10.11.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Saturday,
October eleventh, twenty twenty five, which is brought to our
Louisville listeners via Louisville Public Media. 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. Your reader for today is Melody Ryan.

(00:23):
We'll start with the five day forecast brought to you
by w h A s Today, high seventy four, sunlight
and nice Tonight, low fifty three, mainly clear. Sunday high
seventy four, low fifty three, sunny and pleasant. Monday high
seventy six, low fifty seven, sunshine, Tuesday high seventy eight,

(00:45):
low fifty eight, sunny and warmth Wednesday high seventy four,
low fifty six, sunny, Thursday high seventy five, low fifty eight, sunny,
a few showers. For the Almanac, high sixty eight, temperature,
low fifty two normal, high seventy three normal, low fifty three,

(01:09):
record high eighty nine and twenty ten record low thirty two,
and two thousand precipitation. Thursday zero month to day, four
point eight eight normal month to date one point one
six year today forty eight point zero two normal year
to date thirty eight point twenty three inches. Pollen count grass,

(01:32):
low weeds, low trees, low molds. Moderate air quality Today,
moderate air quality, Friday moderate sun and moon Saturday sunrise
seven forty eight am, sunset seven eleven pm, moon rise
ten twenty seven pm, moonset one twenty four pm. Sunday

(01:57):
sunrise seven forty nine am, sunset seven nine pm, moonrise
eleven thirty four pm moonset to twenty six pm. And
now the headlines from today's front page. James becomes first
black sheriff. Israel pulls back troops on Gaza as Gaza

(02:19):
truce begins. Trump cuts one hundred million dollars from Kentucky
battery project. The first article from today's front page is
James becomes first black sheriff. Former Louisville deputy mayor pledges
to bring modernization, transparency and de escalation by Killian Barlar.

(02:40):
Jefferson County's first black sheriff was sworn into office October tenth.
David James, who has served as deputy mayor to Louisville
Mayor Greg Craig Greenberg since he took office in twenty
twenty three, is now at the home of the Jefferson
County Sheriff's Office. The ceremony took place inside the Mayor's
Gallony at Metro Hall, where a host of state and

(03:02):
local elected leaders, sheriff's deputies, and other public servants gathered
for the occasion. After having his badge pinned to his
uniform by his wife, Michelle, James took the oath of office.
James's deputy chief, former Louisville Metro Police Department, Colonel Steve Healey,
took his oath thereafter. Both men spoke to the crowd

(03:24):
after officially accepting their roles. James spoke to his goal
of strengthening each of the sheriff's offices three pillars of safety, service,
and stewardship. The new sheriff plans to make the office's
services like property tax collection and evictions more efficient by
modernizing systems and expanding online services. He said he hopes

(03:46):
to increase transparency by launching an online dashboard that will
show the public how the office is purporting on key metrics,
and the office will invest in rigorous training for deputies
with an emphasis on constitutional policing, de escalation techniques, and
officer wellness. James said, the best guardians are well trained
and well supported, and they get home safe every day,

(04:09):
James said, and they send the public home safe every day.
When Heally took the podium, he noted he has known
James for twenty six years, dating back to when he
entered the Louisville Police Academy and James was his group instructor.
We are now in the term of Sheriff David James,
who's my friend, Heally said. It's also historic. He's the

(04:30):
first African American sheriff in Jefferson County. While acknowledging the
historic occasion, James said many African American luminaries paved the
way for him to get to his current position. It's
very humbling. It's really not something that I did. It's
something that a lot of people before me, you know,
the Martin Luther Kings, the Mattie Joneses, the Reverend Lewis

(04:50):
Coleman's of the world laid the path for me to
be able to be here, James told The Courier Journal
following the ceremony. James's appointment followed the death the former
Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey, who, according to his obituary,
died peacefully September twenty third. Aubrey served as the sheriff
since nineteen ninety nine, and both James and heally praised

(05:11):
his years of leadership. James is charged with serving out
the remainder of Aubrey's term as head of the Jefferson
County Sheriff's Office, which is comprised of two hundred forty
paid deputies, one hundred two reserve deputies, and sixty civilian
support personnel, making it the fourth largest law enforcement agency
in Kentucky. According to the office's website. The term will

(05:34):
expire in January twenty twenty seven, and voters will choose
James's successor in the twenty twenty sixth election. James formerly
worked as an officer for the Louisville Police Department and LMPD,
director of the Kentucky Bureau of Investigations, and the head
of the University of Louisville Police Department. He also spent
years on the Louisville Metro Council and served as the

(05:55):
council's president for a period. During in October third news conference,
where James was announced as interim sheriff. Greenberg said James
does not intend to run for the office. Rather, he
plans to return to the mayoral administration with Greenberg, who
hopes to secure a second term in the twenty twenty
sixth election. Heally is one of several Democratic candidates running

(06:18):
for the position. Aubrey, a Democrat, endorsed Healey after announcing
in March that he would not seek re election. Also
currently running in the twenty twenty sixth primary for sheriff
are Richard Breen, a lawyer and former mayor of glen View,
and Stephen Yancy, a longtime Sheriff's office employee, who ran
against Aubrey in the twenty twenty two primary. No Republicans

(06:40):
have filed to enter the race as of October ten.
Aubrey's death was the second in September that left an
elected county office vacant. Former Jefferson County Clerk Bobby Holsclaw
died September ten at age eighty one. The Courier Journal
reported holes Claw, a Republican, was elected for her seventh
term in twenty twenty two. Greenberg named Senator David Yates

(07:04):
as the interim clerk at the October third news conference.
He was sworn into his new rural October eighth. The
next article from Today's front page is Israel pulls back
troops as Gaza truce begins first stage of Trump plan,
calls for hostage release by Zach Anderson and Francesca Chambers USA. Today.

(07:27):
A huge column of displaced Palestinians streamed back through the
dust and rubble toward Gaza City Gaza Strip. On October
tenh after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas when into
effect in Israeli troops began pulling back from parts of
the territory. Thank god, my house is still standing, said
Ismail Zayada forty, but the place is destroyed. When neighbour's

(07:51):
houses are destroyed, Entire districts have gone. The Israel Defense
Forces announced the ceasefire was in effect at noon low time.
An October ten statement from the IDF said Israeli forces
have repositioned along the updated deployment lines and were preparing
for the return of hostages held in Gaza. The statement

(08:13):
warned that troops will continue to remove any immediate threat.
The approval of the initial stage of President Donald Trump's
twenty point peace plan represented a milestone in the effort
to bring the two year old war to a close,
and came after hours of debate by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Natanyahu's cabinet that went into the early morning hours

(08:34):
of October ten. The exiled Gaza chief of Hamas, Khalil
al Haya, said he had received guarantees from the United
States and other mediators that the war was over. Multiple
attempts have failed to diffuse the war that began October seven,
twenty twenty three, when Hamas attacked Israel and killed one
thousy two hundred people, mostly civilians, and took two hundred

(08:58):
fifty one people hostage. The first phase of Trump's plan
called for the release of Israeli hostages within seventy two
hours of an agreement being reached in exchange for two
hundred and fifty Palestinians serving long terms in Israeli prisons
in one thousand, seven hundred others detained in Gaza during
the war. US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve

(09:20):
Whitkoff wrote October tenth on social media that the seventy
two hour period has begun. Of the forty eight remaining
hostages in Gaza, twenty are believed to be alive. The
first phase also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from
some of Gaza's major urban areas, though that they will
still control roughly half of the Enclaves territory. Natan Yahu

(09:45):
said in a televised address the Israeli forces would stay
in Gaza to ensure the territory was demilitarized and hamas
disarmed in future stages of Trump's plan. If this is
achieved the easy way, then that will be good. And
if not, then and it will be achieved the hard way,
he said. In con Unis. In the southern Gaza Strip,

(10:06):
some Israeli troops pulled back from the area near the border,
but tank shilling was heard, according to the residents in
contact with routers. The United States is preparing to deploy
up to two hundred troops to help monitor a ceasefire
and support a stabilization force in Gaza. White House Press
Secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed in a statement no US troops

(10:29):
are intended to go into Gaza. According to an official
familiar with the planning, the joint task force is likely
to include Egyptian Katari, Turkish and United Arab Immirates armed forces.
A senior official added, Trump said he hoped to visit
the Middle East in the coming days. The next article
from today's front page is titled Trump cuts one hundred

(10:52):
million dollars from Kentucky battery project. Reports cancelation of ascennd
Elements grant could be first of many. Connor Griffin, the
Trump administration terminated about one hundred million dollars in grant
funding to the Ascend Elements Battery plant in Christian County,
one of the state's largest ongoing economic development projects, the

(11:13):
company confirmed October nine. The award cancellation comes amid reports
that the administration is considering billions of dollars in further
funding cuts to energy projects around the country, including several
to Kentucky. Award terminations could also target fifty million dollars
in funding for an investment by miss Mitsubishi Electric to

(11:34):
repurpose a manufacturing plant in Maysville, and nearly twenty four
million dollars for several energy related projects under the University
of Kentucky Research Foundation. According to a list of potential
cuts reported by Semaphore and numerous other news outlets this week.
The Department of Energy was unable to verify the list,

(11:54):
spokesperson Olivia Tenari said in an October seven email to
the Courier Journal, and continues to conduct and conduct an
individualized and thorough review of financial awards made by the
previous administration. The Department's grant termination doesn't change our trajectory.
Ascend Elements CEO Line Austin said in a statement, we

(12:15):
will replace the terminated grant with the balanced mix of
private growth, equity, project finance, strategic off take prepayments, and
non US incentives, including support we've been awarded in the EU.
More than two hundred million dollars in federal funding was
already outlaid to the company for its Kentucky project, according
to the federal grant data. This week's reward termination cuts

(12:39):
the remaining one third of three hundred sixteen million dollars
in grants. Construction at the company's Apex one site is paused,
Austin said, but will restart in twenty twenty six in
alignment with customer demand. The Ascend to Elements project previously
involved plans to invest nearly one billion dollars in battery
recycling and production and create hundreds of jobs. It's unclear

(13:04):
if or how the plant's hiring timeline could change. Earlier
this year, the company agreed to cancel an additional one
hundred sixty four million dollars in federal funding and was
recently entangled in litigation over alleged refusal to pay contractors
Mitsubishi Electric did not respond to The Courier Journal's request
for comment. As of October eighth, the University of Kentucky

(13:27):
had not received notice of funding changes, according to spokesperson
Whitney Skidiki. Early in the afternoon of October nine, Governor
Andy Basheer said he had not received official word that
the cuts were happening. He appeared to criticize President Trump
for not listening to his supporters. I'd be very disappointed
if this is going to move forward because Assend Elements

(13:49):
is an enormous project in Hopkinsville, Pusher said at the time.
If I were in the room, I would remind the
President and the administration that county voted overwhelmingly for the present.
The list circulating this week matches a pattern of funding
cancelations to clean energy and decarbonization efforts the Trump administration.

(14:09):
At odds with decades of climate science, has questioned the
merit of reducing carbon emissions and painted efforts to do
so as a scam. Earlier this month, that the onset
of a tense government shut down, the Trump administration announced
funding cancelations of more than seven billion dollars for two
hundred and twenty three energy projects which it said did

(14:30):
not adequately advance the nation's energy needs, were not economically viable,
and would not provide a positive return on investment of
taxpayer dollars. Most of that round of cuts targeted projects
in blue states. Democrats lambassaded those cuts as partisan and
said the decision would harm American jobs, drive private capital

(14:51):
out of the country, weaken our power grid, and give
China a strategic edge. In May, the Trump administration yanked
federal funding from another tranch of projects, including two in Kentucky,
seventy two million dollars for a carbon capture pilot project
at LG and ease Caine Run power plant in Louisville,
and up to seventy five million dollars to the international

(15:13):
spirit's company Diego to decarbonize its operations in Shelbyville, Kentucky,
and Plainville Illinois. Notably, the new list of reported project
cuts would acutely affect red states and red districts. Billions
of dollars for regional hydrogen hubs, including one in Appalachia,
would be sha slashed. Carbon capture projects along the Gulf Coast,

(15:36):
which the fossil fuel industry has generally supported, would also
take a hit. In recent years, deep red Kentucky has
embraced a sleugh of economic development projects related to clean
energy and especially the electric vehicle supply chain. Boosted by
Biden era subsidies. The Kentucky legislature approved state incentives for
the projects, some of which could now collapse under a

(15:57):
reversal in federal support. Thousands of Kentucky jobs hang in
the balance. The ascend to Elements plant lies a few
miles outside Hopkinsville, in Kentucky's first congressional district. A spokesperson
for US Representative James Comer did not respond to a
request for commet on the cuts, nor did staff of
the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. Other major electric vehicle

(16:21):
investments cited in Kentucky in recent years include the sprawling
Blue Oval sk plant in Hardin County and ev expansions
by Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Manufacturing. In addition
to slashed federal awards, the EV industry is facing whiplash
in federal policy. The Trump administration has dismantled Biden era

(16:42):
policies meant to support the growing US EV industry, including
consumer side tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, which ended
September thirtieth. Industry analysts suspect EV sales to slow as
a result, which in turn could hinder growth in Kentucky
He's burgeoning battery sector. The next article from today's edition

(17:04):
is titled Venezuelan opposition leader wins Peace Prize by Francesca
Chambers USA Today. President Donald Trump's dream of becoming a
Nobel laureate did not come true this year, although the
prize winner dedicated the honor to him and others. The
Norwegian committee then determines the winner of the prestigious awards,
passed Trump over for the Nobel Peace Prize he coveted

(17:27):
and hopes he might win for normalizing diplomatic relations between
a handful of nations. The award went to Venezuelan opposition
leader Maria Corina Macado for performing promoting democratic rights in
her country and her struggle to achieve a transition to democracy,
the committee announced October ten. According to A Ruder's report,

(17:50):
she lives in hiding and was blocked by Venezuelan courts
in twenty twenty four from running for president to challenge
President Nicolas Maduro. When authoritarians sees power, it is critical
to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,
the Nobel Committee said in its citation. Machado dedicated her

(18:10):
prize to the Venezuelan people and to Trump for his
decisive support of our cause. We are on the threshold
of victory, and today, more than ever, we count on
President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples
of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world
as our principal allies to achieve freedom and democracy, Machado
wrote on social media. Trump broke her to historic agreement

(18:33):
between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to formalize ties
between the country during his first term in office, Bahrayan, Morocco,
and Sudan also signed what is known as the Abraham Accords,
which Trump hoped to expand to include other nations. Such
as Saudi Arabia. The American President was also nominated for

(18:54):
the Peace Prize for various agreements he struck to resolve
crises and conflicts this year. The submissions from Cambodia, Pakistan
and other nations came after the committee's January thirty one deadline.
The White House responded to the Nobel snub by declaring
the committee had its priorities out of order. The Nobel
Committee proved they placed politics over peace. White House spokesperson

(19:17):
Stephen Chung wrote on social media. Trump had mused earlier
in the year that it was unlikely he would ever
receive the esteemed recognition, which has been awarded to only
four previous US presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter,
and Barack Obama. The Nobel Committee does not disclose the
names of nominees who were not chosen, but it said

(19:39):
before the announcement that there were three hundred thirty eight candidates,
two hundred forty four of whom were individuals and ninety
four others there were organizations. US Representative Claudia Tenneye Republican
New York, publicly disclosed that she nominated Trump for the
Nobel Prize for the Abraham Accords. Natian Yahoo also said

(20:00):
during a White House visit in July that he would
nominate Trump for his role in the accords. The next
article from today's edition is titled Shelby County Courthouse ANX
closes due to bed bugs by Caroline Neil. The Shelby
County Courthouse and ex Building will be closed until further
notice due to a bed buck infestation. According to a

(20:22):
Facebook post from Shelby County Judge Executive Dan Eisen, It
is unclear when the building will reopen. The building, which
is at five zero one Washington Street in Shelbyville, houses
both the County Clerk's office and the Property Evaluation Administrator's office.
Ison said the infestation is in the clerk's office. Both

(20:44):
the PVA office and the clerk's office are closed. The
closure will not impact residents trying to pay taxes or
access services like vehicle transfers. Isen said and a Facebook
post both are done at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office,
five zero one Main Street. The next article from today's
edition is titled Manual High school teacher faces charges accused

(21:08):
of distributing child sexual abuse material by Lillian Metz, Mayor
and Caroline Neil, a DuPont Manual High School theater teacher,
is under federal investigation for distributing child sexual abuse material,
according to an October ten news release from the U. S.
Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky. According to

(21:30):
a criminal complaint, Brian Hines, fifty one, of Louisville was
charged after he allegedly distributed child sex abuse material depicting
pre phebescent boys to an undercover law enforcement officer. Hines
reportedly admitted to investigators that he sent and received additional
material during an October nine interview. While the investigation is ongoing,

(21:51):
authorities have not presently identified any victim that is a
current or former student of DuPont Manual High School. Official
said if local victim are later identified, authorities will directly
and immediately make contact with victims or the parents guardians
of minor victims. Hines was taken into custody October nine
and is being held at the Oldham County Detention Center.

(22:13):
He was scheduled to appear in court October ten. In
an email to Families, Manual Principal Michael Newman, said administrators
had been made aware of allegations involving a staff member
that were not directly connected to the school. We are
following all Jefferson County Public Schools policies and procedures, and

(22:34):
while this situation is ongoing, the staff member will not
be reporting to DuPont Manual YPAS. He wrote, We realize
this can cause concerns for families and students. If your
student would like to talk with someone, our counseling and
mental health team is always available. Hines, who had been
part of ypas's staff since twenty twelve, was still listed

(22:58):
on the school's faculty page as of October nine. The
Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metropolice are continuing to investigate.
The next article in today's edition is titled Louisville in
top five for income growth. Smart Asset finds one year
median rise of nine point three seven percent by Olivia Evans,

(23:20):
Louisville has landed in the top five cities for income
growth nationwide. According to one study. Smart Asset, a financial
technology company, found that the one year change in median
household incomes between twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four
in Louisville was nine point three seven percent, the fifth
highest income growth rate in the US. Louisville took the

(23:43):
fifth spot, behind major metros including Tampa, Florida, and three
cities in California, Long Beach, San Francisco, and Fresno. Meanwhile,
Louisville beat out cities like San Jose, California, Baltimore, Tousan, Arizona, Chicago,
and nas Mesa, Arizona, who rounded out the top ten.

(24:03):
The smart asset analysis examined the fifty largest U S
cities by population. The population in income data is from
the US Census Bureau one Year American Community Survey for
twenty twenty four and twenty twenty three. Cities were ranked
behind based on the one year change in median household income.

(24:23):
Median household income for seniors and families with children under
the age of eighteen were also examined. Here's a detailed
breakdown of how Louisville landed in the top five for
income growth in the US according to smart asset. What
is the median household income in Louisville. According to smart asset,
the median household income in Louisville in twenty twenty three

(24:44):
was sixty one thousand, four hundred eighty eight dollars. In
twenty twenty four, that figure rose to sixty seven, two
hundred and fifty one dollars, creating a nine point three
seven percent increase year over year. However, Louisville's median household
income in twenty twenty five orse still sits well below
the national figure of eighty three thousand, seven hundred and

(25:05):
thirty Did median income change for seniors in Louisville? Yes,
Seniors people ages sixty five and older, saw a decrease
in median income from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four.
According to smart Asset, In twenty twenty three, Louisville seniors
brought home a median income of forty eight thousand, eight
hundred forty six dollars, but in twenty twenty four that

(25:28):
drops slightly to forty eight thousand, two hundred thirty two dollars.
This created a decrease of one point twenty six percent
from median income for seniors. Did median income change for
families in Louisville? Yes. Contrastly to seniors, families which are
groups of two or more people that are related by birth, adoption,
marriage or live together saw a growth of nine point

(25:50):
six percent in median income from twenty twenty three to
twenty twenty four. In twenty twenty three, families raked in
sixty nine thousand, nine hundred six seventy seven dollars, but
in twenty twenty four that was up to seventy six thousand,
six hundred ninety two dollars. The next article in today's
edition is titled It's Glorious Louisville man found courage to

(26:14):
come out as gay at seventy two by Maggie Menderski.
In the late nineteen sixties, Barry Steeker admired how a
boy scout four years older than him knew how to
tie every knot. Lou Tingle's vast merit badge collection from
his days with Troop two two eight illustrated just how

(26:34):
much more Stiegler had to learn about survival, agriculture, craftsmanship,
and life in general. Now, nearly six years, six decades later,
Steeger is the one mentoring Tingle. Two years ago, at
age seventy two, Tingle came out as a gay man.
Since then, Steiker, who has been open about his own sexuality,

(26:57):
since he was in his twenties, has taken Tingle under
his wing, introducing him to Louisville's queer community and acting
as an LGBTQ plus mentor of sorts to his childhood acquaintance.
When the South End Natives randomly reconnected about five years
ago at the radio station where Steger worked, Tingle, who
has been married twice and lived more than half a

(27:18):
century as a straight man, was just coming to terms
with being gay. He started slowly asking Steeger seventy questions
about people like us and opening up about the feelings
he was facing. Their connection was never romantic, but rather tutorial.
It's like you came out right in front of me,
Steeker remembers. In the weeks ahead of National Coming Out

(27:41):
Day on October eleven, the pair sat down with The
Courier Journal to tell the story of their friendship and
Tingle's unique challenges of coming to terms with his sexuality
later in life. Today, Tingle is happier than Steeger's ever
seen him, and while that's true, at the same time,
Tingle knows how it feels to wrestle with fear and acceptance.

(28:01):
He wanted to share his story in the hopes that
his journey inspires others. I know exactly what goes through
the minds of many men, Tingle said, and I know
there are many men out there who will not take
the leap and do what I did because of the
fear and the unknown. I would like for them to
see that there is possibly a way that they can
enjoy their lives more. Tingle and Steager grew up on

(28:24):
opposite sides of Rockford Road, which served as a natural
barrier between the Shively and pledger Ridge Park neighborhoods. They
knew each other as well as any boys in the
neighborhood with a four year age difference might. Looking back,
both men recall sensing a softness about the other, but
in a time where acceptance of the LGBTQ plus community

(28:45):
wasn't mainstream, it was never anything they discussed. Both men
grew up in extremely conservative families. Steeger specifically remembers his
father saying casually at the dinner table one evening, while
passing the salt, that he'd kill him if he ever
found found out he was gay. The young men both
attended Western High School. Tingle graduated in nineteen sixty eight

(29:06):
and Steager followed in nineteen seventy three. From there, their
experiences very dramatically. Steaker began his media career as a
radio preacher when he was just fourteen years old. He
couldn't decide whether he wanted to be an actor, comedian,
radio host, or a preacher, so he studied all of them.
Now he realizes he was using religion to distract from

(29:28):
his attraction to men. He remembers the day in August
nineteen seventy seven when he realized he was gay. It
was right around the time Elvis Presley died. It was
the biggest revelation I've ever had in my life. Steeger said,
it was visceral. He'spent a decade in New York and
then moved to Los Angeles, where he found a gay
and lesbian comedy show and appeared in the nineteen nineties

(29:50):
sitcom Grace sunder Fire. Ultimately, he returned to Louisville, and
eventually he picked up a gig at w c h
Q Radio. Tingle, on the other hand, never moved away
from Kentucky. He attended college at Moorhead State University and
met his first wife at the school's Baptist Union He
loved her sense of humor, and they shared a deep

(30:12):
connection through their faith. They married and had a child,
but eventually divorced amicably. Decades later, Tingle recognizes many of
their marital issues likely stemmed from him being gay. Tingle
quietly knew he felt attracted to men, but didn't think
that meant he was gay. He was raised to believe
that being gay was a choice, so as long as
he didn't act on it. By that definition, he wasn't gay.

(30:35):
So much so that when his second wife asked him
if he was gay, he denied it. I answered her
honestly at the time, I had not chosen that lifestyle.
I knew I had the tendency, but felt like since
I had never been with the man, I was honest
in telling her that I was not gay. He loved
her deeply, and they had a wildly intuitive connection. The

(30:56):
couple never argued, even when she pressed him about his
sexuality once he suspected her daughter put her up to
the question. Another time she caught him looking just a
little too long at a picture of a man. Then
she watched a television show that suggested gay men like
to marry older women, and she was about twelve years
older than him. I married her because I loved her,

(31:17):
he told the Courier Journal. Age had nothing to do
with it or being gay. Their age difference, however, did
mean they had fewer years to spend together. His wife
was eighty three when she died in twenty twenty two,
and Tingle still had the bulk of his seventies ahead
of him as a widower. Then he had a jarring
revel realization, not unlike the one Steger had in the

(31:37):
nineteen seventies. I was thinking about my future and thinking
about a new partner, he recalled. I realized that I
hadn't really been attracted to women sexually. Then it just
hit me. He realized being gay wasn't a choice. It
was something he'd been all along. You've always been like this,
he thought to himself. You might as well give in.
Your defenses dropped, and you could tell you were honest

(31:58):
with yourself. Steger said to Tingle of this moment, it
was so liberating. Tingle remembered. Stepping into a new LGBTQ
plus lifestyle was more complicated for Tingle than merely accepting it.
That's where Steger came in. Tingle had so many questions
and needed a person who could trust to help him
wade through them. Do I have to dress differently? He wondered,

(32:19):
Do I have to talk differently? Lou Just because you're
gay doesn't mean you have to change everything about you.
Steger told him just be yourself. It will come naturally,
and I took his advice to heart. It worked. Tingle recalled.
Steger introduced his friend to the movers and shakers in
Louisville's LGBTQ plus community, and encouraged Tingle, who is a photographer,

(32:41):
to take his camera to the Kentuckiana Pride Parade Festival
and photograph it. He also helped Tingle decode some language
and vernacular that was new to him. I had one
man who asked me to be his daddy, Tingle remembers,
referring to the term used for a dominant romantic partner
in a relationship, and I didn't know what to do. Slowly,

(33:02):
Tingles started to come out to people he knew. First,
he approached a group of gay men he knew through work,
and they took him out to dinner to celebrate. Then
he told some straight friends that he trusted. He began
dating men in a casual manner, and steadily he added
more vibrant patterns to his wardrobe. He started painting his toenails.
As a child, he always wished he could wear his

(33:22):
mother's jewelry, and now he has his own strand of pearls.
Lou is more out than I would have ever imagined
Steeger set, and really that's what inspired these reunited friends
to reach out to the Courier Journal after two years
of slowly emerging. Tingle wants to tell the world he's happy.
But even more than that, he hopes his story helps

(33:43):
someone else. He's already paying forwards to Steeger's tutelage by
being a safe person and confidant for a young trans individual.
The world has come a long way since they were
boy Scouts in the nineteen sixties. The United States Supreme
Court ruled in Lawrence v. TeX's in two thousand and
three that criminalizing sodomy between two consensual adults was unconstitutional.

(34:07):
Marriage equality became the law of the land in twenty fifteen.
Stiegel has zero regrets about how he's lived his life
up to this point, so much so he still tears
up when he talks about how much he misses his wife,
but at the same time he cannot imagine suppressing his
authentic self any longer. It's glorious, it really really is,

(34:28):
Tinkle said, I'm so happy. I feel like all the
shackles have been lifted from me. Now it is time
to read the obituaries. We read only the name, age,
and location. If you would like further information on any
of the obituaries, please call us during the weekdays at
eight five nine four two two six three nine zero,
and we will be glad to read the entire obituary

(34:50):
for you. I will repeat that number at the end
of the listings. Herbert A. Florence eighty five, Crestwoodkinto. John
Jay Cyinai ninety four, Louisville, Kentucky. If you would like
further information about any of the listings today, call us

(35:11):
on weekdays at eight five nine four two two six
three nine zero, and we will be glad to read
the entire item to you. The next item from today's
edition is titled The Rosine Barn Jamboree is pilgrimage for
bluegrass music fans by Lillian Metzmeyer. If you're a lover

(35:32):
of bluegrass music, some of the genres. Richest history can
be found in the blink and you miss it town
of Rosine in Ohio County. The Rosine Barn is home
to free Friday night jamborees where people are invited to
play and dance to bluegrass music. It was kind of
like open mic and they would just have bluegrass artists
come in and play and people would dance, and it

(35:53):
would just become a huge community event. Co owner Tara
Ward said the barn kind of became like a community
center in a lot of ways for the Rosine area.
When the old owners could no longer care for it,
Ward purchased the barn with some friends in order to
preserve the musical heritage site. It's just good old fashioned
bluegrass music and a good old barn jam, she said.

(36:17):
Rosine is the birthplace of Bill Monroe, known to many
as the father of bluegrass music. Monroe previously played at
the Rosine Barn when it was the Old Barn Jamboree,
and his legacy is a draw for tourism in the
small town. It's certainly kind of a pilgrimage for anyone
that likes folk music, bluegrass music, that sort of thing.

(36:37):
Ward said, we actually have on the stage a memorialized
set of Bill Monroe's footprints. It's just kind of a living,
preserved piece of history. Dustin Bratcher, who also works at
the Rosine Barn, added, whoever plays on the stage the
first time gets the certificate, saying they stood in the
same footsteps as Bill Monroe and played music at the

(36:58):
Rosine Barn. If you're a music fan, whether you like
bluegrass or not, on Friday nights, it's kind of an
amazing spectacle. Ward said, At the Rosine Barn, anyone and
everyone is invited to enjoy the music rather on the
dance floor or on the stage fiddle in hand. Bluegrass
bands from all over the world have traveled overseas to
experience the jamboree. Ward and Bratcher said, some coming as

(37:23):
far as Alaska and Russia. The Rosine Barn was listed
on the National Register of Historic Places in two thousand
and three. When you come here, you want to step
back in time, Ward said, When you come to a
jam session as the bar, that's what you're doing. You're
stepping back in time. The barn also has an attached
restaurant called Fat Bellies. Because Ohio County is a dry County.

(37:47):
No alcohol is allowed or sold on the premises. When
is the Rosine Barn Jamboree? Free bluegrass shows take place
at the barn each Friday. The Rosine Barn typically begins
shows the first Friday of ab They go on until
around the second Friday of December. Open mic starts around
six pm each Friday, and the first band set will

(38:08):
usually begin at seven pm. Usually the music will run
at least until nine pm, because you know there's some
residencies right near, residences right by and everything. But it's
not unheard of sometimes, especially if the bluegrass festival is
going on, for music to go on until eleven pm
or later. Ward said, I mean people just jam and

(38:28):
jam and jam. Where is the Rosine Barn. The Rosine
Barn is located at eight two two five US sixty
two in Ohio County. There's no cost to attend any
events hosted on the site. With Rosine being the birthplace
of Monroe, the barn is close to other iconic bluegrass landmarks.
It's just down the road from his home place and

(38:50):
across the street from the barn is the Bill Monroe Museum.
Ward said it celebrates Bill's legacy in our bluegrass roots
here in Ohio County and bluegrass music. The next article
in today's edition is titled President fires federal workers amid
shutdown by Joey Garrison, Zach Anderson, and Sarah D Weyer

(39:12):
USA Today. President Donald Trump followed through October ten on
his long standing threat to fire federal workers during the
government shutdown, taking aggressive action to downsize the government in
a dramatic break from past shutdowns, the riffs have begun,
Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management
and Budget, said in a post on X referring to

(39:34):
reductions in force. Spokespeople at the Treasury and Health in
Human Services departments said layoffs were underway at their agencies,
and OMB spokesperson would not say how many federal workers
are affected or which agencies were targeted, but they described
the layoffs as substantial. Rachel Cawley, the omb's communications director,

(39:56):
posted three explosion emojis in response to Vaughan's announcement. White
House officials have argued the layoffs are needed to ensure
essential government services have funding, but many legal experts in
unions representing government workers have raised objections, accusing Trump of
using the shutdown to advance his political agenda and to

(40:17):
punish Democrats. It is disgraceful that the Trump administration is
used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire
thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across
the country. American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett
Kelley said in a statement that Union and the American

(40:37):
Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees preemptively sued the Trump administration on
September thirty, the day before the shutdown began, over the
President's repeated threats of layoffs. Sued argues firing workers during
the shutdown as an abuse of power that strips federal
employees of back pay rights and violates agencies statutory duties.

(41:00):
The firings came on the tenth day of the federal
government shut down, after Senators on October nine, yet again
voting down dueling funding bills. Democrats continued to demand that
changes to health care policy be included in any funding bill.
No additional votes are expected on reopening the government until
at least October fourteen. That's when the Senate is expected

(41:22):
to return It's also the day before members of the
military would miss their first paycheck because of the shutdown.
House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffrey's Democrat New York told reporters
before the firing announcement that Republicans have an obligation to
meet Democrats to negotiate. The American people know that it's
Donald Trump and Republicans who need to sit down and

(41:42):
negotiate a bipartisan agreement in good faith. Jeffrey said, Get
off the golf course, come back from vacation, stop publishing
deep fake videos, and get serious because the lives of
the American people are on the line. The next article
from today's edition is titled National Guard Troops arrived to
patrol Memphis by Jack Armstrong, India, Yancy Bragg, Michael Laurier,

(42:07):
and Christopher Kahn USA. Today Network members of the Tennessee
National Guard began patrolling in Memphis, Tennessee, on October ten,
the city confirmed as the Trump administration battled lawsuits against
similar deployments across the country. Troops and Army fatigues could
be seen crossing a parking lot at the Tennessee State
Welcome Center shortly before ten am local time. The backs

(42:30):
of their uniforms read military police members of the National Guard,
where the uniform of their federal military branch. It was
not immediately clear how many National Guard members were in
the city, or what locations they would be patrolling and when.
At least eleven military police troops could be seen in
the Welcome Center parking lot speaking with Memphis Police Department officers.

(42:52):
Some purchased diet coke from a store. The troops were
the latest edition to Memphis Safe Task Force, an initiative
of the tree Trump administration says is intended to end
street and violent crime in the city. Personnel for more
than a dozen federal agencies as well as Tennessee law enforcement,
began arriving in Memphis the week of September twenty nine
as part of the task Force. As of October nine,

(43:15):
officials with the task force had made five hundred sixty
two arrests and seized one hundred forty four illegal guns,
according to a social media update from Attorney General Pam Bondie.
It's not clear what charges those people had been arrested
on or what the agencies federal, state, and local were involved.
Unlike democratic governors of Illinois, California and Oregon, who have

(43:37):
all sued over National Guard deployments. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee,
a Republican, welcomed the federal intervention. The deployment came days
after judges blocked similar moves in Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
Government all lawyers in both cases said troops were needed
to protect federal officers and properties from demonstrators. In Chicago,

(43:58):
on October nine, US District Judge April M. Perry cast
doubt on the Department of Homeland Securities version of events
and granted part of Illinois's request to block the deployment
to the nation's third largest city. She cited a number
of recent legal rulings against the Trump administration. Lawyers for
the government filed a notice of their intention to appeal. Meanwhile,

(44:21):
a federal appeals court heard arguments concerning a lower court's
order that blocked the deployment of the National Guard in Portland. Earlier,
a trial court in Los Angeles ruled Trump's deployment of
Guard troops there during the summer was illegal. The Trump
administration appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,
which overruled the lower court. Ruling in June. In September,

(44:45):
the city government in Washington, d C. Sue the Trump administration,
arguing the deployment of twenty two hundred National Guard troops
was unconstitutional and violated federal law. The next article from
today's edition is titled Military force in Caribbean Sea Debated.
Republicans vote down Senate push to stop strikes by Sabelle

(45:06):
Mays Austerman, USA Today. An attempt in the Senate to
stop President Donald Trump from launching deadly strikes on votes
in the Caribbean Sea failed on October eighth, after fifty
one Republicans voted it down. The War Powers Resolution, introduced
by Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine, aimed to

(45:27):
wield congressional power to stop Trump's ongoing strikes on fishing
vessels off the coast of Venezuela that the administration claims
were run by narco terrorists trying to bring drugs into
the United States. The resolution received forty eight yes votes,
with Republican Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Morowski joining the
Democrats in support. For perhaps the first time in our history,

(45:49):
the President of the United States ordered the U s
military to use lethal force against individuals who posed no
imminent threat of an attack and who could have been
stopped thousands of miles from our short Scheif, long considered
a Trump nemesis, told Congress, we can't have a policy
where we just blow up ships where we don't even
know the people's names, Paul, who represents Kentucky, said in

(46:12):
a Bloomberg interview before the vote. The Trump administration launched
the first known deadly strike on a boat it alleged
was transporting drugs on September second, killing eleven people in
placing the United States in a new legal territory. Since then,
at least ten more people have been killed in three strikes.
After each publicly disclosed strike, Defense Secretary Pete Hesgif and

(46:35):
other Trump officials have posted footage to social media of
what appears to be the targeted boat sailing through the water,
then bursting into smoke and flames after the strike. The
United States has now reached a critical point where we
must use force in self defense and defense of others
against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations, the
White House said in a statement. Schif and other senators

(46:59):
have said they've received no information about the identities of
those killed, or the intelligence that showed the boats were
trying to carry drugs into the United States. We have
learned of these strikes through social media posts from the President,
the Secretary of Defense, and the press. In fact, administration
officials have offered different accounts of these where these vessels
were heading. Chief said the first boat struck was turning

(47:21):
around before it was hit, Schif said, citing media reports.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after the first
boat was struck that it was probably headed to Trinidad
or some other country in the Caribbean. Rubio said the
boat could have been interdicted, but instead, on the President's orders,
we blew it up. Nearly a month after the first strike,

(47:44):
the Pentagon sent a new notice to some senators that
because drug cartels are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks
throughout the Western hemisphere as organized cartels, Trump determined that
they are non state armed groups whose actions constituted an
arms attack against the United States. The President determined that
the United States is in a non international armed conflict

(48:07):
with these designated terrorist organizations. The notice dread. Lawyers and
experts have said that striking the boats even if they
were carrying drugs. Put the Trump administration in murky legal territory.
The reasoning seems to have been shifted to we're in
a non international, ongoing armed conflict, and therefore don't need
to make the determination that the person who we're targeting

(48:29):
poses an imminent threat to the United States. They're a combatant.
That seems to be reverse engineering. James Baker, former Chief
Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces,
said in an October eight panel discussion at the Center
for a New American Security, it is not clear at
all that there is an armed conflict, he added, I'm

(48:50):
not seeing it. According to the War Powers Resolution, within
forty eight hours of deploying US forces without congressional approval,
the White House must tell lawmakers why the use of
military force was necessary, what legal authority justifies it, and
how long the hostilities are likely to last. Without authorization
from Congress, the use of force cannot run past sixty days.

(49:12):
The law dictates. The White House handed over a notification
of the first strike to Senator Chuck Grassley, who is
the President pro temp of the Senate. Two days later,
it read it is not possible at this time to
know the full scope and duration of military operations that
will be necessary. The counter terrorism focused wars of the
past twenty five years moved the US military beyond past

(49:35):
precedent about how much information about military operations the government
should reveal. Still, lawyers say the latest strikes have crossed
a line. The Trump administration is not so much seeking
to stretch the legal underpinning of the War on Terror
to a new battlefill. Brian Finucane, a former State Department
lawyer who advised the government on those conflicts, wrote in

(49:58):
a commentary. Instead, the administration is effectively asserting the prerogative
to kill outside the law entirely. The War Powers Resolution
was passed in the height of the Vietnam War over
President Richard Nixon's veto in an attempt to curtail the
president's ability to indefinitely use military force outside of an
official war declared by Congress. Days after the attacks, on

(50:22):
September eleven, twenty two thousand one, Congress passed several laws
handing President George W. Bush sweeping authority to use military
power to target terrorist groups, including in secret. The law
has defined counter terrorism policy for decades and served as
the legal backdrop of policies like torture, detentions at Guatanamo

(50:42):
Bay and warrantless surveillance programs. In February, Trump designated some
drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in a nod to
the Post nine to eleven law. Administration officials have indicated
that the designation adds legal justification for the strikes. The
lawyers say the logic doesn't add up. The reason you

(51:04):
can target a terrorist is not because you put the
word terrorists on their head. It's because they pose an
imminent threat of attack on the United States, Baker said.
The next article from today's edition is titled New York
dims rally around James after indictment by Eduardo Queves USA. Today,

(51:25):
New York Democrats rallied around State Attorney General Letitia James
after she was indicted in federal court. The indictment, returned
on October nine, allegis James committed bank fraud related to
a mortgage in purchasing a Virginia home. President Donald Trump,
whom James sued in twenty twenty two, called for her
to face charges. Just weeks earlier. James, a Democrat, said

(51:48):
she was not afraid of what she called baseless charges.
Her allies in Albany, Washington, and New York City were
equally forceful. What we're seeing today is nothing less than
the weaponization of the Justice Department meant to punish those
who hold the powerful accountable. New York Governor Kathy Hochel,
posted October nine on X House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffrey's,

(52:11):
Democrat New York said, James has courageously been at the
forefront of successfully challenging the Trump's administration lawless and deeply
unpopular overreach. At all times, she has followed the facts,
applied the law, and been guided by the Constitution, Jeffrey
said in a statement. New York Republicans meanwhile echoed what
U S Attorney Lindsay Halligan of the Eastern District of

(52:33):
Virginia stated while announcing the charges. No one is above
the law. For years, Leticia's James has illegally weaponized her
office to conduct a political witch hunt against Democrats political opponents,
most notably President Donald J. Trump, said Representative L. C.
Stephonic Republican New York who was challenging Hochel for governor.

(52:55):
Three years earlier, James had sued Trump his businesses and
some of his family, alleging they fraudulently inflated the value
of his assets for better loan and insurance terms. A
state judge agreed, ordering Trump to pay a penalty of
around four hundred and fifty four million dollars. A Manhattan
based appeals court found the penalties improper, but kept certain

(53:16):
business restrictions in place. James has appealed that decision. In September,
Eric Cybert, the former US attorney for Virginia's Eastern District,
had reportedly concluded there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges
against James. Cybert resigned after Trump called to remove him. Halligan,
the president's former personal lawyer, soon replaced Cybert. The next

(53:40):
article from today's addition is titled Trump threatens China with
massive tariff hike by Joey Garrison USA. Today, President Donald
Trump accused China of pursuing sweeping export controls on rare
earth minerals across the world, and vowed the United States
will counter financially, perhaps with the massive increase of tariffs

(54:02):
on Chinese imports. Trump also threatened to back out of
plans to meet later this month with Chinese President Shi
Jinping at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea.
This was a real surprise, not only to me, but
to all the leaders of the free world, Trump wrote
in a lengthy October ten post on Truth Social I

(54:22):
was to meet President she in two weeks at APEC
in South Korea, but now there seems to be no
reason to do so. Trump said countries throughout the world
have recently received letters from China detailing its desire to
impose export controls on each and every element of production
having to do with rare earths and virtually anything else
they can think of, even if it's not manufactured in China.

(54:45):
He likened the action to China trying to monopolize the
rare earth industry. Trump accused China of great trade hostility
and said the move came out of nowhere, even though
China and the United States have engaged in a month's
long trade war during Trump's second term. Our relationship with
China over the past six months has been a very
good one. Thereby making this move on trade and even

(55:06):
more surprising, when Trump wrote, I have always felt that
they've been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I
have been proven right. Trump said he will be forced
as President of the United States of America to financially
counter their move. He said his administration is considering a
massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products coming into the
United States as one possibility. For every element that they

(55:29):
have been able to monopolize, we have two, Trump wrote,
I never thought it would come to this, but perhaps,
as with all things, the time has come. Ultimately, though
potentially painful, it will be a good thing in the
end for the USA. China was initially targeted with the
steepest tariffs, but the Trump administration in China in August
agreed for the second time to extend a tariff truce

(55:50):
for ninety days, staving off triple digit duties on imports
that both countries have threatened on each other. Trump signed
an order preventing U S tariffs on Chinese goods from
shooting up to one hundred and forty five percent, while
Chinese tariffs on US goods were set to hit one
hundred twenty five percent, rates that would have resulted in
a virtual trade embargo between the two countries. The TRUTH

(56:12):
locked in place a thirty percent tariff on Chinese imports,
with Chinese duties on US imports at ten percent. The
next article in today's edition is titled an analysis seventy
percent of US in or Near Recession by Madora Lee USA. Today,
some people are likely confused about whether the US economy

(56:35):
is in a recession, near recession, or doing okay. Turns
out the answer may depend on where they live. According
to Moody's Analytics economist Mark Zandi, twenty one states in
the District of Columbia, which contribute about a third of
US economic activity, are already in a recession. Sandy's analysis
shows an additional thirteen states, comprising roughly another third of

(56:57):
the economy, are treading water, and their remains nine sixteen
are growing. He said, Even if the nation as a
whole isn't in a recession, Americans who live in one
of the states that's either in a recession or on
the edge of one are likely already feeling a pinch.
State level data makes it clear why the US economy
is on the edge of recession. Zandi says most of

(57:19):
the states that are in or near a recession produce goods.
Sandy said agriculture, mining, and light manufacturing are currently frail,
and a weak transportation sector is exacerbating that, he said,
but the DC area stands out due to government job cuts.
Zandy said the federal government is one of six industries
he sees in recession. The other sectors are transportation and distribution, agriculture, mining, manufacturing,

(57:44):
and construction. No surprise, those industries struggling are the most
impacted by hired tariffs, highly restrictive immigration policy, and the
DOGE Department of Government efficiency cuts, he said. New England
states generally have to have generally tend to have weaker
economies than the rest of the country, even in the
best of times, due to slow population growth. Sandy said.

(58:07):
A few states, such as Georgia and Illinois, are also
expensive to live in, which has entered an uptick in population.
He said. States such as Texas and Florida generally always farewell,
Sandy said, partially because of their low taxes. Pennsylvania surprised him.
On the upside, It's doing well because of healthcare and education,
he said. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are driving the train. Other

(58:29):
growing industries include technology, state and local government, and real estate.
He said. California and New York so far have staved
off recession, but they're walking the lines Andy said. If
either one falls into recession, Sandy predicts it'll take the
rest of the nation with it. Together, the two states
account for more than a fifth of US economic growth.

(58:52):
This concludes readings for the first section of The Courier
Journal for Saturday, October eleventh, twenty twenty five. Stay tuned
for more news to follow immediately. Your reader has been
Melody Ryan