Talkline| Nov. 26, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the studios of w VRC Media and the Metro
News Radio and Television Network, the Voice of West Virginia
comes the most powerful show in West Virginia. This is
Metro News talk Line with Dave Wilson and DJ Meadows.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
A switch new can hold from Charleston.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Morning stand By to David DJ.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
You're on.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Metro News. Talk Line is presented by Incova Insurance, encircling
you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit incova dot com to learn more. Happy Wednesday, many
of you. Many of you may be listening to us
as you're in the car. Supposed to be one of
the biggest travel holidays of the year, if not the biggest.

(00:49):
I know it's going to be slammed, so I'm told
on the West Virginia Turnpike today. So if you're listening
as you're driving to Grandma's house or wherever you may be,
whatever your destiny is, thanks for having us on.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
We appreciate it. Of course Tomorrow Thanksgiving. If you want
to text the show today or call I love Phone
calls eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two five five,
or again, if you're more comfortable, you can text three
oh four talk three oh four. I would absolutely adore
knowing what you are thankful for during this holiday season,
a chance to inspire others, give thanks for what you have.

(01:22):
Take those texts and phone calls all day long. Coming
up at eleven thirty my buddy Mike McKenna, columnist for
the Washington Times. I've known Mike for some time. He's
a lobbyist inside DC energy expert, also a former member
of the Trump administration. I'm going to talk to him
about all things Washington, a lot on the president's agenda.
Will talk Ukraine, Russia, tariffs, We'll talk about this weaponization

(01:44):
of the DOJ, you name it, we can get into it. Plus,
he has an excellent piece today in the Washington Times
talking about Thanksgiving and the challenge and the hardships that
we've had to endure as a country, et cetera. We'll
talk about that with Mike. Coming up at eleven thirty three.
Hoppies in the House today at all seven six. He
is fired up, rightfully so in my opinion about this

(02:04):
vaccine Morning on the CDC's website and what Robert F.
Kennedy Junior has done in the opinion of most his
mind without any medical knowledge, the kinds of warnings that
are popping up on that website now. So we'll talk
with him about that and other things. Big Day on Friday,
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. Bridget Lambert of

(02:27):
the West Virginia Retailers Association going to talk about that.
And these are big days, folks, especially for local retail
I mean, this is the day that makes or breaks
a lot of these businesses for the year. So we're
going to get into that as well. But I want
to begin today with former WVU president doctor E. Gordon Ghee,

(02:50):
friend of the program. He joins us on Metro News
talk line. Doctor Gee, Good morning, sir.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
Good morning, and happy Thanksgiving to everyone listening. It's a
beautiful time to be grateful for what we have in
this country, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
It is a beautiful time. It's always a good time
to stop and be thankful, but today is especially and
tomorrow is especially a good time, you know. Doctor gam
finds solo today I'm neglected to mention Dave is out
after the big buck. He's a hunter. He's out there
trying to get the big buck. Haven't heard yet, but
we'll find out. On Monday. How that went for him?

Speaker 5 (03:23):
Well, good luck today? Well, good luck to the buck.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Are you a hunter? Did you have you ever hunted?

Speaker 4 (03:30):
No? No, I actually never shot a gun, if you
want to know the truth.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Really never never. Okay, well, not.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
That I'm opposed to it necessarily, but I just have
never been in that kind of situation.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
So, Gordon, I'll tell you, you're probably like me with your wiring.
I can stand still for about ten minutes, and sometimes
if you're in the woods hunting, I'm told you have
to stand still for hours at a time. I can't
do that. Would never be able to do that.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Oh no, I you know I have too much I'm OCD.
I would not be able to stand that long for sure.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
No. No, Now, I'll tell you what though, I do
this thing called shoot a Palooza where I just get
a bunch of guys. We go to the range. You're
gonna have to come sometime. We'll let you fire off
a couple of different guns. It'll be fun.

Speaker 4 (04:15):
Okay, Okay, Well, I'm certain it's safe, and I wouldn't
I wouldn't know it to be in danger of me
being there.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
I served.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
No, it's absolutely safe. We do gun safety, the whole nine.
So there you go. We're making plans on the show.
I want to talk with you about this piece that
you have. I read it in The Hill. I'm sure
it's available on other outlets as well as well. It's entitled,
college athletics is in crisis. We must unite to save us.
What's the crisis? Lay it out for us?

Speaker 4 (04:42):
Well, you know, first of all, let me just say
that i have sort of a history on this business.
I've had some very good teachers, starting with Fred Shaus
and don Nalan. You know, they were my first teachers
on college athletics when I became president of university, and
then you know, all the way through to brend Baker.

Speaker 5 (05:01):
Now.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
So, and I have been very heavily involved in college
athletes for a long period of time. You know, I've
chaired the Big Ten Conference twice, shared the Southeastern Conference twice.
You know, I've chaired the Big Twelve, and in the
IVY League. I even chaired the IVY League one, so
you know, and I've had three teams win national championships
in football. So I have a great deal of interest

(05:22):
in college athletes, and I believe very strongly in it.

Speaker 5 (05:25):
By the way.

Speaker 4 (05:28):
Because I think that it is a defining character in
many ways of our universities. It brings people together in
ways that as I say, I've never been able to
get one hundred thousand people to come to a chemistry luture.
Not to chemists aren't interesting. It's just that that just
does not happen. And so we try to use this

(05:49):
as a way to tell the story of the university.
The crisis is this, we simply we simply have overspent,
We've overregulated, we have lost all these lawsuits, and now
we're at a point in which in which much of
what the what the collegiate form is about is threatened,

(06:12):
particularly I would say the Olympic sports and women's sports.
All of this is threatened because of the fact that
we do not have enough money going around and and
so we've got to figure out a way either to
regulate this or to provide ways for us to get
resources so that so that all institutions, including West Virginia University,

(06:37):
are are able to be be sufficient and not have
to call on tuition dollars or call on state dollars
to make certain that their athletic programs can continue. And
a lot of institutions are going to go by the
wayside and as you solve this problem their athletic programs.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
When when you talk about that, it's my understanding. I
just want to clarify for the Star, you are not
against athletes being paid. Correct.

Speaker 4 (07:03):
Oh, no, well, I think the I think the the
uh you know, the horses left the barn on that one.
I think I think it needs to be regulated. I
think right now we have we have just an unregulated system,
and until we get that regulated, it really is quite crazy.
I joked with the friend of mine who is the

(07:23):
president University of Texas. I said, you know, is arch
Manning going to go Is arch Manning going to go pro?
And he said, well, arch Manning Canada afford.

Speaker 5 (07:30):
To go pro.

Speaker 4 (07:31):
It's that we've gotten ourselves way out over our skis.
So no, I'm not opposed, but I think what has
happened is that we uh in university administration for a
long time have ignored the fact that we have treated
college athletes not like other students, giving them a chance
to earn additional income. But now we we have lost

(07:53):
those laws, those cases, and now we're going to have
to figure out the regulations that are going to be
able to make us be competitive again.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Should those regulations include caps on what the students can earn,
more regulation there, it.

Speaker 5 (08:07):
Would be well.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
So my proposal is a pretty simple one, and that
is the fact that we need to change the Broadcast
Act of nineteen sixty one, which allows which allowed the NFL,
the NBA, the Major League Baseball to negotiate as one.
Right now, the anti trust laws really prohibit college college

(08:32):
athletic programs coming together and negotiating as one, and so
we're negotiating against each other. So if we can get
that change that is a modification of the anti trust laws,
then we can all come together and negotiate the same
way the NBA and the NFL do as one. Right now,
college athletes is the most viewed sports then set of

(08:55):
venues in the country. You know, with all sports aside.
We ranked FIS in terms of revenue, which means we're
leaving between eight and ten billion dollars on the table.
You bring that, you bring that money to bear, and
you bring along with some of the regulation. All of
a sudden, we do have resources to be able to
make certain we can sustain college athletics and at a

(09:18):
level that is really consistent with what we need to
do to support the Olympic sports, women's sports, to support
everything we're doing right now. Football is the generator. As
we well know, everything circles around football because that is
how we pay for everything else. But with all that
is happening with and you know nil in the portal,

(09:39):
et cetera, even football itself is threatened. At least many
institutions who play football interclusively are threatened.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Doctor E. Gordon Kee, former WVU president, former president of
multiple institutions in this great country. Joints us some Metro
news talk line, Doctor Gee, do you believe that all
of the conferences in all of this schools would be
aligned with that kind of approach? I'm thinking about the
big boys that have the suite deals now, is there
any disincentive would they not want to come along?

Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well, I think many of the presents are aligned. I've talked,
you know, I've spent I've spent an an order amount
of time since I retired talking about these issues with
a number of folks. I think that I think that
some of the commissioners will have serious problems because you know.

Speaker 6 (10:25):
This is a you're talking.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
About a collective action of individual actions. Secondly, well, I
think that I think that certain of the conferences believe
that they that they have a leg up. But the
problem is this is even the you know, Ohio state,
which has which has the largest athletic budget in the country.
Of course, I was prest in that institution for a

(10:47):
long time. Place thirty six ended collegiate sports. They had
to borrow money in order to be able to pay
their bills. Everyone is threatened, and so I think that
I think that what we're going to what we're going
to see is the resistance is going to come from
some of those who believe that they have a controlling

(11:07):
lever in terms of college athletics. It's going to come
from the media. I mean, look, if I'm the chairman
of Fox or CBS or whatever, and all of a
sudden there's collective action, they say, well, hey, listen, there's
a bill coming due for about eight or ten billion
dollars or more out of you, out of your revenue.
They're not going to be very happy about this. So

(11:28):
we've got a lot of resistance, but we've got a
lot of support.

Speaker 6 (11:32):
And right now.

Speaker 4 (11:33):
There are a couple of bills in Congress that makes sense.
One is called the Score Act and another is called
the Safety Act. I mean, these are ones that we're
trying to get through both houses and hopefully we'll make
some progress here.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
You have thoughts about scheduling too, I want to talk
about that a little bit. Outline your plan when it
comes to scheduling.

Speaker 4 (11:54):
Well, you know, obviously, in order for us to enhance
our revenue's going to make sure we have scheduling that
people people either come to the come to the venue,
or they are eyes on the tube. And right now,
so many of so many of these early games particularly
are scheduled where they are not they're not competitive, and

(12:17):
it means a lot to these small schools to have
a revenue day. But as far as television and as
far as scheduling is concerned, it really does put a
but a you know, it does put a real, a
real challenge as to how we can go to the
go to the to the media companies and say, listen,

(12:39):
we're going to give you a great product every week.

Speaker 6 (12:41):
And so we have to really think about the scheduling.

Speaker 4 (12:43):
Site of this issue too.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
What about the old school rivalries. I get it may
not be the biggest TV market, but I missed w
V you're not playing Virginia Tech. I mean when I
was a student at the institution, that was a big one.
We went down to Blacksburg. You wanted to watch that game.
You wanted to watch them when they came to Morgantown.
I missed that.

Speaker 7 (13:03):
Well.

Speaker 4 (13:03):
I think that I think that in state rivalries or
rivalries in general, certainly, do you know, present a lot
of opportunities that I would never.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
Do away at the rivalries.

Speaker 4 (13:13):
Obviously, you know this weekend there's the Ohio State Michigan game,
which will be played at noon on Saturday. And I
think that I think those kind of rivalries are very
important West Virginia and Pitt. I mean that is a
great rivalry in Virginia Tech. I mean rivalries actually bring
bring people to the to the venue, and people to

(13:35):
the television, you know, to the television. And I think
that those are the things we are we're trying to
sustain now, We're trying to get more interest in that
rather than diluting it.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
You're in a unique position. You have all of this experience,
yet you're not necessarily bound by a single institution these days.
Can can you lead this effort? Can you be at
the front of it.

Speaker 6 (13:58):
Well, you know, that's one of the as I wrote this.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
You know interesting, you know, DJ, I now have my
First Amendment rights back.

Speaker 5 (14:07):
For forty five years. You know, it's really.

Speaker 4 (14:10):
Anything to have to be able to speak up and
speak out and not not you know, not have to
worry about the fact that I'm representing some institution in
some way. Yeah, you know, I'm working very hard at it.
I've you know, I've I've I was the youngest university
in the president president of the country when I was named.
I was the oldest president the university of the university

(14:31):
when I retired. In between, I've have a lot of friends,
a lot of people that I that I've developed ability
to work with over the years. And yes, I'm I'm
very much involved in working closely with a number of
senior folks around the country to see if we can't
get this this result and spending.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
A lot of time in Washington, spending a lot of
time on the telephone, spending a lot of time talking.

Speaker 4 (14:55):
With people, and we're making progress because they're this is
the only ultimate solution to make certain that we have
that we have an indepludious system that survives, and by
the way, it is not the only but it is
certainly a start to the kind of conversation.

Speaker 5 (15:13):
We've got to get.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
The revenue piece right so that some don't eat and
others starve. We've got to all have some equity in
this issue.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
Well, I mean, I would think this is obviously a business.
I'm not telling you anything you don't know. But one
of the things that Jeff Bezos says that I just
absolutely love, Every business from the second it's formed is
dying and minus innovation that determines how long it will live.
I mean, college athletics is no different. You have to
continually be looking and figuring out how you're going to change,
how you're going to adapt, right, you.

Speaker 4 (15:49):
Know, my friend, The problem is the fact that we
didn't we didn't subscribe to the Bezos rule, and the
fact that we felt that we had the right system
and we never did innovate in the end, as always,
the fact that innovation was forced on us by Judge Wilkin,
who has been the commissioner of College Athletics, a judge
in San Francisco. They forum shopped, they got the right judge.

(16:12):
She doesn't like college athletics she is, you know, she's
very tough on the institutions, and so that's what we
have to do, is we need to learn from our mistakes,
and we've got to innovate and innovate quickly. And part
of this innovation is getting some ability to be able
to be competitive Indian I trust Arena right now, which

(16:34):
we are not.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
I want to talk a bit about, if I can
be so bold your holiday Thanksgiving plans, how do you
plan to spend Thanksgiving? If I could ask, well, well,
you know.

Speaker 4 (16:45):
I mean, I have a wonderful family in New Orleans.
I just spent two weeks with my granddaughters, and so
I'm going to recover from that.

Speaker 5 (16:54):
No, just kidding. The thirteen year.

Speaker 4 (16:59):
Old identical twins, you can imagine they were a lot
now I am. I said, I'm going to be doing
a little traveling and just having a quiet, a quiet
you know, a quiet Thanksgiving this year, not being with
my family this year, but obviously Glorie and I are.

Speaker 6 (17:20):
Together and we're grateful to have this.

Speaker 4 (17:22):
Opportunity to just celebrate together for ones.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Well, I can relate to the kids, you know, I
have three hundred ten doctor gee. And last night was
let's have a friend over. And so we had six
and we had cookie baking Christmas, Carol's video gaming. I mean,
you know, it can get a bunch. But at the
end of the day last night I was thinking, you
know what I heard, six kids that are happy and healthy.
Things are pretty good in life.

Speaker 4 (17:44):
Yeah, you know, and that's what It's a time to
be together with families. And I tell you something right now,
in this country, we spend too much time yelling at
each other, not enough time loving and talking to each other.
I think that we need to we need to grab
hold of each other and give each other a great
big hug right now.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
Amen. Amen. Doctor E. Gordon Gee, former WVU president. You
can read his op ed on college athletics. The Hill
dot com is where I picked it up. Doctor Gee.
Happy Thanksgiving, Sir, I appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
Fan to you, TJ. Everyone, have a great have a
great weekend.

Speaker 5 (18:18):
To you later.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
Bye bye.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
Talk line continues after this.

Speaker 7 (18:23):
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(18:44):
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Speaker 8 (18:54):
Some say he's a man of mystery. Others say he's
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Speaker 2 (18:59):
It's showing up time.

Speaker 8 (19:00):
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Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 9 (19:07):
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Speaker 2 (19:09):
The holiday hype here? Enjoy scratch off?

Speaker 1 (19:11):
It's on me?

Speaker 10 (19:13):
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Speaker 2 (19:14):
My work here is done.

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Speaker 11 (19:22):
You're listening to talk Line on Metro News. The Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
West Virginia Outdoors is the Mountain state's only hook and
bullet radio show dedicated to the more than quarter million
hunters and anglers across the state. Award winning host Chris
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Speaker 1 (20:08):
Whether it's hunting and fishing news or just compelling stories
about the enjoyment of the great outdoors. West Virginia Outdoors
covers it all Saturday mornings at seven oh six am
and for your daily fix, Outdoors Today brings you two
and a half minutes of news and notes from the
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Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 14 (20:28):
I'm Kyle Wiggs, I'm Greg Hunter, and I'm Brad Howe,
and we welcome you to join us each weeknight at
six oh six for the City net state wide sports line.

Speaker 5 (20:37):
As always, will dive deep into mountaineer athletics.

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We'll cover the mountaineas, we'll cover high school sports, and
if it's happening in the world of sports, we'll be
talking about it.

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You can listen live and text them to the show
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(21:20):
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(21:43):
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Speaker 2 (21:51):
Happy Kerchievel joins the show at eleven six is commentary
today posted at wv metronews dot com. Talks about event
scleamer and recent disclaimer changes that have been added to
the CDC website when it comes to vaccines and whether
or not they calls autism. You can go to the
website now and read that. We'll talk with hoppy coming
up at eleven oh six about it. We are aware.

(22:14):
I spoke with Jeff Jenkins in the newsroom. He is
reviewing and looking at this. MSHA has issued a report
on that November eighth, twenty twenty five fatality that involved,
of course, Steve Lipscomb at the Rolling thunder Mine. They've
issued a preliminary report on that reads in the overview
A section foreman died after the mine was inundated with water.

(22:36):
The foreman was found on the thirteenth of November after
the water had receded. Jeff is reviewing that. He'll pop
into the studio and give us an update on the
latest here. Coming up, We're also going to talk with
Bridget Lambert of the West Virginia Retailers Association after the break.
The news break, big week for retailers. Black Friday makes

(22:57):
or breaks a lot of businesses for the year. We'll
talk with her about that and what retailers are doing
in the Mountain States to prepare. Three oh four talk
three oh four is the text line. A few of
those are there, we'll get to them coming up, or
you could call the show eight hundred and seven six
five eight to five five you're listening to talk line
on Metro News. For over forty years, Metro News has

(23:18):
been the voice of West Virginia. It's ten thirty. Let's
go to the anchor desk find out what's happening all
across West Virginia.

Speaker 10 (23:28):
West Virginia Metro News. I'm Jeff Jenkins. State Attorney General JB.
Mccusky beliefs PBM's pharmacy benefit managers contributed to the opioid
crisis in West Virginia. His office final lawsuit against Express
Scripts in August, and I was getting set to follow
a second lawsuit against another PBM Tuesday when mccusky canceled
a news conference. He says there are talks underway. He
says there is a liability on behalf of PBM.

Speaker 16 (23:50):
See the sort of the hub of this spoke of
this giant medical bureaucracy, and they have made an astronomical
amount of money over the last twenty five or thirty years,
and they've done it through a myriad of practices.

Speaker 10 (24:05):
Read more from the Attorney General at wv metronews dot com.
The man who calls a deadly wreck near Morgantown is
now in federal immigration custody.

Speaker 17 (24:15):
The truck driver acus in the I sixty eight Cheat
Lake Bridge crash that killed Pennsylvania resident Kevin Lettail is
now in ICE custody. A suck Gender sing was sentenced
to a year in jail and a one thousand dollars
fine for vehicular homicide in that case. Singh is being
held in the North Central Regional Jail, However, now in
the custody of Ice. I'm Mike Nolton for a wv

(24:39):
Metronews dot com.

Speaker 10 (24:40):
Hirkin police say they've charged a man in connection with
punching two city street workers. Twenty six year old Ashton
McAllister arrested earlier this week. Authority say the attack was unprovoked.
You're listening to Metro News for forty years, the Voice
of West Virginia with.

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Speaker 10 (25:55):
Dozens and dozens of turkeys will be carved today at
a church in downtown Charleston, where volunteers are preparing meals
for the annual Frank Veltrie Thanksgiving Dinner. Kendice Arthur is
the lead volunteer.

Speaker 20 (26:04):
I personally want to see everybody bed, so to know
that we are able to feed twenty two hundred people
on one day, it fills your heart.

Speaker 10 (26:13):
The Veltrie Dinner's been around since nineteen sixty six. Frank
Veltrie left behind enough money after he died to keep
it going. From the Metro News anchor desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 2 (26:46):
Talk line on Metro News eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two five five three h four Talk three oh
four is the text line you can feel free to
text in any of your thanksgiving notes of gratitude. You
know what are you thankful for? Would love to hear
from you. I love calls. I'm kind of old school
Jeff Jenkins. I like when people actually call up and
talk to us. It's good rather than me just reading text.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
It's good.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
It's good when that happens. Yeah, it's good when that happens.
But you're here on a more somber note called an
audible ab Aman Baron sent me a text and you
were following as well. IMSHA has issued a preliminary report
on that incidence that took place, the death of Steve Lipscomb,
that miner in the Rolling thunder Mine in Nicholas County.

(27:29):
What can you share with us, Well.

Speaker 10 (27:30):
What you said there was kids a preliminary report, and
so IMSHA is quick to make that known. You know
this is preliminary. It's only been you know, a couple
of weeks since the fatal accident, which was November eighth,
and so they put out and what you have in
this one sheet is basically just some facts about the
mine and just some preliminary information about Steve Lipscomb's death. So, yeah,

(27:54):
as we've reported, you know, this happened on the eighth
of November at the Rolling thunder mine and Nicholas County,
owned by Alpha Metallurgical Resources, and it was an inundation
of water from a previously mined out area, and that's
kind of commonly known that's been said. Now, what this
report doesn't say is how this happened, and you know,

(28:16):
if is anybody to blame or anything like that, that's
not what this report says. It's again preliminary. A couple
of nuggets here, I think that we get. One is
that according to this preliminary report, that this inundation of
water happened at about twelve thirty. They put Steve Lipskin's
time of death at twelve forty, So they put that

(28:37):
at ten minutes after the inundation of water. We understand
it was a lot of water. We understand, you know
from people inside he was getting people out pretty quickly.
There were seventeen, particularly seventeen miners on his crew. He
was this shift formant, he was the mine foreman, and
he got them out quickly. But from this report, you know,

(29:00):
they've put the time of death basically ten minutes after
that happened. So I think that one gives you idea
of the water, yeah, the amount of water. It doesn't
say a cause of death. Okay, but at some point
I'm sure that might come out, but you know, probably
don't have to put a lot together to imagine what
the cause of death would be. There could be drowning, obviously,

(29:22):
so but we'll see later. But they put the call.
They put the time of death at at twelve forty
pm and the accident at twelve thirty. They also give
you the number employees at that mine. There were sixty
underground miners. They're sixty two total miners.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
There.

Speaker 10 (29:39):
There were twenty four people in the mine at the time.
We you know, we'd heard there were seventeen where he was,
but they were a total of twenty four they were
working in and this is they're working in a mine section.
It was five feet six inches.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Okay.

Speaker 10 (29:56):
You know, so some people say Wow, that's short. Well,
you know, miner's working a lot shorter colder than that,
but it was five feet six inch area is where
they were working. And then it's just some personal information
about Steve Lipskin. We've learned a lot about him, his
time in the Marines, Operation Desert Storm. He was in

(30:18):
one of the first battles there in Iraq when he
went in, and his funeral was last week. He had
been a miner for nineteen weeks and one day or
nineteen years in one day. Excuse me, nineteen years in
one day. So he just said, celebrated his nineteen year
anniversary in the coal mines the day before this fatal happened.
He had been in that mine for twelve weeks in

(30:41):
four days, so they had just started in that mine.
I know he'd been with Alpha for a long time,
so he had been at other places and we knew
some of that, but he had been there for about
what twelve weeks, about three months, relatively new to that,
relatively new to their and so, yeah, and a couple

(31:03):
just a couple of other things. It says here description
of the accident. A section foreman died after the mine
was inundated, with water. The foreman was found on the
thirteenth of November after the water had receded.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
So the word inundation, yes, I mean that's very telling
in and of itself. But to your point about the
ten minute span, I mean that just crystallizes even more
when you tied together. I mean, this had to be
just an unbelievable surge of water, right, unbelievable.

Speaker 10 (31:30):
Surge of water. Yeah, that's what it's saying. And I've
talked to coal miners since this accident, you know, who
have run into water before, not I don't think, not
this much, but times where they've had to wade out,
you know, to their waist or whatever. And coal miners
we know exactly what I'm talking about here, but you know,
and have have gotten out, have had to get out
of a particular section. And I think TJ and this

(31:53):
might come out later kind of the contour of this mine,
I think, because some minds the water can kind of
it just you know, is it is it a chaft?
May is it a mine? You know where you go
down and out or if you go straight down. You
know what I'm saying, And so you know where they
were and how the water would flow. It's not going

(32:14):
to flow out, it's going to flow down kind of down.
So and all of that, I think we'll be discussed
at some point from him. Sure might be a year
or more before the final report comes out. Again, this
is just I don't want to make too much of Sure, this,
this is preliminary, but I think again, there are, you know,
some details in just this one sheet that we didn't know.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
I also think to the three little more than three weeks,
I think you said that he had been there, well
three months or excuse me, three months, I'm sorry. Still, though,
with three months, twelve weeks and four days that that is,
that's not a whole lot of time to really know
all the nooks and crannies and and to be able to,
in that kind of pressure, navigate and do what he

(32:59):
did to get those seventeen plus I guess, I guess
I don't know the other up to the whole twenty four,
but at least that's seventeen that we've heard about that
he's credited. Yeah, makes it even more amazing. Yeah, it
makes it even more amazing. Yeah, that you're able to
do that. So I think that part of it is
also very telling and then and then just you know,
back to you know, you're a believer. I'm a believer.

(33:24):
We read no greater love than Landell in your life.
I Mean, it's one thing to think you'll do that,
it's another to do it. And this is this guy
that clearly did.

Speaker 10 (33:32):
It well and you and just knowing of his experience,
and then you know, keep thinking back to that story
that Chris Lawrence did with Tim Meyer, the former foot
well the former head football coach at Hoover, still a
teacher at Hoover. Who who knew him? When you know
who knew Steve Lipscomb when he first became a football
coach at Hoover, And he told the story of he

(33:55):
was trying to get one of his duties was get
the way program better. And he's said, I don't you know,
he was thinking he was having some doubts. You know,
the kid's going to heat. But he said, Steve Lipskin
was one of the first guys to step up. He
was a senior. He got involved.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Other people came and got involved. Sure, leader, yeah so.

Speaker 10 (34:13):
But yeah, so we'll we'll get this story up. We'll
we'll post this okay, preliminary report up on the website. Uh,
and again probably the final report. I mean we're talking
several months usually. I mean it could be I don't know,
it may not be a year, but it's going to
be several months before the final report is done.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah. Well, encourage everybody over this Thanksgiving holiday keep his
family in your thoughts, so our prayers, because it's obviously
going to be very tough for them. Jeff, thanks for
the breaking this report. I appreciate it. So called that
audible there. Bridget Lambert nice enough to stick around. Let
us do that. We'll get with her coming up after
the break. We're talking Black Friday, the retail season, and
how local retailers in West Virginia they need this holiday.

(34:52):
I mean it makes a break yet right on a
lot of these p and ls for the year for them.
So we'll talk with her coming up right after this.

Speaker 21 (34:58):
Cold based generation remains the backbone of West Virginia's energy portfolio,
insuring reliability, security, and affordable electricity throughout the region. Our
coal plants are engineered for performance, designed to run most
efficiently at or near a seventy percent capacity factor. This
level of operation is not arbitrary. It's based on sound

(35:19):
engineering principles scientific analysis, and has been formally adopted by
the West Virginia Legislature as a reasonable target for optimal performance.
When our coal fleet operates near that benchmark, it provides
stable power to the grid, maintains cost efficiency, and supports
thousands of good paying jobs across our state. Coal generation
also drives local tax revenue that sustains schools, infrastructure, and

(35:42):
community services. Working in partnership with state leaders and the
Trump administration, we're ensuring that our coal fleet remains modern, efficient,
and ready to power West Virginia and beyond for decades
to come. This message brought to you by the West
Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal.

Speaker 11 (35:58):
You're listening to Talk law on Metro News, the voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (36:05):
Metro News this morning. The biggest stories from around the
state of West Virginia when you want them. Chris Lawrence
at the anchor desk, We are ready to.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Get the bag going with all the information you need.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
In the Mountain State, Jeff Jenkins brings you the day's headlines.

Speaker 10 (36:18):
Not enough votes in the US Senator pass a bill
for some of the federal workers who are currently working
without pay during the federal government shut down to receive
pay US SAT shehatty more. Capito says enough Democrats would
not agree with the pay bill on Thursday.

Speaker 22 (36:31):
I just think that we would do better to open
the government. We've tried to get appropriations bills going. They
will not do that. So we're stuck in the mud
here because it does take sixty votes.

Speaker 10 (36:40):
Capitol says she is not in favor of eliminating the
required sixty vote threshold.

Speaker 1 (36:45):
Luke Wiggs at a sports desk.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
From the NBA.

Speaker 23 (36:47):
Last night, the thunder are one forty one to one
thirty five winner over the Pacers in double overtime and
just one overtime. The Warriors beat the Nuggets one thirty
seven to two one thirty one.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
The Chargers.

Speaker 23 (36:56):
On Thursday night football beat Minnesota thirty seven to ten.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
Metro News This Morning Listen where you get your favorite
podcasts and online at wb metronews dot com.

Speaker 5 (37:05):
Hi.

Speaker 24 (37:05):
There, Dave Weekly here from Metro News Hotline. We don't
just talk sports or talk news. We mix it up
fast and fun coops in the booth with me every
weekday three to six on Metro News. You'll get everything
from wild inter out debates to movie reviews, fantasy, sports tips.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
Even beer talk.

Speaker 24 (37:21):
On Fridays, we hit the high notes and the hilarious
ones too, real conversations, big opinions, and plenty elapse. So
fire us up on your drive home weekdays three to
six on Metro News.

Speaker 25 (37:33):
It's two hours of sports conversation to wrap up your weekend.
It's the City Net Sunday Night Sports Line. Hey, this
is Travis Jones joining myself and Greg Hunter every Sunday
night from six oh six until eight o'clock as we
wrap up the sports weekend. We talk mountaineers, high school,
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The Sunday Sports Line is listener interactive. You could call
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(37:56):
oh four. It's a perfect weekend sports wrap up on
your favorite Metro News or watch the show at wb
metronews dot com.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
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Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Talk Line on Metro News eight hundred and seven sixty
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All four Talk three All four, Few texts. We'll get
to those coming up in just a matter of moments.
Dave is away, he's on vacation. He will be back
on Monday. Bridget Lambert's executive director of the Western Virginia
Retailers Association. She joins us on Metro News talk line. Bridget,

(38:55):
good morning, Good morning, how are you. I'm doing wonderful.
It's great to see you. I appreciate you being here.
Tell me all about Black Friday and what's going on
with retailers in the state.

Speaker 26 (39:04):
Black Friday is going to be the busiest shopping day
of the five day holiday weekend. We expect to see
a record number of shoppers out this year in stores,
and that's exciting for our retailers.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
This is a make or break holiday for the industry right.

Speaker 9 (39:21):
Yes, for retailers.

Speaker 26 (39:23):
It is the traditional Black Friday term is is when
your small retailers years ago would go from the red
to the black on their books in the month of November.
So it is a make or break a holiday. I
will say the past few years that has started spreading
out a little bit further. People are shopping earlier in
the year, specifically budget conscious shoppers. They will spread their

(39:46):
holiday shopping out a little bit more, but Black Friday
Store remains the golden day for retailers.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
You represent a large section of retailers. Talk about that.

Speaker 26 (39:59):
West Virginia Retailers Association is glad to have in our
membership from the largest retailers in our state to the
main street merchants setting in your local communities. We represent grocery,
your department stores, pharmacies, your home goods stores, your building stores,
jewelry stores, and so we have a lot of members

(40:20):
who respond and get ready for the holiday season.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
One of the big questions I think on a lot
of shoppers minds, obviously, with tariffs, a lot of talk
what will it do to praising this holiday season? And
you've got some insight on that.

Speaker 26 (40:35):
There has been a lot of talk about tariffs, and
it is an ongoing discussion. I think we all see
new things in the news every single day. Tariffs will
have and could have an impact. But I will say
this year we have seen our retail community step up.
They have front end loaded their holiday merchandise. It's in

(40:55):
their stock rooms, that's in their warehouses, in preparations to
keep prices low for consumers and to have adequate supply
for this holiday, going into the season and even into
the first of twenty twenty six, I would expect that
inventory to be strong.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
So when you say that, just to clarify, you're talking
about retailers who have imported goods but before the tariffs
were levied, So that reflects the pricing the people see.

Speaker 26 (41:20):
Retailers front ended their inventory to have low prices this
holiday season for consumers, just trying to prepare and have
enough adequate stock in house, and also just to be
conscious that we could be seeing rise in prices after
the new year. And I think that they've responded well
and they really look at what consumers need.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
When you look at the landscape of the stores that
you represent, what do you hear from them in terms
of there's that image that hey, it's midnight, we're going
to this, we're going to that we're getting in line.
People still doing that nowadays.

Speaker 26 (41:55):
Not as much as they used to, but yes, you
have a hardcore group of consumers who love to look
at the sales. And it's even easier now to price
shop because you can go online and price shop on
different sites and look for the best deals, make your
list and go out there and wait for the good
deals when the store's.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Open, so you would know better than me. I enjoy
shopping if it's really something I'm after. I'm not one.
I'm not a browser. It's just not my cup of tea,
nothing wrong with it. But what's the hot gift this
holiday season? Is there anything that's just really in demand
that people are trying to get ahold of?

Speaker 26 (42:35):
Across the board? Electronics, the newest phones, the newest this
or that gadget that is electronically slated. Usually it's what
draws people in. The really low prices you're seeing on
television set or TVs right now draw consumers and computers.
The latest phones are always very popular. For kids, boys

(42:57):
it remains Legos Hot Wheel and for girls it is
actually Barbies and Dolls then Legos. Of course, we have
the third most popular cars for little boys, so Legos
hot wheels and other types of cars like the motorized
ones that you can electronic sure, and Barbies, Dolls and
Legos for girls. That's the top three toys for boys

(43:19):
and girls this year. We didn't go very far from
nineteen six.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
Preferably stuff that Santa doesn't have to put together. I'm
just saying would be nice for my kids if they're
listening today, This is true.

Speaker 9 (43:30):
But then it comes PlayStations.

Speaker 26 (43:32):
NERF is always popular, video games, those type things being
popular for the older kids.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
I think NERF is great just because you can be
a kid again and have the Nerf.

Speaker 9 (43:40):
Battle, just have fun.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, and just have a little fun and be a
kid again on Christmas Morning or Christmas Eve or whenever
gifts are exchanged. Legos too, kind of surprise me, you know,
because I feel like it maybe I'm wrong. I feel
like there was a period where legos were kind of, oh,
these aren't cool anymore, and now I feel like they're
cool again.

Speaker 26 (44:01):
Though you're thinking of probably legos that used to be
the log homes and you inner stacked. Yeah, I'm old buildings,
not really, And so the new legos that you're seeing
actually appealed to toddlers. They're stock, they're like stacking blocks,
and they interconnect and they can build buildings and build

(44:21):
them up and knock them over. So Legos is really
morphed into not just the traditional wood legos. We now
have tons of legos out there that are plastic, and
they go from a one year old to a grown
adult who.

Speaker 9 (44:34):
Likes to play.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
So you go to the Legos store, you see some
of these things, or you see them online, and I
think to myself, I would rather spend time building that
with my kids than I would like a puzzle or anything.
This seems like something I would be more into. To
your point, I mean, they've got all kinds of things
from pop culture, yes, these days, like Star Wars is
big with Legos. I know Star Trek is big with Legos.
I think they do Game of Throat. There's all kinds.

Speaker 26 (44:58):
Yes, you can sit down and build a model of anything,
or you can let your toddler play for hours, just
putting together and knocking them down again.

Speaker 2 (45:05):
So yes, yeah, talk to me about the small business
Saturday portion of this holiday because I think, especially here
in West Virginia, we talk about diversifying our economy, we
talk about supporting local business. These folks, I would say, Saturday,
I mean it's key for them.

Speaker 26 (45:24):
I would think, well, and you know a lot of
West Virginia's mountaineers return home for the holiday season. Just
look at what the turnpike is projecting for traffic on
that road this week. So it's a tradition when Mountaineers
come home, they like to go to their local shops
and visit the shop owners and do some shopping. Small
business Saturday is really important to your small specialty businesses

(45:48):
in your hometowns on main Street. Stop in see them.
They have a lot of cheer and great prices this year.
And I think mountaineers like to shop local, visit their
shops while they're visiting their family.

Speaker 9 (46:02):
That's a tradition.

Speaker 26 (46:04):
The guys go hunting in a lot of instances, or
watch football, and the ladies plan their shopping trips. And
so I think that's what you see here in the
Mountain State. They like to do small business Saturday.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
We do Thanksgiving it my house and there's twenty twenty
five people. There's something like that. Somebody always stops and
picks up a print copy of the paper that day
because of all the sales ads. Yes, and it's inevitable.
It's on the couch people. Oh, look at this a
You know, I don't know that anybody goes out and
buys it, but it seems like it's a Thanksgiving pastime.
There after you've had the turkey for a little bit,

(46:37):
sit down, take a look at the sales.

Speaker 26 (46:38):
Audition in our house as well. And to your point,
everybody has a way in so as you're making your list,
if someone doesn't want to go shopping, the people who
do go shopping get to put it on their list
and secure that item for them.

Speaker 9 (46:52):
That's how it rolls at our house.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Give Cards still a big business in retail for the holidays.

Speaker 9 (46:57):
Gift cards are tremendous.

Speaker 26 (46:58):
Up to fifty percent of consumers say that they will
be purchasing at least one to three gift cards this season.
They have continued to grow and do continue to grow,
and I will say that sometimes impacts how our holiday
season plays out because you have all of the purchases
before the twenty fifth of December, and then.

Speaker 9 (47:18):
A lot of people get gift cards.

Speaker 26 (47:20):
So we do see a spike after the twenty fifth
of December with people going out to spend their gift
cards that next week.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
Get your shop on, be ready, be.

Speaker 26 (47:29):
Ready, be budget conscious, make sure you have a good list,
stay with them budget and they met. We encourage people
to be savvy shoppers. There's a lot of deals out there.
Take advantage of them. We watch you in the stores
and appreciate having you.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Bridget Lambert. West Virginia Retailers Association, thank you so much
with Happy holiday season to you and yours and all
the retailers out there.

Speaker 26 (47:50):
Happy holidays to you and thank you. We look forward
to seeing everybody else shopping.

Speaker 2 (47:54):
Text messages coming up next. Hold tight.

Speaker 22 (47:58):
Someday.

Speaker 8 (47:59):
He's a man of mister he. Others say he's the
holiday hit maker. No one saw coming.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
It's showtime.

Speaker 8 (48:04):
The holiday hit maker walks the office halls with West
Virginia Lottery holiday scratch offs and an unstoppable spirit.

Speaker 27 (48:11):
What are you doing.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
Bringing the holiday hype here? Enjoy scratch off?

Speaker 1 (48:16):
It's on me.

Speaker 10 (48:17):
Whoam ticket?

Speaker 2 (48:18):
My work here is done.

Speaker 8 (48:19):
Be the surprise hit maker. West Virginia Lottery games fun,
festive and full of flair. Please play responsibly.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
To care for you at the heap. We are here.

Speaker 28 (48:37):
From all of us here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright. Whether you're wrapping gifts
are planning next year's goals, we're here for you.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas.

Speaker 28 (48:48):
From our family to yours, we.

Speaker 27 (48:53):
Are here.

Speaker 11 (48:56):
You're listening to talk Line on Metro News, the Voice of.

Speaker 29 (49:00):
Virginia wvmetronews dot com. The only website you need to
stay informed in the Mountain State. Get the latest news
in sports, story information on the great outdoors, and never
miss an episode of your favorite Metro news programs and
podcast including Talkline, Hotline, sports Line.

Speaker 2 (49:20):
And Three Guys Before the Game.

Speaker 30 (49:21):
Make a bookmark now and visit wv metronews dot com
first thing every morning to find out what's happening all
across the state. Wv metronews dot com.

Speaker 1 (49:32):
West Virginia Outdoors is the Mountain State's only hook and
bullet radio show dedicated to the more than quarter million
hunters and anglers across the state. Award winning host Chris
Lawrence has been tracking down hunting and fishing stories for
more than twenty five years.

Speaker 31 (49:46):
I'll go out on a limb because people won't like
my answer.

Speaker 2 (49:49):
Probably.

Speaker 31 (49:50):
I think there's fewer coyotes than most people imagine. Really
because when number one, when you hear a family group
of them this time of year, the pups are very.

Speaker 2 (50:00):
Very vocal.

Speaker 31 (50:00):
The coyotes are getting they've been kind of shut mouthed
during the spring when they're young, and it's like a
bunch of teenagers. When they get to September, Mom and
dad can't keep their mouths shut anymore, whether.

Speaker 1 (50:12):
It's hunting and fishing news or just compelling stories about
the enjoyment of the great outdoors. West Virginia Outdoors covers
it all Saturday mornings at seven oh six am and
for your daily fix, Outdoors Today brings you two and
a half minutes of news and notes from the woods
and water every weekday morning on Metro News, the Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 25 (50:32):
It's two hours of sports conversation to wrap up your weekend.
It's the city that Sunday Night Sports Line. Hey, this
is Travis Jowes joined myself and Greg Hunter every Sunday
night from six oh six until eight o'clock as we
wrap up the sports weekend, we talk Mountaineers, high school,
Mountain East Conference, and the latest in the national scene.
The Sunday Sports Line is listener interactive. You could call
or text the show at three oh four Talk three

(50:54):
oh four. It's a perfect weekend sports wrap up on
your favorite Metro News a philia or watch the show
wb Metronews dot com.

Speaker 2 (51:18):
Texter says TJ. She's saying wooden legos. Those were Lincoln locks. Yeah,
Lincoln Locks. I played with Lincoln lunks. If I set
my children down today in front of Lincoln locks and
told them, hey, this is what I had when I
was your age growing up, they would look at me

(51:42):
in disbelief. That they candidly would. If you have young children,
you get it, they would with everything they have today.
You even talk about the legos. My kids love Legos,
but it's all of these characters. It's all these huge,
extravagant things that you can build. I mean, it's just
it's a different world. But anything I can do that's

(52:02):
not related to video gaming is good, So maybe I
should try that. I'm sure I got some in the
attics somewhere. I have an old racetrack. I believe it's
still in the attic, maybe at my mom's. I got
a I want to look now, but it belonged to
my dad, and it was the old school racetrack. Remember

(52:22):
you put them together in the electric cars, and you
got the little gun that's a throttle and it goes
around and you raise them. It was from the I
don't know, sixties or seventies, something like that, probably late sixties,
early seventies, maybe even earlier than that, but that was
my dad's and I used to play with that and
I thought it was cool. But I don't know if

(52:44):
my kids nowadays were to play with some of the
toys I had at their age, if they would think
those are cool. There's just been that much of a
movement forward. Happy Kerchievell his commentary Read it Now WV
Metronews dot com. He joins us at eleven oh six
talk Line on Metro News Metro News for forty years.

(53:05):
The Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
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Visit incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
Eight hundred and seven sixty five eight two five five
three oh four Talk three oh four the telephone number
the text line day before it thinks giving textra says
those are called slot car tracks. Very collectible now a
now the textra says, yeah, very collectible. You need to
get up in the attic and find out where those are.
You may be surprised what they are worth. It's talking

(53:48):
about playing with my dad's old toys. He had a
slot car and I couldn't think of the term slot
car track. I think it's still in the attic. I'm
not sure. I'll have to find it. I should find out.
Let my kids play with it, see if they would
enjoy it. I don't know if they would or not.
I did, I certainly did. Happy Kerchieville, former host of

(54:09):
this show, the dean of West Virginia Broadcasters, joins us
on Metro News talk line Hoppy, Good morning.

Speaker 3 (54:15):
Good morning, Happy Thanksgiving.

Speaker 2 (54:17):
Happy Thanksgiving? Sir, do you have plans? May I be
so bold as to ask what you'll be doing?

Speaker 3 (54:21):
Of course, just like a lot of folks will family
get together. My wife's family is going to come down
and we'll eat too much and hang out, and that's
our plan for tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (54:31):
What about you the same thing. We're hosting it at
my house, so we have everybody over there, and kids
will be running everywhere, and I will be annoyed by
the noise. But then at some point I'll be thankful
that my kids are happy and able to run around
and yell. So I'll come to that realization.

Speaker 3 (54:45):
Din't Thanksgiving agree holiday?

Speaker 2 (54:48):
It's my favorite? Actually, yeah, it's my favorite. I really
enjoy Christmas too, But Christmas has become so commercialized, I think,
and it gets out of control. Roll a little bit,
and Thanksgiving doesn't feel like there's the pressure. There's everything
you like, but none of the pressure that goes with it, right,

(55:08):
So exactly.

Speaker 3 (55:09):
And it's a good time to pause and be thankful
and get together with family and friends, take a couple
of days, and.

Speaker 2 (55:15):
Then move on, and then move on. Yeah, no, it's
it's a great way to to stop and count our
blessings among everything. You know, I wrote a piece for
tomorrow about William Bradford because I'm a history nerd and
I like that kind of stuff, and it really got
me thinking about everything. You know, we hear that traditional
pilgrim story, right the cold, the brutal winter on the Mayflower,

(55:37):
But then you really look at everything they had to
go through in that kind of leadership and how he
led and not the fact that he wasn't you know,
he's not yelling, He's not everything we see today and
some of the leaders that we like. So it's it's
a good time to reflect on where we come from
and just you know, all the things we have to
be thankful for.

Speaker 3 (55:55):
So absolutely, yeah, you.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
Wrote today a very interesting piece at the website eight
you can visit that now. WV Metronews dot com. Here's
the title copyrights. In the title, the CDC needs an
updated warning on its website. I'm so glad you wrote
about this. We haven't had a chance to talk about this.
So frame the story and then we'll get into your commentary.

Speaker 3 (56:17):
Sure. So, the CDC recently changed bullet points on its
vaccine safety web page and it has key points at
the top, and the first of thee says, quote the
claim vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence
based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility

(56:39):
that infant vaccines cause autism. And the second bullet point
states that studies supporting a link have been ignored by
health authorities. And this is the brave new world of
science and medicine, brought to you by Structive Health and
Human Services. Robert F. Kenzy Junior, not a doctor, not
a scientist, has made a career out of trafficking and
profiting from conspiracy, conspiracy theories, and medical quackery. And the

(57:04):
fact you take the assertion studies have not ruled out
a potential link between vaccines and autism, it's asking science
to disprove a negative, right, And that's, like I said,
so far we haven't found any connection between autism and
baby diapers, but hey, there could be. So I think

(57:28):
this is I think this is really really dangerous during
this time. And at the same time, the CDC also
has on its website a footnote that says vaccines do
not cause autism. And that's there because centered Bill Cassidy,
Republican from the Louisiana and a medical doctor and sure

(57:50):
of the US Senate Health, Education and Pensions Committee, said
if you want me to support you, Robert Kennedy Jr.
For this position, you have to have this on the site.
So which is it. I mean, you go to CDC
right for what you hope would be accurate information, and
you have conflicting information. Now, I think Robert kennedy assertion

(58:12):
is nuts as nuts. But for parents, young children, such
as yourself, who are trying to sort through this, there's
conflicting information on the main page of the website, and
that's dangerous, especially when, as you know, there is a
significant body of evidence that vaccines have saved literally millions

(58:38):
of lives, millions of lives, and here we are now
with the top health official in the country putting doubts
in people's minds.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
It's dangerous, incredibly dangerous because it flips the scientific method.
Remember the good old days hop when you had a hypothesis,
you had to prove it and it stayed a hypotheca
is before you could prove it. And now it's just like, well,
you know, it could be. And it worries me that
this kind of thing is allowed to happen because, as
you well know, it takes one crack in the damn.

(59:12):
You let this go the first time, and maybe next
it's something on the EPA website or something on this
government agency website, and before you know it, it gets out
of control.

Speaker 3 (59:22):
Yeah. Yeah, And that's what happens when you put people
like RFK Junior in charge of these things.

Speaker 4 (59:27):
You know.

Speaker 3 (59:28):
I think I've talked to WV medical officials about this,
and I think the best thing instead of quote unquote
doing your own research, talk to your pediatrician. You trust
your pediatrician, and we had a good experience with your pediatrician.
Then just talk to them and see what they say,
and that should give you, I think, really good information
as opposed to finding some quackery on the website on

(59:52):
a website somewhere.

Speaker 2 (59:54):
I'm thinking back, I was thirteen years old when I
had the chicken pox. Very late, i'm told, and it
was incredibly hard as a teenager. I didn't get out
of the bed for about two weeks. It just it
crippled me. I look at my kids, as you know,
I have three, they're all under the age of ten.

(01:00:19):
Never had chicken pox. Of course, they're vaccinated against it.
None of their friends have ever had chicken pox. I
can't remember the last time I heard about a toddler,
a young adolescent having chicken pox. And there's a reason vaccines.
It's it seems like we just ignore the anecdotal as well,

(01:00:39):
when even some of these anecdotal things just in everyday
life illustrate the point that you're talking about, how many
millions have been saved, and how many more countless millions
will not have to undergo even a disease or a sickness,
of inconvenience or something that could be harmful to them.
It's it's mind blowing to me that we just ignore
what is right in front of us when it comes
to these things.

Speaker 3 (01:00:59):
The Land Said, which is a respected medical publication, published
a comprehensive study last year that since nineteen seventy four. Quote,
vaccination has averted one hundred and fifty four million deaths,
including one hundred and forty six million among children younger
than five years around the world. Think about that for
a minute. That's what vaccines have done. And look, there

(01:01:20):
are instances. I'm not a medical doctor, but you know
there are instances where that a child it may not
be appropriate for them to be vaccinated if they're severely
immunate compromised. But again, talk to your pediatrician and see
what they see what they say. But you know, RFK
Junior traffics in this stuff, and it's just I think

(01:01:43):
it's just really dangerous and unfortunate. You know, the Wall
Street Journal, which is a conservative publication, said in an editorial,
who decided to have RFK Junior home alone at the
Health and Human Services Department without adults to supervise their secretary,
He's damaging public trust and immunizations and that's what he's doing.

(01:02:06):
That's what he's doing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:07):
I normally very much appreciate our processes in this country,
our checks and balances, the way we appoint officials, the
Senate confirmation, et cetera. But when you see someone like
RFK Junior ascend to such a position. Is it fair
to me or fair of me to question the process
and say something's not right here? Guys, I mean we

(01:02:30):
missed big time with this one.

Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
Yeah, I don't know. I will say this, as I
said in the commentary, if his last name wasn't Kennedy,
it wouldn't we wouldn't even know any I mean, there'd
still be conspiracy theories about vaccines, but he would not
be at the forefront if his last name wasn't Kennedy.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Yeah right, yeah, No, that's fair. That's fair. And at
the same time, I think, didn't I read I'm struggling
to remembers a few weeks back JFK's grandchild. I figure,
if grandson or granddaughter is going to get into the
politics running in New York, maybe did I read something
like that?

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
Really?

Speaker 5 (01:03:03):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:03:03):
I think so. I have to go back and look
it up over the break. But here we go another generation,
and I'm not you know, I shouldn't be prejorative of
that individual. They may not be anything like RFK junior.
But but yeah, the Kennedy clan coming back for more.
I want to talk a bit about healthcare and health premiums.
I had Joe Deacon on yesterday. He's a long time

(01:03:24):
industry insider, been doing this for a long time, understands
the ins and outs of the exchange far better than
I ever will in the industry, et cetera. These subsidies
have obviously allowed the premium increases to be masked quite
a bit, and now people are getting hit in the
face when they go on the exchange. I sympathize with that.

(01:03:46):
Not everybody works for a great company like we do, Hopy,
where you know you can get a great plan. I
have an HSA here and it's peanuts, man, it's great
coverage and it's pea nuts. But not everybody is that blessed?
Do I need to be more accept thing and back
down of this velosophy that I've lived my life by,
which says, look, this is America. It's a roll up

(01:04:06):
your sleeves, pull yourself up, figure out how to do it,
find a way responsible for your self mindset. Can that
still hold in this day and age where health care
costs have just exploded and nobody can afford it.

Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
I health care insurance costs, and I talked about this
a lot when I was hosting the show. Is who
understands it exactly. Yeah, excuse me. I mean it's very
very difficult to understand. And people are getting more coverage.

(01:04:40):
I mean people are getting you know, there's more groundbreaking
treatments every year. You still, if you're going to be
sick and you want, if you're concerned about care as
opposed to cost, you'd rather be here, I think than
anyplace else. Okay, yeah, so there's that, But then there's
the cost, which I don't think anybody outside of the
healthcare is completely understands. And then there's every year, every

(01:05:03):
year your healthcare premiums go up. And now you have
these subsidies that we'll see what happens with them. But
that also gets back to something I know is near
and dear to you tojing. That is, when you give
someone a benefit, it's really really hard to take it back.
And that's that's part of what's going on now. And look,

(01:05:26):
my wife is in the in the marketplace and we're
well off, but we'll look at that and go, oh
my gosh, how much it's gone up this year. And
then you got to kind of roll the dice and say, well,
should I get a less expensive plan and just hope
that you know that nothing terrible happens, and it's tough.

(01:05:49):
It's it's a hard situation. I don't have an answer, certainly,
but I do think that generally speaking, having a marketplace
or having avenue for people to get insurance it is certainly,
it's certainly helpful. It's just the cost as an initiative.

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
Yeah, I was reading yesterday, might have been in a
journal as well, several publications. I think Bloomberg had it too. So,
you know, Haby, we're into the new fiscal year. We're
like a month into the new fiscal year. We are
already running an over three hundred billion dollar deficit, and
it's just like, how long are we going to continue

(01:06:28):
to do this? I know I harp on it all
the time, but I feel like between Social Security, Medicare,
and Medicaid all good things. I'm not trying to knock
those programs. We obviously have to have a high level
of defense. I mean, like it or not, we're the
world's cop. There are things we have to do in
order to ensure our national security. We also have debt
service program after program of discretionary spending, and it just

(01:06:52):
feels like this is one more thing that just really
goes above and beyond, and Okay, now it's going to
turn into are we going to run a three trillion
dollar deficit this year and then a four trillion dollar deficit,
and it's just like no one wants to be responsible
and say, guys, we just can't do it all. We
have to have a cutoff. So we got to pick
and choose. We can either have this social program that

(01:07:14):
social program, but there has to be a strong cut.
We cannot spend more than we make. And I see
absolutely no evidence of any of that thinking in Washington
at all.

Speaker 3 (01:07:24):
To your point that, well, because it's politically unpopular to
take away of benefit from people, right, Yeah. I mean,
look at what former w president Gordon Gee did. He
looked at the financial situation at WVU and some have said, well,
you should have been on this sooner, But he said,
we're gonna make cuts. We're not going to do all
the things we have done historically because we have to.

(01:07:46):
We can't spend as much money on these things as
we have been. And it was rough. I mean, people
got laid off, students lost their majors, and he was
vilified by a lot of people, but it was but
you see college at the university's doing that now because
they have to. But the federal government shows no indication,
zero indication that it's willing to do that. Yeah, I

(01:08:08):
don't know where it goes. I mean, maybe you think
there would be an inflection point, maybe in twenty thirty
three or twenty thirty four, whenever it is when you
get your Social Security check and it's reduced by thirty percent,
that people might say, wait a minute, what happened here.
So at some point you would think there'll be an
inflection point.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
So this is my guess, and I have no hard
data to back it up. But when I look at
the situation, I look at the choices that Washington has.
It is easier to continue to spend and run a
deficit because you look at retirement savings in this country,
most individuals have not done a good job. Very few
are prepared for retirement. We're not building wealth anymore. We're

(01:08:51):
pure consumers for the most part in this country. It
will be easier for the government to devalue the currency,
and those who have done the right things will suffer
as a result of that. Then it will to take
all of these other benefits away. Yeah, so I hope
I'm wrong, But that's that's the only thing I can
conclude logically in my mind when I take a look

(01:09:12):
at it. And then if you think this is bad,
wait wait till you know cheeseburgers cost one hundred bucks
because we just devalue devalue devalue the currency. So you're
going to pay one way or the other. Hop it's
just a matter of how you want.

Speaker 3 (01:09:22):
You would think you would think eventually, yeah, you would
think yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:09:27):
So hey, did you hear Gordon Gee was on our
Buddy first hour. We were talking about college athletics, but
more importantly, he told me he's never fired a gun.
So we're gonna have him down to TJ's shoot a
palooza sometime and we're going to get him behind a
rifle or something.

Speaker 3 (01:09:41):
Gordon Ge never fired a gun. It's never had a
drink of alcohol, never smoked a cigarette or a cigar
or a joint. I mean, he's a Mormon and he's
never done any of those things. But knowing Gee as
I do, I suspect he would fire a gun. So
I mean, if you set it up and do a correct.

Speaker 2 (01:10:00):
Oh yeah, we're safe. I told him we'll put him
through the you know, the gun safety course, and we'll
have glasses, we'll have some hearing protection for him, and
we'll have an assortment of firearms for him to choose from.
He can work his way up. I think it'd be good.
I'm going to talk to management. We need to make
this happen. You know, have TJ's shoot a perusa somewhere,
be a good time.

Speaker 3 (01:10:18):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:19):
I like that, Sarah. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks so much for spending some time with us this morning.

Speaker 3 (01:10:25):
Today's my pleasure and appreciate you holding down the fort.
Keep up the great work, and happy Thanksgiving to you
and your family.

Speaker 2 (01:10:31):
Take care, hop we'll see you. Thanks PILL three oh
four Talk three oh four, got the texts lined up.
We'll start next after this.

Speaker 27 (01:10:39):
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(01:11:01):
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Speaker 4 (01:11:12):
To care for here at.

Speaker 6 (01:11:14):
The hear we are here.

Speaker 28 (01:11:19):
From all of us here at the Health Plan. We
want to make your season bright. Whether you're rapping gifts
are planning next year's goals, We're here for you.

Speaker 2 (01:11:29):
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas. From our family to yours, we.

Speaker 6 (01:11:35):
Are here.

Speaker 11 (01:11:39):
You're listening to talk Line on Metro News, The Voice
of West Virginia.

Speaker 24 (01:11:47):
Listen.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
I'm a West Virginian through and through.

Speaker 24 (01:11:49):
Grew up in Bridgeport thirty five years in the Charleston area,
rooted for the Mountaineers.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
Since well, let's not talk ages.

Speaker 24 (01:11:55):
You won't find a bigger fan of our teams, but
they get called out when they deserve it. Metro Newsline.
It's the same for everything, movies, music, local happenings. My
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Speaker 1 (01:12:09):
Think you can keep up?

Speaker 24 (01:12:10):
We're your afternoon anecdote to the ordinary on weekdays three
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Speaker 11 (01:12:18):
Hi, this is Dave Wilson along with TJ Meadows, join
us weekdays at ten o six for Metro News Talkline
on this metro news radio station.

Speaker 7 (01:12:25):
TJ.

Speaker 11 (01:12:26):
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Speaker 2 (01:12:29):
That's right, Dave. We'll continue to examine and discuss issues
important to West Virginia, hold elective officials accountable, and make
certain you have a forum to make your voice.

Speaker 11 (01:12:38):
Arnay new host, same talk line, join us week days
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Speaker 21 (01:12:46):
It's the time of the year when Friday nights are special,
and that's because Friday nights are reserved for high school football.
This is Fred Purer Singer inviting you will join Dave
jecting in me every Friday night through November twenty eight
for year number twenty one. Four of Game Night. Every
Friday night, we'll bring you all the stores and stories
from around the state. LUs we'll take your phone calls
and talk about your favorite team. It's Game Night, presented

(01:13:09):
by Match a Mountain State Assessment of trends and community
health Survey. Visit wvmatchsurvey dot org.

Speaker 1 (01:13:16):
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Speaker 28 (01:13:23):
I'll deliver live, up to the minute news, spotlighting people
and communities and covering breaking news stories as they happen.

Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
Join us as we interview. Newsmakers from around the state
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Speaker 1 (01:13:35):
Metro News Midday presented by Soulango Law from noon to
three on this Metro News radio station.

Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
Jackpots are growing in West Virginia. Jackpots are on the
rise every week. Powerball hits Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mega
Millions lights up Tuesdays and Fridays. That's five chances a
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Powerball jackpot stands at six hundred and eighty one million dollars,

(01:14:24):
Mega Millions at eighty million, So go ahead play today.
Three oh four Talk, three oh four TJ. Studies have
not proven, have not proven that listening to hopy quote
does not create an overwhelming desire to burn a couch. Okay,
appreciate you letting us know about that. Text says no

(01:14:45):
one can say all vaccines do not cause autism. They
can prove some don't, but not all. Hoppy. I think
that's Hoppy's point though, and I agree with it. In
the old days, you had a hypothesis, whatever that hypothesis was,
and if you could not prove it or disprove it

(01:15:10):
and replicate it, that approval or disapproval. It was just
that it was a hypothesis. Nowadays it's the inverse of that.
Like he said, well, you know, diapers on babies that
could cause autism. You have to be able to back
up your work. It has to stand for something, and
this just doesn't. Texter says, and guess what chicken pox

(01:15:35):
can lead to shingles? Yes, you know, I think the
shingles vaccine they recommend I think at fifty, I don't
have to look at the break. I'm forty getting ready
to be forty five. I got shingles at forty three,

(01:15:56):
and my goodness, the pain. So I don't know if
I need to get that vaccine now that I've had it.
I'll check with my doctor. But I would not wish
that on anyone. So if you're in that boat and
in that particular age in life where you should be
thinking about the shingles vaccine. I would talk to your doctor.

(01:16:17):
So Pete, Hagsath and Trump are saying that if a
soldier gets an illegal order, they should follow it. Have
they never read the code? Yeah, there was a time where,
you know, the Code of Military Justice said you don't
follow an illegal order. I don't know if that's still
the case or not. We're gonna have Admiral Mike Smith
on the show on Tuesday to talk about this very topic.

(01:16:37):
He's now retired, represents a group of officers who have
a problem with that in terms of following an illegal order.
Back's what Mark Kelly said. We'll talk to him on
Friday and get his take on it because we haven't
had time yet this week. But I do think that's
an incredibly interesting story that's unfolding, especially with investigating Kelly.

(01:17:00):
So we'll get into that on Friday with the Good
Admiral talk Line on Metro News the Voice of West Virginia.
It's eleven thirty. Time to check in with the news desk.

Speaker 10 (01:17:12):
West Virginia Metro News Eye Jeff Jenkins. A preliminary report
from the Federal Mind Safety and Health Administration says Nicholas
County coal miner Steve Lipscomb died a few minutes after
the Rolling thunder Mine was inundated with water on November eighth.
The one page report puts the time of inundation at
twelve thirty pm that day, in the time in Lipscombe's
death at twelve forty pm. Lifskin's body was recovered five

(01:17:34):
days later. Quote a section foreman died after the mine
was inundated with water. The overview said the foreman was
found on the thirteenth of November after the water had receded.
The preliminary report also says there were twenty four miners
in the Rolling thunder Mine at the time of the accident.
They are working in a section of the mine that
was five feet eight inches in height. West Virginia Parkway's

(01:17:54):
Authority executive director Chuck Smith says a lot learned during
that June situation on the Turnpike when traffic bycked up
for miles after part of the highway flood it. Smith
says both internal and external communications have improved and that
should help during the holiday travel.

Speaker 20 (01:18:07):
We have platforms on Facebook, Instagram, and x as well.
Hopefully we can get the word out in case there
is an incident. If not you know, I hope you
have safe travel and check out the website sometimes just
to see what's going on.

Speaker 10 (01:18:21):
Traffic has picked up on the Turnpike already today. Meanwhile,
Appalachian Power Company is going to have crews on standby
because heavy winds are predicted for West Virginia beginning later
today into Thanksgiving. There could be some power outages. You're
listening to Metro News for forty years, the voice of
West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (01:18:38):
Well.

Speaker 21 (01:18:39):
State's best high school teams are battling for a place
in Charleston well The we SSAC High School Football Championships,
presented by Toyota.

Speaker 2 (01:18:47):
Let's Lap Trolls lap Back of the Ends.

Speaker 21 (01:18:49):
Tousdown A Capital City hosts four championship games, two on Friday,
December fifth, and two on Saturday, December six at Leadley Fields.
Schedules and advanced tickets available online now. Click on WVSSAC
dot org to order today ah West Virginia High School
Football Championships presented by Toyota. Attention high school football fans.

(01:19:11):
If you're wondering where your team ranks each week, check
out the Tutors Biscuit World Power Rankings at wv metronews
dot com. Each Tuesday morning, metro Neews will update the
power rankings for all four classes, and to find out
where your favorite team ranks, simply go to wv metronews
dot com, click on the high school sports tab, and
then the high School Power Rankings. Twenty twenty five Metro

(01:19:33):
News Power Rankings are presented by Tudor's Biscuit World. Start
your day the homemade way. Visit them at Tudorsbiscuit World
dot com.

Speaker 10 (01:19:41):
A former school teacher in Preston County is now the
target of a civil lawsuit. Cassandra Sisler lost her job
a couple of years ago after she duct taped the
student's mouth and hands as a former punishment. The civil
lawsuit claimed Sisler is responsible for the student's physical and
emotional harm. She previously pleaded guilty to four felon accounts
of child abuse. The Preston County Board of Education is

(01:20:01):
also named in that lawsuit. Attorneys for the school board
are attempting to move the case to federal court. From
the Metro News anchor desk, I'm Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 2 (01:20:31):
Texter says Happy Thanksgiving. Can't wait to hear Dave's story
about the big buck that got away at all the
deer camp stories. He's back on Monday. Sure he'll have
some stories. Hopefully he's already gotten a deer. Maybe he's
already bagged his limit. I don't know. I don't like
to bother people. I don't like to bother people on vacation.
They text, that's one thing. But hopefully he's having a

(01:20:52):
good time. Eight hundred and seven sixty five eighty two
five five. If you want to join the conversation, you
can text. We have more of those to get to.
Three h four Talk three four. Mike McKenna is a
columnist for the Washington Times. All around good guy friend
of the program. He joins us on Metro News Talk
c Line Morning, Sir, Happy Thanksgiving.

Speaker 5 (01:21:12):
Happy Thanksgiving? How you doing?

Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
You know what? If I were doing any better? Inside joke,
I'd be Emily duncan just go with that. There we go,
There we go. If you know, you know, talk to
me about Thanksgiving. You wrote about Thanksgiving your column this
week in the Washington Times. What should we be thinking about?

Speaker 5 (01:21:33):
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, And I'll tell you why,
because it makes you take an inventory of your life
right and you can skape by the other holidays. But
thanks even makes you think about, you know, everything in
your life, that it's good and bad. And you know,
the thing that strikes me is always talking about the Puritans,

(01:21:53):
is the Pilgrims. They gave, Oh God, glory for all
of it, right, they thank God for all of it,
the good and the bad. You're talking in about one
hundred and two people, more than half of whom died
the first year out, and yet they still kind of
rallied and did this thing. And it sort of places
our lives into perspective a little bit, right.

Speaker 2 (01:22:12):
It does. It does. I wrote about William Bradford from
my Thanksgiving commentary tomorrow that will hit the website, and
just about his role as governor of Plymouth. But you
think about little Nerdy, but you think about the Mayflower Compact.
I can't talk this morning and just how instrumental that was,

(01:22:32):
simple document, majority rule, consent, consent to be governed, and
how that has framed this country. I mean, can you
imagine minus that document where this country would be. It
really is staggering, Mike, if you take a little time
and stop and think about it.

Speaker 5 (01:22:48):
Yeah, we'd probably be some horribly bad version of Great Britain,
so which you know, you could say Canada is but
it Yeah, the thing that full disclosure relative on the
Mayflower a ga named Richard Warren, and he was only
described on the manifest as they failed London businessman, which

(01:23:08):
of course meant he was probably in Debtor's prison. And
I think about him sometimes because you know, you want
to talk about a risk. You know, hey, look, do
you do you want to stay spend the rest of
your life in Debtor's prison? Or do you want to
get on a boat and go someplace with a bunch
of religious crazies you know that you you know, go
to a place you've never been to and we have

(01:23:28):
no idea if you're going to survive.

Speaker 2 (01:23:30):
Good luck, right, yeah, yeah, I will look up the name.

Speaker 5 (01:23:34):
It's guys like that who's he was on the compact.
It's guys like that who who make you think that
this country is strange and wonderful and blessed in a
way other places are not.

Speaker 2 (01:23:47):
Absolutely. I will look up the name in the break
because my memory is failing me. If you know what
you can, you can set me straight. But the gentleman
who got up one morning out of the bottom of
the boat, wanted a little bit of fresh air, went
over the side of the boat, hung on for dear life,
and was eventually pulled back to safety by those other

(01:24:08):
one hundred and one passengers who were on the boat.
His offspring included Bush one, Bush two, Chevy Chase. It
goes Emerson, Ralph Hold. I mean, it just goes on
and on and on and on and on, and it's
amazing to think about what America would be minus that.

Speaker 5 (01:24:26):
Yeah, that'd be Richard Warren for sure, because he was
the guy about forty percent of everybody. All the offspring
from those survivors trace it back to Richard Warren because
he survived the first year sent for his family in London.
They had a couple more kids, and his children all
survived in an adulthood, which was rare. And truthfully, you know,
a guy stepping out into the fresh air and falling

(01:24:48):
over the side of the boat sounds like a member
of my family.

Speaker 2 (01:24:51):
So you know, it's good that we can laugh. It's
good that we can and be thankful and reminisce. So
read your call at the Washington Times website. You're always
a good read there. I want to talk a bit
about some of the issues with you. Of course, Congress

(01:25:13):
stepping away from the Thanksgiving holiday, no deal on ACA,
extended subsidies, et cetera. I know presidents Trump has floated
a two year extension. I think leaders in Congress have
said not so fast. Mister President. Don't know if we
have the votes for that. This is a key issue
obviously that if we don't get right, I wonder if

(01:25:33):
we end up back in shut down territory. Mike, what
are you thinking about this? What are you hearing inside
the beltwagh as folks discuss the issue.

Speaker 5 (01:25:41):
Yeah, two things. One is right, the President offered up
a plan last week that was okay but not great, right,
And that was sort of how it was greeted on
the hill. Hey, that's okay but not great. And that's
you know, they were not quite where we're going. And
it didn't include the high demandment, which includes the federal
funding of abortions. Right, So that went that. You know

(01:26:05):
that that more or less went back to the drawing
board yesterday, and you know, it's it's now getting going
to get frozen into Thanksgiving holiday. There's a there's a
pretty significant chunk of Republicans in the House especially who
look at this as a litmus test of what kind
of person you are, right, And I'm not sure I
disagree either. You know, the Obamacare subsidies are the weakest

(01:26:28):
point of the of that program, and to just kind
of let it just be and you know, rubber stamp,
it is not going to be how we go to
your point about is this something we can lock up on? Yeah,
I think this is something Congress could easily seize up on.
And I also think there's there's a there's a growing

(01:26:50):
chance that we're going to do a reconciliation next year
that's going to be focused on this and a couple
of other tax things. So it's it's a little messy
right now. It's gonna get messier before it gets better.

Speaker 2 (01:27:02):
I think I had an expert on the show yesterday.
I remember the high deductible plans when there was a
significant delta and cost savings and you had that tax
advantage HSA that you could put into to save for
a rainy day, for a health emergency, the old school
versus what that has become post Obamacare. And there's really

(01:27:27):
no price difference today between a PPO plan a high
deductible plan. So you know, why would anyone take them?
I wonder if we could ever get back to the
way a high deductible plan used to be and make
that a program of last resort that the government can
offer to me. That would seem sensible. But just I

(01:27:48):
don't know what changed their mic and why those programs
have morphed that are no longer what they were. But
I don't know, man. I don't want to be cruel,
but we're at a point in our country. I just
got done talking about this with Hopey. We're spending spending,
spending one month end of the fiscal year, three hundred
and forty plus billion dollar deficit. Already. We got to
pick and choose. Man. We can't do everything.

Speaker 5 (01:28:10):
That's right, so that that let me just agree with
that completely. There are three things right now. One is
the bad thing. There's some good things about Obamacare. But
the bad thing about Obamacare was is that it outlawed
certain kind of plans, you know, which is why we
all merge up towards the relevant low deductible, low premium plans,

(01:28:31):
because that's what Obamacare tolerated, right it. You know, used
to be the insurance industry would give everybody six or
eight kinds of different plans and say, okay, pick right,
but what kind of you know, the Obama guys basically
outlawed the the what they thought were unacceptable plans, right
that they didn't want everybody to have a choice. So
that's that's thing number one. Thing number two is the

(01:28:53):
President's right on two things here. One is the insurers
are the bad guys. You know, they're the money from
these tax credits essentially go right into the insurance company's pockets.
And and you know that's that's he's clear on that,
and some of the Republicans, truthfully, the Democrats know it too.
And then the other thing is he's like, look, some

(01:29:14):
the solution has to include some way to just get
the money to people directly, and that you know, that's
kind of the president's north star on this, and I
kept a feeling that's where we're ultimately going. But you know,
I'm like you, I come back to the you know,
if we made more different kinds of plans available, we
could knock the costs down. But again, the insurers have
no interest in doing that. So it's gonna be tough.

Speaker 2 (01:29:37):
Yeah, I liken it yesterday to really just a prepaid
medical plan that at the end of the day you
may not get that much out of. I mean not
to knock the timeshare industry, but it almost feels like
a medical dime sharre to me that you really don't
get that much value out of essentially because you don't
know what's going to be covered. You don't really know
what you're paying for and what you're insurer is covering.
It's just a dark market that in financial shirt business.

(01:30:00):
For some reason, Americans are willing to buy health care
and financial services with not with the understanding and no
understanding of what they're buying, which baffles me.

Speaker 5 (01:30:09):
Yeah, I mean I agree with that. The thing about
healthcare is everybody thinks they need health care, right which
you know, you're a healthy.

Speaker 2 (01:30:15):
Twenty five year old, you may I wish.

Speaker 5 (01:30:18):
Catastrophic stuff, right. Yeah. Problem with healthcare is the same
problem as every other of the industry that winds up
getting in bed with the government. You know, it gets worse,
it doesn't. You know, no industry in bed with the
government ever gets better. It gets worse. So you know,
it's I'm not exactly sure how we get out of

(01:30:39):
the mess. I'm certain how we get I'm certain how
we don't get out of the mess is by digging
deeper into it, right, I'm certain of that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:46):
Yeah. Now, I think the President is right in terms
of money in people's pockets and let them make a decision.
I also think it's hard to force the insurance companies
and other involved companies to necessarily do better when you're
selling a product that people feel like they have to have.
And it's one thing to be able to walk away
from a discretionary product and make the market come to

(01:31:07):
you based on price because you believe it's too affordable
or too unaffordable, uh, too expensive. It's another thing to
not have that power and feel like you can't walk
away because it's something you have to have and they
know they've got you. Right, So that's that's a big
part of it as well.

Speaker 5 (01:31:22):
Yeah, that's that's a good insight, right.

Speaker 25 (01:31:25):
You know.

Speaker 5 (01:31:25):
Bottom line here is not, maybe not in my lifetime,
maybe maybe in yours. We're gonna wind up with a
bifurcated system, right, We're gonna wind up with some kind
of national health care system. But everyone, everyone who can
afford it, will will go private. Right, And like they
do in Canon, they're Great Britain, all these places where hey,
we got a national health service, Yeah, you got a
national health service, you know, but only the people who

(01:31:47):
can't afford better wind up getting trapped in it. And
that's you know, the insurers, the Democrats, some of the
Republicans seem to be driving us inevitably in that direction.

Speaker 2 (01:31:58):
Yeah. Yeah, program of life resort very quickly before I
let you go this thing with Kelly heg Seth and
Kelly video aside, this sedition comment from the White House
and everything. It bothers me, Mike that we're going after
Kelly because I mean, guys, a senator needs to be

(01:32:19):
able to speak, trying to bring him back under the
code of Military justice in these six I just don't
like these strong armed tactics. And I like a lot
of what the administration does, but these kinds of things.
This is why for an independent like me, Trump can't
get traction because he focuses too much on these kinds
of things. Let the guy say what he wants to say,
move on.

Speaker 5 (01:32:41):
Yeah. I'm sensitive to that, and I generally speaking agree
with it. The video itself, though, was way out of bounds,
and I'm not sure how I would react or I
sit in the White House, I would find a different
way to express my displeasure. I would I would find

(01:33:01):
a different way to make it difficult for for Senator
Kelly just to say whatever comes into his mind. Because
keep in mind, it's also against the Code of it's
also against the Uniform Code of Military Justice to do
anything that foments dissension in the ranks. And you look
at that video, that seems like an attempt to foment
dissension in the ranks. I'm and and by the way,

(01:33:23):
nobody should follow an illegal order, full stop, period. That's
it's you know that, you know that the problem with
the White House is sometimes they they lead with their
pugilistic instincts. Instead of starting off by saying, well, here's
what we believe, I'd say, look, here's what I believe.
Nobody should follow an I llegal order. Nobody should foment
dissension in the ranks. I'm a little concerned about these

(01:33:45):
guys fomenting dissension in the ranks. And that, you know,
we they skipped just they skipped over the first three
parts and just went to the you know, let's let's
let's start. You know, let's handcuff this guy and drag
him and we'll drag it around a little bit and
add that I'm with you on that right. It's it.
It makes a little uneasy.

Speaker 2 (01:34:01):
There's an old anecdote and I'm gonna butcher it a
little bit, but it talks about the guy gets to
heaven and Saint Peter is walking him around and they
go buy this big house, big warehouse, and inside that
warehouse a bunch of file cabinets. They come up and
it's got the guy's name on it. It's big file cabinet,
tons of files. The guy looks, he says, what is that?

(01:34:22):
And Saint Peter says, Oh, those are all of the
good things that God wanted to give you if you
would have just listened to him a little more. I
feel like that's the story of the Trump administration. All
of these misses and things that they get wrong. Imagine
how good they could be if they used the tacnut
approach that you just talked about. To me, that's gonna

(01:34:43):
be in history. The big story of the second Trump
administration is how much more we could have accomplished if
we'd have used a little more wisdom and a little
more tact rather than just you know, being that hormonal
teenager and letting it fly. Maybe I'm wrong with that.
I don't know if you would agree or dis agree,
but that's what I think about when I think about
this Trump administration.

Speaker 5 (01:35:03):
Yeah, I tend to agree completely. You don't. You don't
always have to lead with your chin. You know, you
can play it subtle sometimes.

Speaker 2 (01:35:11):
Yeah, exactly, sir, have a great Thanksgiving. I hope you
and your family have a wonderful holiday and will check
in soon.

Speaker 5 (01:35:17):
Right back, Ash you, thanks TJ.

Speaker 2 (01:35:18):
Thank you. Text messages, get as many as we can
get to those. Next mentor news talk line continues.

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Speaker 11 (01:36:25):
You're listening to Talkline on Metro News. The Voice of
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Speaker 7 (01:37:33):
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And we welcome you to join us each weeknight at
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Visit citynet dot net. City net connects, protects and perfects TJ.
Your opinion of Senator Kelly makes you sound like a liberal.
Let's forget about the laws because he is a senator

(01:39:17):
or because of your feelings about him. Well, my feelings
about him shuldn't matter one way or the other. It's
an opinion. Number one. Number two. I generally do not
like presidential intimidation to silence any senator, regardless of party.
You know whose job it is to silence a senator, yours, mine,

(01:39:37):
everyone else that's listening, and we do that at the
ballot box. The guy didn't say put a gun to
somebody's head and killed them. I mean, I just I
think it's going too far, and I think McKenna has
it right. There is a way for the Trump administration
to express their displeasure with Senator Kelly that doesn't involve

(01:39:59):
the manner in which they're takes. Texas says, there won't
be a court martial for Mark Kelly per speech and
debate clause in the Senate. Yeah, that's true, you got that. Plus,
I think it's going to be a hard, hard rot
a ho trying to go after him under the fact
that he's a former service member under the Uniform Code
of Military Justice. That's what I read. We'll talk to

(01:40:21):
the Admiral Mike Smith on Friday and learn more about that.
Let's see. Texas says, Unfortunately, over the years, the CDC
has become a bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are worse than politicians. We
can all tell stories about that. One. I thought the

(01:40:41):
idiot HHS secretary and the pontificating buffoon president determined Thailand
all causes autism. Shouldn't we now be okay because all
of the brain problems are a result of Thailand.

Speaker 3 (01:40:52):
All.

Speaker 2 (01:40:53):
Yeah, that came and it kind of went. And I
talked to doctors and they, yeah, they don't see that.
It's also interesting to me when you talk to people
that work in the autism field, when you talk to parents,
and I'm not saying all parents, but I know a
few parents whose children have autism. When you talk with them,

(01:41:15):
you know what I don't hear. I don't hear them
blaming vaccines, not saying all stop supporting Trump. Every time
you do it, it undercuts your arguments. Trump's cabinet is
made up of bureaucrats. Look, that's the beauty of being

(01:41:35):
an independent I can get on board with some Trump things.
I've criticized him a lot. Tariffs, especially tariffs are taxes.
So that's me. I'm policy. I'm not party. I don't
follow blindly either way, just the way I am. Three
oh four Talk three oh four is the text line.
We'll get a few more texts coming up. Final break
before we wrap things up, And of course at twelve

(01:41:58):
oh six, you've got Metroneus Day coming your way with
Amanda Baron and Dave Allen back after this break.

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Speaker 11 (01:43:05):
You're listening to Talkline on Metro News, the Voice of
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Speaker 1 (01:43:12):
Metro News this morning the biggest stories from around the
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Speaker 2 (01:43:19):
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Speaker 11 (01:43:20):
Get the bay going with all the information you need.

Speaker 1 (01:43:22):
In the Mountain State, Jeff Jenkins brings you the day's headlines.

Speaker 10 (01:43:25):
Not enough votes in the US Senator passive bill for
some of the federal workers who are currently working without
pay during the federal government shutdown to receive pay. US
Center Shatty more Capito says enough Democrats would not agree
with the pay bill on Thursday.

Speaker 22 (01:43:38):
I just think that we would do better to open
the government. We've tried to get appropriations bills going. They
will not do that. So we're stuck in the mud
here because it does take sixty vote.

Speaker 10 (01:43:46):
Capitol says she is not in favor of eliminating the
required sixty vote threshold.

Speaker 1 (01:43:51):
Luke Wiggs at the sports desk.

Speaker 2 (01:43:53):
From the NBA.

Speaker 23 (01:43:54):
Last night, the thunder are one forty one five winner
over the Pacers in double overtime and just one overtime.
The Warriors feed the Nuggets one thirty seven to two
one one the Chargers on Thursday night. Football Fete Minnesota
thirty seven to ten.

Speaker 1 (01:44:05):
Metro News This Morning Listen where you get your favorite
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Speaker 2 (01:44:12):
Hi there, Dave.

Speaker 24 (01:44:12):
Weekly here from Metro News Hotline. We don't just talk
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(01:44:34):
So fire us up on your drive home weekdays three
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Speaker 25 (01:44:40):
It's two hours of sports conversation to wrap up your weekend.
It's the City Net Sunday Night Sports Line. Hey, this
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(01:45:00):
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(01:45:50):
Let me just say I hope that each of you
listening out there have a healthy, happy Thanksgiving with your family.
I am not ignorant of the fact that many people
at any given time, especially around the holidays, are dealing
with many difficult things. We talk about very heavy topics
on this show. We always don't agree. Sometimes we do,

(01:46:13):
sometimes we don't. But those that listen that are also
hurting have tough things going on in life. You're in
my thoughts, You're in my prayers this Thanksgiving season. But
I did want to say, and I'm sure I speak
for Dave as well, I am very blessed to be
able to do what I do. I am very grateful
to each of you who listen and communicate with us

(01:46:35):
on the show and allow me to be part of
your weekdays. It's not unnoticed and you have my thanks
and I appreciate them. I just want to give you
know that Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. This has
been talk line on Metro News for forty years. Metro
News has been the voice of West Virginia.