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New twist in West Virginia’s constitutional standoff

An epic balance-of-powers fight in West Virginia has taken a new turn.

Last summer, the state House impeached the entire state Supreme Court after evidence surfaced of justices lavishly renovating their offices and otherwise misusing taxpayer money. But just before the state Senate was to open the impeachment trials in October, a temporary high court assembled from retired judges called the proceedings to a halt, ruling them an unconstitutional overstepping of legislative powers.

This week the legislators opened a new line of attack, advancing legislation in the state House Judiciary Committee that would withhold the retirement benefits of the judges who ruled against them last fall – at least until they changed their minds.


Proponents, mostly Republicans, argue the move is an appropriate way to combat judicial overreach. Opponents, mostly Democrats, say it's wrong to fight judicial overreach with legislative overreach.

"Now there are no longer in this state three co-equal branches. We have one branch that believes it's superior and it did so with that decision. We cannot let that decision stand as law," said GOP state Rep. Pat McGeehan.

"The idea that we as one branch of government would hold the retirement of another branch hostage unless they decide a case the way we want them to decide is a dangerous step," countered Democratic state Rep. Chad Lovejoy.

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The Psychology of Politics

An illustration of people and their unique minds.

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The Psychology of Politics

Have you ever wondered why so many otherwise reasonable people are completely bananas about politics? We all know plenty of normal and decent folks who spout wacky political views. But it’s not just our neighbors who’ve gone mad. All over the country, Americans pick and choose the facts they want to believe, champion policies they don’t understand, hold contradictory views at the same time, admire immoral politicians, loathe decent ones, and so on.

What’s going on here? And why does it seem to be getting worse?

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Addressing Economic Inequity Among Domestic Violence Survivors

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Addressing Economic Inequity Among Domestic Violence Survivors

The 2024 film, “Anora,” about a young woman victimized by sex trafficking, recently won five Oscars at the Academy Awards. Perhaps, it is a signal of more awareness and less stigma surrounding the pervasiveness of domestic violence at all levels of society.

The ongoing lawsuits between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni claiming sexual harassment and violence threat allegations around their film, “It Ends With Us,” about a relationship scarred with domestic violence, demonstrates the thin line between real life and on-screen adaptations.

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Layoffs at the EPA May Impact Federal Funding for Communities

Environmental Protection Agency EPA | Where James works | mccready ...

Layoffs at the EPA May Impact Federal Funding for Communities

WASHINGTON—The federal government laid off more than 60,000 workers in the first two months of 2025, while another 75,000 employees accepted a buyout and voluntarily resigned.

Among those laid off was James Clark, an Environmental Protection Agency employee who lost his job while on his honeymoon. “It’s just very sad to see someone like Elon Musk take a chainsaw on live TV and say what we do doesn’t matter,” said Clark.

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Congress Avoids a Shutdown But at What Cost?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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Congress Avoids a Shutdown But at What Cost?

On March 14, the GOP-led Senate passed a stopgap spending bill to keep the federal government running until September 30. The bill’s passage was made possible by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s last-minute reversal—shifting from opposing the measure and advocating for a shorter extension to allowing the bill to advance. His decision was purely tactical: he feared Democrats would be blamed for a shutdown.

Schumer’s move provided the necessary votes to overcome procedural hurdles, effectively thwarting a Democratic filibuster. While Republican support for Trump’s budget was unsurprising, the Democratic leadership’s decision to go along was a stunning concession. It handed the Trump administration a significant victory while further eroding Congress’s budgetary authority, shifting more spending power to the executive branch.

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