West Virginia

Manchin warns government to step up after Fitch credit rating downgrade

Published

10 months ago

August 3, 2023

Manchin warns government to step up after Fitch credit rating downgrade

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) arrives prior to Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 19, 2023.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin on Thursday called on his colleagues to take sorely needed budgetary steps to strengthen the economy after Fitch credit analysts’ recent decision to downgrade the United States’ long-held foreign issuer default rating.

Fitch downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AA+ to AAA on Tuesday, months after having placed the nation’s rating on negative watch in May. The credit rating firm cited the U.S. government’s lengthy debt ceiling debate, along with the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in its decision.

The West Virginia Democrat a member of the Appropriations Committee, called the move “a stark warning that cannot be ignored.”

“When you look at 21 years that we have spent more than we’ve taken in … Democrats and Republicans are guilty,” Manchin told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “And we’ve got to fix this, and we’re not taking it seriously.”

He added that the U.S. is heading toward a “fiscal cliff” if lawmakers do not heed Fitch’s “warning shot.”

“I welcome the … news that Fitch has given us to get our government, our funding, or financial house in order, if you will, and take it (seriously), and put other things in perspective,” Manchin said.

“We don’t even do a risk management, we do nothing at all until we get to the fiscal cliff every year,” he added.

Manchin said the “toxic” atmosphere in Congress only lifts when a bipartisan agreement is reached to spend more money.

“When you think the last time that we actually passed a budget on time, by September 30, was 1997 … you’re talking about $5.5 trillion of debt, which I thought was horrendous at that time,” he said.
And now we’re at $32.5 trillion.”

Manchin’s warning comes a day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the Fitch downgrade decision “entirely unwarranted” based on a “flawed assessment.”

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West Virginia

West Virginia Falls Short in Ft. Worth

Published

1 hour ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Ft. Worth, TX – The Big 12 Conference leader in strikeouts, TCU junior starting pitcher Payton Tolle, kept the West Virginia bats at bey with 11 strikeouts to collected his seventh win of the season as the Mountaineers (31-20, 17-11) dropped game one to the Horned Frogs (31-17, 14-14) Friday night 6-3.

TCU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after freshman Sam Myers and redshirt sophomore Jack Arthur hit back-to-back singles before a sacrifice bunt and a slow groundball down to third from redshirt senior Kurtis Byrne for the sacrifice RBI put the game’s first run on the board.

The Horned Frogs added a pair of runs in the second when junior Brody Green lined a leadoff single up the middle and sophomore Anthony Silva drilled an RBI double into the gap in left centerfield. Then, freshman Ryder Robinson hit a sacrifice RBI groundball to first for a 3-0 lead.

Sophomore Benjamin Lumsden put the Mountaineers on the board in the third with a solo home run, his seventh of the season.

Anthony Silva lifted a two-run home run in the fourth to extend the TCU lead to four, 5-1.

West Virginia got back within three in the fifth after Lumsden worked a full count walk, sophomore Skylar King advanced Lumsden with a bunt and sophomore Logan Sauve smacked the 0-2 pitch through the left side for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the frame and with two outs and the bases loaded, Green hit a high chopping ground ball over the head of freshman reliever Chase Myer for the sacrifice RBI and a 6-2 Horned Frogs’ lead.

The Mountaineers loaded the bases in the eighth, and with no outs on the board, TCU head coach called to his bullpen for the team leader in saves, sophomore lefty Ben Abeldt. WVU senior Reed Chumley brought a runner across with a sacrifice fly to left field but that’s all the Mountaineers could muster as the Horned Frogs were holding onto a 6-3 lead.

Ben Abeldt struck out two in the ninth as part of a 1-2-3 inning to hold any potential of a Mountaineer rally for the 6-3 decision.

West Virginia will look to even the series on Saturday in game two. The first pitch is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.

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West Virginia

Office of Energy warns West Virginians about new phone scam – WV MetroNews

Published

8 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Office of Energy warns West Virginians about new phone scam – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a new phone scam that’s targeting homeowners in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Office of Energy (WVOE) is warning people of a scam where callers are claiming to be from a legitimate power company, including West Virginia Power Company, Appalachian Power and FirstEnergy, and are offering to perform free in-home services that are funded through federal grants. Scammers then will ask people for personal information like the victim’s full name and home address. This information could then be used to commit crimes like identity theft.

Energy officials encourage homeowners to ask for information like the name of the company and a phone number to call back later if they are skeptical about the legitimacy of the caller. A business license number can also be cross-checked on the Secretary of State’s website, sos.wv.gov.

“If the caller cannot provide their company’s West Virginia business license and details about the grant funding the project, it is likely a scam,” says Nicholas Preservati, director of the Office of Energy. “You should never give out personal information over the phone without first making sure the call is legitimate.”

There is currently no grant providing free service of this kind for West Virginia residents. The Office of Energy says they will inform the public of any such initiatives in the future.

More information about WVOE’s current and pending projects can be found at energywv.org.

Those that believe they’ve been a victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808 or visit ago.wv.gov.

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West Virginia

Copperhead Bites Send Former House Minority Leader To ICU – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Published

15 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Press Room

Copperhead Bites Send Former House Minority Leader To ICU – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Doug Skaff, former minority leader for the West Virginia House of Delegates, was bitten by a pair of copperhead snakes three times Wednesday.

He was later admitted to the intensive care unit of the Charleston Area Medical Center for treatment, and will likely remain in the facility for several days.

Skaff’s injury occurred while he was taking down promotional signs for his secretary of state campaign in the town of Danville, located in Boone County. On Tuesday, Skaff was defeated in the race for the Republican nomination for secretary of state during West Virginia’s primary election.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bites from venomous snakes like copperheads can affect breathing, blood flow and, in severe cases, limb function.

Skaff did not respond to requests for comment on this story, but told MetroNews that he is grateful for the medical care he has received.

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