News
New challenge arises as Kulkarni is renominated as Democratic candidate in KY House election
LOUISVILLE — Another legal obstacle to Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni’s reelection was filed in Franklin Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.? William Zeitz, a Democrat who challenged Kulkarni in May’s primary election, has joined with Dennis Horlander, a Democrat who previously represented the 40th House District, in suing election officials after Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams […]
The 10 states where voters could decide on abortion directly
After abortion rights were upended federally in June 2022, Kansas voters got a chance to weigh in on a ballot measure that was something of a test balloon just a couple of months later. Defying expectations, nearly 60% of voters rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment. Since then, voters in states with both conservative- and liberal-leaning […]
‘Full steam ahead:’ U.S. official from Mingo County works to protect coal miners from black lung
This Labor Day, as a new federal rule is being rolled out to prevent deadly black lung disease in miners, Christopher Williamson is remembering the coal miners who fought for the creation of his agency and who weren’t afforded the protections that current and future workers hopefully will. Williamson, assistant secretary for the U.S. Mine […]
Trump taps into culture war issues, seeks to energize base at Moms for Liberty event
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump late Friday rarely touched on education issues during the third conference of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group that has ties to Project 2025, the far-right playbookTrump has tried to distance himself from. Instead, in a more than one-hour interview with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, […]
A second public university in Kentucky closes its diversity office under GOP lawmakers’ pressure
A second Kentucky public university has disbanded its diversity office under pressure from Republican lawmakers. Northern Kentucky University President Cady Short-Thompson wrote in an email to campus: “The circumstances under which universities across the Commonwealth and the country find themselves, coupled with the legislative priorities of state leaders for the upcoming session, require universities to […]
Democratic state lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI-related charges
LOUISVILLE —?Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence in Jefferson County District Court Friday morning.? The 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley was arrested by local police early Tuesday. According to the arrest citation, she refused to take a field sobriety test and a preliminary […]
Feds: Justice coal companies have no defense against move to hold them in contempt
Federal attorneys asking a court to hold 23 of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family-owned coal companies in contempt for nonpayment of health and safety fines entered a filing this week saying the companies shouldn’t have entered into a payment plan if they knew they couldn’t honor it. The filing, entered Tuesday in the U.S. […]
Harris, Walz defend past statements, promise ‘opportunity economy’ in CNN interview
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday defended her values and vowed, if elected, to appoint a Republican to her cabinet in her first major sit-down interview since her presidential campaign began just over a month ago. Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden dropped his bid […]
‘It’s always going to be there’: The Greenbrier’s potential sale causes concern for its neighbors
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — At Lewisburg’s Carnegie Hall, president and CEO Cathy Rennard watched with some anxiety earlier this month as news unfolded that The Greenbrier Hotel was facing foreclosure due to unpaid debts by its owners, Gov. Jim Justice and his family. The hotel, a crucial part of The Greenbrier resort, which is Greenbrier County’s […]
Governments often struggle with massive new IT projects
Idaho’s state government was facing a problem. In 2018, its 86 state agencies were operating with a mix of outdated, mismatched business systems that ran internal processes like payroll and human resources. Some of the programs dated back to the 1980s, and many were written in programming languages they don’t teach in engineering schools anymore. […]
Biden’s newest student loan repayment plan temporarily blocked by Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday slashed the Biden administration’s latest efforts to provide student debt relief to millions of borrowers to go forward while the appeals process unfolds. The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan provided lower monthly loan payments for borrowers and lessened the time it takes to pay off […]
Grossberg not welcome at local party events as embarrassments mount for Louisville Democrats
The Louisville Democratic Party is asking Rep. Daniel Grossberg to “temporarily refrain from participating” in the party’s events amid a Legislative Ethics Commission investigation. Meanwhile, the executive director of the state Democratic Party said situations involving a few state representatives from Louisville have “certainly been concerning” but pushed back on suggestions that they could hurt […]