DoomsdaysCW<p>State by State Pending and recently passed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a>: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> - Part 2<br> <br>HB 3135: New penalties for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>protesters</span></a> who block <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/streets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>streets</span></a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sidewalks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>sidewalks</span></a></p><p>Would create new penalties for protesters who block streets, sidewalks, and other public passageways. Under the bill, someone who obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk or “other place used for the passage of persons, vehicles, or conveyances,” whether alone or with others, commits a misdemeanor, punishable by at least $500 and one month in jail. A second or subsequent offense would be a felony, punishable by at least $1,000 and at least three months and up to three years in prison. The bill defines “obstruct” to include conduct that makes passage “unreasonably inconvenient.” As such, protesters on a sidewalk who were deemed to have made it “unreasonably inconvenient” for pedestrians to pass could face jail terms. A substantially similar bill was introduced as HB 5446 in 2024.</p><p>Full bill text:<br><a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=3135&year=2025&sessiontype=RS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/</span><span class="invisible">bills_history.cfm?INPUT=3135&year=2025&sessiontype=RS</span></a></p><p>Status: pending</p><p>Introduced 4 Mar 2025.</p><p>Issue(s): Traffic Interference<br> </p><p>HB 2757: Potential "<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/terrorism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>terrorism</span></a>" charges for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NonviolentProtesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NonviolentProtesters</span></a></p><p>Would create several new, sweeping “terrorism” offenses that could cover nonviolent protesters. One new offense, “terrorist violent <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MassAction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MassAction</span></a>,” is defined to include “violent protests” and “riots” that “appear intended” to coerce or intimidate groups, governments, or societies. The bill provides that participation in a “terrorist violent mass action” constitutes an “terrorist act,” and any entity that uses such actions “to advance its agenda” is a “terrorist group.” “Violent protest” is not defined in the bill or elsewhere in the law, nor does the bill require that a person individually commit any act of violence or property damage to be culpable of “terrorist violent mass action.” As such, someone who peacefully participates in a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/nonviolent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nonviolent</span></a> but <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/rowdy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>rowdy</span></a> protest where a few individuals commit <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PropertyDamage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PropertyDamage</span></a> could conceivably face “terrorism” charges. Likewise, a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NonprofitGroup" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NonprofitGroup</span></a> involved in organizing or supporting such a protest “to advance its agenda” could be deemed a “<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TerroristOrganization" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TerroristOrganization</span></a>” under the bill. Individuals and organizations not directly involved in such a protest could also face felony “terrorism” charges for providing protesters with “material support”—broadly defined by the bill as “any property, tangible or intangible, or service.” The bill also creates a new felony “terrorism” offense for “actions… taken for political reasons to bar other persons from exercising their freedom of movement, via foot or any other conveyance.” As written, that could cover a large, peaceful march that even temporarily stops traffic. Meanwhile, the bill provides complete immunity for people who “injure perpetrators or supporters of perpetrators” while attempting to “escape” such “terrorism.” This provision would seem to eliminate consequences for acts of violence against protesters by people whose movement has been blocked by a protest, including drivers who hit protesters with their cars. The bill also creates new felony “threatening terrorism” offenses for a person or group that "for political reasons blockades property containing critical infrastructure,” or that “trespasses for political reasons onto property containing critical infrastructure.” As such, nonviolent protesters who block a road to a pipeline or enter onto pipeline property could face “threatening terrorism” charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A nearly identical bill was proposed in 2024 (HB 4994) and 2023 (HB 2916).<br> <br>Full text of bill:<br><a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2757&year=2025&sessiontype=RS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/</span><span class="invisible">bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2757&year=2025&sessiontype=RS</span></a></p><p>Status: pending</p><p>Introduced 21 Feb 2025.</p><p>Issue(s): <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestSupporters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestSupporters</span></a> or Funders, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DriverImmunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DriverImmunity</span></a>, Infrastructure, Riot, Terrorism, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TrafficInterference" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TrafficInterference</span></a>, Trespass</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clampdown</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CharacteristicsOfFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PipelineProtests</span></a></p>
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DoomsdaysCW<p>State by State Pending and recently passed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a>: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> - part 1 <br> <br>HB 5091: Heightened penalties for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/protesters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>protesters</span></a> near <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pipelines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pipelines</span></a> and other infrastructure</p><p>Increases the penalties and broaden offenses that could cover nonviolent protesters near pipelines and other infrastructure. The law amends West Virginia’s 2020 critical infrastructure law to remove the limitation that the law’s offenses could only occur on critical infrastructure property “if completely enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier that is obviously designed to exclude intruders, or if clearly marked with a sign or signs that.. indicate that entry is forbidden.” As a result, many more infrastructure sites are covered by the 2020 law’s trespass and tampering offenses, which carry significant penalties. The law also makes convictions for second and subsequent offenses of either the trespassing or tampering offenses a felony punishable by at least 2 and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000-$15,000. The law increases the fine for a person who “vandalizes, defaces, or tampers with” equipment in a critical infrastructure facility that causes damage of more than $2,500, from $1,000-$5,000 to $3,000-$10,000. (As introduced, the bill made second convictions punishable by a minimum of 5 years and a fine of $100,000-$250,000, and increased the fine for tampering or vandalizing from $1,000-$5,000 to $25,000-$100,000.)<br> <br>Full text of bill:<br><a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5091&year=2024&sessiontype=RS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/</span><span class="invisible">bills_history.cfm?INPUT=5091&year=2024&sessiontype=RS</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 25 Jan 2024; Approved by House 6 February 2024; Approved by Senate 4 March 2024; Signed by Governor Justice 26 March 2024</p><p>Issue(s): Infrastructure, Trespass<br> </p><p>HB 4615: New penalties for protests near gas and oil pipelines</p><p>Heightens potential penalties for protests near oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure. Under the law, knowingly trespassing on property containing a critical infrastructure facility is punishable by a year in jail and a $500 fine. Criminal trespass on critical infrastructure property with intent to "vandalize, deface, tamper with equipment, or impede or inhibit operations" of the facility is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Actually vandalizing, defacing, or tampering with the facility--regardless of actual damage--is a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and a $2,000 fine. An individual convicted of any of the offenses, and any entity that "compensates, provides consideration to or remunerates" a person for committing the offenses, is also civilly liable for any damage sustained. An organization or person found to have "conspired" to commit any of the offenses--regardless of whether they were committed--is subject to a criminal fine. The law newly defines "critical infrastructure facility" under West Virginia law to include a range of oil, gas, electric, water, telecommunications, and railroad facilities that are fenced off or posted with signs indicating that entry is prohibited.<br> <br>Full text of bill:<br><a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4615&year=2020&sessiontype=RS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/</span><span class="invisible">bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4615&year=2020&sessiontype=RS</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 30 Jan 2020; Approved by House 13 February 2020; Approved by Senate 7 March 2020; Signed by Governor Justice 25 March 2020</p><p>Issue(s): Civil Liability, Protest Supporters or Funders, Infrastructure, Trespass<br> </p><p>HB 4618: Eliminating <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PoliceLiability" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PoliceLiability</span></a> for deaths while dispersing <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/riots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>riots</span></a> and unlawful assemblies</p><p>Reaffirms West Virginia's problematic law on rioting, and adds the West Virginia Capitol Police to those authorities who cannot be held liable for the deaths and wounding of individuals in the course of dispersing riots and unlawful assemblies. Under prior West Virginia law, the State Police, sheriffs, and mayors had authority to use means such as curfews and warrantless searches to disperse riots and unlawful assemblies; the law reaffirms and extends this authority to the Capitol Police. According to the law, if a bystander is asked to assist in the dispersal and fails to do so, he or she "shall be deemed a rioter." The law also adds Capitol Police to existing provisions eliminating liability if anyone present, "as spectator or otherwise, be killed or wounded," while the authorities used "any means" to disperse riots or unlawful assemblies or arrest those involved. The law was passed during a statewide strike by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginiaTeachers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginiaTeachers</span></a>, thousands of whom protested in February 2018 at the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StateCapitol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>StateCapitol</span></a>. </p><p>Full text of bill:<br><a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4618&year=2018&sessiontype=RS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/</span><span class="invisible">bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4618&year=2018&sessiontype=RS</span></a></p><p>Status: enacted</p><p>Introduced 13 Feb 2018; Approved by House 22 February 2018; Approved by Senate 8 March 2018; Signed by Governor Justice 10 March 2018</p><p>Issue(s): Police Response, Riot</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstAmendment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FirstAmendment</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingDissent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingDissent</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Clampdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Clampdown</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriminalizingProtest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CriminalizingProtest</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CharacteristicsOfFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CharacteristicsOfFascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PipelineProtests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PipelineProtests</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TeachersStrike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TeachersStrike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ACAB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ACAB</span></a></p>
Mary Austin VOTED 4 HARRIS!<p>Tim Walz is still charging around the country holding town halls in districts where AWOL <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/GOP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GOP</span></a> Congress critters are too scared to face their constituents. Most recently, he went to <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> and <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Ohio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Ohio</span></a>. Here's a compilation of voters' questions from a bunch of town halls he has held. </p><p>These are voters in red districts with urgent questions about how their families are going to survive. And they are seeing that only a <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Democrat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Democrat</span></a> will even talk to them.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHrtGNwsA6r/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">instagram.com/p/DHrtGNwsA6r/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
JL Johnson :veri_mast:<p>Greetings from Cooper’s Rock. Arguably West Virginia’s most scenic view. The weather didn’t cooperate. </p><p>This is not a knock on WV. It’s a beautiful state. More of a LOL at our bad luck. 🤷🏻♂️</p><p><a href="https://vmst.io/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a></p>
Geoffrey Adams<p>We had a great <a href="https://mefi.social/tags/HandsOff" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HandsOff</span></a> march and rally today in beautiful Morgantown, <a href="https://mefi.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a>. At least 1300 people came (but one speaker suggested maybe as many as 2000!). Morgantown is a small city, and we don't see a lot of public activism here. Or at least we didn't used to! As one of our warmup musicians sang, the times they are a' changin'.</p><p>Our Republican senators and congressional representative were invited to come, but for some reason they didn't make it!</p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History April 5, 2010: Twenty-nine coal miners were killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. In 2015, Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was convicted of a misdemeanor for conspiring to willfully violate safety standards and was sentenced to one year in prison. He was found not guilty of charges of securities fraud and making false statements. Investigators also found that the U.S. Department of Labor and its Mine Safety and Health Administration were guilty of failing to act decisively, even after Massey was issued 515 citations for safety violations at the Upper Big Branch mine in 2009, prior to the deadly explosion. </p><p>So, the U.S. Dept of Labor, back when the U.S. staffed and funded its regulatory agencies, allowed a murderous boss to get away with 515 safety violations, resulting in the deaths of 29 miners, without any consequences for its bosses. And the courts gave the murderous CEO of Massey Energy a year in a Country Club prison for those same 29 worker deaths. But they’re gonna try Luigi Mangione for first-degree murder and seek the death penalty because he supposedly killed a murderous white-collar crook?</p><p>As they say, there is no Justice for the working-class; but there’s plenty of “Just Us” for the wealthy, as in court rulings just for them; subsidies and tax right-offs just for them; elite clubs and resorts just for them; and the right, just for them, to kill their workers and consumers in the pursuit of profits.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mining</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/explosion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>explosion</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workplacedeaths" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workplacedeaths</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/coal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>coal</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/westvirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>westvirginia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workplacesafety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workplacesafety</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/profits" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>profits</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workersafety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workersafety</span></a></p>
John Brown Type Beats<p>"On February 15, 2025, a catastrophic flood ravaged McDowell County, West Virginia, and much of the state’s southern coalfields. At least three people were reported dead due to the flash flooding, with dozens more reported missing and more than 700 rescued. Damage to housing and infrastructure is expected to reach millions of dollars. </p><p>This latest flood follows similarly destructive bouts of flooding in the region in 2016, 2002, 2001 and 1977. While much of southern West Virginia is especially vulnerable to flooding due to the state’s topography along with the long-term ramifications of strip mining and timbering, McDowell County faces additional challenges. The county ranks first in the WV Social Vulnerability Index, a socio-economic resiliency indicator, revealing which communities are less likely to recover from a flood disaster quickly and fully. McDowell is the eighth poorest county in the country. Because 60% of the land is owned by corporations and insurance in flood zones is expensive, fewer than 3% of residential structures have flood insurance. This is one of the lowest flood insurance penetration rates in the state. </p><p>In press conferences since the flooding, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has stressed that his administration is looking to help where they can, as well as warning that these recovery efforts can take time. He also said that his administration will conduct a thorough review of both the response and recovery efforts to find ways to improve if and when the next disaster strikes. </p><p>But West Virginia officials have a history of ignoring and underfunding protection plans, as well as many other needs in the state’s southern coalfields. And economic factors mixing with polycrises such as addiction, isolation, lack of potable water, and limited access to affordable and nutritious food has led to a pessimistic mindset which community leaders say it’s hard to break from. </p><p>“What this place needs is hope,” Alicia Vest of Matoaka Outreach says about her hometown of Matoaka, just over the county line in Mercer County. “[Growing up] it was so full of life, [but] as the coal mine shut down, life kind of stopped and it got stuck in a hole.”</p><p>In the weeks following the flood, Trump-appointed EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to eliminate 65% of the agency’s budget as well as plans to scale back or eliminate 31 previously enforced regulations including clean water protections for rivers and streams. Prior to announcing plans to dismantle FEMA just this week, Trump has issued executive orders calling for state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role in national resilience and preparedness.” While critics — both in West Virginia and across the country — have acknowledged the need for reform, many worry that this slash-and-burn approach may leave communities like McDowell, who cannot fund a full recovery on their own, even more vulnerable."</p><p>'Hell or High Water': Southern W. Va. Three Weeks After the Flood<br><a href="https://youtu.be/Bt7ljhv90LQ" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/Bt7ljhv90LQ</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Appalachia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Appalachia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Flooding" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Flooding</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateCrisis</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Documentary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Documentary</span></a></p>
Ancestry Roads<p>Anytime and Anywhere I see someone wearing a <a href="https://genealysis.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://genealysis.social/tags/University" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>University</span></a> shirt (heck, any WV shirt), I walk right up to them, face-to-face and say....</p><p>'Cue Country Roads.</p><p>While this might seem bizarre to most, to West Virginians and <a href="https://genealysis.social/tags/Appalachians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Appalachians</span></a>, this usually gets you a free drink. 😉 </p><p>Worked twice when I was in <a href="https://genealysis.social/tags/NewOrleans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NewOrleans</span></a>. </p><p>If you know, you know. <a href="https://genealysis.social/tags/Appalachia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Appalachia</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/hMBKT7rGgQs" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/hMBKT7rGgQs</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
John Brown Type Beats<p>"On March 7-9 of this year, the neo-fascist American Freedom Party (AFP) held what it billed as its “National Convention” at a location that organizers kept secret from the public. Participants later said that it was in West Virginia without specifying where, however they did post photos from the conference online. A close examination of these images reveals that the conference took place at the Berkeley Springs Castle, which is owned by the people who ran the now-defunct white nationalist website VDARE."</p><p>A Fascist Gathering in West Virginia<br><a href="https://alasbarricadas.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/31/a-fascist-gathering-in-west-virginia/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">alasbarricadas.noblogs.org/pos</span><span class="invisible">t/2025/03/31/a-fascist-gathering-in-west-virginia/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Appalachia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Appalachia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WhiteNationalists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WhiteNationalists</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Antifascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Antifascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Antifa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Antifa</span></a></p>
Weltschmerz à Gogo<p>A few years ago, the people behind the now-defunct white nationalist website VDARE bought a castle (yes, a castle) in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. It got a fair bit of coverage at the time, but there hasn't been all that much reporting on what they've been doing in there since then.</p><p>Now it's clear that the castle was the venue for a recent conference that brought a bunch of Patriot Front goons to town, along with a handful of leading antisemitic and "race science" intellectuals from around the US. And this is after the VDARE people promised to be nice, quiet neighbors.</p><p>===</p><p>On March 7-9 of this year, the neo-fascist American Freedom Party (AFP) held what it billed as its “National Convention” at a location that organizers kept secret from the public. Participants later said that it was in West Virginia without specifying where, however they did post photos from the conference online. A close examination of these images reveals that the conference took place at the Berkeley Springs Castle, which is owned by the people who ran the now-defunct white nationalist website VDARE.</p><p>...</p><p>The Brimelows’ presence has been a source of tension in Berkeley Springs from the start. Peter Brimelow has downplayed residents’ concerns, saying that he wasn’t organizing big rallies in town or doing anything disruptive and that “We just want to be quiet, good neighbors.” Yet the VDARE website also described the castle as a “meeting place” for like-minded people, and Lydia Brimelow stated during a 2022 podcast appearance that “My vision is it becomes a big hub of American patriotism.”</p><p>One reason why the recent conference is noteworthy is because it provided exactly the kind of “meeting place” that VDARE promised while breaking any sort of commitment to simply be “quiet, good neighbors,” highlighting the inherent contradiction between the two.</p><p><a href="https://alasbarricadas.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/31/a-fascist-gathering-in-west-virginia/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">alasbarricadas.noblogs.org/pos</span><span class="invisible">t/2025/03/31/a-fascist-gathering-in-west-virginia/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/VDARE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VDARE</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BerkeleySprings" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BerkeleySprings</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PatriotFront" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PatriotFront</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ThomasRousseau" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ThomasRousseau</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AFP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AFP</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/antisemitism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>antisemitism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RaceScience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RaceScience</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NeoNazis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NeoNazis</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fcknzs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fcknzs</span></a></p>
René Merced :vm: 🇵🇷<p>West Virginia Mine Wars Museum:</p><p>Camp Solidarity 2025 – Don’t Miss Out!</p><p>With early bird pricing available until April 30, there’s no better time to secure your place at our three-day conference on labor history and organizing. Save $50 on Standard admission and be part of a dynamic community of labor champions.</p><p>Register here:<br>wvminewars.org/campsolidarity2025</p><p><a href="https://mas.to/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/labor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>labor</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/history" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>history</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/organizing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>organizing</span></a></p>
The One<p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/farmers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>farmers</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/westvirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>westvirginia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>trump</span></a> Source ;</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/federal-funding-cuts-ripple-through-heart-trump-country-2025-03-29/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">reuters.com/world/us/federal-f</span><span class="invisible">unding-cuts-ripple-through-heart-trump-country-2025-03-29/</span></a></p>
US news | The Guardian<p>How a ban on food dye in West Virginia has forged an unlikely alliance <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/30/west-virginia-food-dye-ban" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/us-news/2025/m</span><span class="invisible">ar/30/west-virginia-food-dye-ban</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/RobertFKennedyJr" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RobertFKennedyJr</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/Republicans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Republicans</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/Society" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Society</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/Health" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Health</span></a> <a href="https://halo.nu/tags/USnews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USnews</span></a></p>
RealJournalism<p>Reuters Has An Article About The Effect Of Trump's Funding Cuts On <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> Farmers. Not A FAFO Story. <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/29/2313347/-Reuters-Has-An-Article-About-The-Effect-Of-Trump-s-Funding-Cuts-On-WV-Farmers-Not-A-FAFO-Story?pm_campaign=trending&pm_source=sidebar&pm_medium=web" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/29</span><span class="invisible">/2313347/-Reuters-Has-An-Article-About-The-Effect-Of-Trump-s-Funding-Cuts-On-WV-Farmers-Not-A-FAFO-Story?pm_campaign=trending&pm_source=sidebar&pm_medium=web</span></a></p>
Europe Says<p><a href="https://www.europesays.com/1953167/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">europesays.com/1953167/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> West Virginia Senate passes bill requiring computer science course for high school graduation <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/america" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>america</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/science" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>science</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/technology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>technology</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/UnitedStates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UnitedStates</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/UnitedStatesOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UnitedStatesOfAmerica</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>US</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/USA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USA</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a></p>
Bytes Europe<p>West Virginia Bans 7 Artificial Food Dyes, Citing Health Concerns <a href="https://www.byteseu.com/874783/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">byteseu.com/874783/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Adam" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Adam</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Burkhammer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Burkhammer</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/California" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>California</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/DyesAndDyestuffs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DyesAndDyestuffs</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Food" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Food</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/FoodAdditives" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodAdditives</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/FoodAndDrugAdministration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodAndDrugAdministration</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Health" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Health</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/MedicineAndHealth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MedicineAndHealth</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Morrisey" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Morrisey</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/PatrickJ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PatrickJ</span></a>(1967) <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/RegulationAndDeregulationOfIndustry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RegulationAndDeregulationOfIndustry</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/StateLegislatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>StateLegislatures</span></a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/States" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>States</span></a>(US) <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a></p>
CBC Top Stories<p>Trump passport policy a 'fundamental rejection of my identity,' says transgender plaintiff<br>After applying for a new passport in January, Ash Lazarus Orr, a transgender man from West Virginia, has yet to receive it and is now suing the Trump administration over its discriminatory policy.<br><a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>politics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/identity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>identity</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/Radio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Radio</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.hongkongers.net/tags/AsItHappens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AsItHappens</span></a><br><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/trump-passport-policy-1.7496058?cmp=rss" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/trump</span><span class="invisible">-passport-policy-1.7496058?cmp=rss</span></a></p>
RealJournalism<p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/WestVirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WestVirginia</span></a> House rejects vaccine exemption bill, a priority for Morrisey <a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/03/24/west-virginia-house-rejects-vaccine-exemption-bill-a-priority-for-morrisey/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">westvirginiawatch.com/2025/03/</span><span class="invisible">24/west-virginia-house-rejects-vaccine-exemption-bill-a-priority-for-morrisey/</span></a></p>
nationalparks<p>New River Gorge National Park and Preserve today. Learn more at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">nps.gov/neri/index.htm</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> and <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/interpretation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>interpretation</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/nps" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nps</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/nationalparks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nationalparks</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/publiclands" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>publiclands</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/landscapephotography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>landscapephotography</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/photography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>photography</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/river" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>river</span></a> Image credit National Park Service <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/westvirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>westvirginia</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/spring" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>spring</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/trees" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>trees</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today In Labor History March 26, 1912: A mining disaster at Jed, West Virginia, killed 83 workers.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mining</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workplacesafety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workplacesafety</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/disaster" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>disaster</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/westvirginia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>westvirginia</span></a></p>
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