Fact Check Archives — Page 3 of 18 — 100 Days in Appalachia

Fact Check

To help you find the truth in West Virginia politics, reporters and researchers from PolitiFact West Virginia examine statements by elected officials and candidates – and anyone else who speaks up on matters of public importance – provides context for those statements and then rates their accuracy according to PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter. PolitiFact West Virginia is a partnership of 100 Days in Appalachia, Pulitzer Prize winning PolitiFact and the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University.

Fact Check

Trump Policies Have Slowed Coal’s Decline, But Strong Comeback Not Evident

by Louis Jacobson on July 17, 2020 Comments are Disabled

Donald Trump’s pledge during the 2016 presidential campaign to save the coal industry helped him assemble strong support in coal states such as West Virginia and Kentucky. Once in office, Trump loosened regulations for the industry and was a big cheerleader on the hustings for coal. He revoked the Stream […]

Facebook Claim on W.Va. Senator Miscasts His Remarks On Stimulus Aid

by Patrick Orsagos on March 25, 2020 Comments are Disabled

As the coronavirus pandemic forces indefinite business closures, lawmakers are deciding what they can do to keep the economy afloat. One proposal is to send Americans $1,000 checks. A March 18 Facebook post, shared more than 6,000 times, takes aim at Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and his views on the […]

Teachers celebrate after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Senate Republicans announced they reached a tentative deal to end a statewide teachers' strike by giving them 5 percent raises in Charleston, W.Va., Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Photo: Robert Ray/AP

Fact-check: Is Jim Justice the First West Virginia Governor to Fight For Teacher Pay Raises?

by Katherine Baile & Autumn Cecil on January 3, 2020 Comments are Disabled

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, facing a competitive Republican primary in 2020, recently introduced an ad touting his accomplishments in office, including a focus on K-12 education. The ad, released in a Dec. 4 tweet, features several West Virginians reading off a series of scripted accomplishments from Justice’s tenure. One of […]

Gov. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., delivers his annual State of the State speech, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Charleston, W.Va. Photo: Tyler Evert/AP Photo

Fact-check: Is Jim Justice Right About Growth in West Virginia Tourism?

by Darby Coughlin & Mackenzie Myers on December 27, 2019 Comments are Disabled

Williamson, W.Va., has become known as a center for the use of prescription opioid painkillers, which has worsened the outlook for many younger West Virginians. Photo: Tyler Evert/AP Photo

Fact Check

Fact-check: Does West Virginia Rank Sixth in the Nation in At-Risk Youth?

by Alayna Degenhardt & Farrah Frattaroli on December 12, 2019 Comments are Disabled

Woody Thrasher, a Republican who is challenging West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice in the 2020 GOP primary, took to Twitter to call out the state’s level of at-risk youth on his opponent’s watch. “‘West Virginia is sixth overall in the average number of at-risk youth.’ Let’s turn this around and grow our […]

Fact Check

Fact-check: Is West Virginia Short of 20,000 Skilled Workers its Economy Needs?

by Victoria Gennuso & Steven Murphy on December 10, 2019 Comments are Disabled

Is West Virginia falling significantly behind in the job skills required for today’s economy? West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee said so in an address to students at Musselman High School in Berkeley County. “In West Virginia, we have 20,000 jobs in which we don’t have skilled workers,” Gee told […]