Coal region prepares for policies from incoming Trump administration

World Today

Donald Trump’s campaign promise to “put America first” – is the reason many people voted for him.

A big portion of his supporters were white, working-class Americans and angry about disappearing jobs and a shrinking middle class.

CGTN’s Sean Callebs reports.

Across western Pennsylvania, the coal fields are going silent. Statistics show the U.S. has lost more than 190,000 coal jobs in a little more than two years.

Rick Calvert counts himself among the lucky that he’s still working. Coal helped Rick and Karen Calvert raise a family the past 30-years. Coal has also been the economic blood of the Waynesburg community.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump tapped into a disenfranchised voting block by promising to bring coal mining jobs, and other blue collar manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.

But with environmental concerns, including global warming, and a dramatically reduced appetite in the U.S. and abroad for coal -is it even feasible to bring back the industry?

Trump’s pledge to bring manufacturing and coal related jobs back the united states helped propel him into the white house the challenge now is keeping that promise.

In cities like Reading,Ppennsylvania -unemployment is high and many people are living below the poverty level there’s a certain resignation that those coal jobs just aren’t coming back.

Pakistani native, Hamid Chaudhry moved to the region a decade and a half ago. Running a large restaurant, Chaudhry has grown into one of the region’s business leaders -in part by always having a kind word for his patrons. Chaudhry believes the U.S. future will focus less on what goes on down here and more on what is happening in classrooms.

If the U.S. wants modern, high-tech jobs it’s time to re-invest in math and science at the highest levels.


Jake Schmidt on Trump’s energy policies, reform

As Barack Obama leaves the White House, how has his energy policy impacted the country? And how will it bode for the upcoming Trump administration? For more on the issue, CGTN’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Jake Schmidt, director of International Program for Natural Resources Defense Council.