Economy

November 20, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Ohio Valley Economic Outlook Grim As COVID Aid Programs End

Ohio Valley Resource, West Virginia Public Broadcasting - With hundreds of thousands across the Ohio Valley struggling to make ends meet, a suite of coronavirus aid packages, including rent and utility relief funding, eviction moratoriums, and expanded unemployment benefits, is set to expire at the end of December. Read the full article. The consequences could be…

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November 11, 2020 by WVCBP
ReImagine Appalachia Coalition Releases Post-Election Statement Calling on Government Leaders to Help Rebuild Region via Robust Climate Stimulus

For Immediate Release: November 11, 2020Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 In the wake of the announcement of final results in the 2020 presidential race, the directors of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign made the following statement on behalf of the coalition. Charleston, WV - Like most of us, the people living in the Ohio Valley want future generations to have…

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November 11, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia Has a Long Road Ahead to Full Recovery

We are now eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic that first started affecting West Virginia's economy in late March. Since then, the state has experienced huge drops in employment and revenue, followed by a much smaller bounce back, with an influx of federal aid providing a boost. So how has West Virginia fared so far?…

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November 9, 2020 by WVCBP
13th Annual State of Working West Virginia Report Highlights Persistent Racial Inequity Throughout the State, Presents Policy Solutions from WV Community Leaders

For Immediate Release: November 09, 2020Contact: Sean O'Leary, 304-400-8899 Charleston, WV - In the 1960s, Black Americans across the country marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of institutional racism and oppression came to a head. Now in 2020, over half a century later, extraordinarily high numbers of Americans of all backgrounds marched once again in protest…

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November 3, 2020 by Rhonda Rogombe
The Affordable Care Act Remains Essential to West Virginia Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The open enrollment period to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) started on November 1 and continues through December 15. This period allows individuals without existing health coverage to enroll in a private insurance plan or Medicaid – all in one place. As the nation continues to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic,…

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November 3, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
State of Working West Virginia 2020: The State of Racial Inequality

Foreword In 1967, Black Americans marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of systemic racism and oppression came to a head. In response, President Lyndon Johnson established the Kerner Commission, which spent the next year researching, holding hearings, and visiting communities to examine racial inequity in the country. In 1968, the Commission issued its report,…

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October 30, 2020 by WVCBP
In West Virginia, Obamacare is About More than Public Health. It’s a Matter of Economic Stability.

Mountain State Spotlight - In West Virginia, public health and economics are especially intertwined. Read the full article. Since the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) was enacted in 2010, the law has funded treatment for substance use disorders, expanded black lung benefits and  provided health insurance to 20 million Americans who were previously…

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October 29, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginians Were Promised an Economic Revival. It Hasn’t Happened Yet.

Mountain State Spotlight - One year ago, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice promised business leaders that the state’s economy was on the verge of a boom. Continued growth in natural gas production was going to spark an industrial renaissance, bringing construction of a giant collection of spinoff factories. Read the full article. Speaking to the West…

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October 29, 2020 by WVCBP
ReImagine Appalachia Coalition Details Regional Infrastructure and Investment Priorities

White papers detail Appalachian climate investment strategy for lawmakers post-election. For Immediate Release: October 29, 2020 Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV - The ReImagine Appalachia Coalition released a trio of white papers detailing needed infrastructure investments in broadband, for modernizing the region's manufacturing sector, reviving the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and promoting regenerative agriculture. Read the reports here. The…

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