All Episodes

December 19, 2025 94 mins
Jeff Jenkins has an update on power outage numbers. Brad McElhinny discusses Senator Capito's thoughts on Venezuela military strikes. Mon County Republicans want the state party to reopen the primary election to independent voters. Chris Stirewalt stops by. And STEAM RELEASE!!!
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Maybe the two of Friday, but we've got power outages
gusting wins. We'll get an update for the Metro News
newsroom plus Steam release coming up at eleven thirty three.
This is talk Line. We are underway.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
You are surrounded.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Radio turnoff from the studios of w v RC Media
and the Metro News Radio and Television Network. The voice
up West Virginia comes the most powerful show in West Virginia.
This it's Metro News talk Line with Dave Wilson and
TJ Meadows.

Speaker 4 (00:52):
Switch network controls from Charles.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Stand By to David DJ.

Speaker 5 (00:57):
You're on.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Metronews. Talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling you
with coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit
incovia dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Good morning, Welcome into the program. Metro News talk Line.
Gangs al here minus one. TJ is continuing his Christmas vacation.
He'll be back Monday. Zach Carroll Check is running the
video stream on the Metro News television app. Kyle Wiggs
handling the phones today. We appreciate you being part of
today's festivities on one of our great radio affiliates across

(01:33):
the state of West Virginia. Chris Tirewaldt will join us
second hour of the program, all any number of issues
to bounce off. Chris Diyrewald Steam released at eleven thirty three,
of course, but we've got a lot to get to
before then. Brad mcelheney stops by and we'll talk to
Dale Sparks. He is the chairman of the Montague County
Republican Executive Committee. They want to see primaries reopened to

(01:58):
unaffiliated voters. We'll get into that com it up in
just a little bit. It was a windy, windy night
across much of the state. Thousands are still without service
this morning. Dude to trees and limbs and power lines
coming down because of the gusting winds. Jeff Jenkins is
in the Metro News newsroom. He's been trying to keep
up with the numbers and has the latest this morning. Jeff,

(02:19):
good morning, good to see you, buddy.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
Hey Dave, good morning, thank you. Yeah, it was it
was a squall line of storm that came through right
before whereas a cold front was coming through. And that
it was early this morning, right around midnight. A few
minutes after midnight, right around one o'clock, was in that hour,
and yeah, I did some damage. You got gus up
to sixty miles an hour in some places. And throughout

(02:43):
the morning, we've been looking at these power out his numbers.
I checked them out early this morning when I got
to work, and both mom Power and Appalachian Power are
we have pretty significant outages when you consider so mom
Power this morning right now, actually they've updated their numbers.
They're reporting about almost thirty two thousand customers without service,

(03:05):
and then the Appalachian Power Appalachian Power is reporting about
thirty six thousand, so they're actually really close to the
number of customers that are out but it covers the
basically the entire state. Some most counties have at least
a few outages from the wind more than others. You
look at Appalachian Power, you look at Kanaw County. Of

(03:26):
course it's the most populated county, but it's got about
twelve percent of its customers without power. They just updated
that actually, so now it's ten one hundred and fifty
four customers are without power in Kanaw County. And you
have some other other ones that are above five thousand,
a couple of other and got Logan and Mingo County,

(03:47):
so it kind of looks like the southern coal fields
up into the Kanaw Valley where the highest numbers out
as numbers are with this particular storm, and then mom
power about the same the numbers or is kind of
more widespread in the central and northern part of the state,
which is where mindpower covers, for example, Calhoun County. They

(04:09):
just updated that it's gotten a little better in Calhoun County,
but early this morning, ninety seven percent of Calhoun County
people of customers, they didn't have power. You know, there's
not a lot of customers there, about eight or nine thousand,
but most of them didn't have have power this morning.
So I think the situation here, Dave is it's going

(04:32):
to stay windy today, and so that's going to slow
the restoration efforts because you can't put a worker up
in a bucket truck if it's if the if the
GUS is thirty miles an hour more, and it's predicted
to be you know, between thirty and forty miles an
hour most of the day, and so I think that
it's going to be it's going to be few and

(04:54):
far between where they can get those bucket trucks up.
Maybe in some places but not everywhere. And I as
the open was playing for the show this morning, Apple
Watch and Power put out an update, and I talked
to Apple Leach and Power last hour. But then this
is even more of an update here. They're predicting, after
an initial assessment of the damage and the expected weather,

(05:17):
that they'll have ninety five percent of their customers on
by eleven o'clock tomorrow night. All right, oh wow, yeah,
tomorrow night. So this is going to be a multi
day event. Now that's ninety five percent. So some of
these are going to be into Sunday, because that's usually
what happens. You get the most you can get on
at first, you work on those, and then the more

(05:40):
maybe remote areas, you know, maybe just one person according
to one break, they might get dealt with last if
they're more difficult. So yeah, it's a multi I think
it's a multi. It's pretty clear it's going to be
a multi day event because of what happened last night.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
So you mentioned the win, Jeff. Now just couple that
temperatures go to drop throughout the day today, at least
up here in this region, we're going to be in
the twenties. They're calling for not a lot of snow,
but accumulating snow this afternoon into this evening and tonight,
which is also just going to make the work for
those line crews that much harder if they can even
get up in the bucket truck of the winds die

(06:16):
down a little.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Bit, yeah, exactly, and apalache empowers. They've got some they're
trying to recruit crews from other states. They've got a
couple of commitments from crews to come in so they'll
hit them with more manpower. But that's right, Yeah, it's
already dropped. The temperature here was I think maybe like
forty five or forty six when I came in early
this morning, announced down to thirty four. So it's going

(06:38):
to keep dropping as that wind continues to blow. But
that's going to be the difficulty. If you had, like
you know, didn't have any wind, that they could probably
knock these down pretty quickly and get these back on
by maybe by the end of the of the day today.
But that's not what's going to happen. There are a
handful of counties that didn't have school today, so you've
got counties that are getting an extra long holiday break

(06:58):
because in most counties. Today is the last day of
school before two weeks off. So Calhoun County, Gilmour County,
Richie County, those three counties close totally. And then you
have about six counties, yeah, seven counties that just close
some individual schools because of because there's just no power
at the schools. So you had about seven counties that

(07:20):
did that. Conall County, for example, they're open, but there's
six schools, including one in my neighborhood, that doesn't have power,
and so those schools are closed.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
Jeff Jenkins joining us from the Metro News newsroom, will
continue to monitor the situation and update those numbers as
new information becomes available throughout the day. Jeff, a couple
of other news items wanted to touch on here while
I've got you. Unfortunately, Governor Morrissey announced yesterday that a
coal miner had passed away in Wyoming County, YEP.

Speaker 4 (07:52):
And we don't have a ton of information about that,
just kind of what the governor has released, and also
him saying that the state office in my see, the
Health and Training is investigating. Yeah, this was in Wyoming
County yesterday morning from what we understand, and it's the
lower War Eagle Mine in Wyoming County is where this occurred.

(08:14):
And you know, we've had this is three mining desks
really in the last couple of months. We had that
situation in Nicholas County and then we had a situation
at the Martika mine up in Tucker County. So we've
had three mining desks. And the governor does have a
media briefing this afternoon in the noon hour, so there
might be a little more information to be released at

(08:35):
that time, hope, we hope. So so we don't We
really don't know much other than there was a coal
miner who died yesterday.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
And there was a longing accident yesterday as well or
earlier this week, I should.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
Say, right, yeah, that was in Hampshire County. A man died.
He was a Mineral County man who was cutting down
a tree in Hampshire County and the tree fell backwards.
We understand authority say Shaffs deputies hit a dead tree
and the dead tree a big lamb broke off a
dead tree and came down and hit the man and

(09:06):
claimed his life. He was in his early fifties, wasn't
very old. And then there was another kind of situation
in Hampshire County earlier this week. Information not released until yesterday,
but it took place between Tuesday and Wednesday. Domestic situation
that's really sad case. A ninety one year old man

(09:26):
was a Leslie holding a woman in her eighties at gunpoint.
She called nine one one. This was in the Levels community.
She called nine one one. This is Tuesday. She said
that the man had suffered a brain bleed in recent
weeks and he had become struggling mentally. He was holding
her at gunpoint. Police arrived. He would not you know,

(09:48):
he kind of you know, would not come out. The
woman later did come out, she got out, she got
away safely, but he still wouldn't come out, and law
enforcement made the decision since there was no other danger,
they made the decision kind of just to leave. They
thought that maybe that would help the situation. So they
did leave. From what we understand, the man continued to

(10:09):
call nine one one over the next several hours and
make threats or whatever he's doing, and then so they
went back. Police went back the next day this is
now Wednesday, with some arrest warrants to charge him, and
they said when they got up to the front door.
The door handle was very hot. They entered and there
had been a fire inside and he had died of

(10:31):
smoke in elation, the ninety one year old man. Wow,
So not sure if he set the place on fire,
that may be the case, but took his own life
or died at least a smoke in elation, and just
sounds like sounds like there were some issues there with him, obviously,
and so that's a very sad case. You can read
more about that at the website.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
I hesitate to even say it, but I'm going to
say this, Jeff. Losing family members, losing anybody is different
a call, especially now. I mean it's it's Christmas time.
This is supposed to be, you know, family time. It's
supposed to be a joyous time of the year. And
my heart just goes out to everybody involved. It's it's tough.

(11:13):
It's always tough. It just seems especially harder this time
of year for this, for stuff like this to happen.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
Oh yeah, you're right, exactly, all.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
Right, Jeff Jenkins in the Metro News newsroom. We have
those stories posted up at wv metro news dot com,
and Jeff will continue to follow the power outage situation
as the day goes on. Thanks Jeff, appreciate it. Okay,
see you coming up, Brad Macklheeney, we'll join us. Senator
Capito was addressing the media yesterday talking about the briefing
she had behind closed doors over the operations involving Venezuela.

(11:43):
But did she have to say, we'll talk about it next.

Speaker 6 (11:46):
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 tough natural gas producer, and
Taro's investments are boosting our local work force and small businesses.
We're proud to give back and invest locally to support
West Virginia workers producing West Virginia energy with the Mountain

(12:08):
State's best days are ahead and the Taro Resources is
just getting started. Visit and Taro Resources dot com to
learn more.

Speaker 7 (12:16):
Located in the heart of West Virginia, Bridgeport is the
place to play. Endless indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities including
the Bridgeport Complex, coupled with a dynamic food scene, make
Bridgeport the perfect getaway destination for couples and families.

Speaker 8 (12:31):
Explore unique shopping and pick.

Speaker 7 (12:33):
From a wealth of lodging options to find something perfect
for your needs. Explore the heart of West Virginia in Bridgeport.
Learn more about all there is to do at Greater
dash Bridgeport dot com.

Speaker 9 (12:44):
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 seven teen billion
dollars in total economic impact each year. Hospitals are investing

(13:04):
wear counts, advancing health, ensuring access to care, and powering
West Virginia's economic future.

Speaker 10 (13:09):
A message from the West Virginia Hospital Association on Mina
WVJA dot org.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
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 (13:37):
Eight hundred and seven sixty five Talk is the phone
number eight hundred and seven sixty five Talk. You can
text the show three or four Talk three O four
write those numbers down or whatever you do in twenty
twenty five, save them in your phone. Steamerly's coming up
eleven thirty three. Your chance to vent, and this is
your last chance to vent before Christmas. You certainly don't

(13:58):
want to take that frustration to Christmas dinner with you?
Is then what happens as well, the airing of grievances
three or four Talk three or four of the text
line in eight hundred and seven and sixty five. Talk
is the phone number. Senator Capito joined us earlier this
week when she announced that she would be seeking re
election to the US Senate. We asked her then about
her thoughts on the president's operations involving Venezuela, the build

(14:22):
up in the Caribbean, the blockade, the strikes on the
suspected narco terrorists bringing drugs to the United States, and
she said, well, as a matter of fact, we're going
to have a closed door meeting to discuss those very issues,
and I'll be able to talk about that more after
the fact, I paraphrase a tad well. That meeting occurred yesterday.
Senator Capito met with the media in West Virginia. Brad

(14:45):
mclhonney was in on that conversation. He joins us on
Metro News talk line, Brad, good morning.

Speaker 11 (14:51):
Oh Hi, Good morning, Dave. And yes, you know, Senator
Capito is generous with her time, and she left a
bit of a angling question with you because she was
headed into that meeting and all Senator's closed door meeting
with Secretary of State Rubio and Defense Secretary heg Seth.

(15:12):
So I thought it was important to follow up, and
I asked her. She said the briefing really answered a
lot of questions that she had, and she felt more
assured about the US activities regarding Venezuela. I think it's
important for her to respond to that kind of question
because the President of the United States campaigned in part

(15:32):
on ending quote unquote forever wars. And you know, as
a citizen, it's unclear to me what is going on,
what the intent is with Venezuela. Is it regime change,
trying to topple President Nicholas Maduro, who is in fact
a dictator guilty of all kinds of human rights abuses,

(15:53):
or is it drug interdiction or is it both? And
so Senator Capito, I think, you know, did a good
job of giving her impressions of what she thinks.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Here are some of her impressions from her closed door
meeting with defense officials.

Speaker 12 (16:07):
Targeting of these vessels is not just a hey, let's
just blow this boat up. It is very detailed. It
is very legally challenged at every step. It is through
the intelligence, both signal intelligence but also intelligence on the ground,
certifiable that these are narco terrorists that are peddling deadly

(16:29):
drugs around the world, particularly into our country. It's slowing,
significantly slowing, and that should be good news for everybody,
and I think it's good news for us. I'm alright
with that. I don't think that. I think we're sending
statements more than anything else, quite honestly, to say that
we're serious about this and the country of Venezuela needs

(16:50):
to get serious about it, along with other our friends
in South America.

Speaker 1 (16:54):
Brad. She also added, and I don't have this cut,
but she says, the one thing I did learn and
I think the American people should know in more detail,
is that, oh no, I did play that cut. Is
that the target of these vessels is not just hey,
let's blow this up. It's very detailed, very legally challenged.
Here's the thing. And I wanted to bring that up
because that statement stood out to me in particular because
it went back to something Greg Noon talked about when

(17:16):
he was on the show with me earlier this week.
The political science professor and retired US Navy captain is
that if there is evidence, if you have this evidence,
if you have justification for doing what you're doing, explain
it to us. If you have that available, if you
can present that evidence. And I don't know, there are

(17:38):
classified things, and maybe you can't, but if we understood more,
if there was more transparence, if we knew more about
what was happening to the extent that can be released,
at the very least, you diffuse some of the criticism
the administration is taking on here by not really saying
much at all, kind of saying we got this, just
trust us. It's kind of the impression I get.

Speaker 11 (17:59):
So the ward of the year, according to Webster's Dictionary,
is rage bait. However, I would nominate narco terrorists. That's
a word I never heard before this year. That's the
word that's being used to describe these people on boats
that are being targeted by the US military. I personally
as a citizen, would like to know more about who
they are. Are they fishermen who are you know, looking

(18:23):
for a quick buck to rent their boats? Are they
in fact drug runners? Are they kingpins? I would like
to know more. The United States does have strategies to
disable boats and to capture the people on them without
resulting to lethal actions. And you know, and then the

(18:44):
broader question are these acts of war or is it policing?
And if it's an act of war, do people like
Senator Capito, as part of their war powers responsibility need
to be more involved and ask even deeper questions and
maybe take a vote.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
And you know, I want to move on because we're
going to run out of time here, Brad. But I'm
not naive enough to believe this is strictly a drug
enforced issue. That is part of it. But this is
also partly cutting off a flow of revenue to the
Maduro regime. That's why you've got the blockade. That's what
or I guess it's not technically a blockade, but that's
why you're seizing these sanctioned oil ships. You're trying to

(19:24):
cut off the money to the Maduro regime and set
something up for regime change in Venezuela. To me, that
seems to be clear. I don't know why you just
don't say it. I don't know why you just don't
say the thing that everybody else can seem.

Speaker 11 (19:36):
Well, and you know, I'm gonna lay it on the table.
I don't think Venice wiling In President Nicholas Muduro is
a nice guy. I do not think he's a nice guy.
But why is he different than so many other not
nice guys in the world? What differentiates that guy?

Speaker 1 (19:51):
Brad got about two minutes here. Governor Morrissey joined us
on the show yesterday. We covered a lot of topics
in that interview. What jumped out to you?

Speaker 11 (20:00):
You know, I think we are looking ahead to potentially
a pay raise for public employees. Would you asked Governor
Morrissey to elaborate on that Among the things I wonder
is that specifically educators or is it is it more

(20:20):
broadly government employees of all kinds. So we'd like to
hear more about that as the session ends, and then
the state is coming up on a self imposed deadline
to make a determination December thirty first, on whether to
extend West Virginia's National Guard presence in Washington, d C.
Is that going to move forward? He made sounds like it.

Speaker 1 (20:41):
Will, and he again in the governor stress, this is
a this is a voluntary deployment, that this is something
that guard members can get volunteer for if they want
to go on that rotation, and that some will and
he said some will be coming home for Christmas. So
that's that's what the governor's point of view was there
on deployment to DC. Can I ask you one more question, Brad,

(21:02):
let's do it. Who's the assistant over your right right
shoulder there just a second ago?

Speaker 11 (21:08):
Yeah, if you're watching Metro news television, that was a
spaniel who noticed a threat in the neighborhood and was
growling and trying to get a better vantage point to
help me out.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
You know what, we could all use more spaniels, Brad.

Speaker 11 (21:23):
She's a very protective spaniel, so I owe my thanks.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Is she the type of guard dog that will alert
you but then rollover for belly rubbs when the intruder
actually gets there all of that, Yes, she's that's what.

Speaker 11 (21:37):
I'm more vocal than the breed is supposed to be,
but would actually maybe bite some ankles.

Speaker 1 (21:42):
Thank you, Brad appreciate it. Thanks Tick Care Talk Lutle
Metro News the voice of West Virginia. It is ten
thirty times to get a news update. Let's check in
with the Metro News radio network. Find out what's happening
across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 4 (21:56):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Chenkins, mom Power Cruise
an Appalasti Empire Cruise doing damagees SESSMA this morning after
those winds came in a strong squall line ahead of
a coal front that's going to impact our weather for
the rest of the day. Out of jas number into
the thirty thousand range and more for both of those utilities.
National Weather Serves meet to Rogers. James Evilenski says that

(22:18):
type of storm is unusual for this time of year.

Speaker 5 (22:20):
Duck is the sharp cold front, but you know, usually
it's almost officially winter, and yeah, we don't usually see
severe windstorms during this time of the year.

Speaker 4 (22:33):
We'll continue to follow power restoration efforts at our website,
wv Metronews dot com. Sentencing set for February for a
Jackson County man pleaded guilty Thursday to the January murder
of a three month old baby. Twenty four year old
James Tames of Ripley pleaded guilty to second degree murder.
Authorities say the infants injuries included skeletal fractionals and brain hemorrhaging.

(22:54):
The State Fire Marshal's offices investigating a fatal fire in
Wyoming County. It happened Thursday morning in Pine. The victim's
name has not been released. No one's happy with the
D plus when it comes to the state's infrastructure rating,
but it's better than last year's D minus the American
Society of Civil Engineers in its Anguer report card. They
released that earlier this week. We've got reaction a story

(23:15):
posted today at wv metronews dot com. There is some
optimism despite those numbers. You're listening to Metro News for
forty years, the Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 13 (23:24):
With steel batteries are included this holiday season. Give a
gift that's ready to go right out of the box
for everything from cleaning up the yard to cutting up firewood.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
Steel tools.

Speaker 13 (23:35):
Check off the wish list and knock out the to
do list, and right now buy select battery tool sets
and get a free extra battery. Visit STEELUSA dot com
for holiday deals and gift ideas. Happy Holidays from Steel
offer valid for a limited time only participating dealers.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
While some Ways Last Now showing on Metro News Television,
Your Friends at Hope Gas preset episode five of State
of Minds Hoppycoachable visits with CEO of Hope Gas, Morgan O'Brien.

Speaker 14 (24:03):
We are part of West Virginia and we were not
going away, and it's not just about taking from West Virginia,
it's about giving.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
Back State of Mind. It's episode five, now available on
Metro News TV, presented by Hope Gas with support from
Career Industries only on the Metro News Television app.

Speaker 4 (24:22):
West Virginia University will hold it's December commencement ceremony tomorrow
at the Hope Coliseum in Morgantown. More than eleven hundred
graduates are scheduled to be honored two separate ceremonies or
scheduled one at nine and the other at two o'clock. Meanwhile,
the w Board of Governors is scheduled to meet today
in Morgantown, and we'll be following that meeting at wv
metronews dot com. Once again, power outages across the state.

(24:44):
More than thirty thousand customers of both Apalachian Power and
mom Power being reported this morning for the Metro News
anchor desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
Texter sends me a link and says, Dave, this is
a story from six years ago. CNN sid They did
a month long investigation. This was after the collapse of
Venezuela's economy, and I open and report watched this double
exclamation mark, says the Texter. Three or four Talk three
or four. Susie Wiles said in the Vanity Fair article

(25:35):
that it was trying to get Nicholas Maduro out of
power to make him cry. Uncle. Not going to work,
says the Texter. Get some more of your texts coming
up at three or four Talk three zero four Steam
release one hour from now. Yesterday, the Montague County Republican
Executive Committee released that it had approved, voted to approve

(25:56):
a resolution urging the state party to re open the
primary elections. The primaries will be closed this cycle to
only Republican registered Republicans coming up in May. Monteue County
Republican Executive Committee is urging the state GOP to reopen
those primaries. To include unaffiliated voters as well. Joining me

(26:17):
in studio this morning is the chair of the Montague
County Republican Executive Committee, Dale Sparks. Dale Good to say
a bunny.

Speaker 15 (26:24):
Good morning, David.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
How are you?

Speaker 15 (26:25):
I'm great?

Speaker 1 (26:26):
Ready for Christmas? Are your shopping done?

Speaker 16 (26:27):
I'm ready?

Speaker 15 (26:28):
Well, I don't know about that, but I'm ready for
I'm ready for Christmas. And we've got a lot of
work to do left and in the office, but other
than that, we're ready. We're ready.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
So I gave the brief backstory. This was a close
vote with the state Republican Party to close the elections.
It was something like sixty four fifty one. It's a
close vote to close it to only Republicans. So, as
the Montague County Republican Executive Committee considered this resolution, one
why consider the resolution? And two, why are you urging

(27:01):
the state to reopen the Republican primary to include on
affiliated voters.

Speaker 15 (27:06):
Well, this decision was made almost two years ago now,
it was in January of twenty twenty four, so a
lot has changed since then. And I think the reason
that we decided is just doesn't make sense to close
the primaries when you have nearly eighteen thousand unaffiliated voters
in Montague County. I've got some numbers here, but you've

(27:30):
got roughly eighteen nine hundred and fifty one unaffiliated, and
the chances are the majority of those are going to
be conservative voters. And the same thing with independence. I
mean Democrats that are strong Democrats don't leave the Democratic
Party to get to go to be an independent or

(27:51):
non affiliated. They must have they have some different values
or more conservative values that they're looking for, and maybe
they don't agree with everything that the Republican Party is presenting.
So we feel that we're actually shutting out a lot
of voters and a lot of voices in Montague County

(28:12):
that need to be heard. And we want to strengthen
the party. We don't want to exclude anybody from the
Republican Party. We want to keep them coming in, using
their voices, using their votes. We want everybody to vote.
So this common sense approach to this thing is why
did they do it in the first place? And I

(28:32):
think they did part of this in the first place
because they wanted to strengthen the party. But through strengthening,
their ideas of strengthening party excluded some of the people
that have the same conservative values that don't want to
check a box. You know, there's a little box there
that says Republican, Democrat, independent, and you don't want to

(28:53):
check one of those. You don't want to be one
of those.

Speaker 1 (28:55):
That was one of the arguments that I heard was
that you have unaffiliated independent voters who maybe they've been
voting on the Republican ticket all of these years, that
when it's closed off they would join the party so
they could still vote to the primaries, that they would
go ahead and check that box. I tend to agree
with you, Dale, and I know how we are in

(29:16):
West Virginia. The boy you tell me to do something,
the less likely I'm to do it, actually exactly. So,
I don't know if that theory holds, but at least
that was one of the arguments that I heard, and
sounds like you don't necessarily buy into that either.

Speaker 15 (29:27):
Well, And that was an argument. I don't agree with
it because you're forcing people to make a decision. If
you want to vote in the primary, you have to
register Republican or Democrat, and I don't think that's a
good idea to force their hand. Let them have their
conservative values, let them be an independent, let them be unaffiliated.
There's no need to do that. I just I don't

(29:49):
see the reasoning behind that. I mean, I could see where,
you know, it might pull more people in to the
Republican Party. And we're only four hundred and twenty registered
voters away from flipping Montage County red four hundred and
for years we were thousands behind.

Speaker 1 (30:09):
Is there any And one of the other arguments here, Dale,
that I heard was that by allowing independent on affiliated
voters to also partake in the in the primary, well
maybe the candidates the real Republicans we're not getting nominated
to run. What do you say to that?

Speaker 15 (30:26):
Now, real, We're going to find real Republicans every time.
That's our job as mont County Republican Executive Committee. One
of the main statutory goals is to find good Republicans
to run for office and to be there in Charleston
to represent Montage County. So we're not looking for rhinos,

(30:48):
We're not looking for anything. We're looking for real, good,
solid Republicans and that's it.

Speaker 1 (30:54):
Dale Sparks is joining me. He's chairman of the Montagae
County Republican Executive Committee. It is urging the state party
to reopen the primary elections. Are you hoping for twenty
six or are you looking ahead of twenty eight.

Speaker 15 (31:06):
I would like to think we could get this reversed quickly.
I don't know what the statutes and all the limitations.
I know that back in twenty four they wanted to
do it immediately, and there was an amendment made by
one of the subcommittee people who suggested, no, let's don't
do it to our twenty twenty four Let's move it
out to twenty twenty six to evaluate this thing a

(31:28):
little bit. So I think after looking at that and
seeing what all is going on, I just don't think
it's a good idea, and I think we could reverse
it in January. When we have January tenth, we'll have
the State Republican Executive Committee meeting and this resolution will
be on the floor. We'll come to a vote, and
we will we'll have an answer. The vote was very

(31:48):
close two years ago.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Have you spoken to other county executive committees or other
members of count executive committees and is their support?

Speaker 15 (31:57):
Yes, there is, just briefly, there's at least three, four, five,
and if you look at the numbers, out of those
nine that have ten thousand more or more unaffiliated voters,
Why would they not be in favor of opening the primaries.
I mean, there's no there's really not a reason, and
historically there's not a reason to close the primaries. There's

(32:21):
in our lifetime, there's never been a closed Republican primary
that we know of. We can't think of anyone. We
can't We've done research. It's just not happened. So this
is kind of unprecedented, and we want to I wasn't
on the State Republican Executive Committee then I am now,
and we wanted to move forward as a committee with

(32:41):
our voice, and we've got We've got some some local
and local counties which I say local, but they're spread
out throughout the state that support this very idea. I
even had some inquiries overnight from a few counties looking
for they want to see the resolution and what they
could do to help.

Speaker 1 (32:59):
Dales Bark joining us Montingay County Republican Executive Committee chair
the Mond County Republican Executive Committee urging the state to
reopen primaries. This is very unsatisfying for being a talk
show host, because I'm supposed to have a hot take,
Rightdale I can see both sides of the argument why
you would want to close it off, why you want
to open it up. But I also recognize that the

(33:20):
Republican success that it has had what the last what's
been about ten years from now, Yep, you can attribute
a lot of that or a significant chunk of that
too independent unaffiliated voters. When when Donna Boley was the
only Republican senator in the Senate, you know, in nineteen
ninety I think it's ninety seven something like that, from

(33:40):
that day, you can attribute that to the unaffiliated voters.
So I can see very much if you were an
independent voter who had voted Republican all these years, you'd
be alienated by this decision. You might look at a
moderate Democrat and go, well, they don't want me. Maybe
these guys do right.

Speaker 15 (33:57):
And they can vote. They can get a Democratic sure ballot,
but they can't get a Republican ballot. So yeah, the
question is, you know, what are you going to do?
And what we need to do is just open this
thing back up and get those voters because they have
supported us through the years and they will continue to
support us. And I firmly believe that eighty you know

(34:20):
or you know, eighty percent of Americans are conservative or
in the middle, so to speak, between the far right
and the far left. There's a big percentage of Americans
West Virginians Montengey County, people who are just in the
middle and will support the middle.

Speaker 1 (34:38):
Talking to Dale Sparks, Montague County Republican Executive Committee Chair,
I was looking at some national numbers Pew Research gallup
this morning, and the numbers seem to back up your
assertion that among the independent voters there's a pretty strong
conservative contingent. Among those independent I think when you break

(34:58):
it down, it's half a consider they consider themselves moderate,
they'll vote splits ticket. Then about a quarter to a
third are conservative, and then you get a very small
percentage somewhere in eighteen to twenty percent consider themselves liberal.
So I say all that to say there's data out there,
at least on a national scale. I don't know about
West Virginia. I couldn't find any specific West Virginia data,
but on a national scale to at least support that assertion. Oh,

(35:22):
I would agree with that.

Speaker 15 (35:23):
I think that I think that most of the Democrats
are going to stay Democrats if they're moderates, they might
move toward the middle or to the Republican and if
they don't like what they're seeing there, then they can
move to independence or unaffiliated. So there's a lot of
movement there. But again it's it's the moderates that we
want to encourage to come to our party, and we're

(35:46):
going to lead by example. We're going to lead by
example here in Montague County when we want to lead
by example in the state of West Virginia. We don't
want to preach. We don't want to say, well, you're
wrong if you're doing this. You know, everybody has their
own beliefs, and we want them to have their beliefs.
We want Democrats to get out and vote. We want
to have fair and good elections. We want Democrats out voting,

(36:10):
we want Republicans out voting, we want unaffiliateds, and we
want the independence out voting. Everybody out voting.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Have you heard from the state Party, the leadership, anybody,
anybody called you in the last couple of days. Not really,
we have.

Speaker 15 (36:26):
I mean we have some support in the state Party
and it will come to a vote in January on
January tenth, So I think there's I think there's a
lot of support, and I think there might be more
people that will support it because they were afraid to
maybe stand up and say something. But this just doesn't
make sense. There's no reason whatsoever to shut out good

(36:50):
conservative voters, and we've never shut them out in the
history that we can see in the history of politics
of West Virginia. So let's open it back up. This
was a decision made two years ago. It's time to
reverse it. We can do it and reverse it immediately
so that in twenty twenty six, which is coming up,
you know, five months, six months from now, Oh yeah,

(37:12):
that election will be here and we'll have all those
votes from conservatives, So we don't want to force people
to come into the Republican Party.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
He's Dale Sparksy as the chairman of the Montague County
Republican Executive Committee. You can read our story on the
resolution over at wvmetronews dot com. Dale Good to see
Ay Buddy Good in the studio.

Speaker 15 (37:31):
Yes, sir, my pleasure. Thanks for having me in.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
Merry Christmas. Happy to you. If I don't see it before,
Marry Christmas to you. Coming up next. If you are
a high school basketball junkie, about two blocks from here
is where you need to be this weekend. I'll tell
you what's going on next.

Speaker 17 (37:46):
A new episode of Live Healthy West Virginia is now
posted on the podcast center of wv metronews dot com
and the Metro News TV app. Feeling unsteady from dizzyness,
vestibular therapy can retrain your brain back into balance. People think, oh, well, well,
I'm just getting older, so this is what I expect.
You don't have to suffer through these symptoms. You can

(38:06):
actually have treatment. Listen to Live Healthy West Virginia for
candid conversations with insights for improving your health and well being.
Live Healthy West Virginia is presented by WU Medicine.

Speaker 18 (38:16):
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

(38:38):
right here at the High Technology Foundation in north central
West Virginia. Visit WVHTF dot org to learn more.

Speaker 3 (38:58):
Metrore News talk Line is presented by Incoa Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Endcovia dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (39:08):
Your text coming up three or four Talk three or
four stirewall at the top of the hour. If you
are a high school basketball junkie, the place to be
this weekend is over at the Rowdy Center on the
campus of Morgantown High School. It's the Hope Gas Holiday Classic.
Four teams, two games tonight, two games tomorrow. You can
watch all of those games on the Metro News television app.

(39:30):
Joining me now is Morgantown head coach Dave Tallman. Dave,
Good morning, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, all.

Speaker 19 (39:35):
The above, same to you, Dave. How you doing, buddy, I'm.

Speaker 20 (39:39):
Doing all right.

Speaker 1 (39:39):
So you get Christmas, you get Bowl games, you get
these holiday basketball events going on. It is a great
time of year.

Speaker 19 (39:46):
It is a great time of year. And we get
out of school at twelve thirty today and it'll be
even better. Everybody's ready for a break, and tonight's a
great night for people to come out and check out
the Mohegans, the Hawks and all the above.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
We've got Shady Spring making the trip up from Raleigh
County and Saint John's Catholic Prep coming over. How long
have you been doing this Holiday Classic?

Speaker 19 (40:06):
Now, Dave, we've done it. This will be our eleventh year.
So my first year, we had seven home games and
the rest were away, and we were going to everybody
else's tournaments, and I said, you know what, that's going
to stop and we're going to start ours. So it's
been a great thing. We've had several amazing players and
teams come through here and we expect nothing but some

(40:27):
great excitement this weekend.

Speaker 1 (40:29):
Why is it that high school these types of tournaments?
I love them because you get to see not only,
of course I see Morgantown University all year, but I
get a chance to see Shady Spring, which I usually
don't see till the state tournament. I have no idea
what to expect out of Saint John's Catholic Prep coming
out of Morgantown, and that's what kind of makes these
events fun. You get to see teams and players that

(40:50):
maybe you don't get to see until March.

Speaker 19 (40:53):
Yeah. Absolutely, you know, Shady Spring is definitely a program
that everybody recognizes.

Speaker 20 (40:58):
Now.

Speaker 19 (40:59):
They've won a couple of States titles in the last
few years and coach Olsen does a great job. So
it's a it's a great matchup, you know for teams
like Morgantown and University get to play somebody from the
southern part of the state that's that's really good. And
then Saint John's Catholic Prep. They're out of like the
Frederick area. They're in the Baltimore Catholic League, which is
one of the top leagues, you know, in the country.

(41:21):
They've their coach is you know, just kind of taken
over and he was an assistant at Gonzaga and the
DC Catholic League, so we had a connection and you
know he's he's building it up. They got a lot
of young kids, but you know, it would be good
to play somebody difference.

Speaker 1 (41:35):
How many years is this at Morgantown for eleven or twelve?

Speaker 19 (41:39):
This is twelve, I believe it or not getting really old.
I was looking at our we're bringing back our twenty
sixteen team. I think all those guys are coming back tomorrow.
We're gonna, you know, give them a nice little celebration
for their ten year reunion. If you can believe that,
and all the pictures, I had a little bit more
hair than I do now, so let it over. Be

(42:00):
awesome to see those guys.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
That is amazing. That's hard to believe. That was ten
years ago. That was an undefeated team in Morgantown's first
state championship. That was wow. I can't believe that was
ten years ago.

Speaker 19 (42:11):
Yeah, ten years ago. And it's time flies when you're
having fun, and we've had a lot of fun, and
I can't wait to see those guys.

Speaker 1 (42:18):
All right, Dave, let people know where to go if
they want to just veg out on basketball this weekend.

Speaker 19 (42:26):
Yeah, so come to Morgantown High School. We're actually going
to have a jv game both based today. It'll start
at four fifteen and then that's Morgantown Shady Spring and
then Morgantown Shady Spring Varsity is at six o'clock and
then University will play Saint John's Catholic Prepace seven forty five.
We're actually gonna honor our state champion volleyball team at

(42:48):
the end of the first quarter of our game. So
we're expecting a good crowd and really want to honor
those girls for their awesome season. And then tomorrow the
JV will tip off its University versus Shady and University
versus Shady Varsity. At twelve forty five two thirty, Morgantown
will play Saint John's Catholic Prep, and we're going to honor.

(43:09):
Like I said, those twenty sixteen guys are all coming
back and we're excited to honor them.

Speaker 1 (43:14):
And you can watch all of the varsity action over
on the Metro News television app. We'll have those games
for you tonight and tomorrow. In fact, I'll be over
there both days on the call, and if you're in town,
by the way, you can listen to local affiliate WAJR
for the action as well. Dave, looking forward to it.
It's the Morgantown High School Hope Guests Holiday Classic today
and tomorrow again, just a couple of blocks from here

(43:36):
over at the Rowdy Center. Look forward to seeing you
later tonight, buddy.

Speaker 19 (43:39):
Thanks Dave, and thanks for all the coverage from all
all affiliates.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
We really appreciate it absolutely. Dave Tollman, head coach of
the Morgantown Mohegans. Again, you can watch that on the
Metro News TV app and we'll have coverage at ww
metro news dot com. Back to wrap up our number one.
This is talk line from the Encove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 21 (43:58):
Community, where every tells a story the communities we're designing
at ZMM architects and engineers with a blend of creativity
and technical expertise. We design spaces that inspire, innovate, and
ignite change, from cutting edge educational facilities to community centric
gathering spaces. We're committed to improving lives through design.

Speaker 22 (44:19):
Let us help you.

Speaker 21 (44:20):
Shape a brighter future for generations to come. Because at ZMM,
it's more than architecture, it's about building your legacy.

Speaker 23 (44:28):
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

(44:48):
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 that sustains schools, infrastructure, and

(45:12):
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 6 (45:29):
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

(45:50):
State's best days are ahead and Intero Resources is just
getting started. Visit and Taro Resources dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (46:17):
Chris Tirewalk going to join us at the top of
the hour. Jackpots are growing in West Virginia. Jackpots are
on the rise. Every week, power Ball 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

(46:37):
play responsibly. The Powerball jackpot is one point five billion dollars.
The Mega Millions jackpot is ninety million, So go ahead
play today. A couple of quick texts, Dave, I've been
right leaning, registered independent voter for over ten years. If
the Republicans don't want my vote in the primaries, they'll
be far less likely to support one in the general election. Hey, Dave,

(47:01):
why don't you mention? The former West Virginia gopach here
Elgiam mccartal, was arrested on Tuesday for witness intimidation. We
just did go get you another round of doughnuts and coffee.
Come on back. Chris Starwalt will join us Steam release
in thirty three minutes. This is talkline on Metro News
for forty years, The Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
Metro News. Talk Line is presented by Encoba Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Incoba dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Second hour Metro News talk Line from the Encoba Insurance
Studio eight hundred and seven to sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. That is
the phone number you can text the show three or
four talk three four three o four eight two five
five three oh four. Keep those numbers handy. Steam releases
coming up at the bottom of the out and this

(48:00):
is your last chance, your last chance to vent before Christmas.
You certainly don't want to take up any of that
pin up frustration with you to Christmas, do you. That's
why we offer this opportunity. Bottom of the hour. Steamer
lease coming up eleven thirty three. He's the host of
The Hill on the Hill Sunday on News Nation. He's

(48:22):
a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and he's
the politics editor for The Hill of News Nation as
well as a best selling author. He is Chris Starwald.
He joins us on Metro News talk Line this morning. Chris,
good morning, Merry Christmas.

Speaker 11 (48:35):
Buddy.

Speaker 8 (48:36):
What'd you do with your boy you? Did you finally
get rid of him? Have you finally unburdened yourself.

Speaker 1 (48:43):
Into the year vacations into the year ago?

Speaker 14 (48:45):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (48:46):
I've got days off.

Speaker 8 (48:46):
I got to take oh one of those, one of
those moves. Well, I hope he's listening to you as
he SIPs mocha frappuccino somewhere peacefully as he waits for
his tea time.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
Big plan. Are you a big Christmas kind of guy
or kind of low key Christmas kind of guy?

Speaker 8 (49:04):
No, Christmas is Christmas is the thing that takes ordinary
activities and imbues them with special purpose. Christmas is a
lot of things, obviously the religious and spiritual component, but
it is also a device for re enchantment. Growing up

(49:26):
is a lot of disenchanting. We become disenchanted with things
as we grow up, and then Christmas is a device
for re enchantment that we can things that we wouldn't
normally watch, things that we would normally eat, things that
we would say are too corny, things that we would
say are not sophisticated enough. Christmas gives us the excuse

(49:47):
to do those things, enjoy those things un self consciously.

Speaker 1 (49:51):
It allows you to be a big kid to some
degree or right, even when you're watching I love watching
you niece's nephews open all their gifts because there you know,
you know they're young, and you know a Mickey Mouse
puzzle is a big deal, or that new truck that
gets a bit to see that, and then you kind
of think back to the time you got you know,

(50:12):
you got that football you wanted, or you got that
baby gun you were looking for, and I don't know,
all that just kind of that's what makes it, man,
that's what makes.

Speaker 8 (50:19):
It to g I Joe aircraft carrier that was that
was the pinnacle probably nineteen eighty three eighty four, that
was the Pinnacle Christmas. And it's funny we say, like, oh,
the gifts, it's better to give than to receive. But
as a parent, I can say it's true because I
remember being a kid. When you nail it right, when

(50:42):
you get it, when you get it right across the line,
it really feels good and it definitely stays with you.
And that's not a shameful thing. That's not like a
bad thing. It is. It's awesome. And again we should
be able to enjoy it un self consciously with having
people make us feel bad about it.

Speaker 1 (51:00):
Right, well, joining us all right, I do have a
list of questions that are politic related that I wanted
to rescue you all right, hoppy, you want to take
the bait on this This week a Texter brought it
up and it made me kind of think, so I said,
you know what, I'll ask a Steyrwaal. Has President Trump
become a caricature of himself at this point?

Speaker 8 (51:19):
Sure? I mean all public figures do we all do
in a certain way in our lives? Right? You think
about George H. W. Bush, the Dana Carvey impersonation of
George H. W.

Speaker 24 (51:36):
Bush.

Speaker 8 (51:37):
George HW. Bush sort of became that thing. It's the
people's expectations for us change how we are. And you know,
have you ever heard James Austin Johnson's impersonation of Donald Trump.
He's on Saturday Night Live now.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 8 (51:57):
He started just doing Instagram posts about it, and it
was Donald Trump riffing on popular culture or particularly out
of date popular culture. Body rate, she's the best. And
the impersonation of Donald Trump has affected who they morph,

(52:18):
they merge. Donald Trump has been a public figure, has
been a celebrity since nineteen eighty or thereabouts, and he
became himself. Kurt Vonnegut wrote, we are what we pretend

(52:40):
to be, so we should be careful about what we
pretend to be right. What we're faking changes who we
are underneath. The cognitive dissonance is unsustainable over a long
period of time. So Donald Trump has been has played
many public personas over the course of his you know,
almost fifty years in public life, and I'm sure that

(53:02):
that has changed him. Now the question is he trapped?

Speaker 25 (53:08):
Right?

Speaker 8 (53:08):
Is the is the is he trapped because he can't
change and the people around him don't. He's been able
to curate an existence in which people around him won't
make him change. So take this Kennedy Center thing, which
is just wild and has a he has a board

(53:29):
that he serves as the head of and he said,
you know, it'd be nice if you rename the center
for me. And instead of them saying, oh, mister President,
you are super and we love you, but we don't
think that's probably a good idea, what did they do?
And then he pretended like it was a surprise to him.

(53:50):
He had been asking for it, this would be this
is good practice for Christmas. He had been asking for it.
They gave it to him, and then he pretended to
be surprised that it was happening, And who cares? What
the I could go on a rant about how the
federal government probably shouldn't be dictating what is the best
art and isn't and that's probably not a good function

(54:12):
for politicians to play at all. There's an argument for
having no Kennedy Center, but certainly there isn't a good
argument for having the Trump Kennedy Center. And when you
reach an age level of power, a level of wealth, whatever,
that people just say, okay, whatever, it's fine. The caricature
that you have, the version of yourself that you have

(54:36):
built for public consumption, is going to harden, and it's
going to leave you without room to maneuver. As we
get older, our brains become less plastic, less elastic. We're
less able to see and think things and new. That's
why we learned languages when we're young. That's why all
of those things change. It's why I can't remember the

(54:57):
name of anything or anyone. And it happens with our
personalities too. So yeah, for sure, he has become a caricature.
The question is how how much flexibility does he have left? Right?
How much? How much change could there conceivably be in him?

Speaker 1 (55:14):
Because he needs some The reason I kind of thought
it might be that was an apt description. I thought
about actors like DeNiro, Pagino, Nicholson. Exactly, when's the last
time that they just play themselves in the lab? What
for the last twenty years they just play themselves in
different roles. That's it. They have no flexibility anymore. And

(55:34):
he's kind of he has fallen into that trap.

Speaker 8 (55:38):
Donald Trump is al Pacino and heat.

Speaker 1 (55:43):
Chris Stirewell joining US mentioned news talk line. I got
this question another Texter question today. What is a narco terrorist?
And why did I just learn this term five minutes ago?

Speaker 8 (55:54):
It depends on whether you want to kill them. If
you if you want to kill them, then a narco
terrorist is a person who is inflicting drugs on an
unwilling United States and the only way to stop it
is to kill them. And that because the cocaine that

(56:15):
the people bring into the United States from South America
is damaging that those that that is tantamount fentanyl, which
doesn't mostly come from South America, precursors come from China.
It gets smuggled across from Mexico is mostly where it's

(56:38):
coming from. South America, as we all know, is famous
for one drug in particular, it is cocaine. The United
States has a insatiable desire demand for cocaine. The whole
world wants a lot of cocaine, but the United States
for a long time has wanted a lot of cocaine.
And the narco terrorist argument says that the reason the

(57:01):
United States wants cocaine is that it's available, and that
if we could, and these people are bringing the cocaine
to the United States to try to harm the United States.
Terrorism suggests that there is an activity beyond profit right.
The difference between a drug dealer and a narco terrorist
then would be that the provision of the drug meeting

(57:25):
the demand for cocaine in the United States is part
of a larger project or seeks a political or whatever
goal beyond just getting rich having enough money, as Pablo
Escobar did to have hippopotamuses in his swimming pool. And
so that's the argument, you know, I have no idea

(57:47):
whether classifying fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction, then
cars are a weapon of mass destruction, I guess because
tens of thousand and forty fifty thousand people every year
get killed in carcra. Alcohol is definitely a weapon of
mass destruction. The untold carnage, the immeasurable carnage that alcohol

(58:10):
delivers in the United States every year, the millions of
lives that are destroyed lost, or the children who lose
their parents, who lose their homes, all of that stuff.
Alcohol is a plague upon the United States. So that's
a weapon of mass destruction too.

Speaker 1 (58:27):
Chris Darwell joining us here, I mentioned his talk line
editor for The Hill and News Nation. I read your
piece earlier this week following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
There was this thought that this might be a point
that would bring the right everybody on ear least, bring
them together, a unifying point. It seems to have been

(58:47):
maybe the opposite from that. What's your take.

Speaker 8 (58:50):
Yeah, The Kirk Families organization Turning Point USA had their
conclave yesterday and was most notable for a vicious debate
between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson over anti Semitism, over racism,
over conspiracy, theorizing of all of this stuff. And I

(59:13):
wrote what I wrote about Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica and
Candice Owens trying to have a summit to set some
of this stuff aside. I was writing then, but what
happened at the summit one hundred percent bore out the
idea that schism and radicalism. And you know, when Charlie

(59:36):
Kirk was assassinated, there were supporters of his who said
that this is like Martin Luther King, and I said,
we had better hope not right, because what followed the
murder of Martin Luther King in nineteen sixty eight, and
then just a couple months after that the assassination of

(59:59):
Robert F. Kennedy or Robert Oops Robert F. Kennedy was chaos, bedlam.
The simmering anger intention on the American left over civil
rights and over the Vietnam War exploded into the streets,
into riots, into destruction. And by the way, if you're

(01:00:23):
thinking about this in political terms, it put the Democratic
Party on its heels for you know, how about this.
It was bad enough that even after Watergate, it only
took the Republicans four years to get back in control.
So that moment was very bad for the country, and
it was very bad for the Democratic Party. If the

(01:00:47):
Charlie Kirk assassination is redolent of the King assassination or
the Kennedy assassin, the second Kennedy assassination. That's very bad
for his supporters and his movement, because very bad things
happened after that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
He is Chris star Waltz, politics editor for The Hill
and News Nation, host of The Hill Sunday on News Nation,
and a senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute, author of
books and politics and the Media. What's coming up Sunday morning.

Speaker 8 (01:01:17):
We're going to have We're going to talk about all
of that stuff. We've got Eric Sorenson, Democrat from Illinois.
We have Dan Crenshaw, Republican from Texas, and we've got
a great discussion with the head of the National Constitution
Center about the pursuit of happiness and what the founders
really meant by the pursuit of happiness. Which is a
good way to get joyful for Christmas Week.

Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
Christmas coming up next week. Best gift, Chris Best, what's
the one that sticks out on your mind from all
the years?

Speaker 8 (01:01:47):
And Joe Aircraft Carrier, Let's don't mince words, don't mess around.
I wanted it, it was delivered, and what I understood
later as an adult about the magnitude of that gift
was that my parents put it together and I wouldn't
put that together right now, for there is not enough
money in the world to get me to try to
put that together. But those people loved me enough that

(01:02:10):
at night on Christmas Eve, they put that sucker together.
And that's amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:02:14):
He is Chris star Waltz again. Catch him Sunday morning
on the Hill Sunday on News Nation. Chris, Merry Christmas,
and we'll talk to you again next week sometime.

Speaker 8 (01:02:23):
Merry Christmas. Brother, be good.

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
Chris Starwald coming up. We'll get some text and then
steamerles eleven thirty three. This is talk line from the
en COVID Insurance Studios.

Speaker 6 (01:02:32):
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

(01:02:53):
State's best days are ahead and in Taro Resources is
just getting started. Visit and Taro Resources dot com to
learn more to care.

Speaker 11 (01:03:05):
For here at the help Game We are here.

Speaker 14 (01:03:11):
From all of us here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright. Whether you're wrapping gifts
or planning next year's goals, we're here for you. Happy
holidays and merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Speaker 26 (01:03:27):
Me here.

Speaker 27 (01:03:33):
Some say he's a man of mystery. Others say he's
the holiday hit maker. No one saw coming.

Speaker 8 (01:03:38):
It's showtime.

Speaker 27 (01:03:39):
The holiday hit maker walks the office halls with West
Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 7 (01:03:46):
What are you doing.

Speaker 26 (01:03:47):
Bringing the holiday hype here?

Speaker 8 (01:03:49):
Enjoy scratch off? It's on me.

Speaker 20 (01:03:52):
Whoo ticket.

Speaker 8 (01:03:53):
My work here is done.

Speaker 27 (01:03:54):
Be the surprise hit maker West Virginia Lottery Games fun,
festive and full of flair.

Speaker 8 (01:03:59):
Please please play responsibly.

Speaker 1 (01:04:16):
Text line is three or four talk three oh four.
Phone number is eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five Steam release
is coming up bottom of the hour a few minutes
from now. It is your chance to vince. Remember Christmas
is a week away, less than a week away. You
don't want to take that frustration with you into the holidays,

(01:04:37):
so let it out. Eight hundred and seven to sixty
five talk and three oh four talk three oh four
at WW Medicine's Heart and Vascular Institute, Excellence isn't just
a promise, it's proven. Our advanced heart surgery program ranks
among the top three percent in the nation by the
Society of Thoracic Surgeons and was named a high performing

(01:04:57):
hospital by US News and World Report. With multiple areas
of distinction in medicine, we lead with world class outcomes
and groundbreaking procedures. Visit w medicine dot org, slash hearts
A couple of texts in here while I am still
permitted to respond three h four Talk, three oh four Dave,

(01:05:18):
What is the middle? Do people in the middle support
body autonomy for women or is that a liberal position?
Do people in the middle support government required religious symbols
and statements in schools? Or is that a conservative position?
What is the middle? Well, by the polling data, it
is people who will support different positions. Look, we get

(01:05:41):
very pigeonhole. We have done this in politics, and it's
at a national level. It's at a local level. We're
we pigeonhole. And if you are going to be a Republican,
then you must believe this list of things and I
think this is the draw for people who don't want
to have a party affiliation. If you're going to be
a Democrat, you got to be believe this list of things, well,

(01:06:02):
when the fact is many of us, many people believe
some of this, some of that. And that's the people
in the middle, where you might get someone who is
fiscally considers themselves a be fiscally conservative, but might be
more progressive when it comes to social issues. And it
doesn't mean that's all social issues. Maybe some might lean

(01:06:25):
progressive on this issue, might lean conservative on that issue.
So the middle is exactly what it sounds like. You
might be for that, but not necessarily for that, And
that's why people end up in the middle. That's why
they end up as unaffiliated independent voters. They may vote
for a Democrat for their local county commission, might vote

(01:06:45):
for a Republican for the House of Delegates, might vote
Democrat in a national election. Who knows. That's why they're
in the middle. And they're not tied to one party platform.
I don't know if I could even call it an ideology.
They're not tied to. That's why they're in the middle.
That's the middle. Three or four talk three oh four.
Party members should pick party nominees. Open primaries can remove

(01:07:08):
another party's rep. See Cynthia McKinney, Georgia DEM removed in
a primary by a Republican crossover. The reverse could happen
for a DEM to primary out and incumbent, says the Texture.
After years of the war on drugs, we finally have
an administration that puts forth action rather than talk. Damned

(01:07:28):
if you do more, damned if you don't, says the Texter.
Don't forget. We have a new episode of the podcast,
the video podcast A State of Minds over on the
Metro News television app. Hopy Kirchweill sits down with the
President of Hope Gas, Morgan O'Brien for an in depth
conversation that is now live. Dropped yesterday, it's now live

(01:07:49):
over on the Metro News television app. By the way,
let me get this right. We just added We just
added to the TV app. Where did Harrison's email go?

Speaker 24 (01:08:03):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:08:03):
Here it is LG Televisions, LG Smart TVs. You can
now download the Metro News TV app. That is in
addition to iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV,
Samsung smart TVs and LG Smart TVs where you can
download the Metro News TV app, So new LG Smart
TVs you can get the app there, and of course

(01:08:25):
it is free, free, free, all right. Coming up. As
L Rushbo used to say, I will take the biggest
risk in broadcasting and turn the entire remainder of the
show over to you, even as we go into the holidays,
Especially as we go into the holidays, it is steam
release your chance to ventce. Get it all off your

(01:08:48):
chest before you go to Grandma's house next week. You
don't want to take that frustration with you. You know why,
because it'll come out at the worst possible time. So
we provide this as a public service to you. Release
your team. At eight hundred and seven to sixty five
talk or text me three or four talk three oh four.
This is talk Line on Metro News for forty years,

(01:09:08):
the voice of West Virginia. It is ten thirty and
time to get a news update. Let's check in on
the Metro News radio network. Find out what's happening all
across West Virginia. Virginia Metro News, I'm Chris Lawrence. Thousands
of power outages across the entire state of West Virginia
today after a major windstorm rolled through overnight in advance
of a cold front. For those without power, it won't

(01:09:31):
be a quick fix. Ashley Workman is with Appalachian Power
and said it could be a multi day event before
everybody's back in service.

Speaker 24 (01:09:37):
It is possible, however, you know, as always, you know
we're going to try to get everyone restored as quickly
as we can.

Speaker 26 (01:09:43):
Panah Catlet at Mondpower said they had similar problems earlier
today and they're trying to assess the damage.

Speaker 22 (01:09:49):
Those winds really whipped through last night and caused a
lot of trees to come down, bringing down some wires,
So that's really all part of their hazard assessment when
they're going out and trying to get the most customers
back on.

Speaker 26 (01:10:04):
Monpower has thirty one thousand outages. Appalachian Power has thirty
four thousand without electricity elsewhere. Core Natural Resources has restarted
long wall operations at the Lear South mine in Barber County.
The mine was idled in January for a fire. Everybody
got out okay, but company officials sealed it up to
starve it of oxygen. They were able to go back
in in recent weeks and recover all of the equipment

(01:10:25):
left underground, which they say had minimal damage. The area
where the fire started has been permanently sealed. State Police
and the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department say a hitchhiker is
believed to be responsible for a wrecknar Mountain ebo. The
driver picked up the hitchhiker and tells police soon after
getting in, the hitchhiker pulled a knife, grabbed the wheel
and crash the car. You're listening to Metro News the

(01:10:45):
Boys of West Virginia.

Speaker 28 (01:10:47):
There's nothing quite like a homemade meal from Tutor's Biscuit WORLK.
We use real buttermilk to craft our delicious biscuits in
one batch at a time and serve them with our
signature platters. Here you'll taste the freshness in every night.
From our classic breakfast sandwiches to favorites like our breakfast wraps,
every meal brings a taste of simpler times. Let Tutors

(01:11:09):
do the cooking for you or gathering this holiday season.
Visit Tutors Catering dot com for all your catering needs.

Speaker 13 (01:11:16):
With steel batteries are included. This holiday season, give a
gift that's ready to go right out of the box
for everything from cleaning up the yard to cutting up firewood.

Speaker 3 (01:11:27):
Steel tools.

Speaker 13 (01:11:28):
Check off the wish list and knock out the to
do list, and right now buy select battery tool sets
and get a free extra battery. Visit Steel usa dot
com for holiday deals and gift ideas. Happy Holidays from
Steel offer valid for a limited time only participating dealers.

Speaker 26 (01:11:44):
While someways last, members of the West Virginia State Police
were awarded for going above and beyond the call of duty.
During ceremonies Thursday at the headquarters in South Charleston. State
Police Superintendent James Mitchell announced twenty one troopers we're being decorated,
sixteen we're awarded life saving medals. Two were honored for
meritorious service. One received a Distinguished Service Medal, one a

(01:12:07):
Purple Heart, and another the Superintendent's award. From the Metro
News anchored desk, I'm Chris Lawrence, Texter.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
Points out, I said ten thirty going into the eleven
thirty news, maybe I've already started Christmas vacation in my mind.
I'm already there.

Speaker 8 (01:12:43):
Let's do it.

Speaker 29 (01:12:45):
I want you to.

Speaker 8 (01:12:46):
Get up now. I want all of you to get
up out of your chest. I want you to get
up right now and go to the window, open it
and stick your.

Speaker 20 (01:12:56):
Head out and yell.

Speaker 23 (01:12:58):
I'm as mad as well, but I'm not gonna take
this anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:13:02):
That's right. We offer steam release on a weekly basis.
Just picture you're sitting around Christmas dinner, somebody forgot to
take the tea pot off the stove or whatever. You're
trying to make fudge. You lose track of what the
temperature is that it boils over. That's that's what's going

(01:13:22):
to happen if you don't release your steam heading into
the holidays. So we offer this to you. Really, it's
it's a public service. Three or four talk three or
four to two. Text your steam. You can give us
a call at eight hundred seven sixty five talk eight
hundred and seven six five eight two five five if
you would like to call to release your steam. Just

(01:13:42):
a couple of well guidelines, not necessarily rules, but guidelines.
Number one, try to keep it tight and we'll get
as many steams in as possible. Also, try not to
get us fired or sued. Was usually go hand in hand.
I do like my and I do enjoy getting paid
every couple of weeks. So please don't get me fired.

(01:14:04):
Please don't get me sued. Otherwise the host cannot respond.
You can steam about the hosts, you can steam about
former hosts. You cannot steam about Zach Carroll. Check our
video producer, and as evidence during last week's Steam release,
Ethan Collins, one of our audio producers, is fair game.

(01:14:24):
In fact, he welcomes the steams. Don't ask me why,
but that was what he told me. Eight one hundred
and seven to sixty five talks the phone number three
or four talk three oh four is the text line
we begin on the phones. We go to Junior, Hey, Junior,
you're on Steam release.

Speaker 20 (01:14:43):
More than boys. Y'all doing that there in.

Speaker 1 (01:14:45):
The big city, doing great, Junior.

Speaker 20 (01:14:48):
It's knowing my dog get out of our parent. Kyle
got out. I say, I am about over it over winner,
and it just even started yet. But you know one
thing I'm really.

Speaker 1 (01:14:58):
Over What's that?

Speaker 29 (01:15:01):
That Howie Monroe. He wanted to get a haircut yesterday
and he told the poor lady, oh, I don't have
no money for a tip. Really, come on, now, you
said you got that big bat credit card to heavy
use it huh. And another thing. Listen, they're having the
KKX Christmas party. You better get there early if you

(01:15:24):
want any food, because how you already.

Speaker 20 (01:15:26):
Hit the food line?

Speaker 29 (01:15:27):
Huh Rutney, it's a finn boys.

Speaker 20 (01:15:31):
Amen.

Speaker 1 (01:15:31):
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas. Junior eight hundred and seven sixty
five talk eight hundred seven six five eight to five
five Junior is going to have a better holiday because
he was able to release his steam about poor old
Howard Monroe three or four talk three or four of
the text line my steam. Without an extension of the

(01:15:52):
expiring ACA text credits, my family of two will now
be faced with health insurance premiums of thirty three thousand
dollars twenty six. We will also have to pay every
medical expense out of our own pocket until we reach
our family deductible of eighteen thousand, four hundred dollars. How
can any hardworking family make these numbers work? I hope
our representatives fully understand the impacts of their vote on

(01:16:15):
this health insurance policy and work toward a resolution that
won't financially devastate many of their hardworking fellow West Virginians.
Texter says well, Dan Bongino be back after he lost
his government job. I hope not. If he does, I
won't be listening. I really don't like him at all.
That's my steam, says the Texter Infrastructure rating for West

(01:16:40):
Virginia is a disaster. It is no surprise. In a
recent five year period, based on information provided by the DOH,
there were twenty two bridges painted on our highway system.
That equates to four point four bridges per year. If
we have two thousand steel bridges, that would mean a
painting frequency of four hundred and fifty four years. Bridges

(01:17:01):
should be pained more like every fifteen inmates running the asylum.
Eight hundred and seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight two five five. Back to the phones
and to wheeling, Steve, what is your steam?

Speaker 24 (01:17:15):
I'd like to wish Ethan Collins and his Wheeling Central
Moon Nights congratulations on their state football championship.

Speaker 1 (01:17:21):
Wait to go, guys, Steve, have a nice weekend. Eight
hundred and seven sixty five Talk eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five. You'd like to call
to release your steam, you can text me at three
oh four Talk three oh four, Text steam, Dave It's
been reported that Elon Musk is throwing tons of money
into the twenty twenty six mid term elections. When and

(01:17:45):
how is this going to be stopped. He's an immigrant,
wears ice when you really need them. Why is it
so hard for maggots to quit believing everything Trump says?
He lies constantly with a smile. I'm not a big
Biden fan either, but call it like you see it
and hear it, says the Texter three or four talk

(01:18:05):
three oh four. Let's see. Just jumped on me. Watching
President Trump's primetime speech Wednesday night convinced me he's a
member in good standing. Uh three or four talk three
or four. My steam is that here in West Trump Virginia,
you can find a good Trumperoni Roll, but a good

(01:18:27):
Trump dog is nowhere to be found, even in Trump Boy,
that's hard to say Trump again. You're playing on Morgantown.
They get it. Come on, man, Trump, I'm going to
try to figure out how to say that during the
break three or four talk three oh four to all
those liberals calling and texting from mommy and Daddy's basement
complaining about President Trump, go get a job. You'll probably

(01:18:50):
feel better. Text team. Another week of social Darwinist, white
supremacist and Christian nationalist on talk line, brought to you
by UH friends of cole Barons and Satan, says the Texter.
You better be there Tuesday for the airing of grievances
because we've got a lot of problems with you, Dave Wilson.

(01:19:12):
That's from missus Phil. Eight hundred and seven to sixty
five talks. The phone number eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two five five. You can text your Steam
to three or four talk three oh four. It's your
last chance to vent before Christmas. You want to do it,
give me a call eight hundred seven to sixty five
talk and three or four talk three oh four. That

(01:19:32):
is the text line. Citty Net is bringing ultra fast
fiber internet to more West Virginia holmes every day right now.
Get fifty percent off any plan for your first year,
check availability and join the fiber revolution at cittynet dot net.
Citty net connects, protects and perfects. Steam release continues on

(01:19:53):
talk line from the Cove Insurance studios after this.

Speaker 2 (01:19:57):
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.

Speaker 1 (01:20:07):
Sign up now and.

Speaker 2 (01:20:08):
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. Visit citynet dot
net today. City net connects, protects and perfects to care for.

Speaker 11 (01:20:30):
Here at the Health Jab, we are here.

Speaker 1 (01:20:36):
From all of us.

Speaker 14 (01:20:37):
Here at the Health Plan, we want to make your
season bright. Whether you're wrapping gifts or planning next year's goals,
we are here for you. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas,
from our family to yours.

Speaker 29 (01:20:52):
Here.

Speaker 9 (01:20:56):
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,

(01:21:17):
advancing health, ensuring access to care, and powering West Virginia's
economic future.

Speaker 10 (01:21:21):
A message from the West Virginia Hospital Association on MINA
WVJA dot org.

Speaker 3 (01:21:38):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:21:49):
Steam Release continues eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven six five eight two five five. That's the
phone number. You can release your tam via texts three
or four talk three four. Those are the two ways
to vents before Christmas. I don't know if we'll do

(01:22:10):
Steamer release next week.

Speaker 29 (01:22:11):
We have it.

Speaker 1 (01:22:12):
We will have a live show on the twenty sixth
on Friday, but I can't imagine there'll be a lot
of Steam to release. I'll check the syllabus see what
the guidelines are for that. All right, let's get back
to it. Let's go to Saint Aubans Roberts. You're on
Steam Release. What do you got?

Speaker 16 (01:22:26):
Bud Day, Good morning, Just giving you a little update
on my Christmas Eve dinner for my family. Beef of
tender loin, ham, garlic, deal potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans,
salted mushrooms, assorted rolls and advertisers, and also some awsu

(01:22:49):
or as they say in Boone County, all just Merry Christmas,
Happy New Year.

Speaker 1 (01:22:53):
Merry Christmas to you, Robert, and that sounds good. Bill
is at the Northern out Post. Merry Christmas, Bill, what
you got?

Speaker 25 (01:23:02):
Hey is the spokesman for the Great Middle from the
Northern Outpost. This time of the year, I assume that
Jeff Jenkins will do his annual A really good storytell
of the birth and the great story ever told, and
I'll just leave this to the holiday spirit for everybody

(01:23:23):
out there. That story amongst ten thousand years of humanity,
that is optimism at its best. We wouldn't be here
with people with optimistic views about what tomorrow is going
to be after yesterday. Rush Limbaugh was great at being
on the radio personality, but he said his hardest vision

(01:23:46):
and a quote, was to teach optimism. There's way that
pessimism is easy. You can go out there and find
people that don't have it as good as you have
it or other people have it, and talk about them.
The hard part is to find the good people and
talk about them, to put them up in an example,
as Jeff Jenkins probably will next week. So in of

(01:24:09):
that optimism is a far better attitude to have in
the middle. I think has more optimism about life than
either the far right or the far left. Merry Christmas
to everybody at Western Union Media Corporate Corporation.

Speaker 1 (01:24:26):
Bill appreciate it. Merry Christmas to you. And yes, Jeff
will be part of the program. We will be live
on Christmas Eve as we always are, and Jeff will
be part of the program. Let's go to let's see
where are we here. Let's go to Craig. Hey, Craig,
what's your steam?

Speaker 25 (01:24:44):
Hey?

Speaker 30 (01:24:45):
Greg Rowley on, thanks for letting me put on get
on here real quick. A couple of things for the
fellow it called earlier and said, all the liberals and
everybody that in the basement should go get jobs. I
assume if we're all listening and we have time to
call in, maybe we should all go get job. If
I've got that much time, I mean, I am retired,
so I'm lucky.

Speaker 19 (01:25:05):
So there you go.

Speaker 14 (01:25:06):
Uh.

Speaker 30 (01:25:06):
The fellow that had called him about the insurance, how
much his premiums and how much his deductibles are As
a small business over twenty five years, it was a disaster.
It was the hardest thing for us to do. Every
year was to figure out how to get insurance. But
he said, how come we don't hear from our representatives. Well,
I can tell you what Riley Moore and Kara Miller
are both doing. They're going up to Donald Trump right
now and going the old kerry balls, whatever you say,

(01:25:31):
because they kind of forget where they come from. Thank
you guys, Merry Christmas, and thank.

Speaker 19 (01:25:35):
You for the show.

Speaker 1 (01:25:35):
Absolutely, thank you for the phone call. Merry Christmas to
you as well. Benny in Lewisbourg, Hey, Benny, Hey.

Speaker 31 (01:25:43):
You know tampuon Tim Walls in the AR fifteen have
something in common. Neither one of them have ever been
on a battlefield. Have a happy end and Mary.

Speaker 1 (01:25:54):
You as well, Bennie. Eight hundred and seven sixty five
Talk eight hundred seven six five eight five. That's the
phone number you can text your steam to three or
four Talk three oh four more text teams. It's too
bad that Trump and his team don't have such qualified
and insightful folks as Chris Stirewall. Fox has been a
great decision to fire Stiwald in January twenty one. He

(01:26:16):
doesn't have much in reality to contribute. He just says
things to provoke folks someday, and that day may never come.
You can explain to me why anyone would waste their
time listening to Chris Stirewall. Shelley Bush Kapito said that
the US knows who are on the boats one thousand

(01:26:38):
miles from the US border. If she believes that she's
too stupid to represent West Virginia, if she actually knows better,
then she is too dishonest to represent West Virginia. Three
or four Talk three or four is the text line
eight hundred and seven six five eight two five five.
That is the phone number. You can text your steam
to three or four talk three oh four. Uh, let's

(01:27:02):
see who do we got back to the phones. Let's
go to Philippy. Dave and Philippy, what's your steam?

Speaker 32 (01:27:08):
My steam is the West Virginia's foster care system. Bad
experience with these foster care agencies. They just cannot sell
goods that they can't deliver on. Get you get families
hopes up of trying to do a good thing, and
you line up letting these kids fall deeper through the cracks.

(01:27:30):
Get it together, Nicho, We're on you.

Speaker 1 (01:27:34):
Dave, thank you very much for the call. Let's go
to Jerry. Hey Jerry, what's your steam?

Speaker 19 (01:27:40):
Hey?

Speaker 24 (01:27:41):
Governor President Trump is the next Wednesday and Friday federal holidays.
Let's quit messing around and give US state employees the Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday off day Christmas.

Speaker 1 (01:27:53):
Merry Christmas, Jerry, appreciate the team. Eight hundred seven sixty
five Talk eight hundred and seven six five eight two.
That's the phone number if you'd like to call to
release your steam. You also text the show at three
or four talk three oh four, three or four talk
eight two five five three oh four. Those are the
numbers to release your steam. Final call for phone calls,

(01:28:15):
final call for texts. We will wrap it up for
the week with your steams coming back right after this.
This is talk line from the Enco Insurance Studios.

Speaker 33 (01:28:25):
Diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in the US,
and WVU Medicine endocrinologists offer comprehensive care for this chronic disease.
We also treat parathyroid, pituitary, thyroid, reproductive, and adrenal glen conditions.
Trust WVU Medicines Fellowship trained and board certified endocrinologists to
provide world class care for all endocrine disorders.

Speaker 1 (01:28:48):
Call eight five five.

Speaker 33 (01:28:49):
WVU Care or visit WVU Medicine dot org slash Endocrinology.

Speaker 27 (01:28:56):
Some say he's a man of mystery. Others say he's
the holiday hitmaker. No one saw coming.

Speaker 8 (01:29:01):
It's showtime.

Speaker 27 (01:29:02):
The holiday hit Maker walks the office halls with West
Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 7 (01:29:09):
What are you doing.

Speaker 23 (01:29:11):
Bringing the holiday hype here?

Speaker 8 (01:29:13):
Enjoy scratch off? It's on me?

Speaker 20 (01:29:15):
Whoa ticket?

Speaker 8 (01:29:16):
My work here is done.

Speaker 27 (01:29:18):
Be the surprise hit maker. West Virginia Lottery games fun,
festive and full of flare.

Speaker 8 (01:29:23):
Please play responsibly.

Speaker 10 (01:29:25):
Metallurgical 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.

(01:29:47):
Join today, visit metcoal dot com. Met Coal makes it possible.
MCPA makes it personal.

Speaker 1 (01:30:14):
Jackpots are growing in West Virginia. Jackpots are on the rise.
Every week, power Ball 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 Powerball jackpot is one point five billion dollars. Mega

(01:30:37):
Millions jackpot is ninety million. To go ahead, play today.
Last call for phone calls eight hundred seven to sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven six five eight two five
five to release your steam. You can also text your
steam to three h four talk three oh four and
you will be unburdened heading into Christmas week. All right,

(01:30:59):
text teams zo be four, talk three or four. If
you are a conservative voter, there is no reason why
you should not be registered as a Republican in West
Virginia in twenty twenty five. And if you can't bring
yourself to register with the clearly conservative party, then you
should not be helping that party to select the people
it puts on the ballot. I enjoy Chris Starwald, but

(01:31:20):
I think the comparison between motor vehicles and fentanyl as
a weapon of mass destruction is absurd. Also, a few
decades ago, Joe Biden himself as a senator use the
term narco terrorist uh my, steam Chairman Sparks might need
more voters who don't want to be called Republican, but
the West Virginia GOP demonstrably does not need that. Venezuelan

(01:31:44):
should not be allowed to vote for American candidates and
non Republicans should not vote for Republican nominees. Im old
enough to remember when Rush Limbaugh handed the Indiana primary
to Hillary Clinton through open primary shenanigans. If we reopen
the primary, non Republicans will choose the Republican nominee in
every tightly contested primary. What's next? Letting pitt fans pick

(01:32:05):
our starting quarterback for the next backyard brawl? Tech Steam
The leadership of the Charleston Moose Lodge turn their backs
on some of the officers and loyal members now that
no longer exists. You reap what you sew. Trump working
hard to help Americans. Next year we'll see big changes.
So thankful Biden or Kamala did not get elected. It's

(01:32:27):
refreshing to hear a caller or Texter that knows truth
instead of speaking from Trump derangement syndrome. Wish you all
could make it to the WKKX wvly Christmas party today.
Merry Christmas and hoppy happy Holidays from Slider and Stack.
Can we put another law or amendment banning advertisers from

(01:32:50):
rewriting the twelve Days of Christmas into everything that is
on sale Steam. It's laughable that people trust the experts
that get funding for the companies that make the products
those experts recommend. My doctor is less credible than your
doctor because my doctor does not get funding from the
pharmaceutical companies, which have paid out over one hundred million

(01:33:10):
in fines for corruption and fraud. I think Trump's crimes
should be taught in our schools so young people will
not go out and do them. Everything I hear festivus,
I want to find Jerry Seinfeld and punch him. It's blasphemous.
Rush Limbaugh was a horrible human being, says the Texter

(01:33:33):
Text team. While Congress Yammer's on with political posturing and
buzzwords about the ACA, I have to actually write that
massive premium check in two weeks, do better three or four,
talk three or four. The Obamacare debacle is not Trump's
fault that has collapsed healthcare for Americans. Now. The national

(01:33:54):
debt is out of control. When we were told Obamacare
would lower the national debts. I just want to wish
some merry Christmas to the world from Lewisbourg, West Virginia.
Some other family members must need jobs. Courtesy of Shelley Moore, Nepotism,
free Irish Christian and teacher Enoch Burke in Mountjoy Prison

(01:34:18):
for refusing to use trans pronouns, They them and other nonsense.
The only one deranged is Trump himself, says the Texter.
All right, that's going to do it for me for
the weekend. Have a great, great weekend. We'll be back
here Monday morning at ten oh six four is a
Carol check Kyle Wiggs, the entire Metro News crew, Dave

(01:34:40):
Wilson saying, so long. This is Talklane Metro News, 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.