The working class is in trouble - especially the part with roots in Appalachia. In his best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," J.D. Vance tells how he escaped the chaos of his mother's drug abuse and serial boyfriends/husbands. In an interview with "Inside Appalachia," Vance acknowledges the role de-industrialization plays in working-class decline. But he says cultural decline may be even more important. "It's the fact that people are dying of heroin overdoses...it's the fact that families are

Author and journalist Ed Rabel joins Scott and Laurie on this edition of "The Front Porch" to discuss his recent op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He describes what it was like to return after spending most of his career away from his native West Virginia, and the changes which he noticed had taken place over that time. He, Scott, and Laurie try to get to the root of the challenges faced by the state and what we need to face them. “The Front Porch” is a place where we tackle the tough issues

On this week's Front Porch podcast: R ick argues for increased state funding for higher education (naturally), while Scott attempts to channel his inner Laurie Lin by suggesting universities can do more with less by focusing on education, not amenities. Also on the podcast, Scott and Rick talk about New York Times reporter Declan Walsh's recent visit to Mingo County, the effect Hillary Clinton's proposed policies would have on the coal industry, and whether or not any of the presidential

On this Front Porch podcast, Scott, Laurie and Rick debate Bill Cole's drug policy, Jim Justice's tourism plan and a resurrected rooster.

Rev. Jeff Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, describes the role religious organizations play not only in physical recovery after the June floods, but in spiritual recovery as well.

For a state that's already assumed to be firmly in Donald Trump's camp, West Virginia has received a lot of attention at the Democratic National Convention.

This week, we talk to musician, cab driver and state Delegate Mike Pushkin, who sponsored a failed bill to legalize marijuana use. We discuss the medical, economic, and social benefits and pitfalls of marijuana legalization. Do the benefits outweigh the risks, or is it simply more trouble than it's worth?

Often in times like these, you hear about the need for a "national conversation about race." But what exactly does this conversation sound like? This week on The Front Porch, Rick and Laurie talk to David M. Fryson, West Virginia University Vice President and Director of WVU's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, about "the conversation," and why it's important to have one when there isn't a crisis. Subscribe to "The Front Porch" podcast on iTunes or however you listen to podcasts. An

If you think there’s no longer a need for volunteers or donations for flood victims – state Senator Chris Walters wants to set you straight. Walters represents the flood-damaged communities of Clendenin and Elkview. Shortly after the flood, he helped set up a staging area for volunteers and donations.

Did you know West Virginia has a plan, more than a decade in the making, designed to save lives and prevent damage from floods? And what if you found out this plan is mostly gathering dust on a shelf? That’s what reporter Ken Ward of the Charleston Gazette-Mail discovered. After Ward's story, House Speaker Tim Armstead promised a review of that 2004 plan. Ward spoke with Laurie Lin and Scott Finn for our podcast, The Front Porch. Ward talks about what was in this report, and the one state