Digging Into Halloween’s Rich History, This West Virginia Morning
Halloween is more popular than ever. We speak with WVU religious studies professors to learn more about the holiday's rich history.
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Matthew Hancock
Us & Them: West Virginia’s News Deserts — With No Government Watchdog Civic Engagement Plummets
Every week, more than two newspapers close in the United States, leaving whole communities without local coverage. In West Virginia, 43 of 55 counties have just one news source — or none at all. In the next Us & Them, Trey Kay visits communities on the verge of becoming news deserts to see how they’re fighting to keep their stories alive, from the long-standing Hurricane Breeze to a new startup in Greenbrier County.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsUs & Them Encore: Another Small Town Paper Down
Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability because no one is there to watch over things. When local news sources vanish, a community can also lose its sense of cohesion and identity. This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. This story was also honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary and by the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters for Best Documentary.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsUs & Them Encore: The Geography Of Abortion
State borders are now all important in determining access to abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, West Virginia’s only abortion clinic has moved across the border to Maryland to continue providing abortions. This Us & Them episode was recently honored by the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters as Best Podcast of 2024.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsUs & Them: We The People [But Not So Much] Women
Many assume the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal rights for all, but its authors didn’t seem to envision women as part of "We the people." On the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay speaks with law professor Jill Hasday, whose new book We the Men argues that women are systematically forgotten in America’s founding stories—and that exclusion has powerful symbolic and emotional consequences.
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Us & Them: They’ve Been Here Before
As 2025 begins, some states are poised to pass tighter abortion restrictions, building on more than 40 bans enacted since Roe v. Wade was overturned. On the next episode of “Us & Them,” host Trey Kay revisits the fight for reproductive care, talking with a retired Episcopal priest who recalls how liberal clergy helped women navigate the barriers of the pre-Roe era. Now, some of those same clergy are pulling that playbook off the shelf as anti-abortion supporters push for new federal limits.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsRe-Entry
At least 95% of people behind bars will be released. Some say a formerly incarcerated person’s successful reentry into society requires more focus on rebuilding an individual and less on punishment. Criminal justice reform efforts also address a victim-centered approach, but some believe that fundamental change might require addressing past trauma of victims as well as the perpetrators of crimes. This episode was honored with a national first place documentary award from the Public Media Journalists Association. It was also part of a series of episodes that were honored with a first place award in public service through journalism from Virginia's AP Broadcasters.
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