News from around the Web
SB 508 -- getting rid of "nuisance lawsuits" appears dead
This morning's Gazette-Mail reported:
A bill that would shield natural gas drillers and other industries from certain types of lawsuits faces an uphill struggle for passage before the end of this year's legislative session, West Virginia lawmakers and lobbyists say.
. . .
Reading the Sunday editorial on mine safety and the Blankenship verdict
Blaming the victims
Ever notice that when coal owners are at fault for safety violations, our local "newspapers" either ignore them, take the company line that it's really the union's fault (see Murray Energy suit against the UMWA), or editorialize that everyone is at fault. In this case, yesterday's editorial, . . .
Blankenship decision follow-up
Local "newspapers" eventually cover decision
After the yesterday morning's Intelligencer did not cover the decision, the Friday afternoon News-Register covered (for some reason this is not available online) the Blankenship court decision with parts of an AP report. About 30% of the AP report was dropped including the following . . .
Covering the Blankenship decision
A screenshot is worth a thousand words
A tale of two newspapers
Here are screenshots of the Charleston Gazette-Mail's coverage of the decision in the Blankenship trial (four full pages):
And here is a screenshot of the Wheeling Intelligencer's coverage of the same decision (nothing):
Is the SEC the new IRS?
Will it become a scary government agency for some coal companies?
For as long as I can remember, the IRS has been seen as one of the scariest of government agencies in our popular culture: "You can mess with the rest, but watch out if the IRS is coming after you. Don't forget, that's who got Al Capone!" I don't know how true it was or is but I do think the IRS is still one of the most . . .
News from the war on coal miners
MSHA's suit against Murray Energy
This morning's Intelligencer reported on the suit brought by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) against Murray Energy. The first two paragraphs explain the suit:
The Mine Safety and Health Administration cited Murray Energy Corp. for 29 "significant safety hazards" at five . . .
The Intelligencer covers the Blankenship trial (barely)
As always, keeping us informed
For all the coverage that all-things-related-to-coal gets in the local "newspapers" you would think that they would be giving us daily front-page coverage of what is probably the most important West Virginia trial in decades. Not so. If you want to know what's happening in the Blankenship trial my advice is to go elsewhere. . . .
Posted in: wheeling newspapersblankenship trial