsibly.

Speaker 4 (04:26):
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 (04:38):
Joining us from the Encode Insurance studios in Charleston. This morning,
US Senator Shelley Moore. Capito announced earlier today she will
indeed be running for reelection in twenty twenty sixth. Senator
capitol thanks for joining us from Charleston. Sorry about the
delay this morning.

Speaker 13 (04:52):
Good morning, and it was not my fault.

Speaker 14 (04:56):
The delay.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
You there. I actually have to turn the button on
to talk to you. So you know I'm flying the
space shuttle here blind and backwards. So bear with our
technical difficulties.

Speaker 13 (05:11):
Okay, sure, sure, you know technology is great until it
isn't correct.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
You got that exactly right. So, Senator Capito, simple questions start.
Why run for reelection?

Speaker 13 (05:22):
Well, Dave, thanks for giving me the opportunity. I think
that I've worked hard. I think I've gotten good results
for West Virginia, and I think I want to continue
that at the momentum, both what I've been able to
do in my leadership positions as Chair of Committee, but
also responding to what West Virginias really care about, that
spirit of West Virginia. And so I think I'm going

(05:45):
to ask the voters to send me back one more
time to work with President Trump. He endorsed me in May,
and I think that we've been able to do some
good things and I look forward to the good things
we can do in the future.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
You mentioned President Trump's endorsement that was a complete and
to endorsement, as he put it. How does that shape
your priorities and messaging to West Virginians.

Speaker 13 (06:05):
Well, I think obviously President Trump's very popular in West Virginia,
particularly popular as a Republican in West Virginia, and I
think that's important. But I think let's look at the
policies here, you know, go to the border. For instance,
President Biden, you remember he said he couldn't do anything
about the border. It was Congress's responsibility. And President Trump

(06:26):
proved him wrong, and we've supported him, and I've supported
him to make sure we don't have five million illegals.
But if you look at other things like economics and
the one big beautiful bill, let's talk about tax relief
for everybody, and they'll be seeing it more. If you
get a tips, if you work on tips, or if
you work over time, no more taxes on those things.
No more tax on social Security accounts for children that

(06:51):
are just being born, to be able to teach them
and show them how savings are so important, small business
tax relief, and then energy, I mean, I could go
on and on, but I think we've worked hand in
hand to pull down the regulatory environment so we can
build again, so we can create our more energy independence.
And I've been a big part of all that, and

(07:13):
I think it's important to West Virginians.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
The a word affordability is going to be talked about
a lot during this twenty six election cycle. So what
specific actions could Congress take to make to bring the
cost of living down to make it more affordable here
in the US.

Speaker 13 (07:31):
Well, I think the first thing we did was past
the bill in July. You know, it has two names,
one big beautiful Bill or the Working Families Tax Relief Act.
And I think it's it will be seen and it
will be felt more after people will begin filing their
taxes in January. So I mentioned, you know, no tax
on tips, no tax on overtime. But it also has

(07:52):
incentives for small businesses to be able to build and
to create and to expand wages and to create more jobs,
much like we saw in twenty seventeen when we passed
that tax package several years ago. But it also keeps
individual rates down. It prevented a five trillion dollar tax increase.
I think also as we move towards energy independence, what

(08:13):
we're hoping to see is our power bills coming down
at the same time because we're more reliant on our
own production of energy, and we've expanded that production of
energy in West Virginia is a big part of that.
Healthcare still remains a huge issue here and it hasn't
been solved, and I want to be part of the solution.
I voted for a bill last week that would allow

(08:35):
people instead of insurance companies to make their own decisions
on their healthcare through their health savings accounts. The President
and others of work to bring down cost of pharmaceuticals,
which is a huge part in the affordability. So I
do believe affordability will be the big issue. But I
think that as we move forward, move forward in the
policies that I've advocated for and with the President and others,

(08:59):
I think will show that things will not just get better,
but be better, and more opportunities will be in front
of the in front of West Virginians and the American people.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito joining us SO on Metro
News talk Line this morning, announcing today she is seeking
reelection in twenty twenty six, you mentioned healthcare cost and
the debate that continues in Washington, DC over how to
address healthcare affordability. Everyone agrees costs are unsustainable. The Democrats
proposed extending the ACA tax credits Republicans. The plan you've

(09:31):
voted for provided health savings accounts money for health savings
accounts for Americans. Why does the health savings account? Is
that a better plan for Americans when quite frankly, we're
pretty much broke either way you look at.

Speaker 13 (09:43):
It, well, I think if you look at that, well,
the core problem is something that we really need to
get to, and that is why are healthcare costs? Why
are insurance premiums going up so exponentially? And it's tied
to a lack of being able to hold down healthcare costs?
And what's going to do that? I think what's going
to do that is have people make their own decisions.

(10:04):
Rather than insurance companies getting the forty eight billion dollars,
Let's let people have that money in their health savings
accounts so they can make their own health care decisions.
And many people in West Virginia, I think, already have
either a flexible spending or a health savings account where
they can already direct that, and I believe that is
the core of trying to get health care costs to

(10:28):
come down. But we need to look at other things.
We need to sell insurance across state lines. We need
to have small business plans. We need to get rid
of the pharmacy benefit managers, the PBMs that are the
middlemen that are skyrocketing our pharmaceutical costs. There's more that
we can be done here, but we have to I
think in the short term, too many West Virginians are
really getting caught in that if you lose your subsidy,

(10:53):
your premiums are just going up exponentially. We can't allow
that to happen. So I think we're going to continue
to work with people, but I think hew savings accounts
would be a great solution to get that money back
into people's pockets to make their own healthcare decisions. A
lot of times people don't even see what the cost
of healthcare is because the insurance company is all sort

(11:13):
of masked in the system.

Speaker 1 (11:15):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito joining us here on Metro
News talk line. The Christmas break is quickly approaching for
lawmakers in DC. The subsidies run out at the end
of the year, people are going to start to experience
the increased prices starting well. Some have already. They've been
in the open marketplace obviously. So is there a stop
gap measure that could possibly get past this week and

(11:39):
then give Congress, give you guys more time to address
the long term health care spending.

Speaker 13 (11:45):
I think that is possible. I wouldn't say I don't
want to make any promises here because I think the
House is going to be dealing with healthcare costs and
healthcare programs this week. We'll see what they can do.
We were unable to get either one one of the
bills across the floor in the Senate, and hopefully, you know,
the President's weighing in here. He's concerned about this is

(12:07):
particularly for those people caught in the areas that I
talked about that are having the huge increases. We don't
want to see them fall off insurance. That's not good
for their health, that's not good for the system, that's
not good for our hospitals.

Speaker 1 (12:21):
Does the federal government either need to get all in
on healthcare or get all out. It feels like we're
living in this quasi half in, half out. You can
be in the marketplace, you can get private insurance, and
it just seems like there's a jumbled up mess when
it comes to health care costs.

Speaker 13 (12:37):
You know, one of the things that I ran on
very early in my career was a prescription drug plan
for seniors through Medicare, and that's what we created. But
we didn't create an all government system. We created a
system with public private partnerships. And you see the cost
of those plans has stayed pretty steady. Why is that

(12:58):
Because the private sector knows how to pull down costs.
Government always increases costs. I don't care what it is.
The cost of a project of building an infrastructure or
expanding broadband, which is something I care about, or building roads,
it's always more expensive when the federal government in particular
gets involved. So I think it has to have private

(13:21):
sector involvement here is the only way we're going to
be able to.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
Drive costs down.

Speaker 13 (13:24):
But we got to get rid of a lot of
the middle people in the healthcare system that are only
driving up the costs.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Talking to US, Senator Shelley Moore Capitot announcing this morning
that she will run for a re election in twenty
twenty six, Senator, you supported the confirmation of the president's
cabinet secretaries. Multiple secretaries have had some issues to deal
with over the last year, RFK Junior with his paneling
of the CDC in vaccines Pete Hegseth, the double tap

(13:52):
strike controversy comes to mind. Do you stand by your
support for the president's secretaries.

Speaker 13 (13:57):
I do stand by my support for the president's secretaries.
I think the president, any president, should have a cabinet
and advisors that he trusts, that he has full faith in,
and that he can that they can put forward the
agenda or the thoughts that the president has. I think

(14:18):
in every administration, sometimes cabinet members, you know, go either
too far over their skis or not far enough, and
the president can make those decisions. But I do believe,
and I have believed, through Republican and Democrats presidents, that
the president should have their cabinets, should have their advisors,
and that we as the Senate should should confirm those
and I did, and I stand by those confirmations.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
How much oversight of the cabinet secretaries of the executive
branch does Congress should Congress have?

Speaker 13 (14:47):
We do have oversight I'll take my my committees. In
particular I'm on I chair the Environment and Public Works Committee,
which is critical to EPA and Transportation. We have them
in at least on a year. We every day practically,
we're talking back and forth with those different organizations to
make sure we're getting the right answers, that they're accountable

(15:10):
to the provisions that Congress has made through the appropriations process.
And so one of our major jobs is oversight, particularly
over the executive and a lot of times you see
pushes and polls there we need. I am for full
disclosure of all information to the American people and let
them make their own decisions. I've always been on this
side of being more sunshine than not, and I think

(15:35):
that that's part of the role that I play in
the Senate.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito joining us on Metro News
talk Line, announcing this morning she will run for re
election in twenty twenty six. President Trump has ordered military
actions and covert operations tied to Venezuela. What do you
believe Congress's role should be in authorizing, limiting, or overseeing
any conflict with Venezuela.

Speaker 13 (15:56):
Well, I think that certainly with the drug traffic that
Venezuela and the narco traffickers have done. That the President
has made it clear through aggressive, very aggressive actions, that
we are not going to let those poisons into our country.
And we see that in West Virginia, probably more starkly
than any other state. And I am on the side
of eliminating anything that keeps drugs or eliminating fentanyl from

(16:20):
coming into this country. In terms of any more aggressive actions,
We're actually going to be having a closed door briefing
tomorrow morning when I return to Washington to buy the
Secretary and the intelligence community to inform us. So that's
part of our oversight responsibility. We need to have some
responsibility here. I don't think the President can make any

(16:42):
more aggressive actions in terms of boots on the ground
or anything, which I don't think he's interested in any way,
and so I think we need to be informed and
we need to be a part of the decision making.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
So should Congress approve any further actions or any further
escalation with.

Speaker 13 (16:56):
Venezuela, I think it depends on what you're talking about here.
I think I'd rather wait and see what I hear
tomorrow morning. In terms of what plans are, what's already
been done. But I think I think as this moves forward,
the president needs to be transparent, not just with us,
but with the American people.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito joining us on Metro News
talk line, there is a pretty good chance, according to
people who make the odds, that Democrats will win the
House of Representatives. If that is the case, what can
we expect over the next couple of years if it's
Republicans in the majority in the Senate and Democrats in
the majority in the House.

Speaker 13 (17:33):
Well, I've always been one that, you know, the American
people are really smart when it comes to go into
the ballot box, and I think sometimes people make the
mistaken impression that, well, if I tell you everything's great,
you're going to believe everything's great and you're going to
reelect me, or if I tell you everything's bad, you're
going to go the other way. You know, we've got
a long way to go before election day in November,

(17:53):
and I think a lot of things are going to change,
particularly on the economics and affordability side, and so I
think that it to make a premature prediction as to
what's going to happen in the House is probably not
a fool's errand in some aspects, but if things change
and we have divided government, We've had that before. The

(18:14):
President and I in particular have shown that I'm going
to work for whatever side is in power to make
sure that we can get results. I've said through my
entire career standing still is not an option. We need
to keep moving forward. China and others are moving forward.
This country can't end in a stalemate or in action,
and we end up there too many times. So whatever

(18:36):
happens in November, if it flips, we'll see, but obviously
I'm hoping that it doesn't and we can continue with
a full sweep of the Republicans in the House, Senate
and the President.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito announcing that she will run
for reelection in twenty twenty six. Will this be your
last run for political office?

Speaker 13 (18:56):
That's kind of a funny question in that I'm just
now getting started on this one.

Speaker 4 (19:01):
But we'll see.

Speaker 13 (19:02):
Well, let's wait, let's talk about that after November.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
It's just like football coaches, you win the Super Bowl,
and are you going to win the Super Bowl next year?

Speaker 6 (19:10):
Right?

Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (19:10):
But you know, I mean those coaches, who knows. I mean,
I'd quit for thirty million dollars. I mean, that's those
guys are got it going on.

Speaker 1 (19:19):
Take the buyout. But it is a strenuous job, and
you've always been a grinder and put in the hours.
Are you mentally prepared to do that for another six years?
Are you ready to do that for another six years?

Speaker 15 (19:32):
Well?

Speaker 13 (19:32):
I think I appreciate that as I take that as
a compliment that I've been highly energetic. I've in the
state a lot.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
I'm around.

Speaker 13 (19:39):
I just did the graduation speech in Parkersburg at WVUP
on Saturday. I'm very committed to hearing and listening what's
going on in West Virginia. I have a high energy quotion.
I think I try to take good care of myself.
A lot of great support at Charlie and my family
very supportive of me. So I'm not too worried about
whether I can hand I'd like to do it. I

(20:02):
think if I didn't think I was up to it,
I wouldn't ask for folks to send me back to Washington.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
Got about sixty seconds here, Senator, what do you want
West Virginians to know?

Speaker 13 (20:10):
I want West Virginians to know that I've been honored
and privileged to serve in two terms in the United
States Senate, and I'm at a point in my career
and where i think our voice in West Virginia can
be as strong as it's ever been. And I want
to continue that. I want to continue to have ask
impacts in energy, in economics, and healthcare and the environment

(20:34):
and the things that I've been working on day and
night since I've been in Washington. And I want to
be able to say at the end of the day
that people were not just proud of my service, but
felt like I made a difference.

Speaker 1 (20:48):
US Senator shollymore Capito announcing her reelection bid to the
US Senate earlier this morning. We've got a story posted
up already over at the website wv metronews dot com. Senator,
thanks for coming on Merry Christmas, New Year, and I
hope you spoil the grandkids this christ Thank you.

Speaker 13 (21:03):
I will do that. And good luck with your technical difficulties.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
We will push. The show must go on. As they
say in Hollywood. That's good. That's good, Senator, Thank you
very much, appreciate you. Stuffing by US Senator selling more
Capito and again, we have a story posted up this
morning over at the website wv metronews dot com. Coming up.
At least there's one person happy about all the snow.
Joe Stevens from the West Virginia Ski Association, will join

(21:27):
us in a little bit. And on the other side
of the break, Yes, media have changed immensely over the
last several years, but really media have not changed all
that much. We'll discuss that coming up on the other
side of the break. This is talk Line on Metro
News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It

(21:48):
is ten thirty times to get a news update. Let's
check in on the Metro News radio network. Find out
what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 16 (21:56):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins, two term US
and stealing Mark Capito says that she wants a third
term in the Senate Capitol, announcing today sh'll run for
reelection in twenty twenty six. Capitol has moved into leadership
positions in recent years. Governor Patrick Morrissey says it's both
irresponsible and it could put National Guard soldiers at risk.

(22:18):
To talk much about their readiness to fulfill the mission
on the streets of Washington, d C. It's a topic
that's surfaced in legal challenges to the deployment and in
correspondence between mission leaders. West Virginia still has about one
hundred and sixty Guard troops there.

Speaker 10 (22:30):
Well, I can tell everyone. I can assure folks that
the people that we send in any time you're sending
anyone potentially in harm's way, you want to make sure
that they're fully prepared. They're very well trained. I can
assure people that they.

Speaker 16 (22:46):
Are, Morsey says. The Thanksgiving week shooting of West Virginia
Garden members, especially Sarah Beckstrom who lost her life and
staff Sergeant Andrew Woof, was a tragedy that resulted from
an ambush and had nothing to do with their readiness posture.
Read more at wv metro news dot com. Members of
the State School Building Authority are meeting this hour. They'll
be crunching the numbers today to make the best use
of forty three and a half million dollars available to

(23:08):
fund needs based projects in West Virginia school districts. Superintendents
from several counties met with the SBA last month and
asked for improvements to the two and of one hundred
and seventy million dollars. Some good projects won't make the cut.
Today you're listening to Metro News for forty years, the
Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 17 (23:24):
Hi, I'm Matt Bainbridge. I'm a principal with CEC and
the survey practice lead in West Virginia. My journey with
CEC started as a staff consultant in twenty fourteen. From
surveys to well pad design, CEC is nurtured microw in
twenty fifteen. They empowered me to build a remote sensing group,
providing the resources to get the job done.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
The best part is with CEC support.

Speaker 17 (23:43):
My career and retirement plans are secure. At CEC, we
engineer progress in the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 14 (23:49):
Find out what CEC can do for you. Visit cecinc
dot com. Premiering December eighteenth, that's seven thirty pm on
Metro News Television. Your Friends at Hope Gas Present Episode
five of State of Minds Hopey Kerchifel visits with Morgan O'Brien,
CEO of Hope Gas.

Speaker 18 (24:07):
When you're in it for the long run, right, you
need to make investments that aren't always going to have
I'll call it tangible return.

Speaker 4 (24:13):
State of Minds Episode five coming to Metro News TV
on December eighteenth, Ats seven thirty pm, presented by Hope
Gas with support from Greer Industries, only on the Metro
News Television.

Speaker 16 (24:24):
App Friday evening, December fifteenth, nineteen sixty seven. Fifty eight
years ago today, forty six lives were lost when the
Silver Bridge and Point Pleasant collapse into the Ohio River.
The collapse of the bridge led to the Federal Aid
Highway Act of nineteen sixty eight, which established a National
Bridge Inspection Program, which created bridge inspection standards. Those standards

(24:44):
are still in use today. The Point Pleasant community will
remember the forty six victims in that tragedy today. From
the Metro News anchor desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:13):
Three or four Talk three or four is the text
line eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five. That is the phone number.
If you'd like to weigh in, we'll get some of
your text In just a moment. Joe Stevens Ski Association
will join us. We'll talk. Hope Scholarship coming up. Top
of the hour, Ta Maya Browder with the West Virginia
Center on Budget and Policy will join us. She will

(25:34):
give a differing perspective on the report released from the
Treasurer's office earlier this month regarding Hope scholarship spending. Let's
get some text in three or four Talk three oh four.
Good interview today. As usual, she dodged and ducked almost all,
but your efforts were spot on, says Jim three or
four Talk, three or four. Senator Capito is a go

(25:56):
getter who can work across the aisle. She is an
asset to West Virginia and a national voice in DC.
All in on a third term, says the Texter three
or four Talk three or four. I make good money.
I'm single and no kids. I have pre existing condition.
I have given up. Oh that's an old text. I
beg your pardon. Let me skip forward here, Dave, when
I run for office, I'll give you the ultimate right

(26:17):
to interview me at any time. Senator Capitol has to
love talking to you. You forgot to ask her why she
likes puppies. What's the point of grinding if it is ineffective?
Seems more like lunacy if she's doing the same thing
but expecting different results. Sad to see Shelly go anti
vax with her boy at RFK Junior. Time for some
new blood, says the Texter. Wow, she rolled over for

(26:41):
Trump on Hegseth, Gnome and Kennedy and Patel mad face emoji.
Without insurance, I got twenty five to thirty five percent
off when paying in cash. That tells me how much
of the cost of insurance adds to the bill. HSA's
save from this addition to the bill, says the text

(27:01):
regarding health insurance Healthcare Savings plan. Who in West Virginia
can save for healthcare when they can't afford groceries? Says
the text. Three or four talk three or four. Great
to hear, go Shelly, proud you are working for the
people of our state. We'll get to more of your
texts coming up. Three or four talk three or four
is the text line. Eight hundred and seven sixty five

(27:22):
eight two five five. That is the phone number. Got
a commentary post atu WDV metro news dot com this morning,
and yeah, it was kind of based off our discussion
and Hoppy's commentary last week. If you forgot go read
itu WDV metro News dot com. But Hop talked about
TikTok social media. People now, especially the younger generations, now

(27:45):
getting so much of their news and information from influencers,
from TikTok, from social media, and how we've become siloed off.
And it's all very concerning because not as many are
going to the legacy media for their news and information
and all the problems that come with that, and all

(28:06):
of it's true. None of that am I trying to rebuff,
because it's all true. But as I sat around and
was thinking about that a little bit more after the
show last week, I thought, has any of that really
changed over over the years. Is this a new phenomenon, Because,
as Chris Diwald has pointed out multiple times even while

(28:29):
ping a guest on this show, human nature does not change.
And I started looking back at the American Revolution, for instance,
yellow journalism days. Whenever there has been a new medium
to get your message across, there have been people who
have looked to take advantage of it and use that

(28:51):
medium to push their agenda. I don't think Thomas Paine
spent a lot of time in his pamphlet Common Sense,
which has a huge impact on public opinion regarding the
American Revolution. Do you think he spent a lot of
time on the British Crown's perspective, Of course not. He
was pushing an idea. He was pushing a message and

(29:12):
an agenda through the medium of the time, the media
of the time, which was to publish a pamphlet and
distribute that newspapers. Go back to the yellow journalism days
when Hurst and Pulitzer were in a battle sensational headlines,
fabricated narratives that influenced public policy, and policymakers and politicians

(29:33):
would react to those stories and react to the public
outcry that was genda through these narratives that were either
completely fabricated or at the minimum were exaggerations of true events.
That all sounds very familiar to me when we start
talking about the social media environment TikTok and influencers Instagram, Facebook,

(29:56):
whatever the case may be, is you have this environment
where true events get exaggerated AI deep fakes are complete fabrications. Media,
the medium, how the news is delivered, how information is
delivered has changed, and we have algorithms. It goes a
lot faster. It certainly took a while to distribute all

(30:18):
of Thomas Paine's pamphlets. Don't get me wrong. News and
information move at the speed of light now, but it's
the same concept. There are those who will use this
medium to push an agenda, to push their narrative, to
spend their conspiracy theories, just as they always have, even
when that medium was a printing press, or that medium

(30:40):
was to use the airwaves. That's always been the case.
There will always be somebody to do that. And what
happens we become savvy media consumers with the medium's mediums,
the media that we grow up with. We all figured
out which cable news network conservative, which one's liberal, which

(31:01):
one sort of leans left, which one sort of leans right.
We figured that out as gen xers and millennials, I
believe the young generation that's coming up now that hoppy reference,
the future leaders of tomorrow, they'll figure it out as well.
They're going to grow up with these different types of media,
these different types of social media, these influencers where they

(31:22):
get their information. They will be savvy media consumers when
they become adults, and they'll be just fine. And there'll
be some new media that comes out that somebody will
be taking advantage of into the future, we'll get this
one figured out, there will be a new one come out.
Somebody will be taking advantage of that to push their
agenda as well. So I'm not all doom and gloom

(31:43):
about it. I think it's great. Actually, I think it's
great that you can have because the flip side, the
positive side, is that you do have independent journalists. You
do have independent investigative journalists who are doing some really
good work that otherwise they may not be doing. But
they have the freedom to do that because it's very
inexpensive to publish. It is easy to disseminate the information,

(32:07):
all the things that make social media and the new
modern age of new media. It makes some very nervous
and concerning. Is also the same reasons, it's also exciting
and opens up the possibility to so much new reporting,
new investigative pieces, new perspectives that you may not otherwise get.
You can read it over at the website WDV metronews

(32:28):
dot com if you want to take a look at
that coming up. There's at least one guy who really
gets excited when the snow starts flying, and there was
a lot of it flying across West Virginia over this
past weekend. We'll talk to Joe Stevens with West Virginia
Ski Association. We'll get your thoughts as well. Coming up
next three or four talk three oh four, give me
a call. Eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight

(32:50):
hundred seven to sixty five eight two five five. This
is talk line from the Encode Insurance Studios.

Speaker 11 (32:58):
Some say he's a man of mystery, Others say he's
the holiday hit Maker.

Speaker 1 (33:01):
No one saw coming. It's showtime.

Speaker 11 (33:04):
The holiday hit Maker walks the office halls with West
Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
What are you doing.

Speaker 12 (33:12):
Bringing the holiday Highope here, enjoy scratch off?

Speaker 19 (33:15):
It's on me.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
Whoa ticket? My work here is done.

Speaker 11 (33:19):
Be the surprise hit Maker. West Virginia Lottery games fun,
festive and full of flare. Please play responsibly.

Speaker 20 (33:27):
We were built in West Virginia and for West Virginia.
We're investing in our state by expanding our fiber network,
creating local jobs, and delivering high speed internet that truly performs.
Sign up now and get fifty percent off your first
year of service, with plans starting as low as twenty
five dollars a month. Experience the speed and reliability you deserve.

(33:48):
Visit citynet dot net today. City net connects, protects and perfects.

Speaker 21 (33:56):
Hospitals drive West Virginia's economy. They produce jobs and read
opportunities while keeping our communities healthy. Employing nearly fifty four
thousand people, West Virginia hospitals rank among our state's largest
and most dependable employers. They provide more than one billion
dollars in community benefits and generate nearly seventeen billion dollars
in total economic impact each year. Hospitals are investing wear counts,

(34:17):
advancing health, ensuring access to care, and powering West Virginia's
economic future.

Speaker 12 (34:22):
A message from the West Virginia Hospital Association on mina
WVJA dot org.

Speaker 4 (34:39):
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 (34:50):
Coming up the top of the hour, Tamaya Browder will
join us West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. A
different perspective on that report issued last week by the
I think it was last week, maybe the week before
by the Westervinia Treasurer's Office regarding hope scholarship spending, we'll
get hurt. Take coming up on that. At the top
of the hour. I thought about our next guest as
I was out shoveling snow yesterday morning, digging out from

(35:12):
the snowstorm that passed over West Virginia Saturday afternoon and
into Sunday morning. He's Joe Stevens with the Westvinia Ski Association.
He joins us on Metro News talk line Morning Joe.

Speaker 6 (35:24):
Good morning, Dave. I hope you got your exercise yesterday,
because we definitely enjoyed the mother nature helping us out
quite a bit.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
You know, Joe, I was smart. I started shoveling Saturday
night when it started snowing, so Sunday morning I only
had a couple of inches to dig out.

Speaker 6 (35:41):
Well, I'll tell you what, knowing how old you're getting
these days, I figured you were paying somebody in the
neighborhood to do it like I do.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
I can't find anybody, Joe. That's the problem exactly.

Speaker 6 (35:53):
Hey, all kid in the side. We did get some
really good snow over the weekend. Right now, it's a
bit in the mountains, but so far this year, we've
in the month of December, We've gotten over two feet
of snow through the Alleghany Ranges from winter Place down
south into Snowshoe Timberline Canine in Ogilby. It's a natural

(36:14):
snow heaven right now.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
And Joe, I would imagine with Christmas next week, it's
in the middle of the week. You got two weekends
on either side of it. The snow this weekend was
perfectly time for what I would expect is probably the
biggest one of the biggest weeks of the year.

Speaker 6 (36:29):
Well, it's the biggest three weeks actually, Dave the week
before Christmas, the week of Christmas, and the week after Christmas.
Those three weeks are critical to any ski season as
it pertains to the financial side of things. We are
inundated by folks from the DC area and also from
down south. A lot of folks coming in from Florida

(36:52):
and Georgia and South Carolina and North Carolina. They come
in to make sure they see snow for the Christmas holidays,
and come around October beginning of November, you could see
some sweat coming off the brows of some operation folks
at the various ski resorts just worried concerned about how
conditions are going to be for the important three weeks

(37:14):
that we're just talking about. And I tell you what,
we're in some of the best shape we have been
in in quite a few years right now going into
that three week period. I mean, Timberline right now is
eighty five percent open snowshoes making snow on the Western territory,
going to be opening up Cup Run in Shades Revenge
this weekend. We've Ogilby is skiing up to the Ohio County.

(37:36):
So we're in pretty good shape across the state, needless
to say.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
Talking to Joe Stevens, West Virginia Ski Association, Joe, can
you quantify these three weeks? What's the economic impact.

Speaker 6 (37:48):
About thirty five percent of the budget for the yearly budget?
I mean the normal year for a resort in West Virginia,
the downhill resorts go stretches basically from Thanksgiving to the
beginning of April. This year, we opened up the first
weekend of December. That's okay. We got a really good start.

(38:11):
So it can be up toward as much as thirty
five percent of the yearly financial budget for a ski
resort here in West Virginia. And I tell you what,
the natural snow is also a blessing for the folks
like at Elk River Touring Center in Pocahontas County and
also the White Grass Touring Center in Tucker County. Those

(38:32):
cross country and snowshoers are just loving today.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
Joe, you may have said already, I may have just
missed it. How much snow did they get up in
the mountains this past weekend?

Speaker 6 (38:42):
Well, the past weekend we've gotten basically single digits, but
since the beginning of December we've gotten over two feet
of snow. And depending on where it is right now,
the mountaintops of Pocahonas County and Tucker County have gotten
their fair share of the natural snow. But as you
can see in your backyard, the important thing is the

(39:05):
natural snow. Yes, but the temperatures have been great day
for snowmaking, and all the resorts in West Virginia have
literally invested millions of dollars and keeping their snowmaking systems
up to par and up to speed. And right now,
as much as the natural snow is good, them, snowmaking

(39:26):
temperatures are even better. I'll tell you what. Where this
natural snow also helps us is in the marketplaces. Like
you're living in Morgantown, you see snow on the ground,
you're thinking about skiing. You see snow on the ground
in Charlotte, North Carolina, you start thinking about skiing. That's
in any major market that we have. If we get
natural snow there, that really perks the interest up quite

(39:47):
a bit.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
Joe Stevens, West Virginia Ski Association join us here on
Metro News talk line. So what kind of preparations are
underway now that we're in the week before Christmas? Joe, So,
I expect the slopes are full, and the lodges are full,
and people are there already.

Speaker 6 (40:04):
If you have not made your reservations, do so immediately.
There may be some availability still out there, but pretty
much it gets to be one hundred percent. Book. What's
happening right now is all the restaurants are getting ready,
all the lodges are getting ready, like you mentioned, But
the mountaintops folks are pushing snow. They're pushing snow where
they need it. They're pushing snow to be able to

(40:26):
open up additional terrain as the people come venturing in
for the holidays. Dave, I'll tell you what. But the
years I spent at Snowshoe. It was nothing better than
to see a family pull in from Florida. The mom
and dad. They've been hearing when are we going to
get there, When are we going to get there? When
are we going to see snow? And as soon as

(40:47):
the kids get out of the car and they see snow,
maybe for the first time ever, their eyes are just
as big as when you and I hit a three
point shot.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
Joe Stevens, westervin Ski associate on Governor Morrisey. We'll to
be talking about skiing a little bit later today. He's
scheduled to make an announcement this afternoon or hold a
news conference this afternoon up at I believe Winter Place
right that where.

Speaker 6 (41:10):
You're headed, Joe, I am headed to the Winter Place
right now. Yes, the Honorable Governor Patrick Morrissey is conducting
a news conference at two thirty today at Winter Place,
just reminding everybody across the mountain state just how important
the winter season is the tourism in West Virginia. Right now,

(41:30):
in West Virginia tourism, with the guidance of Secretary Chelsea Ruby,
we're rocket, I mean, all four seasons are drawing hundreds
and thousands of people, millions of visitors to the state
of West Virginia, and right now this is a great
opportunity for the governor and the tourism staff to be
able to make sure everybody understands what's about to happen.

Speaker 1 (41:54):
Joe Stevens, West Virginia Ski Association. Joe, always appreciate it
and gear up. It's going to be a busy three whe.

Speaker 6 (42:01):
You got that right, David. Good to see it. To
the state high school football championships. We got to see
some young student athletes performed quite nicely, didn't we.

Speaker 1 (42:10):
We certainly did great weekend there football a couple of
weeks ago. Joe appreciate it, buddy, Thank you. Be safe,
Joe Stevens, West Virginia Ski Association. Take a break, come back.
We'll get some of your texts through four. Talk three four.
This is talk line from the in Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 5 (42:26):
Building a stronger West Virginia isn't just a dream, it's
a mission. The High Technology Foundation knows economic diversity is
the key. For over thirty years, they've been dedicated to
transforming the state's economic landscape. Conveniently located in the heart
of West Virginia innovation, growth opportunity all under one roof.
There's no need to look far for change. It's happening

(42:48):
right here at the High Technology Foundation in north central
West Virginia. Visit WVHTF dot org to learn more.

Speaker 8 (42:56):
Tens of thousands of hard working West Virginians earn their
living in our states growing natural gas industry, including thousands
for Intero Resources, west Virginia's top natural gas producer, and
Taro's investments are boosting our local workforce in small businesses.
We're proud to give back and invest locally to support
West Virginia workers producing West Virginia energy. But the Mountain

(43:18):
State's best days are ahead and Intero Resources is just
getting started. Visit and Taro Resources dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
Jackpots are growing in West Virginia. Jackpots are on the rise.
Every week, Powerball hits Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mega Millions
lights up Tuesdays and Fridays. That's five chances a week
to get in on life changing jackpots. Play in store
and online eighteen plus to play. Please play responsibly. The
jackpot is one point one billion dollars for tonight's drawing

(44:04):
Mega millions. Jackpot is eighty millions to go ahead play today.
Coming up top of the hour, we're going to talk
to Tamaya Browder. She is with the West Virginia Policy
West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. Get another perspective
on hope scholarship spending. The Treasurer's office released a report
earlier this month about how those dollars are distributed, how

(44:26):
those dollars are spent. We'll get her take coming up.
Also in the second hour, Beth White will join us.
Did you know today is Bill of Wright's Day? How
many of the ten amendments that make up the Bill
of Rights? Can you name? Probably two, maybe three. We're

(44:47):
going to talk about one that may be responsible for
all of them. All right, we'll talk about that coming
up second hour. Jonathan Savage as well, Tax line three
or four talk three or four. Dave, You give citizens
too much credits. People are lazy and emotional and don't
use critical thinking. Regarding the media there, yeah, Dave, but
social media spreads the word much faster and bigger than

(45:10):
pamphlets did two hundred years ago. That is a fair point.
That is a very fair point. And I said information
spreads at the speed of light. Today social media, things
can be posted and within minutes can go viral. But
my point was simply, and I don't know if this
makes you feel any better or worse. Maybe it makes

(45:31):
you feel worse about the situation, was simply that this
is not a new phenomena, that it has always been
this way. There will always be actors who use media
to push the agenda, to push their narrative, will fabricate
a narrative if need be, to push their particular point

(45:52):
of view. That's always been the case. Now, often it
was that a publisher had that ability. You had to
have quite the capital to pull that off. Now anybody
can do it. But it's always been done. It has
always been part of the media landscape, and it's up
to us as consumers to sort through that. And I
think we can do that. I think we do that,

(46:15):
especially when you grow up with these certain types of media.
We grew up in the cable news era. We can
parse our way through that. Gen xers and millennials and
the next group whatever they're called, well, Ayjen alpha, what
are they called, Zach beta's, alpha's whatever, they're going to
grow up in this media environment. I think they will
have the necessary skills. They'll be savvy. They'll be much

(46:36):
savvyer at navigating social media and TikTok and ai deep
fakes than we will, because they will have grown up
with it. Three or four Talk three oh four, Dave
is saying, and Americans have always been morons manipulated by media.
God bless America. You have complained about keyboard warriors being
afraid to call the show, but still read the negative text,

(46:58):
says the Texter. Coming up second hour, we'll get a
different perspective on hope scholarship spending to Maya Browder with
the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy will join
us Jonathan Savage Fox News Radio and it's Bill of
Rights Day. He'll get you another cup of coffee and
a croissant. This is Talkline on Metro News for forty years,
the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 4 (47:29):
Metro News. Talkline is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling you
with coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit
incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
Second hour of Metro News talk Line here on the
Metro News Radio Network. Dave Wilson in Morgantown and the
and Cove Insurance Studios. TJ is off this week. He'll
be back Monday, as we start to walk our way
into the Christmas holiday week. Eight hundred and seven to
sixty five Talk is the phone number, eight hundred seven
sixty five, eight two five five. If that is the

(48:00):
phone number, the text line is three oh four Talk
three oh four. Jonathan Savage, Fox News Radio will join us.
We'll get the latest on that terror attack in Australia.
Plus Beth White will join us. Bottom of the hour.
It's National Bill of Rights Day. Bet you didn't have
that on your calendar. How many how many of the

(48:21):
first ten amendments can you name? Probably two, maybe three,
some of you can probably do four. But we'll talk
about one of those amendments that really set the table
for the other seven with Beth coming up. Bottom of
the hour, eight hundred and seven to sixty five Talks
the phone number eight hundred and seven to sixty five,
eight two five five. The text line is three or

(48:42):
four Talk threeh four. Joining US Metro News Talk Line
this morning. Tamaia Browner. She's Education Policy Fellow with the
Westernia Center on Budget and Policy. Earlier this month, the
Treasurer's office released its annual report for the twenty four
to twenty five school year on the Hope Scholarship. Treasurer
Larry Pack joined us to discuss for another perspective. Please

(49:05):
welcome to Maya, to the program, Tamaya, Good morning, glad
you could join us.

Speaker 19 (49:09):
Good morning, Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
So what was your takeaway from the report that the
Treasurer's office issued earlier this month?

Speaker 19 (49:17):
Of course, well, looking over the report and comparing that
to information we had from previous years, we know that
the cost of this program is growing more and more
every year, all the while our public schools are struggling
financially and in need of more funding. So that report
really showed us that story. And it also showed us
once again that the folks that benefit from this program

(49:39):
already can afford private education and access that. So it's
not really expanding opportunity for kids in West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
So how do you draw that conclusion that the people
benefiting most from Hope Scholarship are people who would presumably
already have the means to send kids to private or
non public schools.

Speaker 19 (49:59):
Okay, well, we can look at that a couple different
ways One way is with the gap and cost between
tuition and fees at private schools and the amount of
money that folks will received through the Hope Scholarship. So
right now, the average private school tuition in our state
is about sixty five hundred, while the maximum Hope Scholarship
award is about fifty three And I do stress the

(50:19):
word maximum because some families do get less than that
amount depending on when they apply, And so you have
that gap in costs. That's just considering tuition, but you
also have other fees that you sometimes have to pay
at a private school, such as uniforms and other supplies
that you have to get. And even when we look
at the far end of the spectrum, you have some schools,

(50:40):
like some of these boarding schools based out of state,
their tuition could be up to ten times higher than
the Hope Scholarship award, and so folks aren't able to
pay that unless they already had that money available to.

Speaker 1 (50:52):
My a broader education policy fellow West virgin Center on
Budget and Policy joining us here on Metro News talk line. So,
with that in mind, and if these are already students
and families who would be apt to sending their kids
to public or non public private schools. Those students wouldn't
be in the public schools anyway, and with the school
aid formula the way it is, that wouldn't have much

(51:15):
of an impact on school funding, or would.

Speaker 19 (51:17):
It It still could while the vast majority of the
folks using this program would have attended private school, while
the vast majority of them would have already attended private school,
you do have about ten percent or so, This is
from the estimate from the Treasurer's office, that likely we're
already enrolled in public school and then switched through the

(51:37):
voucher program. But you also have to consider the fact
that you also have to consider the fact that in
some of our more rural school districts, even just a
handful of students makes a big difference with that funding
formula until we improve that and make sure that we're
really accounting for the full background of students and all
the different aspects that we have to consider when funding

(51:59):
our public schools. At the end of the day, any
loss of enrollment is going to be an impact. But overall,
at the end of the day, the more that we
fund this program, every dollar that goes into the hope
scholarship is another dollar that doesn't go to a public school,
and so it's still siphoning off those funds and pulling
from the pool of funds available to really benefit our
public schools and address some of those challenges that they're facing.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
Down the Center for Budget or a Center on Budget
and Policy executive director Cally Allen Publishing op ed. I
believe it was last week and pointed out that since
twenty nineteen, seventy schools have closed or consolidated in West Virginia,
the implication being there Hope Scholarship has impacted those closings.
How has Hope impacted those closings in your.

Speaker 19 (52:42):
Opinion, Well, like I said, you do have those rural
school districts that were particularly impacted, like a Randolph where
they did lose enrollment year to year, and as you
lose students, you do lose funding available to your public school.
But like I said as well, the Hope Scholarship is
away those public funds and so all these needs that

(53:03):
these school administrators and superintendents are pointing out as we're
going through these school closure hearings that we've had over
the past couple months, and they're talking about their short
on funding from the funding formula. They need more for
student support, they need more for school counselors and to
make sure they have enough teachers and things like that.
So the Hope Scholarship is still siphoning away those funds

(53:24):
that could pay for those improvements to make sure that
our public schools really can do everything that they need
to do for folks.

Speaker 1 (53:30):
To my I'm not trying to be a pejorative, I
just I'm missing the connection. If these schools, look, we're
losing population. We've been losing population since I think we've
peaked in twenty twelve. If school population is the problem
these if the Hope Scholarship didn't exist, some of these
counties we're just talking about a few students would maybe

(53:52):
be attending a school in Randolph County, a few students
would be attending a school in Pleasant's County. Because most
of the Hope Scholarship students I think are in three
counties mon Berkeley, and I believe in the top three.
So isn't this more of a school aid formula problem
that it is? Or let me rephrase it, is this
more of a school aid formula problem that it is
a Hope scholarship problem.

Speaker 19 (54:11):
Not necessarily. I'd say that we have two problems happening
at once. We do have the school aid formula that
needs to be improved, needs to be modified to make
sure that it's really meeting the needs of public schools today.
But we also have this school voucher program. We've learned
from other states that have had these programs in the past,
some even for decades. The more that you fund these

(54:32):
voucher programs that go to benefit private schools, you're increasing
the disinvestment from public schools. So over time, we're going
to continue to spend less and less in our public
school system. And we've already seen that. We did an
analysis a couple months back, and we looked at state
aid funding to public schools compared to enrollment laws, and
we adjust it for inflation. So with that adjustment in mind,

(54:55):
we were still putting less forward and funding for our
public schools, and that decline in funding actually outpaced the
enrollment decline in the past fifteen or so years. So
of course we are losing enrollment, but we also have
a larger issue of investment making sure that we're investing
in public schools, which is the system that we promised
to every kid in the state, versus funding these private schools,

(55:17):
where you know, with one, you're kind of paying in
the sustainability. You're paying into the system that's accountable and
accessible to everyone, but that's also going to stick around
for a while. That's not guaranteed with these private schools.
Either we're funding unaccredited schools schools and other states. There's
no guarantee that these schools are still going to be
in operation a couple of years down the line. There's

(55:38):
no guarantee of how they will be operating in a
few years. So at the end of the day, you're
really making sure we have that accountability for the public
money that we're spending for this program and making sure
that we're upholding the promise that we gave folks in
our constitution.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
So what limits or guardrails would you propose for Hope Scholarship.

Speaker 19 (55:58):
We have a couple things in my because we started
off with essentially no limits on our program. So one
would be a cost and enrollment cap. So say we
cap the cost of the program at two hundred and
forty five million dollars, which is supposed to be you know,
the max that it's supposed to cost next year once
it expands, or limiting enrollment. Right now, we have year
round enrollment. Students can apply for the program even this

(56:21):
school year up to February, and so that makes it
really hard for lawmakers when they're deciding the budget and
making sure that they're funding this program that they promised
to folks, while at the same time maintaining those essential
services like a public school that was guaranteed. We can
also implement income limits for families, so making sure that
it's actually going to folks that can't already afford a

(56:41):
private education. Also making sure that the schools that get
this money have to be in West Virginia and that
they have to be accredited.

Speaker 1 (56:50):
Why does it matter if the schools are in West Virginia.
If I live in the Northern Panhandle, I can go
five miles in either direction and it might be very
close to another school white. Why does this magnificant that
these institutions or these these vendors be in West Virginia.

Speaker 19 (57:06):
Because it's public tax payer money of folks living in
West Virginia. So it should at the very least be
maintained in our state. Go to schools that are based
within our state.

Speaker 1 (57:15):
So I mean, bottom line, hope's not going anywhere. It's
going to be here. So how do we strike that
balance with public schools that making certain public schools are
getting the investment they deserve.

Speaker 19 (57:27):
With that, I really encourage lawmakers to stop the expansion
of the program that's set for next year right now,
that is set to cost about two hundred and forty
five million dollars, so we could maintain this program, implement
some of those guardrails that I mentioned a little while ago,
like those cost and enrollment caps and requirements for schools,
and instead invest that money that we would instead put

(57:48):
toward this expanded program, put that back into our public schools,
and make those adjustments so we don't have another year
of a dozen or more school closures like we did
this year and last year.

Speaker 1 (58:00):
It's to my Browder, education policy fellow at Westginias Center
on Budget Policy. Always appreciate the conversation. Thanks for hopping
on this morning, Thanks for having me. Absolutely coming up.
We'll get your thoughts at three or four Talk three
or four. Also get the latest on the terror attack
in Australia. This is talk lineal Metric news from the
and COVID certain studios.

Speaker 12 (58:18):
Coal based generation remains the backbone of West Virginia's energy portfolio,
ensuring reliability, security, and affordable electricity throughout the region. Our
coal plants are engineered for performance, designed to run most
efficiently at or near a seventy percent capacity factor. This
level of operation is not arbitrary. It's based on sound

(58:38):
engineering principles, scientific analysis, and has been formally adopted by
the West Virginia Legislature as a reasonable target for optimal performance.
When our coal fleet operates near that benchmark, it provides
stable power to the grid, maintains cost efficiency, and supports
thousands of good paying jobs across our state. Coal generation
also drives local tax revenue of stained schools, infrastructure, and

(59:02):
community services. Working in partnership with state leaders and the
Trump Administration, we're ensuring that our coal fleet remains modern, efficient,
and ready to power West Virginia and beyond for decades
to come. This message brought to you by the West
Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal.

Speaker 22 (59:19):
Located in the heart of West Virginia, Bridgeport is the
place to play endless indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities, including
the Bridge Sport Complex coupled with a dynamic food scene,
make Bridgeport the perfect getaway destination for couples and families.
Explore unique shopping and pick from a wealth of lodging
options to find something perfect for your needs. Explore the

(59:39):
heart of West Virginia in Bridgeport. Learn more about all
there is to do at Greater dash Bridgeport dot Com.

Speaker 1 (59:55):
Cours following a couple of big stories from over the weekend.
First of all, police in California have released that Nick Reiner,
the son of Rob Reiner, has been taken into custody

(01:00:17):
on an unspecified felony charge. Of course, Rob Reiner and
his wife found murdered in their home, so we'll continue
to follow that story. Also in Rhode Island, the search
for a gunman at Brown University continues this morning. In fact,
the Rhode Island Attorney General is holding a news conference,
I believe as we speak, seeing him up on the

(01:00:39):
cable news as we speak here, So we're following that situation.
Also in Australia, there was an attack over the weekend.
Fox News radios Jonathan Savage joins us for the latest. Jonathan,
what happened over the weekend?

Speaker 23 (01:00:52):
Yes, Hi, there a lot's been happening, hasn't it? This
event is particularly horrisfic. It happened Sunday evening local time
in Australia on Bondai Beach in Sydney, Australia's most famous
and probably most popular beach. In fact, thousands of people
were there because it was a beautiful summer's evening, but

(01:01:13):
hundreds were attending a party celebrating the first night of Hanukah.
The things were going well until two men arrived and
opened fire at the Jewish people attending this event. Fifteen
were killed, aged between ten, a little girl called Matilda
and an eighty seven year old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleintman,

(01:01:36):
a former police officer, a British born rabbi, and others.
Among the dead the two attackers father and son, say police,
fifty year old Sagit Akram who died of the scene
when shot by officials, and twenty four year old Navid
Akram who's in hospital in a critical condition.

Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
Jonathan. What are authority saying? Was this random? Or was
this targeted specifically at the Jewish community there?

Speaker 23 (01:02:03):
This has been described as an act of terrorism targeting
the Jewish community. They believe the father and son picked
up a short term rental property around thirty minutes from
Bondai Beach to prepare for the attack, and that the
younger attacker, twenty four year old at navid Akrum six

(01:02:24):
years ago, was the subject of the attention of authorities.
They were concerned about his behavior, but they assessed him
and said there was no indication of an ongoing threat
or a thread of him engaged engaging in violence. Has
been reported by Australian media that the two men have
pledged allegiance to the ISIS group and that an ISIS

(01:02:46):
flag was found on their vehicle.

Speaker 1 (01:02:49):
Fox News Radios Jonathan Savage joining us I'll mentioned in
his talk line what has been the reaction by lawmakers
in Australia.

Speaker 23 (01:02:57):
Yeah, a couple of things. Firstly, they have to talking
about gun control and anti Semitism. Australia has tough national
gun control laws, but the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanesi says
that he will bring in legislation to limit the number
of guns that can be licensed to individuals and the
review of licenses over time. Also, they say the additional

(01:03:18):
use of criminal intelligence in deciding who's eligible for a license,
So for example, if the son was flagged the police,
that could disqualify with the father from owning a gun. However,
anti Semitism is a big issue here. This was a
targeted attack against Hughes in a country where there have
been a series of anti submitting incidents over the last
year in Sydney and in Melbourne. Synagogues and cars have

(01:03:41):
been torched, businesses and homes graffitied. And he's really Prime
Minister Benjamin Nettiniai who says he's warned Australia's leaders over
the last several months about the dangers of failing to
take action against antisemitism.

Speaker 1 (01:03:54):
Fox News Radio Jonathan Savage with the latest on that
terror attack in Australia. Jonathan, thank you very much for
the update. We appreciate it.

Speaker 24 (01:04:01):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
Three or four Talk three or four is the text
line in one hundred and seven sixty five Talk the
fun number. Let's get a couple of texts here before
the bottom of the hour. Three or four talk three
or four. Hearing your guest, she said, accountability for Hope
funded schools. I would agree with that when public schools
manage that also public school achievement is also is not
as good as private education, but nothing gets changed, says

(01:04:25):
the Texter.

Speaker 24 (01:04:28):
M.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
I'm dying to know if you're okay with this post
from Trump, I'll have to read it during the break.
Parents who do not participate in sending their kids to
public schools should only get the taxes they owe their
county's board of educations. Hope scholarships are nothing more that
than a pay raise for parents. The tracking and guidelines
for a student are a joke. If a Hope Scholarship

(01:04:49):
student wants to return to public school, they can write
their grades on a napkin and the school board has
to accept them. The lady talking about the Hope scholarship
argument makes no sense. It's no hard figures to back
or argument. More opinion than anything else. And I wasn't
trying to be pejorative. I can't seem to make this
connection that others make that if Hope Scholarship did not exist,

(01:05:13):
then we would have all of this funding for public schools.
We have a state school aid formula that divvy's out
funding for public schools in West Virginia. It's based on growth,
it's based on student population. It needs to be revisited.
It's not been changed since the eighties. I believe it
was eighties or early nineties. So even if these students

(01:05:36):
who are receiving the Hope Scholarship, that doesn't mean that's
two hundred and fifty million that would suddenly be invested
back into public schools. In West Virginia, there's a state
aid formula that the schools go by, and we have
been in a population declined since twenty twelve. I think
we're down sixty one thousand residents over the last few years.

(01:05:57):
We were losing population before Hope Scholarship was a thing
in twenty twenty one. Does it play a role, yes,
But if it did not exist, would we still have
these same problems. Yes, yes, we would still have these
same problems with student population because people are leaving the state.
Number one, population is down. Birth rate is down, so

(01:06:22):
we're not having as many kids. Fewer people are having
less kids, and that's having an impact on the public
school system and public school funding. That's why I say
we need to take a look. I think it's more
of a school aid formula issue than it is a
Hope Scholarship issue. Also, when it comes to how those
dollars are spent, I'm not big on the idea that

(01:06:44):
they must be spent in West Virginia. You can live
in Hancock County or Brook County and in five minutes
ten minutes roughly in either direction, be in another state
that may have cheaper services, that may have cheaper materials
that you can use same thing. We got what thirty
three border counties in West Virginia. To say you could

(01:07:06):
only use that funding in the state is not fair
to the parents and the families who are using the funding. Secondly,
do we do that with any other type of handout
program welfare program? If you get snap benefits in West Virginia,
do you have to shop at a West Virginia grocery
store or can you go to Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania. Just

(01:07:28):
an example. I know it's not apples apples, but just
an example. So not keen, not crazy about that idea
because it just adds more stress, more issues for those
Hope Scholarship families three or four talk three oh four.
I tuned in late, But does the Hope Scholarship provide

(01:07:49):
duration assistance to schools outside the state of West Virginia
or just the children going to our in state schools?
Thank you? I was referring to the Hope Scholarship and
helping kids secondary college education or community college that apply
only to in state, doesn't it? Thank you? Uh well,
Hope doesn't apply to community college or or you know,
secondary college. There Texas says, I work for a small

(01:08:13):
private school. The majority of our students receive the Hope Scholarship.
The majority of our students are also being raised by grandparents,
are and have been adopted in Most do not come
from families that would have means to place their children
in private schools. Otherwise, our school tuition is at least
slightly more than the Hope Scholarship pays, and that is
less than a third of what the public school receives

(01:08:35):
for each student that goes there, says the Texter. Three
or four talk three or four is the text line.
Eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two five five
is the phone number. Will get more of your thoughts
coming up in a moment. On the other side of
the news. Today is Bill of Rights Day. Please celebrate responsibly.
We'll talk to Beth White. We'll talk about one of
the amendments in the Bill of Rights. You may not

(01:08:57):
be that aware of It's talk line on Metro News.
We'll get to that coming up in just a second.
More of your text a little bit later on three
or four Talk three or four, This talk line on
Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.
It is eleven thirty in time to get a news update.
Let's check in on the Metro News radio network. Find
out what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 25 (01:09:18):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Chris Lawrence. US Senator Shelley
Moore Cavado today announcing that she wants another term in
the United States Senate and launched a re election campaign
earlier this morning. Last hour, she spoke about it on
Metro News Talk Line.

Speaker 13 (01:09:31):
I think that I've worked hard. I think I've gotten
good results for West Virginia, and I think I want
to continue that at the momentum, both what I've been
able to do in my leadership positions as chair of Committee,
but also responding to what West Virginias really care about.
That spirit of West Virginia.

Speaker 25 (01:09:51):
Capito, a seventy two year old Republican, holds the fourth
highest position in the Centate majority leadership as the chairwoman
of the Republican Policy Committee. She's also chaired the environment
Public Works Committee since the start of the year. West
Virginia American Water Company will make its best pitch to
the PSC this week on why they should be granted
a forty six million dollar radike that would be implemented
in two phases in March of next year in March

(01:10:13):
of twenty twenty seven. If granted now, the public could
be allowed to address the idea during a public hearing
that starts at five point thirty this evening in person
at the commission headquarters in Charleston or on a microsoon
soft teams call. Evidentiary hearings on the increas are set
for Wednesday and Thursday. You might detect some ice this
morning as you were headed to work. Week in snowfall
did very little melting, but meteoroloist Joe cursis at the

(01:10:35):
National Weather Services it's all about to change throughout.

Speaker 24 (01:10:38):
The rest of the week.

Speaker 23 (01:10:39):
Right now, temperatures are looking like they will be a
bit too warm for snow.

Speaker 25 (01:10:44):
You're listening to Matronews, the Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 6 (01:10:47):
Hi.

Speaker 26 (01:10:47):
I'm Lane Tobin, and I'm a project consultant with similar
environmental consultants. Growing up in West Virginia, I always dreamed
of giving back to my community. That's why I chose
CEC as an employee owned firm. We combined big company
support with a close knit culture, from strong water management
to new pedestrian trails. With every project, I see the
impact we're making and I couldn't be prouder. CC isn't
just where I work, it's where I make a difference.

(01:11:08):
At CEC, we engineer progress in the great state of
West Virginia.

Speaker 14 (01:11:11):
Find out what CEC can do for you. Visit Ceciinc
dot Com.

Speaker 4 (01:11:16):
Premiering December eighteenth, that's seven thirty pm on Metro News Television.
Your Friends at Hope Gas present episode five of Stative Minds.
Hoppykerchifel visits with Morgan O'Brien, CEO of Hope Gas.

Speaker 18 (01:11:29):
When you're in it for the long run, right, you
need to make investments that aren't always going to have
I'll call it tangible return.

Speaker 4 (01:11:36):
Stative Minds Episode five coming to Metro News TV on
December eighteenth, that's seven thirty pm, Presented by Hope Gas
with support from Greer Industries. Only on a Metro News
Television app.

Speaker 25 (01:11:47):
It is a day of solemn remembrance in Point Pleasant.
It was on this day in nineteen sixty seven, just
before five in the afternoon, the Silver Bridge collapsed into
the Ohio River. A fracture joined in the eyebar construction
of the bridge caused the entire structure to the bridge
was loaded with the cars at the time, and they
plunged into the cold water of the Ohio beflow. Forty
six people were killed. The disaster spawned modern bridge inspection

(01:12:08):
laws that are still in effect today. They'll hold the
annual memorial service in Point Pleasant today from the Metro
News anchored ass guy, I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:12:36):
Three or four Talk three or four of the text line.
We'll get some more of your texts in just a bit.
You can also give us a call eight hundred and
seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred and seven six
five eight two five five. Cinydet is bringing ultra fast
fiber internet to more West Virginia holmes every day. Right now,
I get fifty percent off any plan for your first year.
Check availability and join the fiber revolution at citynet, dot net,

(01:13:00):
sitting at Connects, protects and perfects. December fifteenth, seventeen ninety one. Well,
you should know that day. It was the day that
the first ten amendments to the US Constitution were ratified.
You know them, of course, as the Bill of Rights.
Been asking you throughout the show, how many can you name?
We're pretty familiar with number one and number two. You've

(01:13:21):
probably heard I plead the fifth, so you could probably
do three. You know what, you probably can't name the fifth,
but I'll give you credit half credit for that one.
But what do you know about the seventh amendments?

Speaker 24 (01:13:33):
Hmmm.

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
Beth White is executive director westerni Association for Justice and
joins us on Metro News talk line. Beth, good morning,
glad you could join us.

Speaker 15 (01:13:42):
Good morning days.

Speaker 1 (01:13:43):
So in your experience am I and the ballpark, most
folks can probably name amendments one, two, and they've heard
of the fifth. But from there it gets a little, uh,
it gets a little shaky, It gets a little shaky.

Speaker 15 (01:13:55):
They might if they studied the Civil War, they might
know n and the argument with states' rights, but beyond
that most could not name them.

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
And I'll be honest, but aside from one to two, five,
and like you said, ten, the other six get a
little shaky. So what is it about the seventh And
first of all, what is the seventh Amendment and what's
its significance, Beth.

Speaker 15 (01:14:22):
The Seventh Amendment guarantees your right to trial by jury
in civil cases. The right to trial by jury was
central to the American Revolution itself. Often, Oben, it looked,
I mean, even in the recent Ken Burns film there

(01:14:42):
was so much emphasis on the taxation argument. And everybody
knows that, you know, no taxation without representation, you know,
was the response back to the British government. But that
very same document included language that Parliament and Crown they

(01:15:04):
were beginning to restrict the right to trial by jury.
And the right to trial by jury is cited in
nearly every document leading up to the American Revolution. It
is included and our Declaration and causes of taking up arms,

(01:15:24):
So it is an actual cause for the war itself,
and it is cited in the Declaration of Independence as
one of the crimes against the American people, that they
were depriving us of our right to trial by jury
in court cases in the colonies.

Speaker 1 (01:15:45):
So, Beth, when it came time to write the US Constitution,
trial by jury for criminal cases got in there, but
civil cases were overlooked, just omitted. What happened, it.

Speaker 15 (01:15:58):
Was an over site you know, they're working through the
oppressive summer heat in Philadelphia in seventeen eighty seven, and
no one notices it until five days before they take
the vote on the constitution that while it had preserved
the right to trial by jury and criminal cases, they

(01:16:21):
had omitted trial by jury in civil cases. And there
were real concerns. You know, the initial argument was, well,
you know, the right is preserved in the state constitution,
will just GE's protected there will be okay. But as
you know, there was a lot of debate about, you know,

(01:16:42):
the concerns the strength of the federal government itself. And
so you had a handful of states who ratified immediately,
but there was the immediate pushback from a lot of
states for it failing to protect basic rights, including the

(01:17:04):
right to trial by jury in civil cases. And you know,
of course you have the federalist papers. You know, if
you've seen Hamilton, you watched that debate. But both sides,
the federalists in the anti federalist argued that we absolutely

(01:17:24):
had to protect the right to trial by jury in
civil cases in order to get enough states to ratify
the new constitution. The Massachusetts Compromise stated that once Congress
would be set in the new government, their first task

(01:17:44):
was to guarantee those rights and liberties we wanted, including
the right to trial by jury in civil cases. It
may have come anyway at some point, but that initial
call for our Bill of Rights came caused the right
to trall by jury in civil cases had been left out.

Speaker 1 (01:18:06):
Beth White is joining us. Heerreal mentioned his talk line,
executive director Western the Association for Justice. It's crazy to think, Beth,
that a mistake in the original draft of the Constitution
may have ultimately been the impetus for the Bill of right,
something we take, we cherish and treasure here in America.

Speaker 15 (01:18:24):
Absolutely. You know one thing that that a lot of
people don't know. You know, the right to trial by jury.
You can trace it back to early forms, even in
ancient Egypt.

Speaker 24 (01:18:39):
It had been.

Speaker 15 (01:18:40):
Guaranteed for English citizens since twelve fifteen in the Magna Carta.
But as can happen anywhere, some of those rights guaranteed
a Magna carter were taken away because people wanted more power.
King Henry the Eighth wanted to consolidate his power. He

(01:19:00):
didn't want anyone to challenge him, and it led to
something called the Star Chamber. You could be arrested, tried,
and executed and never know what your crime had been.
And it's an incredible abuse that continued in Great Britain
until the sixteen eighty nine Bill of Rights, which reasserted

(01:19:26):
for British citizens those rights, including trial by jury. During
this period, though, people began settling here in America colonies,
in Virginia Colony in Massachusetts. From the very first charter
in these new colonies, the right to trial by jury

(01:19:48):
was reasserted by the people who settled there, and then,
of course it had been protected again in the Bill
of Rights Crown Solution. When we began to challenge their
laws again increasing their own power, first thing they did
was take away the right to jury trial.

Speaker 1 (01:20:09):
Beth why An, executive director Wes Virginian Association for It Justice, Beth,
Let's fast forward to the twenty first century. Is the
Seventh Amendment under threat today?

Speaker 15 (01:20:20):
Absolutely? Absolutely? There are two things central to that. One
is something and when you think about you know, would
you sign away your right to free speech or freedom
of religion or the right to own a gun in

(01:20:40):
order to have a credit card or to maybe get
a carlo. You would never do that. And yet these
clauses called mandatory binding arbitration clauses are hidden in these contracts.
I had a boarding kennel. I showed up to board

(01:21:03):
my beagle, and in this agreement was the mandatory binding
arbitration plust that required me to sign away my right
to trial by jury. And when you're dealing with major corporations,
you know they're going to have ten thousand of these

(01:21:23):
arbitration plants a year. You're going to have one they
get to hire the arbitrator. You're not in front of
an independent judge. You are not in front of a
jury of your peers. You're in front of somebody who's
being paid by the corporation to decide whether or not
they cheated you. Now, who are they going to side with?

(01:21:44):
The person who's going to sign their check or the
consumer who's going to be in front of them one time.
The other threat is coming from the insurance industry and
other corporate special interests who forankly are wanting to increase
their profits and decrease the ability for citizens to hold

(01:22:07):
them accountable. By passing so called reforms that limit citizens'
access to the courtroom. And you know that you see things.
You know, a big push right now from the insurance industry,
you know, focuses on, well, we're having to raise premiums,

(01:22:27):
we can't afford to do. Business. Industry publications right now
showed that their profits last year, profit was one hundred
and sixty seven billion dollars. Now, this is an industry where,

(01:22:47):
you know, our auto premiums have gone up by averages
six percent. Our homeowner's premiums in recent years have gone
up by an average of thirteen percent. The screaming already,
they're screaming that you have to pay them more, and
yet when you need them the most, they're paying you
pennies on the dollar or arguing that they don't owe

(01:23:10):
you anything.

Speaker 1 (01:23:13):
Beth White, Executive director of Western the Association for Justice.
It's Bill of Wright's Day, seventeen ninety one. December fifteenth,
seventeen ninety one, when the Bill of Rights first ten
amendments were at ratified. Beth, interesting stuff. Thanks for being
part of the show today.

Speaker 15 (01:23:27):
Appreciate it, Thank you, enjoy the cold.

Speaker 1 (01:23:32):
Thank you very much. Beth eight hundred seven to sixty
five talks the phone number eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two five five three or four talk three oh four.
This is talk line from the Encove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 27 (01:23:42):
For the sixth consecutive year, US News and World Report
ranks WWU Medicine JW. Ruby Memorial as the number one
hospital in West Virginia. It's also recognized as high performing
in gastrow Entrology, GI Surgery, Orthopedics and Neurology, and eighteen
procedures and conditions. This is the highest distinction a hospital

(01:24:04):
can earn for US News Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions ratings.
For more information, visit wumdicine dot org.

Speaker 8 (01:24:12):
Tens of thousands of hard working West Virginians earn their
living in our state's growing natural gas industry, including thousands
for Intero Resources, west Virginia's top natural gas producer, and
Taro's investments are boosting our local workforce in small businesses.
We're proud to give back and invest locally to support
West Virginia workers producing West Virginia energy. But the Mountain

(01:24:33):
State's best days are ahead, and in Taro Resources is
just getting started. Visit and Taro resources dot com to
learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:24:43):
Were to care for Here at the heart Day, We
are here.

Speaker 9 (01:24:52):
From all of us, here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright, whether you're wrapping gifts
are planning next year's goals.

Speaker 25 (01:25:00):
Here for you.

Speaker 9 (01:25:01):
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Speaker 2 (01:25:08):
Here.

Speaker 4 (01:25:24):
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 (01:25:35):
Text line is three or four Talk three oh four.
Phone numbers eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five
five if you're just catching up. The son of famed
actor director Rob Reiner is in custody in a in
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department after Reiner and his wife,
Michelle Singer were found dead at their home on Sunday.
Thirty two year old at Nick Reiner's being held on

(01:25:55):
four million dollars bail after being booked on a felony
charge early Monday morning. No other details have been immediately released.
We'll continue to follow that story, as well as the
search for the gunman in the Brown University shooting and
that tarror attack in Australia from over the weekend as well.
Three or four talk three four is the phone number

(01:26:16):
eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five five, Well,
that's the phone number of the other ones. The text
line let's go to the phones eight hundred seven to
sixty five Talk Paul, what's on your mind? Paul?

Speaker 24 (01:26:27):
Good morning. Two amendments to our constitution. In the early
nineteen hundreds, the temperance movement wanted to know nobody to
be able to drink. They thought they could address the
substance versus the behavior, and so they it took a
literal constitutional amendment to deny the Americans the right to
have a drink, and the states had to ratify it.

(01:26:49):
And when it came time to roll that back, the
same process had to happen another constitutional amendment, states vote.
But then when mister Anslinger, who was in charge of thehibition,
was moved over to the Treasury, they suddenly decided that
they were going to outlaw cannabis. And they used commercial

(01:27:10):
hemp as you know, they wanted to outlaw the hemp,
but they used cannabis as the reason. But where did
the gov federal government, And I'm asking all the legal
minds out there because I have never been able to
find this out or get my representatives, congressman or senator
to answer this question. Where did the federal government magically
get the power to deny the Americans the use of

(01:27:32):
a natural substance that have been used medicinally for thousands
of years and industrially without that congressional you know, change
in our constitution. I believe that it had no legal
basis whatsoever from what I can find, Well.

Speaker 1 (01:27:49):
Paul, I would have to do some research on that one.
I'm not certain. I have to do a little deep
dive on that.

Speaker 24 (01:27:56):
Well, thank you, you know. I just and maybe somebody
that's smart and us can call in and tell us
where it is. But where they got that power? But
I don't believe it existed. And if I may, just
as a reply to some of the people that make
half hearted attempts to insult me after I've called in,
like on steam Release, I invite someone to prove what
I say is wrong, you know, But I've never once

(01:28:19):
heard anybody who disagreed with the information I put out
call in with anything factual that contradicts what I've you know, shared.
Please don't believe me do your own research.

Speaker 6 (01:28:29):
Paul.

Speaker 1 (01:28:30):
Always appreciate the phone call, Buddy, appreciate it.

Speaker 24 (01:28:32):
Thank you, blessings, Merry Christmas.

Speaker 1 (01:28:34):
Merry Christmas to you as well. Eight hundred seven sixty
five talk eight hundred seven six five eight two five
five text lines three or four talk three oh four.
The timing of the ten amendments is interesting. Seventeen ninety one.
The Declaration of Independence was seventeen seventy six. We don't
have a constitution until seventeen eighty seven. It took time. Well,

(01:28:54):
if we had social media back in the day, maybe
it would have gone quicker, he said, you know, tongue
in cheek. Mercer County canceled school again today. I think
this is day six, but honestly I have lost count
The only thing they're teaching kids is when the weather
gets rough they can stay home. They're making kids soft,

(01:29:15):
and we wonder why kids are the way they are nowadays.
This is pathetic, says the Texter mad face emoji. Please
tell Chris Lawrence the Silver Bridge and Point Pleasant collapse
due to the Mothman yep, Mothman Dave. Public school funding
will be based in the future on the performance of

(01:29:37):
the public schools. Parents want great public schools. The only
entity that can change that to make education better is
public schools. That's the only thing that will stop the
increase in Hope scholarships. In my humble opinion says the text, Look,
we are coming up on the end of the hour,
and this is a discussion, a much longer larger discussion

(01:29:58):
on how do you evalu you wait the performance of
public schools. Is that graduation rate? Is that GPA? Is
that when you get into high school? Is that through
SAT scores? ACT scores? Is it through standardized testing? What
is the magic way to evaluate als? Some of the
things that you have how you evaluate performance are pretty standard.

(01:30:21):
There is material you learn, the material you are tested
on the material. That's certainly the true, tried and true way,
tried and true way, not tried and trud But I've
always said education and learning is so individualized. I went
to school with guys, You went to school with these people.

(01:30:43):
There are students today when you put them in a
classroom and they have to read Charles Dickens, they have
to read Chaucer, they are bored out of their minds
and they will fail. Put them into a classroom where
you have to figure out how to diagnose mechanical issues

(01:31:04):
on a Chevy Nova. They'll succeed. Put them in an
environment that suits the personality they have, they'll flourish. Now,
how do we evaluate that? How do we evaluate When
you say you have to get X score on an
English exam, you have to have an X score in

(01:31:26):
mathematic Look, I get it. You start to congregate these
things and they tell you something. But I've always thought
education evaluation is so individualized. It's hard to pin that down.
That's why you'll never base funding off of it. Either
three or four talk three or four is the text line,
eight hundred and seven and sixty five eight two five
five the phone number. Back to wrap in a moment.

Speaker 3 (01:31:44):
Picture a community where every space tells a story. Those
are the communities we're designing at ZMM. Architects and engineers
with a blend.

Speaker 28 (01:31:53):
Of creativity and technical expertise, we design spaces that inspire, innovate,
and ignite change, from cutting edge educational facilities to community
centric gathering spaces.

Speaker 3 (01:32:04):
We're committed to improving lives through design. Let us help
you shape a brighter future for generations to come. Because
at ZMM, it's more than architecture. It's about building your legacy.

Speaker 21 (01:32:15):
Hospitals drive West Virginia's economy. They produce jobs and create
opportunities while keeping our communities healthy. Employing nearly fifty four
thousand people, West Virginia hospitals rank among our state's largest
and most dependable employers. They provide more than one billion
dollars in community benefits and generate nearly seventeen billion dollars
in total economic impact each year. Hospitals are investing wear counts,

(01:32:36):
advancing health, ensuring access to care, and powering West Virginia's
economic future.

Speaker 7 (01:32:41):
A message from the West Virginia Hospital Association Onlina WVJA
dot org.

Speaker 1 (01:33:04):
Let's go back to the phones. Mike has been very
patiently waiting. Hey Mike, keep it quick, buddy.

Speaker 29 (01:33:10):
Okay, yeah, Hey. In regard to the fellow pushing a cannabis,
I would refer him he and your readers need to
read last Wednesday, December tenth, Wall Street Journal an editorial.
The title of it is hotheads head for the Er,
and the gist of it is Massachusetts legalized Pot twenty sixteen.
The results have been so bad that now the people

(01:33:33):
are actually there's a referendum. There they're pushing a referendum
to make it illegal again. You need to read that.
And beyond that, I would ask that gentle in one question,
this question, is society better off allowing its citizens to
go through life stoned?

Speaker 1 (01:33:50):
Mike? Appreciate the phone call. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy
New Year to you, buddy, three or four, talk three
before the text line eight hundred and seven and sixty
five talk the phone number textas day. Please do not
exclude Charles Dickens Scrooge from the reading list. Ah, that's
a classic. That's a classic, one of my favorite. Uh yeah,
maybe we'll do that later this week. We'll do Christmas movies.

(01:34:13):
That's at least that's all that's on in my house
right at the moment. Home Alone. My wife is a
big that's probably one of her favorite. No, probably it
is one of her favorite movies. Maybe her favorite movie,
Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, Scrooge, all of those on the list.

(01:34:34):
So now we will not exclude any Dickens from the
reading list. All right, talk to you tomorrow. We'll team
up do it all again at ten six. This is
talk Line on Metro News for forty years. The voice
of West Virginia,
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

The Burden

The Burden

The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.