Host, West Virginia MetroNews' 'Talkline'
Vice President of Operations for West Virginia MetroNews and host of its Talkline
PROFILE
Hoppy Kercheval
Guest
FROM Hoppy Kercheval
To the Point
Coal: A Necessary Evil? Twenty-five miners are known to have died in this week's massive explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. The effort to rescue four men still unaccounted for may be a lost cause. Even before this week's tragedy, the Obama Administration took aim at surface coal mining with a new set of environmental regulations. The loss of human life in the Upper Big Branch mine will likely produce new safety measures for methane gas deep underground. The coal industry and miners themselves claim new rules threaten their economic survival. Can coal mining be made safer and cleaner, or does America's appetite for energy mean putting up with so-called "hidden costs?"
To the Point
The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster Twenty-five people are dead and four others are missing in America's worst coal mining disaster in 25 years. As miners' families struggle with their tragedies, state and federal officials promise investigations. Kevin Stricklin, who runs the US Mine Safety and Health Administration says, “We know the mine wasn't operating safely or we wouldn't have had an explosion.” Hoppy Kercheval, host West Virginia MetroNews ' Talkline, has more on local attitudes toward the Upper Big Branch Mine and the Massey Energy Company .
Recommended
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.