Addiction Recovery Care has agreed to a settlement with the Department of Justice to the tune of nearly $28 million for alleged Medicaid fraud, according to a NY lawsuit filed Jan. 12. A Bahamian trust says ARC owes them $8M. @aacquisto.bsky.social www.kentucky.com/news/state/a...

Reporter Alex Acquisto will spend the next year on a statewide investigative project that will have wide ramifications for Kentuckians.

The one person who can single-handedly initiate removal proceedings is Gov. Andy Beshear. Yet, despite pleas from residents in several counties, he has not done so. In Part 2, we look at Beshear’s inaction and other options for sheriff accountability. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/i...

My good friend and journalistic partner in crime Andy Wolfson died suddenly last night. I'm going to miss him.

ARC had more than 30 facilities around Kentucky last summer, when the FBI announced it was investigating the company over potential Medicaid fraud. An ARC spokesperson just told me they now have just 14 locations, a mix of residential, outpatient, and a psychiatric hospital.

Remember Bryan Hubbard, who in 2023 proposed studying ibogaine to treat addiction in Kentucky? After Ky said no, he went to Texas. Now, some in the Ky GOP are on board. KY nixed his idea to treat addiction with a psychedelic drug. Texas said yes www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

From the in box just now: "Due to the expected passage of the Rescissions Act that eliminates federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), KET has made the difficult decision to eliminate this year’s coverage of the annual Fancy Farm political event."

This Southern Baptist leader in KY is leading the church’s charge to overturn gay marriage www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

NEW: A judge has denied a request from Former Ky Gov. Matt Bevin & First Lady Glenna Bevin to keep their divorce settlement confidential. The Friday ruling also allows Jonah Bevin to be an intervenor in their divorce case, giving him the chance to seek financial support. bit.ly/44GIitu

Kentucky’s Auditor of Public Accounts is suing Gov. Andy Beshear for allegedly refusing to enact a kinship caregiver law, escalating the ongoing tensions in Frankfort over which branch of government should fund the implementation of a 2024 bill. Via @aacquisto.bsky.social:

Death of the GOP aisle crossers, continued transparency concerns, GOP unity, legal battles & more. What #kyga25, with a little hindsight, looked like. With @aacquisto.bsky.social: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed House Bill 4, a GOP-backed bill aimed at restricting, and in some cases dismantling, Kentucky public universities’ efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion. Story w/ @austin-horn.bsky.social & @aacquisto.bsky.social www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

The clock was running out. Dems were stalling hard. But with about an hour left, leadership called for HB 495. With unanimous GOP support, KY is now on track to block Medicaid from funding gender-affirming care & roll back conversion therapy restrictions. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Most important news of the day in the #KyLeg : Bill Bryant getting recognized for 40 years of working @ WKYT. Bill is also the longtime host of KET's Comment on Kentucky. A titan! Sen. Reggie Thomas called him Ky's Walter Conkrite. Sen. Gary Boswell: "You are an honor to your profession."

After years of refusals, Republicans move to add medical exceptions to KY abortion ban www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Some Kentucky lawmakers are now targeting gender-affirming care for transgender adults on Medicaid. New from @aacquisto.bsky.social & @austin-horn.bsky.social: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Four months after Missouri voted to legalize abortion, Republican lawmakers are proposing to let residents donate to anti-abortion centers instead of paying any taxes (up to $50k).

A teen held in a Kentucky foster care office caused $27K in damage last month. As public officials are increasingly scrutinizing Ky social services for temporarily housing kids in gov't office buildings, Ky's auditor says latest incident signals 'systemic failures' w/in system bit.ly/41Grf8T

Championing it as a measure promoting “equal opportunity” on Ky’s higher ed campuses rather than the “subjective equity” contrived by DEI initiatives, a GOP-backed bill to dismantle DEI advanced in a party-line committee vote today. W/@monicakast.bsky.social www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Kentucky version of DOGE advanced through a legislative committee this morning. GOP sponsor said it promotes ‘fiscal responsibility’ www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Ky Senate just passed a bill to give more library control to politicians. From Owensboro GOP Rep. Gary Boswell, it stems from a right-wing group in Owensboro— Citizens for Decency—who've tried to remove "controversial" books from library shelves. Boswell has supported their cause. bit.ly/3DfdxAv

Tonight at 8/7 on KET's "Comment on Kentucky," it's Alex Acquisto of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Isaiah Kim-Martinez of WHAS11 Louisville and Melissa Patrick of Kentucky Health News. ^JC

At March For Life rally this wk, members of the Ky GOP told a crowd there are ppl who want "to destroy all the work that we’ve done" & "God is behind what we're doing." As some KY Republicans see the need for abortion ban exceptions, others hold the line www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Heck of a story this morning from @dyetter.bsky.social about Jonah Bevin, adopted son of former Gov. Matt Bevin. ‘I don’t have anybody’: Adoptive teen son of a KY governor talks about life on his own kentuckylantern.com/2025/02/28/i...

House OKs ending KY’s drinking water fluoride mandate. Experts say kids’ teeth will suffer www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

234 people have died in Kentucky jails since 2020. Critics call it a ‘systemic failure’ Crucial reporting from @taylorsixhl.bsky.social www.kentucky.com/news/local/c...

Republicans in the House and Senate have filed efforts to establish a state version of the Department of Government Efficiency and create a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force. From @aacquisto.bsky.social & @austin-horn.bsky.social: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, one of the most vocal opponents of diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives in the Kentucky legislature, has filed two new bills to end DEI in K-12 schools and state & local government. Per @monicakast.bsky.social & @aacquisto.bsky.social: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

There are fewer than 100 trans inmates in Kentucky. GOP bill would restrict their care. Democrats questioned why the Ky GOP is giving it such high priority. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Senate Bill 2 to end gender-affirming health care for trans inmates in Ky's jails&prisons moved thru committee this morning. Maj Whip Mike Wilson acknowledged the DOC said it does not provide gender-affirming surgeries, but he suggested the dept is lying. Sen. Reggie Thomas asked if he had proof.

The KY House passed a bill yesterday to allow schools to use anti-choking devices. However, health agencies warn against widespread distribution of them, as their effectiveness “has not been established.” More from @aacquisto.bsky.social & @vh-s.bsky.social: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Yesterday, the House passed HB 44, which would allow optional anti-choking devices in Kentucky schools. Experts caution against them. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Coal industry backs a Senate bill that would allow pollution in more of Kentucky’s waters www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Rep. Jennifer Decker has again filed a bill targeting DEI at public colleges and universities in KY. HB4 would prohibit schools from any spending on DEI initiatives & require them to close all DEI offices by June 30. Story w/ @aacquisto.bsky.social www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Kids are still sleeping in KY social services offices. What’s the Cabinet doing about it? www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Kentucky bill would punish parents who leave guns where kids can get them. Cheves on the Democratic bill that faces long odds with GOP supermajority. #kyga25

In the Ky Senate, GOP Caucus Chair Robby Mills just praised the EO Pres. Trump's expected to sign today banning trans women from competing in women's sports: "Today marks a victory for fairness, opportunity & the integrity of women's sports. We are reaffirming what should've never been in question."

Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, filed a bill to "prohibit local governments from obstructing the repatriation or identification of criminal illegal aliens within the commonwealth." House Bill 344 isn't online yet, but this is the press release. #kyga25.

Back @ it in the Kentucky Senate w/ an opening prayer from a Pineville pastor, who starts by quoting the late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey: “In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.”

FCC chair orders investigation into NPR and PBS stations, says in letter to that "Congress is actively considering whether to stop requiring taxpayers to subsidize NPR and PBS programming"

Kim Davis' attorney told the 6thCircuit COA today that his client had sovereign & qualified immunity when she denied marriage licenses to gay couples in 2015 & shouldn't be held liable for damages. As a private citizen protected by the 1st Amndmt, she also can't be held liable. bit.ly/4aCAx8C

New: Addiction Recovery Care loses 3 top-level executives in a month as FBI probe continues www.kentucky.com/news/state/a...

Rand Paul wants to strip Planned Parenthood of funding over abortion, trans health care www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Eastern Kentucky activists bought Letcher County land where the federal government and Congressman Hal Rogers have wanted to build a prison

New: Kentucky attorney general sues over Biden-era LGBTQ+ inclusive foster care rules. Coleman says the rules "make it harder for religious-based organizations and families of faith to care for children in foster care" & he's hopeful Pres. Trump will reverse them. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

ICYMI last week, @aacquisto.bsky.social had a story about how Kentucky's abortion bans endanger the lives of women with nonviable pregnancies. Both it and the LPM/KyCIR report are worth reading: bsky.app/profile/blue...

With mifepristone unavailable at the pharmacy, she took only misoprostol on her doctor’s advice, but it didn’t fully treat her miscarriage. Weeks later, she was hospitalized with sepsis. “This is not how we should be practicing medicine for miscarriage in this century.” www.lpm.org/investigate/...

He ran Kentucky’s nursing home inspections. Now he’s a nursing home lobbyist. Is that OK? Heckuva story by the H-L's John Cheves: www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Genevieve Postlethwait was at high risk of serious infection after her water broke at 17 weeks pregnant. But her doctor wouldn't surgically remove the fetus or tell her where to go for an abortion outside of Kentucky. "Her plan of action was to send us home and drink lots of water."

From @aacquisto.bsky.social, she needed an abortion but Kentucky's near-total ban prevented it Doctors in the state have long warned that the ban forces women in need to wait for care until it may be too late or go out of state www.kentucky.com/news/politic...