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I wish everyone knew what being a mom is like

I once had a friend who used to tell me all the time that she never wanted to have children. She was adamant about it. Years later, she got married to a man who adored her. He soon became my friend, too. They were a happy couple. Never really argued. Always called each other by a pet name. They were always going to baseball, hockey and football games. They visited restaurants all the time. They would go on vacation to places they found interesting and stayed up late watching movies on tv with one another. They had time to do whatever they wanted to do. No one ...

History in the Hills: Remembering V-E Day

This past Thursday, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. V-E stands for Victory in Europe and was officially recognized historically on May 8, 1945. On that day, World War II in Europe ended with the surrender of the German forces. The war itself didn’t end with V-E Day, but rather, after Japan surrendered in August of that year. My wife and I have always been interested in this period of history and have been reading a lot lately on the subject. I finally found time to read Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation,” describing the life and times of folks who were ...

Guest Column: The health of our state is the future of our state

West Virginia is a state defined by its strength. We know how to show up for one another. We know how to fight for what matters. And right now, nothing matters more than the health of our people. We are at a crossroads. Chronic disease rates remain among the highest in the nation. Mental health challenges are growing, especially among our youth. Rural communities are losing access to providers, and we are facing a wave of retirements in the very professions we depend on to care for our communities. Behind these statistics are families, neighbors, coworkers and caregivers facing ...

Guest column: West Virginia lawmakers should back Medicare Advantage

I have spent my career in the professions of insurance and law. These days, part of my efforts include helping seniors select their appropriate Medicare coverages. Healthcare access and affordability are critical for West Virginia retirees and seniors, which makes programs like Medicare Advantage indispensable. More than half of West Virginians who are eligible for Medicare choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage program, mirroring national trends. Keeping this program strong and on steady financial ground is critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of ...

Guest Column: America has the resources to confront China’s mineral extortion

It is no secret that China has weaponized control of the world’s mineral supply chains. We’ve already seen this when both the Biden and Trump administrations challenged China’s unfair trade practices. Beijing has responded by simply restricting or banning the export of minerals needed for America’s economy and defense industrial base. China’s ever-growing chokehold on mineral supply chains — and U.S. reliance on imports — has been America’s Achilles’ heel for more than a decade. According to recent government analysis, the U.S. is import-reliant for 40 critical ...

Adding to my list of Capitol records

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made my nearly annual trip to the U.S. Capitol Building to spend time with members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation. I’m writing this on Thursday afternoon from the U.S. Senate’s press gallery. I spent part of the day with U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, and U.S. Rep. Riley Moore. The first time I made this trip was in March 2021 to shadow Capito, R-W.Va., and then-senator Joe Manchin, following them to votes and meetings. That was already a pretty surreal visit. I’m someone who loves going to ...