By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief
“It’s all been a godsend for us to be able to do these kinds of upgrades for veterans and really deliver the kind of service they deserve.” — Ryan Kennedy, Department of Veterans Assistance Secretary
Big Poppy’s Fireworks, an Arkansas-based company, has high-powered fireworks for sale in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Amelia Ferrell Knisely/West Virginia Watch)
By Amelia Ferrell Knisely
The hotter the weather, the more fireworks Noah McNamee says he sells in the parking lot of a grocery store in Kanawha County. He expects hundreds of customers to buy high-flying fireworks ahead of the historic weekend as residents celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell (second from left) speaks at a news conference about public school funding July 2, 2026, at Piedmont Elementary in Charleston, West Virginia. He is joined by Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia (left), Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, and Kat Weiland, a Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates. (Photo by Amelia Ferrell Knisely/West Virginia Watch)
By Amelia Ferrell Knisely
Democrats in the House of Delegates have sent a letter to Gov. Patrick Morrisey requesting that he call the Legislature into a special session to address public school funding as more schools face closure.
NATIONAL
A lawsuit led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, a Republican, alleges that California’s single-use plastics law will drive up consumer costs. (Photo by Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
By Nada Hassanein
Seventeen Republican attorneys general — including West Virginia’s — have sued California over a state law that requires plastic packaging producers to move away from single-use plastics, alleging that the law will raise costs for consumers across the country.
By Jennifer Shutt
WASHINGTON — Republicans celebrated last year when they barred Medicaid payments from going to Planned Parenthood for one year, predicting the financial impact would hollow out the organization.
A year later, with that section of the “big, beautiful” law set to expire July 4, GOP lawmakers are trying to find a way to keep the nationwide prohibition in place, though they won’t be able to accomplish that before the deadline.
By David Lightman
WASHINGTON — The long, often agonizing struggle for Black political clout in Washington faces a new, uncertain and potentially troublesome chapter.
By Ashley Murray
WASHINGTON — What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States.
COMMENTARY
West Virginians die of cancer at a higher rate than the rest of the United States. (Getty Images)
By Jordan Cade
Much like other states, the story of West Virginia is deeply intertwined with the industries that have driven the nation’s growth.
For generations, its residents mined coal, manufactured chemicals, generated electricity, built infrastructure and even answered the call to defend the country. Yet what most of the public did not know is that the legacy of these works extends beyond paychecks, products and economic advancement. In many cases, it also comes with occupational hazards whose consequences may take years — or even decades — to manifest.
ICYMI
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