In the News
Backers Say Carbon Capture Needs More Than Just Research Funds | Bloomberg
by Abby Smith
A bipartisan push to boost federal research dollars for carbon capture and removal is a welcome step, but it's not enough to bring it to market and get it into widespread use, supporters say. Advocates, including a former Energy Department official and representatives from fossil fuel companies, say the new bill would benefit carbon capture technologies by increasing and expanding federal dollars for research, demonstration, and deployment. But they also urged senators during a May 16 hearing … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Officials Seek Help For Luke Mill Workers | Cumberland Times-News
by Greg Larry
CUMBERLAND - Several elected officials in Maryland and West Virginia have requested federal assistance for workers who will be displaced when the Verso Corp.'s Luke paper mill closes. Verso announced April 30 the mill would close completely by June 30, a move that will impact nearly 700 on-site workers. The program, known as Trade Adjustment Assistance, offers financial help, training and benefits to workers who are displaced due to foreign trade. The paper industry has faced steady pressure … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Manchin, Huntington Mayor Join Axios Panel On Healthcare | WV MetroNews
by Staff Writers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is issuing a warning about addiction. "If we don't learn how to deal with addiction, once opioids pass us, we're still sitting here facing the very same issues again," he said. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and Mike Allen, co-founder and executive editor of Axios "The epidemic of addiction is truly the greatest existential threat facing our nation. It's eating us away at our core." On Wednesday, he was part of a conversation Axios hosted … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Trump Tariffs Could Offer Silver Lining For U.S. Mining | Bloomberg
by Stephen Lee
President Donald Trump's trade war with China could end up being a boon for the U.S. hardrock mining industry, according to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). That's because the U.S.imports 100 percent of 18 critical minerals, known as rare earths, from foreign nations, mostly China. The U.S. Trade Representative said May 13 it was excluding rare earth minerals from the next broad group of Chinese imports with a planned 25 percent tariff. That decision likely reflects the huge role China plays in … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Airport Getting $8M For Runway Rehab | The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
by Evan Bevins
WILLIAMSTOWN - The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport's runway will be resurfaced thanks to $8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding was announced Monday afternoon in a joint release from U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., both of whom are members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Tri-State Airport in Huntington will also receive $10 million for runway improvements. Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport officials originally applied … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Frustrated Dems, Republicans Team Up To Pry Loose Billions In Flood Protection Funds | NBC News
by Laura Strickler
WASHINGTON - As heavy rains continue in Texas, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are trying to free up flood-prevention money that has been held up because of what sources from both parties say is President Donald Trump's reluctance to approve funding that would also go to Puerto Rico. The $15.9 billion, which was approved by Congress in February 2018 and would go to states that include Texas, Florida, and Louisiana, can't be released until the White House Office of Management and Budget … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Murkowski, Manchin Introduce Bill To Strengthen U.S. Vehicle Supply Chain | Forbes
by Greg Rogers
The rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market has nudged virtually every automaker to embrace electrification, signaling a paradigm shift wherein batteries begin to challenge the dominance of oil, which currently accounts for 92% of the energy used in the U.S. transportation sector. However, upending more than a century of oil addiction is a complex undertaking that will not happen overnight. The supply chain for the critical minerals that are needed to produce EV batteries - including … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Princeton VA Clinic Moves To New Location | The Princeton Times
by Charles Boothe
PRINCETON - Local, state and federal officials were on hand in Princeton Friday for the official grand opening of the new Princeton VA (Veterans Affairs) Clinic. Located in Courthouse Square on Courthouse Road, the second-floor facility offers comprehensive medical care and replaced the much smaller facility on North Walker Street. "It's a glorious day here in Princeton," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who spoke along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Capito, the daughter of the late … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
New River Gorge May Become A National Park And Preserve Rather Than A National Park | The Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
by Staff Writers
CHARLESTON - The idea to turn the New River Gorge into a National Park may now lead to legislation to make the area a Park and Preserve instead. WV MetroNews reports that the idea to turn the 70,000 acre New River Gorge area into a National Park evolved into an idea to make the area a Park and Preserve, due to concern over the infringement of hunting rights in the area. The bill introduced by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, included hunting rights, but National Parks do not … Continue Reading
May 10, 2019
Manchin Seeks Answers From FBI On McKesson Pill Dump | WV MetroNews
by Jake Flatley
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is asking the director of the FBI to look into the consequences of the state's recent settlement with opioid distributor McKesson. Manchin called the $37 million settlement "dangerous" when he questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray this week during a U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations meeting. Manchin said he's concerned the settlement has cut off the opportunity to find out why McKesson dumped millions of pills in the Mingo County community … Continue Reading
May 09, 2019
Lawmakers, Miners Rally In DC For Pension Protection Legislation | The Dominion Post
by David Beard
MORGANTOWN - Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. David McKinley joined with other lawmakers from both sides of the aisle Wednesday morning to rally outside the Capitol once again for passage of legislation to protect coal minters' pensions. The 1974 Pension Plan is headed for insolvency due to coal company bankruptcies and the 2008 financial crisis. The lawmakers said the pensions - averaging just $500 per month - of 100,000 retirees are at stake. "This should have been done … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Manchin, Collins Urge DOJ To Drop Support Of Obamacare Lawsuit | WV MetroNews
by Alex Thomas
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Two U.S. senators on Tuesday asked Attorney General William Barr for the Justice Department to drop its support of a ruling on the constitutionality of the federal health care law. West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Maine Republican Susan Collins sent a letter to Barr as former President Barack Obama's healthcare law faces a challenge from a coalition of states and the Trump administration that could mean the end of the Affordable Care Act. "Overturning the ACA will … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
RECLAIM Act of 2019 | The Bluefield Daily Telegraph
by Staff Writers
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., have introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate that seeks to provide opportunities for coal reclamation and economic development in communities that have been adversely impacted by the downturn in the coal industry. The Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act of 2019 would release $1 billion from the existing Abandoned Mine … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
Barboursville To Co-Host National Youth Soccer Tournaments | The Huntington Herald-Dispatch
by Caity Coyne
In partnership with the village of Barboursville and the Barboursville Soccer Complex, the Shawnee Sports Complex in Dunbar, West Virginia, will host four national youth soccer tournaments over the next two years, bringing with them an estimated economic impact of $56 million for the Kanawha Valley, Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango said at a news conference Friday. The Eastern Regional Championship, a part of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series, will be played between … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
Manchin: Mueller Should Testify To Congress | WV MetroNews
by Alex Thomas
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, W-Va., one of three Democrats who voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general, says special counsel Robert Mueller must testify before lawmakers following Barr's appearance last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "You need to have everyone coming forth," Manchin said. "We need total transparency, and we won't be able to have this thing settled one way or another until you have Mueller before Congress." Democrats on the Judiciary Committee questioned Barr … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
State DHHR Receives Funding To Support Small Rural Hospitals | The Beckley Register-Herald
by Wendy Holdren
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program has awarded nearly $250,000 to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Funding will support small rural hospitals in providing affordable care to West Virginians through assisting with the purchase of equipment, software, and training, the release said. "Access to quality, affordable health care is critical for the well-being of West Virginians," said U.S. Sen. Shelley … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
New VA Outpatient Clinic To Open In Princeton | WVNS
by Douglas Fritz
PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) -- On Friday, May 3, 2019, a dedication ceremony is planned for the Princeton VA Outpatient Clinic. The event happens at 10 a.m. at the new location on Court House Road. The new clinic is part of the Beckley VA Medical Center's continuing commitment to providing high quality, comprehensive VA health care to veterans in Mercer County. There will be several speakers who will attend the event. Among those will be members of West Virginia's congressional delegation, … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
Sen. Joe Manchin Criticizes McKesson Corp. Settlement | The Wheeling Intelligencer
by Jess Mancini
PARKERSBURG - A $37 million settlement announced Thursday between the state of West Virginia and a pharmaceutical distributor didn't pass muster with Sen. Joe Manchin. Manchin criticized the agreement announced by Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Gov. Jim Justice with McKesson Corp., calling it "horrific and inadequate … for flooding West Virginia with opioids and killing thousands of West Virginians." Manchin in October said Morrisey and McKesson were settling on a $35 million … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
Murkowski, Manchin Target Lithium Battery 'Achilles' Heel | E&E News
by Dave Iaconangelo
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R) and ranking member Joe Manchin (D) yesterday moved to boost domestic production of key minerals used in lithium-ion batteries considered critical for the electric vehicle industry. The bipartisan duo unveiled the "American Mineral Security Act, which could mark a significant step toward countering Chinese control over a critical link in the U.S. supply chain for EVs. The bill was introduced after a closed-door summit … Continue Reading
May 03, 2019
Senate Democrats Grill Interior Nominee On Ethics Allegations | Bloomberg
by Stephen Lee
Senate Democrats on May 2 grilled Interior Department official Daniel Jorjani, President Donald Trump's nominee to become Interior's top lawyer, for actions they deemed unethical or heavily tilted in favor of big business. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), ranking member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he was troubled that seven of the eight legal opinions rendered under Jorjani's watch as principal deputy solicitor have overturned long-standing, well-reasoned legal … Continue Reading
