Citing a budget shortfall, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration told area development districts that distribute senior nutrition support they would not be able to maintain higher funding levels. That means 1000s of seniors will likely go back on waitlists for meals. From @sylviaruthg.lpm.org

Louisville officials want state to fast-track Youth Detention Center renovations. From @byrobertor.lpm.org

Please consider giving to @lpm.org today as part of Louisville's Give For Good day! Congress has completely defunded us, so we now rely 100% on community support to continue our work of providing high-quality watchdog journalism to the city and all of Kentucky.

Happy Constitution Day, everybody

First-time candidate Logan Forsythe, a Democrat, told Kentucky Public Radio he is getting into the U.S. Senate race to fight for the social programs he relied on growing up. From @sylviaruthg.lpm.org

Periodic reminder: student journalists in Appalachia, young writers in Appalachia, young folks in Appalachia who see something happening in their community they want to write about! Please pitch. (If you need pitch advice, message me! There's guidance in the link below but glad to brainstorm.)

A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge ruled Friday that Louisville Metro must stop interfering with the Ethics Commission’s hiring of a lawyer. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

I'm on @lpm.org's talk show, On Track, this week talking about forever chemicals (aka PFAS) in Kentucky. (Or, as @michelletyrene.bsky.social calls these substances, P-FUNK). Listen: www.lpm.org/podcast/on-t... You'll also hear about a cool event KyCIR's hosting Sept. 24, all about the Ohio River!

As a former energy reporter, I was often reminded how fragile society is. If it gets too hot or cold, people can die. Without electricity, people die. Perhaps, our salvation lies in our mundane comforts and prosperity. I prefer strawberries in winter. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Public anger is growing over rising electricity prices nationwide. In West Virginia, Appalachian Power customers have been paying hundreds of millions of dollars in hidden costs. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

The Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday over whether they should allow taxpayer dollars to fund public charter schools. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw died Wednesday morning, according to an announcement from her office. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

The Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether public business conducted on a private device should still fall under the state’s open record laws. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Many in Silicon Valley call China a threat to freedom, but an AP investigation finds U.S. companies designed technology for China used to spy on and detain hundreds of thousands of people. The tech companies deny wrongdoing.

Our partner public media station WEKU in Richmond, Kentucky, is looking for a reporter to cover Lexington and eastern Kentucky. Reach out if you are interested! careers.eku.edu/jobs/8266b2f...

The educational advocacy group that initially formed to combat Amendment 2 is now calling for a significant increase in education spending during next year’s biennial budget. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

In Louisville: The Public Service Commission is taking public comment on the proposed LG&E/KY rate increase at 5 p.m., Sept. 8 at Jefferson Community & Technical College. www.kentucky.com/news/busines...

So I messed up the link in the newsletter, but check out this very important story from @joesonka.lpm.org www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Kentucky tax revenues fell $7.5 million short of what was needed in the past fiscal year to trigger cutting the income tax to 3% in 2027. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Kentucky Educational Television — which operates nearly all of the state’s PBS station network — announced Thursday that it’s cutting nearly a quarter of its staff. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

A huge moment for Kentucky! Our very own Ryland Barton is going to be the PM newscast anchor for NPR. A Kentucky voice for the whole country!

A day after Rep. Thomas Massie, a northern Kentucky Republican, took the first step in forcing a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, survivors rallied at the U.S. Capitol in support. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear celebrated the full return of Kentucky’s cancelled AmeriCorps funding after a coalition of states called the abrupt rescission illegal. www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

A Kentucky agency is telling hundreds of families to disregard previous letters telling them to pay back the state for food assistance cards they never requested. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

A Kentucky agency is telling hundreds of families to disregard previous letters telling them to pay back the state for food assistance cards they never requested. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Workers at the country’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer have tentatively voted to unionize in a close vote. www.wkyufm.org/news/2025-08...

Kentucky’s largest utility company is proposing a mechanism to make new data centers pay their fair share, but first wants approval to build $3 billion of new gas plants. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Last week @joesonka.lpm.org reported the state was threatening to send more than 1,400 families to debt collection if they did not pay back EBT cards the state inadvertently sent out. This week those parents got this letter in the mail saying they do not have to pay. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Ibogaine, a powerful Schedule I psychedelic, has recently gained interest for its potential to treat PTSD and addiction. A Kentucky lawmaker is calling for the state to fund medical research. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Under Kentucky’s Constitution, people who are convicted of a felony require a pardon from the governor in order to vote. A bipartisan duo of lawmakers say they want an amendment to change that. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

The latest on this: KDE says their error affected 1,462 families in four counties, but won't say which ones besides Scott County. CHFS says they mailed out a letter on Friday with guidance for the affected families, but we're not sure what it says, other than to stop using the unsolicited EBT cards.

Hourly workers at the massive new EV battery plant in Kentucky will vote this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers Union. The election comes amid bitter tensions between workers and the company over safety and health issues. From WKU:

Hourly workers at the massive new EV battery plant in Kentucky will vote Tuesday and Wednesday on whether to join the United Auto Workers Union. The election comes amid bitter tensions between workers and the company over safety and health issues.

In the aftermath of a raid at a Louisiana racetrack, Kentucky's equine community is worried about what increased immigration enforcement could mean for the industry's workforce. From @weku.bsky.social

I GOT VERBALLY ATTACKED BY THE MAYOR'S SPOKESPERSON www.lpm.org/investigate/... I will continue to ask tough #questions. #PressFreedom #Journalism #USA #Kentucky #Louisville #LocalJournalism #InvestigativeJournalism #Accountability #reporter #freedom #investigative #shoeleather @lpm.org @npr.org

Kentucky state government seems to screw up, but the public information officers won't return calls to answer questions about it. You don't say! via Louisville Public Media www.lpm.org/news/2025-08-22/scott-county-parents-threatened-with-debt-collection-by-kentucky-over-unsolicited-ebt-cards

Update: The Cabinet now says 1,462 ineligible families received an EBT card due to an error by the Kentucky Department of Education. Still unclear what families receiving the debt collection notice are supposed to do now, and if this error was broader than Scott County.

I personally overheard this call, and I am so proud of our intern for how calm and cool he remained, asking politely for the mayor's spokesperson to stop yelling at him while continuing the discussion. www.lpm.org/investigate/...

The Beshear administration hasn't responded to our questions about this over the past four days, nor at least dozens of concerned parents in Scott County. The school district says the state has not told them how many parents received the repayment notices threatening debt collection.

Kentucky parents in Scott County were sent unsolicited food assistance cards this summer, but are now being threatened with debt collection if they don’t pay back the state for them. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

BREAKING: The Trump administration says it's reviewing all 55 million people with U.S. visas for potential deportable violations.

Continuing their winning streak, Joe and Kelly Craft partnered with Central Bank to buy the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s championship ham for a $10 million donation. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Lately there’s been a lot of splashy economic news about Kentucky with promises of new manufacturing jobs at major companies and politicians are lining up to take credit for a promise of economic prosperity. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

This story has everything. What a ride.

A judge has dismissed the most serious charges against two former Louisville police officers for a second time. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

When the 502 area code runs out of numbers, Kentuckians in the north-central region will be assigned a 761 area code. www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

Hundreds of biohazardous waste removals highlight lack of public amenities. www.lpm.org/investigate/...

In Bowling Green, the Fugees Freedom Fund was created to help cover the expenses of children who have been detained by ICE and are caught in a legal battle to be released. @derekparham.bsky.social www.lpm.org/news/2025-08...

"Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville, elected to lead a blue city in a deep-red state, is trying to keep it that way with a rare gambit for a Democratic mayor." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/u...