The last few years have seen a new wave of indie rock music emerging from the Mountain South. It’s distinguished by a Southern rock sound, and lyrics drawn from observations about living in the region. We’re talking about acts like Wednesday and MJ Lenderman — and Fust, a group that’s based in Durham, North Carolina with deep Appalachian roots. Fust has a new album. It’s called “Big Ugly.” Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Fust singer and songwriter Aaron Dowdy.
West Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is the man in the middle.
For years, Manchin has used his deciding vote in the Senate to stand up to President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, but recently a surprise agreement changed everything. In this episode of Us & Them, we look at the outcome of that legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act.
Many are asking, “Who is Joe Manchin?” The important compromise on climate legislation in the bill is producing a transformation to Manchin’s political image, and according to some analysts, opening opportunities for the future.
Manchin is not up for re-election to his Senate seat until 2024, but the outcome of the midterm elections could have a significant impact on him. If the Democrats lose their majority in the Senate, Manchin will no longer be the all-powerful deciding vote. However, if the party holds control of the Senate but loses the House, it’s unlikely Democratic legislation will even make it to the president’s desk.
Despite the frustrations many in his own party have with Manchin, there’s an important fact to — Manchin represents one of the most elusive and powerful factions in American politics — the middle. How far can that take him?
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the CRC Foundation and the Daywood Foundation.
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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AP
FILE – Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 1, 2022. The sprawling economic package passed by the U.S. Senate has a certain West Virginia flavor. The bill, hammered out in negotiations between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and passed with no Republican votes, could be read largely as an effort to help West Virginia look to the future without turning away entirely from its roots. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Hoppy Kercheval, host of Talk Line on West Virginia Metro News, has interviewed Joe Manchin many times over the span of his political career.
Mike Plante is a Democratic Party political consultant who lives in West Virginia. In 1996, Plante managed the gubernatorial campaign of Charlotte Pritt. Pritt defeated Manchin in the primary to secure the West Virginia gubernatorial nomination for the Democratic Party. It was the first and only time Manchin lost a political race. Subsequently, Manchin has reached out to Plante to help with political races and messaging campaigns.
Christopher Regan writes for publications such as the Charleston Gazette Mail and The Atlantic, and he’s a former vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party. Recently, Regan wrote a widely discussed piece for the Gazette Mail, that suggested Manchin’s reelection in 2024 looked questionable. He said the electoral math just wasn’t there for the two-term senator.
Pete Marovich/Pete Marovich Images
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Pete Marovich
Evan Osnos is a staff writer for The New Yorker Magazine. He’s interviewed Joe Manchin on numerous occasions and has a deep connection to the Mountain State. His first job out of college was working for the Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. Osnos sees great possibilities ahead for Manchin.
The last few years have seen a new wave of indie rock music emerging from the Mountain South. It’s distinguished by a Southern rock sound, and lyrics drawn from observations about living in the region. We’re talking about acts like Wednesday and MJ Lenderman — and Fust, a group that’s based in Durham, North Carolina with deep Appalachian roots. Fust has a new album. It’s called “Big Ugly.” Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Fust singer and songwriter Aaron Dowdy.
This week on Inside Appalachia, Aaron Dowdy of alt country band Fust took an outside path to becoming a songwriter Also, egg prices are up. Some folks are talking about raising backyard chickens.
And, Helvetia, West Virginia’s old world Fasnacht festival continues to grow, in part because of an online video game. Organizers are OK with it.
For many grappling with substance use disorder, homelessness, and the justice system, the struggle has never been more intense. New tough-on-crime laws—like Kentucky’s “Safer Kentucky Act”—are ramping up penalties on many crime categories that include a banon public camping, deepening the crisis. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay returns to Kentucky to explore the real-world consequences: urban areas face severe housing shortages and persistent substance use challenges, while small-town Appalachia remains even more isolated from essential support networks.
EQT chief Toby Rice took part in a presentation by natural gas industry leaders at the state Capitol Wednesday, briefly joined by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
