News
Consumer advocates mourn departure of Kentucky’s top utility regulator
The chair of Kentucky’s utility regulator is leaving the post after almost three years to the disappointment of some consumer advocates.? Kentucky Public Service Commission Chair Kent Chandler’s term on the three-person commission expired on June 30. Crystal Staley, a spokesperson for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said Chandler had resigned and that the governor appreciated […]
U.S. House Judiciary files suit to obtain audio tapes of Biden special counsel interview?
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Judiciary Committee Monday filed suit against Attorney General Merrick Garland, in an ongoing effort to obtain audio recordings from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel during an investigation of the president’s handling of classified documents. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, […]
Despite ‘rough’ debate, Beshear still backs Biden in presidential election
FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said that as long as President Joe Biden remains a candidate in the presidential election, Beshear will continue to support him.? Beshear, 46, a two-term governor in red-state Kentucky, has been floated as a potential Democratic nominee should Biden step aside. However, the governor on Monday pushed back at […]
Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case
WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s election interference case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far the boundaries of such official acts […]
Applications now open for Kentucky cannabis business licenses
Kentuckians can now begin applying for a cannabis business license, and medical providers can apply to Kentucky’s Board of Medical Licensure and Board of Nursing for permission to write cannabis prescriptions.? This is thanks to a bipartisan House Bill 829 that became law during this year’s legislative session and moved up the medical cannabis timeline […]
Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion
Mark Lee Dickson says he’s been home maybe once in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court vanished federal abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The 38-year-old director of Right to Life of East Texas in Longview has been on an endless road trip trying to set legal traps for people […]
Dollar stores’ entry into rural communities adds to rural grocery challenges, says USDA study
The influx of dollar stores into the rural landscape can have a devastating effect on grocery stores and other small businesses in rural areas, research has found. When dollar stores move into a rural area, independent grocery stores are more likely to close, says a new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). […]
For child care workers, state aid for their own kids’ care is ‘life-changing’
SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Child care worker Marci Then, 32, looked over at two 4-year-olds in her care who were tussling over a toy plate in a model kitchen set. “Are we sharing?” she gently asked them. They both let go. Then works at Little Learners Academy child care center near Providence, Rhode Island. Her daughter, […]
Judge rules against Jewish women challenging Kentucky’s abortion ban
Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards has ruled against a motion made by three Jewish women seeking to challenge Kentucky’s abortion ban on religious grounds.? In a 9-page Friday night opinion, Edwards wrote the women do not have standing and that their concerns are “hypothetical.” Citing several precedential cases, the judge said the issue was […]
Democrats reel from ‘terrible’ Biden debate performance as he defends candidacy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden touched on a flood of criticism of his debate performance during a rally on Friday, while Democrats interviewed on Capitol Hill said the party must figure out a way to reassure voters after what they described as a “terrible” showing and a “bad night.” Biden, speaking from Raleigh, North Carolina, […]
Judge upholds Kentucky’s ban on ‘gray machine’ gambling devices
A Kentucky judge has upheld the legislature’s 2023 ban of so-called “gray machines,” agreeing with the attorney general that the law does not violate free speech or equal protection guarantees and isn’t unconstitutional special legislation.? Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd in his ruling Friday sided with arguments made by Attorney General Russell Coleman defending […]
White House seeks emergency funds for Midwest disaster relief, Key Bridge in Maryland?
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve billions in emergency funding for domestic priorities it says are essential, including border security, emergency preparedness and child care. The $4 billion in new emergency spending requested Friday calls on lawmakers to approve more funding than was included in the dozen annual government funding bills […]