Writer Talks Growing Up In Secret Appalachian City, This West Virginia Morning

Blankenship On Trial is a news and politics podcast that investigates the deadly explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, where 29 miners lost their lives on April 5, 2010. Through detailed storytelling and careful reporting, this series examines how a history of unsafe practices may have paved the way for disaster, and how federal regulators and prosecutors worked to trace responsibility up the corporate ladder to former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. Listeners can expect a gripping, methodical look at corporate power, regulatory failure, and the human cost of profit-driven decisions. Each week, Blankenship On Trial guides you through courtroom developments, key witness testimony, and the broader political and social context that shaped the case. Listen episodes to gain a deeper understanding of how one mine disaster became a national reckoning over workplace safety and corporate accountability.