12.14.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Sunday,
December fourteenth, twenty twenty five, which is brought to our
Louisville listeners via Louisville Public Media as a reminder Radio
I as a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to

(00:21):
read printed material. Your reader for to day is Kathy Cleary.
Will begin with the weather forecast from w h A
S Today periods of sun and very cold high of
sixteen degrees to night, clear and very cold with a

(00:42):
low of one degree. On Monday, mostly sunny and cold,
with a high of thirty five and a low of
twenty five degrees. On Tuesday, partly sunny, not as cold.
The high will be forty four degrees in the low
thirty eight. On Wednesday, considerable cloudiness with a high of

(01:06):
fifty one and a low of forty four degrees. On Thursday,
cloudy with showers and breezy, high of sixty degrees and
a low of twenty nine. Quite a difference. Friday, mostly
sunny and cooler with a high of forty two and

(01:27):
a low of thirty six. Turning now to the weather
Almanac in Louisville. On Friday. The high temperature was thirty
seven normal high forty eight. The low was thirty normal
low thirty three. The record high was seventy three degrees

(01:49):
in twenty fifteen. The record low was minus three in
nineteen sixty two. Precipitation on Friday was pointzi one three
inches month to date one point zero one inches normal
month today one point sixty five inches year to date

(02:11):
fifty three point three one inches, and normal year to
date forty five point eight six inches. Air quality Saturday
and today in the good range. Sun and moon cycles
sunrise seven fifty two am, sunset five twenty four pm,

(02:36):
moon rise two fifty four am, and moonset one fifty
five pm. For Monday, sunrise seven fifty two am, sunset
five twenty four pm, moon rise three fifty four am,
moonset to twenty pm. The new will be on December nineteenth,

(03:03):
first quarter December twenty seventh, full moon on January third,
and last quarter on January tenth. Turning down to front
page news, trouble brewing. Economic environmental pressures on the farms
that produce Louisville's coffee are pushing bean prices up and

(03:27):
you see a full page illustration shows a cup of
coffee with various coffee stains all around it. On the
inside page, bitter brew. Rising prices, shrinking acreage, and changing

(03:48):
climate are signaling seismic changes in the coffee industry. This
piece is by Olivia Evans and Connor Giffen of The
Courier Journal. The coffee market has gone crazy, especially this
last year, said Sopei, who first entered the industry in
nineteen ninety nine. We never had coffee prices like this.

(04:13):
Americans can't seem to get enough of coffee. About two
thirds of adults drink it every day, the industry estimates,
and the US imports more than three billion pounds of
beans per year, But steep demand is on a collision
course with a supply chain freed by chaotic trade conditions
and an increasingly unstable climate in key growing regions. The

(04:38):
effects of these global pressures are seeping into Louisville coffee
shops and could escalate in years to come, according to
interviews with several local coffee business owners and researchers. On
three continents, on again, off again tariffs installed by President
Donald Trump's administration have sparred chaos in las many commodity markets,

(05:01):
including coffee, driving prices up and forcing Louisville coffee shops
to adjust their operations. As tariffs and trade troubles swirl.
Researchers say coffee cultivation itself is facing an even graver
threat rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns. Coffee plants need

(05:22):
the right climate and soil to thrive, and a wealth
of research indicates land suitable for coffee cultivation is shrinking
across the coffee belt. Some studies find coffee yields already
have taken a hit in some countries as a result
of these changes. Researchers expressed grave concerns for small holder

(05:44):
farmers and local economies for which coffee is a major
cash crop. Even if the industry manages to adapt to
shifts in temperature and rainfall, it will be challenging and costly,
experts say, with ripple effects throughout the supply chain. In
jeopardy two are the people around the world who pluck
ripe coffee cherries from the branch, often paid only a

(06:08):
few dollars per day for their labour. Economic and climate
pressures threatened to upend the livelihoods and legacies of countless
smallholder coffee farmers. In the global South. Hardly any coffee
is grown from US soil. Minuscule amounts come from such
places as Puerto Rico and Hawaii, but most of the

(06:30):
country is not suitable for the coffee plant, and steep
demand means Americans rely on imports for virtually all of
their coffee. Nevertheless, coffee has been entangled in the Trump
administration's doctrine of tariffs, which the White House has levied
against nearly every country in hopes of bolstering US industries.

(06:52):
Tariff rays have been highly inconsistent. In some instances, Trump
has backed off from tariffs shortly before its deadline or
altered rates in last minute negotiations, often leaving producers abroad
and coffee shop owners at home unsure of what to expect.
We have not experienced this tariff thing. This is a

(07:14):
brand new thing, said Leo Fante, owner of Fante's Coffee,
who has worked in Louisville coffee since nineteen seventy eight.
On November fourteenth, Trump rolled back tariffs on some agricultural goods,
including coffee from Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala, but

(07:34):
punishing tariffs on Brazil remained in place. Multiple Louisville coffee
shop owners pointed to Brazil as the country that effectively
sets the market price for coffee. Brazil grows more coffee
than any other country and represents more than a third
of global production. He has to take the Brazil tariffs off,

(07:56):
Safai told The Courier Journal on November seventeenth that would
change the coffee prices. Three days later, Trump issued a
new executive order removing a forty percent tariff on Brazilian
coffee and other goods. Coffee prices fell. The episode illustrates
the instability facing the industry and how with the stroke

(08:17):
of a pen, the president is able to influence commodity markets.
Coffees on supermarket shelves are also tariff sensitive. JM. Smucker,
the company behind Folgers and other at home coffee brands,
increased its coffee prices twice this year, but said it
was calling off an additional price hike planned for this

(08:38):
winner after Trump rolled back coffee tariffs. In an interview
before the recent Trump reversals, Fante said he was prepared
to drop his prices if tariffs were rolled back. Rather
than maintain tariff influence prices. But there's no guarantee this
will be the case across the industry. A lot of

(08:59):
people are pro coaching this as a way to enhance profits,
Fante said, and I've seen it already. Despite the trade
battle waged from Washington, d C, locally owned specialty coffee
shops in Louisville are staying busy. Today's coffee industry is
geared more towards small boutique coffee roasters, Fante said. Just

(09:21):
like the distilleries have gone to smaller boutique distilleries, the
beers have gone from large breweries to craft breweries, the
same thing has happened in the coffee industry. Fante's Coffee
has long been focused on bringing the world's best coffees
to Louisville, no matter the cost. Fante said he believes
customers will continue buying bags of his imported coffee from

(09:45):
such places as Brazil, Panama and Bali, or drinks in
his shop on Grinstead Drive. One thing I've found out
about in my long tenure in the coffee industry is
coffee consumers, or some of the most brand loyal consumers
in the world Fante said, they will literally drive past

(10:05):
four other places and pull over a curb on the
wrong side of the road to get to you if
they love your coffee. Still, Fante said he's had to
make some price adjustments to sustain the business. He increased
prices by about seventy five cents per cup and roughly
three dollars per pound on the coffees sold in the shop.

(10:26):
He's adopted a wait and see attitude, he said, and
hasn't raised prices on his wholesale customers yet. Despite price
increases to keep up with the ever changing market, Vante said,
nothing has slowed down. We hate price increases just like everybody,
and we're continually getting them. Fante said. In order to

(10:48):
operate a successful business, eventually you have to implement a strategy.
Strategy that's going to allow you to kind of make
it through. Ronyelle Smith, the founder of Black Coffee with
locations in the Russell and Parkland neighborhoods, said the three
year old business also is wrestling with pricing challenges. Everything

(11:09):
is more expensive, Smith told The Career Journal in October.
In order to combat the rising costs and keep her
shops open, Smith has had to cut labor costs, slim
down her staff, raise prices on some menu items by
fifty cents to one dollar, change the menu to be
more inclusive of what is affordable and logical to serve,

(11:33):
and even remove other items from the menu completely. Hinter
Hoff in the Germantown neighborhood is another relatively new coffee
business working to navigate unrelenting supply pressures. Everything's Gone Up,
owner Sarah Anderson said before the Trump Administration's November tariff rollbacks.

(11:55):
The shop relies on specific countries of origin, such as Brazil,
for a consistent flavor profile, Andersen said, and price increases
have been inescapable. Louisville coffee shop owners also acknowledge another
looming threat to the coffee industry, one that will outlast
the current tariffs. Climate change experts say it could upend

(12:18):
the quality and cost of coffee that millions of Americans
have come to love. At a favorable altitude and latitude,
with favorable temperatures and rainfall, and after a few years
to mature, a coffee tree flowers, the coffee cherries do
not ripen all at once and often must be picked
from the perennial plant by hand, the seed inside is

(12:42):
removed and processed for roasting. In many coffee growing corners
of the planet, patterns of rainfall that farmers have relied
on for generations to ensure a viable harvest are becoming unreliable.
Research intoicates a net loss in suitable land for coffee
production in the coming decades. Increased prices and diminished quality

(13:06):
are likely results, said Christian Bunn, a scientist with the
Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture who studies the effects of climate change on coffee
and cacao. In some countries, coffee cultivation may shift toward

(13:26):
higher altitudes as the climate changes, but many producers may
not have the resources to pick up and move to
a more suitable area, and altitudinal migration has its limits.
Higher altitudes become more productive and low lying altitudes become
increasingly stressed, Bun said, but mountains end somewhere. Louisville's coffee

(13:50):
scene will feel the effects. Sonargo's coffee sources Tanzanian coffee
from the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjar, where research indicates
climate shifts are significantly reducing Arabica coffee yields. In Nicaragua,
which supplies coffee to local brands including Heine Brothers and Quills.

(14:13):
Suitable land for coffee production could see a staggering ninety
percent loss by twenty fifty, according to his study cited
by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Ethiopia,
widely considered the historical birthplace of Arabica coffee in a
country of origin for many Louisville coffee shops, studies show

(14:37):
climate change could actually make new land suitable for coffee cultivation,
but there's a catch. Much of this newly suitable land
is currently forested. If coffee production migrates into this untapped land,
it could drive deforestation. Forest loss contributes to climate change
and also has been linked to reduced rainfall and crop

(14:59):
failure in coffee growing regions. Smaller coffee companies, which often
form direct relationships with specific coffee farms or farming cooperatives,
share more risk with producers, said Caleb Gallimore, a professor
at Pennsylvania based Lafayette College whose work includes research on

(15:19):
climate adaptation in coffee production. If droughts or other weather
events upend coffee production in a particular region, local coffee
shops relying on specific countries of origin may feel the
impact more acutely. You're used to certain origins. You're used
to getting Ethiopian coffee. You're used to getting a nice

(15:40):
coffee from Guatemala. You're used to getting a nice coffee
from Java, said Bunn, who became emotional as he described
the difficult circumstances facing coffee farmers. What if these places
disappear as coffee places, how will you replace them? As
US consumers? Grimace at the of coffee, A deeper crisis

(16:02):
is unfolding behind the price tag. Entire economies have grown
up around the coffee plant in the Americas, Africa, and Asia,
supporting the livelihoods of an estimated one hundred million people
now at risk. Poverty in some coffee growing regions means
many farmers are ill equipped to adapt to the climate upheaval.

(16:24):
They are facing irrigation to counter rainfall shortages, or measures
to ward off diseases made more likely by warmer conditions
are costly. Millions of coffee farmers live below the international
poverty line of about three dollars per day. Studies estimate
a single cup of black coffee in a Louisville coffee

(16:46):
house sells for more than many coffee farmers daily wage.
When compared with the revenue generated throughout the coffee supply chain.
The amount of farmers are getting is not fair. Tw
Kamu Mamuie, a researcher at Ethiopia's Jema University studying climate

(17:07):
change and coffee production in the region. As the viability
of coffee cultivation in many regions faces new headwinds, parallels
might be drawn with Kentucky workers who have watched legacy
industries from tobacco to coal mining become less tenable as
times have changed. It's something that connects us, Gallimore said,

(17:28):
in some ways, folks in a place like Kentucky have
a lot more in common with some of these farmers
that are potentially seeing the end of a legacy here
and having to figure out what to do in a
generation or two. In the afternoon calm of the coffee
house on Bardstown Road, the characteristically animated Sapai paused tears

(17:50):
welled in his eyes and goosebumps rose on his arms
as he described his travels to the Lapause Department of
Honduras and the challenges facing coffee farmers there. On one visit,
he saw farms ravaged by coffee rust, a fungal disease
affecting coffee plants. The farms had been passed down for generations,

(18:12):
Safai said, but farmers were walking away because they don't
have money to replant. A cooperative told him it would
cost only a few thousand dollars to replant an afflicted
farm for a farmer to get his life back, as
Safai said, but few had the capital to make such
an investment. Safai and his wife Medora sought to help.

(18:34):
In twenty thirteen, they established the Saffai Foundation, which provided
sixty thousand dollars to help the cooperative replant thirty farms.
A few years later, these farms were flourishing. He said.
Adaptation measures and funds to support farmers will be necessary
as temperatures and rainfall patterns continued to destabilize. According to

(18:57):
researchers who spoke with The Courier Journal, producers are well
aware of how shifts in climate threaten their farms, which
often span generations. They all worry about it, Safay said,
they know it's coming. There are a number of photos
accompanying this article. The first one shows Mike Safai sipping

(19:20):
a coffee in the Bardstown Road shop that bears his name,
and monitors a chart on his phone showing the commodity
price for a pound of coffee soaring higher than it
has in nearly half a century. Behind the surging line
on his screen is a global supply chain facing severe

(19:41):
stress in a murky future, a state of uncertainty not
immediately apparent from the enthusiastic crowds regularly filling his shop
in Louisville's Bonnycastle neighborhood and dozens of others across the city.
And you see Safai sitting there, and you see a

(20:03):
huge grinder grinding coffee beans. The second photo shows barista
Kira Hamilton making a drink at hinter Hoff micro Roaster
and Coffee shop in the Germantown neighborhood. Next, there's a
photo from Sapphi Coffee seventeen oh seven Bardstown Road, which

(20:27):
serves seasonal lattes and a variety of paninis in the
Highlands neighborhood, and there's a close up of a seasonal latte.
The next photo shows Leo Fonte pointing out labels on
the back of the coffee that he sells, giving consumers
information on the taste profile of the particular blend. The

(20:54):
next photo shows Fonte's coffee master, roaster Derek Carmichael and
owner Leo Fonte checking the beans that are being roasted.
There's also a photo of Saffie Coffee, the front of
it seventeen oh seven Bardstown Road, which again serves seasonal
lattes in a variety of paninis in the Highlands area.

(21:18):
There's a beautiful photo of Brazil with clouds and mountains
in the background and coffee farms as far as the
eye can see. The caption reads, Brazil grows more coffee
than any other country and represents more than a third
of global production. Now we turn to the transparency page

(21:40):
with a Q and A with Connor Giffen and Olivia Evans.
Rising coffee prices with Evans and Giffen. This week's Sunday
cover story focuses on the rising cost of coffee as
the industry is facing dual threats from an inconsistent trade
environment and ongoing clath climate issues. Owners at several local

(22:03):
coffee shops in Louisville told The Courier Journal the ripple
effects of trade and climate on the coffee industry are
leaving them little choice when it comes to raising prices
on their beverages and beans sold in store. Courier Journal
reporters Olivia Evans and Connor Giffens spoke to several coffee
shop owners and climate researchers and reviewed economic data to

(22:26):
distill what's happening with your morning cup of Joe. For
more on the story, here are some questions we answered
about the process of reporting on rising coffee prices. Describe
your reporting process, what steps did you take? This story
started by reaching out to numerous coffee shop owners around Louisville.

(22:47):
We wanted to speak with small business owners who were
still fairly fresh in the industry and longtime Louisville coffee
institutions like Fontes and Zapphai. We visited shop around town
to talk about pricing, industry trends, consumer attitudes, and other
challenges of operating a successful coffee business. Data from the

(23:10):
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, commodity markets, and a review
of current and archived websites for local coffee shops helped
us understand how coffee prices have changed, both in Louisville
and in a national level. We also asked coffee shop
owners about what origins they rely on for their coffee,

(23:30):
and consulted available information online to assemble a general picture
of where Louisville shops source their coffee. We also began
reading up on the latest research about how climate change
is affecting coffee yields and land suitable around the world.
The effects are bleak overall, but not uniform across the

(23:52):
coffee belt, so we reached out to several researchers with
expertise in various regions in the US, Germany, and Ethiopia
spoke with us about what they've seen in different growing
regions of South America and Africa and what they've heard
in conversations with farmers there. What key points do you

(24:14):
want readers to take away from this story. The coffee
supply chain connects Louisville coffee drinkers to farmers on the
slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highlands of South America and beyond.
It is as complicated as it is far reaching, affected
by innumerable factors. One example is tariffs. Multiple local coffee

(24:36):
shop owners described how aggressive and inconsistent tariff policies by
the Trump administration have injected with much uncertainty into the
industry and resulted in higher prices, But in the long run,
rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could bring about more
lasting damage. Upending where coffee can be grown along with

(24:59):
its taste and coffee farms passed down through multiple generations
could see an end to a legacy, and the effects
could be drastic in parts of the global South where
coffee cultivation is an economic pillar. On the business beat,
beyond the lookout for coverage around Kentucky's major manufacturers as

(25:20):
the national focus on American manufacturing growth. Additionally, you can
expect continued coverage on tariffs and its impacts on the
Kentucky bourbon industry, the state's automotive sector, and Louisville's major employers.
On the environment beat, look for further reporting on Kentucky's
resilience in the face of flooding and other disasters following

(25:45):
a legislative task force report outlining recommendations for stealing the
state against strengthening storms. You can contact business reporter Olivia
Evans at o Evans at Courier Hyphenjerer dot com. Contact
environmental reporter Connor Giffen at c. Giffen at Courier hyphen

(26:08):
Journal dot com. And there's one more picture of Fonte's
coffeemaster roaster Derek Carmichael moving beans from the roaster to
the coaling bin. On November nineteenth, turning now to the
Metro section of the Courier Journal, a nod to Louisville's
humid weather, Bats announced new novelty name for upcoming season.

(26:33):
Louisville Bats players will take the field as the Louisville
Humidity when the stickiness of summer comes around in twenty
twenty six. The club's latest alternative nickname honors Louisville's notoriously
muggy weather conditions, team officials said during a November nineteenth
news conference at Louisville Slugger Field. Players and coaches will

(26:56):
wear Humidity uniforms for five games beginning June thirteen, twenty
twenty six. I believe that humor, the more smiles and
the more laughter in the world, the better the world is,
said Chip so Bell, director of Strategic Alliances for the Bats.
I just wanted to come up with something that I
thought would be Louisville based and also have some humor.

(27:21):
The Humidity's uniforms are primarily orange, while the logo features
a baseball wiping off sweat with a glove. The condensation
forms the shape of a floridily as symbol synonymous with
Louisville Bats. Graphic designer Max Oxley created the Humidity's look
in consultation with Sobell and teen president Greg Galliette. This

(27:44):
article was edited due to time constraints. It will be
continued during the second part of the reading of sections
of the Courier Journal. This concludes readings for the first
sections for Sunday, December fourteenth, twenty twenty five. Stay tuned
for more news to follow immediately. Your reader has been

(28:06):
Kathy Cleary. Now to continue reading from the Courier Journal
for Sunday, December fourteenth, twenty twenty five. Your reader is
Kathy Cleary. We will start with the obituaries. We read
only the name, age, and location if given. If you
would like further information on any of the obituaries, please

(28:28):
call us during the weekdays at eight five, nine, four, two,
two sixty three ninety and will be glad to read
the entire obituary for you. I'll repeat that number at
the end of the listings. Robert Adcock age forty, Louisville.
The next three are from Louisville. Ledoras Jean Barmore eighty one,

(28:55):
Judith Thornbury Bartley known as Judy seventy five, Ada Lynn
Botwright seventy nine, all of Louisville. Michael Wayne Brawner sixty five,
no town given. Eleanor Casper ninety six, Louisville. Henry David O'Connor,

(29:17):
no age or town given. The next group are all
from Louisville. Gladella Jane Cox eighty three, Joan Alice Robinson
Davitt seventy nine, Philip Fister seventy nine, Doctor Steve Michael
Florence sixty six, Margaret Sears Curry Flowers ninety six, Larry

(29:44):
Wayne Gaddy sixty seven, and Torstrick Davis Groth seventy four,
Doctor Gay Helen Perkins seventy seven, all of Louisville. Susan
Jane Hutton Locker, no age or town given. James Stuart

(30:06):
Joy seventy one, Louisville. Dennis James Mudd known as Denny
seventy six, Louisville. Sandra L. Powell known as Sandy eighty six, Greenville, Indiana,
Henry Thomas Rowland Junior known as Pappy ninety five. Betty

(30:28):
May Settory eighty nine, both of Louisville. Charles Saint Clair
Smith sixty one, no town given the next tour from Louisville.
James Edward Steedley known as Jim eighty seven, William Lee
Stivers eighty five, both of Louisville, Rex Van Meter seventy four,

(30:54):
New Aubany, Indiana. George allen Wood seventy six, Brandenburg, Kentucky.
If he would like further information about any of the
listings today, call us on weekdays at eight, five, nine, four, two, two,
sixty three ninety and will be glad to read the
entire item to you, and now to continue the metrosection

(31:20):
article on nod to Louisville's humid weather that was begun
in the first section of the reading of the Career Journal.
The Bats, along with other minor league baseball teams, have
been known to promote alternative nicknames in recent years. Past
names such as mint Julips, Mashers, Black Caps, and River

(31:42):
Bats promoted Louisville's unique tourism, economy and professional baseball history.
The team has also worn special jerseys celebrating pop culture
icons such as Star Wars and Marvel's Superheroes. I think
compared to the other ones is it's a bit more
out there, Oxley said about the name, It's a bit

(32:03):
more humorous, which comes from Chip's side of it on
history and comedy. The other nicknames are more literal in
terms of representing the city, with the bourbon barrel and
the mint julip, which are obviously staples of the city.
The black Caps, Mint Mashers and Los more Sie Lagos

(32:25):
des Louisville identities will also return for the twenty twenty
six season. Team officials said the Bats open the twenty
twenty sixth season March twenty seventh as slugger Field against
the Omaha Storm Chasers when the humidity to take the
field on a hot summer day. This season, Sobel said

(32:47):
the team will have various humidity themed promotions, including a
frozen T shirt contest between two Louisville meteorologists. You can
reach reporter Leo Bertucci at el Bertucci at USA todayco
dot com, and that last name is spelled b R

(33:08):
t Ucci. There's a photo accompanying this article that shows
local meteorologists modeling the Louisville Humidity uniforms during a press
conference November nineteenth. The Louisville Bats will play five games
in twenty twenty six. As the Louisville Humidity merchandise is

(33:30):
already available online and at Louisville slugger Field gift Shop. Next,
return to the best thing I ate this week, Get
Mary at this Louisville holiday pop up bar. This piece
is by Amanda Hancock. The two horse statues near the
entrance of Louisville Marriott Downtown don't usually wear wreaths adorned

(33:53):
with gold ornaments, but this isn't just any time of year.
Passing that decorated pair, you'll find another duo of welcomers
in the form of larger than live nutcrackers on either
side of the hotel's revolving doors. Once inside, you'll see
plenty of other signs that this first floor bar that's

(34:14):
usually called Lobby Bar has transformed into a winter wonderland
called Mary at the Marriott back for its second year.
Mary runs now through January third, at two to eighty
West Jefferson Street. Unlike other holiday pop up bars that
lean into explosions of color wrapping paper for wallpaper and

(34:36):
overall kitchiness. Mary opts for a more subdued, sophisticated tones
of white, silver and gold that goes for a couple
of towering Christmas trees and the gathering of cold weather
creatures such as fuzzy polar bears, penguins, and at least
one owl that greet patrons upon walking in. Other decorations

(34:58):
are scattered around, including a simple blue neon sign above
the bar that reads Mary m e r r Y.
The menu is plenty festive, with two popular cocktails returning
from twenty twenty four, including the Peppermint Espresso Martini and
Gingerbread Old Fashioned, which is made with gingerbread syrup and

(35:20):
served with an adorable miniature gingerbread man cookie hanging onto
the cocktail glass. This year's menu features three new cocktails,
such as Winter Wonderland, which comes in a wintry blue
color and with edible glitter, and the Rum Rum Rudolph.
For an interactive drink, try the Merry Margarita, which comes

(35:43):
with a cranberry mixture and an ornament to be poured
into the tequila drink. You get to keep the miniature
ornament as a souvenir The menu also includes two new mocktails,
the Cranmerry Cooler and Hot Apple Cider. They at the
Marriott has a seasonal food menu including lump crab Hushpuppies,

(36:05):
an iceberg wedge salad, iron skillet cornbread, and a double
wagyued cheeseburger. For group reservations with reserve seating and a
dedicated server visit Porchlouisville dot com slash Mary at the Marriott.
The pop up bar is open to hotel guests and

(36:26):
the public. Self and valet parking is available beyond Mary
at the Marriott. Louisville is home to an array of
holiday pop up bars with different themes to fit your fancy.
This year, The Courier Journal previously reported for a classic visit,
stop by Miracle on Market at Galaxy or the Christmas

(36:48):
Bar at O'Shea's. For a tropical twist, had to Sip
in Santa at one fourteen Whiskey Row. And for something
new in twenty twenty five, there's a pop up bar
called the Lodge at Trial and Error. Here are a
few other holiday pop up bars that have been announced recently.

(37:09):
Little Saint Nick's Holiday Tavern at the Exchange pub plus Kitchen,
one eighteen West Main Street, New Albany runs through New
Year's Eve. The Florida Ceiling Christmas pop up includes an outdoor,
heated tent area, holiday martinis, a holiday version of Tiki Tuesdays,

(37:29):
and weekly live music. Snowed In at Epiphany at fifteen
twenty five Highland Avenue will feature season inspired cocktails, non
alcoholic drinks and bites from December first through thirty first,
from four to ten pm Thursday and Friday, and four

(37:50):
pm to midnight Friday and Saturday. Yule Tide at Hell
or high Water one twelve West Washington Street is open
December second through January three, closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,
and New Year's Day. The Speakeasy on Whiskey Row will
offer cocktails such as hot Buttered rum House, Hot Cocoa

(38:12):
with pepper infused tequila, mulled wine, eggnog, and a vegan nog.
Patrons can also enjoy light bites, including caviar service and
a shared toddy for two experience. We featured Mary at
the Marionte in the latest installment of our series Best

(38:33):
Thing I Ate this week. You can follow along by
visiting Instagram dot com slash Courier Journal Reach Food and
Dining reporter Amanda Hancock at A Hancock at Courier hyphen
Journal dot com. Turning now to the inspiration page, beginning

(38:54):
a new chapter, Iconic Confectionery transitions to the fifth generation
of family ownership. This piece is by Monroe Trombley of
the Career Journal and USA Today Network. After more than
three decades leading one of the area's oldest candy shops,
the owners of Shimp's Confectionery, Warren and Jill Shimp, are

(39:19):
planning to retire. Steve Shepherd, affectionately known as Cousin Steve,
and his wife Beth all photographed November twenty fifth, will
take over the business, marking the fifth generation of ownership
for the Jeffersonville sweet shop. And you see the photo
there of the four of them just mentioned, and they're

(39:42):
standing behind the counter in their shop. Fast forward a
few decades and Shepherd and his wife Beth are set
to become the next owners of the storied Ship's Confectionery
in downtown Jeffersonville. Warren and Jill Shimp, also the first
cousins once removed to Shepherd, are stepping back from the

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Springing Street institution. After more than thirty years at the helm,
in November, they passed the torch to Steve Shepherd literally.
At a celebration marking the transition, Warrenschiff handed him a
ceremonial torch crafted from a wooden candy stirring paddle and

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topped with a can of cinnamon red hots, the shop's
signature treat officially ushering in the fifth generation of family ownership,
a rarity in the area of corporatization. Warrenschemf is emphatic
that he is not retiring. He prefers to call it
slowing down ship already retired once. In two thousand, he

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left his job as an environmental chemist for a California
water company and moved to Jeffersonville to live above the
candy shop. By then, he and Jill had owned Shimphs
for about a decade, taking over after Warren's cousin Sonny
and his aunt Katherine Schimp died in nineteen eighty eight
and eighty nine, respectively. Under their leadership, the business grew

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into much more than a candy store. Visitors can watch
hard candy being made at a demonstration area. They can
order lunch and explore a candy museum where Warren Shimp
displays his extensive collection of American confectionery memorabilia. The additions
helped turn Shimphs into a tourist destination and continued the

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shop's tradition as a community gathering place, a tradition that
runs deep. In the nineteen thirties, locals called the shop's
payphone for high school basketball scores, which the family posted
in the front window. Their hard work is paid off.
Earlier this year, Shimps was named the number one candy

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store in the country by USA Today readers. Much of
the other operation will stay the same moving forward. Staff
will keep wearing old fashioned soda jerk hats and making
customer favorites. In addition to cinnamon red hots, the shop
is known for Mojesca's marshmallows dipped in caramel, and a

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wide variety of stick candies. A newer flavor, blue Raspberry,
has quickly become popular with kids. Shepherd said he knew
as a high schooler that he wanted to run the
family business someday. While studying engineering at Indiana based Trine University,
he tried to absorb everything he could with schimphs in mind.

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I had known where I worked that whatever I was learning,
I was going to take from that job and bring
it back here eventually, he said. I always told everybody
my last stop was going to be here. And there
are a couple more photos accompanying this article. One shows
Warren Shimph handing out samples of the famous red hots.

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Another shows Warren Schiff and Steve Shephard pouring out the
liquid form of the famous red hots at ships, and
the last photo shows Schiffs in Jeffersonville on November twenty fifth.
And you see this storefront in other news. Newport Aquarium

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offers unique Santa experience. This piece is by Lillian Metzmeyer
of The Courier Journal. While you can meet Santa and
his elves at most Christmas themed events, no other holiday
attraction has a Scuba Santa. Scuba Santa's Water Wonderland will
be at the Newport Aquarium until December twenty fourth. And

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you see a photo of two adults and four children
reaching up towards the aquarium window with sk Cuba Santa inside.
At Newport Aquarium, Scuba Santa's Water Wonderland, visitors are invited
to one of the most unique holiday attractions in Newport,

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just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. As soon as
Thanksgiving comes to an end, the entire Newport Aquarium is
transformed into a water wonderland with festive music, holiday lights,
and Christmas trees in every corner. Of course, the star
of the show is Scuba Santa, hooked up to a
mic system, swimming beside sharks and sea turtles. It takes

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a special talent to be Santa. Newport Aquarium General sales
Manager Sheena Minnick said, through the glass children can talk
with Scuba Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas,
as well as take one of the most unique photos
possible with any Santa claus. Families are welcome to join
Scuba Santa's Jolly Elves in the Aquarium's Riverside Room at

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nine a m. December fourteenth for a holiday breakfast buffet
complete with a waffle and hot chocolate bar. After indulging
in a delicious breakfast and creating their own Christmas ornaments,
visitors are able to be one of the first of
the day to meet with Scuba Santa. Though a special event.

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Aquarium members can purchase tickets at a discounted price For
non members, admission is included with a ticket purchase. I
love the kids with their Christmas sweaters and their little
candy cane or Christmas tree headbands, and they all look
so festive and adorable. Minnick said, it's so fun to
see it. Newport's seasonal family Inclusive Sensory Hours or Fish

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event will also take place December fourteenth, from eight to
ten am. The aquarium is altered to accommodate to various
sensory sensitivities through adjusted lighting, music levels, noise canceling headphones,
and fidget toys available for free on a first come
for serve basis. Standard aquarium operations will begin at ten am,

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though guests are welcome to stay as long as they like.
Of all ages, all of our guests, we've got something
to offer for them, Minnix said. For adults, the aquarium
will host a new twenty one plus event on December
twenty sixth. Naughty or Nice That's Nauti or Nice is
an aquarium after dark event that includes alcohol, animals, and

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a scavenger hunt with tacky sweaters encouraged. The idea is
for parents or any adult to have an opportunity to
de stress from holidays and see the different behaviors exhibited
by animals under the adjusted lights. Tickets must be purchased
in advance. The Newport Aquarium is located at one Levee

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Way in Newport, a little less than two hours from
downtown Louisville. Scuba Santa's Water Wonderland is included with Newport
Aquarium admission. Aquarium members get a discount on ticketed events.
Scuba Santa will be at the Newport Aquarium from November
twenty eighth to December twenty fourth. See below for a

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full list of Scuba Santa's times for meets and greets.
November twenty eighth and twenty ninth, ten am to four
thirty November thirtieth, eleven am to four December one through fifth,
eleven am to two December sixth ten am to four

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thirty December seventh, eleven am to four pm. December eighth
through twelfth, eleven am to two pm. December thirteenth, ten
am to four thirty, December fourteenth, ten am to four
December fifteenth through nineteenth, eleven am to two pm. December

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twentieth and twenty first, ten am to four thirty pm,
December twenty second and twenty third eleven am to four pm,
and December twenty fourth, eleven am to two pm. To
hear those times again, call us on weekdays at eight, five, nine, four, two, two,

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sixty three, ninety and next. From the Archives. Rubber Town
grows quickly to aid World War II effort. This piece
is by Leo Bertucci. When the US entered World War II,
industrial leaders in the Louisville area pivoted to building cargo planes,

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massive ships, and, in one particular site, the synthetic rubber
for vehicle tires and other wartime uses. Rubber Town developed
rapidly during the war because federal officials wanted to keep
up with Japan's dominance in the synthetic rubber market. According
to the Encyclopedia of Louisville, Louisville seemed to be a

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fit because existing distilleries could produce the alcohol necessary to
manufacture rubber. Rubbertown transformed into one of the biggest industrial
districts of its kind in just three years, the Courier
Journal reported March twenty sixth, nineteen forty four. At the time,
the area featured plants which either made synthetic rubber, or

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the raw materials used to manufacture rubber. LG and E,
the prime mover in the establishment of rubber Town, constructed
a power plant near the new industries. Five rubber Town
factories cost the government about ninety two point four million
dollars according to the Encyclopedia of Louisville, which would equate

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to around one point seven trillion dollars in twenty twenty five.
The plants, which employed about four thousand workers in total
during the war effort, yielded one hundred ninety five thousand
tons of cinthetic rubber in nineteen forty four, turning Louisville
into the world's leading supplier of the product. And there

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are several photos accompanying this article. The first one, which
was published on November twenty ninth, nineteen seventy two, shows
dense industrial development as seen here on Campground Road in
Louisville's Rubber Town area, is of major concern to environmentalists,
and you see the plant in all its glory. The

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second photo, which was published September twenty first, nineteen ninety seven,
shows Louisville Rubbertown in nineteen sixty five, and that's a
long range shot and you see smoke coming out of
many of the industrial smoke stacks. The next photo, published

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December third, nineteen seventy two, says Rubbertown is one of
four County areas cited as hotspots for sulfur dioxide and
particulate pollution, and another photo of the expanse of the plant. Lastly,

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a photo published on March thirty first, nineteen sixty five.
A caption reads rubber Town, that giant industrial complex object
of an annexation tug of war, had its origins in
World War II supply demands, and you see a large
round tank with steps going from the ground up to

(51:45):
the top of the round tank. In other news, trove
of Epstein information will grow substantially. This pieces by Zachary
Schermiel and Bart Janssen of USA Today Dateline. Washington Congressional

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Democrats released another eyebrow raising batch of photos December twelfth,
further linking several high profile people, including President Donald Trump
and former President Bill Clinton, to accuse sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein,
who died in twenty nineteen. But the fallout is just beginning,

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and the trove of information available to the public is
about to get much bigger. The disclosure of nineteen new
undated images, which showed celebrities, including director Woody Allen and
Trump's former West Wing aide Steve Bannon, was a prelude
to even more file dumps that Democrats on the House

(52:48):
Oversight Committee planned to make available to the public. From
a recent ninety five thousand photo disclosure, the panel published
more than seventy additional pictures laid or the same day.
Lawmakers provided only limited specifics about the images, none of
which specifically implicated any of the pictured individuals in any wrongdoing.

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We've gone through maybe about twenty five thousand of them
so far. Representative Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, the
ranking member of the panel, told reporters on December twelfth,
some of the other photos that we did not put
out today are incredibly disturbing. The Justice Department has until

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December nineteenth to release as many documents as possible related
to its own investigations into Epstein. That deadline was specified
in a law that Congress passed nearly unanimously in November
and Trump later signed. While members of Congress will be
leaving Washington by that time, for a holiday recess. The

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timing of the much anticipated disclosures ensures it will be
a dominant topic for a least a few weeks, if
not longer. Many Republicans who are in control of Congress
have demonstrated a bipartisan interest in examining Epstein's complex web
of associates, despite the President's connections to it. Trump has

(54:15):
repeatedly denied having any knowledge of Epstein's alleged criminality, though
the two had a personal relationship decades ago. Trump has
said he distanced himself from the financier. Democrats have accused
the Trump administration of covering up for Epstein, but Trump
noted on social media after signing the Epstein Files Transparency

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Act that Epstein was charged in the New York federal
case in twenty nineteen during his first term. He also
noted that the financier who died by suicide that year
in a jail cell was a longtime contributor to Democratic politicians.
Once again, House democrats are selectively releasing cherry picked photos

(55:01):
with random reactions to try and create a false narrative.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said a lawyer for Clinton
did not respond to a request for comment. The extent
of what will be released is uncertain. Attorney General Pam
Bondi said in July that most of what remains in

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internal files includes numerous child sex abuse videos or records
that identify victims. In recent weeks, the Department has asked
federal judges in cases related to Epstein to allow the
release of grand jury transcripts and other evidence that would
typically remain confidential, and they have complied. And there's a

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small photo showing US Representative Robert Garcia who said that
some photos that Committee Democrats did not make public are
incredibly disturbing. This concludes excerpts from The Courier Journal for Sunday,
December fourteenth, twenty twenty five. Your reader has been Kathy Cleary.

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