Government

Utility workers installing new electricity lines.

Biden approves major disaster declaration for May tornado, severe weather outbreaks?

BY: - July 24, 2024

President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster declaration for Kentucky counties hit by a deadly tornado outbreak and other severe weather in May, opening up applications for individual Kentuckians to apply for federal aid.? A release Wednesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that federal funding, including money for temporary housing and […]

Kim Davis’ legal counsel moves to make her appeal a springboard for overturning marriage rights

BY: - July 23, 2024

A conservative legal group has filed a brief on behalf of a former Kentucky county clerk that it says could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the right of same-sex couples to marry. Kim Davis, then the Rowan County clerk, made national headlines in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to several same-sex […]

Secret Service director faces mounting calls to resign over Trump assassination attempt

BY: - July 22, 2024

WASHINGTON — Congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle berated U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday over the agency’s failures to prevent the attempted assassination against former President Donald J. Trump, urging her to resign amid dissatisfaction with her testimony. Nine days since a 20-year-old shooter killed one rallygoer and injured two […]

Coleman will not attend Fancy Farm, conflicts with event supporting cancer survivors

BY: - July 22, 2024

Democratic Lt. Gov. Jaqueline Coleman will not be attending the Fancy Farm Picnic because she will be attending an event to support cancer survivors — a cause she says is personal to her because of a recent medical diagnosis.? The Graves County church picnic has become a Kentucky politics highlight over its decades-long history. Gov. […]

Jacqueline Coleman says she’s ‘ready’ to become governor should Beshear get vice president nod

BY: - July 22, 2024

LOUISVILLE — Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman told reporters Monday that her job is to be ready to lead Kentucky should Gov. Andy Beshear ascend to a higher office.? Beshear is being floated as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now seeking the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden ended […]

Surface coal mining worsened deadly Eastern Kentucky floods in July 2022, study shows

BY: - July 22, 2024

Over a week in July 2022, more than a foot of rainfall came down on Eastern Kentucky bringing a deluge of flood waters that displaced thousands of people and killed more than 40. A recent study published by Kentucky’s former top geologist suggests environmental damage from surface coal mining worsened the deadly disaster, perhaps significantly. […]

Journalist Tom Loftus wins Green Eyeshade award for investigative reporting in Kentucky Lantern

BY: - July 22, 2024

The Society of Professional Journalists has recognized Tom Loftus with a Green Eyeshade Award for his investigative reporting in the Kentucky Lantern. The Green Eyeshades, begun in 1950 and the oldest regional journalism competition, recognize outstanding work by journalists in 11 southeastern states in print, television, radio and digital. Loftus was awarded second place in […]

‘Extremely frustrating:’ Kentucky crime victims still not getting automated court notifications?

BY: - July 19, 2024

A House Republican leader on Thursday criticized the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for a three-year lapse in automatic notifications to Kentucky crime victims about their court cases.? Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, the House majority whip, said the AOC should have requested the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to relaunch these notifications through […]

IT glitch causing delays in flights, business operations globally

BY: - July 19, 2024

Air travel, banking, media and hospital systems are just some of the industries affected by a bug in a software update that has scrambled business operations for many globally Friday morning. Many of those who use Microsoft Windows are likely experiencing a “blue screen of death” or an error page. The issue is due to […]

Kentucky lawmakers hear climate-science skepticism from attorney general’s office

BY: - July 18, 2024

FRANKFORT — A litigator for the Kentucky attorney general disputed the role of carbon dioxide emissions in warming the world’s climate, despite near-total agreement among scientists that the clear gas is a major contributor to warming. Speaking Thursday to state lawmakers, Vic Maddox, counsel on special litigation for Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman, cited the […]

University of Kentucky will not build hospital in southeast Lexington, state lawmakers hear

BY: - July 18, 2024

FRANKFORT — The University of Kentucky will not build a hospital in southeast Lexington because it wants to do what its network of rural hospital partners want: focus on its mission as a top-level care facility for the sickest patients, a UK vice president told a legislative subcommittee Wednesday. The proposed Hamburg-area hospital “was perceived […]

Kentuckian Hadley Duvall in Biden abortion ad says Trump and Vance ‘don’t care about women’

BY: - July 18, 2024

A Kentucky woman who talked about abortion in a pivotal campaign ad for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear last year is now up on airwaves supporting President Joe Biden on the same issue. Hadley Duvall, an Owensboro native who is now in her early 20s, told the Kentucky Lantern last year that she began sharing her […]