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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Coal, Enthusiasm Fueling Prime Role for WV in Cleveland

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016   

CHARLESTON, W.V. -- West Virginia's delegation to the Republican National Convention received prime placement right by the podium for Tuesday’s vote to nominate the party’s candidate. One delegate, Ron Walters - member of the West Virginia state House of Delegates and a Trump supporter - said they received that honor because it presents a picture of strong support for Donald Trump.

"The Trump team has asked that we do the vote, and we've been given a prime location on the floor,” Walters said. “We're just to the right of the podium as they're looking at us, and we'll have our hard hats on tonight."

When Trump visited Charleston before the state primary, the coal industry group, Friends of Coal, gave him a white hard hat to wear at his event. Friends of Coal gave everyone in the delegation a similar hard hat, according to Walters. He said he has even been asked to donate his to the Smithsonian.

The link to coal mining was clearly no accident. West Virginia has been trending Republican - and voting that way in presidential elections - since the end of the last Clinton presidency. Walters, like many members of his party, was sharply critical of President Barack Obama's environmental policies. He said Trump promises to put miners back to work.

"Our pin say 'Trump digs coal.' You know how many people really like that pin and want to trade with us? All the delegation is in line with the Trump program, a hundred percent supportive,” Walters said.

Many critics have pointed out that Trump has not said how he would bring back the mining jobs. They note that given the low price of gas and the fact that easy-to-mine coal is gone, Trump is almost certainly making an empty promise.

Tuesday, the second day of the convention, was devoted to economic issues.


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