Podcast
Blankenship On Trial
Hosted by Unknown Author · EN
On April 5, 2010, 29 men were killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. Federal regulators say a history of unsafe practices led to the explosion and prosecutors are now trying to prove that culture at Massey Energy came from the top down, starting with former CEO Don Blankenship. These are the stories as they are told in the courtroom, the evidence as presented by both sides and the community's reactions to the trial of Don Blankenship.
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High Voltage Lines And Ticks, This West Virginia Week
Apr 18Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Week, a Florida energy company plans to build a high voltage line across four West Virginia counties. Also, the state’s horse racing industry gets a boost, and be sure to watch out for ticks this season. Bill Lynch is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Learn more about West Virginia Week.
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Coal’s Cost On Energy Prices, Inside Appalachia
Apr 17Tap to summarizeCoal power can be expensive. Utilities run coal-fired power plants harder in the winter and summer when demand is high. Also, two films made in West Virginia shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts. The state wants to encourage even more movies to be made in West Virginia by helping keep production costs down. And, an Eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holidays. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. In This Episode: Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry The Modern Mountain Cookbook Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia The Harrison Power Station, a coal-fired power plant in West Virginia. Photo Credit: Roxy Todd/Radio IQ Lawmakers across the country are talking about affordability, especially when it comes to rising power bills. But states are taking different approaches to make that happen. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open. Host Mason Adams teamed up with Radio IQ reporter Roxy Todd. They talked with economists, politicians and ratepayers to try to learn why tensions between the two Virginias may be driving up costs. Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition More states are using cameras to aid police and other law enforcement agencies. In Tennessee, state police are exploring the idea of pairing cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition software. That’s according to public records obtained by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. But that technology also comes with privacy concerns. Managing Editor Ryan Van Velzer spoke with reporters Pierce Gentry and Justin Hicks to learn more. High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry A large but typical turn-of-the-century home in Mannington, W.Va., was used as the location for a staged yard sale in the popular Netflix film "The Bad Guardian." Photo courtesy of Robert Tinnell It’s always exciting to recognize parts of Appalachia in movies. Today, more and more films and TV shows shot in Appalachia are turning up on streaming services. In March, two films shot in West Virginia made the Netflix Top Ten list for movies streamed in the U.S. And it’s not just the state’s geography that’s a draw for filmmakers. WVPB’s Maria Young has more. The Modern Mountain Cookbook The Modern Mountain Cookbook by Jan A. Brandenburg. Courtesy Photo When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want comfort food without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table. Last spring, Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia. Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio Juniper and Talcon display their finished brain tanned buckskins. Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting Tanning hides for clothes, blankets, shoes – for all kinds of things – goes back millennia. But over the years, some tanning techniques have become less common, like brain tanning. As it turns out, women in Appalachia are reclaiming the practice. In 2020, Clara Haizlett, a brain tanner herself, brought us this Folkways story. ------ Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Dinosaur Burps, Blue Dot Sessions and John Inghram. Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from guest editor Andrea “River” Peterson and Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave. You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org. You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook. Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter! Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virgi...
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Different Approaches To Providing Electric Power, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 17Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, lawmakers in both West Virginia and Virginia have been looking at ways to make power bills more affordable, but their approaches are very different. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams and Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd spoke with economists, politicians and ratepayers to learn why tensions between the two states may be driving up costs. Also, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Thursday she’s in favor of data centers in West Virginia but also admits their limitations. And, a Florida energy company is planning to build a high-voltage power line in southwest Pennsylvania to feed data centers in northern Virginia. It crosses four West Virginia counties along the way. The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier reports the company is seeking the right of eminent domain. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Political Science Professor Analyzes Upcoming Primary Election, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 16Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, some unusual things are happening in the leadup to the state's primary elections next month. Leading Republicans are directly challenging other Republicans to try to steer the makeup of the West Virginia Legislature. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Marshall Political Science Professor Marybeth Beller about the context of these unusual moves and how they are shaking up the races -- and political watchers. Also, middle school students win a national award for their work on water filtration and a month-long sweep by law enforcement nets results. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Iranian American Weighs In On War In Iran, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 15Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, with the war in Iran now in its second month, many questions remain about the motivations for and the objectives of the conflict. Ace Parsi’s family left Iran for the U.S. because of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. He shared his perspective on the situation with reporter Chris Schulz. Parsi is also running for Congress in West Virginia’s second district. Also, there are yard signs, candidate forums and ads for candidates out, but if you’re not sure exactly who you can vote for, there is a tool. And, Thanksgiving is more than seven months away. But starting this weekend turkeys across the state have reason to hide. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Saving Rural Hospitals, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 14Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, America’s rural hospitals are closing at an alarming pace. That’s become a concern in many parts of West Virginia. We look at nearby Tennessee, which has the highest hospital closure rate in the nation – but also some shining examples of hope. WPLN’s Health Reporter Catherine Sweeney takes us to Linden – a Tennessee town where the shuttered hospital there has recently reopened. Also, the public will soon have an opportunity to express their opinion on a proposed electric transmission line project in person. And, a longtime Charleston priest, activist and central figure in one of West Virginia’s most turbulent cultural conflicts has died. The Rev. Jim Lewis was 90. Finally, you might say there’s now more horsepower driving a small but important industry in West Virginia. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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The Connection Between Pollution And Lung Cancer, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 13Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, we’ve long known that smoking can cause lung cancer. But what about air pollution? As The Allegheny Front reports, a new Appalachian study finds a connection. Also, we have the latest from our occasional series Almost Heavens, where the astrophysicist and Clay Center educator Shannon Silverman guides us through the cosmos above the Mountain State. In this segment, we learn about what can be seen in the springtime skies overhead. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Transcribe →Supreme Court Weighs In On Vaccines And Planet Money Talks, This West Virginia Week
Apr 11Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Week, the state supreme court decides on vaccine requirements, the office of miners health and safety releases its findings about recent accidents and money talks on Planet Money. Bill Lynch is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Learn more about West Virginia Week.
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Encore: Our Common Nature With Yo-Yo Ma, Inside Appalachia
Apr 10Tap to summarizeOur Common Nature is a new podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana González, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners. We follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with González about meeting people where they are. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. In This Episode: West Virginia: Yo-Yo Ma And W.Va. Coal The Smokies: Mountains And Forgotten Family With Yo-Yo Ma Kentucky: Yo-Yo Ma And The Louisville Orchestra Perform In Mammoth Cave Our Common Nature: The Smokies, Mammoth Cave And W.Va. Coal Yo-Yo and West Virginian country/folk artist Kathy Mattea perform for retired miners at Nuttallburg, a historic coal-mining complex.Photo Credit: Austin Mann/WNYC We’re sharing a new podcast from our friends at WNYC. It’s called Our Common Nature. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who you probably know best from his rendition of Bach’s Cello Suite Number One in G Major. In the podcast, Ma teams up with producer Ana González. They travel around the country, meeting people and hearing their stories and music. They visit parts of Appalachia, including West Virginia and the Smokies. We’re excited to share an excerpt from their travels. Also, host Mason Adams speaks with González about what she and Ma had in mind for these trips — and what they learned along the way. ------ Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Yo-Yo Ma and Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks this week to WNYC for sharing their podcast with us. Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org. You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook. Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter! Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
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A Conversation On Acclaimed Cellist’s Visit To W.Va., This West Virginia Morning
Apr 10Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, lots of public radio listeners know acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In the fall, WNYC released Our Common Nature, a podcast that follows the musician and producer Ana Gonzalez as they explore the country. This included a visit to West Virginia. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke with Gonzalez about the podcast and what she and Yo-Yo Ma learned along the way. Also, a panel of federal judges has upheld the constitutionality of West Virginia’s vaccination requirements. And, much of the state is facing an elevated risk of fire right now. Finally, Trump administration officials in February announced a change in rules intended to help coal, and March data show solar is quickly catching up. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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