9.19.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning everybody, and welcome to the reading of the
Lexington Herald Leader. Today is Friday, September nineteenth, and your
reader is Rod Brotherton. As a reminder, Radio I is
a reading service intended for people who are blind or
have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.

(00:20):
All right, middle of August autumnal equinox comes up. Monday.
What's going on in our seven day forecast? Today it's
mostly sunny and hot. Yes it is high ninety two, Tonight,
partly cloudy in a low of sixty three. Saturday partly
sunny in hots high ninety one, low sixty six. Sunday, well,

(00:40):
there's a thunderstorm hanging around, nothing but scattered. High eighty eight,
low sixty seven. And there's another stray shower on Monday.
High of eighty three, low sixty four. Tuesday, however, the
area will have thunderstorms high of eighty one, low sixty three,
and Wednesday lingering thunderstorms high seventy nine, low sixty five.

(01:04):
And on next Thursday it will be humid with a
thunderstorm in spots. High seventy eight, low sixty three. Looking
at the almanac, yesterday's high and low eighty seven and
fifty five. Normal is eighty and fifty eight and last
year it was seventy nine and sixty. The record high
was ninety four at nineteen fifty four, and the record

(01:25):
low was forty one in the year two thousand. Precipitation
on Wednesday nothing month to date point nine seven normal
is one point nine one year to date, though with
all the rain we had earlier in the year, we've
had forty four point one one inches, normal being thirty
seven point one and last year thirty five point seventy four.

(01:48):
The record free yesterday's date was a gully washer in
nineteen sixty that provided three point zh five inches of
rain for the sun and the moon. The sun rose
today at seven twenty four, it will set tonight at
seven forty The moon came up at five four this
morning and will sit at six forty six tonight. And

(02:09):
our weather trivia for the day. Aside from being a
desert region, why is Death Valley so hot? Well, it's
below sea level. All right. Let's take a look at
the headlines for today and the lead story Halk receives
life in prison for the murder of Crystal Rogers from Bardstown.

(02:33):
The mother of missing Bardstown woman, Crystal Rogers, stared down
the man convicted of her daughter's murder Wednesday afternoon and
demanded he tell authorities where the body is. Did she
beg for her life? Sherry Ballard asked, did she feel
any pain? The scene unfolded and Bardstown courtroom as Brooks Halk,

(02:57):
forty three, awaited his sentence from murder principle or accomplice
and evidence tampering. Halck was eventually sentenced to life in
prison with the possibility of parole after twenty years. His
co defendant, Joseph Lawson, thirty four, was sentenced to twenty

(03:18):
five years on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and
evidence tampering, with the possibility of parole after a little
more than twenty one years. A third suspect, Steve Lawson,
who is fifty one, the father of Joseph Lawson, was
convicted in a separate trial for conspiracy to commit murder

(03:40):
and evidence tampering. He was sentenced in August to seventeen
years in prison. Halck, Roger's boyfriend at the time of
her twenty fifteen appearance, was crying Wednesday when he entered
the courtroom. Roger's body has never been found, and she
is presumed it. The case garnered national attention as Roger's

(04:05):
mother shared her victim impact statement. Next officer resigns after
using kratom on duty. A Lexington police officer previously suspended
for crashing his parole car five times in two years,
has resigned after taking Craytom while on duty, leading to

(04:26):
a psychotic state. According to city disciplinary records, John Gibbons,
the Second resigned August eighth after an internal investigation determined
he regularly took the kray Tom while working for the
Lexington Police Department. He was suspended from duty for one
week in December of twenty twenty four for repeatedly crashing

(04:49):
his patrol car. At least two of those crashes were
related to gibbons cray Tom use, according to internal investigation
documents posted on an online database by Lexington Police. The
police department's disciplinary board recommended Gibbons be fired, but he
resigned instead. The investigation began in May when a police

(05:13):
lieutenant filed a complaint alleging that about two months earlier,
Gibbons was disoriented, confused, and obviously impaired after consuming over
the counter cratoon while on duty. In his patrol car.
Kraton is an herbal substance that can produce opioid and
stimulant like effects. Its reported uses include management of drug withdrawal,

(05:38):
but it can cause effects of increased energy, alertness, rapid
heart rate, relaxation, pain relief, and confusion. Symptoms of the
drug include confusion, tremors, seizures, high blood pressure, slow breathing, nausea,
and bombiting. Craytime is not regulated by the US Drug

(05:59):
and in US Food Administration, but it is listed as
a drug of Chemical Concern by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
A twenty twenty four Kentucky law imposed age restrictions, product standards,
and labeling requirements on the drug. It can be purchased
over the counter at many gas stations and vape shops.

(06:22):
According to the investigation, Gibbons told his superior offices his
kratime use was an almost everyday occurrence from August of
twenty twenty four to December of twenty twenty four. On
multiple occasions, Gibbons had seizures and blackouts requiring hospitalization because

(06:42):
of his kratim use, According to the investigation. In at
least one instance, coworkers thought he was overdosing. On July
thirteenth of twenty twenty four, Gibbons called nine to one
one while on duty in his police cruiser because he
became disoriented and was in a psychotic state after taking
the drug. All five of Gibbons' documented crashes were minor

(07:07):
and no one was injured, though he failed to report
at least one to his superior According to disciplinary records,
the crashes date back to April fifth of twenty three,
when Gibbons hit a police car while trying to parallel
park on Nicholasville Road in a police wagon used to
transport people to jail. Gibbons drove two clothes causing the

(07:30):
passenger side of the wagon to come into contact with
the other police vehicle's rear tail light. According to an
investigation summary by the department's Public Integrity Unit, Gibbons worked
as a Lexington police officer since April of twenty twenty one.
The Lexington Police Department declined to comment and next lawmaker

(07:53):
finds school district travel expenses jaw dropping. Lindsay Tickner told
Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrius Liggins on Tuesday that
she found the district's credit card receipts, including the amount
spent on travel alone jaw dropping. In response, Wiggins told

(08:16):
the committee of Kentucky lawmakers grilling him that much of
the criticism of the district's budget processes is warranted and
that he did not previously probe deeply enough into the
causes of a budget shortfall. Wiggins also cast blame on
members of his staff, saying he wasn't given accurate budget information.

(08:39):
He said some of the staff members who went on
trips should not have gone. There were things I should
have known that I did not know, Ligan said, I
should have asked sharper questions. I wish I'd done more.
I regret, regret we are in the position that we
are in today. Fayette County Public Schools is mired controversy

(09:01):
as budget problems were revealed all summer long from a
tax increased proposal. It was found unlawful to a sixteen
million dollars shortfall to a contingency that was millions of
dollars lower than anticipated. Ligan said he wants to determine
what's gone wrong, how long it's been occurring, and to

(09:24):
prevent it from happening again. The buck stops with me
he said. Ligan said he supported having external examinations of
the district's finances in addition to an internal investigation. The
district's budget director, who has been suspended, has filed a
lawsuit against Ligans and the district, saying she was placed

(09:47):
on leave in retaliation for insisting on budget cuts. As
the district faces the financial controversy, including a sixteen million
dollar shortfall in this budget, Liggins was summoned to Frankfurt
to talk to the General Assemblies in interim Joint Committee
on Education and was ordered to bring ten years previous budgets.

(10:12):
Senator Steve West, Republican of Paris, a co chair of
the committee, said he was disappointed the lack of information
that FCPS gave to the lawmakers in preparation for Tuesday's
meeting that forced him to retrieve budget information from another source,
the Kentucky Office of Education Accountability. That state agency reviews

(10:34):
and at times investigates alleged violations of school laws. The
Paris Republican later asked Liggans if there was a toxic
work environment at FCPS. Liggins said there are trust issues
among district leadership environment established before he arrived in the

(10:54):
district in twenty twenty one. West previously told The Harrald
Leader he was trouble because FCPS is attempted tackling the
sixteen million dollar shortfall was to immediately call for a
tax increase on all the citizens of Fayette County with
a lack of transparency. I just thought that was the

(11:15):
wrong way to handle it, Wes said, who represents part
of Fayette County. It's just one thing that's built upon another.
Lawmakers want to get to the bottom of the district's
budget woes and learn what district officials are doing moving forward.
The proposed working budget that the school board members will

(11:36):
vote on on September twenty second is eight hundred and
twenty seven point two million dollars. Liggan said that budget
will be balanced. Titchener, a Republican from Smithfield, said the
reimbursements for Liggan's travel alone in documents she's seen in

(11:56):
six months of credit card statements was sixty thousand dollars.
She described the travels and their cost is unbelievable and
truly astonishing. She noted he spent seven thousand dollars on
airfare for a trip to Australia, Chitchener said she got

(12:18):
six months of credit card statements from Fayette County schools
from a constituent who obtained them from a Kentucky Open
records request. The average expense of the credit card statements
was four hundred thousand dollars a month. She said. There
are one hundred and fifteen separate credit cards, fifty of

(12:40):
them issued the Central Office administrative staff. The amount of
expenditure on there for travel alone is jaw dropping, she said.
She said in one month alone, fifty two thousand dollars
was spent at the galk House hotel in Louisville. She said.
In addition, tens of thousands of dollars was spent for

(13:03):
Chick fil A, ax throwing events, tickets for the play wicket,
and ice cream. Insane amounts of expenditures, Titchener said. Ligan
said that professional learning offered in Kentucky is also aimed
at rural districts, and in state and out of state

(13:23):
trips are scrutinized so participants bring back to the district
skills that impact students. He said that the Australia trip
for himself and some other staff to examine best practices
throughout the world to help students in emotional crisis. He said.

(13:45):
Professional learning expenses have since been cut. Hitcher said these
are our taxpayer dollars that should be spent first and
foremost to educate students, not for luxury trips. She said
she expected an upcoming state special examination from the Kentucky

(14:05):
State Auditor's Office to find a tremendous amount of waste
within the district. And finally on the front page, Trump's
UK visit shifts from pomp to politics and investment. President
Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer veiled a new

(14:28):
technology partnership at a business roundtable Thursday, where they were
joined by executives, highlighting efforts to deepen ties on artificial
intelligence and digital assets. The agreement will create billions of
dollars in opportunities for American farmers to sell their products
to the UK, reduce barriers to trade, give the US

(14:52):
manufactures better access to the UK's world class aerospace supply chain,
which is really really world class, Trump said at the event.
In recent days, Microsoft Corporation, Open Ai, and other American
companies made public plans to spend tens of billions of

(15:12):
dollars on technology infrastructure in the UK. The British government
has also touted investments totaling two hundred and fifty billion
dollars from American businesses, capped by commitments from Blackstone Inc.
Software company, Palanteer Technologies and logistics company pro Lodges, that
will result in creating some seventy six hundred jobs. The

(15:37):
leaders also touted joint efforts to streamline approval and construction
of nuclear power plants, which are seen as critical for
powering energy hungry data centers necessary for emerging technologies. It's
a blueprint to win this new era together, shape it
according to our shared values and sees the incredible opportunities

(16:01):
that are on offer. Starmer said, I want to thank
all of you for supporting this vision. We have huge
new investments from Nvidia in scale, Open Ai, Google Sales
Force and many more, backing cutting edge British jobs for
years to come. Among the corporate executives at the reception

(16:25):
were Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang, Blackstone Inc. CEO Steven Schwartzmann,
and Microsoft Corporation CEO Satya Nadella. Thursday's business reception showcased
Trump's approach to international deal making as the two countries
looked to intensify cooperation in science, technology, defense, and align

(16:49):
their financial sectors. The roundtable served as a cornerstone of
the whirlwind and unprecedented second state visit for Trump, who
was feeded at a white tie gala on Wednesday night
by the British Royal family. For Starmer, the highly choreographed
courtship is critical to his efforts to boost UK economic

(17:11):
growth by drawing more international capital, and Thursday's announcements may
help justify the Prime Minister's decision to invite the US
president despite their policy differences. The two leaders held a
bilateral meeting earlier Thursday, where the private discussions were expected
to include thornier issues such as UK's trade agreement with

(17:34):
the US, Russia's war on Ukraine, and Israel's campaign against
Hamas and Gassa. With low expectations for major breakthroughs ahead
of those delicate talks, Trump received a lavish and warm
welcome from his British hosts, underlined by Wednesday's night festivities

(17:54):
at Windsor Castle. Both nations emphasized their long standing relationship
and speak which is at the elaborate banquet for the
President and First Lady Milania Trump attended by King Charles,
the Third, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine, as
well as a host of Trump aids and family members.

(18:14):
We're like two notes and one chord, or two verses
of the same poem, each beautiful on its own, but
really meant to be played together, said Trump. In his remarks.
Charles noted splendid British golf courses and the upcoming two
hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, saying

(18:35):
it is remarkable to think just how far we've come.
I cannot help but wonder what our forebears from seventeen
to seventy six would make of this friendship today. With
the flowery phrases, each sent some carefully worded messages, with
the King emphasizing conservation and support for Ukraine and Trump

(18:57):
pledging to stand for the values of the people of
the English speaking world. The evening played out against a
backdrop of global and domestic tensions that saw anti Trump
protests outside the castle and in central London, but the
numbers who gathered under the gray skies were modest and
they were kept well away from the events. Trump whose

(19:20):
affection for the British Royalty is well established. In any case,
seen enamored with the charm offensive, which included a ride
in a gilded horse drawn carriage, a formal lunch with
royal family, and a red arrows flyover. And next ex
CIA officer targeted by Toolsey Gabbard to join the Kentucky

(19:44):
US Senate race as a Democrat. A Louisville native with
a deep background and the CIA is joining a growing
field of Democrats aim to replace Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell.
In twenty twenty six, Joel Willetts lean on his personal
story in the campaign. The Jefferson County native told The

(20:05):
Harold Leader in an interview Tuesday that he was the
first in his family to attend college. He joined the
military months after the nine to eleven attacks, launching a
career in public service that led him to the CIA
and later as a contractor serving national security agencies. Growing
up like I did, you can't sit on the sidelines

(20:26):
and watch the system continue to steamroll working class people.
I'm running to this fight and I don't care how
hard it is, and I wouldn't care if it was
a fool's errand because I believe that passionately we need
to fight credibly for working class values everywhere. Will It
said Willett, who's forty one, is the third Democrat with

(20:49):
a professional campaign to enter the fray, and the GOP
side is rife with political heavyweights. September fifteenth, new candidate
Logan Forsyth announced his own Democratic campaign sentator Mitch McConnell's seat.
His announcements come shortly after he had grabbed headlines in
Kentucky and in the national press for his scuffle with

(21:11):
Director of National Intelligence Toolsey Gabbard, who revoked his security
clearance in mid August. I joined the Army when I
was seventeen keep this country safe. Did the same thing
at the CIA. It was the honor of a lifetime
serve my country. Toolsey Gabbard just revoked my security clearance

(21:31):
because she serves one man. Will It post it on
X At the time, he was referencing President Trump. I
don't have some political machine behind me, will It said,
I'm not part of a political dynasty or anything like that.
But as soon as somebody like me raises their hand

(21:52):
to try to jump in the fight, what did this administration.
Do it weaponized the federal government? It weaponized is the
security clearance process to try to shut me out. It
showed that anybody who's going to dissent, anybody who's going
to try to hold us accountable, we are going to

(22:12):
send the way to the federal government after you. Whatever
their intentions were, it only made me more motivated to
jump into this fight, he said. Will It's launch video
emphasized he did not shy away from the actions taken
by the administration. Will It interviewed with media outlets local

(22:32):
and national following the revocation of his security clearance and
criticisms from influential right wing figures like Lorna Lumer. In
the video, will It mentions that both of his parents
suffered from addiction to opioids, improving but rampant issue in Kentucky.
His father told The hair Leader passed away in twenty

(22:53):
nineteen as the result of a fentanyl overdose. He also
narrates his path from the military to the House Situation Room.
In his role with the CIA, he more recently served
as the CEO of a government contractor employing hundreds. He
told The hair Leader he recently stepped down from his
job to focus on running for the Senate. His last

(23:16):
job was as CEO of Washington area technology contractor Cybermedia Technology.
The campaign video ends with the tagline I'm not a billionaire,
I'm not a politician. I'm just a Kentucky guy who
fought like hell to get here. If you give me
the chance, I will fight like hell for you. The

(23:38):
focus of his campaign, he said, are some of the
issues most Democrats are focused on in the Trump era,
health care and affordability. Despite Trump's huge electoral success in Kentucky,
winning in twenty twenty four by more than thirty percentage points,
will It predicts he can win over conservative Kentuckians with

(23:59):
an appeal to their pocketbooks, railing against tax cuts that
benefit the wealthy. I trust the voters of Kentucky to
understand what their interests are, so I think I would
just ask people to focus on their bottom line. You
see people in government really fighting for you. Where Donald
Trump has increased his wealth by four billion dollars by

(24:21):
some estimate since January, that doesn't really feel like he's
looking out for working class people in the state, will
It said. He also said he'd try to make some
building more houses the top issue rising home prices, or
a particular issue in the Lexington community, with the median
home selling for two hundred and seventy four thousand dollars

(24:45):
and rising. We're not getting big things done in this
country anymore. I think it's because our political system has
been captured by people close to power who frankly couldn't
give a damn if there was more affordable house housing Lexington.
Will It said this is not the first time will
It has been critical of Trump. He has written opinion

(25:08):
pieces in Kentucky and Washington responding to Trump's comments about
the intelligence community during his first term. During the twenty
nineteen fiasco surrounding a whistleblower allegation that Trump pressured Ukrainian
President Vladimir Zelenski to investigate former President Biden's son, will

(25:29):
It responded in The Washington Post with a guest column
detailing his experience. He had sharp words for Trump at
the time, bemoaning the President's willingness to attack any individual
or institution that challenges his behavior. Will It told the
Hair Leader he moved back to Kentucky this summer, with

(25:49):
residency playing a role in Canada attacks and other races
across the country. Will It's response goes something like this.
He was born, raised, and EDGUCD in Kentucky. His rearing
here led him to opportunities elsewhere, but he's back to
fight for the state now. The first time I ever
left this state was when I joined the military, and

(26:12):
that was in service to my country. I came back
to Kentucky again after again and completed my education, and
the state sent me off to public service and made
it possible for me to go and help my country
and safe be safe in DC, he said, this state
is home and home has had an indelible pull on me.

(26:34):
Well It plans to emphasize he's about getting big things done.
He said that vision of America has been lost in
recent years. This is the country that split the atom.
This is the country that has been the economic driver,
an economic powerhouse of the world since my grandparents' generation.

(26:55):
And this is a country that used to be able
to get big things done. Will It said. And next,
Trump says he's designating Antifa as a terrorist organization. President
Trump said he will formally designate Antifa as a major
terrorist organization as the White House begins to fulfill its

(27:15):
pledge to investigate what it calls left wing extremism in
the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump telegraphed such a move earlier in the week, saying
he would support designating the Antifa movement as a domestic
terror organization if that was recommended by his law enforcement
officials in his administration. I will also be strongly recommending

(27:39):
that those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with
the highest legal standards and practices. Trump wrote a social
media post. Vice President jd Vance, hosting kirk show earlier
this week, said the US was going to go after
the NGO network that Foemenz facilitates and engage zen violence.
Trump told reporters Monday that he spoken to Attorney General

(28:01):
Pam Bondi about using a racketeer influence the Corrupt Organizations Act,
a federal law allowing prosecution criminal enterprises to investigate people
who funded leftist protest movements. Authorities have not Kirk linked
Kirk's killing directly to any political groups. Utah Governor Spencer Cox,

(28:21):
a Republican, has said the suspect had a leftist ideology,
while also urging fellow leaders to lower the political temperature.
And now after a short pause, I hope you'll rejoin
us for a continuation of the reading of the Lexington
hair Leader for today. Thank you for listening now these

(28:42):
day tuned for more news right here on Radio I.
Now we'll continue reading from the Lexington Hair Leader for
this Friday, September nineteenth. Your reader is Rod Brotherton and
as always, we started with the obituaries, read only the name,
agent location if given. If you would like further information

(29:03):
on any of the obituaries, please see the website or
call us during the weekdays at eight five nine four
two two sixty three ninety and we will be glad
read the entire obituary for you. I'll repeat the number
at the end of the listings. And today we have
two on our obituary index and they are Russell Hansel
seventy eight of Nicholasville and Carolyn Batschlett Buchanan ninety nine

(29:30):
of Lexington. And as I said, if you would like
any further information about any of the listings, please visit
legacy dot com slash obituary slash Kentucky, and as I said,
you can call us at Radio I eight five nine
four two two sixty three ninety and we will try
to read them to you over the phone. Now, let's
return to the news and continuing our next story is

(29:54):
ABC drops Jimmy Kimmel Live indefinitely over kirkwym on. Walt
Disney owned broadcaster ABC it is pulling Jimmy Kimmel Alive
indefinitely following sharp backlash over the host's remarks about slain

(30:14):
right wing activist Charlie Kirk. The move comes after station
owner Nextstar Media Group said it would yank the show
from its ABC affiliate stations as a result of the comments.
The Irving, Texas based Next Star announced Wednesday that Kimmel
will be off A stations for the foreseeable future. Next

(30:37):
Our strongly objects to recent comments made by mister Kimmel
concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk, and we will replace
the show with other programming and its ABC affiliated markets,
a company representative sid in a statement. Kimmel said during
a monolog on his Monday program, The Tyler Robinson, the
Utah man accused in the shooting death of Kirk might

(31:02):
have been a pro Trump Republican. He said, MAGA supporters
are desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie
Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing
everything they can to score political points from it. Kimmel
then mocked President Trump for talking about the construction of

(31:25):
a new White House ballroom after being asked how he
was reacting to the murder of his close ally. Law
enforcement officials revealed Tuesday that Robinson had liberal political leanings
and expressed disdain for Kirk and communications with his roommate.
Mister Kimmel's comments about the death of mister Kirk are

(31:47):
offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national
political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the
spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communit
unities in which they are located, said Alfred Andrew Alford,
president of Nextstar's broadcasting divisions. Alford said continuing to give

(32:11):
Kimmel a broadcast platform is simply not in the public
interest at this current time. Next Star's decision comes just
after Federal Communications Commissioned Chairman Brendan Carr blasted Kimmel and
threatened to take actions against ABC. Appearing on the podcast
of right wing commentator Benny Johnson, Carr said One form

(32:34):
of punishment could be pulling the licenses of ABC affiliates,
which likely got Next Star's attention. Nextstar has ABC affiliates
in thirty two markets across the US, including in New Orleans,
New Haven, Nashville, and Salt Lake, Cey. It's extremely rare

(32:54):
for networks to drop a show in response to political pressure.
Bill Mayer's Politically Incorrect was canceled by ABC in twenty
twenty two after advertisers pulled out following a comment by
the host about the September eleventh hijackers, saying they were
not cowardly. In nineteen seventy, CBS blacked out the image

(33:18):
of activists Abby Hoffman when he appeared on The MERV
Griffin Show wearing a shirt made out of an American flag.
But Trump and an FCC chairman who has shown a
willingness to do his bidding and now seemingly intimidated the
owned broadcasters of the TV stations and away the nation
has never seen. Paramount Global agreed to pay sixteen million

(33:43):
dollars to settle Trump's legal salvo against CBS News over
the editing of a sixty minutes interview with his twenty
twenty four opponent then Vice President Kamala Harris. Within the
news organization, there was angel over what was why seen
as a capitulation to Trump in order to clear path

(34:04):
for Paramount's eight billion dollar merger with David Ellison's Skydance Media.
The case was labeled as frivolous by First Amendment experts.
Now the attacks have spread to late night TV or
commentary on the Trump administration has become a source of tension.

(34:24):
CBS this summer said the Late Show with Stephen Colbert
would end in May, with sources citing financial losses. Colbert
had days earlier blasted Paramount settlement with Trump, calling it
a bribe. Trump also extracted a sixteen million dollar settlement
from ABC in a defamation lawsuit over George Stephanopolis's inaccurate

(34:49):
on air statement that Trump had been found civilly liable
for raping writer E. Gene Carolyn in the nineteen nineties.
Trump and his Attorney General Pam Bondi have said they
want to crack down on any celebratory remarks about Kirk's
death or criticism of his views and next. Israel faces

(35:13):
backlash as Gaza invasion deepens, isolation cascades of condemnation from
friend and foe alife, an array of international organizations and
rights groups leveling accusations of genocide and war crimes, boycotts
across a range of sectors and fields. As Israel begins

(35:37):
its ground offensive to occupy Gaza City, defying international and
domestic pressure to negotiate a cease fire with moss It
skirts ever closer to becoming a pariah state, Israel is
entering diplomatic isolation. We will have to deal with closed economy.

(35:58):
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's said at a finance ministry conference Monday,
giving a rare admission for the war's effect on Israel's
international standing. We will have to be athens and super sparta,
adapting to an otakirk or self sustaining economy, he added,
We have no choice. Ned Naho engaged in damage control Tuesday,

(36:23):
saying he was talking specifically about Israel's defense industry and
that the wider economy was strong and innovative. But by
then his words had already spooked markets, spurring a sharp
fall in the Tel Aviv's stock exchange and a raft
of enraged statements from his political enemies. We are not Sparta.

(36:46):
This vision as presented will make it difficult for us
to survive in an evolving global world. The Israel Business Forum,
which represents the heads of around two hundred of the
Israeli economy's largest companies, in the statement, we are watching
towards a political, economic, and social abyss that will endanger

(37:08):
our existence in Israel. Netta Nahu has forged ahead with
the ground operation despite repeated warnings from allies and adversaries
that it would trigger a humanitarian catastrophe for hundreds of
thousands of people remaining in what was the enclave's largest
urban center, even as tanks and armored vehicles streamed into

(37:31):
Gaza City's western neighborhoods. An independent UN commission released to
report Tuesday concluding that Israeli authorities and security forces have
the genocidal intent to destroy and whole or in part,
the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. It was the most
recent of a number of international organizations and rights groups

(37:55):
accusing Neta Nahu's government of committing genocide. The Israeli government
dismissed the commission's reports as falsehoods. The European Commission on
Wednesday decided on a partial suspension of a trade agreement
between the European Union and Israel. The move could involve

(38:16):
imposing tariffs on Israeli goods entering the Union. The measure,
said EU top diplomat Caha Kalis in a statement Tuesday
on x is, aimed at pressuring Israel's government to change
course over the Warren Gaza. Western governments, including some of
Israel's most loyal supporters, castigated the decision to invade, with

(38:41):
Germany's foreign ministers slamming it as a completely wrong path
and France saying the campaign had no military logic. Yvette Cooper,
Britain's foreign secretary, said it was utterly reckless and appalling,
while Irish President Michael Higgins, routinely vociferous critic of Israel,

(39:02):
said the UN must look to exclude countries practicing genocide
and those who are supporting genocide with almaments. Meanwhile, many nations,
including traditional US allies such as Australia, Britain, Canada and others,
are expected to recognize Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly,

(39:25):
the defiance of intense diplomatic pressure from Washington. Pope Leo
the fourteenth Wade in Wednesday on the carnage in Gaza,
expressing his deep solidarity with Palestinians who continued to live
in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, being forcibly displaced

(39:46):
once and again from their lands, he called for a
ceasefire and next Kentucky nonprofits slash staff, shrink programs amid
mountingeral cuts. Some Kentucky nonprofits have dramatically curtailed services and
laid off staff because of federal funding cuts, nonprofit officials

(40:10):
told the Lexington Council on Tuesday. Danielle Klore, chief executive
officer of the Kentucky Nonprofit Network, an advocacy group for nonprofits,
said the loss of federal dollars the consequences of future
cuts are creating chaos in Kentucky's nonprofit community. It's certainly

(40:31):
creating uncertainty in the stabilization for nonprofits, Klore told the
Lexington Fayette Urban County Council Budget Finance and Economic Development
Committee on Tuesday. Nonprofits have been hit with a combination
of cuts from President Trump's administration, a nine million dollar
recession package that clawed back already allocated funding, and other

(40:56):
cuts in the Big Beautiful Budget Bill passed January fourth,
and the hits to nonprofits and essentially those who lean
on those groups will likely keep coming. Clore sid there
are discussions about a second four point nine billion dollar
recisions package and four and aid. Trump proposed budget cuts

(41:17):
also including one hundred and sixty three billion dollars in
budget cuts to emergency management, mental health services, heating, and
rental assistance. Those potential cuts will not only hurt nonprofits
but also drive up need for services. With two few
nonprofits able to help, clore stead, many nonprofits have already

(41:40):
slashed staffs. Colore said, Some, including Kentucky Educational Television or
k ET, have laid off fifteen staffed and kept an
additional twenty one positions open or unfilled, resulting in a
loss of more than twenty percent of its workforce. K
ET officials said earlier this month. That was after Congress

(42:02):
passed a nine billion dollar recession package Yankee funding from
the Corporation from Public Broadcasting, which funds k ET and
other public television stations. K ET lost four million dollars
in federal funding other nonprofits or pairing back programs. Colorseid

(42:22):
Kentucky Humanities was notified earlier this year eight hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, or roughly seventy one percent of its
one point three million dollar budget, had been terminated. The
group helps foster humanities and running through various activities, including
the Kentucky Book Festival and Chautauqua Speakers at schools. All

(42:45):
of our programs, including the Kentucky Book Festival, have been
downsized or curtailed in some fashion, said Bill Goodman, executive
director of Kentucky Humanities, formerly known as the Kentucky Humanities Council.
Two programs, Prime Time Family Reading and our grants programs

(43:06):
for community organizations have been canceled until we find out more.
Many groups that work with refugee and immigrant populations also
have been seen funding eliminated. Kentucky Refugee Ministries, one of
the largest Kentucky refugee resettlement programs in the state, has
been forced to shift its focus to current refugees. No

(43:29):
new refugees have been allowed in the country since the
beginning of the Trump administration. Funding for those federal refugee
programs has been axed. Our focus now is entirely on
the clients that are already present in the United States
and continuing to provide critical services and support those individuals

(43:51):
and families, said Melissa Colston of Kentucky Refugee Ministries in
a recent interview with The Asbury Collegiate Floor shared multiple
comments from nonprofit service providers during Tuesday's presentation. Clare said,
in addition to the cuts, many nonprofits fear retribution from

(44:11):
the Trump administration if they discussed the cuts publicly. There's
also a lot of fear. Klare said groups are wary
of filing and filling open positions for fear that future
revenue will be wiped out. Some nonprofits, which typically operate
on lean budgets, depend on banks to float loans, particularly

(44:33):
if there are fluctuations on when these nonprofits receive payments,
But the uncertainty surrounding federal funding means many are hesit
or can't access credit for those loans. Another anonymous nonprofit
leader said Clare said many have assumed private donations can
offset the losses of federal funding. Private fundraising can't do that,

(44:57):
she said. Private foundation currently contribute about one hundred and
seven billion dollars annually to US charitable nonprofits. To replace
lost government funding, they would need to increase their giving
by a staggering two hundred and eighty two percent per year,
which is not feasible. Color said. Worse, Kentucky does not

(45:21):
have many deep pocketed foundations to fill those gaps. She
said nonprofits are also facing other headwinds. In addition to
loss of federal funding. The Trump administration has backed pro
proposals mixing a provision that requires nonprofits to be nonpartisan.

(45:42):
Nonprofits cannot endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns. Color
said that nonpartisanship has helped build trust in nonprofits. She
said several court cases are now making their way through
the courts that couldn't decide the issue. Color said the

(46:02):
Trump administration has also proposed a new rule that would
strip a nonprofit of their tax exempt status if a
nonprofit gives money or resources to terrorist supporting organizations. There
would be no appeal process if a nonprofit is stripped
of its tax exempt status. She said. Nonprofits are concerned

(46:28):
terrorist supporting organizations has not been defined. Color said. Councilman
James Brown, who chairs the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee,
said he asked Clare to testify before the committee so
the Council has kept updated on challenges nonprofits face as

(46:48):
the city looks to craft its next budget. Clare will
return to the committee with additional information over this next
several months. Clare said she has shared in for with
Kentucky Attorney General with the Kentucky General Assembly, but has
not yet been able to testify before any state legislative committee.

(47:09):
The city typically sets aside about one percent of its
total budget for social service programs. That's a little less
than five million dollars a year, but the city is
also facing rising costs, uncertainty over proposed tariffs, and possible
federal cuts. Council members said Tuesday, we are not going

(47:31):
to be able to swoop in and save the day
for everybody, said Councilwoman Whitney Elliott Baxter. We are also
in the same boat and next Kentucky Auditor will ask
state legislator to pay for FCPS special examination. Kentucky Auditor

(47:54):
Allison Ball's office will ask the General Assembly to pay
for her special exams Domination of Fayette Schools finances billed
at eighty four dollars an hour. Hannah Wall, spokesperson for Ball,
said Touzie that Kentucky law requires Ball to build for
special examinations, which has set at eighty four dollars an

(48:16):
hour through a formal process. The rate has not been
increased in many years, she said. However, we intend to
ask the General Assembly to provide an appropriation for the
examination in order to ease the financial burdens on FCPS.
Wall said, this is similar to what we did with

(48:37):
the Jefferson County Public School last buy any state legislatures
provided money for the Jefferson County Public Schools special examination.
Wall said, at this time, we are not estimating how
long the Fayette School's examination will take. Our goal is
to bride a penny by penny accounting of fcps's expenditures.

(49:01):
Wall sit balls examination is likely one of a multiple
review of fcps's finances that will be conducted amid the
district's budget crisis, which has included a sixteen million dollar
budget shortfall and a dwindling carry forward balance, and the
budget that began July first of twenty twenty five. On

(49:25):
Tuesday night, the five member school board voted unanimously send
the scope of what they want in an internal audit
to the district's audit committee. That group is composed of
five voting members who are not district employees and who
have expertise in finance. The Fayette School District's Audit Committee

(49:47):
will look at the scope of the independent examination that
the board members are seeking, help create a request for proposals,
and make recommendations on the cost and timeframe of the
in an examination. A forensic audit includes digging into records
to look for problems and answer questions. Ball decided to

(50:10):
conduct the special investigation after a Kentucky Attorney General, Russell
Coleman announced the school board unlawfully tried to raise the
occupational tax increase at its May twenty seven, twenty twenty
five meeting for the fiscal year that began July first.
District officials have been trying to fix a sixteen million

(50:33):
dollar shortfall and a dwindling contingency. They say the proposed
eight hundred and twenty seven point two million dollar working
budget on the school's board September twenty second agenda will
be balanced. The Auditor of Public Accounts the APA has
received concerns regarding certain activities in the Fayette County Public

(50:56):
Schools and will be conducting a limited scope specially examination
to address these matters. The State Auditor's Office letter to
Liggans said, our objective of the examination will not be
to provide an opinion on any financial statements, but to
review a specific matter brought to our attention. The letter said,

(51:20):
as a result, during limited examination, the office will perform
tests and procedures to determine compliance with policies and procedures, laws, regulations,
contracts and agreements. The initial scope will cover the period
of July one, twenty twenty two, through June thirtieth and
twenty twenty five, but may vary depending on available documentation

(51:45):
and data. State law mandates that the State Auditor has
access to and may examine all books, accounts, reports, vouchers,
correspondence files, records, money and property. Ball's office is also
asking for unrestricted access to current and former employees might

(52:07):
have evidence. Among the many documents that Ball's office is requesting,
our policy school board minutes, the pay classification Plan, contracts,
annual budget and year in budget to actual reports for
each year, and banking information. Ball wants office records by

(52:29):
September twenty sixth and next will Lexington Bank Building be
the new city Hall, City and final negotiations After decades
of searching in multiple dead in INDs, Lexington is finalizing
negotiations for a new city government center in downtown. City

(52:50):
officials said Tuesday. The city released a request for proposals
for a new government center in late twenty twenty four.
In April twenty twenty five, the city selected the Lexington
Opportunity Fund, which owns two hundred West Vine Street, the
former BBNT and now Truest Bank building, from three proposals.

(53:12):
The building, one of the few downtown buildings with gold
reflective windows, could be torn down or renovated for a
new city government center. According to the proposal. The Lexington
Opportunity Fund is overseen by the Web and Greer companies,
which built City Center, long delayed downtown development that includes

(53:33):
hotels and office building and multiple restaurants. The city is
in the late stages of negotiation with owners. Commissioner of
General Services Chris Ford told the Lexington Fayett Urban County
Council during tuesday's council work session the proposal is to
use a public private partnership or P three. The city

(53:55):
and council have socked away up to forty million dollars
in a capital reserve fund. It could be used for
a new government center. Ford said the city could also
sell its main building on Main Street to generate more
money to put toward a new city hall. Ford did
not say how much per year the city government building

(54:15):
would cost. That's part of the ongoing negotiations. Many private
public partnerships for government buildings have per year costs, but
also include maintenance and operation fees. The goal is to
break ground or start the project in twenty twenty six.
Ford said, we're making significant progress, He said of the negotiations,

(54:36):
we are hoping sooner rather than later. Ford said when
asked when a final agreement with costs will be made
public and voted on by the council. Fayette County Property
Valuation Administration shows the Bank building as more than ninety
one thousand square feet was built in nineteen seventy two.
It also has a parking garage, which was rebuilt in

(54:59):
twenty twenty five after part of the garage collapsed. That
garage has more than two hundred parking spots. A parking
garage makes a site more convenient for the public, Ford said.
The city's main government building is the former law fee
at a hotel at two hundred East Main Street. The
building was finished in nineteen twenty and houses many of

(55:20):
the city's offices. The city has been there since nineteen
eighty four. It also uses other downtown buildings, including an
adjoining building and the Phoenix Building on Vine Street, and
it would keep the Phoenix Building if it were moved
to the Vine Street location. This has always intended to
be a temporary location. Ford said. The city has tried

(55:42):
multiple times to move and combine its operations, spent millions
in maintenance and upkeep on the nineteen twenty hotel building
the past several years. It's also spent a lot of
money trying to find a new, more suitable home. Since
twenty sixteen, the city has spent more than four hundred
and seventy five thousand dollars on studies to cement the

(56:03):
need for a new government building. The former hotel building
currently has fifty five million dollars in deferred maintenance cost.
Ford said Tuesday. It is cumbersome for those with mobility
issues to access. There are few public meeting rooms besides
the Council chambers, which only has seats for nini and

(56:24):
is located on the second floor. People often have to
view council meetings on their televisions from outside the chambers.
You have a lack of seating. The council Chamber is
no longer that has the seating capacity we need the
new building. The city hopes to have the council chamber
and other meeting rooms on the first floor, he said,
and the city also wants the new building to be

(56:46):
open and accommodating to everyone. Past efforts to find a
new city government center have been fought with problems. In
twenty eighteen, the city got close when it nearly signed
a lease agreement with the developer for the former Lexington
hair Leader building on Middland, but that plan ultimately fell apart.
Fad County Public Schools eventually purchased a building and combined

(57:07):
many of its technology schools into one location. The sixty
five million dollar Hill opened in June. Councilman James Brown
said Tuesday, the city has not moved forward in various
proposals for multiple reasons. But the current city government center
is obsolete, does not work for the public or employees,
and this was never intended to be an office building,

(57:28):
Brown said. And this concludes the reading of the Lexington
Herald Leader for today, Friday, September nineteenth. Your reader has
been Rod Brotherton, thank you for listening, and now please
stay two for sports news right here on Radio I