On this West Virginia Morning, a needle exchange closes, miners praise federal legislation introduced to fund Black Lung benefits and child care deserts,

West Virginia electric power customers may be asked to pay more to keep three coal-burning power plants open longer, a look at the reasons West Virginia has had one of the highest rates of juvenile incarceration in the country and West Virginia native Emily Calandrelli has built a career encouraging kids, especially girls, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Her latest project is based right here in the Mountain State.

The state’s coronavirus czar, Dr. Clay Marsh, knows more patients will continue to get sick and die in the coming weeks. Health reporter June Leffler spoke with Marsh by phone.

On this West Virginia Morning, a decline in new COVID-19 cases over the weekend suggests West Virginia has reached its peak of the delta surge.

Over the past 50 years in West Virginia, jobs in coal mining have declined by 66 percent -- and experts don’t predict a comeback. But we’re not alone -- other industrial places around the world face similar dilemmas.

On this West Virginia Morning, in recent years, global market forces, governmental regulations and alternate energy sources like natural gas have reduced coal’s use around the world. We learn about the cost of coal’s decline in the state.

On this West Virginia Morning, aging power plants, alternative fuels and environmental regulations are causing a shift in how electricity is generated in this country. Also, in this show, we have a story from the Allegheny Front about planting yards with native species instead of grass – and why do it.

On this West Virginia Morning, the coal industry has been through upheavals over the last two centuries, but none more significant than the Mine Wars from 100 years ago this month.

On this West Virginia Morning, the United Mine Workers Union has seen dramatic losses in membership over the years, but the organization hasn’t gone away. We explore the UMWA’s role in the state’s future. Also, in this show, we explore what the new abortion law in Texas could mean for West Virginia.

On this West Virginia Morning, we have two stories related to coal mining and coal communities. We share a story about a woman coal miner in our special, two-week series “Coal – And The Way Forward,” and we hear about upcoming challenges for the Abandoned Mine Lands Fund and the Black Lung excise tax in Kentucky.