News
U.S. House votes to avert calamitous rail strike, but Senate prospects murky
The U.S. House moved Wednesday to avoid an economically disastrous nationwide rail strike, voting to codify an agreement that members of some unions had already rejected and separately add paid sick leave that workers had demanded. The two-track approach allows Democrats to avert a strike that could cost the U.S. economy up to $2 billion […]
U.S. House GOP to keep earmarks for local projects — with some ‘tweaks’
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep earmarks in place when they take over the chamber in January, a move that solidifies GOP support for the controversial spending practice that was brought back under new guardrails and transparency mechanisms less than two years ago.? Earmarking has become especially important to members of both […]
Kim Schatzel leaving Towson to become University of Louisville president
Kim Schatzel, president of Towson University in Towson, Md., will become the University of Louisville’s 19th president. Schatzel, 66, will begin Feb. 1, a U of L news release said.? She succeeds interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who had served in the role since December 2021. Gonzalez will return to her previous role as executive […]
Republicans poised to cut Kentucky income tax again based on revenue boom that could be fleeting
FRANKFORT – Kentucky House Majority Leader Steven Rudy recently told a receptive audience at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce forum that the first bill the House will consider when it convenes in January will be a measure to cut the Kentucky income tax rate from 4.5% to 4%. “I think it is very cool for […]
Kentucky tornado survivors living in limbo
MAYFIELD?— Makayla Puckett didn’t feel comfortable with talking about what happened until recently. She would speak about that December 2021 night and have to sometimes stop herself, the trauma too much to recollect.? The 25-year-old mother of two kids remembers squeezing into a small closet of their Mayfield home with her partner, the train-like roar […]
As anniversary of deadly tornadoes nears, mental health experts are on alert
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? Army veteran and crisis counselor Brian Bowen fought in an Iraq war zone.? But even the devastation he saw in combat didn’t compare to the leveling of Mayfield after an EF4 […]
Kentucky lags on farm-to-school purchases
The food-service director at Bowling Green Independent Schools will often get texts from a farmer in a neighboring county asking her if she wants the latest produce, like a fresh batch of purple cauliflower.? “We’re not ever going to say no. We can always add something fresh,” said Dalla Emerson. “We try to bake them […]
Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. The 61-36 bipartisan vote sends the bill […]
State should not withdraw safety net as disasters compound childhood trauma, advocates say
In 2020, more than 1,000 Kentucky children were physically abused, more than 15,000 were neglected and almost 800 were sexually abused.? Experts say these numbers, which come from a new Kentucky Youth Advocates report on adverse childhood experiences, are only what’s reported. They’re likely worse.? Adverse childhood experiences, more commonly known as ACEs, refer to […]
Albertsons-Kroger mega-deal raises questions from lawmakers about higher food prices
WASHINGTON —? Members of a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee panel raised concerns during a Tuesday hearing that a proposed merger between two of the largest U.S. supermarket chains could mean a monopoly on groceries and lead to higher food prices for Americans. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Subcommittee on Competition […]
Kentucky is sacrificing its workforce to lack of affordable child care, lawmakers say
What happens when a promotion and small pay-raise effectively impose an $18,000 penalty on a working parent? It’s not only a hardship on the affected family but also makes it hard for employers — not to mention the state of Kentucky — to build a workforce, according to findings by Kentucky lawmakers who have been […]
Invasive zebra mussels discovered in popular Northern Kentucky lake
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is urging vigilance by anglers and boaters after the discovery of invasive zebra mussels in Williamstown Lake in Grant County. The lake is near the Licking River, home to some of Kentucky’s rarest native mussels. Native mussels help clean water sources but are threatened by competition from the non-native species. Zebra […]