Coal Country

The hard-eyed view in much of Appalachian coal country is that President-elect Trump has something to prove: that he’ll help bring back mining, as he promised in campaigning. No one thinks he’ll revive it entirely _ not economists, not ex-miners, not those recently called back to work. But for the first time in years, coal towns have hope, even if it’s measured. Further west, mines stand to gain the most because of huge reserves beneath public lands in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Utah.