9.25.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for September
twenty fifth, twenty twenty five, which is brought to our
Louisville listeners via Louisville Public Media as a reminder Radio
I as reading service intended for people who are blind
or have other disabilities and make it difficult to read
printed material. Your reader for today, I'm Howard Climbing. We

(00:24):
start with the five day forecast, brought to you by WHAS.
Today the high will be seventy seven, it will be cloudy.
There will still be some showers around Tonight a low
of sixty and cloudy. Tomorrow, Friday a high of seventy
seven a low of sixty. You'll be partly sunny and
less humid. On Saturday, nice day of plenty of sun

(00:47):
a high of seventy nine and low of sixty. On
Sunday even a little warmer, a high of eighty two
and a low of sixty three with plenty of sunshine.
That weather continues on Monday with sunny skies a high
of eighty and a low of sixty three, and on
Tuesday almost the same high of eighty a low of
sixty four and partly sunny looking at our almanac for

(01:11):
Louisville weather this past Tuesday, the high was eighty four,
the low was sixty seven. The normal for that date
high of eighty and a low of fifty nine. The
record high i was back in twenty ten ninety seven,
record low in nineteen ninety five thirty nine. Precipitation on
Tuesday was point thirty four inches. Month to date is

(01:35):
two point zero seven inches, the normal month to date
two point seven three, the year to date forty one
point four inches, the normal year to date thirty six
point fourteen. Looking at the sun and moon, the sunrise
it came up today at seven thirty three and sets
at seven thirty five tonight. The moonrise set eleven seventeen am,

(01:59):
and the rise rather that's said at nine to twelve pm.
And looking at the pollen count, it's not available for
some reason today and Wednesday. The air quality was good today.
It's supposed to be good too. Now we read the
headlines from the three stories that are on the front

(02:20):
page of today's Courier Journal. The first story is entitled
no Drama, No Fights, the second Kimmel addresses comments on air,
and the third Jefferson County sheriff dies at eighty six.
And now we'll read those three stories in full again.
The first one was headlined no drama, no fights. It's

(02:43):
written by Christa Johnson of The Courier Journal. After the
second wave of Wagoner Highest's students grab their lunch trays
on a recent September afternoon, doesn't file out into the
school's courtyard to enjoy the fresh air together, Some playing
with a soccer ball in one corner as others gathered

(03:03):
around corn hole boards. One senior with a digital camera
round her neck documented the interaction of her peers last
year in school. Another student sat among a group of boys,
popping in and out at conversations as he pressed a
head on the novel he was writing. None of the
students spent the time looking down at their phone, scrolling

(03:25):
social media or sending texts to communicate, rather than talking
with the friends right there in their presence. Kentucky was
one of seventeen states and the District of Columbia that
started this school year with new cell phone restrictions. Just
over months into the process, leaders within the state's largest

(03:45):
district or praising the change across Jefferson County public schools
a man is being credited for an uptick in library
books being checked out, an increase in student participation, and
a decrease in alter case, the environment Butler High School
teacher Clay Abel said is quote one hundred percent better

(04:07):
with students paying attention longer. The drama's gone because they
can't get on their phones to snapchad, text or whatever
app they use, He added, saying the man should have
been passed ten years ago. In education, we'll look back
at cell phones and cigarettes as the two biggest addictions
in our lifetime for students. Ables continued. He added, it

(04:30):
sounds like hyperbole, but if taught at any level, you
can see the massive impact phones have on kids. The
change hasn't gone completely without issues, and the first three
weeks of school JCPS issued fifty one suspensions in about
three four hundred referrals for violations of the cell phone policy.

(04:52):
According to the district, that number of referrals appears to
be a significant uptick, as JCPS report about seventy two
hundred referrals for cell phone policy violations at high schools
through the entirety of the twenty twenty three to twenty
four school year. The cell phone policy is a new initiative,

(05:14):
and we're actively monitoring the data. JCPS spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan
wrote in an email. When she was asked if the
rate of disciplinary infractions was concerning for district leaders, she said,
we've said from the beginning that we anticipated referrals would
increase despite an increase in cell phone policy violations. Wagner

(05:37):
principal Sarah Hitchings at her school has experienced a decline
in student in fractions. We've seen a decrease across the
board for discipline events, Hitchings said, Every kind of event
is down, and we largely attribute that to the lack
of cell phone distractions in the day. Her teachers love

(05:57):
the band, she said, and she's witnessing by far, the
most interaction between students she'd seen in years. Students are
also noticing positive effects from the band, with some indicating
they're doing better on their school work, speaking to peers
they hadn't previously interacted with, using their phones less even

(06:18):
outside of school, and feeling more comfortable to participate in class.
Daniel owanjay O Wagoner junior, spend his lunch period with
a group of other boys who collectively described a friendlier
environment at the school this year, There's been no drama,
no fight, so Wanji said, a change he attributes to

(06:40):
the fact students no longer have cell phones to record
such events. In turn, he said he feels less anxious
at school, like I can be myself. Alfred To and
other junior said that while everyone was upset about the
band during the first week of school, he has since
stopped caring about my phone, adding his screen time has

(07:01):
fallen from upwards of eight hours a day down to
just two hours. On the other side of the courtyard,
group of senior girls stood together, reiterating much of what
their male classmates said of the changes in their school.
The band Nvia, ashe said, has forced us to converse.
I went to school with these kids for all four years,

(07:22):
but never interacted because I didn't think I had to.
Now though, she said, we have something in common. We're
all going through this phone band together. We all relate
with one another. And her friend, Sophia Harden, noted she
used to be embarrassed to answer questions in class because
no one else was. Since phones are now out of

(07:43):
the way, that hasn't been such a problem, Harden said,
and Hard and other students create credited their inability to
use their phones with improving class participation levels. Both groups
of students noted the school's football game against More on
September twelfth. This year. They said Wagner's student section is

(08:05):
better because people are coming to the games again, and
the school's social media accounts, despite the ban, are actually
more popular. We're finding different ways to document this year,
said Uri Morris, who began carrying her digital camera at
school so she can update and account for seniors at
the end of each week. Instead of looking at pictures online,

(08:28):
students have been creating moments worth capturing. A lot more
kids are coming out of their comfort zone, Morris said,
We're finding more creative things to do to fill the
boredom our. Next story from the front page of the
Courier Journal is headline Kimmel addresses comments on air, and
it's written by Anthony Robledo and Pamela Villa of USA Today.

(08:54):
Jimmy Kimmel gave a nearly eighteen minute opening monologue on
September twenty f third is first night back after his
show's suspension over comments he made about Charlie Kirk. The
late night TV host addresses suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live
publicly after remaining silent amid backlash against ABC and its

(09:17):
parent company, Disney, ABC said on September seventeenth it was
suspending Kimmel's show indefinitely, following pushback from Federal Communications Commissioned
Chair Brendan Carr, President Donald Trump, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and
Next Star over remarks Kimmel made about the Turning Point

(09:38):
USA founder on a September fifteenth episode. The decision sparked
outrage among high profile supporters, from former Late night host
David Letterman to former President Barack Obama. Some people boycotted
Disney Plus and Hulu in response. Kimmel began as comeback

(09:59):
Monol with a joke as the audience stood and chanted
his name. As I was saying before I was interrupted,
if you're just joining us, We are preempting your encore
presentation of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report.
I'm happy to be here with you tonight. But the
Emmy winning comedian quickly veered into heavier matters, tearing up

(10:23):
while recounting the support he received from friends and supporters,
clarifying his previous comments and emphasizing the importance of free speech.
This show it's not important, Kimmel said at one point.
What is important is that we get to live in
a country that allows us to have a show likeness.

(10:43):
He began by thanking people for standing up for him,
including those who did so while not liking him or
agreeing with his political views. That included Texas Senator Ted Cruz,
who said the FCC had acted like quote mafioso, it
takes courage for them to speak out against this administration.
Kimmel said, they did, and they deserve credit for it,

(11:07):
and he also named right wing media personalities Ben Shapiro
and Candace Owens, and Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand
Paul as others who came to his defense. Kimmel said
he didn't mean to treat Kirk's assassination lightly. I do
want to make something clearer because it's important to me
as a human, and that is you understand. It was

(11:30):
never my intention to make light of the murder of
a young man, he said, choking up. I don't think
there's anything funny about that, nor was it my intention
to blame any specific group for the actions of what
was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. During December September fifteenth
opening monologue, Kimmel criticized Trump's supporters following the rest of

(11:55):
the twenty two year old charged in Kirk's murders, saying, quote,
we had some new loaths over the weekend, with a
maga gang desperately trying to characterize his kid who murdered
Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and
doing everything they can to score political points from it.
On September twenty third, Kimmel said he understood those remarks

(12:17):
felt either ill timed or unclearer both. He continued, I
don't think the murderer shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This
was a sick person who believed violence was a solution
and it isn't. Ever, he noted that he receives many
ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids,

(12:37):
my coworkers because of what I chose to say, and
I know those threats don't come from the kind of
people on the right who I know and love. Kimmel
applauded Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, for the speech she delivered
at his September twenty first memorial in Arizona, where she
said she forgave the assassination suspect to those who had

(13:00):
a hand in Jimmy Kimmel Live being suspended. Kimmel said,
that's not legal, that's not American, it's un American. And
Kimmel had some words for his employer, ABC, saying he
was not happy when they pulled me off the air
and that he did not agree with that decision. However,
he said, I shared my point of view, they shared theirs.

(13:21):
We talked it through and at the end, even though
they didn't have to, they really didn't have to. This
is a giant company. We have short attention span and
I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation. They
welcomed me back on the air, and I thank them
for that. ABC local station owners Next Star in Sinclair
still chose to preempt the show with other coverage. Sinclair

(13:46):
is the largest owner of ABC stations, with thirty eight
across the country in Kimmel's contract with ABC is up
in May twenty twenty six, according to the Associated Press,
and CNN US added that bringing back his show unjustly
puts ABC at risk because quote President of the United

(14:06):
States made it very clear he wants to see me
in hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs.
Our leaders celebrate some Americans losing their livelihoods because he
can't take a joke. Kimmel continued, We have to speak
out against this bully. He's not stopping, and it's not
just comedy. He's gunning for our journalists too. Trump had

(14:29):
said he was appalled by ABC's decision to bring back
Jimmy Kimmel live and on social media September twenty third,
insinuated that he would file another lawsuit against the network.
Trump referenced the March twenty twenty four lawsuit against ABC
News and host George Stephanopoulos over questions regarding columnists E.

(14:51):
Gene Carroll, who sued Trump and accused him of defamation
and sexual abuse. Last time I went after ABC, they
gave me sixteen million dollars, Trump wrote in our next
story from the front page of Today's Courier Journal as headline,
Jefferson County sheriff dies at eighty six and it's written

(15:13):
by Lucas Albach and Killean Barlair of the Courier Journal.
John Aubrey who served as sheriff of Jefferson County for
more than a quarter century, has died. That's according to
Attorney General Russell Coleman. Aubrey was eighty six. He was
the county's long serving longest serving sheriff after first taking

(15:35):
office back in nineteen ninety nine. He announced in March
of twenty twenty five he would not seek reelection in
twenty twenty six. Earlier in the year, he was named
Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff's Association, an
organization he led back in twenty fourteen. Fifteen Sheriff John

(15:55):
Aubrey was a true Kentucky lawman, raising his hand to
protect and serve this community for more than fifty years.
Families like mine are safer because of Colonel Aubrey's leadership.
Coleman said that in a statement September twenty fourth, Sheriff
Aubrey embodied the collaborative ethos that no sheriff stands alone.

(16:18):
His impact on policing reached across this community, our commonwealth,
and the entire nation, Coleman added. Aubrey, a Democrat, was
elected to seven terms as Jefferson County sheriff before his
first win in nineteen ninety nine. He spent twenty eight
years with Louisville Metro Police and was in the Army

(16:39):
Reserves for thirty two years, where the Kentucky Association of
Counties reported he retired as a colonel. He's the second
county official to pass while in office this month. On
September eleventh, the Jefferson County Clerk's office announced Clerk Bobby
Holsclaw had died at eighty one. Mayor Greg Greenberg has

(17:02):
yet to announce an interim clerk to replace her until
the twenty twenty sixth election. Greenberg will also be responsible
for announcing a replacement for Aubrey, though he said it's
way early to make that decision. At a press conference
on September twenty fourth, Greenberg said he had the honor
of nominating Aubrey for the twenty twenty five National Sheriff's

(17:25):
Association Award, adding the day he won the ward was
quote great day for the city, a great day for
Sheriff Aubrey and his family to recognize his decades of
public service to our city and our country. Public service
was everything to Sheriff Aubrey, and he will be greatly
missed by the Sheriff's department, by the city, in our

(17:47):
entire community. When he was talking on that day that
he had a little celebration for him receiving the National
Sheriff's Award, I remember how he spoke about how he
encourages everyone he works with to treat others right and
to surround themselves or ourselves with people who do likewise.
Greenberg continued, and he concluded, I think that's a great

(18:09):
lesson for all of us as we go about our
daily lives. In may, Aubrey Indoor's former Louisville Metro Police
Department Colonel Steve Healey, to take his place as sheriff.
In a Facebook post September twenty fourth, he Lee wrote, quote,
our community has lost not only a great leader, but
also a man whose integrity, service, and dedication will never

(18:33):
be forgotten. Heale, who now leads Peewee Value Valley Police,
is registered as a Democrat. Also currently running in the
twenty twenty six primary for sheriff is Richard Breen, lawyer
and former mayor of Glenview, and Stephen Yancy, longtime Sheriff's
office employee, who ran against Aubrey in the twenty twenty

(18:56):
two primary, in an e mailed statement, said quote, Sheriff
Aubrey spent his life in service to our community and
his family. John Aubrey was a consummate public servant. We
all thankful for his long and faithful service to our community.
And in a social media post, Jefferson's Circuit County Clerk

(19:18):
David Nicholson called Aubrey quote a dear friend, a steadfast
public service and longtime justice partner for over five decades.
He served with exemplary leadership and dedication. In a statement,
Commonwealth's Attorney Jerina D. Withers said, quote, We're grateful to

(19:38):
have worked alongside him and his team members over his tenure,
and thankful for his efforts to keep our community and
our courtroom safe. And Jefferson County Attorney Michae O'Connell wrote
in a social media post that Aubrey answered the call
of his country and his community throughout his distinguished career.

(19:58):
His stature among s tariffs in Kentucky and throughout the
United States was unmatched, and US Senator Mitch McConnell said
in a post that he was deeply saddened to hear
of Aubrey's passing, John was a dedicated public service who
made an indelible impact on our community, and for twenty
seven years as sheriff, he worked tirelessly to keep our

(20:21):
neighborhood safe, McConnell wrote, and government Andy Governor rather Andy
Basher called Aubrey a true public service in his own post,
saying Aubrey dedicated his career to protecting Kentuckians. And the
Louisville Democratic Party wrote in a social media post that
Aubrey quote brought discipline, honor, and integrity to his leadership,

(20:44):
both in uniform and in law enforcement. His legacy will
endure his model of courage, leadership and public duty. Now
we turned to stories from the front section of the
Courier Journal. The next one is headline and TARK releases.
Its network design is written by Killer and B. Baulare.

(21:07):
The Transit Authority of River City or TARK, unveiled a
final recommendation for its redesign network at a September twenty
third board meeting. The new network, set to be implemented
in August twenty twenty six, comes as the transit agency
near the near the end of a month long redesign
and community engagement process meant to shape a network compatible

(21:31):
with the agency's financial constraints. Overall, TARK service will drop
by about twelve percent under the new network compared to
current levels. That's according to board meeting materials. We wish
we could be bigger, but we're trying to spend every
dollar wisely and put on the street what we can afford,
TARK Executive director Ozzie Gibson told reporters after the board meeting,

(21:56):
and pace based on public feedback, Tark's new network will
devote roughly seventy percent of resources to routes with frequent,
reliable service in areas with potential for high ridership, with
the remaining thirty percent erected towards routes and cover a
larger geographic area with lower frequency in ridership. The emphasis

(22:19):
on ridership will put TARK service out of reach for
more residents compared to the current network. The number of
residents who live near transit will decrease by roughly twenty percent,
or over ninety thousand people under the new network. But simultaneously,
the new network will significantly boost the number of jobs

(22:39):
and residents located near service that comes every thirty minutes
or less. It will also create modest increases in the
number of jobs accessible by transit within sixty minutes for
several vulnerable populations, including residents in areas of persistent poverty,
households without a vehicle, residents of color. Another change coming

(23:03):
to the network is the addition of a time transfer
hub or pulse system downtown, where low frequency routes will
converge to facilities seamless transfers from one bus to another
with shorter weight times. By synchronizing the time buses arrive
at the hub, the system will allow passengers to easily

(23:23):
catch the next bus. When routes are being run every
thirty or sixty minutes, A big challenge you have is
how long it takes to wait whenever those two routes meet.
If those routes are not time to meet at a
particular point at a particular time, you could easily have
a thirty or sixty minute wait, said Scudder Wegg, who's
president and principal consultant for Jared Walker and Associates the

(23:48):
consultant tark Tap to help with the redesigned process. If
you time connections to a single point, you can have
buses meet wait for a few minutes at one point,
and then your waiting time is consisted only about five
to seven minutes. Wag added. Tark has identified a site
near the intersection of Eighth Street to Muhammad Ali Boulevard

(24:10):
to serve as a temporary location for a time transfer hub,
according to Gibson, and officials are in the process of
finding a permanent site, he added. Other key changes in
the network include routes to and from all Magnet High
schools within Jefferson County Public Schools, bus stops that are

(24:30):
three blocks apart on average instead of the current one
or two blocks, a new route numbering system and map,
which officials believe will be simpler and more useful for
the average rener. With the recommendation finalized, Tark officials are
swinging into the implementation stage, which will include a public
education campaign to ensure that TARK riders understand how the

(24:54):
changes affect them, and Tark anticipates finalizing routes and schedules
by January twenty twenty six. According to board meeting materials,
While the final recommendation largely represents what Tark's network will
look like in a year's time, Gibson said it's possible
some minor tweaks are made before then. In TARK officials

(25:17):
identified the need for an overhauled transfer network after projecting
in twenty twenty four that the agency was at risk
of facing an operational budget shortfall of up to thirty
million dollars by mid twenty twenty six without cuts or
additional revenue. The agency launched TARK twenty twenty five and

(25:37):
Responds and has been working with local officials and community
members since to determine its next steps. Several rounds of
service cuts over the last year in conjunction with the
forthcoming changes, will help TARK avoid an insurmountable budget gap
until physical year twenty twenty nine or twenty thirty, according

(25:58):
to officials, and in the years to come, officials hope
to identify new dedicated funding that would allow TARK both
a great greater margin of financial comfort and network growth.
TARK officials previously had told The Courier Journal the agency's
primary funding mechanism, a zero point two percent occupational tax

(26:21):
on Jefferson County residents at pass back in nineteen seventy four,
is long held steady as the agency's responsibilities and expenses
have grown. Without additional funding in the next few years,
Tark will likely be forced to return to the drawing
board to make deeper cuts. Our next brief story is

(26:44):
from Amanda Hancock of USA Today in the Courier Journal.
It's entitled popular hot chicken chain to open first Louisville
location this week. A fried chicken chain with plenty of
hype and celebrity backers its opening its first Louisville location
after landing in southern Indiana in late twenty twenty four,

(27:04):
Dave's Hot Chicken is expected to open a shop September
twenty sixth at forty six hundred Shelbyville Road, Sweet six
forty two. The Saint Matthew's location will serve chicken tenders
and sliders, loaded fries and join the flurry of about
three hundred locations around the world. Dave's Hot Chicken launch

(27:24):
back in twenty seventeen when four friends turn nine hundred
dollars into Friar into a popular parking lot pop up
in Los Angeles, according to its website. And this concludes
readings from the first sections of The Courier Journal for
September twenty fifth, twenty twenty five. Stay tuned for more

(27:44):
news to follow immediately. Your reader has been Howard Climen.
Now we continue reading from the Louisville Courier Journal for
September twenty fifth, twenty twenty five, and your reader today
is Howard Climan. We start with the obituaries. We read
only the name, age, and location. If you'd like any

(28:06):
further information on any of the obituaries, please call us
during the week days at eight five nine four two
two six three nine zero and will be glad to
read the entire obituary for you. I'll repeat that number
at the end of the listenings. William Galloway ninety two
of Louisville, Adam Scott Goones thirty eight of Louisville, Arthur B.

(28:31):
Lander Junior seventy five of Louisville, Thomas W. SA eighty
nine of Louisville, ty Byron Charber fifty two of Louisville,
and jar Don Gerard Steward eighty five of Louisville. Again,
if you'd like any further information about any of the
listenings today, call us on weekdays at eight five nine

(28:55):
four two two six three nine zero and will be
glad to read the entire item to you. Now we
continue with stories from the front section of today's Courier Journal.
The next run is headline bars and ceasoned assist letter
over ads opposing Senate campaign, and it's written by Lucas

(29:16):
Albach of the Courier Journal. US Representative Andy Barr has
taken repeated shots this year from a conservative super pack
that came out against his US Senate campaign even before
he officially entered the race. Now, after the latest ad
from an affiliated pack, he's hitting back. Barr's campaign attorneys

(29:37):
sent a ceasoned assist letter on September nineteenth to the
Win It Backpack and the Club for Growth Pack, alleging
a short video released earlier in the week contained quote,
false and malicious allegations about the congressman's record. The ad
in question was published on social media on September seventeenth

(29:59):
by Pack Press president David Macintosh. The thirty second clip
accuses a six term congressman from Lexington of voting to
send federal funds to hospitals perform sex changes on children,
arguing the voters should disqualify him from office with surgical precision.

(30:20):
Barr voted to transition hard earned tax dollars from your
wallet in the bank accounts of gender mutilation factories, turning
boys and the girls and girls into boys, the ad said,
while showing preteen children standing in front of a backdrop
of hospital rooms. The letter from Barr's attorneys called that

(30:41):
social media post defamatory and demands it be immediately removed
from all platforms. It also demands the pack cease and
assist from disseminating or otherwise publishing any unfounded and misleading statements,
noting the congressman co sponsored a twenty twenty three bill
that would prohibit federal funding from going toward gender transition

(31:04):
procedures or health plans at cover such procedures, among other actions.
That legislation was introduced but hasn't been passed in the law.
The letter also claims the loone resolution the AD sites
as Barr having supported, was introduced in twenty thirteen, during
his first year in office, and didn't contain quote any

(31:26):
provisions or references to gender affirming care, including but not
limited to hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or surgical interventions. That
twenty thirteen resolution continued pre approved funding for training at
children's hospitals, including two in Boston and Philadelphia that have

(31:46):
offered gender transition services in recent years. Responding to the letter,
McIntosh said in an email, Barr and his supporter's quote
will do anything to distract from the fact that he
voted so that funds could go to hospitals and perform
sex change surgeries on children, and were very confident and

(32:07):
any court would agree. McIntosh leads Win It Back and
is also president of Club for Growth that's a well
funded conservative superback with backers that include billionaires Jeff Yes
and Peter Thiel. When It Back was founded in twenty
twenty three in an effort to stop former President Donald

(32:27):
Trump from winning the GOP nomination. Political reported that at
the time, though Trump in twenty twenty four said he
and McIntosh had reconciled our quote back in love. Club
for Growth was founded in nineteen ninety nine. When It
Back has said it's putting two million dollars towards ad

(32:48):
targeting Barer, including a separate thirty second spot posted earlier
in September tying the congressman to Senator Mitch McConnell, who's
retiring at the end of next year after more than
forty years in Office Club for Growth has taken plenty
of shots at Barr this year as well. The super
Pac attacked the congressman before he entered the race with

(33:10):
an ed in February, accusing him of pushing the agenda
of woke Wall Street banks and bypassing real world jobs
for government jobs. Barr officially launched his campaign back in April,
and he recently released his first TV ad in his
Senate campaign, which highlights his support for Trump's agenda while

(33:31):
in the House and says he's just getting started. Barr's
been backed by Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky
swimmer turned conservative activist who frequently speaks out against participation
of transgender women in women's sports. Andy Bauer has been
a champion for girls, women and families against a radical

(33:54):
transgender movement. That's why I've endorsed Andy to be Kentucky's
next US Senator. Gaines said that in a statement provided
by the congressman's campaign. Bower is one of three high
profile Republicans running for the seat, along with former Kentucky
Attorney General David Cameron and Lexington executive Nate Morris. KLEP

(34:16):
for Growth endorsed Cameron and has failed twenty twenty three
gubernatorial race against Governor Andy Basher spent more than one
million dollars in ads for that race, but so far
has an endorsed a candidate in the Senate race. Primary
elections will take place in May. Democrats running for the
seat include Lexington attorney Logan Forsyth, State House Minority Leader

(34:42):
Pamela Stephenson, and former CIAO officer Joe Willett. Our next
story is headlined Escaped Ohio inmate arrested at Louisville and
is written by Carolyn Neil of The Courier Journal. An
Ohio inmate who is escape from the Brown County Adult
Detention Center was found in Louisville September twenty second after

(35:06):
multi agency manhunt. According to law enforcement officials, Jerry Lee Cooper,
forty eight, who is facing charges of attempted murder, assault,
and having a weapon under disability, allegedly escaped from the
facility September fifteenth between ten thirty and eleven thirty PM

(35:26):
along with Roy Jean Butler fifty one. Butler is facing
charges of trafficking drugs and having weapons under disability, according
to officials, and according to FBI Louisville, Cooper and Butler
broke a window at the center, ran to the Ohio River,
stole a boat, and traveled to Dover, Kentucky. Butler was

(35:49):
arrested September sixteenth in Mason County, according to officials, and
the officials said Cooper remained in Mason County until William
and Marlena strous Spaw, both of Mason County, took him
to Louisville, where he was apprehended. Cooper and Butler both
facing escape charges, according to court records and officials from

(36:11):
the Mason County Sheriff's Office also arrested marlin As Straussbaw
and William Straussbaw, who now both faced charges of hindering
prosecution or apprehension and complicity in aiding escape. The Straussbows
are both being currently held at the Mason County Detention
Center and was unclear when the parties would next appear

(36:34):
in court. Our next story is headlined corner ar ROTC
Cadets cause of death overheating, and it's written by Stephanie
Cousdom of The Courier Journal. An Army ROTC cadet who
died in July while training at Fort Knox, died of

(36:55):
complications of environmental hypothermia or overheating, acording to records from
the Jefferson County Corner's Office. Cadet Neil Adera was twenty two.
According to the records with the CURRT, which The Courier
Journal obtained under the state's public records law, medical examiner
Lauren Lippincott ruled Adera's death in accident. Fort Knox didn't

(37:19):
immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the coroner's investigation. Adara,
originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, joined ROTC at Rutgers University
and was at Fort Knox for cadet summer training as
part of the ninth Regiment Advance Camp. According to the Army,

(37:39):
the camp is made up of ten regiments totaling more
than six thousand cadets. Adera became unresponsive while conducting land
navigation training on July twenty fourth, According to the Army ROTC.
The Corner's investigation, completed on the day of Adarra's death,
said that when he coll his pants and boots were

(38:01):
taken off for medical treatment. The temperature on base at
the time exceeded ninety one degrees. Following his collapse, Adera
was flown on a black Hawk helicopter and arrived at
U of L hospital. He was officially pronounced dead at
twelve eighteen pm. The report went on to say there
was no traumat at Darra's head, mouthed, chest, abdomen, or back.

(38:25):
His armypt uniform, typically a pair of black shorts and
a black or green army shirt, were cut away, along
with his dog tags, according to the report. Navigation training,
according to the military's website, involves basic dismounted land navigation skills.
Cadets demonstrate their ability to perform those skills during day

(38:49):
and night conditions on a verified course and varied terrain.
Cadets are also taught advanced land navigation skills and associated tasks,
which include mounted land navigation, range estimation, terrain analysis, and
call for fire. The Army didn't share in its July
social media post about Adara's death what time of day

(39:12):
or in what exact portion of land navigation training Adera
was involved in when he collapsed. Ridgewood, New Jersey, mayor
Paul Vegerius told The Bergen Record, a USA Today network paper,
that Adera was a volunteer with a Ridgewood Ambulance Corps
before he joined the Army. Neil lived to serve his

(39:33):
country and his community. Virgeria said he was a very,
very special young man who showed us all the true
meaning of service. And while I didn't know him, I
will never forget him. Our next story is headlined Trump
faces backlash from MAGA allies, and it's written by Joey
Garrison of USA Today, President Donald Trump is facing a

(39:57):
rare backlash from a growing number of MAGA alleys over
free speech concerns in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination,
as Republicans who are typically hesitant to criticize Trump warn
of government overreach. The pushback follows Federal Communications Commission Chair
Brendan Carr's threats against ABC to pull late night comedee

(40:19):
in Jimmy Kimmel, whose show resumed on September twenty third,
and warnings from Attorney General Pam Bondy about prosecuting quote
hate speech. While Trump cheered Kimmel's brief suspension and called
for other late night show hosts to be asked, Republican
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and conservative commentators Candice Owens

(40:40):
and Ben Shapiro each denounced the FCC's threats. Other Republican
lawmakers echoed the concerns, arguing the government shouldn't decide what's
appropriate for the airwaves federal action. If you carry the
Jimmy Kimmel Show, does that seem right to you? Owen
said on her podcast. Added, if you're on the right

(41:02):
and you cheered this on, do you understand we never, ever,
ever should be applauding federal action when it comes to speech.
We're all losing. You have to wake up. Shapiro said.
Kimmel quote is a schmuck who should have been taken
off the air of years ago. And this concludes readings
from the Courier Journal for September twenty fifth, twenty twenty five.

(41:23):
Your reader has been Howard Kleiman. Stay tuned for more news.