October 2, 2025 • 26 mins
Kentuckians react as the federal government shuts down after Congress and the White House fail to reach a budget agreement, Kentucky’s top doctor speaks out on the Trump administration associating Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, and the search for answers in a Civil War massacre leads archaeologists and historians to a Shelby County farm.
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(00:00):
♪
(00:08):
Sorry, we're closed. Kentucky
reaction as a budget battle
shuts down the federal
government.
>> We've been told in no
uncertain terms, don't take it.
Just tough it out. That's
negligent. That's reckless.
It's wall.
One of Kentucky's best known
doctors says ignoring science
can cost lives.
>> You are federal soldiers.
They deserve just as much
respect is any other soldier.
(00:32):
>> Could a Shelby County Farm
hold the answers about a civil
war massacre?
Production of Kentucky Edition
is made possible in part by the
KET Millennium Fund.
♪
♪
(00:54):
>> Good Evening and welcome
to Kentucky EDITION for this
Wednesday, October, the first
brand new month. I'm Renee
Shaw. We thank you for winding
down your Wednesday with Hamas.
The federal government shutdown
continues. Congress and the
White House couldn't reach a
budget agreement. So the
government shutdown at midnight
(01:14):
as a new fiscal year began.
Democrats are demanding funding
for health care subsidies that
are expiring for millions of
people under the Affordable
Care Act. It's expected that
750,000 government workers will
end up furloughed. President
Donald Trump says he plans to
fire some of them permanently.
So what does all this main the
(01:36):
shutdown that is for Kentucky.
Here's more from our Jim
Leffler.
>> Kentuckians can expect much
to stay the same. The mail will
be delivered and workers can
assist you at any local post
office. Seniors will still get
their Social Security payments
and veterans can access medical
care at their VA hospitals and
(01:58):
clinics with Fayette and
Jefferson County students on
fall break. You might be
wondering about travel plans
at airports. TSA agents and air
traffic controllers are still
on the job, but America's major
airlines said, quote, the
system may need to slow down.
Fires may face longer lines and
(02:18):
some clothes checkpoints.
As for recreation, Kentucky is
home to several national parks,
including Mammoth Cave and
Lincoln's birthplace. Expect
all welcoming and education
centers to be closed. But if
you're camping out, especially
if you already have in the
needed permits, open air areas
of parks are still accessible.
(02:38):
Just remember no one is picking
up after you for Kentucky
edition. I'm June Leffler.
>> Thank you, June. And here's
a quote from Congressman Mark
Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat
from Kentucky's 3rd district.
It says, quote, Republicans
control the White House, the
House and the Senate. And
they're making it clear they
(02:59):
would rather shut down the
entire government, then pass a
budget that actually gives
families a figure shay and of
quote, now this is from
Republican Andy Barr of the 6
district. He says, quote, House
Republicans did our job.
We voted to KET the government
open. Democrats blocked it.
Chuck Schumer is shutting down
the government to give taxpayer
(03:19):
funded health care to illegal
aliens, end quote.
Republican Thomas Massie of
the 4th district says, quote,
both parties are ridiculous
and quote, he says the
Republican budget isn't any
different from President
Biden's last budget. U.S.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
made a similar point last night
on the FOX Business Channel.
(03:41):
>> The American people need to
know the debt problem is a
bipartisan problem. The current
spending levels. The irony is
this. It's going to be
2 trillion dollars in debt, but
it's the same spending levels
that we had under Biden.
So every Democrat in the Senate
voted for this in December of
last year. What they're
opposing now is what they all
(04:02):
had previously voted for him.
And I don't think the full
significance of that are and
he has come forward. They're
voting against something
they've all voted for
previously.
>> U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
said this, quote, I can't count
the number of times I've had to
remind Democrat colleagues that
taking basic government
functions hostage for partisan
(04:23):
demands never pays. The
shutdown won't end until
Democrats really learned this
lesson for the sake of the
American people. I hope they do
so quickly. Quote.
And other news, the Kentucky
Community and Technical College
System and eastern Kentucky
University say their new
transfer partnership. We'll
make it easier and more
affordable for students to
(04:44):
continue their education.
Our Emily Sisk has more from E
K you and our education
matters. Report.
>> We educate more Kentuckians
than any other school in the
state per capita. And our guys
just go back to work in a
Kentucky communities at a
higher rate than any other
four-year institution.
>> Now, even more Kentuckians
(05:04):
may study at a KU after the
university announced a transfer
partnership with the Kentucky
Community and Technical College
System which makes it easier
and more affordable for
students to continue their
education. Doctor tire Frank
from Kctcs explain to some of
the benefits of the transfer
agreement. No application fees
(05:26):
for students, priority
Registration.
>> Transfer scholarship
opportunities. Free textbooks
and dedicated by saying the
chain also offers a joint
admissions opportunity while
students are still taking
community college courses, they
can begin taking classes at
the university. They can take
up to 12 credit hours at a KU
while they're still with us
(05:51):
at the kctcs tuition rate
uses students one course a
semester at you to help to the
Ek. You culture. Those could
be online. They could face to
face, but it just helps make
that that transition to the
university.
>> More students transfer from
(06:12):
Kctcs to eat KU than any other
university eastern. Kentucky's
president doctor David McFadden
said that's because of
qualities like affordability or
Lee advising and a multitude
of online programs. For many,
they're going to be online
learners who may be
transferring from online
program. It Kctcs. That was the
case for Kelly Mitchell who
started working on her
associate's degree at Kctcs.
(06:35):
>> During the
pandemic might.
>> I do want it to go straight
to a for a four-year college
because I was pregnant. My
senior year in high school.
I kind of had to figure out
something close to home and
something them.
Willis, thank Michel was ready
to continue her education on a
college campus. She applied
(06:55):
early to the social work
program at KU and to her
surprise was quickly accepted
before I even had got accepted
for housing here in Richmond.
>> I was already accepted from
my program. Mitchell is now
working on her master's in
social work at eastern Kentucky
University. She said the
support she received as a young
mother at both Kctcs and Ek.
(07:19):
You encouraged her to KET
going.
>> I started at Kctcs with a
newborn baby and it took me
3 years to get an associate's
degree. So like sometimes it
takes time and that's okay.
>> Leaders from both
institutions said it's their
goal to make education more
accessible, affordable and show
collaboration across
the state.
(07:40):
>> It really is about these
partnerships. It's about
collaboration is about working
together in the best interest
of students.
>> He can use president said
he's excited to welcome more
community and technical college
students from Paducah to
Pikeville for Kentucky edition.
I'm Emily Sisk.
Thank you, Emily. Now turning
to medical news. Negligent,
reckless and wrong. That's how
(08:01):
a top Kentucky doctor
characterizes recent claims by
the Trump administration
associating Tylenol use during
pregnancy to an increased risk
of neurological conditions like
autism in children. That
announcement last week drew a
strong rebuke from Doctor
Steven Stock, the secretary of
the state health Cabinet who
oversees health policy programs
(08:22):
and services for Kentucky.
He says the administration's
claims about acetaminophen use
and autism are unproven and
what's worse as stack. He calls
them dangerous. I asked him
yesterday about the origin of
these climbs on what the
science really says.
>> Well, there's long been a
subset of people who have their
concerns are skepticism, right?
That's that's always the case.
(08:43):
There's a small percentage who
will feel that for whatever
reasons they lack confidence in
their certainty in the
recommendations that are given
by their health care providers
or other experts. That's always
the case. What unique now is
that there's a growing number
of people who are becoming
uncertain because the very
basis of fact and reality is
(09:05):
being distorted for them.
They're being told information
that is objectively wrong.
It's objectively false. Take,
for example, the Tylenol issue
that's recently come up.
Tylenol is one of the only
medications felt to be
generally safe for women with
Seaver and who are pregnant.
All right. One of the only
things generally felt to be
safe and now they've been told
(09:25):
in no uncertain terms, don't
take it. Just tough it out.
That's negligent. That's
reckless. It's wrong. It's it's
going to cause people to get
hurt that don't need to get
hurt or people to suffer that
don't need to suffer. And now
when women who are pregnant co
to see their physicians,
portion of them are going to be
skeptical of their physician
(09:46):
when they recommend. But modern
medical science has long said
it's one of the safest
medications they can use to
help control fever and pain in
pregnancy, which is
acetaminophen or Tylenol.
>> Is there a study or series
of studies that point to the
the
suspect nature of the seat of
venom in use during pregnancy?
I mean, it had to have started
(10:07):
from somewhere. What is the
origin story of a small lesion?
Yeah, there are lots of studies
about acetaminophen in
pregnancy. One of the things
in studies for pregnant women
because it's considered not to
be ethical to withhold
treatment from one half of
women. And can you test one
half and withhold from the
other half in? So there's not
great research specifically in
(10:29):
pregnant women because a
liability and ethical reasons.
So we have to rely on as well
because or facial studies.
We look at the large numbers of
pregnant women who have made
their own choices and then see
how the I responded differently
to different choices. Those
raises other problems, though,
because a lot of other
variables can come into play.
(10:51):
That confuse or confound the
interpretation. There have been
many observation of studies for
women who are pregnant using
acetaminophen. They have none
of them showed a causal
relationship or acetaminophen
as in any way contributed to or
caused autism in one of the
largest ones with millions of
women in Scandinavia showed
(11:11):
absolutely no relationship
whatsoever to the diagnosis of
autism in the use of
acetaminophen in pregnancy.
It is entirely irresponsible to
suggest otherwise. What we have
now, Renee. Used to be that if
you had hundreds, hundreds
scientific studies in 99 of
them all lined up in a cluster
in one was an outlier. He would
(11:33):
say, well, that's the outlier.
But but scientific evidence
says this is clearly the right
choice. We have a group of
people now that are saying that
one outlier thats the truth,
all the other 99 are lying and
hiding something. This is the
truth. It's entirely backwards.
Like I said, it's going to
cause people to get hurt.
>> All of this is consequential
(11:55):
not just to access but to
affordability. 2 vaccinations,
to medications. Talk about how
this becomes an access issue.
If it keeps progressing the way
we see this conversation
progressing. So if this keeps
progressing, people who don't
need to get sick, get sick
instead of paying pennies to a
relatively speaking to immunize
people. Worker gives simple
unsafe medications like
acetaminophen or Tylenol in
(12:16):
pregnant women.
>> What we end up doing is
having complications. You have
kids get diseases that we had
previously eliminated in the
end up in the hospital, you
know, did with dehydration or
pneumonia or problems they
didn't need to have you get
a small number of them who die.
And that's a real tragedy
because shun could prevent a
that entirely. You have elderly
(12:38):
folks who if they become
skeptical and they get don't
get recommended immunizations,
things for COVID or the flu.
And up in the hospital or end
up in an ICU or end up on a
ventilator and up deceased
because they get serious
diseases that they might
otherwise have been protected
against. Bernie, I would say in
human history in all of our
human history, maybe there's
10,000 years of recorded human
history, one way or the other.
(12:58):
The average human life
expectancy as recently as 1900
worldwide was about 32 years
of age in the United States.
There's probably in the late
40's. Over the last one and a
quarter centuries 125 years or
so. Life expectancy has more
than doubled globally.
Increased by 30 or more years
in United States. That's all
because of science. It's all
(13:20):
because of medicine. If you
want to see, but it looks like
to eat an organic diet, not see
a doctor and have no medicines.
All you have to do is go back
to 1900. We can all die under
the age of 50 on average
because that's what we had
before that. In a buyout
expensive. When first came
around in 1940's, the first
time into her potential
(13:43):
medication, the 1950's
immunizations. We had some back
into the 1800, you know, when
George Washington, a man dies,
just troops against smallpox.
So that's not brand new.
But the more commonly used ones
really the 40's 50's 60's is
when those really started to
emerge, modern medical science
has been what has made it
possible along with sanitation
and other things like that.
(14:05):
To have longer fuller,
healthier lives.
>> Is there any benefit in your
view of having this healthy
skepticism about modern
medicine, about vaccinations,
about long policies that we've
had a band of adopted that have
given way to this longer life
expectancy and and better
health outcomes. Is there some
benefit to having a skeptical
(14:25):
conversation about it? I think
there's always benefit for
people asking questions.
>> I think there's benefit for
experts who analyzed the same
data and reach different
conclusions to have an informed
discussion and debate about
water truce main most likely
lie. I think all of us need to
be willing to revisit our
conclusions when presented with
evidence that suggests that
(14:47):
our conclusion should be
adjusted. I think that's the
scientific process. I think
that's just the hallmark of an
enlightened educated society.
So, yes, it's always a role
for that kind of discussion
that the challenge comes in
is when you have real experts
who have stood a study done
to devoted their entire lives
to studying and trying to find
truth. And when they make
(15:07):
recommendations based on the
scientific method in doing an
open, transparent way, what
really gets alarming is when we
now have our very public
institutions deconstructed.
When we have experts fired from
panels and replaced sometimes
with cranks and we have people
who are substituting quackery
(15:28):
for real science in doing it on
a very opaque way where they're
not consulting not dealing in
the open.
That stuff. This recipe for
real harm for all of us.
>> If there's any advice you
could give Secretary Kennedy
and the Trump administration,
what would it be? My advice
would be more to our patients
to the Kentuckyian said I
served.
>> It would be please get
professional medical advice
(15:48):
from a qualified people that
will be doctors and nurse
practitioners and nurses and
physician assistants and
pharmacists. Please go see
people who are qualified,
licensed health care
practitioners and get your
guidance from them. Not from a
bunch of people. We have other
agendas telling other stories
more interest in having you
confused and scared than they
are about having you healthy
(16:10):
and well, so please seek
medical advice from real
professionals.
>> The Food and Drug
Administration has initiated
the process for a label change
to products containing
acetaminophen. Most notably
time at all. It is the only
over-the-counter medication
approved for treating fever
in pregnancy. A study published
last year by the Journal of the
(16:30):
American Medical Association
found no increased risk of
autism, ADHD or intellectual
disabilities. If the children
of women who used acetaminophen
during pregnancy.
♪
♪
(16:51):
♪
>> Housing is an ongoing crisis
all across the country and
especially in Kentucky.
>> And northern Kentucky,
Covington city leaders are
making an effort to get the
community's input to solve the
crisis. Our Emily Sisca spoke
(17:11):
with a northern Kentucky
percent to about that. And
tonight's Reporter's Notebook.
>> We are joined now with
Nathan Granger from Link Nky
Nathan, thank you so much for
being with us.
>> Thank you. Happy to be here.
>> Absolutely. So we're gonna
talk about housing. We know
this is of course, a nationwide
issue. The shortage of housing
(17:33):
is also affecting Northern
Kentuckyian Covington. Just
want to start by asking you
could tell us from your
reporting, how did we get here?
>> So nationwide, there's a
there's is a handful of trends.
The big one is essentially that
the cost to build new housing
is incredibly high. The point
that it's sort of incentivizes
(17:53):
the building of these kind of
larger properties that can then
be sold for, you know, high.
Price. When you talk about
Covington, you have that
phenomenon. But then you also
have the fact that in Covington
specifically there's not a lot
of developable land. If you're
looking to increase the amount
(18:15):
of accessible housing that
inevitably is going to entail,
confronted the density problem,
whether that's building thing,
you know, housing units on top
of each other or looking at.
>> For smaller, like tiny
homes, war, manufactured homes
or or something that would
allow the city to better
utilize the limited amount of
space that it has.
>> And we know from your
(18:35):
reporting, you said that
Covington's Mayor Ron
Washington, Israeli said
housing is one of his number
one priorities. That was when
he came in and still is now.
So they hosted a community
forum about housing earlier
this week really invited anyone
to come out from attendees who
were there, what were some of
their common? No concerns with
thoughts about housing.
(18:56):
>> What was nice about this
particular meeting was that
there were different different
levels of Covington, sort of
life there. You had 10 and she
had homeowners who had
landlords business owners.
One of the things that kind of
rumbles behind everything is
just the general affordability
of housing. The fact that it's
so expensive to get it White
House and rinse are going up.
(19:17):
When we talk about this aspect
of affordability, we so we say
that's often right. Like income
aligned, affordable housing.
>> Is there any thought in a
place like Covington? What does
that actually look like?
Are there any numbers that are
shared as far as the dollar
amount of affordable housing?
>> The average sales price in
Covington in 2025. Was
$288,000. If you compare that
(19:37):
to the average sales price and
2017
the average sales price of that
year was a just was about
130,000. The median household
income in Covington is a just
over 15,000. What they're
aiming is to help people in
those income ranges. Get access
(19:58):
to. Whether that rental or but
has it seems one of the
>> main solutions the city has
proposed is to look at. They
can't or abandoned properties
and how can may convert that
into housing. Can you tell us
more about that? Is that
something that city officials
talked about?
>> Yes, in fact, that's sort of
(20:18):
that's kind of eating.
>> Underlying philosophy of
this new housing initiative,
which is the city itself owns a
lot of properties. There's also
kind of a neglected in
dilapidated properties.
>> Properties which means on
them to just recently the city
foreclosed on 12.
It's just a cluster is a
property and some some of them
have multiple lots. They just
started started to foreclose on
(20:41):
that land with the hopes that
the money that the city raises
from that can then fund
construction of affordable
housing in and around the city.
We know this is an ongoing
issue on to mention we're
really out of the first phases
of finding a solution for
Covington.
>> So we will certainly KET our
finger on the pulse of housing
and KET in touch with you to
learn about what's happening in
(21:04):
northern Kentucky. Nathan
Granger with a link Nky.
Thank you for your reporting
and keeping us in the loop.
All right. Thank you.
>> And thank you, Emily,
Kentucky farm could hold the
key to a mystery dating back to
the Civil War. 22 soldiers with
the 5th U.S. Collard Calvary.
Many formerly enslaved were
(21:24):
attacked and killed by
Confederate guerrillas while on
their way to Louisville.
Their bodies were never found.
Local archaeologists and
historians began their search
almost 20 years ago. A search
that brought them to a farm in
Simpsonville Monday where they
dug up earth trying to uncover
some answers.
(21:44):
>> Right now is the culmination
of about 18 years of research
and work here. We are looking
for the remains of 22 men from
the 5th United States Colored
Cavalry company. E who were
killed in January. 25th 18.
65 by elders.
>> They would talk about it,
(22:05):
Mike, my grandfather. He was
born in an ox. 89 is and his
actual father and uncle lived
here. They didn't watch the
battle, but they were aware
that the commotion he actually.
>> What I've understood KET
where the burial site maybe,
but as time went by memories
faded. I just wish I had been
able to talk had sense enough
to thought when I was a kid, I
(22:25):
asked my grandfather what they
can show me.
>> Pretty much exactly where
the places but see my father
and I neither one of us did
that. So like say then we
thought it was last. Kentucky
Archeology survey is here
there. Some forensic
archaeologist they're looking
>> Could be lather from foods
(22:47):
if the votes were stolen.
>> It could be it could be
bones.
>> A couple years ago, Jerry
reached out to me again said
they had found in the 1936
Highway map.
>> That was mark Civil war
burial mound and it was right
out here in this field. We're
(23:09):
just not seeing those soil
differences we should expect to
find. And since we know that
there are at least 22 men that
are buried here, the number of
trends as we put across there,
we would have found at least
some soil difference even if
we didn't find human remains or
buttons, we would have seen
the soil changes that would
have let us know that there
was a burial trench there.
(23:29):
The fact that they're not there
is a little disappointing, but
we're not going to give up.
We're going to continue this
process. We know they should
be somewhere between the top of
this hill in the bottom of the
sale. So we may see some
additional geophysics. There's
some other places in the
cemetery where he didn't look,
we have some newer
technologies. We might try to
take him to the cemetery to
look and go from there. The
(23:51):
process is, but if we verify is
if they archaeologist verify
that these are human remains,
the remains will be reinterred.
>> At the National Cemetery and
Camp Nelson in Jeff Jessamine
County. So they can properly
memorialized with military
honors because they died for
their country. That not only
did they die for their freedom
because Martin, virtually all
of them or sleigh in sight.
(24:14):
Went to the recruiting office
either in Louisville or in Camp
Nelson in Jessamine County
enlisted and they got their
freedom when they took that of
the military. And eventually
they would have got the freedom
of their loved ones as well.
>> The soldiers deserve the
right to be buried properly
(24:35):
and the recognition like any
other soldier, whether it be
from Vietnam.
Corey, a second first World War
and they deserve a where you
are federal soldiers. They
deserve just as much respect
is any other soldier of the
United States. I want them to
know that we will continue to
look for them to tell their We
won't leave them behind at
(24:56):
least as long as I'm around.
>> We will continue to try to
find these men so we can tell
their stories.
>> The PBS series Secrets of
the Dead featured a story on
this Simpsonville massacre that
it was co-produced by KET.
You can see that episode by
streaming it online on demand
(25:17):
at KET DOT Org. Slash program
slashed secrets of the dead.
♪
>> And Northern Kentucky
hospital has been praised as
one of Kentucky's best. And it
has big new plants.
>> Our vision is to lead our
communities to be among the
healthiest in the nation.
(25:37):
We are absolutely dedicated to
taking care of patients, not
just for acute needs, but for
preventative care. Overall,
health, maintenance and
improvement.
>> We'll go to Saint
Elizabeth's newest location in
Boone County. That's tomorrow
on Kentucky EDITION, which we
hope that you'll join us for
(25:58):
again at 6.30, Eastern
5.30, central where we inform
connect and inspire. We hope
that he'll connect with us all
the ways you see on your screen
by Facebook X, formerly known
as Twitter and Instagram to
stay in the loop. You can also
look for us on the PBS and KET
app that you can download on
your smart devices. And we
always encourage you to send us
a story idea by email to public
(26:21):
affairs at KET DOT Org. I'm
Renee Shaw. Thank you for being
with us tonight. And I hope to
see you right back here again
tomorrow night. Take good care.
♪
♪
(00:08):
Sorry, we're closed. Kentucky
reaction as a budget battle
shuts down the federal
government.
>> We've been told in no
uncertain terms, don't take it.
Just tough it out. That's
negligent. That's reckless.
It's wall.
One of Kentucky's best known
doctors says ignoring science
can cost lives.
>> You are federal soldiers.
They deserve just as much
respect is any other soldier.
(00:32):
>> Could a Shelby County Farm
hold the answers about a civil
war massacre?
Production of Kentucky Edition
is made possible in part by the
KET Millennium Fund.
♪
♪
(00:54):
>> Good Evening and welcome
to Kentucky EDITION for this
Wednesday, October, the first
brand new month. I'm Renee
Shaw. We thank you for winding
down your Wednesday with Hamas.
The federal government shutdown
continues. Congress and the
White House couldn't reach a
budget agreement. So the
government shutdown at midnight
(01:14):
as a new fiscal year began.
Democrats are demanding funding
for health care subsidies that
are expiring for millions of
people under the Affordable
Care Act. It's expected that
750,000 government workers will
end up furloughed. President
Donald Trump says he plans to
fire some of them permanently.
So what does all this main the
(01:36):
shutdown that is for Kentucky.
Here's more from our Jim
Leffler.
>> Kentuckians can expect much
to stay the same. The mail will
be delivered and workers can
assist you at any local post
office. Seniors will still get
their Social Security payments
and veterans can access medical
care at their VA hospitals and
(01:58):
clinics with Fayette and
Jefferson County students on
fall break. You might be
wondering about travel plans
at airports. TSA agents and air
traffic controllers are still
on the job, but America's major
airlines said, quote, the
system may need to slow down.
Fires may face longer lines and
(02:18):
some clothes checkpoints.
As for recreation, Kentucky is
home to several national parks,
including Mammoth Cave and
Lincoln's birthplace. Expect
all welcoming and education
centers to be closed. But if
you're camping out, especially
if you already have in the
needed permits, open air areas
of parks are still accessible.
(02:38):
Just remember no one is picking
up after you for Kentucky
edition. I'm June Leffler.
>> Thank you, June. And here's
a quote from Congressman Mark
Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat
from Kentucky's 3rd district.
It says, quote, Republicans
control the White House, the
House and the Senate. And
they're making it clear they
(02:59):
would rather shut down the
entire government, then pass a
budget that actually gives
families a figure shay and of
quote, now this is from
Republican Andy Barr of the 6
district. He says, quote, House
Republicans did our job.
We voted to KET the government
open. Democrats blocked it.
Chuck Schumer is shutting down
the government to give taxpayer
(03:19):
funded health care to illegal
aliens, end quote.
Republican Thomas Massie of
the 4th district says, quote,
both parties are ridiculous
and quote, he says the
Republican budget isn't any
different from President
Biden's last budget. U.S.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
made a similar point last night
on the FOX Business Channel.
(03:41):
>> The American people need to
know the debt problem is a
bipartisan problem. The current
spending levels. The irony is
this. It's going to be
2 trillion dollars in debt, but
it's the same spending levels
that we had under Biden.
So every Democrat in the Senate
voted for this in December of
last year. What they're
opposing now is what they all
(04:02):
had previously voted for him.
And I don't think the full
significance of that are and
he has come forward. They're
voting against something
they've all voted for
previously.
>> U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
said this, quote, I can't count
the number of times I've had to
remind Democrat colleagues that
taking basic government
functions hostage for partisan
(04:23):
demands never pays. The
shutdown won't end until
Democrats really learned this
lesson for the sake of the
American people. I hope they do
so quickly. Quote.
And other news, the Kentucky
Community and Technical College
System and eastern Kentucky
University say their new
transfer partnership. We'll
make it easier and more
affordable for students to
(04:44):
continue their education.
Our Emily Sisk has more from E
K you and our education
matters. Report.
>> We educate more Kentuckians
than any other school in the
state per capita. And our guys
just go back to work in a
Kentucky communities at a
higher rate than any other
four-year institution.
>> Now, even more Kentuckians
(05:04):
may study at a KU after the
university announced a transfer
partnership with the Kentucky
Community and Technical College
System which makes it easier
and more affordable for
students to continue their
education. Doctor tire Frank
from Kctcs explain to some of
the benefits of the transfer
agreement. No application fees
(05:26):
for students, priority
Registration.
>> Transfer scholarship
opportunities. Free textbooks
and dedicated by saying the
chain also offers a joint
admissions opportunity while
students are still taking
community college courses, they
can begin taking classes at
the university. They can take
up to 12 credit hours at a KU
while they're still with us
(05:51):
at the kctcs tuition rate
uses students one course a
semester at you to help to the
Ek. You culture. Those could
be online. They could face to
face, but it just helps make
that that transition to the
university.
>> More students transfer from
(06:12):
Kctcs to eat KU than any other
university eastern. Kentucky's
president doctor David McFadden
said that's because of
qualities like affordability or
Lee advising and a multitude
of online programs. For many,
they're going to be online
learners who may be
transferring from online
program. It Kctcs. That was the
case for Kelly Mitchell who
started working on her
associate's degree at Kctcs.
(06:35):
>> During the
pandemic might.
>> I do want it to go straight
to a for a four-year college
because I was pregnant. My
senior year in high school.
I kind of had to figure out
something close to home and
something them.
Willis, thank Michel was ready
to continue her education on a
college campus. She applied
(06:55):
early to the social work
program at KU and to her
surprise was quickly accepted
before I even had got accepted
for housing here in Richmond.
>> I was already accepted from
my program. Mitchell is now
working on her master's in
social work at eastern Kentucky
University. She said the
support she received as a young
mother at both Kctcs and Ek.
(07:19):
You encouraged her to KET
going.
>> I started at Kctcs with a
newborn baby and it took me
3 years to get an associate's
degree. So like sometimes it
takes time and that's okay.
>> Leaders from both
institutions said it's their
goal to make education more
accessible, affordable and show
collaboration across
the state.
(07:40):
>> It really is about these
partnerships. It's about
collaboration is about working
together in the best interest
of students.
>> He can use president said
he's excited to welcome more
community and technical college
students from Paducah to
Pikeville for Kentucky edition.
I'm Emily Sisk.
Thank you, Emily. Now turning
to medical news. Negligent,
reckless and wrong. That's how
(08:01):
a top Kentucky doctor
characterizes recent claims by
the Trump administration
associating Tylenol use during
pregnancy to an increased risk
of neurological conditions like
autism in children. That
announcement last week drew a
strong rebuke from Doctor
Steven Stock, the secretary of
the state health Cabinet who
oversees health policy programs
(08:22):
and services for Kentucky.
He says the administration's
claims about acetaminophen use
and autism are unproven and
what's worse as stack. He calls
them dangerous. I asked him
yesterday about the origin of
these climbs on what the
science really says.
>> Well, there's long been a
subset of people who have their
concerns are skepticism, right?
That's that's always the case.
(08:43):
There's a small percentage who
will feel that for whatever
reasons they lack confidence in
their certainty in the
recommendations that are given
by their health care providers
or other experts. That's always
the case. What unique now is
that there's a growing number
of people who are becoming
uncertain because the very
basis of fact and reality is
(09:05):
being distorted for them.
They're being told information
that is objectively wrong.
It's objectively false. Take,
for example, the Tylenol issue
that's recently come up.
Tylenol is one of the only
medications felt to be
generally safe for women with
Seaver and who are pregnant.
All right. One of the only
things generally felt to be
safe and now they've been told
(09:25):
in no uncertain terms, don't
take it. Just tough it out.
That's negligent. That's
reckless. It's wrong. It's it's
going to cause people to get
hurt that don't need to get
hurt or people to suffer that
don't need to suffer. And now
when women who are pregnant co
to see their physicians,
portion of them are going to be
skeptical of their physician
(09:46):
when they recommend. But modern
medical science has long said
it's one of the safest
medications they can use to
help control fever and pain in
pregnancy, which is
acetaminophen or Tylenol.
>> Is there a study or series
of studies that point to the
the
suspect nature of the seat of
venom in use during pregnancy?
I mean, it had to have started
(10:07):
from somewhere. What is the
origin story of a small lesion?
Yeah, there are lots of studies
about acetaminophen in
pregnancy. One of the things
in studies for pregnant women
because it's considered not to
be ethical to withhold
treatment from one half of
women. And can you test one
half and withhold from the
other half in? So there's not
great research specifically in
(10:29):
pregnant women because a
liability and ethical reasons.
So we have to rely on as well
because or facial studies.
We look at the large numbers of
pregnant women who have made
their own choices and then see
how the I responded differently
to different choices. Those
raises other problems, though,
because a lot of other
variables can come into play.
(10:51):
That confuse or confound the
interpretation. There have been
many observation of studies for
women who are pregnant using
acetaminophen. They have none
of them showed a causal
relationship or acetaminophen
as in any way contributed to or
caused autism in one of the
largest ones with millions of
women in Scandinavia showed
(11:11):
absolutely no relationship
whatsoever to the diagnosis of
autism in the use of
acetaminophen in pregnancy.
It is entirely irresponsible to
suggest otherwise. What we have
now, Renee. Used to be that if
you had hundreds, hundreds
scientific studies in 99 of
them all lined up in a cluster
in one was an outlier. He would
(11:33):
say, well, that's the outlier.
But but scientific evidence
says this is clearly the right
choice. We have a group of
people now that are saying that
one outlier thats the truth,
all the other 99 are lying and
hiding something. This is the
truth. It's entirely backwards.
Like I said, it's going to
cause people to get hurt.
>> All of this is consequential
(11:55):
not just to access but to
affordability. 2 vaccinations,
to medications. Talk about how
this becomes an access issue.
If it keeps progressing the way
we see this conversation
progressing. So if this keeps
progressing, people who don't
need to get sick, get sick
instead of paying pennies to a
relatively speaking to immunize
people. Worker gives simple
unsafe medications like
acetaminophen or Tylenol in
(12:16):
pregnant women.
>> What we end up doing is
having complications. You have
kids get diseases that we had
previously eliminated in the
end up in the hospital, you
know, did with dehydration or
pneumonia or problems they
didn't need to have you get
a small number of them who die.
And that's a real tragedy
because shun could prevent a
that entirely. You have elderly
(12:38):
folks who if they become
skeptical and they get don't
get recommended immunizations,
things for COVID or the flu.
And up in the hospital or end
up in an ICU or end up on a
ventilator and up deceased
because they get serious
diseases that they might
otherwise have been protected
against. Bernie, I would say in
human history in all of our
human history, maybe there's
10,000 years of recorded human
history, one way or the other.
(12:58):
The average human life
expectancy as recently as 1900
worldwide was about 32 years
of age in the United States.
There's probably in the late
40's. Over the last one and a
quarter centuries 125 years or
so. Life expectancy has more
than doubled globally.
Increased by 30 or more years
in United States. That's all
because of science. It's all
(13:20):
because of medicine. If you
want to see, but it looks like
to eat an organic diet, not see
a doctor and have no medicines.
All you have to do is go back
to 1900. We can all die under
the age of 50 on average
because that's what we had
before that. In a buyout
expensive. When first came
around in 1940's, the first
time into her potential
(13:43):
medication, the 1950's
immunizations. We had some back
into the 1800, you know, when
George Washington, a man dies,
just troops against smallpox.
So that's not brand new.
But the more commonly used ones
really the 40's 50's 60's is
when those really started to
emerge, modern medical science
has been what has made it
possible along with sanitation
and other things like that.
(14:05):
To have longer fuller,
healthier lives.
>> Is there any benefit in your
view of having this healthy
skepticism about modern
medicine, about vaccinations,
about long policies that we've
had a band of adopted that have
given way to this longer life
expectancy and and better
health outcomes. Is there some
benefit to having a skeptical
(14:25):
conversation about it? I think
there's always benefit for
people asking questions.
>> I think there's benefit for
experts who analyzed the same
data and reach different
conclusions to have an informed
discussion and debate about
water truce main most likely
lie. I think all of us need to
be willing to revisit our
conclusions when presented with
evidence that suggests that
(14:47):
our conclusion should be
adjusted. I think that's the
scientific process. I think
that's just the hallmark of an
enlightened educated society.
So, yes, it's always a role
for that kind of discussion
that the challenge comes in
is when you have real experts
who have stood a study done
to devoted their entire lives
to studying and trying to find
truth. And when they make
(15:07):
recommendations based on the
scientific method in doing an
open, transparent way, what
really gets alarming is when we
now have our very public
institutions deconstructed.
When we have experts fired from
panels and replaced sometimes
with cranks and we have people
who are substituting quackery
(15:28):
for real science in doing it on
a very opaque way where they're
not consulting not dealing in
the open.
That stuff. This recipe for
real harm for all of us.
>> If there's any advice you
could give Secretary Kennedy
and the Trump administration,
what would it be? My advice
would be more to our patients
to the Kentuckyian said I
served.
>> It would be please get
professional medical advice
(15:48):
from a qualified people that
will be doctors and nurse
practitioners and nurses and
physician assistants and
pharmacists. Please go see
people who are qualified,
licensed health care
practitioners and get your
guidance from them. Not from a
bunch of people. We have other
agendas telling other stories
more interest in having you
confused and scared than they
are about having you healthy
(16:10):
and well, so please seek
medical advice from real
professionals.
>> The Food and Drug
Administration has initiated
the process for a label change
to products containing
acetaminophen. Most notably
time at all. It is the only
over-the-counter medication
approved for treating fever
in pregnancy. A study published
last year by the Journal of the
(16:30):
American Medical Association
found no increased risk of
autism, ADHD or intellectual
disabilities. If the children
of women who used acetaminophen
during pregnancy.
♪
♪
(16:51):
♪
>> Housing is an ongoing crisis
all across the country and
especially in Kentucky.
>> And northern Kentucky,
Covington city leaders are
making an effort to get the
community's input to solve the
crisis. Our Emily Sisca spoke
(17:11):
with a northern Kentucky
percent to about that. And
tonight's Reporter's Notebook.
>> We are joined now with
Nathan Granger from Link Nky
Nathan, thank you so much for
being with us.
>> Thank you. Happy to be here.
>> Absolutely. So we're gonna
talk about housing. We know
this is of course, a nationwide
issue. The shortage of housing
(17:33):
is also affecting Northern
Kentuckyian Covington. Just
want to start by asking you
could tell us from your
reporting, how did we get here?
>> So nationwide, there's a
there's is a handful of trends.
The big one is essentially that
the cost to build new housing
is incredibly high. The point
that it's sort of incentivizes
(17:53):
the building of these kind of
larger properties that can then
be sold for, you know, high.
Price. When you talk about
Covington, you have that
phenomenon. But then you also
have the fact that in Covington
specifically there's not a lot
of developable land. If you're
looking to increase the amount
(18:15):
of accessible housing that
inevitably is going to entail,
confronted the density problem,
whether that's building thing,
you know, housing units on top
of each other or looking at.
>> For smaller, like tiny
homes, war, manufactured homes
or or something that would
allow the city to better
utilize the limited amount of
space that it has.
>> And we know from your
(18:35):
reporting, you said that
Covington's Mayor Ron
Washington, Israeli said
housing is one of his number
one priorities. That was when
he came in and still is now.
So they hosted a community
forum about housing earlier
this week really invited anyone
to come out from attendees who
were there, what were some of
their common? No concerns with
thoughts about housing.
(18:56):
>> What was nice about this
particular meeting was that
there were different different
levels of Covington, sort of
life there. You had 10 and she
had homeowners who had
landlords business owners.
One of the things that kind of
rumbles behind everything is
just the general affordability
of housing. The fact that it's
so expensive to get it White
House and rinse are going up.
(19:17):
When we talk about this aspect
of affordability, we so we say
that's often right. Like income
aligned, affordable housing.
>> Is there any thought in a
place like Covington? What does
that actually look like?
Are there any numbers that are
shared as far as the dollar
amount of affordable housing?
>> The average sales price in
Covington in 2025. Was
$288,000. If you compare that
(19:37):
to the average sales price and
2017
the average sales price of that
year was a just was about
130,000. The median household
income in Covington is a just
over 15,000. What they're
aiming is to help people in
those income ranges. Get access
(19:58):
to. Whether that rental or but
has it seems one of the
>> main solutions the city has
proposed is to look at. They
can't or abandoned properties
and how can may convert that
into housing. Can you tell us
more about that? Is that
something that city officials
talked about?
>> Yes, in fact, that's sort of
(20:18):
that's kind of eating.
>> Underlying philosophy of
this new housing initiative,
which is the city itself owns a
lot of properties. There's also
kind of a neglected in
dilapidated properties.
>> Properties which means on
them to just recently the city
foreclosed on 12.
It's just a cluster is a
property and some some of them
have multiple lots. They just
started started to foreclose on
(20:41):
that land with the hopes that
the money that the city raises
from that can then fund
construction of affordable
housing in and around the city.
We know this is an ongoing
issue on to mention we're
really out of the first phases
of finding a solution for
Covington.
>> So we will certainly KET our
finger on the pulse of housing
and KET in touch with you to
learn about what's happening in
(21:04):
northern Kentucky. Nathan
Granger with a link Nky.
Thank you for your reporting
and keeping us in the loop.
All right. Thank you.
>> And thank you, Emily,
Kentucky farm could hold the
key to a mystery dating back to
the Civil War. 22 soldiers with
the 5th U.S. Collard Calvary.
Many formerly enslaved were
(21:24):
attacked and killed by
Confederate guerrillas while on
their way to Louisville.
Their bodies were never found.
Local archaeologists and
historians began their search
almost 20 years ago. A search
that brought them to a farm in
Simpsonville Monday where they
dug up earth trying to uncover
some answers.
(21:44):
>> Right now is the culmination
of about 18 years of research
and work here. We are looking
for the remains of 22 men from
the 5th United States Colored
Cavalry company. E who were
killed in January. 25th 18.
65 by elders.
>> They would talk about it,
(22:05):
Mike, my grandfather. He was
born in an ox. 89 is and his
actual father and uncle lived
here. They didn't watch the
battle, but they were aware
that the commotion he actually.
>> What I've understood KET
where the burial site maybe,
but as time went by memories
faded. I just wish I had been
able to talk had sense enough
to thought when I was a kid, I
(22:25):
asked my grandfather what they
can show me.
>> Pretty much exactly where
the places but see my father
and I neither one of us did
that. So like say then we
thought it was last. Kentucky
Archeology survey is here
there. Some forensic
archaeologist they're looking
>> Could be lather from foods
(22:47):
if the votes were stolen.
>> It could be it could be
bones.
>> A couple years ago, Jerry
reached out to me again said
they had found in the 1936
Highway map.
>> That was mark Civil war
burial mound and it was right
out here in this field. We're
(23:09):
just not seeing those soil
differences we should expect to
find. And since we know that
there are at least 22 men that
are buried here, the number of
trends as we put across there,
we would have found at least
some soil difference even if
we didn't find human remains or
buttons, we would have seen
the soil changes that would
have let us know that there
was a burial trench there.
(23:29):
The fact that they're not there
is a little disappointing, but
we're not going to give up.
We're going to continue this
process. We know they should
be somewhere between the top of
this hill in the bottom of the
sale. So we may see some
additional geophysics. There's
some other places in the
cemetery where he didn't look,
we have some newer
technologies. We might try to
take him to the cemetery to
look and go from there. The
(23:51):
process is, but if we verify is
if they archaeologist verify
that these are human remains,
the remains will be reinterred.
>> At the National Cemetery and
Camp Nelson in Jeff Jessamine
County. So they can properly
memorialized with military
honors because they died for
their country. That not only
did they die for their freedom
because Martin, virtually all
of them or sleigh in sight.
(24:14):
Went to the recruiting office
either in Louisville or in Camp
Nelson in Jessamine County
enlisted and they got their
freedom when they took that of
the military. And eventually
they would have got the freedom
of their loved ones as well.
>> The soldiers deserve the
right to be buried properly
(24:35):
and the recognition like any
other soldier, whether it be
from Vietnam.
Corey, a second first World War
and they deserve a where you
are federal soldiers. They
deserve just as much respect
is any other soldier of the
United States. I want them to
know that we will continue to
look for them to tell their We
won't leave them behind at
(24:56):
least as long as I'm around.
>> We will continue to try to
find these men so we can tell
their stories.
>> The PBS series Secrets of
the Dead featured a story on
this Simpsonville massacre that
it was co-produced by KET.
You can see that episode by
streaming it online on demand
(25:17):
at KET DOT Org. Slash program
slashed secrets of the dead.
♪
>> And Northern Kentucky
hospital has been praised as
one of Kentucky's best. And it
has big new plants.
>> Our vision is to lead our
communities to be among the
healthiest in the nation.
(25:37):
We are absolutely dedicated to
taking care of patients, not
just for acute needs, but for
preventative care. Overall,
health, maintenance and
improvement.
>> We'll go to Saint
Elizabeth's newest location in
Boone County. That's tomorrow
on Kentucky EDITION, which we
hope that you'll join us for
(25:58):
again at 6.30, Eastern
5.30, central where we inform
connect and inspire. We hope
that he'll connect with us all
the ways you see on your screen
by Facebook X, formerly known
as Twitter and Instagram to
stay in the loop. You can also
look for us on the PBS and KET
app that you can download on
your smart devices. And we
always encourage you to send us
a story idea by email to public
(26:21):
affairs at KET DOT Org. I'm
Renee Shaw. Thank you for being
with us tonight. And I hope to
see you right back here again
tomorrow night. Take good care.
♪
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