October 8, 2025 • 26 mins
Kentucky's attorney general sues a popular gaming platform for children, Kentucky's current congressional delegation reacts to the second anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel, and a University of Kentucky constitutional law professor talks about a conversion therapy case before the United States Supreme Court and how he thinks the justices will rule.
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(00:08):
>> Here is my message to
parents. Get your kids off
Roblox. Do it today.
>> Kentucky's attorney general
sues a popular gaming platform
for children.
>> I wouldn't send him a dime.
Like that's my position. I
don't think whatever we're
getting isn't worth it.
(00:30):
>> Two years of war between
Israel and Hamas, and the
debate on U.S. involvement
continues.
>> I think it's a big term in
terms of separation of powers,
in terms of presidential
authority, and in terms of the
guardrails for democracy.
>> And a Kentucky
constitutional law professor
(00:51):
talks about what's at stake for
America. As the U.S. Supreme
Court prepares to make some big
decisions.
>> Production of Kentucky
Edition is made possible in
part by the KET Millennium Fund.
(01:15):
>> Good evening and welcome to
Kentucky Edition for this
Tuesday, October the 7th, I'm
Renee Shaw, and we thank you
for joining us this evening.
The state's top cop claims that
a popular children's gaming and
social media platform is, quote,
a website of choice for child
predators. And he's suing that
platform called Roblox.
(01:36):
Kentucky Attorney General
Russell Coleman says that since
its launch in 2006, Roblox,
with its 380 million monthly
users, has knowingly permitted
an online environment for child
exploitation. The suit alleges
Roblox has created a hunting
ground for child predators, and
knowingly failed to inform
parents of the dangers of the
(01:58):
platform.
>> Here is my message to
parents get your kids off
Roblox. Do it today.
>> I consider myself to be a
very engaged parent. Like many
parents, I thought Roblox is a
safe choice. It presents itself
as a bright, safe, creative
playground. But I came to
realize later than I would like
(02:19):
to admit that it actually is
the Wild West of the internet
targeted at children today.
>> As Attorney General, I'm
proud to announce the
Commonwealth of Kentucky has
filed a lawsuit against Roblox
for its knowing failure to
protect children from the
darkness that lurks on its
platform. Nearly two thirds of
(02:40):
all U.S. kids, two thirds of
kids under the age of 13 play
games on Roblox platform. We're
holding this platform
accountable for online sex
rooms. We're holding this
platform accountable for
sextortion, and we're holding
this platform accountable for
(03:00):
child sexual abuse material. We
also learned that after the
gruesome assassination of
Charlie Kirk, sickening
so-called assassination
simulators immediately popped
up on Roblox. They allowed
children as young as five to
access bloody images of the
(03:22):
shooting. For years,
individuals have called on
Roblox to implement stronger
safety features to mitigate
this harm to protect our kids.
But the company's response has
been anything but adequate.
Young kids are able to create
accounts quickly, easily, and
without their parents knowledge.
At the end of the day, we want
Roblox to change their platform
(03:43):
age verification that is able
to both preclude younger kids
from purporting to be older,
and predators purporting to be
younger. To have to induce
Roblox to actually have content
filters that work and cannot be
easily worked around, which is
the case now to encourage
Roblox to provide additional
(04:07):
parental notification to
provide disclaimers.
>> The only advice that I have
today is to delete it. The
reality is, Roblox makes it
nearly impossible to police as
a parent. It breaks my heart
every time I hear of another
tragedy linked to this platform.
If your kids are on Roblox,
please don't assume that your
(04:28):
child will not fall prey to
this. Roblox.
>> Kentucky is the second state
to file a lawsuit against
Roblox. Louisiana Louisiana
rather filed a similar lawsuit
in August. The attorney general
was also asked today about his
push to reinstate the death
penalty in Kentucky. In June,
he sent a letter to Governor
Andy Beshear requesting the
(04:51):
governor set an execution date
for Ralph Baze. Baze was
convicted of killing the Powell
County sheriff and deputy
sheriff in 1992. In response to
the attorney general's request,
Governor Beshear said the state
doesn't have and can easily get
the drugs needed to carry out a
lethal injection, and that the
Department of Corrections must
(05:12):
take several steps before a
death warrant can be issued.
Today, Attorney General Coleman
suggested those arguments are
just a distraction.
>> What our governor said was,
there's a rag that needs to
work its way through before we
can move forward. It's a
brilliant answer by the smart
lawyer. There is a red that's
working its way through it. It
(05:33):
applies to those who have
intellectual disability claims.
Mr. Baze doesn't have an
intellectual disability claim.
There is no new rag. There's no
new statute. There's nothing
needed from the General
Assembly or the courts for our
governor to enforce the law of
this Commonwealth and bring
justice to the family of two
slain law enforcement officers.
Governor, how about it? Let's
enforce the law of this
(05:53):
Commonwealth. And no more of
these red herring answers.
>> The last execution in
Kentucky was in 2008. Currently,
there are 25 inmates on death
row in the state. President
Donald Trump hasn't endorsed a
candidate in the 2026 Kentucky
race for the U.S. Senate, but
someone with close Trump ties
(06:15):
is backing Republican candidate
Nate Morris, the Lexington
Herald-Leader reports. Zach
Wittkopf and his wife, Sophie
Knight, are hosting a 45th
birthday fundraiser for Morris
at the Wittkopf family's
Lexington farm next week.
Wittkopf is the son of
President Trump's special envoy
to the Middle East, Steve
Wittkopf. Morris had no comment
(06:37):
to the Lexington Herald Leader
about the fundraiser.
Kentucky's current
congressional delegation is
reacting to the second
anniversary of a Hamas attack
on Israel that killed 1200
people, mostly civilians. Since
then, Israel's Israel's
retaliation on the Gaza Strip
has killed more than 67,000
(06:58):
Palestinians, and what the
United Nations and human rights
groups called a genocide. The
U.S. has been involved in
everything from trying to
broker a peace deal to
providing military aid to
Israel. Our June Leffler has
more in this report.
>> U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
has championed unfettered
military support for Israel.
(07:20):
Like Ukraine, McConnell says
America's allies share our
global interests, and as
independent nations must decide
their own war tactics. On this
anniversary of the October 7th
attack, McConnell writes, quote,
Hamas has chosen every day to
compound needless suffering.
Israel has sacrificed greatly
in the pursuit of peace.
(07:42):
Congress has supported Israel,
sending more than $20 billion
in military aid to the country
since the war started two years
ago.
>> But progressive left and
isolation is right.
Hyperventilated about the
specter of so-called forever
war.
(08:03):
>> That speech was at the tail
end of a tense time this summer,
when Israel bombed Iranian
military and nuclear facilities.
In June, Kentucky's other
Republican senator pushed back
on calls to escalate America's
involvement in the Middle East.
>> I see more war and more
carnage, and it's not the US's
job to be involved in this war.
(08:24):
>> Unlike McConnell, Paul has
questioned Israel's government
just a month into the war. Paul
penned an op ed. He wrote,
quote, when I visited Israel in
2013, I suggested to Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
that incremental improvements
in the lives of Palestinians
might lessen their rage and
propensity to commit violence.
(08:47):
However, the senator also wrote
against USAID for Palestinians,
and while he supported a Bernie
Sanders resolution to report on
Israel's human rights record,
he has never supported Sanders
weapons embargo in the Senate,
Republican Congressman Thomas
Massie discussed such military
aid on Theo Vaughn's podcast.
(09:07):
>> I wouldn't send him a dime.
Like that's my position. I
don't think whatever we're
getting isn't worth it. And
don't ask me to articulate the
benefit, because I think the
cost is greater than the
benefit you could. Everybody in
Gaza is, at this point has to
hate Israel, right? And by
extension, those bombs, when
(09:28):
they see American politicians
go over there and, like, sign
the freaking bombs that are
going to kill women and
children.
>> Massie also called out
lobbyists advocating for such
aid, namely the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee, or
AIPAC. Massie is Kentucky's
only U.S. senator or
representative not to take
AIPAC money, according to AIPAC
(09:48):
tracker, which opposes the
lobbying group. However,
Kentucky's only Democratic
congressman, Representative
Morgan McGarvey, said this
summer he would no longer take
AIPAC contributions, which he
received in previous campaigns
for Kentucky Edition. I'm June
Leffler.
>> Thank you, June, for that.
As the U.S. tries to broker a
(10:09):
peace deal with Israel and
Hamas, Senator Mitch McConnell
writes today, it would, quote,
provide an opportunity for
Palestinians to turn a page on
a dark chapter of terrorism and
tyranny and chart a new course
without Hamas, end quote,
violent crime is trending down
in Kentucky's largest city.
Louisville. Leaders say it's
(10:30):
because new strategies are
working. The city's Office of
Violence Prevention just
released a new report looking
at the impacts of these
programs over the last three
years. According to the report,
gun violence related homicides
dropped by 43%. The number of
shooting victims across the
city decreased by 39%. And in
the four neighborhoods, using
(10:51):
the anti-violence program
called Pivot to Peace, gun
violence also dropped by more
than 60%. A mother and member
of one of the city's
anti-violence neighborhood
coalitions says the violence
intervention programs not only
make neighborhoods safer, but
also build community.
>> I've lived in the
neighborhood for close to 15
(11:13):
years, and when we first moved
in, it was difficult because we
heard gunshots all the time.
And when I became a mother four
years ago, almost, it was
terrifying, honestly. But over
the past three years, I can
tell you that that occurrence
has reduced. I haven't heard as
many gunshots when I'm putting
my son to bed and that is that
is dynamic. The ABC in Taylor
(11:35):
Berry has made a critical, life
saving impact for so many
families in my neighborhood,
and it has built a community
network of support that is
unlike any I've seen before.
>> The city has also updated
its Gun Violence dashboard. It
now provides daily updates on
violent crimes in the city,
(11:56):
using real time information. We
heard from all sides last night
on Kentucky Tonight as we
discussed vaccines and
medications with a panel of
board certified physicians. In
September, the Trump
administration warned people
about possible connections
between acetaminophen use, the
active ingredient in Tylenol
and autism. Last night, our
(12:17):
panel talked about the study
that led to that conclusion and
whether doctors should give
Tylenol to pregnant women.
>> The study was based. The
information is not new, but the
most recent study was a review
of 48 different studies, and 27
of them found kind of an
alarming correlation between
(12:41):
Tylenol use in pregnancy and
autism.
>> So was there a correlation
or causation.
>> With any epidemiological
study? You cannot prove
causation. So that's that's the
best that we have, especially
in pregnant women. That's often
the best that we have. It's
very hard to design a
randomized controlled trial in
(13:02):
in pregnant women.
>> That's and that's very true.
There needs to be more research
that's actually focused on
pregnant women so that we have
some of these answers. But we
know this answer with Tylenol.
It's been studied over and over
and over for over 20 years. And
we know based on the science
and the evidence, acetaminophen
does not cause autism or other
(13:24):
neurological disorders. Period.
And to imply which is what this
administration is doing, that
it might that that there could
be a link is dangerous for
patients for so many other
downstream effects in this
country.
>> You can hear more of that
discussion as well as the
debate over vaccinations,
(13:44):
including the Covid vaccine.
That program is online and on
demand that you can stream at
ket.org. Tonight. The United
States Supreme Court began a
new term this week. Today,
justices heard a case that is
familiar to many here in
(14:04):
Kentucky. It has to do with
conversion therapy and whether
or not a state law banning this
practice violates a counselor's
First Amendment rights.
Conversion therapy is is any
emotional or physical therapy
used to suppress a person's
attraction to the same sex or
their gender identity, identity,
and expression? This morning I
(14:26):
spoke with Josh Douglas, an
elections, voting rights and
constitutional law professor at
the University of Kentucky, who
says the High Court seems to be
leaning in favor of the
counselor.
>> Well, the court heard oral
argument, and I think coming
out of the argument, it seems
like the court's going to
strike down this Colorado law.
So the Colorado law basically
(14:46):
says that licensed therapists
cannot provide so-called
conversion therapy. And it's a
First Amendment challenge. And
so it's suggesting that by
banning a particular practice,
which has been seen as harmful
to the LGBT community, that it
violates these providers First
Amendment rights. And reports
from the oral argument suggest
(15:07):
that the court is going to
apply what's known as strict
scrutiny. So the highest level
of judicial review, the most
skepticism of a state law. And
it sounds like, again, if we're
going to read the tea leaves
from the argument that the
court is seems likely to strike
it down. And this has
implications, obviously, with
respect to LGBT rights and the
(15:29):
laws that many states are
passing with respect to
conversion therapy, I think
there's 20 something states
that have these laws on the
books.
>> The Family Foundation in
Kentucky is urging the Supreme
Court to strike down Colorado's
law. In a statement, Executive
Director David Walls said,
quote, this harmful law is
designed to promote false LGBTQ
(15:50):
ideologies and muzzle Christian
counselors from helping
children struggling with gender
and sexuality confusion.
Governor Andy Beshear banned
conversion therapy in Kentucky
through an executive order last
year. This year, the Kentucky
General Assembly passed House
Bill 495, overturning the
executive order. Beshear vetoed
the bill, and the veto was
(16:12):
overridden by the Republican
dominated state legislature.
From the legality of many of
President Donald Trump's
sweeping tariffs to the firing
of independent agency members
and birthright citizenship, the
nation's highest court, which
began its new term yesterday,
has some constitutional
scholars watching for rulings
that could rein in the
(16:32):
president's expansion of
executive power. UK law
professor Joshua Douglas comes
back to give us a primer on
some key cases to watch.
>> There are a lot of really
significant cases that are
going to tell us the scope of
how much the Supreme Court is
going to be a check on the
executive. We're seeing the
court already issue various
(16:54):
orders in its so-called
emergency docket. Some people
refer to it as the shadow
docket.
>> These are what does that
mean?
>> They're basically cases that
where the losing party at the
lower court asks for an
emergency decision, an
emergency appeal. They don't
have full briefing. They don't
have oral argument like in the
regular course of cases. And
(17:16):
the court didn't used to use
this very much, didn't used to
entertain these kinds of
appeals. But more and more has
been issuing decisions,
typically putting a lower court
decision on hold, which has the
effect in the cases involving
Trump, have has the effect of
in most of these cases,
allowing Trump to take the
action that he's seeking while
(17:36):
the court says, but we're going
to decide later on the full
substance of this and the full
legality or constitutionality
of the action. So what we saw
over the summer was the court,
in numerous decisions, put
lower court decisions on hold
and say, we're going to decide
these later. And, well, later
is now for this this new term.
(17:57):
>> And you have some particular
interest in some cases that
will be heard concerning voting
rights. Tell us about this.
>> Yeah. Well, so the biggest
case with respect to voting
rights is out of Louisiana.
This is a case about
redistricting the way we draw
district lines. And what's kind
of crazy is that we're still
litigating the maps that were
drawn after the 2020, 2021
(18:18):
census, and states have to
redraw their lines every ten
years to ensure population
equality, to ensure that the
districts have roughly the same
number of people. But there are
other rules involved,
particularly with respect to
race and the current doctrine.
Essentially, the current case
law, essentially, that is, that
states have to think about race
(18:40):
some if there's a significant
minority population like in
Louisiana, but you can't think
about race too much. And so
what happened is in Louisiana,
they have six congressional
districts with a population
that's about 33% racial
minority. And only one of those
six districts had a majority of
people that were of minority
race. A majority of people who
(19:01):
are black. But with six
districts, you would think in
33% of the population, maybe it
should be closer to two. And so
there was a lawsuit under the
Voting Rights Act, section two
of the Voting Rights Act, which
said, essentially, you've got
to have two seats instead of
just one that are majority
black. The lower courts agreed.
Louisiana drew a map that was
(19:23):
to majority black districts
while still trying to preserve
the Partizan representation.
And then some white plaintiffs
sued and said, well, hold up.
You thought about race too much
in drawing the lines and making
sure that you had two majority
black districts. And so that's
the challenge facing the court
right now, is did Louisiana
think about race too much in
(19:44):
drawing the lines? And if it
was forced to think about race
to comply with the Voting
Rights Act, does that make the
Voting Rights Act itself
unconstitutional? Now, the
court heard the case last term,
and then on towards the end of
the term, it said, we're going
to rehear it with new briefing
and new argument on that bigger
constitutional question. Is
(20:05):
section two of the Voting
Rights Act unconstitutional?
>> And this is widespread
beyond just the implications
for Louisiana, this could have
major implications nationwide.
>> I mean, I think, you know,
there's so many states that
have maps that are drawn under
the auspices of section two of
the Voting Rights Act, where
we're seeing that you have to
have a certain amount of
(20:25):
minority representation,
because here's what map draws
will sometimes do, because in
many states, minorities tend to
live in the same geographic
area. They'll draw the lines to
pack as many minority members
into one district, so that
their supermajority in one
district, and have zero
influence in the rest of the
state. And section two has said,
(20:47):
or the court's interpretation
of section two has said, that
that's often unlawful when you
could draw a map that has
stronger minority
representation. So maps in
Alabama, in Florida, in North
Carolina all have this kind of
concern. And even here in
Kentucky, you know, there's
some talk about should the
(21:07):
Republicans try to redraw the
lines, like many other states
are doing in this mid-decade
redistricting and take away the
one Democratic controlled seat
right now in Louisville? But
the problem for the state is
that it might face a section
two Voting Rights Act lawsuit
if it does that, because
Louisville obviously is a large
(21:27):
minority population. Well,
section two goes out the door.
There's perhaps not as much of
a legal constraint on at least
that aspect of redrawing the
lines.
>> And this.
>> Is not about redrawing
district lines in a mid in mid
cycle, as I would say.
>> Yeah, this this case out of
Louisiana is not. But I think
it has implications not only
(21:49):
for future lawsuits, but also
for what states might try to do,
knowing that there could be a
lawsuit, you know, pending or
brought against it. So, you
know, laws aren't just about
the lawsuits that are brought.
They're about deterring action
because of the potential of a
lawsuit that might come down
the pike.
>> Professor Douglas cast this
(22:09):
term of Scotus as a test of the
separation of powers in terms
of presidential authority and
the guardrails for democracy.
In today's digital environment
and ChatGPT, it can seem like
(22:32):
medical information is just a
click away. But physicians say
having a primary care provider
is still the best resource to
better health. This week is
Primary Care Week, and Norton
Health Care shares why having a
relationship with your PCP is
still important.
>> A lot of us only think of
going to the doctor whenever
(22:53):
we're sick, whenever you have
an upper respiratory, or maybe
like, I just have this weird
thing on my arm and I need to
go get it checked out. But our
health is something that is
more encompassing than just a
respiratory infection, or this
thing you're seeing on your
skin. There could be things
going on inside that you may
not realize like high blood
pressure, cholesterol, diabetes.
(23:15):
So having a primary care week
is just a nice reminder that,
hey, we take care of ourselves
on the outside. Let's take care
of ourselves on the inside, too.
It's a relationship. It's
something that's going to grow
over time. It's someone who's
going to learn about you and
learn about your specific risks,
especially when it comes to
(23:37):
your family history, about
other conditions that we need
to watch for down the road. But
also it's helping you have a
trusted source when it comes to
information, because there's
just so many sources out there
right now. And how do you
filter through all this
information? How do you have
someone who can help give you
(23:57):
good advice, who knows you? And
that's what a primary care can
do for you? ChatGPT is going to
do an excellent job in giving
you a differential. I have
chest pain. What should I do?
And it's going to tell you it
could be a heart attack. It
could be a pulmonary embolism.
It could be reflux. It could be
inflammation in your chest
(24:18):
muscles. And looking at all of
that information can be really,
really overwhelming. And how do
you decipher ChatGPT can't tell
you, hey, you're 21 years old.
It probably isn't a heart
attack. Maybe it could be, but
ChatGPT can't figure that piece
of it out. But someone that you
(24:39):
feel comfortable talking to and
who you can share your symptoms
with. So that way they can help
figure out, do we need to go
down this path or that path to
help figure out what's causing
your chest pain? It's going to
be a whole lot more helpful. I
know there's a lot of online
entities that have come up to
help say, hey, we'll help you
(25:00):
with your hair loss. We'll help
you with your mood. We'll help
you with your weight loss. And
they make it sound very easy to
interact with them. But the
thing you miss out on, an
entity of that sort, is that
you don't get continuity. You
come back that second time, you
may not be seeing the same
person, and then you're
(25:20):
repeating that story and they
don't know where you're coming
from. And how can they tell if
you're doing any better on that
medicine. So you're still kind
of on your own. And so a
primary care is going to help
you filter through that and
help you figure out what's best
for you.
>> Our thanks to Doctor Mona
Lisa Taylor for that. A recent
report from the National
(25:41):
Association of Community Health
Centers says one third of
Americans do not have a primary
care provider. Well, we'll talk
about recent political
developments in Kentucky
tomorrow in our reporter's
notebook. Plus, as the federal
government shutdown continues
into its second week, insights
from a University of Kentucky
political science professor.
All that and more on
(26:03):
Wednesday's edition of Kentucky
Edition, which we hope we'll
see you for again at 630
eastern, 530 central, where we
inform, connect and inspire. We
hope you'll connect with us all
the ways you see on your screen.
Facebook X formerly known as
Twitter and Instagram to stay
in the loop and send us an idea
or two that we can do a story
on by email at Public Affairs
at KET. Dot. I'm Renee Shaw,
(26:26):
good to have you with us
tonight, and hope to see you
>> Here is my message to
parents. Get your kids off
Roblox. Do it today.
>> Kentucky's attorney general
sues a popular gaming platform
for children.
>> I wouldn't send him a dime.
Like that's my position. I
don't think whatever we're
getting isn't worth it.
(00:30):
>> Two years of war between
Israel and Hamas, and the
debate on U.S. involvement
continues.
>> I think it's a big term in
terms of separation of powers,
in terms of presidential
authority, and in terms of the
guardrails for democracy.
>> And a Kentucky
constitutional law professor
(00:51):
talks about what's at stake for
America. As the U.S. Supreme
Court prepares to make some big
decisions.
>> Production of Kentucky
Edition is made possible in
part by the KET Millennium Fund.
(01:15):
>> Good evening and welcome to
Kentucky Edition for this
Tuesday, October the 7th, I'm
Renee Shaw, and we thank you
for joining us this evening.
The state's top cop claims that
a popular children's gaming and
social media platform is, quote,
a website of choice for child
predators. And he's suing that
platform called Roblox.
(01:36):
Kentucky Attorney General
Russell Coleman says that since
its launch in 2006, Roblox,
with its 380 million monthly
users, has knowingly permitted
an online environment for child
exploitation. The suit alleges
Roblox has created a hunting
ground for child predators, and
knowingly failed to inform
parents of the dangers of the
(01:58):
platform.
>> Here is my message to
parents get your kids off
Roblox. Do it today.
>> I consider myself to be a
very engaged parent. Like many
parents, I thought Roblox is a
safe choice. It presents itself
as a bright, safe, creative
playground. But I came to
realize later than I would like
(02:19):
to admit that it actually is
the Wild West of the internet
targeted at children today.
>> As Attorney General, I'm
proud to announce the
Commonwealth of Kentucky has
filed a lawsuit against Roblox
for its knowing failure to
protect children from the
darkness that lurks on its
platform. Nearly two thirds of
(02:40):
all U.S. kids, two thirds of
kids under the age of 13 play
games on Roblox platform. We're
holding this platform
accountable for online sex
rooms. We're holding this
platform accountable for
sextortion, and we're holding
this platform accountable for
(03:00):
child sexual abuse material. We
also learned that after the
gruesome assassination of
Charlie Kirk, sickening
so-called assassination
simulators immediately popped
up on Roblox. They allowed
children as young as five to
access bloody images of the
(03:22):
shooting. For years,
individuals have called on
Roblox to implement stronger
safety features to mitigate
this harm to protect our kids.
But the company's response has
been anything but adequate.
Young kids are able to create
accounts quickly, easily, and
without their parents knowledge.
At the end of the day, we want
Roblox to change their platform
(03:43):
age verification that is able
to both preclude younger kids
from purporting to be older,
and predators purporting to be
younger. To have to induce
Roblox to actually have content
filters that work and cannot be
easily worked around, which is
the case now to encourage
Roblox to provide additional
(04:07):
parental notification to
provide disclaimers.
>> The only advice that I have
today is to delete it. The
reality is, Roblox makes it
nearly impossible to police as
a parent. It breaks my heart
every time I hear of another
tragedy linked to this platform.
If your kids are on Roblox,
please don't assume that your
(04:28):
child will not fall prey to
this. Roblox.
>> Kentucky is the second state
to file a lawsuit against
Roblox. Louisiana Louisiana
rather filed a similar lawsuit
in August. The attorney general
was also asked today about his
push to reinstate the death
penalty in Kentucky. In June,
he sent a letter to Governor
Andy Beshear requesting the
(04:51):
governor set an execution date
for Ralph Baze. Baze was
convicted of killing the Powell
County sheriff and deputy
sheriff in 1992. In response to
the attorney general's request,
Governor Beshear said the state
doesn't have and can easily get
the drugs needed to carry out a
lethal injection, and that the
Department of Corrections must
(05:12):
take several steps before a
death warrant can be issued.
Today, Attorney General Coleman
suggested those arguments are
just a distraction.
>> What our governor said was,
there's a rag that needs to
work its way through before we
can move forward. It's a
brilliant answer by the smart
lawyer. There is a red that's
working its way through it. It
(05:33):
applies to those who have
intellectual disability claims.
Mr. Baze doesn't have an
intellectual disability claim.
There is no new rag. There's no
new statute. There's nothing
needed from the General
Assembly or the courts for our
governor to enforce the law of
this Commonwealth and bring
justice to the family of two
slain law enforcement officers.
Governor, how about it? Let's
enforce the law of this
(05:53):
Commonwealth. And no more of
these red herring answers.
>> The last execution in
Kentucky was in 2008. Currently,
there are 25 inmates on death
row in the state. President
Donald Trump hasn't endorsed a
candidate in the 2026 Kentucky
race for the U.S. Senate, but
someone with close Trump ties
(06:15):
is backing Republican candidate
Nate Morris, the Lexington
Herald-Leader reports. Zach
Wittkopf and his wife, Sophie
Knight, are hosting a 45th
birthday fundraiser for Morris
at the Wittkopf family's
Lexington farm next week.
Wittkopf is the son of
President Trump's special envoy
to the Middle East, Steve
Wittkopf. Morris had no comment
(06:37):
to the Lexington Herald Leader
about the fundraiser.
Kentucky's current
congressional delegation is
reacting to the second
anniversary of a Hamas attack
on Israel that killed 1200
people, mostly civilians. Since
then, Israel's Israel's
retaliation on the Gaza Strip
has killed more than 67,000
(06:58):
Palestinians, and what the
United Nations and human rights
groups called a genocide. The
U.S. has been involved in
everything from trying to
broker a peace deal to
providing military aid to
Israel. Our June Leffler has
more in this report.
>> U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
has championed unfettered
military support for Israel.
(07:20):
Like Ukraine, McConnell says
America's allies share our
global interests, and as
independent nations must decide
their own war tactics. On this
anniversary of the October 7th
attack, McConnell writes, quote,
Hamas has chosen every day to
compound needless suffering.
Israel has sacrificed greatly
in the pursuit of peace.
(07:42):
Congress has supported Israel,
sending more than $20 billion
in military aid to the country
since the war started two years
ago.
>> But progressive left and
isolation is right.
Hyperventilated about the
specter of so-called forever
war.
(08:03):
>> That speech was at the tail
end of a tense time this summer,
when Israel bombed Iranian
military and nuclear facilities.
In June, Kentucky's other
Republican senator pushed back
on calls to escalate America's
involvement in the Middle East.
>> I see more war and more
carnage, and it's not the US's
job to be involved in this war.
(08:24):
>> Unlike McConnell, Paul has
questioned Israel's government
just a month into the war. Paul
penned an op ed. He wrote,
quote, when I visited Israel in
2013, I suggested to Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
that incremental improvements
in the lives of Palestinians
might lessen their rage and
propensity to commit violence.
(08:47):
However, the senator also wrote
against USAID for Palestinians,
and while he supported a Bernie
Sanders resolution to report on
Israel's human rights record,
he has never supported Sanders
weapons embargo in the Senate,
Republican Congressman Thomas
Massie discussed such military
aid on Theo Vaughn's podcast.
(09:07):
>> I wouldn't send him a dime.
Like that's my position. I
don't think whatever we're
getting isn't worth it. And
don't ask me to articulate the
benefit, because I think the
cost is greater than the
benefit you could. Everybody in
Gaza is, at this point has to
hate Israel, right? And by
extension, those bombs, when
(09:28):
they see American politicians
go over there and, like, sign
the freaking bombs that are
going to kill women and
children.
>> Massie also called out
lobbyists advocating for such
aid, namely the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee, or
AIPAC. Massie is Kentucky's
only U.S. senator or
representative not to take
AIPAC money, according to AIPAC
(09:48):
tracker, which opposes the
lobbying group. However,
Kentucky's only Democratic
congressman, Representative
Morgan McGarvey, said this
summer he would no longer take
AIPAC contributions, which he
received in previous campaigns
for Kentucky Edition. I'm June
Leffler.
>> Thank you, June, for that.
As the U.S. tries to broker a
(10:09):
peace deal with Israel and
Hamas, Senator Mitch McConnell
writes today, it would, quote,
provide an opportunity for
Palestinians to turn a page on
a dark chapter of terrorism and
tyranny and chart a new course
without Hamas, end quote,
violent crime is trending down
in Kentucky's largest city.
Louisville. Leaders say it's
(10:30):
because new strategies are
working. The city's Office of
Violence Prevention just
released a new report looking
at the impacts of these
programs over the last three
years. According to the report,
gun violence related homicides
dropped by 43%. The number of
shooting victims across the
city decreased by 39%. And in
the four neighborhoods, using
(10:51):
the anti-violence program
called Pivot to Peace, gun
violence also dropped by more
than 60%. A mother and member
of one of the city's
anti-violence neighborhood
coalitions says the violence
intervention programs not only
make neighborhoods safer, but
also build community.
>> I've lived in the
neighborhood for close to 15
(11:13):
years, and when we first moved
in, it was difficult because we
heard gunshots all the time.
And when I became a mother four
years ago, almost, it was
terrifying, honestly. But over
the past three years, I can
tell you that that occurrence
has reduced. I haven't heard as
many gunshots when I'm putting
my son to bed and that is that
is dynamic. The ABC in Taylor
(11:35):
Berry has made a critical, life
saving impact for so many
families in my neighborhood,
and it has built a community
network of support that is
unlike any I've seen before.
>> The city has also updated
its Gun Violence dashboard. It
now provides daily updates on
violent crimes in the city,
(11:56):
using real time information. We
heard from all sides last night
on Kentucky Tonight as we
discussed vaccines and
medications with a panel of
board certified physicians. In
September, the Trump
administration warned people
about possible connections
between acetaminophen use, the
active ingredient in Tylenol
and autism. Last night, our
(12:17):
panel talked about the study
that led to that conclusion and
whether doctors should give
Tylenol to pregnant women.
>> The study was based. The
information is not new, but the
most recent study was a review
of 48 different studies, and 27
of them found kind of an
alarming correlation between
(12:41):
Tylenol use in pregnancy and
autism.
>> So was there a correlation
or causation.
>> With any epidemiological
study? You cannot prove
causation. So that's that's the
best that we have, especially
in pregnant women. That's often
the best that we have. It's
very hard to design a
randomized controlled trial in
(13:02):
in pregnant women.
>> That's and that's very true.
There needs to be more research
that's actually focused on
pregnant women so that we have
some of these answers. But we
know this answer with Tylenol.
It's been studied over and over
and over for over 20 years. And
we know based on the science
and the evidence, acetaminophen
does not cause autism or other
(13:24):
neurological disorders. Period.
And to imply which is what this
administration is doing, that
it might that that there could
be a link is dangerous for
patients for so many other
downstream effects in this
country.
>> You can hear more of that
discussion as well as the
debate over vaccinations,
(13:44):
including the Covid vaccine.
That program is online and on
demand that you can stream at
ket.org. Tonight. The United
States Supreme Court began a
new term this week. Today,
justices heard a case that is
familiar to many here in
(14:04):
Kentucky. It has to do with
conversion therapy and whether
or not a state law banning this
practice violates a counselor's
First Amendment rights.
Conversion therapy is is any
emotional or physical therapy
used to suppress a person's
attraction to the same sex or
their gender identity, identity,
and expression? This morning I
(14:26):
spoke with Josh Douglas, an
elections, voting rights and
constitutional law professor at
the University of Kentucky, who
says the High Court seems to be
leaning in favor of the
counselor.
>> Well, the court heard oral
argument, and I think coming
out of the argument, it seems
like the court's going to
strike down this Colorado law.
So the Colorado law basically
(14:46):
says that licensed therapists
cannot provide so-called
conversion therapy. And it's a
First Amendment challenge. And
so it's suggesting that by
banning a particular practice,
which has been seen as harmful
to the LGBT community, that it
violates these providers First
Amendment rights. And reports
from the oral argument suggest
(15:07):
that the court is going to
apply what's known as strict
scrutiny. So the highest level
of judicial review, the most
skepticism of a state law. And
it sounds like, again, if we're
going to read the tea leaves
from the argument that the
court is seems likely to strike
it down. And this has
implications, obviously, with
respect to LGBT rights and the
(15:29):
laws that many states are
passing with respect to
conversion therapy, I think
there's 20 something states
that have these laws on the
books.
>> The Family Foundation in
Kentucky is urging the Supreme
Court to strike down Colorado's
law. In a statement, Executive
Director David Walls said,
quote, this harmful law is
designed to promote false LGBTQ
(15:50):
ideologies and muzzle Christian
counselors from helping
children struggling with gender
and sexuality confusion.
Governor Andy Beshear banned
conversion therapy in Kentucky
through an executive order last
year. This year, the Kentucky
General Assembly passed House
Bill 495, overturning the
executive order. Beshear vetoed
the bill, and the veto was
(16:12):
overridden by the Republican
dominated state legislature.
From the legality of many of
President Donald Trump's
sweeping tariffs to the firing
of independent agency members
and birthright citizenship, the
nation's highest court, which
began its new term yesterday,
has some constitutional
scholars watching for rulings
that could rein in the
(16:32):
president's expansion of
executive power. UK law
professor Joshua Douglas comes
back to give us a primer on
some key cases to watch.
>> There are a lot of really
significant cases that are
going to tell us the scope of
how much the Supreme Court is
going to be a check on the
executive. We're seeing the
court already issue various
(16:54):
orders in its so-called
emergency docket. Some people
refer to it as the shadow
docket.
>> These are what does that
mean?
>> They're basically cases that
where the losing party at the
lower court asks for an
emergency decision, an
emergency appeal. They don't
have full briefing. They don't
have oral argument like in the
regular course of cases. And
(17:16):
the court didn't used to use
this very much, didn't used to
entertain these kinds of
appeals. But more and more has
been issuing decisions,
typically putting a lower court
decision on hold, which has the
effect in the cases involving
Trump, have has the effect of
in most of these cases,
allowing Trump to take the
action that he's seeking while
(17:36):
the court says, but we're going
to decide later on the full
substance of this and the full
legality or constitutionality
of the action. So what we saw
over the summer was the court,
in numerous decisions, put
lower court decisions on hold
and say, we're going to decide
these later. And, well, later
is now for this this new term.
(17:57):
>> And you have some particular
interest in some cases that
will be heard concerning voting
rights. Tell us about this.
>> Yeah. Well, so the biggest
case with respect to voting
rights is out of Louisiana.
This is a case about
redistricting the way we draw
district lines. And what's kind
of crazy is that we're still
litigating the maps that were
drawn after the 2020, 2021
(18:18):
census, and states have to
redraw their lines every ten
years to ensure population
equality, to ensure that the
districts have roughly the same
number of people. But there are
other rules involved,
particularly with respect to
race and the current doctrine.
Essentially, the current case
law, essentially, that is, that
states have to think about race
(18:40):
some if there's a significant
minority population like in
Louisiana, but you can't think
about race too much. And so
what happened is in Louisiana,
they have six congressional
districts with a population
that's about 33% racial
minority. And only one of those
six districts had a majority of
people that were of minority
race. A majority of people who
(19:01):
are black. But with six
districts, you would think in
33% of the population, maybe it
should be closer to two. And so
there was a lawsuit under the
Voting Rights Act, section two
of the Voting Rights Act, which
said, essentially, you've got
to have two seats instead of
just one that are majority
black. The lower courts agreed.
Louisiana drew a map that was
(19:23):
to majority black districts
while still trying to preserve
the Partizan representation.
And then some white plaintiffs
sued and said, well, hold up.
You thought about race too much
in drawing the lines and making
sure that you had two majority
black districts. And so that's
the challenge facing the court
right now, is did Louisiana
think about race too much in
(19:44):
drawing the lines? And if it
was forced to think about race
to comply with the Voting
Rights Act, does that make the
Voting Rights Act itself
unconstitutional? Now, the
court heard the case last term,
and then on towards the end of
the term, it said, we're going
to rehear it with new briefing
and new argument on that bigger
constitutional question. Is
(20:05):
section two of the Voting
Rights Act unconstitutional?
>> And this is widespread
beyond just the implications
for Louisiana, this could have
major implications nationwide.
>> I mean, I think, you know,
there's so many states that
have maps that are drawn under
the auspices of section two of
the Voting Rights Act, where
we're seeing that you have to
have a certain amount of
(20:25):
minority representation,
because here's what map draws
will sometimes do, because in
many states, minorities tend to
live in the same geographic
area. They'll draw the lines to
pack as many minority members
into one district, so that
their supermajority in one
district, and have zero
influence in the rest of the
state. And section two has said,
(20:47):
or the court's interpretation
of section two has said, that
that's often unlawful when you
could draw a map that has
stronger minority
representation. So maps in
Alabama, in Florida, in North
Carolina all have this kind of
concern. And even here in
Kentucky, you know, there's
some talk about should the
(21:07):
Republicans try to redraw the
lines, like many other states
are doing in this mid-decade
redistricting and take away the
one Democratic controlled seat
right now in Louisville? But
the problem for the state is
that it might face a section
two Voting Rights Act lawsuit
if it does that, because
Louisville obviously is a large
(21:27):
minority population. Well,
section two goes out the door.
There's perhaps not as much of
a legal constraint on at least
that aspect of redrawing the
lines.
>> And this.
>> Is not about redrawing
district lines in a mid in mid
cycle, as I would say.
>> Yeah, this this case out of
Louisiana is not. But I think
it has implications not only
(21:49):
for future lawsuits, but also
for what states might try to do,
knowing that there could be a
lawsuit, you know, pending or
brought against it. So, you
know, laws aren't just about
the lawsuits that are brought.
They're about deterring action
because of the potential of a
lawsuit that might come down
the pike.
>> Professor Douglas cast this
(22:09):
term of Scotus as a test of the
separation of powers in terms
of presidential authority and
the guardrails for democracy.
In today's digital environment
and ChatGPT, it can seem like
(22:32):
medical information is just a
click away. But physicians say
having a primary care provider
is still the best resource to
better health. This week is
Primary Care Week, and Norton
Health Care shares why having a
relationship with your PCP is
still important.
>> A lot of us only think of
going to the doctor whenever
(22:53):
we're sick, whenever you have
an upper respiratory, or maybe
like, I just have this weird
thing on my arm and I need to
go get it checked out. But our
health is something that is
more encompassing than just a
respiratory infection, or this
thing you're seeing on your
skin. There could be things
going on inside that you may
not realize like high blood
pressure, cholesterol, diabetes.
(23:15):
So having a primary care week
is just a nice reminder that,
hey, we take care of ourselves
on the outside. Let's take care
of ourselves on the inside, too.
It's a relationship. It's
something that's going to grow
over time. It's someone who's
going to learn about you and
learn about your specific risks,
especially when it comes to
(23:37):
your family history, about
other conditions that we need
to watch for down the road. But
also it's helping you have a
trusted source when it comes to
information, because there's
just so many sources out there
right now. And how do you
filter through all this
information? How do you have
someone who can help give you
(23:57):
good advice, who knows you? And
that's what a primary care can
do for you? ChatGPT is going to
do an excellent job in giving
you a differential. I have
chest pain. What should I do?
And it's going to tell you it
could be a heart attack. It
could be a pulmonary embolism.
It could be reflux. It could be
inflammation in your chest
(24:18):
muscles. And looking at all of
that information can be really,
really overwhelming. And how do
you decipher ChatGPT can't tell
you, hey, you're 21 years old.
It probably isn't a heart
attack. Maybe it could be, but
ChatGPT can't figure that piece
of it out. But someone that you
(24:39):
feel comfortable talking to and
who you can share your symptoms
with. So that way they can help
figure out, do we need to go
down this path or that path to
help figure out what's causing
your chest pain? It's going to
be a whole lot more helpful. I
know there's a lot of online
entities that have come up to
help say, hey, we'll help you
(25:00):
with your hair loss. We'll help
you with your mood. We'll help
you with your weight loss. And
they make it sound very easy to
interact with them. But the
thing you miss out on, an
entity of that sort, is that
you don't get continuity. You
come back that second time, you
may not be seeing the same
person, and then you're
(25:20):
repeating that story and they
don't know where you're coming
from. And how can they tell if
you're doing any better on that
medicine. So you're still kind
of on your own. And so a
primary care is going to help
you filter through that and
help you figure out what's best
for you.
>> Our thanks to Doctor Mona
Lisa Taylor for that. A recent
report from the National
(25:41):
Association of Community Health
Centers says one third of
Americans do not have a primary
care provider. Well, we'll talk
about recent political
developments in Kentucky
tomorrow in our reporter's
notebook. Plus, as the federal
government shutdown continues
into its second week, insights
from a University of Kentucky
political science professor.
All that and more on
(26:03):
Wednesday's edition of Kentucky
Edition, which we hope we'll
see you for again at 630
eastern, 530 central, where we
inform, connect and inspire. We
hope you'll connect with us all
the ways you see on your screen.
Facebook X formerly known as
Twitter and Instagram to stay
in the loop and send us an idea
or two that we can do a story
on by email at Public Affairs
at KET. Dot. I'm Renee Shaw,
(26:26):
good to have you with us
tonight, and hope to see you
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