For 1,600 Kentucky workers at BlueOval SK, their days on the job are numbered. Ford says the Glendale EV battery plant will be shuttered by mid-February.

The 2026 session of the Kentucky General Assembly begins Jan. 6, with lawmakers convening in Frankfort until mid-April. Beyond passing a two-year state budget, legislators plan to advance bills addressing topics like education, data centers, immigration and housing.

A new year means a new parade of classic characters and works entering the public domain, including the original Betty Boop, the first four Nancy Drew books and the initial version of Disney's Pluto — who first went by the name Rover.

From federal rulemakers all the way down to Kentucky lawmakers, 2025 was full of regulatory wins for mining companies. Meanwhile, health researchers confirm that deaths from black lung disease are rampant in the mine industry.

President Trump's executive order to loosen U.S. restrictions on marijuana promises to bring immediate relief for cannabis businesses — but only in some respects. While the move is being touted as opening a new era for cannabis research, experts say it's not as simple as flipping a light switch.

Despite strained relations between the Vatican and Israel during the war in Gaza, Catholic and Jewish leaders in Haifa, a city along the Mediterranean Sea in northern Israel, are trying to build trust between their communities, which live largely siloed from each other.

Hundreds of new Christmas songs are released every year, but each time December rolls around, the same small handful of classics races to the top of the charts. Will anything new ever break through?

A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday's Christmas Eve drawing, the second-largest in U.S. history.

Today, people consider "Yule" synonymous with "Christmas." But centuries ago, Yule meant something different — a pagan mid-winter festival, dating back to pre-Christian Germanic people.

Crime rates dropped across much of the U.S. in 2025. That was true for both property and violent crime. And it declined nearly everywhere: In big cities and small towns, and in red and blue states.

AN NPR survey finds that people with disability still find hotels unaccommodating, even 35 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Join us on Christmas Day from 11 - 1 for A St. Olaf Christmas Festival. Tune in at 91.3 FM or visit wkms.org to listen.

A Christmas Eve Powerball drawing could add new meaning to holiday cheer as millions of players hope to cash in on the $1.7 billion prize. www.wkms.org/npr-news/202...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Trump on Tuesday, refusing to reinstate, for now, Trump's ability to send National Guard troops into the state of Illinois over the objections of the governor. www.wkms.org/npr-news/202...

Since Trump took office, officials have transferred ten of the 37 men Biden spared from execution to the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." One prisoner still awaiting transfer has attempted suicide.

Join us on the morning of Christmas Eve from 9 to 11 for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Tune in at 91.3 FM or visit wkms.org to listen.

More than 1.6 million immigrants have lost their legal status in the first 11 months of Trump's second term. The staggering number includes people who applied for and were accepted to come to the country on a wide variety of immigration parole, visa, asylum and temporary protected status programs.

President Trump claims the warship will be "the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built." A month ago, the Navy scrapped plans to build a new, small warship, citing delays and cost overruns. www.wkms.org/npr-news/202...

The trade war between the United States and China has made for a rocky soybean harvest season. The Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid package for farmers to try and make up for the ensuing shortfalls, but farmers still expect to lose money on this year’s crop.

Workers with a Louisville nonprofit have created a collection of poems and illustrations based on the stories and lived experiences of the refugee clients they serve.

A palliative care doctor says listening to vinyl music can lift heavy moments for families and patients receiving end-of-life care.

Tune in Tuesday and enjoy A Chanticlear Christmas from 12-1 PM! Catch it on 91.3 or wkms.org. #ChristmasCheer #HolidayTunes

Many rural school districts around the United States are having a hard time making up for federal grant money that's been cut by the Trump administration, including funds for programs supporting mental health, academic enrichment and teacher development.

Two lawmakers are threatening a seldom-used congressional sanction against the Department of Justice over what they say is a failure to release all of its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by a deadline set in law.

After a 137-year struggle, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has finally received full federal recognition from the U.S. government.

Apple and Google are warning some U.S-based employees on visas against traveling outside of the country to avoid the risk of getting stuck coming back, as the Trump administration toughens vetting of visa applicants.

Join us on Monday, December 22nd, from 11am - 12pm for Carols, Customs, and Candlelight: A Celtic Christmas Celebration! Listen at 91.3 or wkms.org.

Congress is wrapping up the year in the shadow of the longest government shutdown and with a growing reputation as the least productive in modern history. Former members say the challenges on Capitol Hill have been brewing for a long time.

President Trump said the administration has reached agreements with nine more drugmakers to bring their U.S. drug prices more in line with what other wealthy countries pay.

The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago.

Rick has wrapped a lot into this Christmas package: Music by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Los Straitjackets, Joe Feliciano, the only Frank Zappa tune he dares to play on a Sunday afternoon, and much, much more. Tune in this Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm on 91.3 or wkms.org.

The Justice Department released some of the Epstein files, including many previously public documents, related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and his death by suicide in federal custody. www.wkms.org/npr-news/202...

An evidentiary hearing that could reopen a more than 25-year-old Graves County murder case came to a close Thursday. The man convicted of murdering 18-year-old Jessica Currin maintains his innocence, and is hoping for a shot at freedom in the new year. www.wkms.org/criminal-jus...

Tune-in to WKMS this Saturday 10am-1pm to hear what this Christmas nut is crackin'! Put on your elf ears and listen on 91.3 or wkms.org.

Bethany Kozma leads a key global health office at the Department of Health and Human Services. In past experience in the public eye, she's campaigned against abortion and gender-affirming care. www.wkms.org/npr-news/202...

Friday is the deadline for the government to release files related to the life and death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. There are still questions about what will be published and when.

From @doperle.bsky.social: The nuclear industry in the Bluegrass State took big strides in 2025. The lawmaker who's helped lead the charge for nuclear power in Kentucky says he expects that momentum carry into 2026.

After a nonpartisan forecasting group predicted a smaller shortfall, Gov. Andy Beshear said he is implementing reductions across state government — but said some constitutional officers are declining to do the same.

Tune in on Friday, December 19th, for a Folk-ish Christmas Special from 11-1. Listen at 91.3 FM or wkms.org.

Kentucky has received a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for voter registration data, including sensitive information such as driver’s license and Social Security numbers, but so far has supplied only publicly available information. via @kentuckylantern.com

After Martin, Tennessee's former mayor and economic development director were accused of misappropriating public funds, the city's Finance Committee — a group of community members and aldermen — met Monday for the first time in several months. via @tennesseelookout.com www.wkms.org/government-p...

Workers at Paducah’s only Starbucks location successfully unionized this month. It’s the 10th store in Kentucky to organize under Starbucks Workers United, which represents more than 550 franchises across America.

The Trump administration is expected to announce several moves Thursday that will have the effect of essentially banning gender-affirming care for transgender young people, even in states where it is still legal.

Tune in on Thursday, December 18th, for The Liquid Moment Holiday Special from 11-12 and the ‘All Songs Considered’ Holiday Extravaganza from 12-1. Listen at 91.3 FM or wkms.org.

An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller outlines new and persistent failures in caring for abused and neglected children taken into custody by the Department of Children’s Services. via @tennesseelookout.com

While a recent state audit highlighted administrative issues under Tennessee State University’s former leadership, TSU’s new president stresses that the school is now on track to improve its financial future. via @wpln.bsky.social

The committee of economists that forecasts Kentucky government revenues anticipates a $156 million revenue shortfall this fiscal year and only modest revenue growth through the middle of 2028. Gov. Andy Beshear says he'll announce a plan Thursday to reduce the state budget. via @kentuckylantern.com

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits announced earlier this year on who can travel and emigrate to the U.S.

Ahead of what’s shaping up to be a busy budget session for Kentucky’s General Assembly, lawmakers representing parts of far western Kentucky discussed their legislative priorities at a Tuesday luncheon hosted by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tennessee has a new law on the books guaranteeing access to in vitro fertilization and birth control, but conservative lawmakers could have the policy in their crosshairs in the upcoming legislative session. via @wpln.bsky.social