♪ >> I'm so proud to be all in for the next president of the United States.

Kamala Harris, thank you.

>> The governor of Kentucky goes prime time during the Democratic National Convention.

Believe it or not, one of these can help prevent eating disorders.

>> This was his way of.

Trying to get world peace.

>> And a Lexington Organization carries out the wishes of President Dwight D Eisenhower making friends with cities abroad.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition for Tuesday, August 20th, I'm Casey Parker Bell filling in for Renee Shaw.

>> Kentucky was once again in the national spotlight as Governor Andy Beshear spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last night.

He was among dozens of speakers who shared the stage on the first night of the convention and used his time to share many of the talking points from his reelection campaign to a wider audience.

>> Governor Beshear was deep in the lineup of speakers during the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

He was introduced by Hadley Duvall, a familiar face to many Kentuckians.

Deval appeared in a campaign ad for Beshear last fall, used sharing her story of being raped and impregnated any with her stepfather's child at the age of 12 in green.

>> I can't imagine not having a choice.

>> But today, that's the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump's abortion bans.

>> Duval has been outspoken about Kentucky's near total ban on abortions during the 2024 legislative session.

She advocated for Bill that would create exceptions for abortions in Kentucky in cases of rape and incest.

The state's Republican dominated Legislature never brought the bill up for a vote.

>> And NASA long to restore the right to an abortion.

>> Bashir began his speech by thanking Deval for her bravery, saying his reelection shows Kentucky INS favorite reproductive freedom.

>> I'm amazed at the courage it takes to share her pain to share her true yet.

Donald Trump brags about tearing it constitutional right away from Hadley in every other woman and girl in our country.

That's why we must tear away any chance you can ever be president ever again.

In Kentucky, we put reproductive freedom on the ballot last November and I'd be Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell's hand picked candidate by more than 5 percentage points.

>> Bashir was on the short list to be Vice President Harris, his running mate.

He focused his message on ending what he called anger Politics and praise Harrison President Joe Biden saying they were there for Kentucky in times of need.

>> It's an old Joe Biden and Kamala Harris lead.

They both called ask how they can help can something in recovering from natural disasters.

They helped us improve our roads, our bridges, and invested in our people.

They didn't ask me who Kentucky INS voted for.

They asked me what Kentuckians needed and boast they delivered.

>> Kentucky's Democratic governor ended his speech with prediction for November.

>> Kamala years gets it.

She knows we must move beyond anger extremism and a vision that everyone has dignity and deserves respect.

American.

We're going to win.

♪ >> And we're going to win by staying true to our values of compassion.

>> And that the and doing right by our neighbors.

So proud to be all in for the next president of the United States.

Kamala Harris, thank you.

>> Bashir was in Chicago again today for a delegation breakfast at the Democratic National Convention.

The convention wraps up Thursday with Democratic Vice President Harris formally accepting her party's nomination for president.

>> Meanwhile, Republicans are criticizing and the governor is defending comments he made this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Here's what the governor said about the Republican stand against abortion, exceptions for rape and incest.

>> Jamie bands calls pregnancy resulting from rape.

Inconvenient inconveniences traffic.

I mean, it is it does make him go through this tiny it is that the someone being violated, someone being harmed, then then telling them that they don't have options after that, that fails any test of decency of humanity.

But but here's the thing.

It also shows they don't have any empathy at all.

The president, the vice president has to have empathy.

>> In response, the Republican Party of Kentucky put out this statement, quote, Rape is an important crime that no one no one should ever under, including Senator Vance's family.

Andy Beshear should be ashamed for suggesting that any human being.

>> Let alone a political opponent deserve such trauma, unquote.

The party also called for the governor to apologize.

The governor appeared later on another MSNBC program.

He was asked if he was calling for someone in the Vance family to be raped.

He said, of course, not adding that Republicans were trying to make themselves the victims instead of the women impregnated by rape.

The Lexington Herald-Leader says 3 more women have stepped forward to accuse State Representative Daniel Grossberg of inappropriate behavior.

On July 30th.

The newspaper reported claims that Grossberg a Democrat sent text messages to women messages.

The woman described as creepy and weird.

The Herald leader says the new allegations include more claims about tax and other social media messages.

One woman says she felt harassed and Grossberg Capitol office in the summer of 2023.

The Herald leader contacted Grossberg.

He denies the claims but also apologize to those he's made, quote, uncomfortable.

The Legislative Research Commission is already investigating Grossberg.

He says the earlier accusations are all based on rumors.

House Democrats have removed Grossberg from the Democratic Caucus and his interim committees.

Some state lawmakers say Fayette County Public schools are defying state law.

The accusation is over the bathroom designs for new Middle School are June Leffler has more.

>> A new middle school in the Hamburg area of Lexington is under construction.

Mariee Britain Middle School is named after Kentucky's first black female doctor.

And the school is slated to open at the beginning of the next school year.

But a state lawmaker from scrutinizing the new bathroom stalls.

>> And notice they are are no signs of boys or girls restrooms.

And when parents discovered these, they were outraged.

With this new design.

I believe the Fayette County Public Schools is attempting to circumvent the requirement of Senate Bill.

150.

That schools quote.

Not allow students to use restrooms.

Locker rooms or shower rooms that are reserved for students of a different biological sex.

>> The General Assembly passed Senate Bill.

150 in 2023. opponents called it Anti-trans legislation.

The district says it's not making any political statement and is complying with the law.

>> The principal has determined that there will be a set of restrooms that are for boys.

There's a set of restroom that are for girls and that there's nothing that has stated that this these restrooms are NUJ gender neutral, if you will.

>> The district superintendent says these restrooms might make the school safer.

A community safety Advisory council signed off on the new design approach citing up ticks and bad behavior specifically in bathrooms.

>> They are simply for privacy purposes and they are for supervision purposes.

>> Some educators in the room are on board with this approach.

You can have a teacher or an adult standing watching sending the kids into the area one at a time to use the restroom in the in close stones and then they wash their hands and they come out and you have their eyes on him every minute except for when they.

Understandably have their own privacy.

Republican senator doesn't buy that.

This is not private to me.

>> I don't know if you have a daughter or have group with sisters.

If you have a girl in her cycle that goes in there and has issues.

She has to come out of there.

Covered in blood, no privacy to wash your hands.

You I mean, it is it is humiliating to think that a middle school girl and have to go through that with the Hall open and people passing through.

>> Senate Bill 150, outlines how boys and girls bathroom should be separated.

But it also says gender nonconforming students should have some access to unisex single stall bathrooms.

Representative Matt Lockett proposed an update to mandate 90% of bathrooms be designated by 6 for Kentucky.

to LaFleur.

>> That same committee meeting began with Kentucky's new education commissioner laying out his top priorities.

Probably Fletcher took over as the state's top education official on July.

1st, the former superintendent of the Lawrence County School System.

He's been involved in education for nearly 3 decades.

Speaking to legislators this morning, Fletcher said his first priority is to build relationships.

We have to teach our kids so often that they have tremendous potential.

We want to teach them to dream.

We want to give them opportunities to during.

But also to have to give them opportunities to struggle.

A lot of stuff.

We need to lift them up.

We need to give them opportunities to grow, to learn, to struggle.

And also to it again, if you've been to the the opening day speeches, I've given the last ones that opportunities to succeed.

My story in public education is something I'm very proud of.

I'm very thankful for.

But the people that I worked with every single day from the cooks in the cafeteria.

To the bus drivers all the way up to the teachers gave me those opportunities says to succeed.

And I'm so thankful for that.

So again, to start to building relationships so that we can get to the point, I'm making sure that we provide opportunities for every single child in the Commonwealth.

Fletcher said other top priorities include developing a new assessment and accountability system and looking at reforming the seek formula, which is a funding mechanism for schools.

Commissioner Fletcher was also pressed on the use of social and emotional learning programs in schools.

I'm concerned, too.

When I go to meetings are here, administrator speak, they address.

Social, emotional learning the whole child global citizenship.

I'm concerned that there's a distraction on core subjects and academics with all these other new ideas.

And so would you give us an assurance that you are going to focus on academics and core topics and try try your best and your leadership position to avoid all these other distractions.

Thanks for the question.

And as I understand where you're coming from and sometimes I agree with that, sometimes we lose that focus on the importance of mathematics.

The importance of reading.

Or it appears that we do.

Of course, we've had 2 pieces of legislation that have gone through that.

We put a lot of effort into when it comes to literacy in the letters, training in the investment to teachers to bring them up to where they are teaching the science of reading.

They're making sure that students had that every single opportunity.

Also to numeracy another bill that passed as how do we make sure that students are having it that opportunity to learn mathematics at the highest level.

But starting at a foundational level.

So I think already you can see an investment firm Kde course investment from our legislature into those 2 models and to those 2 areas of concern.

I will say that is very important that we give that emotional support to our kids.

They face so many trials and tribulations.

When I walk into our classrooms and if we can't meet those needs and we can't get to math and reading.

So we had to find a balance.

Keeping with education news, the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence says Constitutional amendment.

Number 2, if passed by voters in November would have, quote, negative consequences for Kentucky Education Amendment 2 has been called a school Choice amendment.

If passed, it would give the Kentucky General Assembly the ability to okay public funds for private schools.

The Preacher Committee analyze the amendment's impact and says funding private K through 12 schools not being appropriate or effective use of public funds.

The committee says the result would be scarce funding spread across more providers.

Let's count ability more benefits for wealthier families and fewer resources for students with disabilities.

Bridget Blom president and CEO of the Prichard Committee says, quote, diverting public dollars to private school choice options.

Kris, the conditions for an unregulated market with no accountability to the taxpayers who fund it and no durable research that warrants such an investment quote.

More changes are coming to the University of Kentucky today.

President Eli Capilouto announced the school is phasing out its office of Institutional Diversity.

The move comes in the wake of lawmakers failing to pass bills to limit or even Cut dei programs in Kentucky.

Universities.

These I stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.

A campuswide email Cap.

Alito said UK is also dropping mandatory diversity training and no longer requiring diversity statements from applicants in response state senator and majority with Mike Wilson said in part, quote, I'm pleased to the University of Kentucky.

He's decided to take this positive step in the right direction.

That rule in the nation of these dei policies and our public universities.

When the division they promote and allow our colleges and universities to be the true bastion of free thought we need them to be.

♪ When you hear the word diplomacy, humane vision, national leaders and global summits.

But that's only part of the equation.

Soft diplomacy, foster through personal interactions and cultural education.

There's a core part of a global society, too.

It's a charge that Lexington sister cities takes to heart.

>> Sister cities is a long-term formal partnership.

Between.

Cities in different countries.

This is a program that was started by.

>> Preston has some high in 1956.

Shortly after World War 2 had ended become for cities around the world, too.

Find yourself a sister city.

Get to know each other.

This was his way of.

Trying to get world peace.

Lexington actually was one of the first.

Cities too find a sister City Deauville France in 1957.

So that's our oldest sister city.

We have 3 others now in county, Kildare, Ireland and shipping dock of Japan and Newmarket England.

All of our sister cities have.

Our horse areas.

Lexington wanted a common bond with all of their sister cities.

And of course, it was natural to choose the horse in.

So that's our one of our main industries here.

So all of our sister cities, a horse areas of those of the countries that they're located in.

We have annual programs every year that we'll send about.

Approximately 50 students every year high school middle school, and it's an exchange.

So our students go.

Over there and then their students come here.

They're all matched.

And so they stay in host families.

And so that's that's a a very >> on ongoing important program that we have.

We want.

>> The students and the younger generation to learn about this.

And we want to give them the opportunity to visit other countries and and see other cultures.

I can't tell you how many statements that are now adults that are now married that are now hat have kids that app well made along the way and they'll they'll make a point of coming up and saying, hey, you changed my life.

>> That program changed my life.

>> Lexington sister cities was recently awarded the 2024 sister Cities international.

Best overall award recognizing their work to advance cultural understanding and citizen diplomacy Kentucky's libraries will honor respected Kentucky rider and there's a delay in resettling some refugees in Kentucky are Toby gives tells us more.

And our Tuesday look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Lance to resettle dozens of refugees in Warren County are now on hold WKU Public Radio reports the refuge, PGA nonprofit based in Bowling Green, a plan to help 30 refugees from Latin America.

Resettle in Glasgow WKU said the group worked with federal, state and local officials on the plans but had to pause after pushback from some citizens in Barron County RJ Blaze with refugee PG Tales.

WKU radio that misinformation about the refugees, legal status and background circulated within the community.

They also expressed concern over the use of local resources for the refugees.

They said, quote, Our intent was never to cause division in any of that.

We never wanted to cause an issue.

We never wanted that to be an U.S. versus them type of thing.

End quote.

They said the organization would work to build stronger relationships with local leaders in Glasgow and educate the public on the resettlement process.

The State Department has final say on where refugees resettled in the U.S.. ♪ The Northern Kentucky health Department has issued a public health advisory after detecting an outbreak of an intestinal parasite around a dozen cases of Cryptosporidium often shortened to crypto have been reported.

Crypto is a gastrointestinal illness caused by people born intestinal parasites.

Link Nky said a representative from the northern Kentucky health Department and from some cases have been traced to the Silver Lake Water Park in her lying or the health department stated that the outbreak could have started as far back as June.

The number of detected cases is expected to grow anyone.

The symptoms should contact their doctor immediately.

♪ The Kentucky Lantern reports Betty.

Jean Hall, an advocate for women.

Paul Myners has died.

She was 78.

The Brea native was just one year out of law school when she founded and led the call employment Project which filed a lawsuit charging 153 coal companies, the sexual bias in hiring Blanchard reports by December of 1978, a settlement was reached with consolidated Cold Company paid $370,000 to 70 women denied jobs because they were women and the higher one woman for every 4 man by the Mid 1980's.

Both companies have hired over 4,000 women minors.

The work of the call employment project was featured in the 1982 Apple Shot documentary Coal Mining Women.

Warren Beatty, Jean Hall's life and career can be found at Kentucky Lantern Dot com.

♪ Every public library and the state is getting a free copy of Wendell Berry's collected writings to celebrate the renowned Kentucky riders 90th birthday.

The Advocate Messenger reports what I stand on the collected essays of Wendell Berry.

1969 to 2017.

We'll go out to each of Kentucky's 202 public libraries this year.

And it's important Williams novels and stories Volume one and 2 we sent next year.

A newspaper said the donation of books was made possible by gift human rights, litigator and environmental activist, Edwin C Matthew Junior in these Lions commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and archives is quoted in the newspaper as saying, quote, It's the nation ensures that Wendell Berry's inspiring writings will remain available to our patrons for generations to come.

And what?

With headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> In disorders affect almost 30 million Americans and researchers at the University of Louisville have a creative prevention, told by letting patients face their fears and anxieties with virtual reality.

There's more in tonight's Medical News.

>> In this orders are.

>> Psychiatric disorders.

There's very serious.

They take a life every 52 minutes in Kentucky alone, there will be 400,000 individuals that will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

And it's it's extremely serious.

And it's the second killer of all psychiatric illnesses.

It's getting way worse, which is very serious and treatments are being affected.

The most people, especially with the top.

There are options, but they only work for about 50% or less of the people that have access to them and seek that treatment.

We saw that in anxiety treatment that people are using exposures and so exposures.

Facing your fears systematically instead of running from them.

We're developing different modules within the VR headset that can be used with their clinician or also has homework or hopefully with people that don't have access to care or on a waiting list.

So they put on the goggles and then they choose their body color.

And their hair color and they make an avatar.

That is is them and that they that they felt looks like them.

And then they're systematically.

Experiencing.

If it's peer waking, they're systematically experiencing that weight gain.

>> And they're moving in their body.

They can look down on their body and see that their body's changing and they can process the different fears and how it might.

Feel to dress that body and all of the different things that come along with that.

It's very intense and it's a very dramatic.

And as they KET it keeps getting worse and worse and worse.

But they're anxiety starts to come down.

And and that starts to train them.

yeah, either that was terrible and that I handled it or or, you know, that wasn't as bad as I thought or maybe that was as bad as I thought that >> I'm okay.

And so then during the week there.

>> Eating disorder behaviors will also start to diminish because the fear is gone.

>> So that route, if you can attack that route and start to face the fears and not avoid them.

Then that there that the areas that they're eating disorder behaviors will also go with it.

Their perception may or may not be accurate.

So they could look in the mirror and they might see a very different body.

Then it's most of the other people looking at them.

But they are going to develop their body and what they think.

And then it's going to kind of go from there to be very personal lives.

So people were very shocked at how real it was for them.

What we want to do and what we're working on is personalizing treatment and making it really accessible to all types of people because eating disorders do not affect a certain type of person eating disorders, affect everyone.

>> According to Doctor Christina, Ralph Norman, about 700 Kentuckians per year emergency room treatment for eating disorders, pre-covid since the pandemic.

That number has nearly doubled.

♪ Congratulations to 5 players from the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association.

After earning spots on the Olympic Development programs, Midwest Regional team here are the 5 Jacques Sweeney on the 2008 boys regional team Jackson, Morgan, on the 2010 boys regional team, Eli Bennett Toro won the 2011 regional team.

Tucker Dickerson on the 2012 Regional Team and Caitlin Pocket on the 2012 Girls Regional team.

These teams will travel to Florida in January to compete against other teams from the East South and West.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition, we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition.

E-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips a K E T Dot Org and follow KET on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thank you for joining us.

And I hope you have a good evening.

♪