From my family to yours, Merry Christmas 🎄

During a public hearing on a proposed state regulation to change how kinship care placements are handled in Kentucky, an advocate raised concerns about how the revisions will play out. @mckennahorsley.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/22/a...

🎄🚨: I will be off work all next week. I won’t be responding to any work communications during that time.

a first time viewing

Kentucky has received a request from the DOJ for voter registration data, including sensitive information, but so far has supplied only publicly available information, says Secretary of State Michael Adams. @mckennahorsley.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/17/e...

An organization that advocates for Kentucky’s children wants the legislature to fund a kinship care law that’s been stuck in limbo, give guardians ad litem raises, eliminate the sales tax on diapers and much more in 2026. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/16/h...

The Kids Count Data Dashboard, released by Kentucky Youth Advocates Thursday, shows about 21% of Kentucky children are living in food-insecure households, 20% live below the poverty level and 44% live in low-income households. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/11/k...

ICYMI: After 40 years as a member of the National Association of Social Work and 10 years as the executive director of Kentucky’s chapter, Brenda Rosen was let go in November in a process that is drawing sharp criticism from social workers throughout the state. kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/10/o...

A worthwhile read from @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social: "This is a time when we really need to mobilize, and really need to ensure that social work voices are being heard so we can work together to protect our people — all people — right?" kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/10/o... @kentuckylantern.com

Heading into 2026, the “elephant in the room” for Kentucky policymakers will be Medicaid, said Senate Republican Floor Leader Max Wise, speaking to Kentucky Voices for Health's annual meeting. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/09/k...

Kentucky social workers sharply criticize a decision by their national organization that will leave the Kentucky chapter sharing an executive director with Ohio. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/10/o...

The John Adams Society began quietly excluding women from membership this semester, former and prospective affiliates told The Crimson. It is now effectively functioning as a single-sex organization. @abbysgerstein and @JackBReardon report. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Two anti-abortion groups want President Trump to fire U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary over access to medication abortion. @jennifershutt.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/09/r...

it... will.... never.... heal.....

Kentucky Republican wants to remove body mass index (BMI) from eating disorder treatment standards. Here’s why.  @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/08/k...

My dog is laying on my lap while I read a book about a woman who loves a dog.

🔥

A Medicare pilot program will allow private companies to use artificial intelligence to review older Americans’ requests for certain medical care — and will reward the companies when they deny it. via @stateline.org www.newsfromthestates.com/article/medi...

when your job involves a lot of typing, it's probably not advisable to sprain your index finger. or so i hear....

Trump administration threatens to yank food stamps funding from KY, other Democratic-led states. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the states have not provided data needed to address fraud. @fischler.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/02/t...

This Giving Tuesday, you can make a difference by supporting the Stateline team. Our nonprofit newsroom depends on donations from readers like you to produce high-quality journalism without advertising, subscription fees or paywalls. Can we count on your support? https://stateline.org/donate/

Kentucky nonprofit publisher @sarabandebooks.bsky.social forfeits federal grant rather than bow to Trump orders on diversity, gender. kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/02/k...

"We all want to be able to safely have children in Kentucky. And right now, we can’t. I can’t.” - Jessica Kalb, plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Kentucky's abortion ban. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/01/b...

Jefferson Circuit Judge Brian Edwards once again heard arguments Monday in a three-year old court case seeking to strike down Kentucky’s abortion ban and clarify the legality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the state. From @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social: kentuckylantern.com/2025/12/01/b...

Happy *finding hair bands and chapsticks and tissues in coat pockets you forgot about* season to all who celebrate

This Thanksgiving, especially, food bank volunteers in Kentucky are stepping up to make sure their neighbors have a holiday meal. Sarah Ladd @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social takes us to a God's Pantry distribution in Prestonsburg kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/26/m...

Recent increases in injuries of children in Kentucky's licensed child care centers provide more evidence that the workforce is overworked, underpaid and each worker is responsible for too many children, say advocates for children. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/24/c...

Please keep that feedback coming!

University of Kentucky gene editing study offers hope for novel treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers flip risk to protection in mice at Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/21/k...

shoutout to my dog for crawling across my lap and on my laptop keyboard in the middle of an interview. it's my fault for sitting on the floor, and he did the right thing.

If you can donate, please do. If you can't, please share. Thank you for reading the Kentucky Lantern.

Last month marked 3 years that I've covered health policy for the Kentucky Lantern. As I enter this fourth year, please share your thoughts on my coverage. What do you like to read, and what would you like to see more of? It's anonymous. Thank you kindly. forms.gle/eeqgpYBfGbvD...

Last month marked 3 years that I've covered health policy for the Kentucky Lantern. As I enter this fourth year, please share your thoughts on my coverage. What do you like to read, and what would you like to see more of? It's anonymous. Thank you kindly. forms.gle/eeqgpYBfGbvD...

alright, show me your pets please

BREAKING: House votes to force DOJ release of Jeffrey Epstein files

This is why the links in your Morning Lantern newsletter didn't work this morning. www.techradar.com/pro/live/a-c...

After Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie led the charge for months to release federal investigation files about sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, U.S. House members are expected to vote on the motion Tuesday afternoon. @mckennahorsley.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/18/m...

State employees worked on the weekend to load benefits onto electronic benefit transfer cards for the almost 600,000 Kentuckians who have benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. kentuckylantern.com/briefs/food-...

IUDs are increasingly popular but for some this birth control comes with an unwelcome surprise: pain, sometimes extreme. Medical providers in Kentucky are taking pain more seriously, but work remains, patients say. @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/17/l...

introduced a bunch of friends to K Pop Demon Hunters and now everyone is yelling

happy 5th gotcha day to this perfect little guy

I watched Toy Story for the first time tonight and 🥺

Kwanita Allen gets federal food assistance to buy groceries while she goes to college and lives in a Louisville subsidized housing unit. The longest-ever federal shutdown has thrust her into even more uncertainty. From @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social: kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/12/k...

The United States Supreme Court has declined to revisit the 2015 landmark ruling that gave same-sex couples marriage equality, a failure for former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis. From @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social: kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/10/k...

Despite a robust screening system, Kentucky is the worst state in the nation for new lung cancer cases, a report shows. From @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social: kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/10/r...

Here’s the story btw

Federal judge in Rhode Island is ordering the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits for November, saying the USDA lost the discretion to pay partial benefits when it failed to get those funds to recipients fast enough. "USDA arbitrarily and capriciously created this problem." Story TK

Beshear sends state National Guard to staff food banks seeing ‘surge’ amid SNAP delays @sarahelizabethladd.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/05/b...

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is sending the National Guard to staff food banks while more than 600,000 in the state await federal food assistance during the ongoing government shutdown. MORE: kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/05/b...

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, there were 11 confirmed deaths from the Louisville plane crash. First responders have shifted from a rescue to a recovery mode.