12.10.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Wednesday,
December tenth, 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 Linda Rice.

(00:21):
We'll start with the five day weather forecast brought to
you by WHS. Today, expect a high of forty four,
windy with showers around the local area. Tonight a low
of twenty nine, overcast and breezy. Thursday expect high of
thirty seven, low of twenty nine, cloudy and cold. Friday

(00:43):
expected forty five temperature for the high and twenty eight low.
Snow showers but not as cold, and Saturday will be
thirty six or the low of twenty low, clouds and cold.
Sunday really cold, high of twenty five, low of thirteen,
very cold, but with sunshine, and Monday will be of

(01:06):
high thirty three and a low of twenty six, partly
cloudy and cold and based on the Almanac the Louisville Weather.
On Monday, the temperature high was thirty eight low of
twenty nine, whereas the normal high and low is forty
nine and thirty four. The record high was sixty eight
in nineteen eighty. The record low was minus one in

(01:28):
nineteen seventeen. Precipitation on Monday was zero point zero four
hundreds of an inch. A month to date was zero
point five four inches. Normal month to date is one
inch and eight hundreds. Year to date was fifty two
inches point eighty four. Normal year to date is forty

(01:49):
five inches and forty five and twenty nine hundreds. Air quality.
Air quality was good range on Tuesday and today is
expected to be in the good range as well. The
sun and moon. Wednesday, expect the sun rise at seven

(02:09):
forty nine am and the sunset at five twenty three pm.
The moon rise will be eleven fifty two pm and
the sunset will be at twelve twenty six pm. Thursday,
the sunrise will be at seven forty nine am and
the sunset will also be at five twenty three pm.
The moon rise there won't be one and the moon

(02:30):
set will be at twelve forty nine pm. The last
moon will be at December eleventh, the new moon December nineteenth.
First moon December twenty seventh and the full moon January third.
Now we will read the front page headlines from today's edition.
They are we are going to try to fix it.

(02:53):
Congressmen representing Kentucky way in on the pub possible extension
of a Fordable Care Act subsides, should liquor stores be
spread out judge order's release of records in the Maxwell case.
So the first article is entitled We're going to try

(03:13):
to fix it, written by Lucas Ahlbach. With the clock
ticking toward the deadline, December eighth mark the start of
a pivotal week for lawmakers as they consider the future
of the Affordable Care Acts subsidies. Senate Democrats have put
forward a plan Senate meant Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat

(03:34):
from New York, unveiled his caucus proposal last week Senate
around a three year extension of tax credits set to
expire at the end of the year. While a vote
on it is required under terms of the deal that
reopened the government, its odds appear bleak Senate Majority Leader
John Thune, Republican South Dakota Tollbox News. The plan is

(03:55):
obviously designed to fail. The subsidies were at the center
of the forty three day federal government shutdown, the longest
in the United States history. Allowing the tax credits to
expire would cause out of pocket expenses for millions of
Americans to jump significantly. Democrats have worn for Republicans, such
as US Senator Ran Palm, have said they cost the

(04:18):
country too much and are available to affluent families who
can afford their own plans. GOP congressional members rejected a
deal similar to what Schumer put forward amid the shutdown,
which ended in November. GOOP senators have not yet put
forward their own proposal, though Thune told CBS News discussions
among Chamber members continued in the House. Meanwhile, several proposals

(04:42):
are pending with White House, with the House Speaker Mike Johnson,
Republican of Louisiana, telling reporters he plans to take a
vote on one this week. US Republican James Comer, Republican
Kentucky will vote on whatever proposal eventually comes to the
House floor. With the deadline limbing, he said he expects

(05:02):
an extension for a year or two to allow more
debate about what type of health care policy to have
moving forward. It's unfortunate that these conversations are happening now.
They should have happened prior to the August recess, Comber
said December eighth at an unrelated press conference. But I
think that there's a real, real desire to see change. Comber,

(05:24):
who's been in the House since twenty sixteen, has said
he's considering running for governor in twenty twenty seven. Said
he supports policies that give Americans more choice in their
health care coverage, but he was critical of the ACA,
arguing it needs a complete overhaul. We're going to try
to fix it, he said. It's going to take a while,
but in the meantime, I can see the subsidies probably

(05:47):
being extended for at least a year. US Representative Morgan McGarvey,
Democrat of Louisville, is also watching closely. Kentucky's loan Democrat
in Congress told reporters that the same press conference comre
attended that affordable health care continues to be my number
one focus. Governor Andy Basheer has said nearly one hundred

(06:09):
thousand Kentuckians with insurance plans through the state could see
premiums rise by up to thirty seven percent next year
if the credits expire. I'm hearing stories in Louisville from
people who are having their health insurance triple and quadruple
per month. Unless the Republicans extend these text credit credits,
McGarvey said they must do it, and if they don't

(06:30):
do it by the end of the year, then people's
health care costs are going to skyrocket. McGarvey and Coma
were in Louisville and December eighth to ascend a news
conference announcing globe manufacturing company GLVUS will open its North
American headquarters in the city, and move expected to bring
one hundred jobs to the region over the next four years.

(06:52):
President Donald Trump said he doesn't want to extend the
ACA subsidies, but conceded some kind of extension may be
necessary to get something else done. During comments reporters in
late November, the next article, should liquor stores be spread out?
Louisville officials to weigh changings weigh changes in zoning. Above

(07:13):
is a picture of a convenience store at sixty seven
to twenty outer loop, and below is a liquor store
at sixty four fifty outer loop. Both are from across
the Marian Cmore School and have applied for liquor license
from Louisville Metro ABC in twenty twenty five. These applications
drew clamors from the community and prompted District twenty three

(07:36):
Metro Councilman Jeff Hudson to sponsor a resolution to consider
changing zoning rules for packaged liquor laws. Articles written by
Killian Barley, Louisville Metro Council members have asked city plan
officials to consider creating new regulations for liquor stores, including
requirements that could bar them from setting up shop within

(07:58):
a certain distance from another one restore, or sensitive locations
like schools. A Metro Council resolution passed November thirteen asked
the Planning Commission to issue a recommendation within one hundred
and eighty days for amendments to Louisville's Land Development Code
that the Council could adopt. It is unclear what the
recommendations could be at this early stage, though the resolution

(08:20):
asked planning officials to use Louisville Metros regulations on smoking
vape shops such as Touchstone, the city's smoking retail policy,
which was amended in August twenty twenty four, requires smoking
vape shops to be at least one thousand feet away
from schools, religious buildings, parks, public playgrounds, outdoor recreational areas,

(08:42):
community centers, childcare centers, public libraries, athletic centers, and other
smoke or vape shops. Aaron Duval, director of Communications for
the Louisville Metro Cabinet for Economic Development, said the next
step is for the Office of Planning to research how
Pier Cities and other Kentuckies cities address the issue. We

(09:02):
will develop some alternatives, release them to the public for
review and comment, and then base our final draft on
the feedback we receive. De Vall said in a statement. Ultimately,
we will take a draft to the Planning Commission for
the public hearing, and they will make a recommendation to
Metro Council for final consideration and adoption. The resolution says
the Council is concerned by an observed concentration of liquor

(09:25):
stores on certain streets, blocks, and intersections District twenty three
Metro Council and Jeff Hudson, one of the resolution sponsors,
said he initiated the study after two entities applied for
liquor licenses to operate across the street from Marion Seymour School,
a combined middle and high school on the outer loop.
Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control denied both applications earlier this

(09:50):
year amid public clamor, though one of the applicants appealed
to this date. In one Hudson zed, we drew that
one mile circle from that location, and with thirteen liquor
stores inside that location, he said in an interview, how
many is too many? A city database shows six hundred
and twenty one liquor stores, drug stores, grocery stores, and

(10:11):
food marks are licensed by the Louisville Metro ABC to
sell package alcohol. Hudson said the resolution's intent is to
consider zoning amendments for any premises licensed to sell package liquor,
not just stores that primarily sell liquor. Existing stores would
be exempt from any changes. The councilman added, state law

(10:32):
previously preempted liquor stores from opening your schools and churches,
but the law was nullified by the Kentucky Supreme Court
case Ferris versus Minute Mart Foods. That decision, however, did
not focus on zoning. Assistant County Attorney Travis Fister told
council members during a committee meeting in November, there's some
complication to the legal history here. There was a distancing

(10:56):
restriction that was struck down, but I don't believe it
was solely on the base of a distancing restriction existing,
Feastra said, And it was related to the ABC license,
not to zoning. So we're distinct enough that we feel
comfortable from a legalist perspective exploring this. Hudson took up
the issue because of concerns about putting young people in

(11:17):
proximity to liquor outlets when schools out, those kids are
going to cross the street because they sell other things
like candy and chips and soft drinks. He said. Kids
don't have any business being in a liquor store. But
the issue isn't unique to Hudson's district. Jackie Floyd, a
Russell neighborhood resident, has protested the concentration of businesses that

(11:41):
sell alcohol in her West Louisville community for years and
is pushed to prevent some stores from obtaining liquor licenses.
Those businesses, she said, could be put to more productive
uses to benefit the community. There's other things that they
could be selling, Floyd said, you don't need three places
in one block selling alcohol product. Triddad Jackson, a public

(12:02):
health researcher, has also helped organize efforts to curb more
liquor outlets from entering the West End. Jackson said the
concentration of liquor stores in West Louisville, a historically disadvantage
and predominantly black community, is rooted in a history of
oppressive practices in an area where rates of poverty and
violence already exceed the norms. Additional social risk factors like

(12:25):
easy access to alcohol only perpetuate the detriments at play,
He said. If we know that some neighborhoods in the
West End of Louisville experience higher concentrations of interpersonal violence,
and also we know that alcohol use is a riskpector
for violence, then why the hell would we not have
some sort of zoning laws in place that prevent the

(12:45):
increase in exposure to alcohol sales. Jackson said, It only
makes sense. Tighter regulations, he added, could have saved residents
the trouble of rallying against unwanted liquor stores when they
express interest in doing business in their communities. They have
to expend energy, time in a number of resources to
say we don't want this, Jackson said, So, why do

(13:06):
people who are already marginalized, disenfranchised have disinvestment issues in
their communities? Why do they? Why do we have to
be constantly on guard? The next article is judge orders
release of records in the Maxwell case, written by Bart
Jansen for USA Today. A federal judge ordered the release

(13:28):
of records about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein from the
case against his aide Giesland Maxwell, based on the law
Congress approved to reveal more documents from the investigation. US
District Judge Paul Engelmeyer in New York ordered the release
of grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the case against Maxwell,

(13:50):
who is serving twenty years in prison for conspiring with Epstein.
Angelmeyer also ordered the release of evidence that was shared
in the case between the prosecution and defense before Maxwell's
twenty twenty one trial. But Anglmeyer ordered the Justice Department
to put in place a mechanism to protect victims from
inadvertent release of evidence that would identify them or invade

(14:13):
their privacy before the new law, which set a deadline
of December nineteenth for the Justice Department to release more
records about the case. Federal judges had refused to release
grand jury transcripts scripts because of the traditional confidentiality applied
to these proceedings, but Epstein's victims fought for years to
release more information about the case to determine whether his

(14:36):
rich and powerful acquaintances had previously discouraged his investigation or
helped with his alleged trafficking. Angelmeyer noted that legislation specifically
mentions Maxwell in releasing grand jury evidence, which is held
by the Justice Department. That language is strikingly broad. Anglemyer wrote,
Congress's decision not to exclude grand jury materials despite knowledge

(15:00):
as to their existence, while expressly excluding other categories of
materials such as classified information, indicates that the Act covers
grand jury materials. The order was similar to another one
December fifth by federal judge in Florida. US District Judge
Romney Smith ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from

(15:20):
the abandoned investigation of Epstein from two thousand and five
to two thousand and seven. Epstein died by suicide in
twenty nineteen while awaiting trial, but dozens of Epstein's victims
are mentioned in indictments, and some legal experts have said
there could be a thousand victims. On December eighth, the

(15:41):
Justice Department wrote that a consortium of victims had unfairly
accused it of releasing personally identified information about victims. The
Department said the information had previously been released publicly, but
that from this point forward it would redact victim's names
even where they were publicly identified. Earlier, Ingemeyer wrote about

(16:01):
two other requests for confidentiality. The judge received a letter
on behalf of a John Doe arguing that his identity
should be redacted because it would lead to the public
identifying one of Epstein's victims. Another letter from lawyer Neil
ben Finder seeks the redaction of his client's names. High
profile acquaintances of Epstein include President Donald Trump, former President

(16:25):
Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,
formerly known as Prince Andrew, who lost his royal title
over the scandal. Trump and others have strongly denied wrongdoing.
Trump supported releasing the files during the twenty twenty four
presidential campaign, but his Department of Justice on July seventh

(16:46):
released a memo saying no further disclosure of the documents
was needed. After teasing a truck load of Epstein files
in March, it spurred a rare moment of discord within
the Republican Party and a movement to force a vote
on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Though Trump called the
issue a hoax, he supported the release of the files,

(17:06):
and the bill passed through the House and the Senate
and then signed by Trump November nineteenth. The next articles
entitled Trump announces a twelve billion dollar aid package for farmers.
The American Farm Bureau Federation said November twenty fourth that
aid was urgently needed with farm bankruptcies on the rise
as the cost to grow crops outpaced the revenues farmers received.

(17:30):
Funds intended to offset sales lost in trade wars. This
was written by Bart Janssen for the USA Today. President
Donald Trump unveiled a twelve billion dollar assistance package for
farmers hurt by ongoing trade wars and inflation. This relief
will provide much needs, certainly to farmers. Certainty to farmers

(17:53):
as they get this year's harvest to market and look
ahead to next year's crops, Trump said in announcing the
farmer Aide during a White House event with Agricultural Secretary
Brook Rollins, Treasury Secretary of scott Descent, lawmakers, and farmers.
Trump is helping the agricultural industry by negotiating trade deals
to open new export markets for farmers. According to Anna Kelly,

(18:16):
a White House spokeperson, she contrasted Trump's support with a
one point two trillion dollar trade deficit and growing production
costs during the Biden administration. Today's announcement reflects the President's
commitment to helping our farmers, who will have the support
they need to bridge the gap between Biden's failures and
the President's successful policies taking effect, Kelly said. But Senatement

(18:40):
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, set on
social media Trump wanted credit for fixing a mess of
his own making. Trump's tariffs are hammering our farmers, making
it more expensive to grow food and pushing farmers into bankruptcy.
Schumer said farmers need markets to sell to, not a
consolation prize for the ones here within the eight package,

(19:02):
eleven billion dollars will go to a newly designed Farmer
Bridge Assistance program, which will provide one time payments to
row crop farmers as they recover from trade actions by
foreign governments and other market disruptions. A White House official
said the remaining one billion dollars will be reserved for
other crops, which the US Department of Agriculture will determine

(19:24):
based on market conditions. The official said payments are aimed
at providing certainty to farmers as they market this year's
harvest in plan for next year's crops, The official said.
Trump is said for months he would provide aid to
farmers because of the trade disputes. He reached a trade
deal in October with China, the largest customer for US soybeans.

(19:45):
The Chicago soybean futures fell below eleven dollars of bushel
December eighth for the first time since October, amid uncertainty
over whether China will buy as much US supply as
Washington expects. Under the president's direction, these farmers will have
a backstuff if, in fact, we are not able to
move these commodities out, Rollins told reporters Arch over sixteenth,

(20:09):
The American Farm Bureau Federation said November twenty fourth that
aid was urgently needed with farm bankruptcies on the rise
as the cost to grow crops outpaced the revenues farmers received.
Farmers experienced multi billion dollar declines at exports with their
largest overseas markets, including China, after Trump imposed tariffs on

(20:30):
imports from abroad. Soybean farmers in particular were hurt this
year because China retaliated against US tariffs with its own
tax hikes, which led to the country buying from Brazil
and Argentina instead. Roland said. One of the administration's goals
through the tariffs is to negotiate trade deals that send
more products overseas. I'm constantly talking to them about selling

(20:54):
more soybeans, selling more corn, getting more out of our
products out, Roland said December second. But when we really
think about how to solve for this idea that for
so long our farmers, many of them, had been farming
for government checks instead of moving their product around the world.
The next articles entitled woman on motor type bike dies

(21:16):
after collision in West Louisville, written by Caroline Neil for
the Louisville Colonel, Louisville Colonel Courier Journal, a woman is
dead after a December eighth collision in West Louisville. According
to a news release from the Louisville Police Metro Police
LMPD respondatory port of a motor vehicle collision involving a
passenger vehicle and a motor type bike near the eight

(21:38):
thousand block of Caine Run Road around six pm. A spokesperson,
Aaron Ellis, said a preliminary investigation indicates a woman wearing
dark clothing was traveling down Cainerun Road on the motorized
bike without proper safety equipment. He said she was struck
from behind in the southbound lanes by a pickup truck.

(21:59):
The driver quickly stopped, called for assistance, and remained on
the scene until first responders could arrive. Ellis said emergency
services took the women to the University Loal Hospital, where
she died for her injuries shortly after arrival. No other
vehicles were involved in the collision, and charges are not
expected to be filed. Lmpd's traffic unit is leading the investigation.

(22:22):
The next article is entitled ice Detain's personet Courthouse. Judicial
officials described incident as a rare event. Written by Monroe Trumbling,
In what local judicial officials described as a rare event,
immigration authorities on December fifth served a warrant on a
person outside of a courtroom at the Lewis D. Brandy

(22:43):
Hall of Justice, Louisville's downtown courthouse. Immigration and Customs enforcement
agents took the individual into custody after they appeared in
Jefferson District Court. According to the Chief Court Administrator Mackay Chauvin,
for much of this year, federal immigration authorities have stationed
themselves inside buildings that house immigration courts in cities across

(23:05):
the country. In those situations, agents have often taken people
into custodies shortly after federal prosecutors dismissed their cases, or
after individuals arrived for a routine checkins related to their
immigration proceedings. That context made it all the more striking
when someone posted two photographs on Reddit on December fifth

(23:26):
showing an apparent arrest at the Hall of Justice and
claiming that men depicted were ICE agents. The men appeared
to be in plain clothes and wearing no insignia or
other markings identifying them as law enforcement. A woman seeing
the photographs as handcuffed a district court spokesperson said she
did not know who was detained. Shelvin, a retired judge

(23:47):
and prosecutor who became Jefferson County's Chief Court administrator in
twenty twenty three, said in a statement that court officials
have adopted a very rigorous policy governing how law enforcement officers,
state or federal must conduct themselves inside the Jefferson County
Court Complex. The policy is a standing order issued by

(24:07):
Anne Bailey Smith, chief Judge of Jefferson Circuit Court. It
requires any local, state, or federal law enforcement officer serving
a warrant in the Jefferson County Judicial Center or the
Hall of Justice to notify the Sheriff's Office at the
Hall of Justice of their presence and purpose. The Sheriff's
office then contacts the deputy signed to the courtroom where

(24:29):
the officer expects to find the person named in the warrants.
The deputy in turn notifies the presiding judge. Under the order,
warrants may be served only in courtrooms with the express
advanced permission of the judge. If permission is not granted,
officers may serve a warrant only and designated public areas

(24:49):
of the judicial complex. They may not do so in
a way that disrupts proceedings, violates due process, or otherwise
interferes with access to or the orderly adminisministration of justice.
Smith wrote that failure to comply could result in an
officer being held in contempt of court. Courthouses had always
been and should always be respected as sacred grounds. Judges

(25:12):
had the obligation to promote the integrity and decorum of
the proceedings that take place inside those courthouses, and the
authority to hold anyone who in any way interferes with
the due process of law or the orderly administration of
justice accountable, Showing said in the statement. A Courier Journal
reporter visited the Hall of Justice on the morning of

(25:32):
December eighth, but did not observe ice agents or other
federal authorities in hallways outside of the courtrooms. The Memphis
Immigration Court primarily handles immigration cases from Kentucky. The state's
only immigration court office closed in twenty nineteen due to
building issues. Next articles entitled Blondie and Jims Pistrow set

(25:54):
to close doors December twenty first written by Amanda Hancock.
A Southern restaurant with health conscious Twists will soon close
its door at Norton Commons in Prospect Prospect. Blondie and
Jim's Bistro opened in June twenty twenty three at ten
seven to eleven Meeting Street from Tanya godzi Low, who
named the bistro after her parents. According to the restaurant's website,

(26:18):
more than two years later, the eatery with a bright
pink door and blueberry goat cheese toast on the menu,
is closing. According to a message posted on Blondie and
Jim's Pistro's social media pages, The restaurant's final day will
be Sunday, December twenty first. The dream of opening a
restaurant has kept me inspired, a way to honor my
ancestors who ignited my passion for food. Read the posts.

(26:40):
But like all good things, this journey is facing an
unexpected turn. On the last day, brunch will be served
from ten am to four pm, and the social media
posts hinted that Godzi Low will open a new concept
in twenty twenty six. This concludes readings for the first
sections of The Courier Journal for Wednesday, December tenth, twenty

(27:01):
twenty five. Stay tuned for more news to follow immediately.
Your reader has been Linda Rice. Now to continue reading
from the Courier Journal for Wednesday, December tenth. Your reader
is Linda Rice. We will start with the obituaries. We
read only the name, agent location. If you would like
further information on any of the obituaries, please call us

(27:24):
during the weekdays at eight five nine, four, two, two, six,
three nine zero and we will be glad to read
the entire obituary for you. I will repeat that number
at the end of the listings. Today's death notices Deone
Baker seventy one of Winchester, Kentucky. Edna M. Brocky ninety

(27:45):
four of Louisville, Edna Gertrude Cardwell ninety seven of Louisville.
Dennis Brian Clifford eighty two of Louisville, Ronald Edward Elliott
eighty one of Bardstown, Allie Lee Gentry eighty one from Louisville.
Norbert Lewis Kane sixty eight of Louisville, Shirley Kilgore seventy

(28:10):
eight from New Albany, Indiana. Nancy Sharon Lange Welter, Louisville.
William Perry Junior sixty six, Louisville. For Mary Virginia, Jinny
Barbara Price one hundred and two, Betty Louise Connor Pruitt
ninety four, New Albany, Indiana, Sarah Sally Anne Ritter ninety

(28:37):
of Louisville, William Billy Gatson Ryan seventy eight of Louisville,
and lastly Thomas Sanders, also of Louisville. If you'd like
further information about any of the listenings today, call us
on weekdays at eight five, nine, four, two, two sixty

(28:57):
three nine zero, and we will be glad to read
the entire item to you. The next article from today's
edition is entitled Legacy Honoured written by Kirby Adams, Hall
of Fame jockey Pet Day to be presented with Lifetime
Achievement Award. The life and legacy of Hall of Fame

(29:19):
jockey Pat Day will be recognized this month with a
Lifetime Achievement Award, presented during the Kentucky Derbys Museum's annual
Derby in December. On December eleventh, Day, a longtime resident
of Louisville, wrote lill E t to Victory at the
nineteen ninety two Kentucky Derby and is the all time

(29:40):
leading writer at Churchill Downs and Keenland with two thousand,
four hundred and eighty two career wins, one hundred and
fifty six career stakes wins, and thirty four writing titles
at the track. When he retired in two thousand and
five at the age of fifty one, Day had written
more than forty thousand races one eight eight hundred and

(30:02):
three starts, including multiple wins in the Triple Crown series
and numerous Breeder Cup victories. I truly believe God led
me on the mountains of Colorado where I grew up,
and by way of bull riding in the rodeo, paved
the way for me to be introduced to people who
knew about horse racing. Day told The Courier Journal less

(30:23):
than a year after leaving the rodio circuit. I rode
my first winner in nineteen seventy three at Prescott Downs
in Arizona, and that put me on the track which
has led me to where I am today. Day will
be honored at the Free Community Celebration held at the
museum on seven oh four Central Avenue on December eleventh
from nine am to five pm as one of the

(30:46):
America's most accomplished thoroughbred riders. Early on in Day's career,
his battle with drugs and alcohol was interrupted by an
encounter with Jesus Christ in a Miami hotel room in
nineteen eighty four. I thought I was being called into
the ministry, but after I prayed about it with the
track chaplain at Oaklawn and Arkansas, I realized my role

(31:07):
was to use my involvement in horse racing to bring
the gospel to the racing industry, said Day. Today, the
retired jockey, never shies away from sharing his faith. He
has served as president of the Kentucky Racetrack Chaplaincy, which
he helped establish in the nineteen eighties. His remarkable career, integrity,

(31:27):
and enduring connection for the sport embodied the very best
of what the Derby stands for. Written by Pat Armstrong,
President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum. Speaking about
Pat Day can often be found in Churchill Down's Racetrack,
where he was instrumental in getting a chapel built for
workers on the backside. In two thousand and six, a

(31:49):
popular public speaker, Dyus traveled the country talking about his
faith and career and how they intertwine. Often working with
the Racetrack Chaplain Say of America. We are honored to
present Pat Day with our Lifetime Achievement Award this year,
said Pat Armstrong, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum.

(32:09):
His remarkable career, integrity, and enduring connection to the sport
embody the very best of what the Derby stands for.
This event is our way of celebrating both his legacy
and the passion that keeps Derby traditions live year round.
The Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, which will be held at
ten thirty a m is part of a full day

(32:31):
of free events celebrating the Kentucky Derby on December eleventh.
Immediately following the award ceremony, visitors are invited to a
meet and greet with Day and the unveiling of a
new temporary exhibit exhibit honoring his extraordinary career. In addition,
guests attending Derby in December are encouraged to wear their

(32:52):
Derby finest, take part in drawings for an exclusive prize
packages featuring Kentucky Derby themed experiences, and shot up with
the museum's featured millionaires. Hosted in partnership with the Kentucky
Jury Museum, Kentucky Deerby Festival, and Churchill Downs Racetrack. The
day will also include the unveiling of the twenty twenty

(33:13):
six Pegasus Pen and an exclusive discount for the twenty
twenty six KDF Races. The next article for Today is
entitled Fee free Days Changing at Parks, Holiday Reorganizations, Sparks
Online Debate, written by Mary Walwrith Holdrich from USA. Today,

(33:34):
Americans will no longer get free admission to the country's
national parks in observance of Martin Luther King Junior Day
and Juneteenth, but will for President Donald Trump's birthday, and
people have opinions on that. The National Park Service previously
included these two federal holidays among its free entry days
for about one hundred park sites. Come twenty twenty six, however,

(33:56):
it will remove them from the list and replace them
with other patriotic fee free days, including the full July
fourth weekend and the one hundred and tenth birthday of
the NPS, along with Trump's June fourteenth birthday, which falls
on Flag Day. The mood comes amid Trump's targeting of diversity,
Equity and Inclusion or DEI policies and in executive order

(34:21):
instructing several changes to the parks, including charging non US
residents higher fees for park entry and recreation passes as
part of an America First policy, and ordering gift shops
to remove items that support DEI programs. The White House
has already sparked controversy earlier this year in the handling

(34:41):
of certain holidays, as federal agencies like the Pentagon paused
the observance of Martin Luther King Junior Day, Black History Month,
Pride Month, and Holocaust Days of Remembrance, and responds to
Trump's ban on what his administration sees as DEI and
federal world places nps on The Department of Interior did

(35:03):
not respondory quest for comment. However, private citizens and public
figures alike took to the Internet to share their thoughts
on the holiday reorganization. Richard Stengel, former under Secretary of
State under Obama administration, shared a December seventh social media
post that said, just to note, other than canceling the
two holidays that are important to black Americans as national

(35:26):
park days, the only other country that has their current
leader's birthday as a national holiday is North Korea. Stengele's
comparison to North Korea was echoed in several comment threads
and posts, with commenters calling the addish Trump's birthday authoritarian.
Several parts posts called the national movie rate the national

(35:47):
move racists, using, with user at covid dash ninety three
saying in a post shared eleven thousand times and liked
seventy two thousand times, do you understand how a racist
person race? This is a person must be to remove
free access to national parks on holidays honoring black people
while making it free on his birthday. Another post by

(36:09):
at Jamie Bankovitz a mass thirteen thousand shares and sixty
three thousand likes, saying removing free access to national parks
on Martin Luther King Junior Day and Juneteenth while making
it free on Trump's birthday is exactly as racist as
you think it is. A lot of Americans get national
holidays off from work. Trump's birthday is not a national holiday.

(36:33):
It makes sense to add the perk of free entry
on days when people could actually use it, said writer
and ex user Juliet Jesski. He also picked the two
holidays connected the most to the black community. Post and
comments across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, echued echoed accusations of
racism and comparisons to dictators and kings. Some users users

(36:56):
in videos highlight other actions taken by the White House
this year, such as removing information about Harry Tubman from
the National Service National Park Service website, which was later
restored following backlash. Still others lamented that the twenty twenty
six National Park passes are set to feature a large
picture of Trump's face. Like somebody would even go to

(37:18):
a park and celebrate on the day of your birthday anyway,
said TikToker at Liz Peterson four to ten. You see
what happened when you tried to throw yourself a big,
old large birthday probably last on, and only had those
few people sprinkled up in there, anyway, she said, referring
to Trump's June military Birthday parade. The official White House

(37:40):
Rapid Response account on x responding to a post from
New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker calling him
an insufferable moron for sharing a USA Today's story about
the change It's flag Day. You insufferable moron, which also
happens to be President Trump's birthday. But you already knew that.
You're sick and pathetic, little Pete said in the post.

(38:03):
Comments below it, however, pointed out that the NPS explicitly
listed Trump's birthday alongside Flag Day on its official website,
which is also not a federal holiday. This point was
also reiterated on posts across platforms. Other days for free entry,
President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day are

(38:25):
federal holidays, as are Martin Luther King Junior Day and Juneteenth,
while Flag Day or Trump's birthday and the one hundred
and tenth birthday of National Park Service or not. The
argument that the addition of Trump's birthday is only because
it coincidentally falls on Flag Day was echoed by supporters online,
with Fox News and Washington Examiner contributor Joe Konka responding

(38:49):
to Baker's post with much the same message, it's because
Trump's birthday happens to fall on Flag Day, you absolute hack.
Two other ex users echoed this response, But I don't
even care if any president, Democrat or Republican makes their
birthday a free day. If more people get to visit
national parks, that's great, I'm trying to visit most of them,

(39:10):
and they are amazing, said user at l g Anders
In a tiny bit of fairness, Flag Day should have
always been a free admission day. The other two should
not be removed, but June fourteenth should have already been
as well, said one commentator under a post by Alt
National Park Service, a popular unofficial account that tracks Trump

(39:31):
administration actions on Facebook. Also across platforms were people pledging
to continue celebrating Martin Luther King Junior Day and Juneteenth,
with some saying they will insist on paying entry fees
on June fourteenth or will stage protests or boycotts. Others
said they planned to probably attend the parks on the
removed holidays to honor them. Juneteenth and Martin Luther King

(39:54):
Day will still be celebrated, no matter how much they
try to erase it. One TikToker said, we are all
still celebrating Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Day, said another.
The next article is entitled maybe it's cold outside and
will be inside if Pasher doesn't act, written by Tony Curtis,

(40:15):
a guest calumnist. In early November, the Metropolitan Housing Coalition,
along with more than forty five organizations across the Commonwealth
submitted a letter to Governor Basheer asking for a moratorium
on utility disconnections during the government's shutdown. The shutdown is over,
but lheap Low income Home Energy Assistance Program funds that

(40:37):
help many Kentuckys keep warm and the winter remain in danger.
Kentucky is currently experiencing an energy affordability crisis, where one
in three Kentuckians struggle to afford their monthly energy bill.
In Louisville, eighteen percent of residents are energy burdened, spending
more than six percent of their income on energy each month.
These burdens fall hardest on housing burden. Communities are experiencing

(41:01):
high poverty. Many Kentuckians are struggling to pay their electric
bills and are forced to continually make tough choices, often
forgoing food or medicine, keeping their homes at uncoupable temperatures,
or using risky supplement heating sources in order to afford
their power bill. High energy costs can strain household budgets,

(41:21):
reduce disposable income, and can put households at risk of
being disconnected due to unpaid bills. Tenants who have disconnections
on their electric and gas bill history may be evicted,
denied future leases, and unable to access utility services. The
recent federal government shutdown has added additional uncertainty and concerned

(41:41):
to Kentucky households. Many Kentuckians worry about their electricity being
disconnected during the colder months without bill assistance from the
Low Income Home Energy Systance Program lee HEAP. More than
one hundred and twenty thousand Kentuckians, almost thirty five thousand
of them being ruled Louis Villains. Livillions used l HEAP

(42:04):
funds in twenty twenty three, and l HEAP has prevented
over one point two five million disconnections in Kentucky since
twenty sixteen. Kentucky is one of only eight states with
no statewide protection against utility disconnections during extreme weather. While
utilities say they do not disconnect during extreme weather, their

(42:26):
disconnection data obtained through public record requests shows they do.
In January twenty twenty five, LGNE and KU disconnected nine
eight hundred and seventy seven households with the average temperature
was under thirty degrees. The lowest past due amount was
just seventy five dollars. While the government shutdown has ended,

(42:46):
la HEAP funds are still uncertain. The President's twenty twenty
six federal budget proposes eliminating la HEAP funds while also
calling for the complete elimination of the Community Services Block
Grant program. Even if la HEAP is funded, the elimination
of CSPG would severely limit, if not effectively eliminate, the

(43:07):
ability of community action agencies to deliver la HEAP. Additionally,
in April of this year, the Trump administration fired the
entire la HEAP staff, delaying la HEAP funds from being
distributed to states. In contrasts, the House and sent Appropriation
Committees proposed increasing la HEAP funding by ten million to

(43:28):
twenty million dollars, respectively, increasing the overall la HEAP budget
to around four billion dollars. A disconnection moratorium is urgently
needed to ensure Kentuckian's stay warm this winter. Basher took
similar action on investor owned utility and co op disconnections
during the pandemic, and we urged him to do the

(43:49):
same this year. A moratorium would not impact the state budget,
Households would still be responsible for their bills, Tenant and
landlord property would be protected, and utilities would not be
prevented from collecting payment. Long term, however, it would provide
a critical safeguard while families navigating rising costs and unstable
federal support. Reports obtained through open records requests show that

(44:13):
between December twenty twenty four and February twenty twenty five alone,
more than sixteen thousand Kentuckians were disconnected from their power.
No one should have to choose between housing, groceries, medicine,
or heat. If you care about protecting families from utility shutoffs,
please take a moment to email or call Governor Basher

(44:34):
and explain why this moratorium must be enacted. The next
article is entitled why does TSA still Exist? Written by
Nicole Russell, columnists from USA Today. It's December. That means
it's time to head home for the holidays. After purchasing
an expensive plane ticket, you pack your bags and you

(44:56):
arrive at the airport, excited to sip an over latte
and join your loved ones. But before you can even
get to your gate, you need to pass through an
airport gauntlet, where a potential cacophony of catastrophe awaits included
in that is a long line of tired travelers who
are already burdened by bags, strollers and babies and now

(45:18):
are waylaid by the Transportation Security Administration. There are any
number of things that could happen to in these lines
that snake down hauls, distracting, discouraging, or even delaying your trip,
all the name of safe precautions long since outdated, administered
by a group of employees so burdened by bureaucrag bloat
that they make an appointment at the Department of More

(45:40):
Vehicles look like a trip to Disney World. Alas, it
is time for us to admit, as proud, free exasperating
Americans that we need safety at US airports, but that
it should be efficient and cost effective. The TSA is neither.
It should be abolished and replaced with something better. It's
widely discussed online that encounters the TSA can range from

(46:02):
completely normal and uneventful to embarrassing and time consuming. Don't
get me started on the fact that travelers were forced
to remove their shoes in the security line for over
two decades until this year from invasive pat downs and
pre dawn yelling to missing prohibited items and screenings. There
have been enough problems over the past twenty plus years

(46:24):
to question why such port security permeates every US airport.
The TSA was originally found in response to the devastating
terrorist attacks on September eleventh, two thousand and one. It
was a harrowing time in our nation's history that I
won't forget. I empathized with the need that the Bush
administration had for an emergency response to the worst terrorist

(46:46):
attack in our nation's history before or since. After what
the terrorists did hijacking multiple planes via box cutters, it
made sense at the time to crack down on travelers identification,
and belongings. I applaud the speed and verve of this goal,
but like most government led agencies or programs, it has

(47:07):
slowly developed into a costly, inefficient mess. The budget request
for the twenty twenty five fiscal year was almost twelve
billion dollars. Undercover tests run by the Department of Homeland
Security in twenty fifteen and seventeen found that TSA screeners
often failed to find prohibited and dangerous items like weapons

(47:28):
or stimulated explosives, not the full sized bottle of shampoo
you have brought and thrown away a few times. In
twenty fifteen, TSA had a ninety five percent failure rate.
In twenty seventeen, it was still nearly eighty percent. A
twenty twenty four Washington Post article revealed that in the
previous year, at least three hundred people covertly evaded airport security.

(47:52):
In twenty twenty four, Senator James Langford, Republican of Oklahoma
sent a letter to the TSA Ministror asking him how
ammunition accidentally carried by Americans was missed by US screenings.
Don't get me wrong, we need security at airports. TSA
has likely been a deterrent of sorts. However costly and

(48:12):
inefficient it is. I'm not alone in advocating for the
TSA to be tossed out and replaced with something better.
This year, Senators Mike Lee, Republican Utah and Tommy Tuberville,
Republican Alabama introduced the Abolished to TSA Act, which would
dissolve the bloated and ineffective Transportation to Security Administration while

(48:32):
allowing America's airports to compete to provide the safest, most efficient,
and least intrusive security measures. Under a new Office of
Aviation Security Oversight. The bill suggest that the Federal Aviation
Administration has an oversight program responsible for facilitating the privatization
of aviation security screening. Private security companies which make security

(48:55):
and safety their sole focus would handle screenings. Airports should
cover these costs and hire locally boosting jobs while performing
TSA agents could be considered for employment. Corporations and high
profile owners do not leave their security up to random
employees who work for a government agency proven to be inept.

(49:15):
Why would we leave our own security and airport travel
up to them. The TSA causes delays and long lines
while purporting to conduct security checks, forces invasive pat downs,
and even misses dangerous and prohibited items while focusing on
trivial matters. It's time that America's airports and travelers have
a more efficient and effective system in place. That way

(49:38):
everyone can get home for the holidays safely, quickly, and
with their peace of mind intact. The next article is
titled Warner Brothers Silence, Sparks, hostile bid. Paramount's offer was expected,
Netflix says, written by Adiya Signi and harshly barghees from routers.

(50:00):
Paramount Sky Dance's eleventh hour, hostile one hundred and eight
point four billion dollar bid for Warner Brothers Discovery was
rooted in what is considered a lack of responsiveness from
Warner Brothers to its ardent overtures. Late last week. A
securities falling on December eighth showed Paramount offered a blow
by blow account of Paramount CEO Dave Ellison's communication over

(50:25):
months with his counterpart David Zaslav at Warner Brothers in
the lengthy filing, which led to Paramount bidding for Warner
Brothers in September. That bid was rebuffed, as were the
next two. The Paramount set offered improved terms. Finally, Zaslab
called Ellison on December third to relate concerns from Warner

(50:45):
Brothers board about Paramount's bid. Later that same day, Warner
Brothers legal advisors told Paramount's council that the board viewed
the absence of a full backstop from Ellison's family as
a negative, despite the involvement of deep pocketed sever wealth funds.
They also flagged potential scrutiny from US regulators. On December fourth,

(51:06):
following a Paramount Skydance boar meeting, where it agreed to
improve a previous offer. Ellison texted zaz Lab according to
the reglatory filling, I heard you on all your concerns
and believe we have addressed them in our new proposal.
Please give me a call back, Allison told Zaslob in
the text. By mid morning that day, Paramount sweetened its bid,

(51:27):
but having received no response from Zaslav to his text,
Ellison tried again around four pm Eastern Time, adding a
personal appeal. It would be the honor of a lifetime
to be your partner. Paramounts Bankers and Allison told Warner
Brothers and Zazlov that their new thirty dollars per share
offer or one hundred and eight point four billion dollars

(51:48):
was not best and final, signaling they could go higher,
but Ellison's phone never rang. By eleven pm that night,
media reporters swirled that Warner Brothers had entered exclusive talks
with Netflix to sell its TV and film studios, as
well as the streaming business that houses HBO Max. By
December fifth, Netflix and Warner Brothers announced a deal. On

(52:11):
December eighth, Paramount took its offer directly to Warner Brothers shareholders,
heating up a bidding war whose outcome will reshape the
media industry. Asked to comment on paramount securities filing, Warner
Brothers Discovery said the board and the company have for
months run a completely fair and transparent process with each
of the bidders and the bids speak for themselves. At

(52:35):
stake in the race are some of Hollywood's crown jewels,
including the Warner Brothers Studio, DC Comics, and HBO. A
deal will help Netflix extend its lead in the streaming wars,
while Paramount would gain the scale in streaming to compete
better with the streaming giant, as well as cable assets
such as CNN persuasion. Bypassing a Warner Brothers board that

(52:58):
it says has never engaged meaningfully, Paramount is betting it
can persuade investors that it's all cash offer tops Netflix's
eighty two point seven billion dollars enterprise bid. Paramounts. Ellison
is the son of the world's second regist man Oracle
co founder Larry Ellison, who is also an ally of

(53:18):
President Donald Trump. David Ellison has toiled a quicker path
to regatory approval to investors his Skydance medium bought to
Paramount Global in August. Overcoming reguatory hurdles for its bid
for Warner Brothers, Paramount dropped the Chinese tech firm ten
Cent from the investor group and secured a waiver on

(53:39):
all governance rights from the remaining outside investors, a structure
it said puts the deal outside the jurisdiction of the
Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States. Its offer
is backstep backstop by the Ellison family and includes financing
from Affinity Partner, an investment firm run by Jared Kusher,
Trump's son in law, and several Middle Eastern god run

(54:00):
investment funds. Warner's Brothers said it would review Paramount's offer
but was not yet modifying its recommendation with prospective Netflix.
Netflix co CEO Ted Sarandos said Paramount's hostile bid for
Warners was entirely expected, but added he was confident in
closing the deal. The alleged breakdown of communications between Paramount

(54:21):
and Warner Brothers discovery marcus sharp reversal from earlier According
to Paramount's filing, the Ellisons had dined with Zaslov on
November twenty fourth, discussing the benefits of the big deal
and potential co CEO and co chairman roles for Zaslov
and the combined company, but the warmth was short lived.
Paramount alleged delays by Warner Brothers and signing a clean

(54:41):
team agreement needs to review sensitive data, prompting its legal
counsel to warn wbd's advisors that Paramount would be DISADVANTGD
without access. Paramount also cited in his following a c
NBC interview of Warner Brothers chairman Amatrius John mclow last month,
where he lamented on how Paramount interrupted the Warner Brothers
separation and discuss the merits of Netflix as a bidder.

(55:04):
Paramount's tenor offer will be open for twenty business days
and can be extended. Warner Brothers has ten days to respond.
We're here to fight for value for our shareholders and
for WBD shareholders, David Ellison said on December eighth. This
concludes excerpts from the Career Journal for Wednesday, December tenth,
twenty twenty five. Your reader has been Linda Rice. Please

(55:25):
stay tuned for continuing program on Radio Live