October 17, 2025 • 26 mins
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell said to be “all good” after video of him falling appears on social media, a look at new fundraising totals in the Kentucky U.S. Senate race, a progress report on efforts to make Kentucky healthier, and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging in Lexington hits a milestone.
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(00:10):
the state of the race? By the
numbers, we'll look at new
fundraising totals in the
Kentucky U.S. Senate race.
>> It just so happens that
whenever you eat local, healthy,
fresh food, you also get
healthy at the same time.
>> A progress report on efforts
to make Kentucky healthier.
>> Trade wars are not good for
(00:30):
the economy on both sides.
>> And what are tariffs costing
Kentucky.
>> 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
Thursday, October the 16th, I'm
Renee Shaw, and we thank you
for joining us this evening. US
Senator Mitch McConnell is
quote all good. That's
according to his spokesperson
after the senator was seen
falling in Washington, DC today,
video of the fall was shared on
(01:15):
social media. The 83 year old
appears to trip while being
questioned about arrests made
by Ice. He's seen being helped
up and is able to continue
walking on his own, McConnell's
office says he went on to cast
votes in the Senate. McConnell
stepped down as the Republican
Senate leader earlier this year
(01:35):
and announced he's not seeking
reelection. He said health was
not a factor. He's fallen
several times in recent years,
leading to injuries, including
a concussion and a broken rib.
McConnell suffered from polio
as a child and has long
acknowledged some difficulty as
an adult. As a result, who's
winning the fundraising battle
(01:57):
in the 2026 race to replace
Senator McConnell? Let's look
at the newest numbers.
Candidates have to disclose
their fundraising numbers
throughout the campaign. The
latest numbers on the
Republican side show
Congressman Andy Barr raised
$1.3 million from July through
September. He has the most
money right now. Former
(02:18):
Kentucky Attorney General
Daniel Cameron raised $411,000
during that same time. Nate
Morris, a Lexington businessman,
gave himself about $3 million
in seven different installments
during the three month period.
So far, Bill Barr has the most
cash on hand overall. It's a
(02:40):
trifecta of agriculture, health
care and public policy, plus
efforts to ensure every
Kentuckian has access to
nutritious food and how to
prepare it. That conversation
was held Wednesday with the
Make America Healthy Again
Kentucky Task Force in
Frankfort. Our Laura Rogers
explains in tonight's
legislative update.
(03:02):
>> Eat your medicine or you'll
take medicine. And I think that
goes really to the heart of
what we're talking about.
>> Kentucky Hospital
Association and the Kentucky
Department of Agriculture have
partnered for the Food as
Medicine campaign.
>> For me, Senator, it is
selfish and what we're doing
because we want to increase
rural prosperity and
profitability on the farm. And
(03:23):
in nearly every community in
which there is a hospital there,
the largest food consumers in
that community.
>> They're also often the
largest employer.
>> Health care typically has a
very unhealthy workforce.
>> And so that's where this
initiative started getting
healthy local produce and
proteins from Kentucky farms
and hospital cafeterias.
>> It's a win win for our
(03:43):
employees. It's a win win for
improving the health, and it's
a win win for our local ag.
>> Community hospitals are also
hosting farmers markets and
their parking lot.
>> We're finding that now
patients are scheduling their
procedures, their intake, their
checkups on the days that the
farmers markets are there so
that they can not only get
their health care taken care of,
(04:04):
but also participate in the
farmer's market to get their
food brought back to the house.
>> The task force had questions
about how to measure the
program's success, like
hospital workers taking fewer
sick days or faster recovery
times for patients.
>> Will we be able to see
numbers like that that are
saving costs for y'all, that
we'll be able to to see and
analyze.
>> One of the powerful
statistics that Jim mentioned
are our readmission rates.
(04:25):
>> Appalachian Regional
Healthcare says those
readmission rates are way down.
They also see it as an
investment in their workforce.
>> If we have healthy employees,
they're going to be productive
employees who are happy to come
to work every day, and they
have the whereabouts to work a
12 hour shift and care for very,
very sick patients all day long.
(04:45):
>> Commissioner shell says they
do need a more robust system to
track total outcomes. And then
there's the funding issue from
both private insurance and
state and federal programs.
>> If we're subsidizing
trillion dollar pharmaceutical
companies through reimbursable
Medicaid and Medicare
opportunities, why are we not
doing the same thing on proven
metrics that we know will get
(05:05):
outcomes for healthy food and
healthy living on the front end?
>> Some of those efforts are
also offered through the
University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension Service,
who discussed the impact of
nutrition education.
>> For those individuals who
attended seven or more sessions.
We saw 98% of those
participants showed improvement
in one or more diet quality
indicators. That's huge.
>> They also offer programs for
(05:27):
children and say they're
getting results.
>> And then when we looked at
the older kids, third to fifth
grade, we really saw some
impressive gains, especially
with almost two thirds of them
reducing the amount of sports
drinks that they were drinking,
72% drinking fewer sodas.
>> They were asked about a
recent loss of federal funding
and congressional budget cuts.
>> With that, the big,
(05:47):
beautiful bill that was signed
into law on July 4th, it
eliminated funding for the
Supplemental Nutrition
Education Program, which we
call Snap-ed.
>> As a result, 85 positions
were eliminated as of September
30th.
>> We need to change the
concept that the government
isn't going to make you healthy.
You're going to make yourself
healthy. So you continue to
(06:08):
share great resources of how
people can invest in themselves.
You've got wonderful programing
and we're very appreciative.
>> For Kentucky Edition. I'm
Laura Rogers.
>> Thank you. Laura, on the
Frankfort front again, should
the Kentucky General Assembly
consider a bill that would seal
dismissed eviction records,
some state lawmakers say it
(06:28):
could help Kentuckians find a
safe and affordable place to
live amid the state's lack of
affordable housing. Our Emily
Sisk has that and more from
today's Judiciary Committee
meeting in Frankfort.
>> A Republican lawmaker wants
to reintroduce legislation to
seal dismissed eviction cases,
which she says can hinder
(06:50):
Kentuckians from getting
housing if the case is on their
record.
>> This bill is important as it
increases the ability for
Kentuckians to have access to
safe, affordable housing. While
explicitly maintains the
property rights of the landlord.
>> Representative Whitten said
the bill would only seal
eviction filings that are
(07:12):
dismissed and it wouldn't
impact landlords ability to get
back any money they are owed.
Lawmakers on both sides of the
aisle voiced support for the
bill.
>> I represent a lot of, you
know, parents that find
themselves single and a lot of
times their one child support
payment, one spousal support
payment away from missing their
rent, and then it's just a
snowball effect. And I think
(07:33):
this will help some of those
single parents. So they're not
living in a hotel, paying a
weekly amount when they could
be getting a rental and putting
their family in a home.
>> It is only applicable to
dismissed cases. It is only
applicable for when there's no
other right, no other issue at
hand. It does not curtail
(07:55):
landlords options. It's a very
real, tangible barrier for
people who are trying to find
housing at a time when we're
trying to fix that issue. And
this is just, to my mind, very
low hanging fruit.
>> The Interim Joint Judiciary
Committee also heard a proposal
for a new mental health
treatment facility, which would
serve youth under the age of 18
(08:15):
who suffer from mental
illnesses that make them
extremely violent. The
Department of Juvenile Justice
commissioner said the facility
would have 24 beds. That number
raised questions from some
legislators.
>> 24 beds doesn't even sound
like it scratches the surface.
I don't know why. If you were
going to build something, why
(08:35):
you wouldn't build it so they
could come. But so I guess I'm
my question is, you landed on
24 beds, how would we even
staff it? Because all I hear
every time we come in here is
that the turnover rate, people
won't do it. People at the
hospital walk out when they see
it. So even if we built a state
of the art facility, how are
(08:56):
you going to get people to work
in it when they're getting beat
up and their hair pulled and
beaten with bricks every day?
>> We don't need a solution for
them until they become 18. We
need a solution for them their
entire lives, many of them. And
what we've done in the 60s and
70s is we've we've we the
pendulum was too far on these
mental health institutions, and
now the pendulum is way too far
on the other side. So I think
(09:17):
this is a Band-Aid approach,
and it's too expensive for a
Band-Aid.
>> The Department of Juvenile
Justice commissioner said he
believes this facility would be
a better option for youth than
a detention center or private
hospital. As for staffing, he
said he hopes they could
recruit college students or
recent graduates to work at the
facility for Kentucky Edition.
I'm Emily Sisk.
(09:39):
>> Thank you, Emily, the
Department of Juvenile Justice
commissioner said Jefferson or
Fayette County would be the
best location for the mental
health facility because of
their population and central
location in the state. The
Kentucky Supreme Court heard
arguments today on the
governor's appointing powers.
In recent years, the General
Assembly voted to give
(10:00):
Kentucky's other state
constitutional officers, like
the attorney general or state
auditor, more say in Who's on
state boards and commissions.
That includes the State Fair
Board, which oversees the
Kentucky Fairgrounds, and the
Kentucky Convention Center,
both located in Louisville. The
Attorney General's office
argued on behalf of the
Agriculture Commissioner.
(10:21):
>> We're a divided executive.
When he was governor or when he
was attorney general, attorney
General Beshear couldn't have
sued Governor Bevin so many
times if we were not a divided
executive attorney general.
Cameron couldn't have sued
Governor Beshear during the
Covid lockdowns if we were
divided. Executive, we are, in
every sense of the word, a
divided executive proudly so.
And what that means for today
is that every four years,
(10:43):
Kentuckians elect their
agriculture commissioner. And
under our Constitution, there's
no impediment at all to the
General Assembly simply giving
Commissioner Shell an outsized
role with respect to the Fair
board, given the big role that
the Fair Board plays in
Kentucky agriculture, that's
the very essence of good
government.
>> In 2022, the General
(11:03):
Assembly gave Kentucky's five
other constitutional officers
an appointment on the Executive
Ethics Commission. A justice
asks why the governor would
need more power on a board that
investigates his administration.
>> Don't you think it's more
fair to have the appointee
appoint authority dispersed
(11:25):
between the around the
executive branch to end up?
Because some of these, the
ethics committee will be could
review the governor himself,
couldn't they?
>> It oversees and enforces the
executive branch ethics code
over not just the executive
officers, including the
governor, but all employees of
our executive branch. That's
(11:46):
not what the question here. The
question is, can the
legislature take away the
governor's appointment
authority and give it to
another officer who has no
express constitutional powers
or duties in violation of the
express commands of section 69
and 81? And that is what House
Bill 334 does here and violates
those sections and is
(12:07):
unconstitutional. No.
>> Supreme the Court of Appeals
ruled differently in these two
cases, siding with the governor
on the State Fair board and
against the governor on the
Executive Ethics Commission. Of
course, the state Supreme Court
will have the final say in both
matters. We've reported many
times on the Trump
administration's tariffs and
(12:28):
their impact on key Kentucky
industries like soybeans and
bourbon. Last Monday on
Kentucky Tonight, we heard from
economists of different
perspectives on what tariffs
are doing in Kentucky and
beyond.
>> Tariffs are most definitely
a tax. And they do affect
consumers. And trade wars are
(12:48):
not good for the economy on
both sides. Economists
generally tend to indicate that
free trade among countries is
beneficial for both countries.
In most situations. We can talk
about some exceptions here in
just a minute. But but the idea
is it really gets down to the
issue of comparative advantage.
We can can produce certain
(13:11):
things here in terms of goods
and services, very, very well.
We can specialize in that. And
other countries can specialize
in the things that they have
comparative advantage in. And
in total, what ends up
happening is we increase
overall production by
specializing in the things that
we're really, really good at.
As a result of that, our
quality of life goes up. We
(13:31):
have more goods and services
available and they tend to be
cheaper. So we enter into a
trade war. We tend to disrupt
that, and we end up actually
reducing the amount of goods
and services that are being
produced.
>> This also helps our foreign
competitors with certain
products. I was in Glasgow,
(13:52):
Scotland last summer and took a
tour of the Highlands. Some of
the Scottish whiskey
manufacturers there, the
distilleries, and they thought
it was good news that, you know,
United States and the supplies
of Kentucky, Kentucky bourbon,
you know, whiskey made here in
the United States was going to
face retaliatory retaliatory
(14:12):
tariffs from our trading
partners. And they saw it as an
opportunity to to gain in sales.
So we now only have the problem
of not being able to export and
to make money. But again, we're
losing out to foreign
competition. They're going to
gain market share. The other
thing with with tariffs, if you
(14:34):
do see the foreign goods coming
into the United States many
times, many corporations,
instead of trying to keep their
prices the same and gain market
share, they just raised their
prices to match the foreign
competition once they got once
the goods get here.
>> You can see more of that
(14:56):
conversation about tariffs and
about the federal government
shutdowns. Effect on the
economy. That program is online
on demand at ket.org. Wendy.
Tonight, Governor Andy Beshear
is urging President Donald
Trump to fund $24 billion in
energy projects, projects
threatened by cuts. That
includes $537 million in
(15:18):
projects planned here in
Kentucky. In a letter, the
governor says canceling the
projects would mean job losses
in Maysville, Hopkinsville,
Shelbyville, Louisville and
Lexington. Jobs are headed to
Nicholasville at the future
home of Altex Biological
Fertilizers production facility.
It's a $4.5 million plant, paid
(15:39):
for by Alltech and a grant from
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
>> We moved in to the first
office 40 years ago, and to
jump forward now and think
where we are today, to be
breaking ground on a new
fermentation facility that will
focus very much around our crop
science business is really,
really exciting. Talking about
(16:00):
the future, the future of
agriculture, and how chemicals
are not going to be the way
forward. In fact, it's products
like those that we will be
producing here, fermented
products, biological products
that will be that future.
Leveraging the science,
leveraging and harnessing
nature to really create
something quite special.
>> This is all tech's first
(16:20):
domestic manufacturing facility.
Kentucky's drought picture has
improved, thank goodness. And
that's thanks to the huge
downpour last week. This is the
new map from the U.S. Drought
Monitor. Most of the state is
now white, which means normal.
There are still areas in
southern and western Kentucky
that are abnormally dry or in
(16:41):
the moderate drought category.
Louisville's Muhammad Ali
Center will soon have a new
leader. The board of directors
announced. President and CEO
DeVaughn Holt. Will Holt will
step down from his role on
October 24th of this year.
Lonnie Ali, the center's
co-founder and widow of the
late Muhammad Ali, will be
(17:02):
appointed chairman and will
serve as interim president and
CEO as the organization
transitions leadership. In an
email to colleagues, Holt said,
quote, the worsening problems
in our country and around the
world have compelled me to
begin identifying an even
greater platform to advance the
fight for democracy, human
rights and freedom for all
people, end quote. But he
(17:23):
didn't elaborate on specific
plans. DeVaughn Holt was just
named president of the Muhammad
Ali Center. In July of last
year, the center's board will
begin an international search
for a new CEO very soon. New
(17:50):
research by the University of
Kentucky details an evolution
in the state's rural economy.
The study, by Blueprint
Kentucky, takes stock of
population, employment and
industry trends across 85 rural
counties. One notable finding
is the reversal of a
longstanding trend in rural
population decline. But due to
remote and hybrid work options
(18:11):
that gained in popularity
during the Covid pandemic,
things are turning around.
Alison Davis, executive
director of Blueprint Kentucky
within the Martin Gatton
College of Agriculture, Food
and Environment at the
University of Kentucky, says
rural counties account for
about one third of Kentucky's
total employment, with small
and midsize businesses making
up a larger share of rural
(18:32):
Kentucky's economy than in
urban areas.
>> Kentucky is I often I often
state that I think Kentucky has
a really cool diversity of
industry, particularly some of
our cities. Lexington, for
example. Rural areas are not
quite as as diverse. Over 50%
(18:54):
of their population comes from
manufacturing, from health care,
and from retail. A lot of our
really rural places don't have
any manufacturing. So then
we're talking about government.
We're talking about school
system, the school systems, the
local government, health care
and retail. And you know those
I'd like to see more diverse
portfolios. I'd like to see
(19:15):
more attention paid for. You
know, how do we think about
career ladders for folks who
might be in our service sector
so that they know that there's
a future for them to have a
quality of life? But, you know,
there's we just don't see a lot
of like financial services,
accounting services, lawyers.
Well, we do see some lawyers,
but a lot of kind of creative
(19:36):
industries and so forth. I'd
love to see a little bit more
of that. Right. Just so that,
you know, I think about eastern
Kentucky and western Kentucky
that lost, you know, mining and
manufacturing. So that one when
one industry goes away, you're
okay. And that's what Lexington
is so great about, is if one
industry or one company goes,
we are surrounded by just a
whole host of other companies
(19:58):
and industries to support us.
>> Care to share with us a main
takeaway that we haven't
already talked about?
>> Well, I wanted to talk just.
>> Briefly about why our
population has changed, because
I talk about this a lot,
because I think we just say, oh,
population increases or
decreases and understanding why
our urban areas in Kentucky
grew because of the
(20:18):
in-migration of of migrants
from outside the country, you
know, likely to Louisville and
Lexington because of higher ed
and because some of our
industry there. But about 85%
of our population growth came
from international migration.
That's huge. In our more rural
places, why we see population
(20:39):
decline. Some of it is because
people are leaving, but a lot
of it is because we're not
healthy. And, you know, we look
at, you know, our births minus
our deaths. You know, we're not
having babies as much as we
used to, but we're also our
life expectancy in rural places
is lower. And so that upsets me
when I see that the reason
we're losing population is
because we have this sort of
(21:00):
net natural decrease in the
population. So I just I think
it's a really interesting
statistic and one to think
about. It's not just population
goes up goes down, but why.
>> Right. Yeah that's very
interesting. I know there's
been some intentionality around
maternal mortality and trying
to improve maternal health, but
we're still probably trying to
climb higher on that.
>> Yeah, absolutely. We have
(21:21):
you know, one of my biggest
fears, we do a lot of work in
rural health and work with
rural hospitals is closures of
maternity wards. And, you know,
and being able to give birth in
a place that you live. That is
a huge determinant. When people
are going to move to a place
they don't want to have to plan,
you know, when they're going to
give birth to a baby. And so
that just breaks my heart to
(21:41):
see these centers closing,
because it just means more
people are going to have to get
up and go. Yeah.
>> Well, we thank you, Doctor
Davis. It's been a pleasure. We
hope to the next study that you
do. We'll have to have you back.
>> Thank you so much.
>> For having us. Thank you.
(22:20):
What a milestone for the
Sanders Brown Center on Aging
in Lexington. 40 years as an
Alzheimer's disease research
center. This week, the center's
leaders gathered to talk about
achievements of the past and
expectations for the future.
>> Our research at Sanders
Brown is truly world renowned
right here in Lexington,
(22:43):
Kentucky. We're at the
forefront of groundbreaking
discoveries and clinical
advancements that are shaping
the future of Alzheimer's and
dementia care. When I attend
scientific meetings, whether
it's in the US or international,
it's our work here at Sanders
Brown that's noticed and sparks
conversations.
>> And that achievement is not
lost. On the almost 81,000
(23:03):
Kentucky residents currently
experiencing the disease, or
the 157,000 caregivers who
mostly of whom are unpaid.
Every year, there are almost
2900 Kentucky residents in
hospice with dementia, and over
1600 will die with Alzheimer's.
Annual Medicaid costs exceed
800 million annually, and those
costs are expected to grow by
(23:24):
more than 18% over the next
five years. Those numbers are
truly astonishing. And yet
statistics and money don't
really demonstrate what the
disease does to individuals,
their families and the friends
around them.
>> So we're actually one of the
most active centers in the
country conducting clinical
trials in dementia. Our
scientists are identifying new
(23:45):
diseases that look like
Alzheimer's but are not
Alzheimer's. They're pioneering
the next generation of
therapies, and they're leading
studies that May 1st day
prevent memory loss before it
begins. And we're able to do
that, as you heard, because of
the continued support from the
National Institute on Aging.
Their investment in our
Alzheimer's Center allowed us
(24:06):
to build a 40 year record of
discovery and innovation. And
this is a legacy that only nine
centers in the nation can match
us. So continued NIH funding is
going to ensure that we keep
pushing boundaries, mentoring
the next generation of
scientists, and bringing hope
to people in Kentucky and
throughout the world. So as we
(24:27):
look to the next 40 years, our
mission remains the same to
advance science that improves
lives, helping people maintain
their memories, their
independence, and their dignity
as they age.
>> But we know, too, that now
more than ever, this effort
will require the work of
(24:48):
policymakers and partners,
research scientists like Linda
van Eldik, teachers and
scholars, communities and
nonprofits, all of them working
together with a shared vision
and common goal. A better
Kentucky, a stronger Kentucky,
a healthier Kentucky.
>> Hopefully, as we go into
(25:09):
another budget session, I
commit to you today. This will
remain a priority for me and I
will do all I can to ensure
that UK and Sanders Brown's has
the resources they need from
the Commonwealth to accomplish
your mission.
(25:30):
>> Funding for the UK Sanders
Brown Center began in 1972 with
money from John Brown, who
would later become governor,
and Kentucky Fried Chickens
Colonel Harland Sanders. The
center opened in 1979 and
earned its Alzheimer's Disease
Research Center designation in
1985. Well, that will do it for
(25:51):
us tonight, but we do hope that
you'll join us again tomorrow
night at 630 eastern, 530
Central on Kentucky Edition,
where we inform, connect and
inspire. We hope that you'll
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(26:14):
newsletters that you can see
and get in your inbox, and also
watch full episodes and clips
online and on demand at ket.org.
Inside Kentucky Politics is
tomorrow night with Bob Babich
and Trey Grayson. You don't
want to miss it. A lot of great
the state of the race? By the
numbers, we'll look at new
fundraising totals in the
Kentucky U.S. Senate race.
>> It just so happens that
whenever you eat local, healthy,
fresh food, you also get
healthy at the same time.
>> A progress report on efforts
to make Kentucky healthier.
>> Trade wars are not good for
(00:30):
the economy on both sides.
>> And what are tariffs costing
Kentucky.
>> 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
Thursday, October the 16th, I'm
Renee Shaw, and we thank you
for joining us this evening. US
Senator Mitch McConnell is
quote all good. That's
according to his spokesperson
after the senator was seen
falling in Washington, DC today,
video of the fall was shared on
(01:15):
social media. The 83 year old
appears to trip while being
questioned about arrests made
by Ice. He's seen being helped
up and is able to continue
walking on his own, McConnell's
office says he went on to cast
votes in the Senate. McConnell
stepped down as the Republican
Senate leader earlier this year
(01:35):
and announced he's not seeking
reelection. He said health was
not a factor. He's fallen
several times in recent years,
leading to injuries, including
a concussion and a broken rib.
McConnell suffered from polio
as a child and has long
acknowledged some difficulty as
an adult. As a result, who's
winning the fundraising battle
(01:57):
in the 2026 race to replace
Senator McConnell? Let's look
at the newest numbers.
Candidates have to disclose
their fundraising numbers
throughout the campaign. The
latest numbers on the
Republican side show
Congressman Andy Barr raised
$1.3 million from July through
September. He has the most
money right now. Former
(02:18):
Kentucky Attorney General
Daniel Cameron raised $411,000
during that same time. Nate
Morris, a Lexington businessman,
gave himself about $3 million
in seven different installments
during the three month period.
So far, Bill Barr has the most
cash on hand overall. It's a
(02:40):
trifecta of agriculture, health
care and public policy, plus
efforts to ensure every
Kentuckian has access to
nutritious food and how to
prepare it. That conversation
was held Wednesday with the
Make America Healthy Again
Kentucky Task Force in
Frankfort. Our Laura Rogers
explains in tonight's
legislative update.
(03:02):
>> Eat your medicine or you'll
take medicine. And I think that
goes really to the heart of
what we're talking about.
>> Kentucky Hospital
Association and the Kentucky
Department of Agriculture have
partnered for the Food as
Medicine campaign.
>> For me, Senator, it is
selfish and what we're doing
because we want to increase
rural prosperity and
profitability on the farm. And
(03:23):
in nearly every community in
which there is a hospital there,
the largest food consumers in
that community.
>> They're also often the
largest employer.
>> Health care typically has a
very unhealthy workforce.
>> And so that's where this
initiative started getting
healthy local produce and
proteins from Kentucky farms
and hospital cafeterias.
>> It's a win win for our
(03:43):
employees. It's a win win for
improving the health, and it's
a win win for our local ag.
>> Community hospitals are also
hosting farmers markets and
their parking lot.
>> We're finding that now
patients are scheduling their
procedures, their intake, their
checkups on the days that the
farmers markets are there so
that they can not only get
their health care taken care of,
(04:04):
but also participate in the
farmer's market to get their
food brought back to the house.
>> The task force had questions
about how to measure the
program's success, like
hospital workers taking fewer
sick days or faster recovery
times for patients.
>> Will we be able to see
numbers like that that are
saving costs for y'all, that
we'll be able to to see and
analyze.
>> One of the powerful
statistics that Jim mentioned
are our readmission rates.
(04:25):
>> Appalachian Regional
Healthcare says those
readmission rates are way down.
They also see it as an
investment in their workforce.
>> If we have healthy employees,
they're going to be productive
employees who are happy to come
to work every day, and they
have the whereabouts to work a
12 hour shift and care for very,
very sick patients all day long.
(04:45):
>> Commissioner shell says they
do need a more robust system to
track total outcomes. And then
there's the funding issue from
both private insurance and
state and federal programs.
>> If we're subsidizing
trillion dollar pharmaceutical
companies through reimbursable
Medicaid and Medicare
opportunities, why are we not
doing the same thing on proven
metrics that we know will get
(05:05):
outcomes for healthy food and
healthy living on the front end?
>> Some of those efforts are
also offered through the
University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension Service,
who discussed the impact of
nutrition education.
>> For those individuals who
attended seven or more sessions.
We saw 98% of those
participants showed improvement
in one or more diet quality
indicators. That's huge.
>> They also offer programs for
(05:27):
children and say they're
getting results.
>> And then when we looked at
the older kids, third to fifth
grade, we really saw some
impressive gains, especially
with almost two thirds of them
reducing the amount of sports
drinks that they were drinking,
72% drinking fewer sodas.
>> They were asked about a
recent loss of federal funding
and congressional budget cuts.
>> With that, the big,
(05:47):
beautiful bill that was signed
into law on July 4th, it
eliminated funding for the
Supplemental Nutrition
Education Program, which we
call Snap-ed.
>> As a result, 85 positions
were eliminated as of September
30th.
>> We need to change the
concept that the government
isn't going to make you healthy.
You're going to make yourself
healthy. So you continue to
(06:08):
share great resources of how
people can invest in themselves.
You've got wonderful programing
and we're very appreciative.
>> For Kentucky Edition. I'm
Laura Rogers.
>> Thank you. Laura, on the
Frankfort front again, should
the Kentucky General Assembly
consider a bill that would seal
dismissed eviction records,
some state lawmakers say it
(06:28):
could help Kentuckians find a
safe and affordable place to
live amid the state's lack of
affordable housing. Our Emily
Sisk has that and more from
today's Judiciary Committee
meeting in Frankfort.
>> A Republican lawmaker wants
to reintroduce legislation to
seal dismissed eviction cases,
which she says can hinder
(06:50):
Kentuckians from getting
housing if the case is on their
record.
>> This bill is important as it
increases the ability for
Kentuckians to have access to
safe, affordable housing. While
explicitly maintains the
property rights of the landlord.
>> Representative Whitten said
the bill would only seal
eviction filings that are
(07:12):
dismissed and it wouldn't
impact landlords ability to get
back any money they are owed.
Lawmakers on both sides of the
aisle voiced support for the
bill.
>> I represent a lot of, you
know, parents that find
themselves single and a lot of
times their one child support
payment, one spousal support
payment away from missing their
rent, and then it's just a
snowball effect. And I think
(07:33):
this will help some of those
single parents. So they're not
living in a hotel, paying a
weekly amount when they could
be getting a rental and putting
their family in a home.
>> It is only applicable to
dismissed cases. It is only
applicable for when there's no
other right, no other issue at
hand. It does not curtail
(07:55):
landlords options. It's a very
real, tangible barrier for
people who are trying to find
housing at a time when we're
trying to fix that issue. And
this is just, to my mind, very
low hanging fruit.
>> The Interim Joint Judiciary
Committee also heard a proposal
for a new mental health
treatment facility, which would
serve youth under the age of 18
(08:15):
who suffer from mental
illnesses that make them
extremely violent. The
Department of Juvenile Justice
commissioner said the facility
would have 24 beds. That number
raised questions from some
legislators.
>> 24 beds doesn't even sound
like it scratches the surface.
I don't know why. If you were
going to build something, why
(08:35):
you wouldn't build it so they
could come. But so I guess I'm
my question is, you landed on
24 beds, how would we even
staff it? Because all I hear
every time we come in here is
that the turnover rate, people
won't do it. People at the
hospital walk out when they see
it. So even if we built a state
of the art facility, how are
(08:56):
you going to get people to work
in it when they're getting beat
up and their hair pulled and
beaten with bricks every day?
>> We don't need a solution for
them until they become 18. We
need a solution for them their
entire lives, many of them. And
what we've done in the 60s and
70s is we've we've we the
pendulum was too far on these
mental health institutions, and
now the pendulum is way too far
on the other side. So I think
(09:17):
this is a Band-Aid approach,
and it's too expensive for a
Band-Aid.
>> The Department of Juvenile
Justice commissioner said he
believes this facility would be
a better option for youth than
a detention center or private
hospital. As for staffing, he
said he hopes they could
recruit college students or
recent graduates to work at the
facility for Kentucky Edition.
I'm Emily Sisk.
(09:39):
>> Thank you, Emily, the
Department of Juvenile Justice
commissioner said Jefferson or
Fayette County would be the
best location for the mental
health facility because of
their population and central
location in the state. The
Kentucky Supreme Court heard
arguments today on the
governor's appointing powers.
In recent years, the General
Assembly voted to give
(10:00):
Kentucky's other state
constitutional officers, like
the attorney general or state
auditor, more say in Who's on
state boards and commissions.
That includes the State Fair
Board, which oversees the
Kentucky Fairgrounds, and the
Kentucky Convention Center,
both located in Louisville. The
Attorney General's office
argued on behalf of the
Agriculture Commissioner.
(10:21):
>> We're a divided executive.
When he was governor or when he
was attorney general, attorney
General Beshear couldn't have
sued Governor Bevin so many
times if we were not a divided
executive attorney general.
Cameron couldn't have sued
Governor Beshear during the
Covid lockdowns if we were
divided. Executive, we are, in
every sense of the word, a
divided executive proudly so.
And what that means for today
is that every four years,
(10:43):
Kentuckians elect their
agriculture commissioner. And
under our Constitution, there's
no impediment at all to the
General Assembly simply giving
Commissioner Shell an outsized
role with respect to the Fair
board, given the big role that
the Fair Board plays in
Kentucky agriculture, that's
the very essence of good
government.
>> In 2022, the General
(11:03):
Assembly gave Kentucky's five
other constitutional officers
an appointment on the Executive
Ethics Commission. A justice
asks why the governor would
need more power on a board that
investigates his administration.
>> Don't you think it's more
fair to have the appointee
appoint authority dispersed
(11:25):
between the around the
executive branch to end up?
Because some of these, the
ethics committee will be could
review the governor himself,
couldn't they?
>> It oversees and enforces the
executive branch ethics code
over not just the executive
officers, including the
governor, but all employees of
our executive branch. That's
(11:46):
not what the question here. The
question is, can the
legislature take away the
governor's appointment
authority and give it to
another officer who has no
express constitutional powers
or duties in violation of the
express commands of section 69
and 81? And that is what House
Bill 334 does here and violates
those sections and is
(12:07):
unconstitutional. No.
>> Supreme the Court of Appeals
ruled differently in these two
cases, siding with the governor
on the State Fair board and
against the governor on the
Executive Ethics Commission. Of
course, the state Supreme Court
will have the final say in both
matters. We've reported many
times on the Trump
administration's tariffs and
(12:28):
their impact on key Kentucky
industries like soybeans and
bourbon. Last Monday on
Kentucky Tonight, we heard from
economists of different
perspectives on what tariffs
are doing in Kentucky and
beyond.
>> Tariffs are most definitely
a tax. And they do affect
consumers. And trade wars are
(12:48):
not good for the economy on
both sides. Economists
generally tend to indicate that
free trade among countries is
beneficial for both countries.
In most situations. We can talk
about some exceptions here in
just a minute. But but the idea
is it really gets down to the
issue of comparative advantage.
We can can produce certain
(13:11):
things here in terms of goods
and services, very, very well.
We can specialize in that. And
other countries can specialize
in the things that they have
comparative advantage in. And
in total, what ends up
happening is we increase
overall production by
specializing in the things that
we're really, really good at.
As a result of that, our
quality of life goes up. We
(13:31):
have more goods and services
available and they tend to be
cheaper. So we enter into a
trade war. We tend to disrupt
that, and we end up actually
reducing the amount of goods
and services that are being
produced.
>> This also helps our foreign
competitors with certain
products. I was in Glasgow,
(13:52):
Scotland last summer and took a
tour of the Highlands. Some of
the Scottish whiskey
manufacturers there, the
distilleries, and they thought
it was good news that, you know,
United States and the supplies
of Kentucky, Kentucky bourbon,
you know, whiskey made here in
the United States was going to
face retaliatory retaliatory
(14:12):
tariffs from our trading
partners. And they saw it as an
opportunity to to gain in sales.
So we now only have the problem
of not being able to export and
to make money. But again, we're
losing out to foreign
competition. They're going to
gain market share. The other
thing with with tariffs, if you
(14:34):
do see the foreign goods coming
into the United States many
times, many corporations,
instead of trying to keep their
prices the same and gain market
share, they just raised their
prices to match the foreign
competition once they got once
the goods get here.
>> You can see more of that
(14:56):
conversation about tariffs and
about the federal government
shutdowns. Effect on the
economy. That program is online
on demand at ket.org. Wendy.
Tonight, Governor Andy Beshear
is urging President Donald
Trump to fund $24 billion in
energy projects, projects
threatened by cuts. That
includes $537 million in
(15:18):
projects planned here in
Kentucky. In a letter, the
governor says canceling the
projects would mean job losses
in Maysville, Hopkinsville,
Shelbyville, Louisville and
Lexington. Jobs are headed to
Nicholasville at the future
home of Altex Biological
Fertilizers production facility.
It's a $4.5 million plant, paid
(15:39):
for by Alltech and a grant from
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
>> We moved in to the first
office 40 years ago, and to
jump forward now and think
where we are today, to be
breaking ground on a new
fermentation facility that will
focus very much around our crop
science business is really,
really exciting. Talking about
(16:00):
the future, the future of
agriculture, and how chemicals
are not going to be the way
forward. In fact, it's products
like those that we will be
producing here, fermented
products, biological products
that will be that future.
Leveraging the science,
leveraging and harnessing
nature to really create
something quite special.
>> This is all tech's first
(16:20):
domestic manufacturing facility.
Kentucky's drought picture has
improved, thank goodness. And
that's thanks to the huge
downpour last week. This is the
new map from the U.S. Drought
Monitor. Most of the state is
now white, which means normal.
There are still areas in
southern and western Kentucky
that are abnormally dry or in
(16:41):
the moderate drought category.
Louisville's Muhammad Ali
Center will soon have a new
leader. The board of directors
announced. President and CEO
DeVaughn Holt. Will Holt will
step down from his role on
October 24th of this year.
Lonnie Ali, the center's
co-founder and widow of the
late Muhammad Ali, will be
(17:02):
appointed chairman and will
serve as interim president and
CEO as the organization
transitions leadership. In an
email to colleagues, Holt said,
quote, the worsening problems
in our country and around the
world have compelled me to
begin identifying an even
greater platform to advance the
fight for democracy, human
rights and freedom for all
people, end quote. But he
(17:23):
didn't elaborate on specific
plans. DeVaughn Holt was just
named president of the Muhammad
Ali Center. In July of last
year, the center's board will
begin an international search
for a new CEO very soon. New
(17:50):
research by the University of
Kentucky details an evolution
in the state's rural economy.
The study, by Blueprint
Kentucky, takes stock of
population, employment and
industry trends across 85 rural
counties. One notable finding
is the reversal of a
longstanding trend in rural
population decline. But due to
remote and hybrid work options
(18:11):
that gained in popularity
during the Covid pandemic,
things are turning around.
Alison Davis, executive
director of Blueprint Kentucky
within the Martin Gatton
College of Agriculture, Food
and Environment at the
University of Kentucky, says
rural counties account for
about one third of Kentucky's
total employment, with small
and midsize businesses making
up a larger share of rural
(18:32):
Kentucky's economy than in
urban areas.
>> Kentucky is I often I often
state that I think Kentucky has
a really cool diversity of
industry, particularly some of
our cities. Lexington, for
example. Rural areas are not
quite as as diverse. Over 50%
(18:54):
of their population comes from
manufacturing, from health care,
and from retail. A lot of our
really rural places don't have
any manufacturing. So then
we're talking about government.
We're talking about school
system, the school systems, the
local government, health care
and retail. And you know those
I'd like to see more diverse
portfolios. I'd like to see
(19:15):
more attention paid for. You
know, how do we think about
career ladders for folks who
might be in our service sector
so that they know that there's
a future for them to have a
quality of life? But, you know,
there's we just don't see a lot
of like financial services,
accounting services, lawyers.
Well, we do see some lawyers,
but a lot of kind of creative
(19:36):
industries and so forth. I'd
love to see a little bit more
of that. Right. Just so that,
you know, I think about eastern
Kentucky and western Kentucky
that lost, you know, mining and
manufacturing. So that one when
one industry goes away, you're
okay. And that's what Lexington
is so great about, is if one
industry or one company goes,
we are surrounded by just a
whole host of other companies
(19:58):
and industries to support us.
>> Care to share with us a main
takeaway that we haven't
already talked about?
>> Well, I wanted to talk just.
>> Briefly about why our
population has changed, because
I talk about this a lot,
because I think we just say, oh,
population increases or
decreases and understanding why
our urban areas in Kentucky
grew because of the
(20:18):
in-migration of of migrants
from outside the country, you
know, likely to Louisville and
Lexington because of higher ed
and because some of our
industry there. But about 85%
of our population growth came
from international migration.
That's huge. In our more rural
places, why we see population
(20:39):
decline. Some of it is because
people are leaving, but a lot
of it is because we're not
healthy. And, you know, we look
at, you know, our births minus
our deaths. You know, we're not
having babies as much as we
used to, but we're also our
life expectancy in rural places
is lower. And so that upsets me
when I see that the reason
we're losing population is
because we have this sort of
(21:00):
net natural decrease in the
population. So I just I think
it's a really interesting
statistic and one to think
about. It's not just population
goes up goes down, but why.
>> Right. Yeah that's very
interesting. I know there's
been some intentionality around
maternal mortality and trying
to improve maternal health, but
we're still probably trying to
climb higher on that.
>> Yeah, absolutely. We have
(21:21):
you know, one of my biggest
fears, we do a lot of work in
rural health and work with
rural hospitals is closures of
maternity wards. And, you know,
and being able to give birth in
a place that you live. That is
a huge determinant. When people
are going to move to a place
they don't want to have to plan,
you know, when they're going to
give birth to a baby. And so
that just breaks my heart to
(21:41):
see these centers closing,
because it just means more
people are going to have to get
up and go. Yeah.
>> Well, we thank you, Doctor
Davis. It's been a pleasure. We
hope to the next study that you
do. We'll have to have you back.
>> Thank you so much.
>> For having us. Thank you.
(22:20):
What a milestone for the
Sanders Brown Center on Aging
in Lexington. 40 years as an
Alzheimer's disease research
center. This week, the center's
leaders gathered to talk about
achievements of the past and
expectations for the future.
>> Our research at Sanders
Brown is truly world renowned
right here in Lexington,
(22:43):
Kentucky. We're at the
forefront of groundbreaking
discoveries and clinical
advancements that are shaping
the future of Alzheimer's and
dementia care. When I attend
scientific meetings, whether
it's in the US or international,
it's our work here at Sanders
Brown that's noticed and sparks
conversations.
>> And that achievement is not
lost. On the almost 81,000
(23:03):
Kentucky residents currently
experiencing the disease, or
the 157,000 caregivers who
mostly of whom are unpaid.
Every year, there are almost
2900 Kentucky residents in
hospice with dementia, and over
1600 will die with Alzheimer's.
Annual Medicaid costs exceed
800 million annually, and those
costs are expected to grow by
(23:24):
more than 18% over the next
five years. Those numbers are
truly astonishing. And yet
statistics and money don't
really demonstrate what the
disease does to individuals,
their families and the friends
around them.
>> So we're actually one of the
most active centers in the
country conducting clinical
trials in dementia. Our
scientists are identifying new
(23:45):
diseases that look like
Alzheimer's but are not
Alzheimer's. They're pioneering
the next generation of
therapies, and they're leading
studies that May 1st day
prevent memory loss before it
begins. And we're able to do
that, as you heard, because of
the continued support from the
National Institute on Aging.
Their investment in our
Alzheimer's Center allowed us
(24:06):
to build a 40 year record of
discovery and innovation. And
this is a legacy that only nine
centers in the nation can match
us. So continued NIH funding is
going to ensure that we keep
pushing boundaries, mentoring
the next generation of
scientists, and bringing hope
to people in Kentucky and
throughout the world. So as we
(24:27):
look to the next 40 years, our
mission remains the same to
advance science that improves
lives, helping people maintain
their memories, their
independence, and their dignity
as they age.
>> But we know, too, that now
more than ever, this effort
will require the work of
(24:48):
policymakers and partners,
research scientists like Linda
van Eldik, teachers and
scholars, communities and
nonprofits, all of them working
together with a shared vision
and common goal. A better
Kentucky, a stronger Kentucky,
a healthier Kentucky.
>> Hopefully, as we go into
(25:09):
another budget session, I
commit to you today. This will
remain a priority for me and I
will do all I can to ensure
that UK and Sanders Brown's has
the resources they need from
the Commonwealth to accomplish
your mission.
(25:30):
>> Funding for the UK Sanders
Brown Center began in 1972 with
money from John Brown, who
would later become governor,
and Kentucky Fried Chickens
Colonel Harland Sanders. The
center opened in 1979 and
earned its Alzheimer's Disease
Research Center designation in
1985. Well, that will do it for
(25:51):
us tonight, but we do hope that
you'll join us again tomorrow
night at 630 eastern, 530
Central on Kentucky Edition,
where we inform, connect and
inspire. We hope that you'll
connect with us all the ways
you see on your screen Facebook,
Instagram and X to stay in the
loop on those social media
channels. Send us a story idea
by email to Public Affairs at
ket.org. Subscribe to our email
(26:14):
newsletters that you can see
and get in your inbox, and also
watch full episodes and clips
online and on demand at ket.org.
Inside Kentucky Politics is
tomorrow night with Bob Babich
and Trey Grayson. You don't
want to miss it. A lot of great
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