Talkline | July 29, 2025

Reactions to EPA plans to roll back how greenhouse gas emissions are regulated with the Coal Association's Chris Hamilton and Mon County Del. Evan Hansen. Democrat Strategist Mike Plante discusses the party's woeful polling numbers. Senator Eric Tarr talks economic development. Plus, Best Virginia is moving on in the TBT. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Good morning, Welcome in Metro News talk Line. The e
p A with a big announcement coming later today that
could have impacts. We'll get two perspectives on that. Best
Virginia is moving on and Democrats bad polling numbers. We'll
get into all of that as we rolled through. Metro
News talk Line is underway radio turned.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
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.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
This is Metro News talk Line with.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Dave Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Switch never work control from Charles to morning.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Stand by you, David, DJ, You're on. Metro News talk
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Speaker 1 (01:20):
Good morning, Welcome in Metro News talk Line from the
Encoba Insurance studios. This morning, Gang's all here, Jake Link No,
Jake's running three guys Later today, We've got Zach Carroll
check on the video stream today. Sophia wasa handling the audio.
I just talked to Zach five seconds ago. Forgot he
was sitting over there, eight hundred seven to sixty five talks.

(01:41):
The phone number eight hundred and seven sixty five eight
two five five that is the text line. Three or
four talk three oh four. That's the text line. The
other one's the phone number. Maybe we should just start
completely over. I've got the text line the phone number backwards.
I don't know who's doing our video stream today. Who
are you?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (01:56):
My name's TJ. Medows. Good morning. It's great to be here. Also,
good morning to the entire crew. As well as substituting
in today the man of the people, Zach Carroll check.
I have to tell you, Dave, I was set in
my office last night, and I guess we get alerts
on our phone nowadays. I got one from the AP.
I was very saddened to see about Ryan Sandberg. You know,
growing up in the Meadows household, kind of out in

(02:17):
the sticks, we had WGN, though, so you had the Cubbies,
and I loved watching Ryan Sandberg. So his passing at
sixty five from cancer, it was definitely saddened to see
that last night.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know, there are a lot of Cubs and Braves
fans here in West Virginia. Doesn't quite make geographic sense
until you realize so many had WGN and TBS all
those years, the superstations, you got all those Braves and
Cubs games, and it made lifelong fans. And Ryan Samberg
again one of those guys. I mean, it's been a

(02:49):
rough couple of weeks for the nineteen eighties nostalgia here,
heyj I mean he was the guy that when you
got your first glove and t ball you've probably had
that Ryan Sandberg signature on the inside if you got
a Rawlings glove, and he was he was you know what,
ten time All Star?

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, nine to winner. Just take your career, but an
outstanding career. And so he'll be missed. But you're right,
we were raised. Dad raised us as Reds fans. I
know you came up well the Reds fan, but but
you had TBS, you had WGN, and you didn't always
have Ohio Sports Network back in the day or whatever
had the Reds, right, So you watched the Cubbies, you

(03:26):
watched the Braves, and it was so you got to
know some of those guys. So, of course, thoughts and
prayers for his family, but a legend, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
I know a lot of guys who worked the late
shift in the coal mine Southern West Virginia especially, you
would get done with that late shift, come home. You know,
when you get home from work, you're not ready to
go right to sleep. You want to get a r
t Well, TBS would run braves games overnight, you know,
just to fill so the braves are always on. You
got lifelong fans uh in southern West Virginia for the braves,
and same thing with the cubs on WGN.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
One more for you that I never understood as a
broadcast professional. Maybe you will. Why did TBS start everything
at seven? Five? Everything was at five? I never did
understand that. I know why we'd do it here six
because of the news, but TBS never did that. I
never could figure that out.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Well, we'll get uh. Is Ted Turner? Is he still around?

Speaker 3 (04:17):
I have no clue, I think, so.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
Zach get Ted Turner on the line while asking all right,
moving on. Later today, the Environmental Protection Agency is set
to announce proposal that would overturn an endangerment finding from
two thousand and nine that determined that greenhouse gases were
a pollutant from burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide methane, et cetera,

(04:42):
and could be regulated under the Clean Air Act. That
could have ramifications as far as how those gas emissions
are regulated. We'll get a couple of perspectives on that today.
First up, joining us from the West Virginia cole Association,
Chris Hamilton, Chris, good.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
Morning, Good morning.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
What would this do if that engagement finding is overturned?
How would this impacts the fossil fuel and the energy sector.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
Well, that's that's that's a great question. We uh we
anxiously await the announcement and the release of the of
that rule here this afternoon, and we we think it
will bode well for fossil energy industries and perhaps will
uh you know, cause e p A to be to

(05:34):
have a much more balanced the program going forward.

Speaker 5 (05:38):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
Admissions greenhouse emissions, particularly from from our coal fired power
facilities throughout the country, you know, represent just such a
small percentage of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Uh. The the
effect on global climate change will be practically nil, but

(06:02):
will allow for you know, our American energy industries to
grow and you know, perhaps you know, produce energy at
much cheaper prices.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
Critics would say that greenhouse gases are harmful, so we
should regulate them. But in listening to you is the
argument that the amount of greenhouse gases from coal fire
generation and other fossil generation is so nil that it
really doesn't move the needle. Does that argument hold in
a health context too?

Speaker 4 (06:36):
It does hold in a health context, There's no question
about that. You know. Here here in the United States.
I mean, we've ratcheted down our energy, our power consumption
and generation almost half of what it was just twenty
years ago. While at the same time, you know, coal

(07:01):
assets and fossil fuel assets around the globe have increased.
You know, again, we cut ours virtually in half year
over the past twenty years, while we're reaching the world
records year after year, and overall coal and fossil energy productivity,

(07:26):
you know, just around the Pacific Rim alone, because of
the growth in China and India and that particular part
of the of the world or planet, if you will,
you know, they're producing about seven to eight times the
overall volumes that we're producing from the United States today.

(07:48):
So think about that in the context of greenhouse gas
emissions or global emissions.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Christ to start off by asking you kind of a
future looking question, what would the impact be if this
has this is overturned. Well, what has the impact been
since two thousand and nine during the Obama administration EPA
when it declared greenhouse gases were hazardous and needed to
be strictly, strictly regulated.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
Well, that's another aspect of that decision that we're talking about.
It did not really mandate or require EPA to go
forward with its regulations of the greenhouse gases or carbon.
It basically indicated that the agency was authorized to regulate

(08:38):
carbon and greenhouse gases as a pollutant, but did not
require mandate that the agency regulated. And we had a
couple of federal national administrations that took that to heart
and proposed very strenuous, sonerous, you know requirements initially, and

(09:00):
those have made the press uh uh you know regularly
and uh you know they're they're just wasn't technologies uh
existing to to control the greenhouse gases and keep them
at the levels.

Speaker 5 (09:15):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (09:16):
You know that our immediate past president and President Obama
uh you know, wanted to wanted to see. So you know,
what what's the effect been? You know, I think uh,
you know one uh you know, they have they clearly
singled singled out coal and natural gas to a lesser extent,

(09:38):
is you know, being part of the evil imparaf you
will and and you know needed to uh remove uh
you know, those constituents from from the from America's uh
uh energy pie. So uh and I think everything most
people realized that the proposals uh and tents by both

(10:00):
of those uh you know federal administrations that we're very
extreme and we're geared towards, you know, ratcheting down fossil
energy production, and states like West Virginia were amongst the
ones the hardest hit. So uh you know, President Trump
is his energy team is in the process of uh

(10:23):
you know, looking at every single rule that's been promulgated
or proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency over the past
several years and are in the process of repealing some.
They're in the process of revising some, making them more
more balanced and uh controlling the airborne constituents while allowing

(10:47):
you know, American industries to uh, you know, to do
what they do best to produce power and energy for
our country.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
So Chris point blank, I'm reading through this very much
a lot of data here to go through. Even what
has come out early in the federal register. I guess,
point blank, will this extend the life of current coal
plants without having to do things like carbon capture and
sequestration that are very costly that the economics may not
work in your opinion. I get it's early days, but

(11:16):
will this extend current coal plants or even in this environment,
which would be extraordinary, allow you to build new coal plants?

Speaker 4 (11:26):
Yes, yes, and yes, there's no reason that we, particularly
here in the state of West Virginia, aren't considering a
new modul or smaller type, you know, coal fired generators.
As we're looking at all these alternative energy sources and
even looking at nuclear making a return and seeing some
expanse and you know that, you know, alternative power. There's

(11:51):
no reason, there's no reason at all that we're not
looking we be in West Virginia and our political leadership
aren't looking at new coal fired power our facilities along
with new coking facilities. We need more coking facilities within
this country, and we ought to be and I believe
that Governor Morrise's making some effort to partner with President

(12:14):
Trump and Chris Wright at the Department of Energy to
see if we can't have a couple you know, prototype projects,
you know, funded with federal dollars here within the state
of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Chris Hamilton is joining us this morning. He's president of
the West Virginia Coal Association. Chris, we talk about data centers.
In fact, we'll be talking a little bit about data
centers a little bit later on in the program today.
But and the massive amounts of energy required, and look,
they're going to be part of our future. AI is
here and AI is going to be part of the
economy moving forward. How do coal fired power plants fit

(12:50):
into that in providing the energy necessary for these data
centers that are necessary to run the AI that is
going to be part of our future.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
Well, we're seeing a lot of growth in that area.
We're seeing all of our electric companies basically modifying and
expanding their projections over the next couple of years because
these things are real and are you know, just energy
gobbling technologies, both AI as well as our data centers.

(13:19):
And we're seeing a lot of growth and expansion and
our surrounding states, particularly over in Virginia and now up
in Pennsylvania. They're all around us, and you know, they
do consume a lot of power. You know, coal fire
generators in some areas of the country have been required,

(13:40):
been mandated by President Trump in the Department of Energy
and EPA to continue to operate. These were plants scheduled
for retirements, I believe thirty nine or forty you know
around the eastern part of the country that's been ordered
to stay open to fulfill these these huge power demands

(14:01):
that are occurring all around us. So coal's of you know,
just a new found it's actually a growth industry right now.
That's that's occurring in areas of the country where coal
fire generators had previously closed. We don't have that problem

(14:22):
here in West Virginia, but we do have an opportunity
to you know, run our plants at a much higher
capacity here. And as they're doing that, they are fulfilling
these power needs and they're consuming a lot more of
of West Virginia coal. So it's a win win for
our state. And you know, these plants that we have

(14:45):
here in West Virginia, the nine generators, they are fully
compliant with every single aspect of EPA's requirements today. You know,
the stumble or the heatcup was uh, you know, would
they be in compliance with the new Carbon Rule that

(15:07):
has also been held in advance by President Trump at
the current time. You know, there were some issues with that,
but these plants are fully compliant. You see water, vapor
and steam, you know, coming out of the smokestacks today.

Speaker 3 (15:23):
Chris, let me let me jump in quickly, quickly, give me,
give me thirty seconds on this pjam, as you well know,
regulates the grid. Here, they have their capacity auction forward looking,
did it? I think we released at like a week ago,
twenty two percent increase yere over year incapacity prices. What
does that tell you that this market is saying.

Speaker 4 (15:42):
And listen, it's just not it's a I mean we're
we're just saying, you know, just just a lot of
concern with the with that market. I mean, power prices
are going up exponentially everywhere. You know, it's just not
here around Charleston that Charleston Casette wants you to believe.
But it's regionally, it's uh, it's globally. Uh so, uh,

(16:05):
you know there's there's a real concern. Uh. You know,
we're fulfilling those uh those energy demands that we have.
You know that we're we all see on the horizon.
It's just not the horizon. But they're here before us.
And I know our you know, our in state, the
utilities are trying to figure out how to how to
supplement and augment their their overall capacity to fulfill those needs.

(16:29):
But it's a you know, it's actually a good thing
for the state of West Virginia. You know, it gives
us the opportunity to fire up all of our energy sources.
Uh uh. You know, I'm all all cylinders going forward,
and we have that opportunity here. We have the opportunity
for additional growth, and we have the opportunity to meet
that growth around us. We're one of two states in

(16:52):
the pg N that's still export power. So we're providing
power needs in Virginia, We're providing power needs in the
state of high and in Kentucky. So it's a win
win for us, and you know we it ought to
really be a tremendous boost for our state economy of
going forward.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
Chris Hallilinson, President's westerni Coole Association. Thank you, Chris, Thank you.
Up next an update from New York City as talk
line continues.

Speaker 6 (17:20):
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Speaker 2 (18:33):
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Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
Let's quickly get an update from grannal Scott Fox News Radio.
Four people killed, including a New York City police officer,
when a gunman open fire at a midtown Manhattan office
building that was headquarters for the NFL Grandal, Good morning,
thanks for joining us. What's the latest.

Speaker 9 (19:00):
Latest is the NYPD and their investigators they feel like
they're getting close to a motive here for this. You
may have seen it come out or earlier today. They
found a suicide note in the pocket of the gunmen
in this case, Shane Tomura, claiming that he had CTE

(19:22):
from football and according to Mayor Eric Adams, who spoke
earlier on the Fox affiliate up here, saying, he said
that he claimed he played in the NFL, but he
never played in the National Football League. But that note
pretty much puts him where the NFL offices were, where

(19:45):
he opened fire in that building, and they are now thinking,
although they're doing a little bit more investigating, that that
may actually have been the impetus for him to drive
across country and head to that building and open fire.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
History of mental health problems. Is that correct?

Speaker 9 (20:05):
That's what the NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish is saying and
what they want to know now. And the question that
a lot of people are asking is if this person
had mental health issues as they claim in Nevada, he
had a license or a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

(20:27):
Where were the red flag laws if that were an
issue in Nevada does have those red flag laws. They
are asking those questions now, trying to find out how
this person got a gun and why they weren't taking away,
if there were any concerns about his mental health.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
About thirty seconds, what do we know about the victims.

Speaker 9 (20:47):
The victims' names haven't been released yet. Two men and
a woman were killed in the building. Also, the police
officer DDA rul Islam thirty six years old, a cop
for just about four years. He had two kids and
a wife and a child on the way, and the

(21:07):
entire NYPD is mourning his lost, as is the city
of New York.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
Fox Is Granald Scott Granaal. Thank you very much for
the update. We appreciate it absolutely. Coming up, we'll get
to some of your text We got an answer to
the TBS question, by the way, from the greatest audience around.
We'll get to those texts coming up. Three oh four
Talk three oh four. A little bit later on, we'll
talk about the TBT the Best Virginia team moving on
to the semi finals. Brad Howe will join us of

(21:33):
a sports line and three Guys Fame coming up, your calls,
text and tweets are welcome as well. Eight hundred seven
to sixty five Talk and three or four Talk three
to oh four. This is talk line from the in
COVID Seernch Studios on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia.
It is ten thirty time 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 10 (21:56):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins. FEMA is getting
more visible Ohio County. The Federal Disaster Agency as workers
in both Ohio and Marion Counties as part of the
disaster declaration declared in both counties last week after the
Father's Day weekend flooding. FEMAL will open a disaster assistance
center later today at the Tridelphia Community Center in Ohio County.
They're also set up at the Valley Grove Community Center.

(22:18):
Metro News has previously reported the Trump administration and restored
funding to the black lung screening program through NIOSH. It
was originally slashed as part of dose cuts that impacted
the NIOSH labs in Morgantown. The black lung screening mobile
unit is set up today at Myland Park in Morgantown Today,
Tomorrow and Thursday open for miners to come and be tested.
The former childcare worker faces up to five years in

(22:40):
prison after her plea Monday to charges that she smacked
and spit on a special needs child while she was
supposed to be caring for the child at a Canawh
County childcare center. Thirty year old Amber Siler Poka took
a Kennedy plea on Monday. Several parents were there. Bethany
birth says new state laws are hopefully going to serve
as a deterrent.

Speaker 11 (22:56):
I think that these teachers are going to think twice
before they any of our children. They're going to think, oh,
I'm not looking at one year in jail, That's what
the misdemeanor would have held. And they don't even spend.

Speaker 12 (23:08):
The whole year right or a fine, right or just approbation.

Speaker 13 (23:11):
They're going to be.

Speaker 11 (23:12):
Looking at that one to five it's minimum one year,
maximum five years.

Speaker 10 (23:16):
Silo will be sentenced faces up to five years once
she's sentenced. In September. You're listening to Metro News the
Voice of West Virginia.

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The football season is right around the corner. Get ready
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News Television. Watch Metro News all Day including talk Line,
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(24:16):
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Speaker 10 (24:22):
New WV President Michael T. Bentson doing a lot of handshaking.
Last night at Ogleby Resort, he attended a WVOR alumni event,
his first stop on the tour of the state. He's
getting a look at Independence Harned Wheeling this morning and
then a head to Parkersburg. A key traffic note from
the State Division of Highways in Parkersburg, the Interstate seventy
seven southbound on ramp at Staunton Avenue. That's the State

(24:42):
Route forty seven interchange will be closed for the next
two weeks for the installation of a new concrete curb.
From the Metro News anchor desks, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:26):
Text line three oh four, Talk three four, phone numbers
eight hundred and seven to sixty five. Talk all right, TJ.
Ask in this audience will get you an answer. I
don't know if it's the correct one, but they will
get you an answer, texter says TJ. The reason TBS
started at five minutes after was so you could watch
five minutes of bad network show and then switch to
Turner and not miss the beginning of the show. Now this,

(25:48):
texter says. The five start time was to hit the
spot where other shows went to post intro commercials. So
Channel surfers would see TED shows intro without competition. This
text says the five start time was called Turner time.
Turner started it after he found out that boomer parents
had figured out that they can keep their kids sitting

(26:09):
by the TV and use them as channel changers. This
was an attempt to prevent channel surfing. So it seems
to be an attempt to keep you on his channel
instead of going to others. I guess that's what the
Texters seem to say.

Speaker 3 (26:22):
No, those all are salient points. They make sense. And
Lena Turner wasn't dumb. You don't get to where he
was by being dumb.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
So so there's your answer. Don't least the right business.
But hey, it makes sense, right, Yeah, makes sense. Speaking
of making sense, mentioned into sports, Brad how joins us
as best. Virginia is moving on to the semi finals
of the TBT. Brad, good morning fun game again last night.
Not necessarily stressed Virginia down the end this time. But

(26:52):
man smothering defense, opportunistic offense. It's been the hallmark of
this team through the TBT.

Speaker 15 (26:58):
We had good morning fellas, and I agree with all
of that. That's very well said. David was another fun,
entertaining game. And yeah, you saw that Best Virginia defense
come out hit enough shots to get to the win.
And then I think I have to start and give
credit to the crowd as well. We are seeing what
an advantage it has been for Best Virginia to be
at home in Charleston, and I thought all four games

(27:19):
that they've played in that Charleston Coliseum have been very
well received in loud crowds. I thought last night was
by far the best, and it certainly made a difference
in bringing that thing home. So, yeah, this is fun,
a little July basketball that matters. You're only two games
from a million dollars and we have some fun hoops going.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
On led the whole time. I believe Brad correct and
if I'm wrong, did that surprise you?

Speaker 15 (27:42):
It did from the standpoint that Maryland's team, the alum
team shell Shock, had some really good sized, very talented players.
You don't get to this stage without being very good,
and Best Virginia just jumped out in that first quarter
and really handled business. And that's really where the tone
was said, because if you look through at the box score,
shell Shock actually won the second and third quarters, but

(28:03):
Best Virginia wins the game. So first and forced quarters,
start and finish, we're out standing for best Virginia and
they held serve in the middle and really just controlled
that game from start to finish.

Speaker 1 (28:13):
Talking to mention New Sports, Brad how mention his talk
or mention those sports line. This is talk line and
three guys before the game. So Brad, what's the chances here?
Can they Can they pull off this thing win the
million dollar prize?

Speaker 4 (28:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (28:26):
I think they can, Dave. You're just down to two
games and this team has really found its stride. So
it's hanging its hat on defense as we thought it would.
They were really just smothering in that first quarter, in particular,
as you mentioned when shell Shock went just one of
seven from three point land there and they just they
were rushed and hurried and couldn't get into their sets.
So this defense that will travel, even though it doesn't

(28:48):
have to travel because you're staying in Charleston, but it
can match up with anybody. The question just remains with
this team is the scoring and can it keep coming?
And so far no other team has figured out how
to shut down James Reese. The Buffalo North Texas South
Carolina product that West Virginia was able to acquire after
Eric Stevenson was unable to be a part of this roster.

(29:09):
And man, has James Reese made a difference. Twenty four
points last night. He's averaging about twenty two points per game.
He's doing it on both ends. He had a mammoth
block at the rim last night that really ignited the crowd.
So scoring will be the question if Reese gets his
twenty again and you're just looking for a secondary score.
I think this Best Virginia has as good a chance
as anybody to win the million.

Speaker 3 (29:30):
Where's that at where we play Charleston? Okay? Awesome?

Speaker 1 (29:34):
Back it's a home game. Man, that place was rocking
last night. Brad, you could get that on television.

Speaker 4 (29:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (29:39):
It was a great crowd, best one they've had yet,
and it really made a difference. And then the way
they're doing it this year and the brackets breaking correctly
that now you're home for this first Final four game,
for the semi final game, and then the other game
to keep an eye on is the Wichita State alumni team.
The aftershocks in their game. My understanding is if that
Wichita team were happened to lose and Best for Virginia wins,

(30:01):
then Charleston's hosting the championship game for a million dollars
on the line, which again would just be a massive
home court advantage.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
Get out, hey, Brad. Let me one more broad observation here,
and that I've taken away from the TBT this year
that maybe I didn't get from years past. But with
the college athletics landscape changing, where players are going to
be coming and go on transfer portal, there is always
this concern. At least I had this concern where are

(30:28):
fans going to respond because they're going to have to
learn new players every year, especially basketball, same with football.
But man, the TBT has demonstrated fans are all in
on the brand. They're cheering for Best Virginia West Virginia essentially,
whether guys are actually from WU or they played at
LOEEVL or they played South Carolina, they don't care. They're
cheering for that name on the front of the jersey.

(30:48):
And that's encouraging if you're in the world of college athletics.

Speaker 15 (30:52):
Correct totally agree, and we talked about that last time
I was on. I felt that would be the case.
As you saw from the early crowds down in Charleston.
And that's what it is, and that's the beauty of
college sports. That that's why I think it endures even
though we're in this time of change when, as you mentioned,
the rosters turnover so significantly. But you put that West

(31:12):
Virginia on or in this case, a close proximity of
the brand, and I do think you still need to
have some connections. Jared West a former great player, a
legendary player with the shot he made in the NCAA tournament.
Being the head coach matters. Having some alums or guys
that played on your team does matter. But James Reeve
has been the star of his team and he's been embraced.

(31:33):
You know, this weird world of college athletics, there's an
odd tie there and we always say there's a West
Virginia connection, But how about this one. James Reeves, who's
led this Best Virginia team, played a couple seasons at
North Texas for new WVU head basketball coach Ross Hodge.
So Ross and the team is in attendance last night,
and I thought it was a knee touch. You could

(31:53):
see some of the excitement the current WVU players were up,
they were talking trash to the Maryland guys. They were
in it, leading cheers. Coach Hodge was into it. And
then at the end of the game. One of the
really neat traditions in the TBT tournament is you take
your name placard and a fix it to the bracket
as you advance. On last night, Best Virginia allowed Ross
Hodge to be the honorary sticker of the name into

(32:17):
the bracket, and I thought that was kind of a
nice touch that brought full circle the cooperation you have
between WVU basketball and Best Virginia. Ross has been a
huge supporter of this group, allowing to be used a
practice facility, buying postgame meals for them a couple of
different times. So it's really been some nice synergy and
that kind of ties in your ultimate point there is
that West Virginia fans are behind this and they are

(32:40):
all on board on this brand.

Speaker 3 (32:41):
Right now, Well, you mentioned the brand and then you
mentioned the tie to WVU directly, Brad and your experience
and you've got some obviously, what does WVU get out
of that? How much does it mean to WVU basketball
and the overall West Virginia brand.

Speaker 15 (32:57):
Yeah, that's a really good question, TJ. I think it's
mostly for the fan base, and I think it gives
you a link there in the summer when, especially with
all this turnover we've seen with rosters. I think it
does give West Virginia fans WVU fans a chance to
cheer for something in the summertime when there's really nothing
going on. We had baseball that took us all the

(33:19):
way up into June and then kind of handed off
to this event, and I think it's been a chance
for fans to come to the Charleston Coliseum and cheer
for a brand extension from WVU, not the exact brand,
but an extension of this brand. And it's given you
something fun here in late summer at serve as a
bridge into what is now football season that begins today

(33:39):
here in Morgantown. So I think that's what it gets.
Does it help the actual program, I don't know that
it does. Other than nights like last night, Now Ross
did an interview with the Fox folks. He came over
at halftime and did an interview with us. But from
a national perspective, having that team and that coach, that
new coach in the building, there were tons of cutaways
to him, and so there are recruits that are watching

(34:02):
that are potential recruits, so you get a little pop
off of that. But for the most part, I think
this is just something good for the fans to serve
the brand extension, so to speak.

Speaker 1 (34:10):
Best Virginia playing in the TBT semi final coming up
Thursday night. That's at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center,
and we'll have coverage, play by play coverage on the
Metro News Radio network. Brad'll be along for a sports
line and three guys later today as well. Brad always
appreciate it. It's fun, man, it's fun to watch.

Speaker 15 (34:27):
Well, thanks guys, and that hey, you're all the way
in the semi finals, you might as well go win
the million now at this point, I's have a couple
more fun.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
Getting why not might as well. Brad appreciate it, buddy,
Thank you, all right, thanks guy, We have more talk
line in a moment.

Speaker 16 (34:38):
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.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Which is used to make the steal.

Speaker 16 (34:54):
Our economy depends on and West Virginia has some of
the highest.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
Quality met coal in the world.

Speaker 16 (35:00):
West Virginia coal miners produce more met coal than any
other state, and seventy percent of all steel makers in
the United States rely on West Virginia met coal. This
accounts for two hundred billion dollars in economic impact throughout
the country and help sustain over a half billion jobs.
As President Trump reinvigorates our economy, he will need a
lot of our high quality met coal. So the West

(35:22):
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 2 (35:50):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visitancova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
Text line three or four Talk three oh four. You
guys discuss renewables like you're ninety years old and haven't
read any related technical material since nineteen eighty two, So
same practiced understanding as our legislature cole is West Virginia,
says the Texter.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
Yeah, I'm gonna call uh. You want to something on that,
all right ahead?

Speaker 1 (36:20):
I I know the reading since nineteen eighty two.

Speaker 3 (36:23):
Yeah, you know, I used to do something for a
living that had a little something to do with this.
Let me tell you something about renewables. I'm all for them.
It all comes down to the economic dispatch price of
electricity in a market and what is cheapest, because that's
what utilities want. We're not there yet. The battery storage
is too expensive. Therefore, renewables are largely still intermittent, and

(36:45):
until the levelized cost of energy competes with natural gas,
especially nuclear, you're not going to see as much of
it in the market. It's a price game. If you
want to pay elevated electricity prices, that's on you. But
guess what not everybody wants to do it.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
Three or four four is the tax line. We'll get
our next guest in just a moment. Set this segment up, though, TJ.
You had a commentary this morning because our friends across
the river, at least where I'm from, we caught across
the river over in Ohio, moving ahead with a flat tax.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
Flat tax essentially, Dave, two point seventy five percent. Whatever
you make, that's what you're gonna pay. Everybody pays it.
Kentucky already has a flat tax. Oh, by the way,
they're decreasing it again come January the first. Pennsylvania has
had one, I think since nineteen seventy three. So if
we talked about being competitive with the states around us,
and this is what they're moving to and they have
overall lower income taxes at the top, what does West

(37:41):
Virginian need to be doing to be competitive? I think
we have to look at that and look at it closely.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
Let's pose that question to Putnam County Senator Eric Tar,
who joins us on Metro News talk line this morning.
Senator Tar, good morning. Let me pose the question TJ
just brought up to you. What does West Virginia need
to do to compete with the steps that Kentucky, Ohio,
Pennsylvania are making. Good morning, by the way.

Speaker 17 (38:03):
Good morning, Dave, Goo morning TJ. You know's we started
that journey years ago trying to get the prioritization so
that we can get that tax structure correct, and we
do need to stay competitive with each of the states
that touches. You know, that's one of the things we
really need to do is we have to look at
personal property texts because you've got to look at the
size of the tax and the effects of the tax

(38:25):
that's that you're addressing. And when you're talking income tax,
you're talking nearly forty percent of the state's budget. And
so to get down competitive with just being at the
same level that Ohio is that if they go to
two point seventy five, where you're talking eight hundred million
dollar reduction in addition to the eight hundred million we've
already knocked out of the income tax, it's.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
About go ahead, sir, finish your thoughts.

Speaker 18 (38:51):
Sorry.

Speaker 17 (38:52):
See, it took us about eight years, you know, to
do about one point two billion in relief. So if
you get an idea of what that text on economic
growth and knock out eight or millions, that's the challenge
we had. So to me, I think the lowest hanging
fruit really is to go back and knock out personal
property tax. But that's more like a four hundred million
dollar piece, and that brings that that allows companies to
come over here and create jobs in West Virginia. So

(39:15):
that you increase your revenue base that comes in so
you can knock out another tax.

Speaker 3 (39:20):
Should money be taxed when it is earned or when
it's consumed? Because I agree with you, if we cut
the income tax, we're going to have to do something.
I'm a fan of consumption tax. Is that a good
strategy or a bad one?

Speaker 14 (39:34):
No?

Speaker 19 (39:34):
I agree.

Speaker 17 (39:35):
I think the Fairs tax is consumption. You control what
you're taxed. If it's on consumption. If you're somebody who
wants to spend a lot of extra money on once
versus needs, then you know you're you're going to be
paying that tax for having made that decision. And when
it's earning everybody you know you have to earn to
go out and to be able to get your needs,
and so you're taxed on something that you must do

(39:57):
instead of something you choose to do. So I think
the Farirs tax absolutely is a consumption tax.

Speaker 1 (40:01):
Senator Eric tar joining us here on Metro News talk line. So, Eric,
if property taxes is the next lowest hanging fruit is that?
Are we going to have serious discussion about that? Or
do you want to have serious discussion about that? Will
we get the legislature back in Charleston in January.

Speaker 15 (40:18):
I do I do.

Speaker 17 (40:19):
You know, it's something that has to go back on
the ballot for referendum for the people Western Indio decide
if West Virginia, if the people would let the legislature
lower or eliminate their personal property taxes and find another
way to fund our counties off that tax, off something
from general revenue so that we have a more competitive stance.

(40:39):
And that's really you're talking about four hundred million dollars
seat competitive with Ohio as compared to eight hundred to
get to that flat tax situation. And it's just for
our tax basis that requires. And the other thing is
you've got to realize all the investment came into West
Virginia over the past few years, it's going to take
five to seven years for all those you know, stick's

(41:00):
concrete come out of the ground, put jobs in those places,
and to pull the revenue in off that in West Virginia.
And one of the challenges is is if we do
not keep up with Ohio, that the people that live
in or that work there wind up living across the river.
And so we need to get on that on the Bafster.
But I think lost having fruits up personal property tax,
which would then will allow us to address income tax

(41:22):
more aggressively.

Speaker 3 (41:23):
I want to make sure we're talking about apples and
origes here. When you say personal property tax, you're talking
about zeroing out not only on the cars, but on
our homes. And you're also talking about inventory tax on business.
Is that a fair characterization?

Speaker 17 (41:37):
Not on homes, not on home homes, is real property,
you know, and we're very competitive with real property tax.
You know, if you look at our effective personal property
tax or real property tax on a home compared to Ohio's,
it's about eight hundred dollars a year on a home
in West Virginia, Ohio at north of three thousand.

Speaker 3 (41:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (41:58):
Yeah, I mean as far as what the average somebody
pays out, So we're very competitive their personal property. Ohio
has no personal property tax. We do have a personal
property tax here, but it's very clumsy to go back
and get a tax credit on your vehicles. Businesses pay
a hefty personal property tax. So while something's sitting on
their shelves, or something sitting in their inventory before it's
being turned into something that you're going to buy, they

(42:20):
sit there and pay a tax on that every year,
which means the expense to sell that in West Virginia
is higher than it is in Ohio. So, in other words,
it makes it cheaper to do business in Ohio than
in West Virginia. And that's not a really really big
lift to get that done as far as the figure
when you compare to what you have to do to
get competitive with income tax And that's one of the
reasons we put the triggering down income taxes because as

(42:43):
our economy grows, it necessarily decreases the income tax. But
to get that economic growth, you got to have the
jobs here in personal property tax is definitely impediment and
getting that done in West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Eric, we've only got about a minute, and we'll have
to have this conversation a broader converse other day. But
one of the hurdles will be, and was when this
came up last time, will be how do you fund
the county governments and get the county commissions and the
sheriff's departments on board who depend on those personal property
tax revenues, you know, for their budgets each year.

Speaker 17 (43:18):
Yeah, what we need to do is we need to
go in and make sure that in that constitutional amendment
that there is a guarantee that the counties are going
to get funded at the same or increased level, and
it suggested for that inflation, so it's not just held
at at a locked spot. One of the things counties
really really fret over is the control of how much
revenue comes in based on their property assessments and how

(43:43):
much they move up and down their levees. So we're
going to have to go in and make sure that
they feel secure that they still have at least the
same level of funding going forward. An opportunity to improve
that funding if we eliminate the personal property tax, and
that's the constitutional amendment would not onlyminate it. I think
the constitutional limit amendment you would seek out legislature would

(44:04):
say that the legislature has the ability to lower eliminate
that personal property tax as long as it replaces that
income to the counties that they would lose.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
Pudlerm County Sentator Eric tar Eric, appreciate you hopping on.
Thank you. We'll have to have a longer discussion one day.

Speaker 17 (44:20):
Sure, all right, anytime, guys.

Speaker 1 (44:21):
Thanks you take our final break of the hour. Say
what's coming up in our number two as talk line
continues from being COVID Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 5 (44:58):
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(45:19):
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(46:10):
Mega Million's jackpot is one hundred and thirty million, So
go ahead, play today. Let's get a couple of text
in three or four talk three oh four Ohio. Property
taxes are higher because of school levies. These property taxes
to fund education. Our lack of property taxes are reflected
in our schools, says the Texter.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I would rather pay a higher property tax than an
income tax. At least you're getting a tangible product for
what you're paying.

Speaker 1 (46:36):
In TJ is a fan of consumption tax because it
hurts the poorest people the most. Prices will go up
for everything with a consumption tax.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
Yeah, I hate poor people, don't I?

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Well? Evidently, uh three or four talk three oh four?
Oh here it is businesses should pay income and property
taxes to upkeep the infrastructure they use to make money,
also to fund the education system that educates their future employees.
People are looking at short term gains over long term development,

(47:07):
says the text.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
Businesses don't pay taxes. They never have. They passed them
along to you as the cost of goods sold.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
Delegate Evan Hanson will join us. We'll get his take
on the EPA announcement that is expected later today as
talk line continues, so Metro News, the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Incovia Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Our number two of Metro News talk Line. Multiple ways
you can participate in the show three or four Talk
three oh four that is the text line eight hundred
and seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven six
five eight two five five. That is the phone number
coming up bottom of the hour. Montague County Delegate Evan

(47:59):
Hanson and we'll join us on the program. We'll get
Evans perspective on the announcement we're expecting from the EPA
today proposing to overturn that two thousand and nine endangerment
finding regarding greenhouse gas emissions. Also, we'll talk to him
for a few minutes about the proposed high voltage transmission lines.

(48:20):
Actually there are two of them. One would cut through
part of Montingalia County, taking power from Green County, Pennsylvania,
over to northern Virginia four data centers. We'll talk to
Evan about that because there's some growing opposition here up
in the northern part of the state TJ with that
transmission line because it would cut through part of cheap Lake, Montingaia, Preston,

(48:41):
Hampshire Counties. There's a few more there. I think there's
twelve all together. But the locals are going, wait a minute,
what do we get out of this. You're going to
cut a two hundred foot wide right of way through
our backyards. What do we get out of it? N
answer is not much.

Speaker 3 (48:57):
Here's another one for you, who pays for it?

Speaker 1 (49:00):
It's also a good question.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
And the way we do transmission in this country, there's
an argument there to be made. They'd be paying for
something that maybe they're not going to get much benefit. Now,
maybe this line has redundant benefits on the grid. It
further stabilizes the grid. I haven't followed the case, but
a lot of questions. I do want to backtrack, Dave
and just say I was being hyperbolic. I got a
text here on the private line, I do not hate

(49:23):
poor people. I thought the sarcasm is evident, but apparently
it wasn't.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
So I thought it was a dripping in sarcasm, as
they say. But thank you for clarifying that.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
TJ.

Speaker 1 (49:37):
Wool make sure oh an article that's got a lot
of attention nationally from the Wall Street Journal. I believe
this was on Sunday when this dropped, or at least
over the weekend. I knew. Wall Street Journal poll shows
that sixty three percent of voters have an unfavorable view
of the Democratic Party. That's the highest since nineteen. Voters

(50:01):
trust Republicans more than Democrats to handle issues like the economy, inflation, tariffs, immigration,
More voters identify as Republican than Democrat, as the Republican
National Committee as a financial advantage as well. For a
perspective on that, and where do you go from here,
please welcome to the program. A Democrat strategist friend of

(50:21):
the show Mike Plant joins us in studio this morning.

Speaker 18 (50:24):
Good morning, sir, Good morning guys. Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
So what were you thinking as you read through this
article and saw the polling data.

Speaker 18 (50:31):
I was thinking, boy, I'm sure glad that TJ and
Dave called me to come on to talk about this.
I know there are a lot of other people that
were probably lining up to come on and explain how
this is really good news?

Speaker 3 (50:45):
Is it wrong?

Speaker 14 (50:47):
No?

Speaker 18 (50:47):
I think this is first of all, I know this.
I'm having trouble with my headset here. John Anceloni is
a polster that I've worked with a lot over the years.
He's from Alabama, Democratic pollster and now he made the
big well he's he's actually been in the big time
for a number of years.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
He's a.

Speaker 18 (51:08):
Top tier Democratic pollster and now working with the Wall
Street Journal. But you know, if I if I could
drop the adopt the Donald Trump's strategy here, I would say,
this is the Wall Street Journal is the failing Wall
Street Journal. We're going to join the President's lawsuit against
the Wall Street Journal for propagating this. But here, in
all seriousness, here's the I mean, here's several takeaways. It

(51:31):
look I think the poll is a real poll. It's
a slight it's a snapshot in time of where we are.
Right now, Democrats still have to reckon with what their
messaging is, on how to connect with real people and
and how to and how to get sell their message across.
But in twenty it'd get their message across. But look,
there's no good news. There's not a lot of good
news in here straight up for the Republican Party either,

(51:54):
the Republican Trump and the Republicans are underwater by seven
points and eleven points actively in in this poll as well.
And the twenty twenty six elections are going to be
a referendum not on the party out of power, but
they're going to be a referendum on Trump and the Republicans.
And I think that's why you see you saw the

(52:15):
headlines just a couple of days ago about Trump urging
Texas to Jerryman, I mean redistrict the districts in Texas
to try to come up with five additional seats. But
you know, the poll, the poll clearly shows some vulnerability
and some weaknesses on the on the Democratic front. There's
no denying that. There's no getting away, no getting around that.

(52:38):
But there's still this is early in the game. I
think voters are not not as focused as they will
be after the after the campaign ensues. But there's also
you know, for Trump's signature issues like tariffs, foreign policy,
even immigration deportation policy. They're all underwater on all these

(52:59):
signature issues for the president. So there's there's enough bad
news and concern for everybody, and I think that's why
you see the Republicans looking at places like Texas to
try to redistrict to pick up some help pick up
some seats. And as you guys know, you guys follow
politics more than the average average person. Off year is

(53:19):
always a bad year for the party in power that
holds the White House for the you know, in Trump's
first term they lost in the off your election, they
lost forty seats in the House. Same thing happens for
Democrats when they control the White House. So it's uh,
you know, there's a lot of stake coming up in
the next elections. And would you would you rather have

(53:40):
better news out of this polling as a Democrat this early?

Speaker 3 (53:44):
Of course you would.

Speaker 18 (53:44):
But it's there's still a lot of as I said,
still a lot of game left to be played.

Speaker 1 (53:51):
Mike Plant joining us in studio here this morning. Okay,
all right, I agree with ninety nine percent of that, Mike.
If Yeah, Republicans don't have anything to be skipping to
the uh, you know, skipping and celebrating and shotting about.
But and this may be a simplistic view of the
polling data, Mike, I look at it, and I go,
what that polling data says to me is we don't

(54:11):
like what he's doing, but we really don't like what
they might do if they were in charge. Too simplistic
of an analysis there from the untrained eye.

Speaker 18 (54:23):
Well again, I think we don't. I didn't see the
top lines, the or the cross tabs or anything on
the poll. I just read the article. So we I
think these these kind of media polls tend to be
a snapshot of the view from thirty thousand feet. So
it's what it's what the folks taking the survey think

(54:45):
the policies are and think the programs are. So I
don't know that they're reacting in exactly to what they
will be when the when the election actually rolls around,
and we we haven't even had like the dialogue and
the discussion hasn't played out you know, for example, you

(55:06):
guys helped me out here. You're you're better at maga
math than I am. The President the other day said
that that he was going to cut drug prices. Prescription
drug prices we I up to fifteen hundred percent. So
if you're paying one hundred dollars a month for your
prescription drugs, what what's that? What's fifteen hundred percent of
a hundred dollars? So, you know, I think you're going

(55:27):
to hear a lot of that, you know, from Democrats
that making the contrast there, because frankly, for me, you know,
I'm an older guy. You guys are just young whipper snappers.
I'm a younger guy, older guy that has some prescription
drug costs every month. I'm viewing this as a side hustle.
I'm they're going to pay you to take the pay
me to take my blood pressure meds. And I've just

(55:48):
I've spent this last year losing all this weight, and
they're cutting back on my meds just when I'm going
to get paid for it.

Speaker 3 (55:53):
It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Capitalism works.
Talk to me about this piece in the Wall Street Journal.
Marcy to her, I think I'm pronouncing that last name right.
She's a Democrat in Congress. So far, she's raised six
hundred and seventy eight thousand dollars for the upcoming election,
compared to AOC fifteen point four million that she's raked in.

(56:15):
She is the biggest house fundraiser. Yeah, of them all,
Bigger than Johnson, bigger than.

Speaker 1 (56:21):
Any of them.

Speaker 18 (56:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (56:22):
Yeah, So she's got her following, But is her following
big enough. I don't know that it's big enough outside
of the far far left of the party to make
a difference.

Speaker 18 (56:31):
Well, I think what you see with out the out
of the you know, the Bernie Sanders movement from you know,
twelve years ago going forward when he first ran for president.
You know, Sanders activated the really really it created a
movement around the left wing of the Democratic Party or

(56:53):
the left wing in general. Let me let me put
it that way. But you see candidates like AOC raising
money nationally in small dollar contributions from folks that identify
with that perspective and raising lots of it. You also
see on the right, it's it's you know, it's similar
on the right. If you you know Marjorie Taylor Green

(57:16):
and some of those folks are raising you know, large
sums of money from from their constituency on the far right.
And because they can, they can just drill down in
with emails and targeted advertising to that base out there
who's just rabbit on the left and right.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
And so that's a fair point. I'm sitting here looking
at ninety nine perc of her fund raising came from individuals. Yeah,
only one percent from packs. Now, I don't know how
much that is, right, are they maxing out or to
your point, is it tens and twenties, what's your gut?

Speaker 18 (57:49):
It's there, it's tens and twenties. And it's like years ago,
I worked in Washington for organization called Public Communications Group.
It was a direct of a democratic direct mail fundraising firm.
And it's back when you could you could raise money
for normal you know, for candidates in the mail. And
this is before the interwebs and all that kind of stuff.

(58:11):
And I remember my boss at the time, Hal Wolfe,
saying that we were sort of reaching the end of
that window when you could normal candidates could just raise
money in the mail. And they said, you know, if
you're if you're running against Jesse Helms or against Ted Kennedy.
You can raise a lot of money still in the
in the in the mail. But gone were the days

(58:33):
when when Dick Ottinger and and Steven Neil and just
your normal centrist Democrats were able to able to appeal
to UH a national base to to raise dollars from.
And so what you see now is it's just it's
become so much easier to raise money digitally by UH
by by emailing these lists and and the Bernie lists

(58:55):
are out there, and they they they the folks like
aoc and and and others target those lists and and
raise uh uh, you know, raise a fair amount of
money from those sources. And you've seen even candidates running
in West Virginia, I think, like Zach Shrewsbury the last time,
and there.

Speaker 3 (59:13):
Who's running again, I believe.

Speaker 18 (59:15):
I don't know that for a fact. That wouldn't surprise me.
But you know they they Kathy Kunkle who ran a
few years before. But they're they're from the the you know,
more from that that that wing of the party, and
they raised, they successfully raised money nationally in those small
dollar contributions from from donors that that they that view

(59:38):
appeals to and and you have it again, you have
it on the right as well. Who folks are able
to to do that? It's it's I think it's harder
for centrist candidates to to raise raise money that way,
but it's out there for those who for for for
those who want to do it, and there's a fundraising
costs associated with that.

Speaker 1 (59:56):
But yeah, my plant is joining us Democrats strategy. We're
talking about the polling that was out released in the
Wall Street Journal this week. Let's bring it home. If
you were advising Democrats here in West Virginia, two seats
in the Senate, nine in the House of Delegates, how
would you approach the twenty six mid terms?

Speaker 18 (01:00:14):
Well, aggressively.

Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
You know.

Speaker 18 (01:00:17):
Job one is to recruit good candidates and recruit kid
candidates in as many districts as possible because you want
you want to challenge wherever you can and make the
other side spend money that they otherwise wouldn't have to spend.
But you also have to have you got to do
two things. And this is true for if you're on

(01:00:38):
the left and the right and you're running against incumbents,
You've got to get yourself elected and you've got to
get the other person fired. So you've got to give
people a reason to vote for you, and you've got
to give a reason for people to vote against the incumbent,
because otherwise incumbents and enjoys. Again, as guys who follow
politics regularly is part of what you do, you realize

(01:01:00):
there's a huge advantage to incumbency. So you've got to
be able to give reasons for why somebody should not
be re elected. The voters are going to going to
give the benefit of the doubt to the person that's
in there or the party that's in there. So there's
there's still a because of redistricting and the gerrymandering that
went on, there's still a lot of these districts have

(01:01:21):
been drawn that are are very difficult. But whereas in
the past presidential year, and when I say the past,
i'm talking twenty years ago, thirty years ago, it was
better for Democrats in presidential years, now it's it's it's flipped.
We do Democrats have I think a better opportunity in
off years when the president's not up to make some inroads.

(01:01:44):
So candidates have to in other words, you can't just
run and say I'm going to do X, Y and
Z you got to say I'm going to do X,
Y and Z, and the reason why I'm going to
do that is my republic My opponent has done A
B and C and that's bad.

Speaker 3 (01:01:58):
So Curveball, But before I do Zach Shrewsbury's Facebook page
indicates that he is still running for Senate. I don't
know if he hasn't been updated, but Benefit of the
Doubt looks like he is on social media anyway. Curveball
as a disinterested or maybe interested political observer, Republicans making
a state mistake here closing their primary to independence'.

Speaker 18 (01:02:17):
That's an interesting question, I think so. I think that,
you know, according to the you know, polling I've seen
for the last several election cycles, and his independence is
an interesting thing about independent voters, whether you're in West
Virginia or anywhere else in the country, by and large,

(01:02:37):
they're not really independence and that they don't you don't
look at their voting and see that they're voting for,
you know, fifty percent, fifty percent Republicans. They're not necessarily
ticket splitters, but they they vote, they tend to vote
for still on a partisan basis. Overwhelmingly, there's only about
seven percent that are actual real ticket splitters. So if

(01:02:59):
you're an independent, there are a variety of reasons why
you're an independent, but you you you still may you're
still probably voting one side or the other disproportionately to anything.
So I think in a state like West Virginia that
that may well hurt them. I understand. I've read what
what some Republicans have said about it, and they're hoping.

(01:03:20):
I think that people, if they're made, if they're made
to make a choice, that they'll register as Republican. And
but again, the other thing that that you find about
independent voters is that while they vote in a partisan basis,
they also don't vote uh. While they still vote as
on a partisan basis, they don't vote as frequently or

(01:03:41):
as as often as they tend to be lazier voters
for lack of a better term.

Speaker 1 (01:03:47):
So there's that, Mike Plant. Democrat strategists always enjoy the conversation.
One of these days, Mike will have some good news
to talk about.

Speaker 18 (01:03:56):
But then then you'll call Pushkin or somebody else. So
you're first on our list, right, appreciate it, Thank you, David,
appreciate it. Good to be with you.

Speaker 1 (01:04:04):
Coming up, we'll get to some of your calls and
text and Evan Hanson joins uspot in the art Montague
County Delegate. This is talk line from the Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
We aren't there for you to care for you at
the Health Plan. We are here. It all started with
a vision.

Speaker 21 (01:04:24):
We've grown alongside West Virginia, becoming part of its fabric
for over four decades.

Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
We've been here through.

Speaker 22 (01:04:30):
Thick and thin, supporting local families and businesses, proudly serving
West Virginia since nineteen seventy nine.

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
Your trusted partner in the community, the Health Plan. Hey there,
it's Dave Allen.

Speaker 23 (01:04:44):
I'd like to invite you to join myself along with
thirteen News in Tonight Live anchor Amanda Baron. Each weekday
from noon til three for Metro News Midday, brought to
you by Selango Law, We'll cover 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. It's

(01:05:04):
night Live anchor Amanda Baron, brought to you by Selango
Law On. Metro News the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (01:05:28):
Eight one hundred and seven to sixty five talks the
phone number three or four Talk three or four is
the text line, Kevin in Martinsburg, what's on your mind?

Speaker 5 (01:05:35):
Kevin?

Speaker 19 (01:05:35):
Hey, how are you going? Great body show every day,
great shay, great show every day. I really appreciate you guys,
and I won't take long, mister Plant. I disagree with
three things fundamentally, things that they subliminately say that they
Let's not get the Democrats twenty six percent approval today,
I'm seeing then pull thirty percent. Oh my god. Well,
it isn't the messaging, mister Plant. It's not about cool messaging.

(01:05:57):
It's about your policies. And we at the bottom end
of this spectrum who are affected by those policies. Boys
and girls, bathrooms, Oh and four years of Oh we
need we need Congress to step it. No, we needed
a new president who closed the border in four months.
We at the bottom who are paying all the taxes.
There's only consumers and producers. We producers are seeing more

(01:06:17):
and more being taken from us. Free healthcare, free everything, free, hotels, grabbed,
fraud tip. We want common sense government, and your messaging
isn't going to help. We need results and frankly for
those who can see, those who have eyes to see,
let them see right now mister Trump is producing them.
The EU deal is enormous, China is coming and they

(01:06:38):
can't stand that. We keep on winning.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
Kevin, good phone call. Appreciate it, succinct, I like it's time. Yes,
very well done.

Speaker 14 (01:06:46):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:06:46):
I will say this to Biggiebeck. I don't think it
is a messaging on either side. We don't need cringey
tiktoks and Instagram videos. It is what are you? What
are you messaging? And there's a the door's open TJ.
I believe the door is open for the Democrat Party
to make a comeback. Now, whether you seize on that opportunity,

(01:07:09):
create an identity that speaks to the voters, grabs them,
draws them in, or do you continue to pander to
your far base and the right and that can be
said for the right too. I mean, this isn't one
party or the other, but there is an opportunity there
in the next couple of election cycles to call your

(01:07:29):
way back because the pendulum swings. But are you going
to take that opportunity or are you going to continue
to move in one direction or the.

Speaker 3 (01:07:35):
Other, and messaging will only take you so far, especially
with independence. At some point messaging has to be reflective
of policy, and independence especially tend to, in my humble opinion,
look deeper at policy. The way I read that Wall
Street Journal poll is Republicans are thankful that they have
an Arkansas or in Mississippi, just like we're thankful for

(01:07:56):
that here in West Virginia, that we have an Arkansas
or in Mississippi. That's the way that read to me.
You don't have to be the fastest guy, Dave. You
just have to be faster than the slowest guy that
the bear's going to get right. And that's the way
I read it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
Yeah, same thing here. It's not that things are It's
not that you sit there and go, boy, I really
love the tariff policy. It's that the poll seems to indicate, Eh,
I'll tolerate the tariff policy because that one over there,
I really don't like whatever they were going to do
over there. I really don't want that. So we'll deal
with that. Like you said, just got to be faster

(01:08:32):
than the slow guy.

Speaker 3 (01:08:34):
Well, with tariffs, companies are still eating a lot of that.
I think in the short term to see what will
happen in the long term. That's not sustainable. That was
just that's a benefit rnning after Trump right. Yeah, but no, no,
I'm saying, but that's a benefit of your Trump, right,
because the companies are eating it for you, so politically
it is lagging in terms of effect versus economically.

Speaker 1 (01:08:51):
Coming up other side of the news break, Delegate Evan
Hanson will join us. We'll get his perspective on that
anticipated EPA announcement coming later today regarding greenhouse gas emissions.
Your thoughts as well. Three or four Talk three four
and eight hundred and seven to sixty five Talk. This
is Talkline on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia.
It is eleven thirty time to get a news update.

(01:09:12):
Let's check in with the Metro News radio network. Find
out what's happening across the great state of West Virginia.

Speaker 24 (01:09:19):
West Virginia Metro News.

Speaker 1 (01:09:20):
I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 24 (01:09:21):
Much of the state going to see high humidity and
temperatures in the nineties again today, and forecasters say there's
an excessive heat warning and heat advisories for much of
the western and southern counties of West Virginia. In place
today and tomorrow, but metiorolity is just Joe Curtis at
the National Weather Service in Charleston says after that things
are going to get better.

Speaker 19 (01:09:38):
We are going to see a cold front moved through
on Thursday and that's going to bring some rain, but
along with it, it's going to bring in much cooler
air here for the weekend, and.

Speaker 24 (01:09:48):
That low humidity with sunny, dry conditions could be around
until late next week as well. West Virginia residents will
soon be able to shop tax free on certain items
in the National Federation of Independent Business is hoping you'll
shop small.

Speaker 25 (01:10:00):
The state's annual sales tax holiday is set to begin
August first and last through August fourth. This allows families
and students to purchase essentials such as clothing and school
supplies without owing sales and local taxes and if IB
West Virginia State Director Gil White says it's a great
way to support these businesses.

Speaker 4 (01:10:16):
We think it's a great incentive when there is this
tax free opportunity to support local businesses, both in person
and online.

Speaker 25 (01:10:25):
He added that with every one dollar spent with small businesses,
sixty seven cents stays with the local community, making small
businesses a huge foundation to the state's economy. I'm Morgan Pimberton,
Wvmetronews dot com.

Speaker 24 (01:10:38):
AMA opening up shop in Mariann and Ohio County, including
a second assistant center at the Triadelphia Community Center. You're
listening to Matronews the boye of West Virginia.

Speaker 26 (01:10:47):
When guys like me separate from the military, we tried
to move forward, but to truly move forward, we need
to take care of our bodies and our minds. I
finally understood that after I went to BA I sold
the difference it made to have provider us understood what
I've been through and know how to help. I'm getting
the highest quality health care at the lowest costs, and
I'm telling every veteran I know that taking care of

(01:11:08):
yourself is the strongest thing you can do.

Speaker 2 (01:11:10):
Get what you've earned.

Speaker 3 (01:11:11):
Visit choose dot VA dot gov.

Speaker 27 (01:11:17):
With the right support and care, the seed can grow
into a resilient plant. Recovery takes patience, intention, and a
willingness to listen. Every path is different, and every story
of substance use is an opportunity for transformation. When it
comes to growing and restoring our communities, we need everyone

(01:11:38):
to break through addiction. Learn more at back to Life
wv dot org.

Speaker 24 (01:11:46):
A record sale for the Jackson County Junior Livestock Auction
last week. Officials say the total sales of all the
animals together top to million dollars. Fairboard chairman John Curry
speaking with WMOV radio.

Speaker 3 (01:11:57):
We live to see a million dollars sale, not see
another one, but we saw one that is amazing.

Speaker 18 (01:12:03):
Amazing, does yeah, Curry said.

Speaker 24 (01:12:05):
The number is a credit to the community and the
support they give to the four AH and FFA students
who spend their year raising livestock for the event. From
the Metro News anchor desk, I'm Chris Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
Open lines next segment for you, eight hundred and seven
to sixty five talk and threeho four talk, three four.
As we talked about in the first hour, The Environmental
Protection Agency has crafted a proposal that would undo the
government's endangerment finding regarding greenhouse gas emissions that was made

(01:12:56):
back in two thousand and nine, a determination that pollutants
from burning fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane
can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. That finding
is long serve as the foundation for a host of
policies and rules to address climate change. The EPA's proposal
to revoke that finding has been under review, and then
they are scheduled to make an announcement about that later today.

(01:13:18):
For another perspective, please welcome to the program Montague County
Delegate Evan Handsome. In addition to being a delegate, he's
also co owner of Downstream Strategies in Morgantown, which works
with agency, cities, counties, and nonprofits related to drinking water protection,
energy development, and economic development. Evan, good morning, Glad you
can join us.

Speaker 28 (01:13:37):
Martin, thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
Appreciate you coming on. What is your take on the
announcement that is expected today regarding the endangement findings from
two thousand and nine.

Speaker 28 (01:13:48):
I think that's a big mistake because it's science denial,
pure and simple, and it's going to lead to bad
policies that put West Virginians at risk. So I think
it's a bad idea.

Speaker 3 (01:14:01):
How is it science denial? Break that down?

Speaker 28 (01:14:05):
Well, there's been a consensus among climate scientists for years,
for decades now that increases in greenhouse gas emissions are
going to change the climate in certain ways, and those models,
those predictions have come true. The climate is changing exactly
as predicted. And what that means for West Virginia is

(01:14:26):
heavier rains over shorter periods of time. And that's a
big problem for West Virginia with our hills and with
our homes and our businesses so close to rivers and streams,
and you know, we're seeing it. We saw it a
few months ago in McDowell and Mica County, saw it
recently and Marshall and Marion. We saw it a couple
of days ago in Morgantown where these very large rainstorms

(01:14:49):
and short amounts of time are having big impacts and
sometimes killing people. I mean, even in Morgantown a couple
of days ago, people's basements are flooding in ways that
they've never flooded before. It's a different climate right now,
and that has to do with greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaker 1 (01:15:05):
Delicate a enhance and joining us on your own Metro
News talk line. Can any US regulation, US policy counter
acts what is going on on the other side of
the planet where China and India are building coal power plants.
They're not really worried about these emissions. Can we can
any US policy counteract that and have an impact on

(01:15:25):
climate change.

Speaker 28 (01:15:27):
Well, first of all, everybody needs to realize that China
is the leader in renewable energy development. They build more
renewable energy in a single year than the entire rest
of the world. So at the same time that they
have built some more full fire power plants, that's true.
They are the leaders in renewable energy development. And I

(01:15:50):
think that one reason why it's important for us to
take this seriously in the United States is because it's
going to be much more difficult to get emissions down
across the globe, from India, from China, from Russia, from Europe.
It's going to be much harder to do that if
we're not taking if we're not playing a role in

(01:16:10):
that and taking it seriously.

Speaker 3 (01:16:13):
Evan, I want to talk about the cost of electricity.
I'm sure you hear it from constituents. We follow rate
cases all of the time. Folks don't want to pay
more for electricity. EPA says this will save over one
billion dollars. I would think if you don't have to
have certain controls like carbon sequestration, or if you can
run a plant longer, that that might affect economic dispatch

(01:16:34):
and the cost of energy. Won't this save money? And
isn't that a good thing?

Speaker 28 (01:16:38):
No, they're wrong, they're wrong. I mean, look at West Virginia.
Over the last fifteen or so years. West Virginia's electric
rates have risen faster than any other state in the country.
It's not due to renewables, because we don't have much
of those. It's due to over reliance on a single
energy source for overreliance on coal, which is more expensive

(01:17:00):
than renewables now. And so if we're looking at it's
stabilizing and reducing West Virginians electricity rates. It's urgent that
we have an all the above energy strategy and that
we open the state up to not just coal and gas,
but renewables as well.

Speaker 1 (01:17:17):
Does all of the above evan include nuclear power?

Speaker 28 (01:17:22):
Looks like it's gonna I mean, and there's some controversy
about that, but that's load a zero carbon fuel source,
and that could play a role.

Speaker 1 (01:17:31):
Well, you and I boy, it's probably been several years
ago now. I remember talking to you about the small
modular reactors and you know West Virginia, West Virginia being
a perfect candidate to bring those in. And hopefully I'm
remembering that conversation the correct context, Evan. But you know,
how does that factor in or should that factor into

(01:17:53):
this this discussion about a broad all the above energy policy.

Speaker 28 (01:17:57):
I think we need to take that seriously and we
need to consider whether that's a possibility. And I think
one of the one of the issues with that though,
is that they're not ready yet. It's a new technology,
it isn't going to be ready to deploy in West
Virginia for at least another decade, and so I think
we need to be open to that. But if if

(01:18:18):
our country and our state is going to continue to
reduce emissions over next decade, which the scientists tell us
we need to do in order to avoid the worst
flooding in West Virginia, then we need other strategies as well.

Speaker 3 (01:18:33):
I like numbers. Let me throw some numbers at you.
I'm looking at the grid right now, in real time.
There's one hundred and thirty five thousand megawatts on the
PGAM grid. Sixty one thousand of that's gas, thirty two
thousand of that's nuke, twenty six thousand of that's coal,
eighty seven is solar, and Win's got about a thousand megawatts.
If renewables were cheaper, wouldn't we have more on the

(01:18:55):
grid today than these other fossil fuels.

Speaker 14 (01:18:59):
No.

Speaker 28 (01:19:00):
I don't think that's a correct analysis. And there's a
couple of reasons for that. One is that the price
of renewables has gone down tremendously in the last five
or ten years, and that's even without subsidies. And the
second reason is that there's what's called the PGM Q
which is basically a waiting list where numerous renewable energy

(01:19:22):
projects are caught up in that queue and can't get
approval from PJM to be built, and that's a big problem.
In fact, they stopped allowing renewables on the grid essentially
over the last couple of years so they could reform
their process because they had so many applications for renewable project.
So I don't think that's a fair characterization. I think

(01:19:45):
once that grid backlog gets addressed, you see more and
more renewables even on the PGM.

Speaker 1 (01:19:51):
Grid Anegay County, Delagate. Devin Hanson is joining us. He
is also co owner of Downstream Strategies tied to this.
A little bit different of a subject, but this integrates
into it. Evan is the proposed mid Atlantic Resiliency Link.
This would be a high voltage transmission line running from
Green County, Pennsylvania, over into northern Virginia to take power

(01:20:14):
from Green County to Virginia where they need it for
data centers. It affects us here in West Virginia because
the proposed path would go through Montingelia, Preston, Mintal, Hampshire,
and Jefferson Counties. There's been some local pushback to the
idea of having this transmission line cut through those counties.
What are you hearing from, folks and is that opposition growing?

Speaker 20 (01:20:37):
I think it is.

Speaker 28 (01:20:38):
I've heard from people locally in Man County and in
Preston County, and people are concerned. One of the reasons
that they're concerned is because this is going to increase
West Virginia's electric rates even more. But we're not going
to see hardly any benefits out of it. We're just
going to see costs in terms of increased electric rates.

(01:21:00):
If it, they're largely going to go out of state.
And that's why the county commissions and all the other
West Virginia counties except for mont County, have already passed
resolutions in opposition, and I'm interested to see what the
Mond County Commission does tomorrow. They have a resolution on
their agenda for tomorrow's meeting.

Speaker 3 (01:21:19):
Evan, I have followed that line closely. I don't know
if a case has been filed at Furt yet, but
a lot of times folks are looking to take transmission
level service and that can be used for economic development.
Is there any opportunity for that with this proposed line,
not that I'm aware of.

Speaker 28 (01:21:34):
I mean questions have been asked to the next Era,
which is the company that's developing the transmission line. And
this is essentially a high voltage power line to transfer
bulk electricity from west to east to the help power
the data centers in the DC area.

Speaker 1 (01:21:51):
Wantigue County Delegate Evan Hanson. Evan always appreciate the perspective.
Thank you very much for coming on today.

Speaker 28 (01:21:58):
Thanks appreciate you, guys.

Speaker 1 (01:22:00):
Absolutely coming up. The rest of the show belongs to you.
We'll get to your text three oh four Talk three
oh four. You can give us a call as well.
Eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven six
five eight two five five. That's the phone number text
line three oh four Talk three oh four as well.
This is talk line from the Encode Insurance studios.

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(01:22:40):
cittynet dot net or call eight four four citty net.
Citty net we connect, protect, and perfect.

Speaker 18 (01:22:50):
We are there for you to care for you. At
the health Plan, we are here.

Speaker 1 (01:22:58):
It all started with a vision.

Speaker 21 (01:23:00):
We've grown alongside West Virginia, becoming part of its fabric
for over four decades.

Speaker 1 (01:23:05):
We've been here through thick and thin, supporting.

Speaker 22 (01:23:08):
Local families and businesses, proudly serving West Virginia since nineteen
seventy nine.

Speaker 3 (01:23:14):
Your trusted partner in the community. The health Plan.

Speaker 2 (01:23:29):
Metro News talk line is presented by Encova Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:23:41):
Three or four Talk three or four is the text
line just passing along a note that coming up tomorrow morning,
a new Marshall Athletics director, Gerald Harrison will be formally introduced. Yes,
we are efforting getting an opportunity to converse with him,
hopefully before the end of the week. Are efforting that

(01:24:01):
that comes up tomorrow morning at eleven. Also, TBT Semi
Finals will have that for you on the Metro News
Radio network Thursday night, six o'clock tip off across the
Metro News Radio network will have that coverage for you.
I'm forgetting anything else? Oh, congratulations Wheeling Post one winning
the American Legion Baseball state championship. Yesterday. We had those

(01:24:23):
games for you, and I believe they're archived over at
on the Metro News TV app as well. All right,
anything else good? Text line three or four Talk three
four TJ. I saw you driving through town the other
day looking a giant lollipop while wearing a visor and
blasting Britney spears on the radio. Man, what you do

(01:24:43):
in your off time? Tell you that's my business, Mercy
C Dave. That's why I started giving you sarcasm alert. Yeah,
nobody picked up on your sarcasm there earlier in the show.

Speaker 3 (01:24:57):
Today, Can we get some kind of sounder or something
like a sarcast A disclaimer. Yes, Meadows is about to
be satirical.

Speaker 1 (01:25:06):
We all bring us up to date with the airplane
gift to President Trump from cutter cost to updates violate
the law or not. He took a they actually got
it yesterday.

Speaker 3 (01:25:14):
Right, Yes, what I saw, and like billions, I forget
what we're gonna have to put into this thing and
then it goes to his library. But the piece I
read was talking about the need to make sure we
get all the bugs out of it. So it sounds
like everyone would agree that there may be a few
listening devices. I don't know, really, I still can't stand
that deal. I'm sorry, shocking.

Speaker 14 (01:25:36):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:25:36):
There is only one enumeration in the Constitution for redistricting.
It is every ten years that Texas case is going
to courts. For sure. That's clearly trying to rig the system.
For eighty plus years the Democrats did all the redistrict
Now that the Republicans are in the majority, they when
they redistrict, it's jerry mandering, says the Texter. Do the

(01:25:58):
victor go the spoils. That's always been my theory with it.

Speaker 3 (01:26:00):
You win, you win, and watch out.

Speaker 1 (01:26:05):
Uh. The Democrat Party has nothing to build on. I
watched a few clips from the Young Democrat convention. All
they could talk about was their pronouns free state of Palestine.
They actually interviewed a person who was a furry and
want their perspective of the country. All far left, fringe items.
Nothing about freedom or patriotism, no kitchen table items. They
continue to push further left and push even moderate Democrats away.

(01:26:29):
See Rob Emmanuel the other day on Meghan Kelly.

Speaker 3 (01:26:32):
Did you catch that interview? By chance?

Speaker 18 (01:26:33):
I did not.

Speaker 3 (01:26:34):
She asked him if a woman can be a man
or a man can be a woman. He looked at
her and said, nope, A man's a man, a woman's
a woman.

Speaker 18 (01:26:43):
That was big.

Speaker 1 (01:26:44):
That was big.

Speaker 3 (01:26:45):
Watch out, Rob's not playing. I'm telling you watch out.

Speaker 1 (01:26:49):
I don't disagree with you there. Look, there is an opportunity.
I go back to what I said earlier. There's an opportunity,
whether or not you seize on it and move in
a more moderate direction, or you move in the for
lack of a ter example, the mom dommy Did I
get that correct? Mom Dommy direction? If you go that direction,
I don't think that's going to fly. It'll fly with some, certainly,

(01:27:12):
but not in large enough numbers to be impactful nationwide.

Speaker 3 (01:27:17):
But he raised the mill. He raised a mill in
like ten days a Democratic socialist as the mayor of
New York City, the financial capital of the world. I
just I can't get that through my noodle. If I'm
being honest, I.

Speaker 1 (01:27:32):
Still stand by the astute political analysis of a colleague
of mine who said normal will win. The first party
that decides to just be normal will win forever, forever,
moving forward.

Speaker 3 (01:27:48):
It's sad that we have to define normal, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:27:52):
You shouldn't have to. Good morning, guys. With this heat
warning going on for the next several days, can I
ask everyone to please not forget about all the animals outside.
If the pavement is too hot for you to walk
on barefoot, it's too hot for bear pawpads. Also, please
leave some cool water outside in the shade, not just
for your pets, but for the homeless strays, even the
birds as well. Remember it takes no time for it

(01:28:14):
to warm up, so please change it out several times
a day. Everyone can save a life, says the Texter.
Good advice and a good spot to take a break.
We get some more year. Texts coming up three or
four Talk three oh four phone numbers eight hundred and
seven to sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two five five. Jackpots are growing in West Virginia.
Jackpots are on the rise every week. Power Ball hits Mondays,

(01:28:36):
Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mega Million's lights up Tuesdays and Fridays.
That's five chances a week to get in on life
changing jackpots. Play in store and online eighteen plus to play,
Please play responsibly. The Powerball jackpot is three hundred and
eighty four million dollars. Mega Million's jackpot is one hundred
and thirty million dollars, So go ahead play today.

Speaker 20 (01:28:57):
Rafters along the Lower Dolly have reported sightings of a
pirate on the riverbank. Apparently he's throwing gold coins to
every boat it passes back to you carry I Play.

Speaker 12 (01:29:07):
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.

Speaker 27 (01:29:21):
So join the cast of characters.

Speaker 12 (01:29:22):
Today with I Play from the West Virginia Lottery eighteen
plus to play play responsibly.

Speaker 1 (01:29:45):
More of your texts coming up. Three oh four Talk
three oh four. Texter says, guys have been trying to
tell everyone about the Zipper method wind driving. They all
hate it and said if I passed them, they wouldn't
let me in and they'd give me finger. I'm going
to keep using the Zipper method. Makes so much sense,
says the texter.

Speaker 3 (01:30:05):
You know, it's not you who are doing wrong. It's
the other gap. Remember that. Firmly believe that.

Speaker 1 (01:30:12):
That sounds like a terrible like nineteen eighties after school PSA.
It's not you, it's the other guy. Oh three or four,
Talk three or four. At the National Convention, the Democrats
had stationed outside abortion providers and sterilize sterilization providers. That's weird.
Normal people see it as a culture of death. Dims
are weird. Man, totally abnormal, says the texter. Please stop

(01:30:35):
saying efforting. Trying is a perfectly good word. You know,
I gotta be honest, Texter. I don't understand why that's
not on my list of pet peeves. Usually something like
that would make my list of pet peeves that drive
me crazy. For some reason, using efforting as a verb
does not. But I understand if it's on your list,

(01:30:55):
I understand.

Speaker 3 (01:30:57):
Does efforting imply a stronger sense of urgency and just
that more effort than trying? Is trying casual? I don't know,
maybe try, Yeah, trying is a little bit more casual. Yeah,
I'll try.

Speaker 1 (01:31:10):
You say that when somebody suggests something to you and
they go, hey, you know what you should do? You know,
I got this great idea for a show, and you go, yeah,
I'll try to get that on later. Yeah, you don't
really mean that. Yeah, but if you're efforting it, you
really mean it. Maybe I don't think that's fair. I'll
tell you what text. I'll do my best to see
if I can. I'll try to eliminate that from the lexicon.

(01:31:32):
I mean, we've almost eliminated punching tickets. I'm working on that.
I'm working on that. But you know what, you know,
I'll try to I'll try to limit its usage just
for you. Texter says West Virginia could use one hundred
mom donnies if we went all nuclear power. We wouldn't
have to worry about pollution or running out of fossil fuels.

(01:31:55):
It's the cleanest and safest energy available emissions wise. Absolutely,
all right, we've only got two minutes here, and I
don't mean to open this can of worms right at
the very end of the show. But is the future
nuclear or is nuclear the future?

Speaker 20 (01:32:10):
TJ?

Speaker 3 (01:32:10):
I think it has to be. I think SMR has
become very valuable. These modular reacts, small modular reactors, thank you.
I think they could have a bright future. I think
they solve a lot of the intermittent problems that renewables
like wind and solar have. They're not intermittent, but at
the same time, they don't have the emissions that maybe

(01:32:31):
a fossil fuel has. So yeah, I would put money
on that bet. I would go down with that one.

Speaker 1 (01:32:36):
It seems again very novice in this area. We would
have an opportunity with the sites where we had the
former coal fire power plants to redevelop those possibly obviously
it would take a huge investment TJ. But it seems
like we would have some site ready places to be

(01:32:57):
on the forefront of this if we wanted to be
in West Virginia.

Speaker 3 (01:33:00):
Spot On and Evan talked about that Q with PJM.
He's not wrong. We need Q reform. There. The valuable
thing about those sites you're talking about, Dave, they already
have an interconnection that's already within the queue. Now, yes,
PGM would have to recertify, but that could be a
much quicker process than starting from scratch.

Speaker 1 (01:33:17):
Something to try to give though, from what I have
learned from you and what the demand and the capacity
and what we're able to provide, something's got to give
sooner rather than later. Again, very novice point of view.

Speaker 3 (01:33:31):
There, capacity charges are at a record high. I mean,
you know in twenty five it was two point two
billion was what it cost in capacity for the auction.
PJM just wrapped up their latest for the twenty six
twenty seven delivery year, sixteen point one billion. That's how
much AI is sucking down and people have a hard

(01:33:52):
time affording that.

Speaker 1 (01:33:53):
And it's only going to grow, only going to grow, Yeah,
only getting higher, amen, Dave. Efforting is more trying to
make something out of nothing. Well, uh, make an effort
to stop saying it. Efforting is not a word. I
think the people have spoken to you, Jay, I think
the people have spoken.

Speaker 3 (01:34:10):
I'll go where the people take me.

Speaker 1 (01:34:12):
This texture just simply says, leftover time on a microwave
drives me nuts. All right, I can see amen.

Speaker 3 (01:34:18):
Hit the clear button. Hit the clear button. It's not
hard because then the microwave keeps beeping. At least that's
the way the one works around here. If you don't
clear it off and it's got thirty seconds left, beep beep.

Speaker 1 (01:34:29):
And I gotta listen to that. Hit the clear button,
all right. Metro News Midday with Amanda Dave coming up
next to me. He's saying, Metro News radio stations, we'll
talk to you tomorrow morning at ten oh six. It's
talk Line on Metro News, the Voice of West Virginia.