By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief
“So this is a significant issue of waste, fraud and abuse, and it’s a significant issue of improving workforce, and it’s a significant issue of bringing accountability back to these programs.” — Sen. Brian Helton, R-Fayette, on Medicaid work requirements
Christy Donohue, commissioner of the state Bureau for Medical Services, addresses the Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Resources Accountability Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026 in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)
By Lori Kersey
An initial analysis by the West Virginia Department of Human Services showed that about 33,000 state Medicaid recipients are not currently meeting federal work or volunteer requirements taking effect in January, and are not automatically exempted from them, lawmakers were told Wednesday.
NATIONAL
Students study on laptops inside an elementary school in Farmington, Arkansas, on March 19, 2026. School districts nationwide are grappling with which artificial intelligence tools to invest in. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)
By Robbie Sequeira
As a new school year begins, some classrooms may use artificial intelligence tools to flag a student struggling with classwork, track attendance or try to raise reading scores.
But as school districts make decisions on which tools are safe and worth spending thousands or millions of dollars on, some officials feel overwhelmed by the array of choices. Some states and districts have begun offering guidance for vetting AI purchases, but educators and experts say districts are still carrying much of the burden on their own.
By Ariana Figueroa
WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union has petitioned a federal court in New Hampshire to reaffirm a ruling that found President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order unconstitutional, after the president renewed his attempts to redefine American citizenship despite his loss at the Supreme Court.
By Jacob Fischler
The Trump administration on Wednesday renewed its request to the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly decide a case over an executive order restricting voting, a day after a Massachusetts federal judge expanded an injunction on the order nationwide.
By Ashley Murray
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down from her position at the end of August to spend more time with her family, President Donald Trump announced on social media Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
The lone star tick can cause alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy, in those it has bitten. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention)
By Neal Barkus
I have just returned from a visit with old friends on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts. The island is beautiful, but with terrain and vegetation much different than ours in West Virginia. Unfortunately, Nantucket residents are under attack from ticks. The extent of the problem has led to an outbreak of disease, and a change in lifestyle for many residents who were formerly active outdoors but now fear contracting one of several diseases spread by ticks. All this has led me to wonder about our tick situation in the Mountain State.
ICYMI
Thanks for reading First Watch. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.