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A more diversified economy, including solar energy, is stopping the

putting people in West Virginia to work through paid on-the-job training. (Adobe Stock)">

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public New…

An estimated 16% of coal workers are affected by black lung disease and after decades of improvement, the number of cases of the disease is on the rise again, according to the American Lung Association. (Adobe Stock).<br />

Black Lung cases rise, as federal benefits stagnate

The benefit payments miners sick with black lung disease receive are not keeping pace with the cost of living, a new analysis showed. Current …

Across the country, most states offer 26 weeks of unemployment insurance contingent upon the laid-off worker demonstrating their continued eligibility, according to the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Critics: Changes in WV unemployment benefits will harm families amid inflation

Critics say a bill passed by West Virginia lawmakers increases the bureaucratic red tape folks who rely on unemployment benefits have to navigate and …

A survey conducted by Swiftly found 60% of Americans say they're currently struggling to pay for their groceries. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: West Virginians’ budgets shrink while corporations rake in profits

As the nation's largest corporations see their profits surge, more West Virginians are relying on assistance to meet basic needs as their spending …

Nationwide, in the second quarter of 2022, residential solar set its fifth consecutive quarterly growth record, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. (Adobe Stock)

Pressure mounts on WV’s utility regulator to preserve solar net-metering

Residents and advocacy groups will rally in Charleston this Saturday to protect net-metering for solar customers. Two of West Virginia's major …

Appalachia is home to 26.3 million people and covers 206,000 square miles, encompassing 423 counties in 13 states, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission. (Adobe Stock)

Clean-energy sector manufacturing may jumpstart West Virginia’s economy

Manufacturers in West Virginia employ around 7% of the state's workforce, and advocates say the state's Appalachian region could bolster its economy …

In 2023, more than 3 million children nationwide lost their Medicaid health coverage, according to data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)

Concern grows over WV kids losing Medicaid coverage

The federal government has warned nine states about an alarming number of children losing Medicaid health coverage, and West Virginia officials say …

Four of the five states that enacted the largest personal income tax cuts in the last few years have had slower job growth since enacting their cuts than the nation as a whole, according to the Center for Policy Budget Policy and Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV personal income tax cut will cripple communities

A new report singles out West Virginia for the state's costly tax cuts enacted this year, and the drastic lost in revenue expected to exacerbate …

The Congressional Budget Office projects the total cost of the 2018 Farm Act would be $428 billion over the five-year period between 2019 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Farm Bill extension could impact WV farmers

Despite the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, many federal agriculture programs West Virginia farmers depend on won't be authorized to operate without …

According to the group West Virginians for Affordable Healthcare, around 30% of West Virginia residents have medical debt in collections. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV could lose hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding

Since West Virginia's Medicaid eligibility review began this spring, around 100,000 residents have been kicked off the rolls. Experts have said many …

Declining college enrollment, increased burnout, an aging workforce with fewer people entering health care fields overall, and the pandemic have all contributed to serious hospital staffing shortages nationwide. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Rural regions bear brunt of nation’s nurse workforce crisis

In rural communities, severe staffing shortages have increased hospital wait times and worsened quality of care. According to the latest report by …

Research by the Economic Policy Institute finds that unionization leads to better pay and worker safety. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Unions Host Labor Day Celebrations Across West Virginia

Across the Mountain State today, unions are hosting Labor Day celebrations - in Baden City, Charleston, Mannington, Marmet, and Racine. Public …

Spending in local food systems, such as weekly farmer's markets, leads to thriving communities, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. (Adobe Stock)

Appalachian Region Focus of New Federal Food Business Grant Program

A new $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will boost the resources and assistance for farmers and food businesses in Appalachia…

The national average cost for child care was nearly $11,000 in 2022, according to a study by Child Care Aware of America. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: More WV Parents Would Work Full-Time with Affordable Child Care

Half of West Virginia voters who are parents working part-time or less say they'd go back to full-time work if they had access to quality child care a…

Cumulative community solar capacity has grown by about 121% year over year since 2010, more than doubling in capacity on average, according to research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Utility Cost Burden Increases, WV Counties Look to Community Solar

Interest in community solar is on the rise, as a greater share of West Virginians' household incomes go toward utility bills. Federal data show …

According to 2021 Census-based data, Medicaid was the most common type of needs-based assistance received by people ages 65 and over. About 10% received Medicaid, either as a supplement or an alternative to Medicare. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Employment Program Helps WV Seniors Increase Income

A West Virginia program helping adults age 55 and older return to the workforce is seeing renewed interest as inflation and high gas prices squeeze th…

In 2021, some 53% of working adults ages 25 to 54 were parents, and more than a third of those parents had young children, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe stock)<br />

Report: More West Virginia Parents Not Working due to Childcare Issues

Thirteen percent of young children in West Virginia lived in families in which someone quit their job or refused a job because of responsibilities wit…

The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills by June 5, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Billions in WV Federal Funds at Stake as Debt Ceiling Looms

Over the weekend, lawmakers announced they have reached an agreement to reduce spending and address the debt limit. The deal needs a full signoff …

Coca-Cola workers in West Virginia recently went on strike. (Teamsters Local 175)<br />

WV Coca-Cola Workers End Strike, Say Grievances Still Ignored

More than one hundred workers at Coca-Cola plants in Logan and Charleston have returned to work after going on a days-long strike. Ken Hall - the …

Bachelor's degree attainment for Black people aged 25 to 29 has increased more slowly than among white people, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute. (Adobe Stock)

West Virginia's Black College Student Population on Decline

Amid declining enrollment at colleges in the Mountain State, new research showed Black students are disappearing from classrooms at higher rates…

More than 5,000 workers lost their lives on the job in the United States in 2021, according to the latest Death on the Job report from the AFL-CIO. (Adobe Stock)

Worker Fatalities Rise Amid OHSA Funding Cuts

Eighteen West Virginians never returned home from their work shift last year, and advocates for workers' rights say oversight rollbacks and funding …

An estimated 1.5 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries are likely to save $500 per year on insulin because of measures in the Inflation Reduction Act, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Insulin Costs Shrink, Older West Virginians Can Meet Other Basic Needs

In West Virginia, older residents are no longer seeing the bulk of their household budgets go toward paying for insulin or rationing their medication…

According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 41% of rural renters are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing. (Adobe Stock).

Local Governments Work to Address West Virginia’s Housing Crisis

In Parkersburg, West Virginia local government officials have an innovative plan to address the region's housing crisis - getting 50 families into …

During this year's ACA open-enrollment period, a record high of more than 16 million people signed up, with 4.4 million more enrolled for health insurance coverage since 2021, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As ACA Hits 13th Year, West Virginia Makes Coverage Gains

It's been 13 years since more than 156,000 West Virginians gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. As sweeping and …

More than half of U.S. adults (51%) now consider a college education to be

Report: More West Virginians Completing College Degrees

West Virginia is among a handful of states with the highest increases in educational attainment between 2019 and 2021, according to a new report from …

It's estimated nearly 7 million children are at risk for a period of uninsurance starting next year, according to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP Benefits WV Kids

Despite economic uncertainty of the pandemic, the number of West Virginia kids with health coverage remained roughly the same between 2019 and 2021…

Nationwide, prison populations dropped dramatically from 2019 to 2020, mainly the result of emergency responses to the pandemic. They're now on the uptick again, according to a Prison Policy Initiative report. (Adobe Stock)

WV Program Mentors People Re-Entering Society After Prison

West Virginia's prison population has ballooned, and formerly incarcerated people face numerous obstacles when they are released. A Charleston-based …

The expanded Child Tax Credit offered families between $300 and $360 per month per child, which helped lift an estimated 3.7 million children out of poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Prices Climb, WV Families Face Hardship without Child Tax Credit

Some parents said they have struggled to make ends meet after federal monthly Child Tax Credit payments of between $300 and $360 a month per child sto…

In 2021, there were fewer than 12,000 coal miners employed in West Virginia, according to state data. (Adobe Stock)

West Virginians Draw from Within to Rebuild Communities

By Quincy Gray McMichael for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service, Reporting for the YES! Media-Public News …

A child's chances of thriving depend not only on individual, family and community characteristics but also on the state in which she or he is born and raised, according to research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (praba_tuty/Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Report: WV Sees Uptick in Kids Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression

More West Virginia kids are struggling with their mental health, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

It's estimated that more than 4 million children younger than age 19 lacked health insurance coverage in 2020, according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Marking 25th Anniversary, CHIP Advocates Call for Permanent Funding

The federal health-insurance program for children helps keep more than 200,000 West Virginia children insured. Advocates said the Children's Health …

The United States and Canada are responsible for the majority of Uber's revenue - at $10 billion - collectively coming from the two countries in 2021, according to the website Business of Apps. (Adobe Stock)<br />

West Virginians Say Uber's 'Gig Economy' Has Downsides

Thousands of leaked documents shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists have revealed questionable tactics deployed across…

American billionaires saw their net worth climb by a collective $2 trillion, increasing 70%, during the first two years of the pandemic, according to Forbes data analyzed by Americans for Tax Fairness. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Could Gain $335 Million a Year from Billionaire Income Tax

State advocacy groups say West Virginia stands to gain from taxing billionaires. The Biden administration's "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax" would …

Research shows Latino and Black children experienced the largest percentage-point increases in poverty since the federal expanded Child Tax Credit expired at the end of 2021. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Without Child Tax Credit, More WV Kids Were Pushed Back into Poverty

It is estimated 50,000 West Virginia children are once again living below the poverty line, since families received their final expanded Child Tax …

The nationwide unemployment rate for Black workers is 73% higher than that of white workers, according to data from the Century Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

WV Lawmakers Move to Slash Jobless Benefits

A bill moving through the West Virginia Legislature would cut unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 12. Lawmakers cite cost and the need to push …

In 2020, around 5% of West Virginia families lacked health insurance coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Bills Aim to Lower Drug Costs, Prevent Medicaid "Cliff"

West Virginia groups are pushing state lawmakers to pass several bills related to health care, bills they say would lower copays and increase access …

The Biden administration's American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit for more than 65 million kids nationwide, according to the Center for Budget Policy and Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

For Parents in Recovery, Expanded Child Tax Credit Provided “One Less Stressor”

West Virginia families can expect a smaller federal Child Tax Credit this year, and no more advance monthly payments now that the Build Back Better …

One in three high school students and half of female students now report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, an overall increase of 40% from 2009, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. (Adobe Stock)

WV Families Anticipate More Mental, Financial Stress in New Year

West Virginia families expect increased financial stress and anxiety in the new year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment …

Despite a drop in global carbon emissions in 2020 due to the pandemic, worldwide CO2 emissions are estimated to be around 34 billion tons. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Putting Price on Carbon Could Benefit West Virginians

Tax credits and direct payments to companies that capture and store their carbon emissions underground are a key feature of the climate provisions out…

West Virginia organizer JoAnna Vance says the Child Tax Credit helped her pay off medical bills from her children's pediatric visits. (Provided by JoAnna Vance)

WV Organizers to Manchin: Child Tax Credit Must Stay in BBB

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As the deadline to pass the Build Back Better Act looms, West Virginia organizers are collecting stories from families in the …

Research from the Urban Institute has found expanding the federal Child Tax Credit would decrease child poverty by 40% nationwide. (Adobe Stock)

End of Child Tax Credit Payments a Worry for WV Families

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The final round of the federal government's Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments ends today, unless Congress votes to extend them …

Abandoned coal mines across the country have left communities grappling with unusable land and polluted water. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV Communities Await Abandoned Coal Mine Lands Program Funds

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Biden administration's recently passed infrastructure law provides $11.3 billion in abandoned mine land clean-up funding for 2…

A mobile billboard is crisscrossing West Virginia to encourage Sen. Joe Manchin's support of President Joe Biden's

'Build Back Better' Plan Gets Mobile Billboard in WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - You may spot a mobile billboard on your travels in West Virginia, and its creators hope the signage reminds people of how they …

Mining employment has risen by 55,000 since a trough in August 2020 but is 96,000 below a peak in January 2019, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.(Adobe Stock)

Creating a Future for Coal-Industry Workers in Clean-Energy Economy

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As lawmakers consider a $3.5 trillion-dollar budget resolution with historic investments to address climate change and spearhead …

Tens of millions of families have been sent the first payment of the expanded child tax credit. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Child Tax Credit Helping WV Families Pay for Transportation, Food

WHEELING, W.Va. -- An estimated 346,000 West Virginia children, 93% of all kids in the state, live in households that likely received their first …

WV Groups: Corporate Taxes Should Fund American Jobs, Families Plan

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Former West Virginia Lt. Gov. Jeff Kessler and the Huntington-based Service Employees International Union Local 1199 are among …

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm addresses reporters at the White House earlier this year. (Cameron Smith/Wikimedia Commons)

Energy Secretary Tours West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Clean-energy supporters say U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's visit to the state on Friday signals the administration's …

Wildlife crossings can help reduce animal-vehicle collisions, which cause more than 200 human fatalities and more than 26,000 injuries each year. (Adobe Stock)

Wildlife Crossings Reduce Collisions, Impact of Roads in Natural Areas

Charleston, W.Va. - Wildlife crossings such as green bridges or other structures that allow animals to cross roadways safely have been shown to …

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WV: Livable Wages/Working Families