24-hour work stoppage over alleged unfair labor practices leaves Santa Barbara viewers without local morning news coverage.

For generations, Appalachia has paid the price for powering America.

We have buried fathers and grandfathers whose lungs were sacrificed so the lights stayed on in cities that rarely gave them a second thought. We watched strong men struggle for every breath. We learned that black lung wasn't just a medical diagnosis—it was a reality that haunted coal camps, church pews, and kitchen tables throughout these mountains.

That is why the latest reports documenting the resurgence of severe black lung disease among Appalachian miners should outrage every American. We know more about silica dust today than we ever have. We know how to reduce exposure. We know these diseases are preventable. Yet we are watching decades of progress put at risk.

This is deeply personal to me.