Coal companies, their lawyers and their hand-picked doctors will go to any length — ethical or not — to deny the small monthly benefits that stricken miners are due under the Black Lung Benefits Act. Reports show doctors at John Hopkins denying thousands of claims, while coal companies fight tooth and nail against any new regulations to lessen coal dust. It's a dirty game.
After a hard-fought and divisive election year, it’s time to rebuild America’s middle class — but to do it we need to make sure the lessons from this campaign stick.