News
Kentucky election officials say noncitizens aren’t voting in the state
Kentucky election officials on Tuesday told lawmakers they know of no instances of noncitizens having voted in Kentucky. Nonetheless, Kentucky is among a number of states where voters in November will be asked to ban noncitizens from voting in elections.? The officials, including Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, also described existing safeguards to ensure […]
Biden to unveil protections for some undocumented spouses, easier DACA work visas
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Tuesday will announce deportation protections for long-term undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, along with quicker approval of work permits for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. President Joe Biden will formally make the announcement during an afternoon White House event to celebrate the 12th anniversary of […]
Judicial watchdog criticizes Beshear’s involvement in Kentucky Supreme Court election
FRANKFORT — A judicial watchdog is raising concerns about Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s endorsement of a candidate in a state Supreme Court race, an election that is supposed to be nonpartisan under Kentucky’s Constitution.? The second-term governor will be the special guest at a fundraiser later this week for Supreme Court candidate Pamela Goodwine, a […]
Feds OK Kentucky plans to roll out $1 billion for broadband. Here’s what happens next.
Federal officials have approved Kentucky’s plan to deploy almost $1.1 billion?to expand broadband, a key step toward connecting homes and businesses throughout the state.? The funding was given to the state last year. Earlier this month the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the second volume of Kentucky’s proposed plans for using the money through […]
How to stay safe as extreme heat is forecast to slam Kentucky
Kentuckians can expect high temperatures this week, with portions of the state predicted to reach 100-degree heat indexes from Tuesday to Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.? High temperatures can be dangerous, particularly for children, people who are chronically ill or pregnant and older adults.? It’s not safe to leave pets or children in […]
US judge in Kentucky blocks Biden Title IX rules, says ‘sex,’ ‘gender identity’ not the same thing
A federal judge has blocked new Title IX rules, including those aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in K-12 schools, and sided with Republican attorneys general in several states — including Kentucky.? Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court in Eastern Kentucky on Monday issued a ruling siding with Republican Attorney General […]
Deaths of 2 Kentucky workers demolishing coal-prep plant bring $31,500 fine for safety violations
On a cool evening in late October, David Peyton heard a pop then a warning scream to get out. Within seconds two men were trapped under 11 stories of steel and concrete. Peyton ran to where Alvin Nees and Billy Joe “Bo” Daniels were trapped in the collapsed Pontiki/Excel coal preparation plant in Martin County. […]
Kentucky attorney general opposes syringe exchanges despite evidence of their efficacy
The leader of the agency that makes grants from the state’s opioid settlements declined to support funding for a syringe-exchange program, saying Attorney General Russell Coleman does not support such programs — which are considered a key tool for reducing harm to people who inject drugs. Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Director Chris Evans, who […]
Anti-abortion groups say Supreme Court’s mifepristone ruling won’t deter them
In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling Thursday to maintain current access to the abortion medication mifepristone, abortion-rights advocates and opponents vowed to continue their respective battles over the drug. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used to treat miscarriages and terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, and is the most […]
Lexington Democrat will attempt to make Juneteenth a state holiday (again)
Kentucky Rep. George Brown, D-Lexington, says he will file legislation in 2025 to try and establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday.? Past efforts to do so have failed.? Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free in […]
U.S. Supreme Court overturns ban on bump stocks used in Las Vegas mass shooting
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down a rule enacted following a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that defined a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock attachment as a machine gun, which is generally prohibited under federal law. The opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, reduces the executive branch’s already-limited […]
Industry, clean power groups breathe a sigh of relief as Senate approves energy regulators?
Three nominees by President Joe Biden to serve on the nation’s top energy regulatory panel, which had risked losing a quorum, were approved this week by the U.S. Senate. The vote to approve the new members — two Democrats and a Republican — for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was cheered by industry, renewable power […]