Talkline | Jan. 5, 2026 - MetroNews Talkline

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
Coming off. We've got reactions to the US operation that
took out Nicholas Maduro as the head of the executive
branch in Venezuela. We'll get reactions, We'll get analysis, plus
the reaction of one state senator who was born in Caracas.
This is Metro Ne's talk line and we are underway.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Turn off from the studios of w v RC Media
and the Metro Ne who's radio and television network, The
Boys Up West Virginia comes the most powerful show in
West Virginia. It's Metro News talk Line with Dave Wilson
and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Activated switch nowwe can call from Charleston to.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
The morning stand by you, David, DJ, You're on Metronews.
Talk Line is presented by Encoba Insurance, encircling you with
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Speaker 1 (01:22):
Good morning, Welcome Insigne the in COVID Insurance studios. It's
back to school and back to work for many of
you today. Good luck as you head into twenty six
three or four. Talk three or four is the text line.
Eight hundred at seven sixty five Talk eight hundred and
seven sixty five eight two five five. Those are the
phone numbers and text lines. If you would like to

(01:45):
weigh in, we'll have plenty of opportunity for you as
the show unfolds today. As I mentioned, we're going to
talk a lot about Venezuela, the operation over the weekend
to extract Nicholas Maduro and bring him to New York.
He will actually face his first quarter hearing later today.
We'll also get into revenue numbers from the month of
December and tell you about a big, big going ons

(02:09):
on the DOUBLEVU campus ahead of a visit from federal
officials as they work to land a big innovative grant
on the DOUBLEVU campus here in Morgantown. All that said,
Zach Carrol check on the video stream, Sophia Waa handling
the audio, and TJ. Meadows is in control of the
forts on Virginia Street down in Charleston known as the

(02:30):
Radio Ranch. Good morning, sir, oh hang on first Monday
of twenty six and I forgot your button. Good morning, sir,
Good morning.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Dave a lot to get to add add to all
this you're talking about. See the news breaking. Tim Walls
will not will not seek a third term as the
governor of Minnesota. So add that to the stack as well.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Kind of appropriate that it comes on Black Monday after
his failed attempts to uh woo the bro the bro
crowd there, today's the big day NFL coaches get fired.
Come then, is it ironic perhaps that comes on Black Monday?
But yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:10):
Nonetheless, asked what I think about it coming in here
and not having a lot of time to reflect, My
mind first went back to the debate where he said,
I'm a bit of a knucklehead at times. I think
that kind of sums up where we're having to malls.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
So that happening as well, lots to get to as
we get rolling here on a busy Monday morning. Over
the weekend, US carried out a daring op to extract
Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro and his wife, bringing them to
New York to face indictments here in the US. The
operation itself was an overwhelming success, carried out quickly with

(03:44):
no American casualties. Now, there are many questions about the
op and what happens next. To help us sort through
those questions, Robert Bolton, Fairmont State University, Assistant Professor of
National Security and Intelligence joins us on Metro News talk line. Robert,
good morning, Good to talk to you.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Again, morning, Dave, Good morning, TJ. Glad to be back on.

Speaker 5 (04:03):
Well, Robert.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Most of the questions that I have seen brought up
regarding this op aren't about Maduro or his conduct. Everybody
seems to be in pretty much agreement. He's a bad guy.
He's a bad actor on the world stage. The questions
are about the administration's authority constitutionally and legally to carry
out the operation. So with that, what is the constitutional

(04:26):
grounds that the administration has cited as far as authority
to carry out this op.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Well, Typically, when the president is going to put the
United States armed forces into combat, they are supposed to
see the president is supposed to seek what's known as
a declaration of war, or since World War Two, we
use some legal equivalent, such as an authorisation for the
use of military force. That did not happen in this instance. Now,

(04:56):
there is a legal exception to that under the War
Powers Act of nineteen seven three, where the President can
insert military troops abroad for a limited period of time,
typically when it's necessary to protect American lives overseas, which
has been the primary justification we've seen coming out of

(05:16):
Washington over the last day or so that Maduro's regime
was holding American citizens hostage and had also engaged in
saber rattling against neighboring countries that are allied to the
United States, and so in order to protect American interests,
we were using military force for those reasons.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
Robert, is there precedents in that hw Bush what he
did with Panama and Noriega. So does the Trump administration
use that as precedents to defend what they did over
the weekend.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
They are heavily leaning on the Panama precedent. You do
see commentators discussing issues with Iraq or Kosovo, Olibya, Syria,
and those all do have some merit, But the single
closest parallel is Panama, because in that case you did
have a leader of a Latin American country who was

(06:11):
holding power by force, who was widely viewed in the
international community as politically illegitimate, much like Maduro, who, if
there were neutral observers, probably lost the last presidential election
seventy thirty. And in that case, nor Diego was also
holding American cystems hostage in Panama. There are some distinct

(06:35):
differences though Panama obviously is a country only about a
tenth of the size of Venezuela, and also we did
have certain international treaty connections with Panama, especially through the
Panama Canal, that maybe would have given us a greater
in But I fully expect that you will see Maduro's

(06:58):
lawyers arguing, producing similar legal arguments to what Noriego's attorneys
did in the Southern District of Florida almost thirty years ago.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
Robert Bolton is joining US professor at Fairmont State University. Robert,
Since World War Two, I cannot remember an instance of
Congress actually declaring war. So how common has it been
for the executive branch to use unilateral authority to order
military strikes or military operations.

Speaker 4 (07:28):
You're absolutely correct, Dave. The last time we declared war
was in nineteen forty four against Tromania. That's always my
fun fact for my students when I teach national security law.
We have not officially declared war since then. Now, as
a matter of both constitutional law and international law, that

(07:48):
does not mean we have not engaged in military conflict,
that we have not engaged in wars. A war is
basically when two country, soldiers are shooting at each other.
If you want to use a layman, Stephanie, We've used
unilateral instances of force on many occasions. We engaged in
air strikes against Libya during the Reagan administration in the

(08:10):
nineteen eighties and again in twenty eleven to overthrow Luamar
al Kadaffi. We began engaging in air strikes and had
some boots on the ground in Syria after ISIS swept
across Syria and roughly two thirds of Iraq in twenty fourteen. Obviously,
we've already discussed the incidence in Panama. I'm trying to

(08:34):
think of a few other probably our excursion into Cambodia
in nineteen seventy, nineteen seventy, if I remember correctly. So, yeah,
there have been multiple instances that we've entered countries without
prior congressional authorization. It's actually pretty common.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
Professor, this is muddy, and let me try to define
the mud a little bit and maybe you can clear
it away with your answer. You have US domestic law
which allows the FBI the DEA to go after drug kingpins,
these kinds of folks. Maduro was indicted. There's nothing specifically
in law that says that that ends at our borders. However,

(09:13):
we have signed and I remember the United Nations, we
signed the UN Charter. I believe, correct me if I'm wrong.
The Constitution says and recognizes that Charter as a treaty.
Therefore it's bound law in the United States. So did
we violate international law? Are we going to face backlash
from the UN? Or does domestic law take precedence over everything?

Speaker 4 (09:33):
Well, if you read our Constitution under the supremacy clause,
it specifically says federal law, the US Constitution and the
treaties that we are signatories too, are a three legged stool.
They are the supreme law of the land. They override
state law and anything else. In regard to whether or

(09:56):
not this was a violation of internet national law, it
remains to be seeing what was going on on the ground.
I'd be curious to see what arguments the Trump administration
has made. But I will be honest, this is a
little bit of a stretch. And the reason why I
say that is is if this was purely a criminal

(10:17):
law enforcement matter, typically what you would do is is
if you're seeking the extradition of an individual, and Maduro
was indicted on four accounts in the Southern District of
New York. You would request from that country that the
citizen or individual that's within their borders be extra guided
to the US. Obviously, Caracas was not going to do

(10:39):
that with their head of state. However, if you're doing
it as a law enforcement matter, it's going to be
a relatively limited operation. The Trump administration has subsequently said
that we are going to oversee the transition of Venezuela
to a new government that makes it more into a
military operation or a military occupation. And as Colin pal

(11:03):
famously said, with the pottery barn rule, if you break it,
you buy it. If you overthrow a government, you have
to ensure that the subsequent government is legitimate. Thus far,
we are still engaging in political negotiations with the vice
president of the Venezuelan government, who is a member of

(11:25):
the same group, the same cartel as Nicholas Madora. Also,
when you look at it under international law, there are
some legal precedents you can use to potentially justify this.
Even though under the United Nations Charter, Article Too, sub
Section four, it says that innate member state should not

(11:48):
use military force that could infringe on the territorial integrity
or political independence of another state. We have also if
you look also at the UN Article fifty two, it
says that regional organizations can enact their own solutions for
peace and security. Now, in this instance you have the

(12:09):
Organization of American States, which is a treaty organization that
the United States and most Latin American countries are members of,
and the OAS in twenty twenty four condemned the Venezuelan
government and said that it encouraged its member states to
take action to ensure the return of democracy in Venezuela.

(12:31):
There was a similar argument that was used by the
Kennedy administration when it blockaded Cuba in nineteen sixty two.
So I could see an argument made under that. There's
also an international law theory known as the responsibility to protect,
and I'm very much summarizing what this means, but basically

(12:53):
what it says is when a government is capable of
intervening in a foreign nation where you have civilians being
slaughtered or otherwise subject to persecution, nation states have a
duty to respond and interact. The problem with that is
is there are probably hundreds of different governments in the

(13:15):
world today that are engaging in the impression of their people.
And although Venezuela is a very impoverished country and Maduro
was undoubtedly a tyrant, if you're going to use that
justification intervene in Venezuela, you probably would have the same
justification intervene in many other countries. And that's where most

(13:36):
international law scholars, I think are concerned. Right now, no
one questions the Venezuelan government is illegitimate and that Maduro
was a bad guy, But you could see a government
like China using the same justification to try and seize Taiwan,
or Vlaimir Putin in Russia using that to justify like

(13:57):
Putin did in a speech declaring war and claiming all
the Ukrainian government is engaging in genocide of ethnic Russians,
which is completely bogus. So if you see those types
of justifications being used by US opponents, we need to
be very careful when we would try and cite those
arguments to justify overthrowing another country's leader.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Robert Bolton, Fairmont State University, Political Science Professor, Assistant Professor
of National Security and Intelligence. Always appreciate the insights, Robert,
Thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
Thank you very much, Stave, thank you very much. TJ.

Speaker 1 (14:32):
Absolutely we'll get some of your thoughts coming up at
three or four talk three zero four. Phones are open
for you as well at eight hundred at seven sixty
five Talk eight hundred, seven sixty five eight two five five.
Those are the text line and phone numbers you can
reach us at. This is talk line from the Enco
Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 1 (16:12):
State Senator Patricia Rucker is going to join us at
eleven oh six this morning. We'll get her reaction and
thoughts about the operation in Venezuela. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela,
moved to the US when she was six years old.
We'll get her thoughts, she posted on social media over
the weekend. Also, Senator shellymore Capito and Jim Justice both

(16:33):
issued statements on social media following the operation to extract
Nicholas Maduro. Senator Capito said, for far too long, Maduro
has used his illegitimate presidency to push poisonous drugs into
American communities, harming our people, including in my state of
West Virginia, where so many families have experienced immense pain

(16:53):
and suffering. I applaud the brave military, law enforcement, and
intelligence community personnel who made this operation happen. Senator Justice
went on to say Maduro has not only illegitimately ruled
over Venezuela and its people, but has enabled cartels to
harm Americans through state sponsored drug trafficking into our country,
including West Virginia. I applaud the brave men and women

(17:16):
of our armed forces who carried out this decisive action,
and applaud the President of the United States for his
fearless leadership. America will not back down. That was the
reaction of Senators Capito and Justice to the raid. On
early Saturday morning. TJ wrote about it as well over
at wv Metro News dot com, asking several questions mister Meadows, and.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
I think questions are really all we can ask right now.
The premise of my piece is this, Nobody knows how
this is going to end. Republicans are going to back
the president, Democrats looking for an issue for an upcoming campaign,
or just because their Democrats are going to say this
was a bad idea. Welcome to politics, Dave. Nothing new there,

(18:00):
but a lot of these questions I think are legitimate.
If this is about drugs. Why not Mexico? Why not
go there first? Maybe Venezuela was a morning shot to Mexico.
Is this really about drugs? This is all about oil.
You know, Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC seventeen percent.
I think of the world's reserves, proven reserves are in Venezuela,
largest deposit anywhere in the world.

Speaker 1 (18:21):
None of it's being tapped.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
Very little is going into the market, and what little
goes into the market is from China.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
So is this about oil?

Speaker 3 (18:27):
You know Exxon was there in the seventies, had everything nationalized,
still has never been made whole. Chevron there operating under
an agreement that allows them to bypass US sanctions. But
would big oil want to go back in and put
more money at risk when Rodriguez is going to be
in charge, which is like Maduro two point zero. Nobody
knows how this is going to end.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
Man.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
There are questions upon questions upon questions, and I'm just
asking and maybe somebody has the answers.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
That's where I'm at. I think the answer to your
question is yes, Yes, it's about oil. Yes it's about drugs,
Yes it's about sen A message to Russia and China
and anybody else who wants to set up operations Iranians,
Islamic terrorist, Islamic radicals who want to set up terrorist
operations in the Western hemisphere. I think it's a message
to them. It's about the oil, it's about reclaiming what

(19:16):
US companies built, it's about the drug trafficking. It's about
all of the above. That may be unsatisfactory for a
lot of people, but I think all of that played
into the decision too specifically target Venezuela. Also, remember Trump
tried to force Maduro out of office when Trump was
in the White House the first time around, and there

(19:36):
are some who have speculated that I have read that
some of his advisors and even for Trump that was
a loss on the record coming out of Trump one
point zero. So that probably also played a factor in
the decision.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
Well, I think the president didn't he up the bounty
to like fifteen million, I think, and the Biden administration
had twenty five. He uped at the fifty. Is it
fair to say his patients ran out and he wanted
to get something done. I think the thing in Robert
was right, and I think you've said it as well.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
Maduro is a bad guy.

Speaker 3 (20:03):
No one can make that argument that he's not and
Venezuelan's are better off because he's not there. Anyone who
hates socialism and hates dictatorships are better off because he's
not there. This is a bad guy. Now, are we
committed if you break it, you bought it? As Bolton said,
are we committed to make sure Mahado or someone that

(20:26):
is democratically elected is in charge in Venezuela? Are we
willing to endure that?

Speaker 1 (20:30):
I have no idea, but is that even the Trump
doctrine is that the I saw somebody quint at the
don Roe doctrine? Yea, does he subscribe to the fact,
does he subscribe to you break it, you bought it?
Or does he describe subscribe to well take this guy out.
Now you figure it out.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
Well, and maybe Rodriguez has a change of heart.

Speaker 8 (20:48):
You know.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
She came back, I think what on Sunday or Saturday
and base Saturday, late Saturday, and said, why did you
do this? This was horrible? I'm paraphrasing. Obviously we don't
stand by what the US did. We stand And with
Moduro she seemed to soften that a little bit. Late
last night so maybe she's seeing words from the president

(21:08):
and seeing these actions and doesn't want to be the
next one to be ousted.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
Does it happen. We've only got about twenty seconds here.
Does it have a quasi palace coup field to all
of it? As if there is something going on we
may not know about.

Speaker 3 (21:21):
Oh that's my feel You and I are never briefed.
No one's briefed. Congress wasn't even briefed. I think they're
getting brief tonight. I'll be interest to see if Capito
is gonna get briefed. Let me reach out to her
folks and see if she's in on that briefing later tonight.
But maybe we can talk to her tomorrow. But we
don't know, Dave, we don't know. We'll get more on
this coming up a little bit later. On your thoughts
as well. This is talk line from the Cove Insurance
Studios on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia. It

(21:46):
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 9 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro NEWSS. I'm Jeff Jenkins and arrest in
a Morgantown area fatals.

Speaker 10 (22:00):
A Maryland man is in custody following a stabbing at
the Morgantown Motel Sunday. Deputies made contact with the victim Sunday,
who was able to identify or attacker as forty nine
year old at Carol Crosscoe, Garrett County, Maryland. Crossco was
located later by Morgantown police in a stolen vehicle and detained.

(22:20):
A woman died later of her injuries. Crosscoe has been
charged with first degree murder and grand larceny. He's being
held in the North Central Regional Jail. I'm Mike Nolton
for wv Metronews dot com.

Speaker 9 (22:34):
The mother of wounded West Virginia Air National Guard staff
Sergeant Andrew wil says her son suffered a seizure over
the weekend, and a social media post, Melody Wolf says
that she's been told that these are common for brain injuries.
Andrew Wolf was injured in the day before Thanksgiving shooting
on the streets of Washington, d C. They claimed the
life of fellow West Virginia Guard member Sarah Beckstrom. Likely
to be more legislation dealing with foster care in the Mountain,

(22:56):
stating the upcoming legislative session clock counting Delegate Andy Shamblin's
he's seen this firsthand and agrees with Governor Morrisey about
getting kids housed out of state back to the state.

Speaker 11 (23:06):
It is costing the state a tremendous amount of money
to continue those placements, and somehow we have got to
figure out a way to house these children in state.

Speaker 9 (23:17):
You're listening to Metro News for forty years, the Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (23:22):
Hi.

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Speaker 9 (24:22):
Just a reminder, soda can no longer be purchased with
SNAP Benefits in West Virginia. Previously signed executive order from
Governor Morrisey went into effect January First. What is soda.
It's any carbonated, non alcoholic beverage that contains water, a sweetener, flavoring,
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drinks like one hundred percent fruit or vegetable juice, milk,

(24:44):
and bottled water, though still covered by SNAP Benefits. From
the Metro News anchored ask, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
A ton of text to get to. We will do
that coming up. Also, more thoughts on the operation in
Venezuela over the weekend. Give us a text eight hundred
or A three or four Talk three or four phone
number is eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two
five five. West Virginia University's leading a team that includes
Carnie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and more than

(25:36):
sixty regional partners in pursuit of one hundred and sixty
million dollar National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines Award. Got
all that. If chosen, the funding is projected to generate
twenty one thousand jobs, one hundred fifty startups at more
than a billion dollars in economic growth for the region.
The collaboration is preparing for visitors from the National Science

(25:59):
Foundation to make its pitch for that one hundred and
sixty million dollar National Science Foundation Award. Joining us on
Metion News talk Line this morning is Irene Olish, Executive
director of the WV Office of Innovation and Commercialization. Irene,
good morning, Good morning, How are you doing well. Thanks
for joining us. You got a big couple of weeks

(26:20):
coming up, so explain to folks. Give folks an idea
what the WV Office of Innovation and Commercialization does.

Speaker 15 (26:29):
Sure so, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization here at
WVU is responsible for managing and commercializing all innovation and
intellectual property that comes out of WVU, So that means
any new ideas, patents, products, know how that our faculty
are clinical faculty members at the hospital, or anybody that's

(26:54):
on staff or employed by WVU comes up with, we
help make sure that that technology is patent or protected
in some form or fashion, and then we try to
help monetize that to drive economic development and other economic
opportunities for both the university as well as the state.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
You're speaking my language.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
I love that these stats twenty one thousand jobs, one
hundred and fifty startups, more than one billion in regional
economic growth based on this project and the money that
would come from this project. Here's my question, give us
the how how does this happen?

Speaker 15 (27:27):
Yeah, that's a great question. It's going to take a
lot of different pieces and a lot of different parts
and partners working together. The consortium that we've put together,
as you mentioned, is led by WVU in partnership with
University of Pittsburgh as well as Carnegie Mellon. The National
Lab NETL here in town is also a partner. But
we have sixty additional regional partners spanning everything from workforce entities,

(27:52):
our community and technical colleges, nonprofits, labor unions, as well
as a number of partners that are going to help
on these upfront to help build new, exciting companies focused
on energy resilience throughout the region. This award from the
National Science Foundation will drive everything from early stage research

(28:13):
and development all the way through helping mature those technologies
into meaningful startup companies that again are going to help
move our region and our nation forward in terms of
energy resilience and reliability. And at the same time, a
large component of our work will also focus on building
up workforce opportunities, whether that means reskilling, up skilling of

(28:36):
currently employed or helping the under or unemployed find new
avenues into high wage jobs within the energy sector.

Speaker 1 (28:43):
Who are you competing against for this award?

Speaker 15 (28:48):
Yeah, that's a great question. So we are one of
fifteen finalists. This program started with over three hundred applications initially,
so the fact that we are in the final fifteen
is a great win in an out itself. We are
the only application that moved forward out of West Virginia
or Pennsylvania. The other applications that are still in the running.

(29:09):
They're spread across the country. There's a few that are
up in New England. There's a group out of Alaska.
The closest one to us is actually based out of Charlotte,
North Carolina. But again, there's fifteen finalists totals spread across
the country and across domain areas. So ours is focused
specifically on energy resilience, but other topics focus on regional

(29:30):
seafood economy or things like rares and critical minerals.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
I would think they would want to give you the
money simply because you're bringing WVU and PITT together. I
mean that in and of itself seems a worthy accomplishment.

Speaker 15 (29:43):
But yeah, that was a big win itself.

Speaker 3 (29:46):
Yeah, talk to me a little bit about rural West Virginia.
Is this an avenue perhaps that we can help rural
West Virginia develop jobs, because you know, the city centers
in West Virginia, it's always like we're different states. Sometimes
opportunities are more plentiful there. It's rural West Virginia that
really suffers. Can we help the rural parts of the
state with employment?

Speaker 15 (30:06):
When it comes to this grant, absolutely, Again, you know
a large portion of this of this work is focused
around workforce and I will say that this is something
that's a bit unique and new and different for the
National Science Foundation, but I think it represents their commitment
to making sure that economic development and tech based economic

(30:27):
development goes beyond academic institutions. This is not a traditional
academic led, academic only project from National Science Foundation. They
want to see that meaningful incorporation of an entire region,
and so the way we're approaching that is through two folds.
One is through a very intentional regional engagement effort that
is actually anchored in the southern part of the state

(30:50):
and is being led by our Chief Engagement Officer, Michelle Taylor.
The other part, again is through our workforce and what
we really want to do there is we want to
engage and we've had a great collaborative effort across our
CPC system as well as against some nonprofit in labor
union partners. We really want to make sure that people

(31:10):
a are aware of workforce and job training opportunities, but
be just as important, we want to make sure that
those opportunities are actually accessible to people who are looking
to enter into the workforce, and that means assisting with
things like wrap around services, making sure that we are
reaching people early. So some of our programming actually focuses
on high school students and getting them engaged and aware

(31:33):
of the incredible opportunities there are for jobs and employment
within the energy sector. So bringing rural West Virginia into
this is certainly a big focus for us. I think
it's very important for our state that we do that,
and again, a lot of that is through outreach, making
sure people are aware, but then also enabling people and

(31:54):
removing as many barriers as possible to get those people
engaged into the workforce.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
National Science Nation representatives will be in West Virginia later
this month. What will you show them? What do you
hope to What do you hope their takeaway is?

Speaker 15 (32:09):
Yeah, the story is the power that we have here
in West Virginia and across this region. We have been
a historic energy producer. We continue to serve that role
for the country. We also have an incredible industrial presence
throughout the region that plays a very important role in
both our state and our regional economy and in employment
across the state as well. One of the big pitches

(32:32):
that we're taking here is that our nation is facing
an energy crisis in terms of having enough energy to
reliably power us into the future. That includes powering things
like AI and data centers that we know are becoming
ever more prevalent in conversations. And what we want to
demonstrate to NSF is that we are aware of these problems.

(32:52):
These challenges are facing our region first and foremost, but
these are national challenges. But most importantly, we have brought
together the right partners that can make sizeable impact in
course correcting and ensuring that we have that energy resilience
to power American industry into the future.

Speaker 3 (33:13):
One question I have, and this may be a bit
off the wall, but I want to ask it on
the chance that there is something what can we do
average West Virginians that are listening to this program. Is
there anything we can do to help WVU and the
consortium that's going after this to win these dollars? I mean,
can we are there needs that business may be able

(33:33):
to meet, or can do you still need partners or
can the average Joe write a letter of encouragement to
the foundation. What can we do to help you, if
anything at all?

Speaker 4 (33:43):
Now that's a.

Speaker 15 (33:44):
Great question, and I appreciate it. I think you know
two things for us are really important. One again, we
really we want this work to be meaningful. We want
it to create an impact. We don't want to see
this kind of you know, live for few years and.

Speaker 5 (34:00):
Then die off.

Speaker 15 (34:01):
But for us to be successful in that, we need
our communities to tell us what is most helpful for them.
When we go out and we talk to local organizations,
we need to know what their challenges are. When we
go to industry partners and they are facing issues with
either gaps in technological advancements or issues related to energy reliability,
we need to know what those are so that we

(34:23):
can deploy that money as strategically and as focused as
possible to make sure that we're creating that impact. The
other thing I will say in terms of you know,
regular citizens, what can they do well? This all also
hinges on the federal government having a budget. And I
know all of our representatives across West Virginia that are

(34:45):
representing us at the federal level are doing a great
job and ensuring that the American government has that budget
passed and is moving forward, but encouraging our legislative folks
to continue to invest in things like the National Science
Foundation and in these programs that are going to help
drive regional economic development. Is incredibly important to make sure

(35:06):
that those dollars are still going to flow to West
Virginia and continue to do so for the next decade.

Speaker 1 (35:12):
One last question, Will you say your first name properly?
Because I know I got it way wrong at the
beginning of the show, sir.

Speaker 15 (35:19):
No, no, no, you weren't that far off.

Speaker 4 (35:20):
It's an Arian.

Speaker 1 (35:23):
Okay, Yeah, my hill billy brain said, you know what,
that looks like a hard I I'm gonna go with
hard eye.

Speaker 5 (35:27):
At the beginning of that, and quite all right, I.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
Knew, I knew, and I'm like, you know what, I'm
just gonna let her say it and that way we'll
get it correct. Arian Oh, Executive director w Office of
Innovation and Commercialization. Hey, good luck and we hope we
land this here in West Virginia. Be huge.

Speaker 15 (35:46):
Thanks appreciate it absolutely.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
Arian Oh. You know, you just got to own it sometimes, DJ,
you just got to own it.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
I mean, you know, she was a good sport. I
mean sometimes you call me jt me.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
Well, you know, you ever to have that moment where
as soon as it comes out of your mouth, you're like, hmmm,
I knew that was wrong. I knew I was going
to do it.

Speaker 3 (36:07):
I went with it. My grandmother rest her soul. Her
name was Irene, so I just went with it. So
there you go.

Speaker 1 (36:13):
But she was a good sport. My apologies. They have
a huge, huge opportunity there if they can land that award.
All right, coming up, we'll get to the tax line.
We've not done that yet. Three or four talk three
oh four is the tax line? Eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five. Many of you wanting
to weigh in on the operation in Venezuela and Nicholas
Muduro is due in court at noon today in New York.

(36:36):
This is talk line from the Encove Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 2 (37:52):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encovia Insurance, encircling
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it in covid dot com. To learn more, Let's.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
Get some texts. Three oh four Talk three oh four.
Texter says the UN will not say a word to Trump.
US provides twenty two percent of the UN funding. No
one in their right mind would bite the hand that
feeds them, especially with that hand attached to Donald Trump
with regards to Venezuela. No one's asking the real question.

(38:25):
What is the squirrel situation in Caracas? That's gonna become
a thing, whether we whatt it to or not? Is it?
Oh buddy, it's a thing, and it's going to follow
us all session long. I can feel it. Uh, No surprise.
Democrats protesting the rest of a narco socialist terrorist leader
market down ten forty eight. Yes, it's about the Epstein

(38:47):
files too, says the Texter. Hey, guys, America first, Yeah,
this is America first. I don't see it that way.
This is Trump first, says the Texter.

Speaker 3 (39:00):
So I gotta say the President could do something like
this to try to distract from the Epstein files. Anyone
who is emotional and cares about the Epstein files and
has been railing on it. I mean, the public is
smarter than that. Guys, come on, they're not gonna forget
about the Epstein files.

Speaker 1 (39:17):
Just am I wrong? No, We're exactly right. This story. Okay,
we'll get sidetracked here for thirty seconds. This story has
a couple of days play, and then we'll circle back
and the Epstein files will be a thing again. I mean,
the new cycle moves too fast. Yeah, this will be
a couple of days and then we'll have moved on.

(39:38):
I'm not saying that's right, not saying that's wrong. I'm
just that's what's going to happen, and we'll be talking
about Epstein again.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
So you don't forget about the Epstein files. That's not
a story that goes away.

Speaker 1 (39:47):
No, it is not. No, it is not. Where we
leave off, Texas says, does the US have a legal
justification to arrest a foreign office holder would have China
indicted DJT and removed him from office? What would you
would you think that was? Okay? Look, I can't even
get into the legal breakdown. I can tell you that
there were indictments. He was indicted, federal indictments against Nicholas Maduro.

(40:11):
That's a thing. There was a what will we say,
fifty million dollar bounty that was on him for the
arrest and capture. I can say that. I can't break
down the I'm not a legal scholar. I think Robert
Bolton did a great job of breaking down the ins
and outs there TJ. Was there legal justification? The Trump

(40:31):
administration says there is? That seems to be. I'll leave
that for the lawyers to try to hash out and
tell me whether or not there is where there is
not a.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
Political analysis of the legal question. If Trump violated international law,
who's going to ding him for that? Who's going to
go after him for that? Not this Congress not going
to happen, just like it didn't happen with HW Bush, NATO,
excuse me not NATO. The UN's not going to do it.
As the previous texture pointed out, we're the money behind

(41:00):
the UN. And even if they do okay a non
binding resolution, slap on the hand. So politically nothing happens
domestic law. That's why I say domestic law will trump
international law in this well domestic cover.

Speaker 1 (41:14):
What's the enforcement mechanism of international international law to me
is just to be honest, a joke. What's the what's
the enforcement mechanism? Nothing? Wait, absolutely nothing, we're the enforcement mechanism.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
It doesn't exist until until the only way international law
would offer that kind of penalty pain and penalty is if,
to your point, someone was there to enforce it. And
in order for that to happen, you have to have
what world one world to government, you have to have
some Jews. They don't have a military if we don't
give it to them.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
So and so the Texters. Last question, Uh, China is
not going to run any operation to come after they
can indict whoever they want. They're not coming to the
US to get anybody. Three or four talk readily off
three or four, talk three or four. The texts keep
jumping today and I lose track of where I am. TJ.

(42:07):
I thought you were a capitalist. Why do you think
that a jiant grant is good for economic development, A
government grant a socialism. Aren't the coal and gas companies
already investing millions from their profits in the impoverished areas
of WV GO TJ. Take every government grant off the table.
Then if you do that, it's a clean slate, and

(42:27):
I'm with you. But until that happens, if the federal
government puts money out there, and West Virginia can use
a mechanism such as we have here to go after
it and bring prosperity to the mountain state, don't hate
the player, hate the game. So if the game is changed,
you got me. But until then, I'm going to play it.
Three or four talk three or four is the text line.
What's Trump's excuse going to be for taking over Greenland?

(42:50):
He just said this weekend, there next, whatever he wants,
he's just going to take. I don't know that he's
got an excuse for Greenland, but he may find one.
The Monuro doctrine is now the Trump doctrine. The man
has no scruples. It's all about Trump, says the Texter.
I think it's funny, not haha, funny that you guys

(43:11):
and many others are pumping up the military for their actions.
The highest spinning military rolled over a broke country that
has no ability to defend itself. Wow, let's save that
hype for taking out Putin or gee heads of countries
that can fight back, says the Texter respectfully.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
Then you hop on a hui and go do the
mission and take a shrapnel shot or a shot to
the arm or whatever, which did happen. Look, no one's
seying raw Rari military, but these are men and women.
There was risk involved in that. I don't know why
we have to have those kinds of statements, frankly, I mean,
I haven't seen anyone saying, you know, oh we've rolled

(43:50):
over Venezuelan and.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
It's so easy. Da da da da da.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
I mean, yes, we have a more powerful military, but
that doesn't mean there wasn't risk involved. So until I'm
willing to get on the huey and go do that,
going to criticize the men and women who did, maybe
I'm misinterpreting the text, I don't know well, And.

Speaker 1 (44:04):
I will point out who was providing weapons and security
funding for security search security systems to Venezuela, Russia. What's
that say to the Russian military that We went right
through your weapons and your systems to get to the
President of Venezuela. Just saying three or four talk three
or four is the text line. We've got some more

(44:25):
of your texts coming up to what's coming up an
hour number two. This is talk line from the Cove
Insurance Studios.

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(46:42):
Coming up. Patricia Rutgers, going to join a state senator
from Jefferson County, was born in Crocus. Venezuela moved to
the US when she was six years old. We'll get
her insights on the operation over the weekend. Also a reminder,
TJ and I will be together again in person, not
virtually in person at the State Capitol coming up a
week from Wednesday. It's that time of the year. Already

(47:05):
TJ Leed's live session getting started. We'll be there with
Metro News talk Line through most of the session.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
I'm excited. I think this is the single best thing
about this job.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
You get to see Brad mclheady in person. Looking forward
to it. It's Talkline on Metro News for forty years,
the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
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Visit incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
Metro News talk Line already in progress. Hour number two
here on a Monday, eight hundred and seven sixty five
Talk eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two fivey five.
That's the phone number. We will take your text messages
as well. Three oh four Talk three oh four, got
a slew of those to get through. We will do
that that. As the hour unfolds, Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson

(48:03):
will join us. Bottom of the hour. We'll talk December
revenue numbers and the first half of the fiscal year
coming up with Eric Nelson. Bottom of the hour. Zach
Carol check is handling the video stream, Sofia wasik on
the audio side. TJ. Meadows is in charge of the
forts in Charleston. Good morning, TJ.

Speaker 3 (48:24):
Good morning, sir, And you know of my fondness, Dave
of looking at the market to help me understand geopolitics,
and Wall Street doesn't seem to have a problem with
what went on in Venezuela. The Dow up six hundred
and twenty eight points. Chevron stock has surged up four
percent because they already had the early track operating there
under a waiver. X On up one percent, Haliburton Oil

(48:47):
Services Company and others ten percent bump. So you know,
the market doesn't seem to have an issue with this
defense contractor stocks also up.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
So there you go. Take that for what it's worth.
Is it fair to say the market is optimistic moving forward?
Is that too much of a leap?

Speaker 3 (49:07):
I would say they are optimistic, especially you know the
concern of whether or not Big Oil will definitely want
to go back in minus some kind of firm regime
change to make sure that their runway is twenty thirty,
fifty years, you know, not five years and another dictator
or something. I would say that concern has been largely
dismissed based on where these oil stocks are moving. So

(49:30):
Wall Street seems to be comfortable for the time being
with where we're heading. And again I'd default to the
market because that seems to be as good an indicator
as any in understanding what the future will be.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
Later today, in fact, at noon, Nicholas Maduro scheduled to
make his first court appearance. He was is facing a
federal indictment alleging a twenty five year scheme in which
senior at Venezuelan officials led by Maduro, corrupted state institutions
to move thousands of tons of cocaine into the United
States for personal and political enrichment. That is the legal

(50:03):
charges he'll be facing. That's the summary of the legal
chair of charges and the indictment that was unsealed. You
can go read the indictment. I could not get through
all of it this morning, but it is available if
you are looking for a good read later on again
his first quarter appearance coming up later this afternoon. We
put me to sleep. Legal eese is hard to read anyway. Yes,

(50:25):
indictments are painfully boring, but I digress. West Virginia State
Senator Patricia Rucker was born in crocus A, Venezuela. She
came to America when she was six years old. She's
got a bachelor's degree in history at a minor in
Latin American studies, and she joins us to add some
perspective this morning here on Metro News talk Line. Senator Rucker,
good morning, good to speak with you again.

Speaker 5 (50:47):
Good morning, and happy New Year.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Happy New year to you. Is Well, what was your
initial reaction when you saw the news Saturday morning?

Speaker 5 (50:56):
Well, I must admit that my first initial reaction was
kind of disbelief, wasn't certain is this real? Is this true?
But then very quickly just gratitude, very very grateful, very happy,
looking forward to justice being served.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
Senator. First off, thanks for joining us in Happy New
Year to you. I'm wondering do you still have family
in Venezuela or friends in Venezuela, And if so, have
you talked to them? What are you hearing from folks
that may be on the ground.

Speaker 5 (51:31):
So yes, I still have the majority of my families
in Venezuela and was not able to escape because those
who could have left, and in terms of what I'm
hearing from the ground, very little. I think my relatives
are still nervous. They're still not wanting to post anything

(51:54):
and have anything that you know, could possibly be traced to.
That can only be that they are I'm not certain
whether or not are they really going to get rid
of these thugs that have been threatening and punishing anyone

(52:15):
who speaks against the regime.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
Patrica Rucker is joining us. Jefferson County Senator was born
in Caroncas, Venezuela. You came to the United States at
six years old. What do you remember about being in Venezuela.
Do you remember much?

Speaker 5 (52:29):
Well, so let's make sure we are clear. Yes, I
came here to live at six years of age. But
we would go back to Venezuela every other summer for
the entire summer. That was part of the conditions of
my father's employment was that every other year we would
go to Venezuela. We would be able to go back home,
and so every other year. For the entire time I

(52:52):
was growing up, I would go to Venezuela for two
or three months during the summer, and also, as you
can imagine any your events, family celebrations and things like that.
So yes, of course I still remember. I still grew
up knowing Venezuela, being able to walk through the streets, shop,
spend time with family, travel over the country of Venezuela,

(53:16):
and it was an unbelievable free, safe place. Even as
a kid, I could walk anywhere without any danger. None
of my family had to be worried about anything would
happen to me. You could buy anything you wanted in Venezuela.
Venezuela was a very strong free market economy, a place

(53:39):
where entrepreneurs thrived, tons and tons and tons of business
and very well to do people. We would be what
you would consider middle class. You know, I don't know
what to tell you, so yes, I definitely remember what
it was like before.

Speaker 3 (53:57):
Chavis, talk to me a little bit about the regime
and give me some rope here, because I'm not as
familiar with the players in Venezuela as certainly you are.
So obviously Maduro very bad guy. I think everybody can
agree on that. I don't think that's even a question.
It's good that he's gone, but you've got Rodriguez, who
was his VP. And then I read in the journal
this morning about a couple of different men. They talked

(54:20):
about Cabello and they talked about Padrino, who command a
lot of the military resources in Venezuela. I would think
that it has to go deeper than just Maduro.

Speaker 1 (54:31):
These people that.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
I'm talking about, it seemed to me that I don't
know that they can play a role moving forward and
Venezuela can have lasting change.

Speaker 1 (54:38):
Would you agree or disagree with that characterization.

Speaker 5 (54:41):
I completely agree. All these individuals were handpicked by Maduro
to have the jobs that they have. They have all
come up to the ranks to these positions based on
how compliant they are with the goals that Moduro, the
communists Maduro wanted. And also this narco trafficking which has

(55:03):
become the major thing that Venezuela has exported. Unfortunately, it
went from a country that exported goods and food to
exporting drugs and terrorism. And so these individuals are not
folks that we want to have around, and I'm sure
is part of the reason for why the folks in

(55:25):
Benezula are still a little nervous, do not want to
take any dangers because in the last twenty years, if
anyone who spoke against the regime would have their lives destroyed,
would sometimes be murdered, or what is even worse, just
completely disappear. No one knows where they are and where

(55:47):
they've gone. So it is really important that we do
have a clean out, that folks are made to pay
for the crimes that they committed, and we the Venezuelan people.
I shouldn't say wee because I'm I'm an American citizen now,
but the Venezuelan people be able to choose leadership for themselves.

Speaker 1 (56:10):
Patricia Rucker is joining US Jefferson County State Senator. When's
the last time you were able to visit Venezuela two thousand.

Speaker 5 (56:18):
And one, and that was two years after Chravis was
elected and already Venezuela had changed and was not as safe.

Speaker 1 (56:28):
When didn't go back? Go ahead, David, I, just when
did you come to the realization that you weren't going
to be able to go back and visit anymore?

Speaker 5 (56:35):
Well, right after that visit of two thousand and one,
where I already started to feel unsafe and nervous. People
started getting kidnapped for ransom and just started disappearing. And
at that point, you know, we were scheduled. My husband
and I were going to be going back every two years,
just like I had grown up. We were going to

(56:58):
do the same with our children. But we're not going
to take that risk. And especially American citizens were targeted.

Speaker 3 (57:08):
Some Americans may be apprehensive about regime change or trying
to get some of these other officials out, or creating
an environment where Venezuelans can elect their own government. What
would you say to Americans who may have that reservation.

Speaker 5 (57:25):
So need to understand that Venezuela was a democracy for
over one hundred and eighty years, democracy modeled after the
United States, had a constitution very similar to the United States.
And the only reason for why we have lost we
lost that was basically through deception lives that were told

(57:45):
by Hugo Chavis when to get elected. And then ever
since that initial election there has not been a fair
and free elections. Venezuelans know how to run themselves. They
know how to run democracy, a democratic government, They know
how to be free, they know what that means and
the responsibilities. It is very different than other situations around

(58:06):
the world where there have been attempts to try to
push a foreign type of government on something that people
are not used to and don't understand allto them. That's
not the situation in Venezuela. We've actually tried, through protests,
through elections to go back to a democracy, and they

(58:26):
has been not allowed, obviously by the communist dictator. But
now that is our intent and we know how to
do it. Honestly, the only thing needed is just that
safe and security that has to happen when these bad
people go behind bars and I'm no longer being terrorized

(58:49):
by thugs.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
If you had five minutes with President Trump to discuss
this situation, what would you want to tell him?

Speaker 5 (58:56):
Wow, that is like a dream come true. That would
be awesome. First of all, I would say thank you.
I would say, you know, I have been one of
the people nagging that please, please, please, don't forget Venezuela.
Don't forget that the Venezuelan people are not these murderous
thugs that have taken over the government. And so thank

(59:18):
you for giving us an opportunity to regain our country
and our freedom. Second of all, I would say, please
do not make the mistakes of other presidents the United
States has had in the past. We are not looking
for the United States to control us or take over

(59:41):
or tell us what to do. We know what we want,
we know what we're looking for, and many, many, many
people around the world do not understand that Venezuela is
a unique place that had freedom and wants it back,
and please just help us get that back. And we

(01:00:04):
are not asking anything from the American citizens other than
what we had before Chavis, which was a very warm,
friendly partnership. America has helped Venezuela and Venezuelans have helped
America for many years before Chavis took over.

Speaker 3 (01:00:22):
So let me understand your comments. Have we done enough
then Modua is out? Have we done enough? Do we
need to stay? Do we need to look at Rodriguez?
What does that look like in your mind? Or how
would you pitch that to the president?

Speaker 5 (01:00:36):
Exactly as the President has mentioned, we're going to need
American involvement versus a short while to capture the people
who have been raping, attacking, murdering, And because the Venezuelan
people are very peaceful people, they never had the right
to their arms. They do not have any way to

(01:00:57):
protect themselves. We do need purity and whether it be
from American soldiers or international you know forces, we need
that help to get these bad people out. Venezuelan government
and military and police is mostly paid mercenaries from other countries,

(01:01:17):
from Iran and Cuba and Russia and China. Those folks
do not belong in Venezuela. Hopefully they will leave now
that they know they don't have the protection of Maduro government.
But we need to make certain that they're no longer
in any position of power to hurt Venezuelans who are
going to re establish the infrastructure for government an a democracy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Jefferson County State Senator Patricia Rucker born in Crocus, Venezuela.
Came to the US at the age of six years old.
And we will be seeing you very soon when the
state legislature gets together at state Capitol just a little
more than a week from now. Look forward to talking
to you in Charleston instead of Rucker.

Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
Thank you so much. You guys, have a great day
and a happy new year.

Speaker 1 (01:02:01):
You two as well. Thank you. Patricia Rutger, Jefferson County
State Center. This is talk line from the Encobe Insurance Studios.
We're back at the moment.

Speaker 16 (01:02:11):
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Log on to health plan dot org for more information.

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Plan.

Speaker 22 (01:02:35):
We are here, Principal Greg Dosh.

Speaker 23 (01:02:42):
Of m Tech thanks to funding you part from West
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Speaker 22 (01:02:48):
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Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
Three at four talk three or four is the text
line eight hundred and seven six five eight two five five.
Eric Nelson, Revenue Secretary going to join us at the
bottom of the hour. Uh back to the text line,
Let's get a couple of comments here from you. Texter says,
the enforcement arm of international law is the ICC, the
International Criminal Court and Interpol. Also, China has come to

(01:03:50):
this country to go after dissidents and others they consider
criminals from their country, says the texter.

Speaker 3 (01:03:57):
Who makes the president get on a plane and go
to the Hague.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
It ain't happening. It's not happening. It's called nation building.
The Republicans use this philosophy to convert the Middle East
to a peaceful, prosperous society. Now we transform South America.
You know, something caught my ear there and I'll have
to look deeper into it with Patricia Rucker, And look,
I don't know what the Trump philosophy is, what he's
going to do, how this administration is going to move

(01:04:24):
the pieces coming up. The mistake we made in the Middle
East was trying to impose American democracy on a country
that had no idea what it was all about. We
just assume, incorrectly, they go, oh, freedom, that's awesome. Patricia
Rutcker was born there, grew up there to some extent,
going back and forth. They had a democracy. So if

(01:04:45):
the idea is okay, like I said before, we'll remove
this element. Now you all have to figure it out.
Can that work? Maybe? Maybe not. But I think that's
a lot different than what we tried to do the
United States tried to do in Iraq in the early
two thousands. I think her point is more than fair.

Speaker 3 (01:05:01):
And there has been a lot of comparison, especially in
the op ED sections about comparing to Venezuela to Iraq,
et cetera, and the rest of the Middle East. I
don't think that's an apples to apples comparison. I mean
it's apples to bowling balls. Frankly, three or four talk three?

Speaker 1 (01:05:16):
Would jes you say apples to bowling balls? You like that?

Speaker 9 (01:05:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:05:20):
Get that one on a bumper sticker. I'm telling you, uh,
retired boomer here, have either of you played the game
of risk? Go after the week, build your empire. Cuba's
next on the list. Trump has a tell just listen.
He can't help but brag you'll go after all of
South America and the rest of North America. Bottom line,
he is no longer interested in being president of the
United States. He wants to be leader of the Western hemisphere,

(01:05:42):
says the Texter. Uh three or four talk three? Oh
four in nineteen forty five. Look at the evils of
socialism that has taken control since, makes that ratification noll
and void. Jonathan Turley agreed that is legal, says the
Texter was the Venezuelan invasion part of Project twenty twenty five.

(01:06:07):
Not sure where that was.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
It's a nice little line there. I appreciate that. Hey,
this breaking. Denmark says US attack on Greenland would mean
end of NATO. Their prime minister says, I believe one
should take the American president seriously when he says that
he wants Greenland. But I will also make it clear
that if the US chooses to attack another NATO country militarily,
then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that

(01:06:32):
has been established since the end of the Second World
War end.

Speaker 1 (01:06:35):
Quote. You know, I would say there's no way we will,
but at this point, I don't know what's going to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:06:44):
I would say, why would the Prime minister of Denmark
even address the situation? But hey, we live in a
new world today, so you know, maybe he's under pressure
to deal with it. The Danes want an answer.

Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
I don't know. Three or four talk three or four
Texter says, I can criticize because I can and should.
And also, you guys seem to be supporting American military adventurism,
which will get Americans killed. Also, Ukraine already proved that
Russia is a paper tiger. But I bet Putin has
better AA and radar than the outdated equipment they sold.
Venezuela says the Texter. You want to jump on that one.

(01:07:20):
Uh no, I see you already responded on the text line,
So I was waiting for you to jump in.

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
Look, I don't think we're adventurous when it comes to
the military. All I'm saying is they were ordered to
go do a job.

Speaker 1 (01:07:33):
They did it.

Speaker 3 (01:07:34):
I think the men and women of the military deserve
our things and our support, That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:07:39):
And they did it well. This is twice now we've
carried out clandestine operations that nobody knew were happening under
the Trump administration. The second two point zero here, the
first being taken out the Iranian nuclear facilities. Not a
single American was There was no American casualties, there's no
boots on the ground. This seems to be the type

(01:07:59):
of operation this president favors versus putting tens of thousands
of soldiers in harms. Way.

Speaker 3 (01:08:06):
Yeah, and let me just reiterate, no one knows how
this is going to turn out. If it turns out well,
Trump does great. If not, history will judge him. No
one knows. The crystal ball doesn't exist. We have to
wait and see.

Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
Texter says, well, if Wall Street approves, let's grab another
dictator and swing the jerk. Edited from the gallows. I'm
a ya, not an a, says the Texter. All right,
we'll get more of your text many more texts to
get too. We will continue to get your comments on
the operation of Venezuela over the weekend. We'll shift gears
coming up after the news. December is in the books.

(01:08:44):
The first six months of the fiscal year is in
the books. We'll get an update from Revenue Secretary Eric
Nelson when he joins us here on Metro News talk Line.
More of your thoughts at three or four Talk three four.
Phone calls are always welcome at eight hundred and seven
sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two
five five. David Morgantown, TJ and Charleston. This is talk
Line on Metro News Metro News for forty years the

(01:09:06):
voice of West Virginia. It's eleven thirty. Let's check in
with the Metro News radio network get an update on
what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 24 (01:09:18):
West Virginia Metro News, I Am Chris Lawrence. West Virginia
National Guard soldier Andrew Wolf suffered a seizure over the weekend,
his mother, Melody Wolf, posting to social media that it
was a very scary situation to witness. She said doctors
had told her seizures are common for those who have
experienced traumatic brain injury, and staffree have quickly attended to him.
Despite that, Melody wolfe that her son is still being

(01:09:40):
moved to ICU as a precautionary measure, but that his
recovery continues. Wolf was shot by gunman while on patrol
in Washington, d C. And continues his recovery. The other
soldiers shot in the same incident, Sarah Beckstrom of Somersville
died of her wounds. There's been an arrest in a
Morganton area fatal stabbing. A marilynd man is in custody.
Follow up is stabbing at the Morgantown motel Sunday. Deputies

(01:10:03):
made contact with the victim Sunday, who was able to
identify or attacker as forty nine year old at Carol Crosscoe,
Garrett County, Maryland. Crossco was located later by Morgantown police
in a stolen vehicle and detained. A woman died later
of her injuries. Crosscoe has been charged with first degree
murder and grand larceny. He's being held in the North

(01:10:26):
Central Regional Jail.

Speaker 1 (01:10:27):
That's Mike Nolting.

Speaker 24 (01:10:28):
Also in Monteguea County, a man's been formerly charged with
crimes tied to an officer involved shooting in December. Cheff
Todd Forbes says deputy charge Tommy Garrell of Morgantown with
four counts of ademted murder and one count of wanton
endangement for the incident. You're listening to Metro News for
forty years, the Boys of West Virginia.

Speaker 25 (01:10:46):
There's a lot of noise out there about the market
and the economy, but what's.

Speaker 1 (01:10:50):
Really important to you in your future.

Speaker 25 (01:10:52):
I'm Shelly Hustle, a member of Huntington Banks Local Wealth
Team right here in West Virginia. Join us for money minutes.
This Thursday at three forty five on Hotline as we
discuss the most important topics and what they mean for you, your family,
and your business. Join us on Thursday for Money Minutes,
providing insight into the market and how we'll impact us
right here at home.

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Speaker 24 (01:11:45):
Those who receive Snap benefits in West Virginia can no
longer purchase soda pop in the Mountain state. The new
prohibition on those purchases kicked in January one. So to
pop for purposes of the new law is defined as
carbonated non alcoholic beverage containing water added carbonation sweeteners, including sugar,
high fro tose, corn syrup or artificial sweetener, milk, water,

(01:12:08):
and fruit or vegetable juice continues to be allowed to
be purchased under the new rules. From the Metro News
anchored Ask guy, I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
We'll get some more of your texts at three oh
four Talk three oh four. Phone number is eight hundred
and seven sixty five eight two five five. That's the
phone number, eight hundred and seven sixty five t A
L K Leg's lave session begins a week from Wednesday. Well,
I have coverage of the governor State of the State

(01:12:55):
address coming up Wednesday night on the Metro News Radio Network.
Jeff Lkins, we'll anchor our coverag just Governor Morrissey delivers
his second State of the State address, that is one
week from Wednesday, January fourteenth, from the state Capitol. The
governor scheduled to have a news conference later this afternoon.
I think that's a twelve thirty start from the state
Capitol this afternoon, So we'll keep an eye on that

(01:13:18):
over at the website wv Metro News dot com. December
is in the books. Also, the first six months of
the fiscal year is in the books. Time to get
an update on the revenues for the state of West Virginia,
joining US as Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson, Eric, good morning,
good to talk to you.

Speaker 8 (01:13:34):
Hey, good morning, Dave, and a happy new year to you.
But how are.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
Things well, Thanks you for doing pretty well here. How
are things as far as the revenue goes to the
state capitol, Well, all's.

Speaker 8 (01:13:46):
Good and yeah, you mentioned we just finished hitting the
halfway point on revenues, and from a top line standpoint
for our six months, we're up roughly one hundred and
twenty eight million over estimates and that was a total
collection of about two point seven four billion. That one
hundred and twenty eight equates to about a five percent

(01:14:08):
increase over estimates, so we're pretty pleased about that. Our
increase was led primarily by increases in personal income tax
and consumer sales tax, which between those two items, you know,
they make up seventy five percent of the revenues that
come into the state. Personal income tax year to date

(01:14:29):
is up about forty eight million, and that's about five
percent over estimates, and we attribute a lot of the
increase and the personal income tax to and that's lower
usage of the car rebate credit through the year. But
one thing to note, we're up five percent, yet last year,

(01:14:51):
you know, we cut taxes by six percent, so the
cumulative effect is very positive for us. On the consumer
sales tax, which TJ always loves, it was up twenty
eight million. And you know, one interesting note to talk
about with the consumer sales tax is it doesn't affect

(01:15:13):
general revenue, but there is a sales tax on new
car purchases. And what was interesting during the month of December,
the new car purchase consumer sales tax was up sixteen percent,
about twenty six million. The other big driver Dave was
interest income year to date is up almost eighteen million overestimates.

(01:15:38):
You know, balance is due to are declining there as
our rates, so we see that trend probably changing as
we move forward. When one looks at this compared to
last year, our general revenues are up almost two and
a half percent over the prior year, and so that's

(01:15:58):
right on pace within inflation. And you know, the general
revenues at this time last year were forty million over
estimates through six months, yet we ended up the year
at roughly two hundred over two hundred and fifty million
over estimates, and a lot of that last year was

(01:16:19):
attributed to higher payments received and in April, and we
factored a lot of that due to investment gains, and
we probably will see a lot of that going forward.
I can get into some of the specifics on the
month of December, but I'll take a couple of questions
before I put everybody to sleep on numbers.

Speaker 3 (01:16:42):
Well, you know, I have a couple of questions, right Eric,
like two or three hundred. But at any rate, I'm
looking here here to date wage and salary with holding
tax collections, we'er point six percent ahead of last year.
That has nothing to do with estimates. That's actual to actual.
Is that timing or are more West Virginians working which
would be a great thing.

Speaker 8 (01:17:03):
Well, you know, so collections, let's wage collections make up
the majority of our pi T and so you've got
two components there. One is wages and one the other
is the number of people employed. Our employment numbers are
relatively flat, so most of that is due to hire

(01:17:23):
wages and we're we're excited about that and we see
that continuing on.

Speaker 1 (01:17:33):
Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson is joining us here on Metro
News talk Line. You mentioned the car rebate that is
available for people out there? Are folks unaware of it?
Why aren't they taking advantage of this rebate?

Speaker 8 (01:17:48):
Dave, I guess that's the million dollar question. And we
budgeted roughly two hundred million dollars for the year you
know today slightly over one hundred and forty and fifty
may and has been collected. I think some of that
is and I'll be flat out honest, it's an administrative nightmare.

(01:18:08):
And when one gets certain paperwork that comes in one
way and then has to include that and their tax returns,
some of that probably gets lost. Another component of that
and we may see some of this in the first
quarter of the year is the portion of the car

(01:18:28):
credit that corporations or small investment companies have on their fleets.
So some of that's timing, but I think a lot
of it is. This gets lost in the paperwork.

Speaker 3 (01:18:44):
So that makes a change of the constitution. Eric, as
you know that went up, it failed. People have argued
there were mustiple amendments and so people were confused.

Speaker 1 (01:18:52):
Et cetera.

Speaker 3 (01:18:53):
Should the legislature get back into that this session and
put that back on the ballots and just go the
easy route, because as you said, it is an administrative
nightmare to get that done, and a lot of people
just are like, I don't want to fool with it.

Speaker 8 (01:19:07):
Well, Teja, and thanks for the question. And you know,
it's been one that us, even when I was in
the body every year, wanted to see us do something
on the on the personal property side. And I would
expect the legislature to look at that and it's worth
always looking at again. And yes, it did fail on

(01:19:29):
a constitutional amendment a couple of years ago, but there
were a lot of uh, there was a lot of
noise on that ballot too at the same time, and
other other uh, other issues between parties going on at
the same time. But uh, we'll see starting next week
where the tone is of the legislature. And then again,

(01:19:50):
the Governor's go have his State of the State on
on Wednesday, and we'll lay a lot of his schedule
out there, and I can say it's could be a
lot of what we've worked on this past year with
his leadership of looking for greater efficiencies and state government
and trying to write size across many areas. So that's

(01:20:12):
not on the revenue side. It does ultimately maybe have
an effect on the revenue side, but it's one of
our making sure that we control our expenses.

Speaker 1 (01:20:20):
State Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson joining us here on Metro
News talk line. As we look ahead with the legislative
session looming and the budget process well underway as we speak,
how are state agencies being instructed to look at their
budgets and construct their budgets heading into the next fiscal year.

Speaker 8 (01:20:39):
Yeah, Dave, So I think it's been the standard from
the day the governor stepped in is asking all agencies,
you know, what are we doing, how are we doing it?
And are we doing it in the right way? And
when you ask those general questions, it's one of how
can we be more efficient? Are there areas that we

(01:21:00):
can save some expenses and trim back, are there areas
that we really don't need anymore? And then you match
that up with maybe some of the growing needs in
various areas. And we've been hard at work, especially this
last quarter, with the agencies and reviewing their budgets as

(01:21:22):
we go into what we call FISCO twenty seven budget
that will be presented next Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (01:21:30):
So, Eric, the Mors administration takes heat for this, The
Justice administration took heat for this. The idea that the
budget estimates are artificially manipulated in that they are lowered,
they're lower than what will come in, so this or
will actually come in. So there's this you know, artificial

(01:21:50):
surplus that is created. I say this though, fine, fine,
whatever hits the spending in line. I don't ding you
guys for that. What would you say to someone who
makes that argument to you that those estimate numbers are
artificially lowered and manipulated.

Speaker 8 (01:22:10):
Well, I'll say it's false that they're artificially lowered. That's
a called little BF. But sorry about that. But one
thing TJ. In our volume one that we release every
year from the Budget Office, there is a revenue estimates
to go out five years, and so one can look

(01:22:33):
at those and see where the trends are. And as
we look at our out years TJ, they're always suggested
and you know, taking into effect certain changes in tax codes,
certain other changes as it relates federally with policies, tariffs,
whatever it may be. And in general, when we're in

(01:22:58):
this low single digit relationship to estimates, I think that
just tells a heck of a job that our team
here in Revenue does in making estimates and the prior
administration you know, did have a huge benefit of federal

(01:23:19):
inflows and also had a huge benefit and this happens
periodically with the cycle of seven tax increases you both
on coal and especially gas due to some outside constraints
like you know, the Ukraine environment as well as just pricing.

(01:23:41):
So TJ bottom line, our guys are spot on with
their estimates, have done a hell of a job and
will continue to do so, and very proud of them.

Speaker 1 (01:23:53):
Eric Nelson, West Virginia Revenue Secretary. Eric, we appreciate the update,
and we'll talk to you in February.

Speaker 8 (01:24:00):
I'll probably see you here in a couple of weeks
down in the tunnel, or not the tunnel, but in
the capitol.

Speaker 2 (01:24:05):
We will thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:24:05):
Guys, we're in the same spot. Drop by and say hello.

Speaker 3 (01:24:08):
They put me in the tunnel when I'm in trouble,
so you know.

Speaker 1 (01:24:12):
Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson three oh four Talk three oh
four and eight hundred and seven to sixty five talks.
The phone number. The rest of the show belongs to you.
We'll get your thoughts coming up on the other side
of this break. This is talk line from the Encove
insurance studios.

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Speaker 1 (01:26:17):
I'm watching CNN CJ, among other things. I got several
monitors here in the studio and they're doing a report
for the White House on Maduro. But there's also a
graphic like there's a chat going on in between other reporters.
I'm perplexed by this, and I don't like the idea

(01:26:39):
of now we're going to have text messaging on the
screen with the lower third and the the ticker and
the actual shot from the White House. I'm cont this.

Speaker 3 (01:26:53):
Let me make sure I understand. It sounds to me
like CNN is trying to do YouTube. Is that what
it is?

Speaker 1 (01:26:59):
It kind of yeah, it kind of looks like YouTube
with the comments. But these are I think these are reporters.
They got the headshot and the text bubble. It's all
very confusing. Maybe I'm just getting old. I just glanced up.
Seems all very unnecessary.

Speaker 3 (01:27:15):
Whatever the kids like, Dave, what the kids?

Speaker 1 (01:27:17):
Yeah, because the kids are going to see in in
Maybe they're trying a new strategy. We're gonna go after
the kids. Mercy three oh four, talk three oh four.
Let's get some taxed in here, Texter says. So the
lower usage of the car tax credit came about because
anyone who paid their first or second half late, we're

(01:27:38):
not eligible to get the rebate, even though they did
pay their taxes. Sorry, you paid them one day late,
but you don't get your money back. That's what happened
to our family. We were three days late on the
second half of the tax office in Fate County said
that you had to pay on time to be eligible.
That's how it happened.

Speaker 3 (01:27:56):
Yeah, rules are rules.

Speaker 1 (01:27:58):
It's clumsy. It is so clumsy. I didn't like it
when they rolled out the bill. I said at the time,
it's clumsy. It people are going to forget or you're
going to pay your taxes on time, but then you
know if we get the rebate when you do your
taxes or vice versa. It's it is not ideal, not ideal,

(01:28:18):
which I don't want to get into that. That's a
whole show talking about that silly bill. Despite the fact
that we cannot predict the future, a decision like removing
a foreign leader from power has extremely delicate constitutional implications
and the global implications too. Can other countries do the same,
As Grand Master Yoda once said, to a dark place,
this line of thought will take us nice on the

(01:28:42):
Yoda reference. Yes, yes, there are global implications and constitutional implications. Absolutely,
there are. Nobody's saying there's not well, and.

Speaker 3 (01:28:53):
We haven't talked much about this, but personally and again,
I don't know what will happen. That was the essence
of my piece today. I do think a lot of
this is posturing though, for China and Russia and get
out of our backyard and we're not gonna be the
world's cop anymore. But in the Western hemisphere, this is
how we're going to do it. I think that is
a fair assertion or a good guess, an educated guess

(01:29:17):
of one of the drivers prime drivers of the action.

Speaker 1 (01:29:21):
That was taken. We're I have a tendency to bring
these things up before I fully flesh them out, which
gets me in trouble. We're not going to be the
world's cop anymore to each day. I don't think the
Trump administration wants to, but we are that. You know
the scene in the movie where the kid stands up
to the bully and the bully backs down, but in
the backgrounds lurking the big brother who could whip everybody.

(01:29:43):
We're that guy. The United States is that guy. Yeah,
we may not be the world cop, but if need be,
the United States is always going to be lurking there
if necessary. And that's kind of how I. That's kind
of how I, I don't know view it. I guess
for lack of a better description. Well, and dare I
be jaded? Go ahead?

Speaker 3 (01:30:06):
Would a democratically controlled Venezuela still be a member of OPEC?

Speaker 1 (01:30:14):
Maybe? Maybe not?

Speaker 3 (01:30:16):
And is it in the best interests of the United
States for them not to be a member of OPEK? Absolutely,
because if you combine all of the shale oil that
we have with the largest proven reserves in the world
that Venezuela has, all of a Sudden West Texas Intermediate
looks a heck of a lot better when it comes
to setting the global price of oil compared to Brent crude,

(01:30:38):
which Opek dominates right now. Again, a lot of angles.
We'll see three.

Speaker 1 (01:30:43):
Or four, talk three or four. It's a dumb policy.
If something goes down, the European allies will tell us
you're king of the Western Hemisphere. You deal with it. Well, okay, Oh,
the Europeans aren't going to be there to help us out.
What's new? All right? Boys? The US is a bully.

(01:31:04):
I got thoughts on that, but we're running out of
time today. Rules or rules on taxes unless you're a
somal eight fraud recipient in Minnesota. But do we mention
Tim Wall's not running for reelection today.

Speaker 3 (01:31:17):
He's kind of a knucklehead at times. So I wish
I had on my board at the house. My kids
they'll up to pressent because I have hot keys, and
that's one of the hot keys.

Speaker 1 (01:31:26):
I'm a bit of a knucklehead at times. Anyone that
listens to YouTube for your news is wanting to find
something that they believe in and they wanted to be verified.
Otherwise it's garbage, really it's entertainment.

Speaker 3 (01:31:38):
I mean, isn't that the point of being able to
text in and see what's up on CNN. You're not
worried about hearing the news. You're worried about seeing Oh
look it's my text on CNN.

Speaker 1 (01:31:47):
I mean still, I don't under what stand what this is?
Uh Texas, says Northern Dave. Your first ball, good reference.
Your first mistake is watching CNN. Well, I've got multiples.
I've got a couple of monitors here sixty five percent
of the time. I've really settled into NewsNation. I like newstation.

(01:32:07):
I do.

Speaker 3 (01:32:07):
I think they do a down the middle. Here are
the facts they'll bring on both sides of the opinion.
I'm liking NewsNation lately.

Speaker 1 (01:32:15):
Three or four Talk three or four is the text line.
We got to wrap things up. We're back in a moment.
This is talk line from the ingen Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 28 (01:32:24):
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Speaker 29 (01:32:40):
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Speaker 13 (01:32:54):
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(01:33:15):
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Speaker 1 (01:33:40):
What can twenty dollars get you these days? You ask? Well,
the new Jackson scratch off game for starters and a
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retailer today eighteen plus to play. Please play responsibly, all right?

(01:34:02):
I think I figured it out to you. J It's
reporters inside the federal courtroom who are tweeting or texting
information out of the courtroom ahead of the baduro hearing.
That's what's going on.

Speaker 3 (01:34:13):
That's a little different then it's still but it's a
lot to take in because they I'm sure they still
have the scroller on the lower third, right, so that
and the main deal and then the side dish. It's
a lot to take in.

Speaker 1 (01:34:25):
And they're doing a splits. They got three screens. It's
a lot. It's a lot. Serenity now, serenity now.

Speaker 3 (01:34:35):
His day is shot.

Speaker 1 (01:34:36):
All right, let's go do it for us today. Mention
News Midday coming up on many of these, saying Metion
News radio stations, this is talk on met News, the
voice of West Virginia.

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Talkline | Jan. 5, 2026

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