9.26.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Friday,
September twenty sixth, twenty twenty five, which is brought to
our louivil listeners via Loisville Public Media as a reminder
Radioizer reading service intended for people who are blind or
have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Your reader for today is Mark Webster. This will be
two twenty eight minute.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Segments interrupted by a break. We'll start with the five
day forecast, brought to you by WHS eleven Weather impact.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Today.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
The high will be seventy eight, partly Sunday, less humid,
Tonight low sixty one, but clear Tomorrow. Saturday high eighty one,
low sixty plenty of sun. Sunday high eighty four, low
sixty three, plenty of sun. Monday high eighty three, low
sixty five, warm with some sun. Tuesday high eight, low

(01:00):
sixty four, rather cloudy with a shower. Wednesday high seventy five,
low fifty seven, cloudy and less humid. The recap partly sunny, pleasant,
and less humid today, start of another prolonged period of
dry weather. Clear tonight, plenty of sun Tomorrow, a beautiful

(01:20):
start to the weekend Sunday plenty of sun, Monday warm
with a blend of sun and clouds. As always, I
address the moon phases. The first phase is September twenty nine.
The full moon is October sixth, last phase October thirteenth,
the new phase October twenty one. We'll go to the

(01:43):
front page. There are three articles on the front page.
We'll start with the one across the top. The headlines
could jcps raise taxes to address issues? Raising salaries may
require drastic actions. For months, leaders of Kentucky's largest school
system have floated the idea that they may need to

(02:05):
find ways to increase revenue in order to keep up
with the rising costs of services and offer employees higher salaries,
including potentially seeking a tax increase. Jefferson County Public Schools,
with roughly ninety six thousand students, about seventeen thousand employees
and more than two hundred properties, has a two point

(02:27):
three billion dollar budget. After making one hundred million dollars
in cuts in the twenty twenty five to twenty six budget,
leaders still need to cut at least eighty eight million
dollars from the following year's budget in order to inch
closer to the amount of money JCPS actually receives. In

(02:48):
doing this, the budget will be both balanced and responsible,
Chief financial Officer Eddie Munn said, but it will not
leave room for salary hikes, something Jefferson County Board of
Education members said they are intent on providing in order
to be competitive in a market that's faced a year long,
years long teacher shortage. To increase pay for teachers or

(03:12):
for non certified positions, JCPS would need to either cut
money from other areas or raise revenues by imposing an
increase on property taxes.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Are beginning to collect a utility tax.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
In April, board members approved the creation of a committee
to explore the idea of pursuing additional local support, which
has been meeting every couple.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Of weeks since August.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Committee members have not yet decided whether or not the
district should and this has continued on page eight A
and I can never seem to find it, but I
have seek more funding from the community. If JCPS leaders

(04:07):
choose to follow that path, they will likely face significant pushback,
especially in the wake of a bombshell presentation that showed
JCPS has been overspending. Here's what we know at JCPS
as JCPS continues to discuss the possibility of a tax increase.
How is JCPS currently funded. Kentucky public school districts are

(04:32):
supported through a mix of local, state, and federal funds
along with grants. The biggest chunk of JCPS budget, sixty
two percent, comes from local funds, largely through property tax taxes,
which are projected to bring in nearly seven hundred and
fifty million dollars in the coming year. Every Kentucky district

(04:53):
is required to collect a to collect property taxes, which
are factored into the state's school funding formula, referred to
as Support Education Excellence in Kentucky SEEK SEEK funding based
on the amount of money each district collects, the state
determines how much financial support it provides, with districts in

(05:16):
property poor areas receiving more state support than districts in
areas that are property rich. Jefferson County is properly rich,
so it receives a lower rate of SEEK funding than
property poor districts, meaning is even more reliant on local support.
The district is in a unique position because while it

(05:38):
has a large property tax base to pull from, its
student population is also considerably is also considered high needs
with high rates of poverty, homelessness, non English speaking learners,
and special needs. Another example of a property rich district
is Anchorage, where far fewer students come from impoverished households,

(06:01):
are learning to speak English as a second language, or
have other special education needs. How can JCPS increase property
taxes every year? School boards can improve an increased tax rate,
but not one that will generate more than a four percent.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Increase in revenue.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
To go beyond four percent, JCPS would likely have to
put the increase on a ballot and get it approved
by local voters. Within fifty days of approving such a hike,
Opponents can gather five thousand signatures to require a voting referendum.
In twenty twenty three, JCPS board members floated the idea.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Of pursuing a property tax increase.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
Of about eight percent, but voted against it, with members
believing the district had enough money or that it was
too soon to ask for another increase following.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
A twenty twenty hike.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Quote, I think that we're in a healthy place and
that the increase at this time is not necessarily unquote,
former board member Sarah Cole McIntosh said at the time.
Had the board initiated the process of succeeding in that increase,
it would have raised the annual taxes on a two
hundred thousand dollars home by about seventy five dollars. Another

(07:19):
avenue available to JCPS is to begin collecting a utility tax,
like many other Kentucky districts do. JCPS is one of
just fourteen Kentucky districts that did not collect a utility
tax in the twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five
school year. The tax applies to electricity, natural gas, water
and sewer services, as well as cable, direct broadcast, satellite,

(07:43):
and wireless cable services. Each of the districts collecting the
tax have set the rate at three percent, aside from
Lewis County, which set the rate at two point five percent.
At the same time, JCPS was one of only eight
districts that did collect an occupational tax at the rate
at the rate ofero point seventy five percent, which is

(08:06):
projected to bring JCPS more than two hundred and twelve
million dollars in the next year. Only six districts collect
both of these taxes, including Fayette County Public Schools. Which
is Kentucky's second largest system with just over forty thousand students.
The Lexington District projects received twenty four point five million

(08:27):
dollars through the utility tax and another seventy three million
dollars through the occupational tax in the next year. If
JCPS board members pursue the additional tax, utility and cable
services providers would collect the tax from customers, and the
rate cannot go above three percent of what it costs

(08:48):
to provide the utility. This tax would not need to
be approved by voters. Last, why does JCPS want to
increase teacher salaries? As a state, Kentucky ranks forty second
for teacher pay, with an average salary of fifty eight
three hundred dollars according to the National Education Association. The

(09:09):
average salary for JCPS teachers, though, is far higher. JCPS teachers,
on average, are paid seventy four thousand, five hundred and
seventy seven dollars, the second highest rate of all districts
in the state and significantly higher than neighboring districts in
Bullet and Odham Counties. According to a September twenty two
presentation from the district's Human Resources department. That salary does

(09:34):
not reflect, however, the significant amount of money that is
pulled from each teacher's check for retirement and benefits. A
JCPS teacher with eleven years of experience and a master's
degree would bring home four thousand dollars a month, according
to a presentation the same day from jeffern County Teachers
Association President Mattie Sheppard. Additionally, JCPS continues to struggle to

(09:59):
fill position and is projected to save six hundred sixty
million dollars in the upcoming year on unused salary allocations.
That's the end ofne article. We'll go back to page
one and will pick up the second article, which is.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
Down the right hand side.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
Mass firings planned if government shuts down Democrats seek to
reverse Medicaid cuts. There's a picture of Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, who called the Trump
administration threats of mass layoffs in the event of a
government shutdown and quote an attempt at a intimidation.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Close the quote. Here's the article.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
The White House is asking federal agencies to prepare plans
for mass firings if the government partially shuts down next week,
the latest clash in the high stakes confrontation between President
Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats. Federal workers have traditionally been
paid after temporary furloughs while Congress resolves funding disputes. But

(11:03):
with no solution in sight and a partial shutdown looming
October one, the Office of Management and Budgement outline this
harsher approach.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
Quote programs that did not.

Speaker 1 (11:15):
Benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the
brunt of a shutdown.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Close the quote.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
The memo said, I've got to go to page ten.
House Republicans approved legislation September nineteenth that aim to extend
current funding until November twenty one. The goal was to
give lawmakers more time to approve funding for the full

(11:44):
physical year, but Senate Democrats have blocked approval of the
bill in the Chamber, where a sixty vote majority is
needed to overcome a filibuster, Republicans hold a fifty three
to forty seven majority in the chamber. Democrats seek to
reverse looming cuts to Medicaid and lapsing Affordable Care Act

(12:06):
subsidies that Republicans say would add one trillion dollars to
spending over a decade. Any additional layoffs would come on
top of roughly three hundred thousand federal workers leaving their
jobs already this year. Out of the two point four
million member workforce, about one hundred and fifty four thousand

(12:27):
workers accepted a buy out and are slated to leave
the government payroll. September thirty and others were laid off
when Trump dismantled federal agencies as part of the Department
of Government efficiency initiative. The congressional Democratic leaders Chuck Senator
Chuck Schumer and Representative Jakeem Jeffries, both of New York,

(12:49):
sought last week to meet with Trump, but he declined
September twenty three, calling their demands unrealistic. Quote this is
an attempt at intimidation. Unquote, Schumer said in a statement.
Quote Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one,
not to govern, but to scare close the quote. Jeffreys
told Virginians who are voting for a governor in November

(13:14):
in a state where many federal workers live, to remember what.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
Trump is doing.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
Quote Donald Trump and MAGA extremists are plotting mass firings
of federal workers starting October one.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
Close the quote.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
Jeffrey said in a social media post September twenty four
quote their goal is to ruin your life and punish
hard working families already struggling with Trump tariffs and inflation.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Close the quote.

Speaker 1 (13:38):
The omb membo MIMO characterized the Democratic demands as quote
insane unquote end quote partisan unquote quote. As such, it
has never been more important for the administration to be
prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue
one unquote, the memo said, quote Programs that did not
benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the

(14:02):
brunt of a shutdown, and we must continue our planning
efforts in the event Democrats decide to shut down the government.
Close the quote. That's the end of the article. Page
ten has another photograph capital picture of the Capitol Building
with this caption no solutions in sight for the impasse

(14:23):
on spending as a partial government shutdown loomed October one.

Speaker 2 (14:28):
By the way, that's next Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
The third article on page one with a large photo
is Metro Council considers microchip requirement.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
The photo shows two veterinarians handling a dog.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
The caption says Louisville Metro Animal Service staff implant a
microchip in a dog named Vesba on September twenty three.
Metro Council is considering a proposal that would require cats
and dogs across Louisville be microchipped.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Here's the article.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Louisville Metro Council members are championing a proposal that would
require cat and dog owners across Jefferson County to microchip
their pets. Council members Donna Purvis and Andrew Owen, co
sponsors of the ordinance, announced the proposal in a news
release September nine. The ordinance has been assigned to Metro

(15:27):
Council's Public Safety Committee, which tabled at September seventeenth to
give council members.

Speaker 2 (15:33):
Time to work out wrinkles.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
If passed, the current version of the ordinance would require
all dogs and cats over the age of three months
to be microchipped. If a pet, and this has continued
on page four. If a pet owner moves or gets
a new phone number, they would have to update the

(15:55):
Michael chip within thirty days, and if a pet is
transferred to a new one owner, both the old and
new owners would be responsible for ensuring the pets michaelchip
is reprogrammed. Pet Owners deemed in violation of the law
would be subject to a fine of up to five
hundred dollars. According to the proposal, Louisville Animal control officers

(16:17):
would check for compliance when responding to calls for help,
and those found in violation could be issued a citation.
Quote if one of our officers responds to a complaint,
or responds to a stray dog, or responds to whatever,
they will check to see if that dog is micaelchip unquote,
Louisville Metro Animal Services Director Andy McClinton said.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
If they're not, then the owner would be issued a
citation and then they would have X amount of days
to comply with getting the pet micaelchip close the quote.
Owen said the proposal has been in the works for
over a year and he has worked along side stakeholders
in the animal care and advocacy community to shape it.

(17:05):
LMAs officials said the legislation would expedite the process of
returning lost pets to their owners and free up shelter
space for other animals.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
A lot of times when pets come in without identifiers
like micical chips or collars with tags, they sit here
for a long time unquote, said Stephanie Jackson, public information
officer for LMAs.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (17:30):
Pets belong with their families, so the goal to having
identifiers on these pets is to reunite them with their
families as soon as possible, close the quote. Over the
past six years, LMAs has returned about thirty five percent
of pets it takes in to their owners on average.
McClinton said he believes the rate could jump to above

(17:52):
fifty percent if the ordnance passes a huge impact for
an agency that took in a combined eight thousand and
seven forty nine cats.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
And dogs in twenty twenty four.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
Owen noted other cities that have complimented microchip requirements have
seen an improvement in return to owner rates, reductions and
shelter intake, and a drop in euthanasia rates. LMAs euthanized
seven hundred and thirty three pets, five hundred.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
And two dogs, and two hundred and thirty one.

Speaker 1 (18:23):
Cats in twenty twenty four, according to the data provided
by LMAs. Quote, if you love animals, you should be
for this ordinance, unquote, Owen said, quote, but also if
you're concerned about stray dogs and cats running around your.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
Neighborhood, you should also be in support of this ordinance.
Close the quote.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
Owen said some concerns arose when the Public Safety Committee
discussed the proposal at its September seventeen meeting. First, he said,
some council members are generally put off by the restrictive
nature of a mandate. The proposed ordinance currently applies even
to pets that stay indoors. The second concern, Owen said

(19:10):
is around equity and access issues for pet owners related
to the cost of microchipping. LMAs charges twenty five dollars
for a microchip implant, but some private animal care providers
may charge up to thirty five dollars. According to a
news release announcing the proposal, quote, some people don't have

(19:30):
access to care and don't have the additional money to
pay for it, Owen said, continuing, quote, so those are
the two things we're going to be having conversations about
over the next couple of weeks unquote. Owen in purpose
proposal would also establish a lifetime animal license for pet
owners who comply with the ordinance, rather than paying a

(19:52):
recurring licensing fee. Pets that are microchip, spade or neutered
and vaccinated for rabies would be eligible to be permanently
licensed for a one time dollar twenty five dollars fee.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
The twenty five dollars fee for a lifetime license, we
hope is an incentive not only to microchip, but to
spay a newter. Unquote, McClinton said, continuing quote, that's a
pretty good.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
Incentive for people to comply. Close the quote. And that's
the end of that article.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
And that's the end of all the articles on page one.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
We'll move to page two.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
We've already read the weather, and from this point on
every article will be shortened. The only remaining article on
page two is Faucia Pha l Ccha Coffee to open
second location in Louisville just in time for fall and
the instagrammable coffee drinks that pair with the season. One
of Louisville's most popular coffee shops is opening a new location.

(20:55):
Thatt Your Coffee than a poly owned coffee destination at
one zero zero one Mary Street in Germantown is expected
to unveil its second shop in Saint Matthew's with a
grand opening on Saturday, September twenty seven. Also, a Foucher

(21:18):
Coffee is expected to open thirty nine hundred shelbyvill Road
on Saturday, next to the second location of lemon Isau,
which opened earlier in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
All right, I'll stop there.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
On page three, there are four articles. I won't get
to read all of them, so I'll cut them short.
Video nine one one calls seek to improve responses. Emergency
services have tested the technology. Louisville Metro Emergency Services has
launched a new tool that will let nine to eleven
callers communicate with call takers through video, city officials announced

(21:54):
during a news conference September twenty four. Officials touted the
new features one one that would improve the safety of
both nine one one callers and emergency responders. I'll stop there.
The next article. LMPD search for a man accused of
assaulting a girl. Louisville Metro Police is asking for the

(22:15):
public's help and identifying a man accused of assaulting a
girl under the Crescent Hill neighborhood. According to Facebook posts
from the department, investigators believe the girl was assaulted near
McCready and Richard Avenues around three pm September eighteen, while
she was waiting to be picked up by a nearby
private school. A man allegedly approached and inappropriately touched her

(22:39):
before running away. Officials said LMPD is continuing to investigate.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the anonymous tip
line at five oh two five seven four, five six
seven three or five oh two five seven four LMPD,
or use the online crime tip portal. The next article,

(23:02):
local music festivals draw record crowds. This is a rather
large article, and I'll be cutting it off pretty reading
no more than a third of it. There's a photograph
of the Avenged sevenfold headline the second day of Louder
in Life Music Festival. Last weekend, local music festivals draw

(23:23):
record crowds four hundred and fifty thousand plus at Bourbon
and Beyond Louder Than Life Bourbon and Beyond and Louder
Than Life brought a record breaking four hundred and fifty
thousand plus fans to the Kentucky Exposition Center for eight
days of live music in Louisville. Nearly three hundred artists
performed over the two weekends, including Bourbon and Beyond headliners

(23:46):
The Luminiers, Alabama Shaks, Pat Benattar and Neil Neir, Girardo Kurrang,
Ben Fish, Jack White, Sturgil, Johnny Blue Sky's, Simpson Bluss,
Blues Traveler, Noah Kahan, and Louder Than Life, Headliners, Slayer,
rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold, Sleep Token Breaking, Benjamin

(24:14):
Death Tones, and Bring Me the Horizon New this year.
Fans also had access to Kentucky Kingdom and buildings at
the Kentucky Exposition Center. Louisville Tourism estimates that Bourbon and
Beyond and Louder Than Life generated nearly forty three million
dollars in local economic impact in twenty twenty five. The

(24:36):
back to back festivals also drove some of the highest
hotel demand of the year, with overall occupancy reaching more
than eighty percent citywide. According to a news release, I'll
stop there the next and remaining article on page three.
Three arrested facing charges in connection to twenty twenty three death.

(25:00):
Three men are facing charges in connection to the twenty
twenty three death of Montey Robinson near the Pleasure Ridge
Park neighborhood. According to a news release from Louisville Metro Police,
Alex Hansard, aged twenty eight, and Deonte Howard, aged twenty nine,
were arrested September twenty three in charge with murder, tampering

(25:20):
with physical evidence, and receiving stolen property in an amount
between one thousand and ten thousand dollars. According to court records.
Both Hansard and Howard's cash bonds were set at one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It is unclear when either
will appear in court, police said. Malik Johnson, twenty six,
was also arrested September twelfth in connection to the death.

(25:44):
Court records indicate he is facing the same charges, and
his cash bond was set at one hundred.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
And fifty thousand dollars.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
According to a news release, LMPD responded to a report
of a shooting in the sixty seven hundred block of
Leverett Lane around four pm January thirty one, twenty twenty three.
When officers arrived, they found a man later identified as
Monte Robinson suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency services took
Robinson to the U of L. Hospital. Spokesperson Aaron Ellis said,

(26:15):
according to previous Courage Journal reporting, he was pronounced dead
February two, Johnson pleaded not guilty September eighteenth. He's next
scheduled to appear in court November six for a pre
trial conference. Spokesperson Matt Sanders said, LMPD beliefs all individuals
involved have been apprehended. That's all for Page three will

(26:38):
now go to page four. Courage Journal wins Legal Award
for child advocacy. The Kentucky Justice Association honored Courage Journal
reporter Stephanie Cousdom with its Consumer Guess Cusidom with its
Consumer Safety Award on September nineteen. The association includes more

(27:00):
than one thousand attorneys throughout the commonwealth. KJA recognized Guzindem
reporting on the lack of protections for Kentucky's kids, especially athletes,
from two projects with the newspaper, the first released in
April of twenty twenty three, in the second in December
of twenty twenty four. The first project, Safer Sidelines, investigated

(27:22):
the lack of healthcare on high school sidelines in situations
that mirror that of Buffalo Bill's safety Damar Hamlin, who
collapsed to national television in January twenty twenty three from
sudden cardiac arrest. The second project silence and secrets exposed
the prevalence of child sexual misconduct by Kentucky middle and

(27:43):
high school coaches. All right, that's going to end this
first twenty eight minute segment. Stay tuned for the second
segment immediately. Your reader has been Mark Webster, and we've
been reading from the Courry Journal for Friday September twenty six,
twenty twenty five. Now to continue the second part, reading

(28:07):
from the Curry Journal for Friday September twenty sixth, twenty
twenty eight. Your reader is still Mark Webster. We'll start
with the obituaries. We read only the name, age, and
location of death. If you would like further information on
any of these obituaries, please call us during the weekdays
at eight five nine four to two to two six

(28:28):
three nine zero and we'll be.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
Glad to read the entire obituary for you.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
If I don't forget, I'll repeat that number at the
end of this dictation. There are only four obituaries listed.
Claude Emmerick, the third, died on September twenty, twenty twenty
five from a fourteen year battle with Parkinson's. It does

(28:55):
not give his age, but I'm going to guess He
was roughly seventy seven, a graduate of Saint x and
at Georgia Tech. He was an architect here in town.
The second one is Bobby J. Raybert, aged ninety, of Louisville,
passed away on Tuesday, September twenty three, twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
At Baptist Health in Louisville.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
Third is Patricia Jen Pfeiffer mcaver McIver age sixty five,
passed away on September twenty four to twenty five. Then
last Barbara and Rue Real Rioux OP. That's a Dominican Order,
Dominican Sister of Peace.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
Barbara and Rue or Rue.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
Passed away on September nineteen, twenty twenty five. All right,
that takes care of the obituaries. We'll go back to
where we were. We'll try to make our way through
the first section. There are three sections. On Friday, we
probably won't make it to the third section. Will try
to get into sports in the second section if we

(30:03):
have time. We last were talking about Current Journal awards,
and that was.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
On page four. We finished page four.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
The next articles are on page seven, and as a reminder,
all the articles from this point on will be shortened
Harris's book tour event disrupted by protesters. Kamala Harris's first
event in her multi city book tour last was disrupted
by several pro Palestinian protesters September twenty four, prompting the

(30:35):
former Vice president to suggest her early position on the
Israel Hamas Award war was not in lockstep with former
President Joe Biden's administration. Quote people in our administration can
tell you what my voice was in those rooms, in
those closed rooms in the Oval Office unquote, Harris said
to the packed venue in New York City.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
Quote I was not president.

Speaker 1 (30:59):
I could make the decisions, but I made my position
clear unquote. The event was the first stop in Harris's
book tour to promote her new memoir quote one hundred
and seven days unquote, chronicling her run for president in
twenty twenty four.

Speaker 2 (31:16):
At least three.

Speaker 1 (31:17):
Protesters interrupted Harris during the first of two on stage
interview events September twenty five at Town Hall in Manhattan,
one screaming she has quote blood on her hands unquote
over the Israel Amas war. The demonstrators were booed loudly
by a crowd of nearly fifteen hundred and escorted out
of the building by security. A group of more than

(31:39):
a dozen also congregated outside the venue, drawing an increased
law enforcement presence. Israel's war with Amas in the Gaza Strip,
a central tension point within the Democratic Party since the
war began with Amas's deadly October seven to twenty twenty
three attack, continues to believe her Harris, more than ten
months after she lost the election to Republican Donald Trump.

(32:02):
After several interruptions, Harris began to address one of the
protesters directly. Quote I understand your concerns and how you feel. Unquote,
she said, quote I think I do. I think I do,
and the reality of it is where we are right
now didn't have to be this way in terms of
a blank check that this President Trump has given an unquote.

(32:23):
Amid one interruption, Harris told the crowd, quote, I'm not
president right now. There's nothing I can do unquote. Harris
also spoke of the speech she gave on the Edmund
Pettis Bridge in some, Alabama on March three, twenty twenty four,
in which she condemned the developing humanitarian crisis in the
Gaza Strip. She called for an immediate temporary cease fire

(32:44):
for the first time in that address after months of
pressure from activists and Democrats who wanted the administration to
do more to end the war. Harris's attempts to distance
herself from the Biden administration on the Israel Amas War
echoes the candid tone that early reviewers say dominates her memoir.

(33:07):
In one chapter, the former Democratic nominee rebukes Biden's team
for the way she was treated as vice president both
before and after Biden dropped out of.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
The twenty twenty four campaign.

Speaker 1 (33:18):
She writes Biden's staff added quote fuel to negative narratives
that sprang up unquote around her, and said she had
to prove her loyalty quote time and time again.

Speaker 2 (33:30):
Close the quote.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
Though Harris wrote several times about tension between her and administration,
she also came to Biden's defense, pushing back against allegations
involving his mental fitness and heaping compliments on the former
president's job performance.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
The next article.

Speaker 1 (33:47):
Sarcozzi's sentenced for campaign conspiracy. Former French president Nicholas Sarcozzi
was sentenced to five years in jail on September twenty
five for criminal conspiracy over an attempts to raise campaign
funds from Libya and will soon become the first former
president of France to serve time in prison. The sentence

(34:09):
was harsher than many expected, and Sarcozi, who was present
from two thousand and seven to twenty twelve, will spend
time in jail even if he appeals the ruling, which
he said he would do. As he exited the court room,
Sarcoz expressed his anger at what he said was a
quote scandalous unquote ruling. Quote. What happened today is of

(34:30):
extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law and
for the trust one can have in the justice system unquote,
he told the reporters. Quote, if they absolutely want me
to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but
with my head held high, unquote, he said, adding that
he was innocent.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (34:47):
I would not apologize for something I didn't do. Sarcozi
was found guilty of criminal conspiracy over efforts by those
age to procure funds for his two thousand and seven
presidential bid from Libert during the rule of the late
dictator Moamar Kadaffi. He was acquitted by the Paris court
of all other charges, including corruption and receiving illegal campaign financing.

(35:13):
All right, I'll stop there, and then above that is
a long article. Israel deepens Gaza City offensive. There's a
picture full of tenths by the seaside. Palestinians displaced by
the Israeli military offensive takes shelter in a tent campaign
a tent camp in Zoweta in the central Gaza Strip.
On September twenty five, Israeli forces advanced deeper into Gaza

(35:38):
City Gaza Strip on September twenty five, as Prime Minister
Benjamin natanyahuo headed to New York to address the United
Nations General Assembly with President Donald Trump, pursuing a deal
to end the Gods of war. Israeli strikes killed at
least nineteen people across the Palestinian enclave on September twenty five.
Local health authorities said they included eleven people from two

(36:01):
families in Zawada or Zeweita town in the central Gaza Strip,
where planes hit a residential building. Israel's military did not
comment on the incident, but said it had struck one
hundred and seventy targets across Gaza in the past twenty
four hours and attacked quote terra infrastructure unquote used by

(36:21):
militant groups to attack soldiers. Its forces were deep in
Gaza City. It said tanks have entered Gaza City as
part of an offensive that Israel says is intended to
eliminate Hamas following its deadly attack on Israel in October
twenty twenty three, but which has caused extensive destruction, a
humanitarian catastrophe, and widespread hunger. Dat Yahoo said Gaza City

(36:47):
is the Palestinian militant groups last bastion, but hundreds of
thousands of Savilians remained there fearing there is nowhere.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
Safe for them to go.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
US Envoy Steve Whitkoff said September twenty four that Washington
was confident of securing breakthrough on Gazen in coming. Days
after Trump shared a twenty one point Middle East peace
plan with leaders of Muslim majority countries in New York,
Trump also promised Arab leaders he would not allow Israel

(37:19):
to annex the Israeli occupied West Bank. Political reported Palestinians
want the West Bank for an independent Palestinian state.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
With Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
Nat Yahoo has declared there will never be a Palestinian state.
Although Britain, France, Canada and other nations this week formally
recognized Palestinian statehood, some of Natan Yahoo's coalitional allies want
Israel to annex the West Bank. Israel has become diplomatically
isolated over its military siege of Gaza, with European nations

(37:54):
and other increasingly critical of its conduct. About twelve hundred
people were killed and two hundred and fifty one were
taken hostage in the AMAS led attack on Israel. About
forty eight hostages remain in captivity, with twenty of them
believed to be alive. I think I'll stop right there

(38:14):
and I'll go on to the next page.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
We've already read everything.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
On page eight, page nine two articles Lawmakers seek answers
from major firms over H one B visa use amid layoffs.
There's a photograph of two senators. Senator Chuck Grassley of
Iowa and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois have asked ten
major employers for information on the H one B workers

(38:40):
they employ and whether the American workers have been displaced
in the process. Here's part of the article, Lawmakers ask
major US companies including Apple, Amazon, and JP Morgan on
September twenty five to explain why they are hiring thousands
of foreign workers on H one B visas while cutting

(39:00):
other jobs. The letter comes after the Trump administration announced
last week that it would ask companies to pay one
hundred thousand dollars per year for H one B visas
which show businesses which allow businesses to employ foreign workers
in specialty occupations. The United Nations has also released excuse Me.

(39:21):
The United States has also released a proposal that would
rework the H one B visa selection process to favor
higher skilled and better paid workers. Senator Chuck Grasley, Republican
of Iowa and Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois asked
ten major employers for detailed information on the number of
H one B workers they employed, the wages they are paid,

(39:44):
and whether American workers have been displaced in the process.
Big tech companies, including Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, which are
investing heavily in AI, have all announced job cuts this year.
Delawitt del Watt, I can't pronounce it. It's the accounting

(40:05):
firm Alphabets, Google's Meta, Microsoft, Walmart, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and
Tata Consultancy Services also received the letter. India was the
largest beneficiary of H one B visas last year, accounting
for seventy one percent of approved beneficiaries, while China was

(40:26):
a distant second at eleven point seven percent. According to
government data, in the first half of twenty twenty five,
Walmart excuse me, twenty twenty five, Amazon and its cloud
computing unit AWS received approval for more than twelve thousand,
h one B visas, while Microsoft and Meta had more
than five thousand h one B visa approvals each. Walmart, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft,

(40:51):
and Cognizant did not immediately respond to a Reuter's request
for comment. Then the last article on this page Marshall's
declared Travis Deka dead DNA confirmation pending. There's a photograph
of the Decker sisters, Evelyn A j Olivia five, and Peyton,
aged nine. They were found dead near Rock Island campground

(41:12):
in Washington State on June two, three days after they
were reported missing by their mother after failing to return
from a planned visitation with their father.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
Travis Decker.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
By the way, Travis Decker is also a photograph to
a separate photo. Here's the article Federal officials have declared
Travis Decker dead months after he was charged with murder
in the deaths of his three daughters in Washington State.
While authorities awaited the results of DNA testing to confirm
the identity of human remains found September eighteen, the US

(41:46):
Marshal Services declared Decker dead in papers written to a
federal judge. According to court documents obtained by USA Today,
prosecutors asked the judge to drop the arrest warrant. Local
officials found the remains in a remote wooden in central Washington,
near where the girls' bodies were found this summer. Decker

(42:06):
vanished after the kidnapping and death of his children, Peyton
aged nine, evelyn A j Olivia five, according to the
Wenatchee Police Department. A former US Army member with extensive
military training, Decker was thirty two when he disappeared. He
had been wanted on charges of first degree murder in

(42:26):
kidnapping in connection with the suffocation deaths of the girls.
The children's mother, Whitney Decker, reported the children missing May thirty.
Police said after the siblings left their home in Wahatchee
in Chalin County, about one hundred and fifty miles east
of Seattle for a planned visit with her father. Washington

(42:47):
State Patrol issued a statewide alert for the girls on
May thirty one. Following a search, a challan che La
n Chalin County Sheriff's Office deputy found their father's white
twenty seventeen gmccer truck near Rock Island Campground, about forty
miles northwest of Winatchi. Police said no one was inside.

(43:10):
On June two, officers found the bodies of the three
missing girls about seventy five tow one hundred yards passed
the truck down a small embankment. According to a probable
cause affidated obtained by USA Today, a motive in the
killings remained under investigation, but police said the girl's father

(43:30):
exhibited mental health issues prior to the girl's death, per
court filings obtained.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
By USA Today. We'll cut that tragic story short. Right there.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
On page eleven, there are three articles. The first one
extremely disturbing measles outbreak surpassed one thousand, five hundred cases.
There's a photograph of a measle testing site.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
Here's the article.

Speaker 1 (43:58):
Measles in fact in the United States have reached a
new high since the disease was declared eradicated in two thousand,
surpassing fifteen hundred cases. On September twenty four, with outbreaks
growing in parts of Utah and Arizona, public.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
Health officials said a.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
Total of one thousand, five hundred fourteen measle cases have
been confirmed in the United States as of September twenty four,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though
the majority of cases are linked to a large outbreak
that originated in West Texas, other outbreaks and cases have
arisen from community transmission or during travel in other states

(44:42):
in recent months. Cases in parts of Utah and Arizona
have steadily increased. As of September twenty four, the Utah
Department of Health and Human Services confirmed forty two cases,
with most infections concentrated in southwest Utah near the Arizona
state line, while the Arizona Department of Health Services has

(45:02):
recorded fifty two measle cases as of September twenty three.
Of those cases, forty eight were reported in Mohave County,
a rural area in northern Arizona where the outbreak is centered.
Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that was declared eliminated

(45:23):
in the United States in two thousand, meaning there was
no spread and new cases were contracted only from abroad.
But a decline in vaccination rates with more parents exhibiting
their children from receiving mandated vaccinations, has led to a
growing number of states no longer reporting rates consistent with

(45:44):
herd immunity and the infections returning. The measles outbreak in
Arizona began in and around the town of Colorado City
in Mohave County, according to the Arizona Republic, part of
the USA Today Network is notably known for its connection
with Mormon fundamentalism and polygamy, along with the neighboring city.

Speaker 2 (46:06):
Of Hilldale, Utah.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
Last week, the Arizona Republic reported that the outbreak had
more than quadrupled in less than a month before the outbreak.
This year, state records showed that Arizona did not have
more than forty six measle cases in a year since
nineteen ninety one, according to the newspaper. Complications from measles

(46:30):
include ear infections, hearing loss, pneumonia, croup, diarrhea, blindness, swelling
of the brain. The CDC has said even in healthy children.
Measles can cause serious illness and death. The CDC estimates
that about one in five unvaccinated people in the United
States who get measles will need hospitalization. Health experts have

(46:52):
underscored that the best protection against the disease is the vaccine,
either given a loan or as part of a measles
mumps bella shot in a measles mumps, rubella, vericella faccine.

Speaker 2 (47:04):
I'll cut the article off there. Two more articles on
this page.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
Disney Plus Hulu announced subscription price hikes. Some Jimmy Kimmel
fans who opened Hulu to watch the late night host
returned to TV, where coincidentally met with a notice that
their subscription costs will soon be increasing. Disney notified Disney
Plus and Hulu subscribers September twenty three that prices of

(47:30):
many of their plans are going up in October. According
to updated rates listed on their website. Most standalone subscription
plans for the two Disney owned streaming services will increase
in price, while select bundle plans for both Disney Plus and.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
Hulu will also be affected.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
I'm going to cut off the article right there. The
only remaining article now in the first section, FDA review
prompts some to stockpile quote abortion pill unquote, and there's
a photograph of misoprostol alongside mepha pristone, also known as
the abortion pill.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
Here's part of the article. Health and Human Services Secretary
Robert P.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
Kennedy has launched a Food and Drug Administration review of
mepha pristone. I'm mispronouncing it probably a pill used in
nearly two thirds of abortion across the United States. In
a letter to twenty two Republican Attorneys generals who requested
the review, according to CNN and ABC News, Kennedy and

(48:35):
FDA Commissioner Marty McCarry said the agency would conduct quote
its own review of the evidence, including real world outcome
and evidence relating to the safety and efficacy of the drug.

Speaker 2 (48:49):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
One study the ags Kennedy and McCary cited was conducted
by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think
tank whose president formerly worked at the Heritage Foundation, which
published the Project twenty twenty five policy blueprint for the
Trump administration. The study was not peer reviewed or published
in a scientific journal.

Speaker 2 (49:11):
It reported that almost eleven.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
Percent of patients experiencing a quote serious adverse effect quote
due to pristone, which is much higher than the zero
point five percent rate found in clinical studies and listed
by the FDA on the medication label. Lawmakers have already
made various attempts to block the distribution of abortion pills

(49:34):
since Roe versus Weight was overturned in twenty twenty two.
Whioming became the first state to outlaw abortion pills in
March twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
Three, though a state judge blocked the law in November
twenty twenty four.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
Louisiana has reduced access to some abortion medications by classifying MIFA, pristone,
and misoprostol as controlled substances.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
I will stop reading the article there.

Speaker 1 (50:01):
We have just a few more minutes going into the
second section. There are a number of articles that I
won't try to read the big There are three articles
on the front page of the sports section, actually four articles,
but most of it concerns the high school rivalry between
Senex and Trinity.

Speaker 2 (50:22):
The game being played tonight.

Speaker 1 (50:26):
The one function is Trendy's dual threat quarterback Tremble, who
will be spotlighted and likewise, Trinity has a three headed
monster at running back.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
They have three very good runners. Looks like it'll be
a good game.

Speaker 1 (50:41):
Another article, UK aims to snap losing skid versus South
Carolina in college football. This article points out between nineteen
thirty seven and nineteen ninety nine, Kentucky football in South
Carolina played just eleven times and Kentucky led that series
six four and one. But starting in two thousand and
the game Cock swung the rivalry decidedly in their favor,

(51:03):
going on a ten game win streak. After Mark Stoops
arrived in Lexington the head of the twenty thirteen season,
the Wildcats began to claw back. UK won five street
from twenty fourteen through twenty eighteen, and posted a seven
to one mark in an eight year span twenty fourteen
to twenty twenty one. Entering the latest edition of the series, however,

(51:27):
USC has all the momentum, capturing the past three meetings
each more dismal than the year before.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
For UK.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
In twenty twenty two a home set back with Kentucky
State quarterback Will Levis sideline by a foot injury. In
twenty twenty three, UK's offense had multiple opportunities in the
final minutes to push ahead, but didn't those peld in
comparison to last season. Though a dominant wire to wire

(51:55):
victory by USC at Kroger Field rolling to a thirty
one sixth victory and arguably the worst loss of the
Stoops era. It goes without saying this game is a
must win for Kentucky. The remaining article on the front
page is U of L can take advantage of wide
open ACC.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
This is by C. Brown.

Speaker 1 (52:16):
Okay, I'll admit it. I was wrong about Clemson football
in the preseason.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
A lot of voters were.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
As the Tigers collected one hundred and sixty seven of
one hundred and eighty first place votes in the ACC
preseason media poll. They were supposed to be the runaway
favorites in the league, but the Louisville. But as Louisville
plays an ACC opener.

Speaker 2 (52:37):
Pit on Saturday, the league is wide open.

Speaker 1 (52:40):
The Cardinals might be favored in the next of their
games this season, with the exception of Miami. That wasn't
thought entering this season, as games against the Tigers at
home and road trips to pitt SMU and Virginia Tech
look especially challenging. Now it looks like a lot of
smooth sailing Clemson and su the league's representatives in the

(53:02):
College Football Playoff last season, are nowhere near looking capable
of returning. Miami appears to be a step ahead of
the rest in this league, and Florida State, which secured
one of the league's marquee non conference wins in the
opener against Alabama, is right behind them them. There's referring

(53:24):
to Miami, who has been a dominant team since joining
the ACC in two thousand and four.

Speaker 2 (53:31):
I'll stop right there.

Speaker 1 (53:33):
We'll go into the section to see where can find
other articles. On page three, there's a lengthy article ACC
opener at pitt will reveal U of L's potential for
as good as Louwill football's undefeated record is, the three
wins tell little about who the Cardinals will be this season.
Coach Jeff Brohm admitted as much, noting the level of

(53:57):
competition his team has faced in the first month of
the season pales in comparison to what's ahead. Louisville has
yet to play a Power four conference team, with its
strength of scheduled ranking one hundred and twenty six among
FBS programs, last among ACC schools. Its remaining strength of

(54:17):
schedule ranks fifty fourth nationally, sixth in the ACC. The
conference also has four unbeaten teams, Miami, Georgia Tech, Louisville,
and in Florida State. Louisville is the only one outside
of the USLBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top twenty
five rankings. The cards perfect record will be put to
the test at Pitt at noon on Saturday, which is tomorrow.

(54:42):
I'll cut that short. I'll keep going in to the
sports section. On page four, they list a number of games.
There are eight sports writers that review these games. For example,
Louisvill versus pit All eight pick Louisville, Kentucky at Southern
Kentucky at South Carolina. Seven for South Carolina, one for Kentucky,

(55:07):
Western Kentucky at Missouri State. All eight for Western Kentucky,
LSU at number four, l s U at number eleven,
Ole Miss five, pick LSU three, Ole Miss number five,
Oregon at number two Penn State, which is going to
be seven thirty seven Saturday night on NBC. Five go

(55:28):
for Penn State and three for Oregon. And those are
the picks there. In high school football, there's likewise fern
Creek versus Atherton All there are four writers here. For
all four pick Atherton, Boyll County versus Ballard, all four
pick Boyle County. Bullet Central versus More, All four pick

(55:50):
More Bullet East versus Manual. All four pick Manual, Butler
versus Kentucky Country Day. All four pick Kentucky Country Day.
Santax versus two three for Trinity, one for Saint X.
Coveting Catholic at Central all four Coventing Catholic Bowling Green
at Christian Academy all four pick Christian Academy. Collins at

(56:12):
Scott County. All four pick Scott County. Bishop Brosar at
d Cells three pick the Cells, and one picks Bishop
Brosar North Odham at Dass at North Oldham.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
All four pick North Odum.

Speaker 1 (56:26):
Do Boys at Washington County three excuse me two pick
Washington County two du Boys Eastern at Wayne County. All
four pick Wayne County. Faradel at j Town All four
pick j Town. Iroquois at Morgan County all four pick
Morgan County, pleasuredge Park at Mail all four pick Mail,
North Bullet at Henry Clay one pick Henry Clay one

(56:51):
has no pick in two pick North Bullet North Hardon
at Odham County. Three pick North Hardam one Odham County,
Seneca at Western three picks Seneca, one picks Western, Danville
at Shawnee, all four pick Danville. Shelby County at Grant County,
all four pick Grant County. Scott excuse me, South Otam
at Anderson County. All four picks South Odum, Western Hills

(57:14):
at Spencer County. All four pick Spencer County. Valley at
Breckinridge County three pick Valley. One picks Brekeridge County, and
then Wagner at Fort Knox, two pick Fort Knox, and.

Speaker 2 (57:24):
Two pick Wagner.

Speaker 1 (57:25):
Now you have more about high school football than you
wanted to know, But this concludes. Excerpts from the Curry
Journal for Friday, August Friday, September of the twenty sixth.
Your hurried reader has been Mark Webster. Don't forget that
number for the obituaries eight five nine four two two
six three nine zero. Please stay tuned for continuing programming

(57:47):
on radio. I have a good Friday, a good weekend,
and a good week