In The News

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito says she’ll go directly to the White House about cuts to agencies affecting miner safety and health. President Donald Trump was surrounded by coal miners this week when he signed executive orders to boost coal. This came just days after his administration cut staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which conducts black lung research and screenings. Also, the Mine Safety and Health Administration closed its office in Wyoming County after... Read More

Coal has been the controversial life-blood of our region and lawmakers on both sides of the state line are applauding President Trump on his recent executive orders . The orders aim to expand coal production through taking older plants out of retirement, EPA exemptions, federal land use and more.  Both of West Virginia’s Senators were present for the signings and boast their approval of the measures.  “Not only does coal keep the lights on in America, but it is an essential natural resource that... Read More

President Donald Trump (R) signed multiple executive orders on Monday that plan to bolster the coal industry in the United States. Here’s what officials in West Virginia had to say following the orders, as well as statements from some of the organizations that this order may impact. Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) It’s great to be here with a lot of miners who come from West Virginia and across the country and to celebrate a president who cares deeply about coal and America’s energy independence.... Read More

The race to power A-I data centers could be the spark to reignite coal as a fuel for electric power in the country. At least that seems to be the play President Donald Trump believes will happen in the industry. Trump wants to see coal in a more prominent role to fulfil the nation’s power needs by shoring up the nation’s electric power grid. Flanked by coal miners, many from West Virginia, Trump signed a series of executive orders calling for the increased use of fossil fuels including coal, to... Read More

Officials from West Virginia applauded President Donald Trump’s signing of a series of executive orders aimed at bolstering the nation’s coal industry and providing energy security. Trump signed four orders Tuesday, with provisions including: • Reinvigorating the country’s “Beautiful Clean Coal Industry”; • Preventing what the administration classifies as overreach by state governments; • Strengthening the reliability of the nation’s electric grid. The signing event was attended by West Virginia... Read More

A Pocahontas County landmark is getting an extreme makeover. The world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, located in Green Bank, WV will be undergoing a crucial maintenance project to protect the structural integrity of the structure. According to a media release from the Green Bank Observatory, engineering firm Modjeski and Masters conducted a comprehensive structural inspection and revealed the need for crucial maintenance to repaint the telescope’s structure. Painting the telescope... Read More

U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) on April 4 proposed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to repeal California’s electric vehicle (EV) waivers prohibiting the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035. “California’s extreme EV mandate imposes unrealistic and stringent requirements, fails to meet the Clean Air Act’s requirements for a waiver, forces the hand of American consumers, and makes our country more reliant on China for critical... Read More

Senate Republicans are plowing ahead to terminate a Biden-era rule that effectively allows California to impose a national electric vehicle (EV) mandate. The Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed off on California’s “Advanced Clean Cars II” — which would ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state and 11 others by 2035 — just weeks before the Trump administration took control in Washington. Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito unveiled a resolution Friday... Read More

To help eliminate food deserts around the nation, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently signed on as the lead original cosponsor of a bipartisan bill that would incentivize food providers to expand access to healthy food options in underserved communities.  “Many West Virginians struggle to access fresh, nutritious food to keep their families and communities well fed,” said Sen. Capito on Wednesday, noting that the measure would “expand access to healthy foods through food banks and... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito fielded some questions during her Thursday briefing with West Virginia reporters on this week’s job cuts at the Morgantown NIOSH office, and the earlier cuts at the Morgantown National Energy Technology Laboratory. About 185 researchers in the NIOSH division in Morgantown received layoff notices on Tuesday as part of the Department of Health and Human Services plan to cut about 10,000 employees from the department. “I am extremely concerned about this,” Capito said.... Read More

Nearly 200 employees at the Morgantown location of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were informed earlier this week that they will lose their jobs as part of broader cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NIOSH facility in Morgantown is known for its research aimed at preventing work-related injuries and illnesses, particularly in coal miners. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito expressed her concerns about the cuts, stating her intention... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed concern about recently fired federal workers in Morgantown. Capito, in a statement released Tuesday, said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) facility in Morgantown play an important role in monitoring the health of coal miners in the state. “While I believe in the broad vision set forth by the Trump administration to right size our government, I’m concerned that... Read More

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito says she’s working to bring a small modular nuclear reactor to the state. Capito says she’s spoken to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about faster permitting for a nuclear project in West Virginia. On Thursday, the House of Delegates passed House Bill 2205, a bipartisan bill that would enable the West Virginia Public Service Commission to certify small modular reactors. Nuclear could come to the state as a result of the legislature’s repeal of a longtime nuclear... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, made stops in Petersburg and Moorefield this week to meet with community leaders and business professionals to discuss economic development opportunities and efforts to expand broadband access across West Virginia. First, Senator Capito traveled to Petersburg to meet with county commissioners, community leaders, and other business professionals to discuss Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) awards... Read More

Senator Shelley Moore Capito visited Braxton County Middle School Thursday as part of her “West Virginia Girls Rise Up” initiative where she gave a pep talk to the school’s sixth-grade girls with the goal of encouraging them to think about their future, have confidence, and set big goals. 12 News spoke with student Emily Short, who said she wanted to someday go to school to become a therapist. Short said that she appreciated the senator’s visit and that it reminded the students at the school... Read More

In November, the WVU School of Dentistry received $12.6 million from the Department of Health and Human Resources. Senator Shelley Moore Capito visited Morgantown Tuesday to learn more about the renovations and the future of dentistry in the state. “Oral health impacts your ability to learn if your a student, your ability to get a job. The ability to serve in the military. It’s not just about having a pretty smile. It’s about maximizing your potential in life,” said Sen. Shelley Moore... Read More

Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced her co-sponsorship of the HIDTA Enhancement Act, aiming to bolster efforts against drug trafficking and usage through enhanced collaboration among federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. The proposed legislation seeks to reauthorize the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs with an annual budget of $333 million through 2030. Additionally, it aims to increase the authorization for competitive grants to over $14... Read More

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and a bipartisan, bicameral contingent of her colleagues urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately publish guidelines on administering billions of dollars in disaster relief aid for America’s farmers. The 28 lawmakers seek an expedited rulemaking process for the $110 billion disaster relief package former President Joe Biden signed into law in December 2024 to provide agricultural disaster relief funding following several natural... Read More

Ana Tris had to retire early from her lucrative corporate job because as an only child, the care for her mother required her full attention. But it also requires two hired caregivers to help Tris, 66, and her husband, care for her 91-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer's disease at their Miami home. The out-of-pocket cost for the caregivers alone was $80,000 last year, Tris said. Tris is among an estimated 48 million caregivers in the U.S. who provide support to a parent, spouse or loved one,... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is backing a federal measure that would allow officials to more forcefully go after criminals trafficking drugs. Capito said the proposed HIDTA Enhancement Act, if passed by the U.S. Senate and Congress, would stop fentanyl from flowing into West Virginia communities. The federal measure also would reauthorize the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program —which brings together federal and local law enforcement to stop drug trafficking —... Read More