Outgoing West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin expressed strong disapproval on Thursday over President Joe Biden's decision to commute the death sentences of two men convicted in the brutal 2002 murder of Samantha Burns, a 19-year-old student at Marshall University. The two men, Brandon Basham and Chadrick Fulks, had been sentenced to death for their roles in Burns' killing. On Monday, as part of a larger commutation effort, Biden reclassified their sentences from execution to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with 35 other inmates on federal death row.
NCAA President Charlie Baker faced sharp criticism on Tuesday for placing the burden of safety on female athletes uncomfortable sharing locker rooms with transgender athletes.
A shocking incident unfolded in West Virginia as State Delegate Joseph De Soto, 61, was arrested for allegedly making "terroristic threats" against five of his Republican colleagues.
President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed his opposition to the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japanese company Nippon Steel. Trump pledged to block the deal, continuing the stance taken by the Biden administration earlier this year. He proposed stronger tariffs and tax incentives to reinvigorate the iconic steel company and prevent it from relocating its operations out of Pittsburgh.
Senator Joe Manchin called on President Joe Biden to issue a pardon for President-elect Donald Trump, citing the need for balance following Biden’s controversial pardon of his son, Hunter Biden. Speaking to CNN, the West Virginia independent suggested a blanket pardon for Trump to "clean the slate."
Eleven Republican states are suing financial entities BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street for "illegally conspiring to manipulate energy markets," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced.
A federal judge in Kentucky has blocked expanded protections for foreign farmworkers under the H-2A visa program, ruling that the Biden administration exceeded its authority. U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves issued the injunction on Monday, siding with Republican attorneys general from Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Alabama, as well as local farmers who argued that the administration’s rules unlawfully granted new collective bargaining rights to these temporary workers.
