Talkline | July 25, 2025

Chris Wiest, the attorney representing families in Raleigh County seeking religious exemptions for mandatory vaccine laws, explains their case. Hollywood Reporter Kristyn Burt talks about the deaths of four major figures this week. Brad McElhinny and Joe Brocato stop by. Plus, STEAM RELEASE!!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Raleigh County judge weighs in on the religious exemption for
compulsory vaccines. Plus man feels like the nineteen eighties have
taken a hard hit this week. Steam release also coming up.
Loaded Friday edition of Mention News talk Line starts right now.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v RC
Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network, The
Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show in
West Virginia. This is Metro News talk Line with Dave
Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Activated switch network control from Charles.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Stay Bye to you, David, DJ, You're on.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Metro News. Talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling
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Visit encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Good morning, Welcome into the Encoba Insurance studios. Stave Wilson
of Morgantown. TJ. Meadows is in Charleston today eight hundred
and seven to sixty five. Talk is the phone number
eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. You
can text the show at three oh four Talk three
oh four. Steam release coming up eleven thirty three on
a Friday. You know that Brad McIlhenny will stop by.

(01:40):
Plus we'll talk to Kristen Burt's Hard Week for nineteen
eighties fans with the deaths of Ozzy, Osbourn, Hawk Hogan,
Malcolm Jamal Water, Chuck Mangione in there as well. We'll
dive into all of that. Plus we'll revisit some of
our conversation or at least reflect on our conversation yesterday

(02:00):
with new w President doctor Michael Benson, who joined us
in the studio.

Speaker 5 (02:04):
GJ Good morning, morning, buddy. It is hot out there.
I mean, it's the end of July, it's going to
be hot, but it's extremely hot today. Warnings across the
Mountain state, my PSA, make sure you're hydrating. Make sure
you're putting a couple bottles of water down every now
and then, and keeping yourself protected sunscreen. You know, heat
exhaustion is a real thing. Don't mess around with it.
The heat will win every time.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Hydrating not a problem here in Morgantown. Right at the moment,
there's a big blob of red and orange moving across
the radar here in the Greater Morgantown metropolit Really Oh yeah, okay, yeah, okay,
you may. I don't know if Micha will pick it up,
but there's been some pretty good rumbles of thunder here
in the last ten minutes or so, so you did
not realize that. Thank you for bringing me up to speed.

(02:47):
We're getting a little storm a little bit. Hey, it's July,
it's hot, it's humid, you get thunderstorms.

Speaker 5 (02:52):
That's there.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
You go.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Not really out of the ordinary here, but yeah, be aware,
be aware. We'll reflect on the conversation with doctor Michael
be from yesterday. If you missed that conversation, any or
all of it, there are a couple of ways you
can go back and consume that. It's available on the
Metro News TV app, and of course you can get
the download or download the podcast version of the show

(03:13):
wherever popular podcasts are available. Yesterday, a Raleigh County judge
weighed in on the religious exemptions question, granting a preliminary
injunction for family seeking exemptions to West Virginia's compulsory school vaccinations.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Raleigh County
mother and other family seeking religious exemptions under the governor's

(03:35):
executive order. The judge said the court believes the compulsory
vaccination law is not valid without a religious exemption. Chris
Weist is the attorney representing the families and he joins
us on Metro News talk Line this morning. Chris, good morning,
appreciate you taking some time.

Speaker 6 (03:52):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
So why are the families seeking this exemption.

Speaker 6 (03:59):
Well, there's three families that are parties to the case.
Miranda Gusman and her minor children, Mandatoly her minor children,
Carl Hunter and her minor children. And in short, they
want their children to be able to take advantage of
being able to attend school. And you know, it's a

(04:20):
guaranteed fundamental right under the West Virginia Constitution. They've got
sincerely held religious beliefs against vaccinations and the you know,
just some history when Governor Morrissey took office, and there
have been prior litigation we've been involved in. We've gotten

(04:41):
a federal court order maybe a year and a half
ago on behalf of a child that was being excluded
because the vaccination status in the in the case style
Perry versus Martini that's now up in the Fourth Court Appeals, Uh,
and we've gotten plan in junctive relief for for that

(05:02):
child and our parents, and when Governor Morrissey took office,
I didn't correctly recognize that there was a problem both
the federal Constitution and under state law under the Equal
Protection for Religion Act, and they began that Department of
Health began issuing religious exemptions to the vaccine requirements. The
State Board of Education directed local boards to ignore that

(05:27):
requirement to not honor religious exemptions even though the state
Health Department had granted them. Then that was the impetus
for the litigation that we brought on behalf of this.
Gusman ms totally and Miss Hunter Chris.

Speaker 5 (05:43):
There has been perception out there. This isn't my characterization,
but I've seen it. Some have said these clients or clients,
they've called them political activists. Is that fair?

Speaker 6 (05:54):
I don't think so. I mean, if you understand who
these folks are and he look at them, I don't
think you can say that at all. I mean, you know,
Miranda Guzman is a widow. She is, uh, you know,

(06:14):
in kind of financially strapped. She's got sincerely held religious beliefs,
and the state put her in a position between you know,
having the homeschool or which is a big burden, you know,
if you're a single working parent, or you know, kind
of giving into, you know, to your religious place, violating

(06:35):
your religious place. And I think when you do that,
you know that that's the problem. I you know, there
are people on both sides of this vaccination issue in
the state of West Virginia that we're aware of, and
you know, I don't think you can say that about
these three planeffs at all.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
We're talking to Chris Wise. He's the attorney representing the
families in Raleigh County who are granted a preliminary in
junction yesterday with regards to the religious exemption to compulsory
school vaccinations. So, Chris, what's the main crux of your
argument why these exemptions should be granted.

Speaker 6 (07:11):
So in twenty twenty three, the West Virginia legislature passed
legislation known as the Equal Protection for Religion Act. It's
Section thirty five one a BASH one of the West
Virginia Code, and it has a provision that says, notwithstanding
any other provision of law, no state action may And
there's some requirements you know that are underneath that substantially

(07:35):
burden the exercise of religion unless it's essential to compelling
and governmental interest, and it's the least restrictive means or
treating religious conduct more restrictively than any other conduct of
comparable risks. The legislature went in and they passed the
law that basically it was it is analogous to the
Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and it grafts onto every

(07:59):
single West Virginia law. You know, a requirement to be
sensitive to religious beliefs, and you know you can only
override those in certain circumstances. And that law also provides
for an action that you can bring or people that
are in grief can bring under it, and you know
that's the action that we've asserted.

Speaker 5 (08:20):
I remember the debate in the House. I remember more
Capito standing up and talking about this. He was on
the Judiciary Committee. Someone brought up the point that this
may be the case. You may see this argument in
court in the future, and the point was made on
the floor it seemed to represent the intent of the
legislature that that's not what this law would do. It

(08:42):
had nothing to do with vaccines. I'm paraphrasing at that point,
does the intent of the legislature have anything to do
here in this case?

Speaker 6 (08:50):
So courts determine the intent of the legislature based on
the text of the legislation, not the arguments of legislators
on the floor. And when you look at the text
of legislation, it says notwithstanding any other provision of law. Now,
if they wanted to exempt out the vaccination law from
the reach of the statute, they could have said notwithstanding

(09:12):
any other provision of law other than the compulsory vaccination law.
That's not what the legislature said. They said, any other
provisional law. So, you know, I understand that there were
arguments made, you know, on the floor about this maybe,
but you know, at the end of the day, that
doesn't really matter for courts that are looking at the
text of a statute.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
Chris, the school system will argue that the state school
Board of Education will argue that this is a public
health matter, This is public health policy. We don't want
kids getting measles, we don't get a mumps, polio, these
things that have been basically eradicated. Oh, how do you
counter that argument?

Speaker 6 (09:50):
You know, one of the things that is truly interesting
when we've argued this and we've demonstrated it in both
federal court and now on state court, is that if
stopping the spread of communical disease your interest, if that's
what you're after, well, you allow children to be homeschooled,
they don't have to be vaccinated. You allow what are
called learning pods. It's in the statute where you can allow.

(10:15):
You know, even our understanding is there are kids to
congregate unvaccinated. You know, up to one hundred kids in
a learning pod, which are kind of like homeschool co ops.
Those are allowed. You don't require vaccination checks to attend
public events in West Virginia. You don't require vaccination for adults, teachers, coaches, administrators,

(10:41):
jan ors, bus drivers to work in the school system.
So you're you know, you've got kind of this very
under inclusive targeting, if you will, of certain kids. By
the way, you allow medical addemptions, and you're not willing
to allow relived axemptions. And when you look at the
statistics and for religious exemptions, it's usually pretty small. I mean,

(11:04):
there are some states that also allow philosophical exemptions. There's
more of those because you're not actually requiring a demonstration
of religious sincerity for you say, I'm philosophically opposed. Okay,
here's your redemption. But when you look at and this
is in our at the evidence that we put on,
it's typically under two percent in a state that seeks
these exemptions. In West Virginia today it's about I think,

(11:27):
what to five hundred kids that have gotten these exemptions.
Just so you know, that is under a tenth of
a percent of the kids that we're talking about in
exclusisom And when you go, for instance, to look at
CDC statistics on herd immunity, you know, even the most
infectious of diseases chicken pox, measles, mumps, you are looking

(11:52):
at herd immunity statistics per the CDC of ninety to
ninety five percent, So you're really looking at just a
really small handful of k And what.

Speaker 5 (12:01):
Happens if we go above that threshold. What happens if
we go above the five percent, if we grant blanket
religious exemptions, and we go above the threshold.

Speaker 6 (12:09):
That's not been the experience in forty five other states
that grant these exemptions fairly frequently. But the answer is
exactly what the other states do. If you've got an outbreak,
which is you keep the unvaccinated kids home, you would
also keep in the event of an outbreak, probably anybody
that's in me a compromised home, and then you know,
you the disease burns itself out. I mean that is
how forty five other states have been successfully able to

(12:31):
deal with this is you you implement control measures in
the eventoment outbreak, but you don't infringe on somebody's fundamental
religious liberty. You know, by the way, I think we
all know this from the COVID experience. Disease can't spread
unless you've got it right. If you're not affected, you're
not spreading it. And so in the eventoment outbreak, you
take appropriate control measures and you're done. Forty five other
states have done it, They've done it successfully. And these percentages,

(12:53):
you know a lot of states have done this for decades.
You know, they don't get about two percent. And I
think again, you can get more if you allow philosophical
exemptions also, but when you're just dealing with religious exemptions,
only the statistics and again this is forty five other states.
The CDC tracks this, it's under two percent, you know,

(13:14):
almost uniformly.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
Chris, what latitude does the court have to determine if
someone has an actually an actual sincere deeply held religious belief.

Speaker 6 (13:27):
So and I do a lot of religious liberty litigation.
The court always can determine whether somebody is sincere. Courts
are not allowed to judge, you know, whether it's logical consistent,
whether it makes sense. I mean, if you believe in
the flying spaghetti Monster, and you know, and I joke
about that, but if that's your belief and it's sincere,
courts can't judge that.

Speaker 7 (13:47):
But they can.

Speaker 6 (13:48):
Determine whether or not you're telling the truth. And courts
make that determination all the time. That's what judges and
juries do in every single case where there's a fact dispute.
You look at the person that's you know, and you
determined are they being sincere? They are they truthful? Right?
I mean, that's why we have jury trials. That's why
we have court trials. You know, that's a function that

(14:09):
courts do all of the time to determine somebody telling
the truth.

Speaker 5 (14:12):
Orbout, what's the next step here? Because my understanding, and
please correct me if I'm wrong, As you know, I'm
not an attorney. The injunction was issued temporarily yesterday. It
applies essentially to the three parties, the three families, and
their children do. I don't know that that has any
bearing on what the Raleigh County Board of Education would

(14:32):
do for other students or what other county boards of
education in the state would do. I believe it's my
understanding the State Board has has put out guidance telling
the counties to still follow the compulsory vaccination law. I'd
like your thoughts on what message this should send to
other boards of education, what the next steps will be
in the case.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
You know, I would be cautious if I were local
boards in doing that. I'd be cautious ifire the State
Board and it's handling of this.

Speaker 7 (15:01):
There are.

Speaker 6 (15:04):
Attorney fee provisions in the e p r A that
you know, the state can be held viable for. But
I do think that there's a legal dispute, and there
was discussion between us and the State Board Council yesterday
about next steps, whether it is certifying legal questions to
the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, whether it's you know,

(15:26):
additional appellate action. And then I think Judge Groebel is
looking to resolve you know, by way of a permanent
order fairly quickly, you know. I think he had mentioned
fourteen days and then that, you know, but it might
be longer if the party gets the calendars out and
the attorneys get the calendars out and we need to
schedule it out. I think we were having discussions yesterday
about trying to get a final hearing in this matter

(15:47):
in early September, and then we'll have a full record
that will go up. You know, I would assume into
the appellate court to decide, you know, some of the
legal issues in this case.

Speaker 1 (15:58):
Chris Wise is the attorney representing those families in Raleigh
County granted e preliminary injunction where they're seeking religious exemptions
to the state's mandatory school vaccination law. Chris, thank you
for the update. Appreciate it and keep us posting on
us this case works its way through.

Speaker 6 (16:13):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
Coming up, we'll get your text in three or four.
Talk through four, we'll reflect on yesterday's conversation with new
w President doctor Michael Benson that as talk line continues
from the Enco Insurance Studios.

Speaker 8 (16:25):
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Speaker 2 (17:37):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
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Speaker 1 (17:47):
Text line three or four. Talk three or four. We'll
get some of your reactions coming up. Brad mclhenny will
join us top of the eleven o'clock hour this morning.
We'll talk about reactions from around the state, including Governor
Morrissey TJ. Yesterday we had a long conversation, our conversation
with doctor Michael Benson joined us in studio. You wrote
about it in your commentary this morning. What stood out

(18:10):
to you from that conversation yesterday.

Speaker 5 (18:13):
First impression solid, I mean, the guy can do it all.
His resume is outstanding, not only all the academic accomplishments,
college basketball player, classically trained pianist. We didn't get into
that with him yesterday, but the dude can do that. Fundraising, Dave,
He's raised a lot of money at a lot of
different schools and that's going to be key moving forward,
especially for WVU. Now the challenge wvu's on a bigger field,

(18:37):
it's our one. It's got the medical center tied into
a health system, a lot of different challenges, a lot
of headwinds with enrollment, not that he's unfamiliar with those,
but it's on a scale he hasn't been at yet.
But overall, I found him confident yet humble. I found
him authentic, good energy. I think he's got a bright
future and the institution will prosper under him. That's my

(18:57):
two cents.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
You'll be surprised was listening intently to our discussion about athletics,
because the world of college athletics is moving at a
breakneck pace. You've got the President weighing in with executive
orders now about how college athletics needs to be governed
as far as whether players are athletes or employees or
whatever their status is. And it was really it really

(19:21):
stood out to me that he emphasized that while we
get focused on football, basketball, the revenue generating sports and
the players and their big NIL deals, that ninety five
percent of the athletes will not be professional athletes, will
not make their living playing a sport, and that it
is important that they get the most out of their
college experience while navigating this new world of nil and

(19:43):
revenue sharing and all that, but make certain they're leaving
trained and ready to pursue whatever it is their professional
lives are going to have in front of them. And
that gets lost on us sports guys a lot in
the conversation because we do get focused in on all
the other stuff, talking about you know, seven figure in
I deals for quarterbacks and basketball players and such. And
I thought, I don't know if that was a breath

(20:05):
of fresh air to the conversation. Maybe it was, but
that stood out to me that that has to be
a focus. Yes, these other things are happening, but we
have to provide these experiences and make certain they're ready
to go.

Speaker 5 (20:16):
I found that impressive. Sometimes the little things offer the
greatest insight. The question I asked him about whether or
not getting the board to buy into his vision, if
that would be his failure or his success, I don't
know if you cut the answer. He said, yes, it
would be my failure, but he didn't claim that it
would be his success. That implied everyone's success. I found

(20:37):
that to be very telling and demonstrative of somebody who
knows how to be a good leader. I was very
impressed by that comment.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
And I talked to a few people yesterday. Texted with
a couple of people who listened to the interview and
have met him, and they kind of came away with
those same thoughts to Eja, good first impressions. Impressive guy.
He's trying to immerse himself in the West Virginia, not
just university, but West Virginia community, because look, we're a
small community, we're a small state, right, trying to immerse

(21:05):
himself and really make himself visible and accessible. Kind of
like Gordon Gee did, but I think he was at
the ballpark last night. Yeah, yeah, he was at the
American Legion tournament last night up there. So yeah, I
came away with as you did. I think impressed good
first impression, and I'm very interested to see where the
next steps go under his leadership. Here indeed, three or

(21:29):
four talk three or four is the tax line eight
hundred and seven to sixty five eight two five five
the phone number. Other side of the news break, Kristin
Burt will join us, Hollywood reporter. It's it's been a
tough week. Three four big names passing away, all within
days of each other. We'll talk to her about that.
This talk line on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia,
it is ten thirty times to get a news update.

(21:50):
Let's check in with the Metro News radio network. Find
out what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 3 (21:55):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins, both us Sanders,
Sheennimore Kapeto and Ivoner Patrick Morrise. He or urging flood
victims in Ohio and Marion Counties to sign up for
individual assistance under the new disaster declaration, Capito is saying
during an appearance Thursday on Metro News Midday, she knows
the weight was frustrating, she says, especially since Texas flooding
received its disaster declaration right away.

Speaker 11 (22:16):
That's kind of what happened in the twenty sixteen flood.
It was so big and so huge. It just came quickly.
Because to be able to you have to estimate the
damages and if you have to have a certain threshold
of damage. So the governor had to do that, which
he did in a timely fashion.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Governor Morrissey traveled a wheeling on Thursday. Recent waterline breaks
in Clarksburg are linked to a sixty million dollar water
system upgrade. Bobby Tenney with the Thrasher Group says when
the system is taken offline and then repressurized, leaks and
breaks occur in the older lines. He says, they're doing
a lot of work, sir, there's going to be some
temporary headaches.

Speaker 12 (22:51):
We actually have one hundred and seventeen thousand feet of
main transmission line that we're replacing. There'll be nine hundred
and sixty five valves replaced, to hundred and twenty five
fire hydrants and ride around twenty four hundred customer service.

Speaker 3 (23:04):
At the same time, sewer work and some natural gas
line work also taking place. It's a LEDs that three
out of state residents stole identities and then use those
identities and withdraw large sums of money from people's bank
branches in Louisbourg and Spencer More At our website, you're
listening to Metro News, the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 9 (23:23):
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Speaker 3 (24:22):
A teenager charge and a Charleston murder and robbery is
in court this morning. Sixteen year old Barrock Williams is
a waiting trial after being accused and taking part in
the January twenty twenty fourth murder and robbery at the
Tobacco and Pipe shop on Seventh Avenue, where nineteen year
old Kaden Martin was shot and killed. A codefendant, Brjon
Williams Hampton, has already been convicted. A status hearing taking

(24:45):
place today in Canawa County Circuit Court. We're in the
courtroom and we'll have more at the website from the
Metro News anchor desk. I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
The West Virginia Open final round today at Sleepy Hollow.
Metro News Sports. Joe Braccado is there. We'll get an
update Brad McIlhenny. Top of the hour, we'll get back
into the discussion regarding vaccine exemptions and the reactions too
yesterday's ruling in Raleigh County Circuit Court. But this week
has been tough, especially if you grew up in the
eighties early nineties. A lot of nostalgia come flooding back.

(25:33):
As we got word earlier this week that Malcolm Jamal
Warner had passed away tragically down in Costa Rica. Of
course theo Huxtable. Then we learned Ozzy Osbourne passed away.
Ozzy just had that final show with Black Sabbath. Well,
I mean it's been really days, weeks ago, Hulk Hogan yesterday,
and Chuck BANNGEONI on top of that. Kristin Bird, Hollywood reporter,

(25:55):
joins us here on Metro News talk line. Kristin, good morning.
It's been a heck of the week if you grew
up in the eighties and nineties.

Speaker 14 (26:02):
Yeah, it's been a really tough week. Just when you think, okay,
we've just gotten over talking about Malcolm Jamal Warner, you know,
all of a sudden, then you get Ozzy Osbourne and
then it's Hull Cogan. It really and people talk about
the fact that oftentimes celebrity deaths come in threes. Connie
Francis actually kind of kicked it off late last week

(26:22):
and then we've kind of rolled through that all the
way through. Chuck Mangionis you just mentioned and I go,
that's five. That makes me think, don't tell me we
have one more coming. I hate that.

Speaker 5 (26:33):
Enough is enough enough with Theo Huxtable, as I lovingly
want to call him, his role in the Cosby Show.
Talked about how that shaped the eighties because in my mind,
you know, you've got you've got the doctor and the lawyer,
the mom and dad, right, and that son that is
maybe struggling a little bit. Take it from there.

Speaker 4 (26:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (26:53):
Absolutely. They were an upper middle class family in New
York City, in Brooklyn, of course, and the fact that
THEO always trying to find his way, He always got
in a little bit of trouble. He had incredible scenes
that oftentimes would play off of Bill Cosby book Cosby,
you know, playing Doctor Huxtable with all these expectations for
his son, his son, you know, and all the times

(27:16):
you know, THEO would disappoint him. But those comedic moments
really stand out to me. And the fact that The
Cosby Show on Thursday nights was must see TV, and
if you were alive in the eighties. You know exactly
what I'm talking about. NBC had appointment television.

Speaker 1 (27:32):
Kristen Burt joining us here on Metro News talk line.
What impact did that show have on future sitcoms?

Speaker 14 (27:41):
Well, what happens is when you have a show that's
successful like the Cosby Show. I'll also use friends kind
of in this example, they start to go, hey, we
want something just like the Cosby Show. So we saw
a lot of family sitcoms come out of this, of course,
and I think the fact that you know, family matters
was able to run because the Cosby Show walks that

(28:03):
type of thing, and also the idea of what the
black American family looks like too. Bill Cosby's idea was
to really showcase a different side to sometimes what the
media or Hollywood would portray, and that's why you had
a doctor and a lawyer in the same family. And
I think so many people were able to relate to

(28:23):
that on many different levels. And I really think that
it changed the focus of Hollywood in terms of how
sometimes black families were portrayed.

Speaker 5 (28:32):
Transitioning to Ozzy Osbourne, shame on me, I should know this.
I did not know that he had been struggling with
Parkinson's disease.

Speaker 14 (28:40):
He in fact was diagnosed in two thousand and three.
He kept that diagnosis secret until twenty twenty, and he
has had a series of accidents and falls that he
struggled with in the last five years. So if you
looked at him over I would say the last five
to eight years, you really saw that his health was
fait ailing. He had neck injuries, he had back injuries,

(29:03):
and it was one of those situations in addition to
his addiction struggles too. You just saw how frail he
was in the past few years. And the concert, which
you were just mentioning a few moments ago, that really
was a celebration of his life because his family knew
that his end was near.

Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, he had that ATV accident, right, suffered the broken
bones in his back and neck and just never really
I mean, those are catastrophic injuries to if you're in
great health. He never really was able to recover from that.

Speaker 14 (29:31):
He never was able to recover. And that accident was
back in two thousand if you go and think about it,
and then he had a fall in twenty twenty again
that exacerbated that accident, and in addition to his addiction
and pain pills came into play here. With all of that,
it was a struggle for twenty five years. If you
think about that, that's a long time to be in
chronic pain.

Speaker 5 (29:52):
On his music. I mean nothing against his music. Wasn't
quite my thing, but everybody knows, you know, some of
those staple hits. But I remember the Osbourne's on MTV
and that kind of shaping the reality series. I mean,
they were a front runner. They weren't at first, but
they were early on there.

Speaker 14 (30:09):
I'm so glad you mentioned that, because I don't feel
like this dialogue is being talked about enough. The fact
that the Osbourne's really did shape the family reality drama.
And again, the Osborne's paved the path for the Kardashians,
and a lot of people are probably screaming at me
right now, going not the Kardashians, but they really did

(30:29):
create that pathway for those type of reality shows, which
are incredibly important to the Hollywood dialogue. In all of that,
and the Osbourne's were unapologetically themselves and they would swear,
they would act crazy, and they are exactly who they
are on air and off air.

Speaker 5 (30:47):
There's no difference and they loved Pat Boone, their next
door neighbor, which I just always had to chuckle at.

Speaker 1 (30:53):
Kristen Burt joining his Hollywood reporter We're going to save
the best for last, but I wanted to mention Chuck
MANJIONI and I'm gonna metro New state Wide correspondent Brad mcklhenny.
We were talking about this in the pre show meeting
and he goes who and we all went, you know
the music?

Speaker 5 (31:08):
Look him up?

Speaker 1 (31:09):
And he googled and goes, oh, yeah, yeah, I've heard
that guy. I know what he I've heard that music before,
so that was kind of That may be a great
way to describe him. Though you probably heard his music
and you may have never known it.

Speaker 14 (31:22):
It's quite possible. And the fact that an instrumental song
was like a number one hit is incredible because that
would never ever happen in twenty twenty five. And I
had a dance teacher who used to choreograph a lot
to his music. So that is the reason I know
who he is, and I so appreciate that because his
music is timeless, and.

Speaker 1 (31:41):
He made an appearance, well, at least the cartoon character.
If you remember the King of the Hill series, you know,
the Mike Judge seried on Fox. He was in the scene,
like he lived in Arland, Texas, in this, in the
in the comedy there, and every once in a while
Chuck MANGIONI would show up on King of the Hill
of all places.

Speaker 10 (31:58):
So I love that.

Speaker 14 (32:00):
It's so absurd and obscure and amazing.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
Finally, hul Cogan passing away yesterday. And look, if you
grew up in West Virginia, you only had three channels
on the rooftop antenna. Saturday afternoons, you were going to
see Big Time Professional wrestling and you were going to
see hal Cogan.

Speaker 14 (32:17):
Yeah, back in the era of WWF. My brother had
I don't want to call him dolls because he'll yell
at me back action figures.

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yeah, but they were like one, pretty big.

Speaker 14 (32:26):
They weren't stuffed, they were actually like rubbers, but they
were pretty big. And so there were dolls to me.
But he had Hull Cogan, and he had you know,
the iron cheek and mean Jean Oakerland. I remember all
of these thanks to my brother. But the Hull Cogan
situation too. I mean he was seventy one. He died
of cardiac arrest. But there have been rumors about his

(32:48):
health over the last couple of months. I have a
friend who works over at TMZ and they've been hearing
a lot of rumors that he was struggling with his health.
His family was saying, no, he's fine, he's fine, but
then this happens yesterday, and you know, Hogan's legacy is complicated.
A lot of people remember him as a wrestler, but
off camera, you know, another family that had a reality show.

(33:09):
You know, we had Hogan Knows Best. There were a
lot of struggles with his kids, with a Nick Hogan
and his daughter as well, and she was completely estranged
from the family at the time of his passing brook
And I think that, you know, it was a hard
time and it was a hard life for them.

Speaker 5 (33:26):
Off air, Hogan was a pioneer in my mind when
he threw stallone over that top rope in Rocky three?
Did that really pave the way for what the Rock
did and Sena is doing and all these other wrestlers.

Speaker 14 (33:42):
I think it did because if you look at what
the movie Rocky did, it legitimized wrestling in the Hollywood scope.
And I think that that sort of started to blur
the lines and pave the path for John and for
Dwayne for them to really come in and make their mark.
I would even say the Bella Twins as well, who
have done have been very successful in Hollywood. And you know,

(34:03):
before it used to just be wrestling is all fake,
it's nothing, and you know, people would just roll their
eyes at it. But it really got to a point
where Hollywood executives were like, yes, we want John, we
want Hulk, we want you know, all of these people
in our movies. So I think that that was pretty
amazing that Sylvester Stallone knew what he was doing when

(34:23):
he put Hulk in his film.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
Kristin will land the plane here. Why does it hit
different when celebrities you grew up watching as a kid, right,
we watched these Cosby watched Big Time wrestling. Why is
it hit different?

Speaker 14 (34:39):
I think the nostalgia of it all and we look
back to simpler times. You know, twenty twenty five sometimes
feels very complicated, and you think back. When I think
back to The Cosby Show, there weren't that many channels.
There were four channels. We were just starting to get cable,
and especially in my neighborhood.

Speaker 15 (34:54):
We didn't.

Speaker 14 (34:55):
I don't think we got cable until like nineteen eighty
three or four. They just didn't exist. And you know,
when I look at Malcolm Jamal Warner when I first
moved to Los Angeles, he was actually my neighbor and
it's such a kind, generous, sweet man. So I look
back even fondly on my time of being new to
Los Angeles and seeing someone I grew up watching on

(35:17):
TV and being so incredibly nice off off camera. But
Hulk Again, it's that looking back to what WWF was
now it's WWE, and how big wrestling has grown. And
of course when it comes to music, we have a
lot of icons that I get nervous about because they
have created the soundtrack for our lives and a lot

(35:37):
of them are getting older, and I think we just
look at that with some bittersweetness.

Speaker 1 (35:42):
Hollywood reporter Kristen Burt always appreciate it. Thank you very much,
Thank you so much.

Speaker 14 (35:46):
Have a good weekend coming up.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
We'll check you out with Joe Bricato. He's covering West Virginia.
Open today. Your text on the way as well. Three
or four Talk three or four it's talk line from
the en Cove Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 2 (37:05):
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Visit incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
Texter says, I only knew of Chuck Mangioni because of
King of the Hill. I told you he was part
of the show. Uh three or four Talk three or four.
Don't forget Mangoni which mentioned in Friends that scene where
Phoebe's trying to figure out who were Uh mom and
dad are the one with That's true? Uh TJ not

(37:36):
being into Ozzie is the least surprising revelation of this
of his tody, go play your in Sync and Backstreet
Boys CDs and have a great week.

Speaker 17 (37:45):
Shit.

Speaker 1 (37:48):
Wow, by the way, are you sitting down for this?
Are you sitting down?

Speaker 5 (37:51):
Are you sure?

Speaker 1 (37:52):
I mean this? This can rock your world? Go h
Front Desk, Emily of Front Desk in Morgantown. She broke
the whole wide open. You know what's really going on
to Jay with with with the deaths of these uh
these celebrities happening in just days apart? Are you ready?
Clearly it's connected to the Epstein files. Prove it's not.

(38:14):
Prove their names aren't there. She cracked the case wide open.

Speaker 5 (38:19):
Today you're enjoying that on so many different levels.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
I did sell her. I mean I was dying, I
was doubled over laughing, and I said, you have made
my day. You have made my day. She's prove it's not.
We can prove because he has posted on x already
photographic evidence that Metro News Sports Joe Bricado is at
Sleepy Hollow today for the final round of the West
Virginia Open, and he joins us on Metro News talk

(38:44):
Line this morning. Joe, good morning to join you, Joe,
Christian Brand and Ryan Bilby. They are tied for the
lead going into the final day. Set the scene for.

Speaker 20 (38:55):
Us well, right now we have the third to last
group coming out the toll, a spot that I'm sure
TJ knows very well here at Slippy Hollow. The penultimate
group will follow and then the final group at eleven o'clock.
And as you mentioned, Christian Brand and Ryan Bilbi both
tied for the thirty six hole lead at nine under
part that o'becky wheeling with one shot back and lots

(39:16):
of very familiar names in Washington golf circles at the
top of the leaderboard. As we get set to put
a bowl on the tournament just a little bit.

Speaker 5 (39:25):
So Joe Christian being there doesn't surprise me. Aside from
being his home course. I think he probably has the
course record. I'd have to talk to the pro to
remind myself of that. But who's in the running that
maybe we didn't expect to be there?

Speaker 20 (39:35):
Anybody sticking out, honestly, DJ, there's lots of very familiar
names at the top of the leaderboard. I mean you
look at the top ten and it's all guys that
have great pedigree brands. A former champion of this Bilbie
is as well. O'becny is a former state high school
champion who's competing professionally now. Connor Jarvis is tied for fourth,
is a recent amateur champion. Chris Williams one of the

(39:56):
top amateur golfers in the state. Sam Odell obviously knows
this course quite well and he's got four amateur titles
to his credit. So and of course David Bradshaw, who's
about to come up as I can give a little
play by play if you'd like. Bradshaw sizing up his shot.
It looks like he has about seventy yards to reach
the green here on the par four first hole. To
be honest, DJ, it's all guys that have great pedigree

(40:19):
and there's not a lot of upstart players that are
kind of crashing the party.

Speaker 1 (40:23):
Hang on, finish that here, Joe. I mean, you're you're
ready for the PGA Tour. Go on the tour with
the Nance and Trinco and the guys.

Speaker 20 (40:31):
Well, pardon me as I speak in subdued tones. As
Bradshaw overlooks his shot, takes the club away shot approaching
the green and Bradshaw leaves himself about ten feet for
birdie here at the par four first hole. All golfers
in the group in good shape with thirty bucks.

Speaker 5 (40:48):
And that's a tough hault. I think that's one handicap
on the scorecard unless something has changed. Talk about the
course conditions. I mean summer it's blazing hot. It's hard
to keep a course in good shape. What are the
players saying about the conditions out there? What are you
hearing from them in terms of course conditions?

Speaker 20 (41:02):
Yeah, early returns very promising. That the greens look to
be impeccable shape. Of course, the rough is Bermuda here,
so it takes the heat quite well. But you know,
the greens seem to be rolling pretty fast, and you
look at some of the numbers that have been put
up in the first two rounds, and obviously the course
conditions have a great deal to do with that. It's
very playable and shaping up to be. I'd say probably

(41:24):
the winner probably gets to at least twelve under par to.

Speaker 6 (41:27):
Win this thing.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
Joe, how are the players handling the conditions.

Speaker 20 (41:30):
It's hot and humid, it is, but you know, it's
been that way for a while now, and I think
the players are are pretty well acclimated to it. There's
a little bit of a breeze, which probably doesn't help
you as you're setting up an approach shop, but it
does cool things down a little bit. So all things considered,
I think the players are fine if they're at the top.
But there's no danger of getting taken off the course
for you know, severe weather or anything like that. I

(41:52):
think they'd prefer this what we have as opposed to
the latter.

Speaker 5 (41:56):
I was looking at social media and some of the
photos seems like a pretty good part going on. It
seems like they were you know, decent, you know, nothing stellar.
I mean, it's it's the open, but seeming like there's
a decent crowd there is that the case or.

Speaker 20 (42:08):
No, Yeah, that was pretty good crowd at the clubhouse,
and lots of you know, spectators that you know may
wait a little bit before picking a group that they
want to go out on the course and follow. But
this is always one of the best attended events in
terms of the players in the field, with the professionals,
ani amateurs and spectators as well. So you know, when
you've got the best of the best, and this is

(42:29):
really the only opportunity that you get the best pros
and the best amateurs to compete against each other. You know,
it's it's always a highlight event on the Golf Association
calendar every year.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
Atternating Sports Joe Riccato, he'll have highlights and full coverage
of the final round of the West Virginia Open from
Sleepy Hollow. Post it up over at wdvmetronews dot com. Joe,
thank you very much, buddy, appreciate it.

Speaker 20 (42:52):
Got a guys, Thank you, Joe.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
We'll get into a couple of your text messages. Wrap
up our number one. Brad Mackleheney joins us Top of
the Hour and of course Steve Release at eleven thirty three.
This is talk line from the in Cob Insurance studios.

Speaker 8 (43:05):
A lot of attention has been directed towards something President
Trump calls clean beautiful coal. That phrase often describes the
clean burning aspect of West Virginia coal, But there is
another type of coal, metallurgical coal, which is used to
make the steel our economy depends on, and West Virginia
has some of the highest quality met coal in the world.

(43:26):
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As President Trump reinvigorates our economy, he will need a
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Speaker 10 (43:46):
Quality met coal.

Speaker 8 (43:47):
So the West Virginia Coal Association asks you to join
with them to recognize, honor and salute our West Virginia
coal miners. They built this country and will play a
vital role in rebuilding the economy that will power the
twenty first century. A message from the friends of coal.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Let's get in some texts before the top of the
hour three or four Talk three oh four. That is
the text line a reminder that jackpots are growing in
West Virginia. Jackpotts are on the rise every week. Power
Balls hit Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mega Millions lights up
Tuesdays and Friday. That's five chances a week to get

(44:41):
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eighteen plus to play. Please play responsibly. The Powerball jackpot
is three hundred and fifty million dollars. The Mega Millions
jackpot is one hundred and twenty million, So go ahead,
play today. Tex says, I was a teen in the
eighties and grew up on the legends Hogan, Macho, Roddy Piper,

(45:02):
Rick Flair, Dusty Rhoades. I'll admit I cried some yesterday
when some classic wrestlemaniaclipse aired on television. Out of all
of them, Haulk was the one who came from nowhere
and made professional wrestling great. He paved the road, and
they and the next generation now to follow. There will
never be another. We love you, Halkster, says the Texter

(45:25):
three oh four Talk three four. Yes, there's still nats
flying around in the studio. By the way, if you
see me flailing about on the video stream today. Let's
see if we're going to discuss golf, can we talk
about the release of Happy Gilmour too. That's the real story,
says the Texter. Uh yeah, that's on the list this weekend.

(45:45):
For me at least, I'm a big Sandler movie fan.
I know a lot of there are his critics, but
they're fun, they're lighthearted. It's the same cast every movie
I'm in. I'm all in on Sandler movies.

Speaker 5 (45:57):
I would be pleased as punch if Chubbs made some
kind of cameo in there, like from Beyond the Grave
or something. You know.

Speaker 1 (46:05):
Uh, well, don't put a past Saandler to pull something
like that off.

Speaker 5 (46:09):
Yeah, I'm going cold. I haven't seen the previews or anything,
but I do want to watch it this weekend too.

Speaker 1 (46:13):
Yeah, it's on the list. South Park absolutely shredded Trump,
says the Texter. South Park shredded everybody, and I included
South Park. I was talking about comedy this week after
you know, Colbert got he will be counseled. He's gonna
be on air for another ten months. You want to
talk about a dark comedy that goes after anybody and

(46:34):
everybody to point out the absurd. It's raunchy, buyer beware,
But south Park does it. It goes after everybody and
anybody and doesn't hold back.

Speaker 5 (46:46):
If Colbert says, you know what, I'll beat you to
the punch and he just walks out one day before
that year, I hadn't even thought about that yet.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
Yeah, but if he walks out, he ain't gonna get
that the rest of that contract.

Speaker 5 (46:57):
He's, oh, well, that's fair, big money.

Speaker 1 (47:00):
That's a lot of money to leave on the table,
even for Colbert all right, speaking to leave of money
on the table. Metch News state why, corresponding Brad McWhinney,
it was not a good transition at all. I tried.
It didn't work. Macwhenny's going to join us six minutes
from now, come back and join us as well. This
is Talklana Metro News, the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Second hour Metro News talk Line here on a Friday.
Hope you're having a great start to your Friday. Steam
release comes up thirty or less than thirty minutes from
now eleven thirty three year chance to vent heading into
the weekend. Eight hundred seven to sixty five. Talk is
the phone number eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two,
five to five. You may text the show as well,

(48:03):
three or four to talk three or four. We get
some of your texts before Steam release coming up in
a few minutes. Uh did I say good morning to
Jake Link, our video producer, So Phil Watsack, our audio producer.
I think I forgot to in the first hour. They are,
of course helping out and our integral to this production.
So it's TJ Meadows Season Charleston this morning, a TJ.

Speaker 5 (48:24):
Happy Friday, Dave.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
Uh, I was just looking at the text. I will
get to some text messages coming up. Many of you.
You know, Hulk Hogan is a little bit of a
controversial figure in the wrestling community. A lot of people
loved him, right, but uh, we're getting We're getting a
couple of uh Cogan texts. They're like, good riddance. It's

(48:47):
kind of a couple of I didn't realize he was
that controversial of a figure. Maybe I was just on
the periphery of the whole scene.

Speaker 5 (48:53):
Man, I mean, look, good riddance. If he retired or something,
dude died, I gotta knock him. He's dead.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
Hey man, I'm just telling. I know you're text message.

Speaker 5 (49:06):
I know it's not you, but I mean, am I
wrong on that dude is gone? Why you gotta bash him?

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Now?

Speaker 5 (49:14):
What's the point?

Speaker 1 (49:14):
Well? Maybe they were andre the Giant fans. How am I?
How am I supposed to know? Okay, I don't know. Uh,
we'll find out what. Brad mclhinney, he's I'm sure a
big time wrestling fan or Metro New state Wide corresponded
he joined to sell Metro News talk line this morning morning.

Speaker 4 (49:29):
Brad, Oh, Hi, guys, I enjoyed Hulk Hogan back in
the day, but not so far that I had a
Hulk Hogan lunchbox or I mean, I didn't have that
level of commitment.

Speaker 1 (49:41):
Let me ask you. Well, I got to tell myself
because I outed you to Kristen Burt in the first
hour when I told her you didn't know who Chuck
MANGIONI was, but you knew the music once you look,
once you googled him.

Speaker 4 (49:53):
Today, I brought up my YouTube and now I'm up
to speed. I'm I'm as good as I need to be. Now,
if if that music were Hulk Hogan's intro music, then
we'd be onto something.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
We'd have some continuity in this segment.

Speaker 5 (50:07):
All right, Dave, can you name the lyric the opening
lyric in the Hogan song I'm to put on spot?

Speaker 1 (50:10):
Oh no, no, I can't do that.

Speaker 5 (50:13):
That comes crashing down.

Speaker 1 (50:15):
I couldn't have done that. Saved my life. You're welcome,
appreciate it. Well, see, you've been out it, I've been out.
We'll get TJ here before the end of the segment.
All right, Brad, you've spent the last two days in courtrooms.
You were in Kanaha County on Wednesday. You were in
Raleigh County yesterday, the Roleigh County Circuit Court judge granting
that preliminary injunction for the families for the religious exemption

(50:39):
to the state's compulsory vaccination law. Now, we talked to
the attorney representing the families in the first hour. What
was the reaction to the judge's decision yesterday after he
granted that preliminary injunction.

Speaker 4 (50:52):
Well, good morning, Dave, Good morning, TJ. Good morning, steam releasers.
And you know, here's a good talk radio question. Who
was the out of this Yesterday? It was a narrow decision,
a temporary injunction granting the ability of three families to

(51:13):
enter their kids into the school system in Raleigh County
without getting the state's mandatory vaccine vaccine schedule. Governor Morrissey
declared victory. He said, big victory for religious liberty in
West Virginia. But it was not long after that that
the State Board of Education released a statement outlining the

(51:38):
very narrow scope of that decision. The state Board statement said,
this injunction is limited in scope and applies only to
those named in this lawsuit. It will have no effect
on other students in Raleigh County or throughout the state.
You know, I think I come away from those thinking, well,
you know, it's really a mixed decision and still so

(52:01):
much more to come on this issue that's dominating West
Virginia politics and conversation.

Speaker 5 (52:10):
Your point is well taken. Was it a victory or
was it pro forma?

Speaker 4 (52:14):
I mean, I think if it were a boxing match,
it would be split decision.

Speaker 5 (52:18):
Yeah, and that's probably what you wanted. Here's where we
get into political speculation brag. So as always, you have
your past, but addressed Dave with the question if you're
politically charged over this and you're not one of these families,
let's take them out of it for a minute. But
if you're following this and you have a political agenda
in terms of this case, you didn't want to win yesterday.

(52:39):
In my opinion, you need this to go to a
state level so it affects every county and beyond that.
You needed to go to the ultimate state level because
that's the only way to kick the issue back into
the Fourth Circuit where you have an effect beyond West Virginia.
The Fourth Circuit has said to the Northern District, we're

(52:59):
not gonna wait in on this until the state courts
have that's the ultimate goal. Is it not politically? I mean,
you want to go beyond West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (53:10):
That's one way to look at it. That's one way
you can look at it. I go back to what
the attorney for their family said. The message though if
this sends a message, it probably sends a message to
the other counties be careful because there's a judge here
who has granted that injunction. So if you are a

(53:31):
family who has applied for this religious exemption, you might
have some more you may be more inclined to pursue
legal action if you're denied this, it could put the
county school system into a bad spot as far as
liability goes. So, yeah, that's that's an interesting way to
look at it, TJ. That you want to lose to

(53:51):
get to talk, get ultimately to where you want to go.
But I think Brad's probably right. It's kind of a
split decision here because it's bar in scope, but it
is sort of the outcome you're looking for. I don't
know if that rambling answer made a lot of sense,
but there's a lot to unpack here.

Speaker 5 (54:08):
No, I mean, it's politics to your point, and we
don't know the ultimate strategy politically, I think by those
that are politically charged. Now, i'll give the benefit of
the doubt. If you're one of those three families, you
want your kid in school. As Chris Weiss said, that's
a win for you. Doesn't affect anybody else, but it's
a win for you. Brad. What did the judge say
yesterday about the governor's the attorney Chris Weiss kind of

(54:30):
got into this but your take on what the judge
said yesterday about the Governor's EO and how that plays
into all of this.

Speaker 4 (54:37):
Yeah, this was not only a limited ruling, but it
was a limited hearing, and the judge in Raleigh County,
Michael Froebel, just didn't get into the Governor's executive order.
He based his decision yesterday on the filings before him,
also on his view of what the Constitution says. So

(54:58):
he said, the court believes the compul story vaccination law
citing the Constitution is not valid without a religious exemption,
so he was focused on He was focused on the
vaccine law in state code and focused on the religious
exemption law in state code, which are different pieces legally,

(55:22):
but did not focus on the connective tissue, which is
the Governor's executive order.

Speaker 1 (55:29):
Yesterday, after the hearing, State School Board President Paul Hardesty,
he did react to the ruling and had this to say.

Speaker 21 (55:37):
Republic health perspective, disappointing, lot to digest, We've got a
lot to diegess, but today he is a sad day
for public hell.

Speaker 1 (55:46):
Paul Hardesty not really mincing words there. So where's the
State school Board go from here?

Speaker 4 (55:50):
Brad yeah, I mean it's status quo for them, So
in that way, is it kind of a win. I
began to reassess my thought about it when I saw
the state boards notification to families, which was that they
they very specifically said that only the plaintiffs in this
case would be affected, and otherwise in the other fifty

(56:12):
five counties, the other fifty four counties, and the other
families even in Raleigh County, you know, same situation as
earlier this week, the State Board is say, and we're
going to go with the vaccination law as it is
status quo. So you know, so we had two hearings.
We had two hearings this week, and it was all

(56:35):
very interesting and a good topic for debate. But the
first hearing wound up being tossed because of a technicality.
The plaintiffs in Kinawa County had not managed to give
the state thirty days notice before filing their case, so
the judge tossed it, so no outcome. And then in
the second case, it was a a temporary ruling and

(56:58):
also very limited in terms of the families that were affected.
You I mean, I think I went into this rooting
for one thing that before the start of the school year,
that the citizens of West Virginia get some clarity. That
was my rooting interest, and I don't think we've gotten that.

Speaker 5 (57:16):
No, I agree with you there.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Let me toss this at you, TJA. And none of
us can get into the mind of a judge, obviously,
But what is a judge more inclined to grant a
preliminary injunction in this case? And if there are others
a preliminary injunction which grants the exemption because you obvious,

(57:38):
if you can't unvaccinate a kid right to send them
to school, So your options would be either you have
to vaccinate them, or you put the burden on the
parents to come up with some other method to educate them,
which is mandatory. You can't just not send the kid
to school. So I wonder if a judge would be
more likely because of the circumstances, a grant the preliminary

(58:00):
in junction Until this works its way all the way
through the courts. Again, we all know it's probably going
end up to State Supreme Court. Now when that will be,
I don't know, but I don't And I just wonder
if that factors into at least the early decisions.

Speaker 5 (58:13):
Here legally, judicially, I can't answer that. Practically, Practically, I
think so. Practically, I think so, especially when it's limited
to a handful of kids, three families. I don't know
how many kids are in each family, but let's say
a handful of kids here that this is limited to.
Knowing that the issue needs to move on, is it

(58:37):
a convenient punt? Maybe? Maybe you know.

Speaker 1 (58:43):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (58:43):
I can't get inside his head either, but I will
say this and Brad, listen to what you were speaking about.
So at a macro level, trying to get my brain
around this. Basically, we've wasted all summer. We've not fixed
this issue with any kind of certainty. And if you're
a parent, and I just went through this last year
that has a kindergartener getting ready to go into school,

(59:05):
you got a lot of decisions if you don't want
them vaccinated. And the boards, I mean, yes, there's state guidance,
but I guess the county boards, if they're in the
threat of legal action, they could have a difference of opinion,
maybe not follow. So again, we've got the opportunity here
for well, in this county, We're going to do it
in this County, we're not going to do it, and
it's just all up in the air and we haven't
satisfied anything.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
That would be par for the course though. I mean,
that's how we went with. We went through COVID in
twenty twenty, with fifty five counties doing fifty five different things.
I mean that that wouldn't be highly unusual.

Speaker 4 (59:38):
Well to bring back the artist hits. That's because we
had a color coded map like people indeed, to county
by county. You know, Raleigh County was a party to
this case actually, and not much was written or said
about Raleigh County itself, but essentially Raleigh County's position, that
their attorney was Corey Palumbo. Raleigh County's position was, we

(59:59):
do what the state Board tells us to do. We
follow the guidance, and that's what brought them here today.
And you know, I assume that's the position of all
fifty four other counties.

Speaker 5 (01:00:09):
Let me throw these at you because these are numbers.
Maybe we can be a little bit more hard and
fast with numbers. And these are approximated before age five,
fifty six point six percent of kids in West Virginia
are vaccinated. Just a little over half before age five
at school entry, that number jumps to between ninety five

(01:00:32):
and ninety eight percent. If you have no compulsory vaccination law.
Is there any logical reason to expect if they haven't
done it by five years old, that that number would
grow one year later if they're not under mandates and
they don't have to do it to get a kid
into school. Here's my point. That hurd immunity number we
heard about five percent. You know, we're nowhere near that.

(01:00:55):
The data now suggests that we would get far beyond that.
Given our history, people aren't vaccinating their kids until it's
time to send them to school.

Speaker 4 (01:01:09):
West Virginia has all all kinds of other bad health
outcomes also, and the rural health care system in West
Virginia is very fragile. You know, I listened very carefully
to the lawyer you had, you had on Chris Weisst
who represented the plaintiffs, and you know, he made an
argument that West Virginia is inconsistent with this application of

(01:01:34):
vaccine policy, that it applies to public school children, but
not to the public school employees, not to kids in
other other educational options like like like education hubs. So
point well taken that. All right, West Virginia has carved
out a certain group of people who this vaccination law

(01:01:57):
applies to, and maybe it's in can assistant. But but
the other part of that that I thought as I
processed what he was saying, is all right, So are
you telling me that because West Virginia doesn't do everything,
it shouldn't do anything? Is that the argument? If there's

(01:02:18):
not a requirement for everybody, there shouldn't be for anybody.

Speaker 5 (01:02:23):
You got jury duty coming anytime soon, Brad?

Speaker 4 (01:02:27):
I don't think so.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
You can read Brad's story over at the website, of course,
wv metronews dot com. What else is on the plate?
You got anything else on your plate?

Speaker 4 (01:02:35):
Brad?

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
I mean you've been in court for two days. Well,
I mean you were covering court. You weren't in court
still the best of our knowledge.

Speaker 4 (01:02:43):
No, it was. It was interesting to be in court
for a couple of days.

Speaker 1 (01:02:47):
It was packed yesterday too, wasn't it?

Speaker 4 (01:02:50):
It was packed? It was packed. I barely made it in.
I was told at security that that they actually were
under instruction to not let anyone else in. Uh, But
I I was.

Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
Did you did you say do you know who I am?
Did you did you have to throw? Did you have
to name drop?

Speaker 4 (01:03:11):
Uh? I did not, but I was ready to call Uh.
I was ready to call Hoppy Kerchival on my cell
phone to have him vouch for my character. He is
he is away in a different state at the moment,
but I was. I was ready to do it if
if I needed to drop.

Speaker 5 (01:03:25):
That Kared he could have got you in if you
needed it.

Speaker 4 (01:03:29):
But would he have taken my call?

Speaker 1 (01:03:31):
No mention a New State White correspondent Brad Mack when
he read a story over at the website WGV metro
News dot com. I'm sure we'll talk about this again someday, Brad.

Speaker 4 (01:03:42):
Thank you very much, buddy. Uh could be next week.
Best of luck to the steam releasers everybody way in.

Speaker 1 (01:03:47):
Have a good weekend, Brad, appreciate it. We'll get some
of your text while we can talk. And I'm thinking
about what TJ said about that fifty five percent or
whatever the number was. I don't know if I have
a complete thought on it, which is dangerous to you day.
We might go down that road anyway when we come
back in a moment.

Speaker 5 (01:04:02):
Sounds good.

Speaker 1 (01:04:03):
Three or four talk? Three or four? Is the number?

Speaker 15 (01:04:04):
Eight?

Speaker 1 (01:04:04):
Hundred and seven six five eighty two five five are
back in a moment.

Speaker 17 (01:04:08):
Rafters along the Lower Gully have reported sightings of a
pirate on the riverbank. Apparently he's throwing gold coins to
every boat that passes back to you.

Speaker 18 (01:04:16):
Carry I Play, West Virginia's new online lottery app is
here and the games are full of characters. Start playing
today at wb Lottery dot com or download the official
West Virginia Lottery app and discover even more ways to
win with play on our new rewards program. So join
the cast of characters today with Iplay from the West
Virginia Lottery eighteen plus to play play responsibly.

Speaker 22 (01:04:37):
The free Metro News TV app is the place to
watch the Voice of West Virginia. See Tuck Line with
David TJ, Sports Line with Tony Creedy, three Guys before
the Game, and coming soon in the morning, News, Metro
News Middays, and Hotline with Dave Weekly right on your
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(01:04:58):
News Television is powered by University of Charleston, the West
Virginia Department of Tourism, Dan Cavitoyota, the wv HTC Foundation,
and WVU Betasin.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
I'm going to work on my half baked idea because
the Texter asks a really good question as it pertains
to the vaccine debate, how did the families prove or
how the families prove that they have they have a
truly have religious conviction? Well, a couple of things there,
And I asked Chris Weist about that. So there's no

(01:05:46):
legal test that you as to require you prove your
religion as as the attorney Chris Wise said, if you
want to believe in the giants Spaghetti Monster, that, hey,
that's up to you. The court cannot question that. What
the court can do, though, is verify the sincerity of that. However,

(01:06:07):
there's no rigid formula. It's kind of a subjective thing
based on facts and fact specific approach to kind of
verify are you living what you're telling us basically is
how I interpreted the explanation for that. So if you say,
for instance, TJ. Someone worships the Giant Spaghetti Monster and

(01:06:33):
they are required to eat meatballs every day at three o'clock,
and I'm just making this up as I go, right,
you better have had been doing that prior to whatever
exemption you're looking for. Right, if you're trying to say, well,
the law's discriminating against me because I have to eat
meatballs at three o'clock every day, you better be able

(01:06:53):
to prove that you also follow very strictly. Whatever your
doctoral teachings are, Am I making any sense at all?

Speaker 12 (01:07:04):
There?

Speaker 1 (01:07:05):
They're making sense in the promise and consistency.

Speaker 5 (01:07:07):
We don't have enough judges to evaluate that because everybody
comes out of the woodwork. Well, at that point then
it becomes philosophical.

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
And my apologies to the texture I saw it earlier.
But the question that the texture brought up was that
responsibility ultimately falls on someone at the bureque, whether that
is at the county school board level, at the Department
of Health level, where they're going to have to evaluate
and go, does Jimmy Lipper from you know, Pocahontas County

(01:07:36):
here is that? Sincerely? Hell? Well, I guess and you
sign off on it, move on. So it creates it
creates a lot of room for air, I guess if
you want to put it nicely.

Speaker 5 (01:07:49):
In my mind, that's why previous rulings have talked about
general applicability, and that's key. If you don't want to
send your if you don't want to accent your child,
no one's making you. That also gets lost here. It's
just you can't go to a public school. We have
the home scholar of the Hope Scholarship. I get the
homeschooling's a burden. I'm yet to see a sincere belief

(01:08:13):
that I hold in my personal life that hasn't cost
me something at some point. I'm just saying three or
four Talk three or four is the text line. It's
the last you're going to hit well. I mean, we're
going to participate in.

Speaker 1 (01:08:26):
Steam Release, but you will not hear our thoughts because
those are against the bylaws. And when it comes to
Steam Release, it's your chance to vent, get it all out,
and you'll have a better weekend for it. So prepare.
Eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
six five eight two five five. That is the phone
number Sophia is standing by. She is our operator today.

(01:08:46):
You may not steam about Sophia. You may not steam
about Jake. Pretty much everybody else is an open season
on them. Eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. You can
text your steam to three or four talk three oh four,
release it, let it all out. You'll have a better weekend.
This is talk Line on Metro News, the Voice of

(01:09:07):
West Virginia. It is eleven thirty times to get a
news update. Let's check in with the Metro News radio network.
Find out what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 5 (01:09:18):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Chris Lawrens.

Speaker 23 (01:09:20):
Three people from New York and New Jersey are now
in jail in West Virginia.

Speaker 5 (01:09:24):
Four bank fraud.

Speaker 19 (01:09:25):
A joint investigation between members of the Louisbourg and Spencer
police departments revealed that three people were committing fraudulent activity
at banks in West Virginia. Mary and Murphy and Fanny
Singer of New Jersey and Michael Arlington of New York
traveled through multiple states across several months, using stolen identities
to fraudulently withdraw large amounts of money from different institutions.

(01:09:46):
In mid April, Louisbourg police responded to the fraudulent activity
at two different People's bank branches in the city, and
it was later evident the same thing was going on
in spencer Over in Rhone County. As of Thursday, Murphy, Singer,
and Arlington have all been arrested. That authority say the
multi state investigation is still active and additional suspects and
charges are anticipated. I'm Aaron Parker, WV metronews dot com.

Speaker 23 (01:10:08):
Some Raleigh County parents can now get a religious exemption
put their children into school this fall without their vaccinations.
Judge Michael Froebel issued that preliminary injunction Thursday in favor
of the families who want to use Governor Morrissey's religious
exemption executive order. Not everybody in the courtroom, however, was
there backing the religious exemption, like nurse Missy Price, who
said others who are impacted have freedom too.

Speaker 24 (01:10:30):
Freedom for immunocompromise children, freedom for new parents, freedom for
pregnant teachers, freedom from grand families, you know, grandparents raising children,
and freedom for all children.

Speaker 23 (01:10:43):
You're listening to metronews the Boys of West Virginia.

Speaker 8 (01:10:46):
Let no one ever say President Trump isn't a friend
of cold Posting recently on his truth social account, the
President said, and I quote, after years of being held
captive by environmental extremists, lunatics, radicals, thugs, allowing other countries,
in particular China, to gain tremendous economic advantage over us

(01:11:06):
by opening up hundreds of.

Speaker 5 (01:11:07):
Coal fired power plants.

Speaker 8 (01:11:09):
I am authorizing my administration to immediately begin producing energy
with beautiful, clean coal unquote. President Trump, his energy team,
and the EPA are doing everything imaginable to increase the
use of coal to provide reliable and cost effective electricity.
West Virginia's leaders must follow suit. It's time we change

(01:11:29):
the policies keeping coal from reaching its potential, and let's
follow the President's lead and maximizing this once in a
lifetime opportunity to unleash our coal resources for the betterment
of all West Virginians.

Speaker 5 (01:11:42):
A message from the Friends of Coal.

Speaker 23 (01:11:45):
Three people injured, one of them seriously in a morning
wreck near Wheeling. The crash out at about two twenty
this morning on the IS seventy exit. RAM vehicle flipped
over and hit the guardrail, throwing one of the occupants
out of the vehicle. The other two stayed inside but
also had injuries. All three are now hospitalized. As the
ramp is back open. The Dunbar Bridge in Kanawa County
will be rededicated tomorrow as the Q. Stephens Senior Memorial Bridge,

(01:12:07):
named in honor of Colonel Q. Stevens, a decorated veteran
of Vietnam an ROTC instructor at West Virginia State. From
the Metro News anchordisk, I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
It's Friday, it's eleven thirty three. It is time.

Speaker 4 (01:12:41):
I want you to get up now.

Speaker 25 (01:12:43):
I want all of you to get up out of
your chest.

Speaker 22 (01:12:46):
I want you to get up right now and go
to the window, open it and stick your.

Speaker 15 (01:12:52):
Head out and yell.

Speaker 8 (01:12:54):
I'm as bad as hell and I'm not gonna take
this anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:12:58):
Just picture an old lead pipe in the Raleigh County Courthouse.
Nobody's checked on it for years. It's building up. The
steam needs released. Nobody's got a pipe wrench. It's gonna blow.
That's probably how you feel at the end of the
week listening to us yammer on and on. This is
your opportunity to vent let it all out before you

(01:13:18):
go into the weekend. Eight hundred seven to sixty five
Talk is the phone number. Eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two five five. You can text your steam to
three oh four Talk three oh four. You can vent
about the hosts of this show, former hosts, future hosts
for that matter. You can vent about Brad mcelhinny, Joe Brocado,

(01:13:40):
even Kyle Wiggs who is the host of sports Line.
You may not vent about Sophia on the phones or
Jake running the video stream.

Speaker 4 (01:13:48):
They do a.

Speaker 1 (01:13:48):
Very fine job. Eight hundred seven to sixty five Talk
eight hundred seven sixty five, eight two, five, five and
three or four Talk three oh four TJ. Why don't
we start over on the text line today?

Speaker 5 (01:14:00):
Texter says Ben Franklin had some good advice for those
who find themselves living in a glass house. It appears
our white house in d C has become a glass
house for those who presently dwell. There, be careful about
throwing political rocks. Three oh four Talk three oh four.
I have no problem with a legitimate, limited exemption to vaccination. However,

(01:14:20):
I understand that the intent is to make the exemptions
so lax that anybody can claim a religious exemption. At minimum,
it puts the burden of judgment on the validity validity
of the request on someone That is inherently unfair depending
on who is in power or different from county to county.
A Texter says, these anti vaxers are hiding behind religion

(01:14:42):
because they're scared of needles, grow up wosses. Diseases can't
spread unless you have it, said the attorney. What does
he mean by that? Three oh four talk three oh
four scrolling through here, Dave. If you think about it,
wrestlers ma good actors. They have to remember their lines,
key moves during the match. How to sell moves? Three

(01:15:06):
oh four talk three to four. Did you know that
Donald Trump married Malania on January twenty second of two
thousand and five? Baron Trump was born on March twentieth
of two thousand and six. Malonia became a Milania, I
should say rather became a US citizen on July twenty
eight of two thousand and six. In other words, barn
has birthright citizenship. Do you think that Stephen Miller will

(01:15:29):
deport him? These idiots lamenting good riddance to haw Cogan
are probably libs upset that he endorsed Trump at the RNC.
In case some of you don't know, wrestling was not real.
It was scripted. They were supposed to have good guys
and bad guys Terry or the guy we know as

(01:15:49):
hal Cogan over the past years, had turned things around
in his life and claimed Christianity. So sad to lose
him this early on. You all remember when hal Cogan
ratted on Jesse Ventura for trying to unionize the WWF.
Then Hawk became a top salary earner. Great guy, Texter,

(01:16:11):
says Rick Darringer, who's sang Hogan's theme Real American. He
was the lead singer and guitarist in his band the
McCoys in the nineteen sixties, best known for their number
one hit Hang On Sloopy in nineteen sixty five. Sadly,
he just passed away back on May the twenty sixth,
at the age of seventy seven. Texter says, Slider and
Stack doing great this week, fillingham for Howard Monroe making

(01:16:33):
radio great again three oh four Talk three oh four.
I wish we put as much effort into these roadway
challenges as the medical exemptions. Imagine first timers visiting our
state and having a horrible turnpike experience. It's dismal and disappointing. Also,
I wish you to challenge each other more. You're so
alike you're even beginning to dress similar.

Speaker 1 (01:16:55):
All right, that's a fair point. On the shirts today,
you think they're pretty close.

Speaker 5 (01:17:03):
I hadn't even noticed. I guess color blind me. Sorry,
well that's true. That also is a fair point.

Speaker 1 (01:17:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:17:09):
Uh, let's see here. Bondi implants will make a deal
with Maxwell to shut her up about Trump. Look for
a pardon sometime soon. What a twist? Excuse me? What
kind of a twisted person would laugh at Hawk Cogan's death?
A sick liberal tj. The chicks may be like the
back or the chicks may like the Backstreet Boys and

(01:17:30):
Millie Vanilli, but real men listen to hard rock. Rest
in peace, Ozzy.

Speaker 1 (01:17:37):
Let's go to the phones. Let's go to Vinnie and Louisbourg.

Speaker 26 (01:17:40):
Hey, Vinnie, Hey, you know there's no such thing as
there is such a thing as a guy uniform shirt,
tie jacket, but there's no gal uniform. With one exception,
men can't sit foot on the floor of the center
not wearing the guy uniform. No such rule for women.
Why not?

Speaker 1 (01:18:01):
Fine, Vinny, appreciate the steam eight hundred and seven sixty
five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight two five five.
If you'd like to call and release your steam. You
can do it as well over the text line three
oh four Talk three oh four. Got a couple phone
lines open, got a slew of text steams to get through.
We will continue with steam release in just a moment.
This is talk line from the Encoba Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 1 (01:19:45):
Eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred and seven
sixty five eight two five five. That's the number to
release your steam. You can text us as well. Three
o four talk three oh four. We'll get back to
the text steams. Let's go to the phones and and
let's head to Clarksburg. Tom, what is your steam?

Speaker 26 (01:20:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 27 (01:20:06):
I'm just curious on these everything on these vaccines. Back
when I was young, when you got a vaccine, it
stops you from catching that disease. If the vaccines are
still working like they should be, why does everybody have
to have it? If you had the vaccine, why are

(01:20:27):
you worried that somebody else don't have it?

Speaker 1 (01:20:31):
Tom? Appreciate the steam. Have a good weekend, Larry and Martinsburg.
What's your steam? Larry?

Speaker 28 (01:20:37):
Okay, here's the information for you. January the twenty second,
two thousand and five, Donald Trump buried Mlannia whatever her
name was, and then on March the twentieth of two
thousand and sixth Baron Trump was born, and then on
July the twenty eighth of two thousand and six, Mulannia

(01:20:59):
had became a United States citizen. Why isn't Barren and
Alligator Alcatras because he is a birthright citizen.

Speaker 1 (01:21:09):
Larry appreciate the phone call. I think Larry snuck in
a phone steam out a text team today. He got
one over on us. There, Well done, Larry eight hundred
seven to sixty five talks the phone number eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five. You can text
us three or four talk three or four. Let's go
back to the text line.

Speaker 4 (01:21:25):
TJ.

Speaker 5 (01:21:25):
Editor's note. I said malonia because that's how it was spelled.
I'm gonna go with what you people send me. I'm
just telling you Taxer says for Steam release TJ and Dave.
If you were anyone else on local radio here in
Charleston used the N word on the air, I trust
folks would say good riddits, not just if you retired,
but when you died as well. Haulk was a worldwide personality.

(01:21:47):
Folks don't need to accept that and not forgive him
if they don't want. Do y'all even have black friends.
I know you don't invite many onto your show Talk
three oh four. All right, yeah, if you're a teacher,
you probably went to public school, which meant you were
already vaccinated. Dave and TJ. The pay cut starts this

(01:22:12):
month for Peia premiums, meaning every public employee starts with
their pay cut on the first check of this year.
My wife was only forty eight a month, by the way,
when she graduated with your mom. I'm not sure. All right,

(01:22:33):
I'm just going to leave that there. I don't want
to say something I shouldn't. My steam is that we
have a governor risking public health for cynical political gain
and at the same time and not incidentally, ignoring the
constitutional lawmaking authority of our legislature. Thanks and bless our
clear sighted Board of Education. It's not three o'clock, it's

(01:22:54):
four fifteen, three oh four Talk three oh four. D
Why do you talk at point five times? Speed talk
a little faster, TJ. You need to speak up a
little bit. We cannot hear you on the radio. You
sound like Britney Spears. Texter says meat balls and sausage

(01:23:15):
for everyone at Italian Fest and Wheeling this weekend.

Speaker 1 (01:23:19):
Ooh, good point.

Speaker 5 (01:23:20):
He goes on to speak of Howard Monroe. But Howard's
on vacation, so I'm giving him a past this week.

Speaker 1 (01:23:25):
Let's go back to the phones. Eight hundred and seven
and sixty five Talk eight hundred and seven sixty five
eight two five five, Robin and Charleston, what's your esteem?

Speaker 6 (01:23:32):
Thanks Morris.

Speaker 7 (01:23:33):
He says, we're an outleer, and he's right. There's measles
in forty out of fifty states, including all five that
border West Virginia, but not here. So we set the
high bar for protecting our kids, but we want to
throw it away. The anti vaxers want it both ways.
They don't want to do their part to protect your children,
but they want their kids in public schools. You know,
some men have pornographic dreams, Marci, dreams of religious exemptions.

(01:23:55):
So I'm going to get a T shirt that says
I'm pro polio and I vote.

Speaker 17 (01:23:59):
Thank you, You.

Speaker 1 (01:23:59):
Are welcome, Robin, thank you for the steam. Eight hundred
and seven to sixty five eight two five hundred seven
sixty five talk the phone number. Let's go to the
Northern Outpost. Bill, what's your steam.

Speaker 29 (01:24:10):
Hey TJ. You wearing cargo shorts.

Speaker 5 (01:24:16):
I'm gonna break Bill. I'm gonna break on this one.
I do not own a pair of cargo shorts, buddy.

Speaker 29 (01:24:21):
Just let you know, okay, editor's note is allowed on
steamers that release hopy did it?

Speaker 5 (01:24:28):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (01:24:29):
Yep.

Speaker 29 (01:24:31):
The lawyer that was speaking for the woman in Raleigh
County by Anti back, when her children get in a car,
do they go get into child restraining or car seats properly?
It is mandatory. It's a state law. Now, Bratt to
Dave brad Smith down there is Ben at Marshall for

(01:24:51):
what four or five years now, and he is working
on a program with cybersecurity and trying to make quote
the student debt zero for students who want to work
while they're going to school. Yesterday's interview with doctor Benson
was keeping the kids in dormitories for two years instead

(01:25:12):
of one for retention to keep more money coming into
the system, plus doing fundraisers. Now, at some point there's
got to be enough money in the whole state of
West Virginia to pay for all this stuff. And Trump,
who won the state by seventy percent the last three
elections in Capito and Justice said, we are energy state.

(01:25:35):
It appears to me the engineering curriculum must survive and
create much more wealth to keep the athletic programs and
the academic programs running at WU. It appears that way
to me.

Speaker 1 (01:25:50):
Bill always appreciate it. Appreciate it. Thank you. Eight hundred
and seven to sixty five talks the phone number, eight
hundred seven sixty five, eight two five five. We got time,
Yeah we do. Let's go to Stan in Wheeling.

Speaker 15 (01:26:02):
Hey, Stan, it's a pleasant thing. We heard Stack and
mister Bob Schlager for a week. One week. We didn't
have to hear about what Nancy and howr we're gonna
eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We didn't have to
hear about how much he hates Trump. We didn't have
to hear about how much he likes.

Speaker 6 (01:26:22):
The color perp worm blue.

Speaker 15 (01:26:24):
Thank you Stack and Slagger for making it a good week.

Speaker 1 (01:26:29):
All right, Stan, have a nice weekend. Appreciate you calling
in from the Panhandle. Eight one hundred and seven to
sixty five talks the phone number three or four talk
three or four of the text line just cleared. A
couple of phone lines, got a whole bunch of text
messages rolling in. We'll get to those before we call
it a weekend as well. If your child is having
seizures or has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, w Medicine

(01:26:52):
Children's Neuroscience Center has the most comprehensive pediatric epilepsy program
in West Virginia thanks to the diagnostic capabill these of
our state of the art epilepsy monitoring unit and our
advanced surgical and non surgical treatments. For more information, visit
w kids dot com. Let's finish strong and head into
the weekend. Steamerlease continues in a moment.

Speaker 16 (01:27:13):
Located in the heart of West Virginia, Bridgeport is the
place to play. Endless indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities, including
the Bridge Sport Complex, coupled with a dynamic food scene
make Bridgeport the perfect getaway destination for couples and families.
Explore unique shopping and pick from a wealth of lodging
options to find something perfect for your needs. Explore the

(01:27:34):
heart of West Virginia in Bridgeport. Learn more about all
there is to do at Greater Dash Bridgeport dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:27:43):
Hey there, it's Dave Allen.

Speaker 30 (01:27:44):
I'd like to invite you to join myself along with
thirteen News and Tonight Live anchor Amanda Baron, each weekday
from Noontul three for Metro News Midday, brought to you
by Selango Law. We'll come to the news from across
the state of West Virginia, the news West Virginians need
to keep them informed during their workday. It's weekdays from
noon till three. Metro News Midday with thirteen News and

(01:28:04):
Tonight Live anchor Amanda Barrett, brought to you by Selango
Law On Metro News.

Speaker 5 (01:28:08):
The Voice of West.

Speaker 1 (01:28:09):
Virginia, Steamer LEAs continues. Final call for phone calls eight

(01:28:30):
hundred and seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven
sixty five eight to five five. You may also text
us three oh four Talk three oh four. See where
did we leave off? Greg in Ona? What's up?

Speaker 4 (01:28:45):
Greg?

Speaker 20 (01:28:46):
Hey?

Speaker 7 (01:28:46):
This is Greg Rally down in Ona. You guys are
doing a great job. Quick little political science answer for
a bunch of people on the Millennia thing. And trust me,
I am no Donald Trump fan. The guy's an idiot.
But Baron is a citizen because his dad was a citizen.
Doesn't matter if his mom was or not. That's why
second thing is three times in the last seven weeks,
Donald Trump is sat in the Oval Office and blah blah, blah,

(01:29:08):
blah blah. Gasoline is a dollar ninety nine and a
bunch of places in the United States. Well, i'll tell
you what's down here near Huntington. It's nowhere close. It's
exactly where it was, or on average about seven to
eight cents higher than it was when.

Speaker 6 (01:29:20):
That last idiot was in office.

Speaker 7 (01:29:22):
So nobody's doing anything about gas except passing a lot
of it at the White House.

Speaker 1 (01:29:27):
Thank you, Well done, Greg, Well done. Let's go back
to the text line. TJ get some in.

Speaker 5 (01:29:36):
Here, Texas says, please don't mock my religion. Three oh
four Talk, three oh four. I don't believe in the
spaghetti Monster, but I do believe in God. Since the
only thing that I have to prove is that I
live my religion and my life is my religion. I
belong to the Church of Mary Jane. I spoke every
day at five o'clock, and therefore I should be exempted.

(01:29:57):
Editor's note. It kind of goes off the rails at
that point. Maybe it's in early five o'clock today. Three
oh four Talk, three oh four. I'm tired of people
being shocked at programs being cut in West Virginia after
the big beautiful bill. You voted for the policy, now
live with it. A bombshell report released this week about
President Obama fabricating the Russian election interference in twenty sixteen

(01:30:21):
documents detailing how they pushed the fake narrative and the
used and used the Department of Justice and the mainstream
media to push the narrative. Crickets from the vast majority
of media outlets, including yours, probably less than five minutes
worth of coverage from you guys. Let's switch out Obama's
name with Trump and see if you cover the changes,

(01:30:41):
then disgraceful. Three four to Talk three oh four. The
listener who said good rinness to Hogan is a great
example of the type of person who is very consumed
with Trump derangement syndrome. Very very sad. I'm steamed because
there aren't more Daves on the radio. Three oh four
to Talk, three oh four. Hulk Cogan lied about using steroids,

(01:31:03):
lied about cheating on his wife, lied about the witness
stand or on the witness stand. After he told us
the governments he was being truthful in his testimony, and
you want to celebrate this man just because he was
entertaining on TV doesn't make him a good person. Women
have a cancer called toxic empathy. These women are so

(01:31:23):
overrun with disease they cannot tell men to stay out
of women's sports. Please tell the idiot Larry that Baron
Trump is not a criminal. That's why he isn't an
aligair Alcatraz. Agree with the other texture. Dave takes awkward
pauses between each spoken word. TJ is way too soft
spoken for the radio. I get that he's new, so

(01:31:44):
take up the tip, TJ. My biggest theme is why
is race and racism thrown into everything? We are all people,
we all make mistakes. Here's an idea. Let's all love
each other. Dave TJ. Have a great weekend and love
each other. Three oh four Talk three oh four. Just

(01:32:06):
heard a survivor of Epstein and she said, no one
should be president that's been convicted of sexual abuse.

Speaker 1 (01:32:14):
Steam.

Speaker 5 (01:32:15):
The state government's focus is on vaccinations, this religious freedom,
all of that. While I sixty four in the bridge
in Charleston literally crumbles. That bridge deck won't make it
to asphalt in October, if state vaccination law is not
constitutional because it doesn't offer religious exemptions, then all laws

(01:32:37):
are unconstitutional that don't offer religious exemptions. No, like laws
requiring income tax, murder, et cetera.

Speaker 1 (01:32:46):
No steam.

Speaker 5 (01:32:47):
You guys are great and I listen loyally each day.
Great balance between important news, lighthearted humor, and deep dives
like with the new WU president. Dave gets spaghetti and
TJ gets cargo shorts. Have a great weekend. Gentlemen, stop
the culture warring and return to focusing on what we
have in common. Let's grow together, says the text that

(01:33:12):
one's a little too long. Sorry. Since Trump was a citizen,
obviously your collar doesn't know the meaning of birthright citizenship.
Texter simply says Dave, hit me baby one more time.
Trump could tell Maga the sky is orange and they'd
believe him, says the text. Guy putting on about gas

(01:33:35):
prices at him. How his four oh one k is
in the stock market? How's it doing? Since you guys
never really report on anything.

Speaker 1 (01:33:45):
Appreciate all of the guests this week who took some
time to hang out with us. And again, big thanks
to doctor Michael Benson, new w President. If you missed
any of that conversation, we had him in studio.

Speaker 10 (01:33:54):
For an hour.

Speaker 1 (01:33:55):
We talked about academics, we talked about his vision, we
talked athletics, a little bit of everything during that conversation yesterday.
If you missed any of that, it is posted on
the Metro News TV app. You can watch it there,
or you can download the podcast version of this show
wherever you get your popular podcast. You might as well
just go ahead and subscribe. It'll be delivered to you

(01:34:16):
every day. So if you miss anything or you say,
you know, what did they just say, you can go
back and double check us after the fact. So again,
big thanks to doctor Benson yesterday and his staff for
making that happen. Big thanks to Jake Link who runs
the video stream, and Sophia Wasik on the phones, and
my co host TJ. Meadows for the whole crow You buddy,

(01:34:38):
we're out of here. Have a nice weekend. We'll talk
to you Monday at ten oh six. This is a
talk line on Metro. Who's the voice of West Virginia