♪ >> And when you come to Kentucky, it is long term.

>> The governor praises Kentucky's economy before a world audience.

We're finding is exactly what was found in the earlier smaller studies.

>> A new study and Kentucky looks at how medical marijuana can give dementia patients more peace and comfort.

>> Unbelievable story yet could could not make this up.

If you tried.

Plus a piece of art that survived the Holocaust is brought to life by the Louisville Orchestra.

We share the local connection.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday, January 23rd, I'm Renee Shaw.

We thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with us.

That deal between Louisville Metro Police Department and the federal government could be in jeopardy.

>> And President Donald Trump's second term on December.

12th Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey announced a so-called consent decree that decree called for reforms within the LMPD, including changes to the use of force.

The use of search warrants and changes to internal investigations that followed a yearlong investigation after the killing of Breonna Taylor in 2020.

But The Washington Post and CNN are both reporting that the Trump Department of Justice is now stopping all consent decrees finalized in the last 90 days and response to all this.

Mayor Craig Greenberg put out a statement this afternoon, quote, Mayer Greenberg and chief Humphrey remain committed to implementing the reforms set forth in the consent decree.

We side with the DOJ.

The city is preparing to file a brief in support of the consent decree by February 18th as requested by the judge.

Regardless of what happens in federal court.

Louisville Metro government, an LMPD will move forward and honor our commitment to meaningful improvements and reforms.

End quote.

Governor Andy Beshear is touting Kentucky's economic success on a world stage this year is part of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

The governor took part in a panel discussion today about economic issues and the states.

He said international investment is a key part of Kentucky's recent economic success.

>> We embrace foreign direct investment.

We embrace expansions what we already have.

And when you come to Kentucky, it is long term.

We want you to be successful.

We want you to grow.

And it looks like last year were the highest profits are Kentucky based ever seen?

And we think that's a good thing because if you really profitable in Kentucky, you're going to expand and hire more people.

You're going to create a better life for the Kentucky INS that.

But I've been elected to serve.

>> The governor spoke before President Donald Trump addressed the group using a live video feed.

But there was criticism of the governor for taking part in this World Economic Summit.

The Kentucky Lantern reports the Republican Party of Kentucky put out a statement criticizing Bush year for making this trip using taxpayer money.

State Representative TJ Roberts of Burlington and Northern Kentucky says he wants an investigation and the cost of the trip.

Governor Beshear remains one of America's most popular governors and the most popular Democrat.

The new Morning consult poll shows the governor with a 65% approval rating and a disapproval rating of 27%.

He's America's 3rd most popular governor.

According to the survey, only Phil Scott of Vermont and Jim Justice of West Virginia were more popular in the survey.

Both of them are Republicans just as quick as West Virginia's governor on January 13th after his election to the U.S. Senate last November.

But he was still included in the poll.

Kentucky is launching a new initiative aimed at combating human trafficking, Kentucky secretary of state Michael Adams announced the new program this morning.

The Kentucky businesses against Trafficking will work with the business community to help them spot and report human trafficking.

The program includes training materials and videos that partnering businesses can share with their employees.

>> This is going on just under our noses.

>> And it's going on in small towns.

It's going on everywhere.

And I think the best way for us to find this and to specifically find the victims and give them a way out is to go into those small town liquor stores, convenience stores in motels and so forth.

You people are aware this exists.

They see things in the news but they don't know how to help.

And this may be the biggest probably have in society today is people feel bad about all sorts of problems.

They see animal welfare, domestic abuse, you name it and they feel so powerless when we do, we know it's happening.

But had we spot it and what we do about it.

And this is that.

>> According to the U.S. State Department to there are an estimated 27 million victims of trafficking worldwide at any given time since 20.

0, 7, the National Human Trafficking reporting hotline has identified nearly 2500 people as victims right here in Kentucky.

Michael Adams was in Bowling Green Wednesday in support of animal welfare measures.

Secretary Adams attended a check presentation at City Hall where the Humane Society of United States donated $10,000 for outdoor dog shelters.

Animal protection officers are delivering the shelters to those with outdoor pets needing protection from the cold.

Adam says he was glad to see the Kentucky General Assembly passed Athens Law which expanded the definition of animal torture to include neglect.

>> Fortunately, conversation has begun and how we can improve our state animal welfare laws.

But we have a long way to go.

And the first thing that we can use actually catch up before Bowling Green just did, which is to actually require shelters.

We have several cities around the state think it's 10 that have passed ordinances like this.

So what most people of Kentucky to live in cities, they live in rural areas and so that you're not protected.

So I would love to see our legislature catch up to where we are today in Bowling Green.

>> The donation provides for more than 50 outdoor dog shelters.

The Humane Society of the United States support statewide legislation concerning outdoor shelter for pets saying Kentucky is one of only 6 states without that requirement.

A Louisville Democrat in the Kentucky General Assembly has successfully moved from the House to the Senate.

Our June LaFleur caught up with state senator cut or heron before she heads back to Frankfort next month.

♪ ♪ >> It's a key lawmakers are on break until February 4th when the legislative session resumes.

It's the perfect time for Senator Heron to visit more of her district like this local CBD business.

>> Right now today, I'm in district at Cornbread have torn their facility in learning about what they do in their goals in the future.

And so for me, this time is is is learning and getting to know people, whether it's business leaders, whether it's my colleagues or his constituents.

>> Karen has focused on criminal justice issues in and outside of the state house before seeking office.

She advocated for limits on no-knock warrants protections that little billions and Kentuckians now have in office.

She vetted criminal justice legislation while on the House Judiciary Committee.

New topic to explore is business.

>> And so as we know, economics is what makes our community strong.

And so I really look forward to learning more about business.

The business side of government and what I can do to help our business community are large cup of corporations, but also our small businesses.

>> As a newly elected Senator Heron represents more people in a bigger area of Louisville.

In turn, she's taking a seat in a less crowded chamber.

>> Biggest things that's a smaller body.

So you're talking about being one of 38 instead of one of 100.

And I think that there's that's a gift and a curse.

So you have more eyes on you.

I believe that in the Senate because it is a smaller body.

But I also think that because it is smaller, it's an opportunity to build better relationships within the body to hopefully find some common ground to get things done for Kentuckians.

>> Herring did stand out during her 3 years on the packed House floor.

She spoke out time and again against more contentious Republican backed legislation like the Safer Kentucky Act.

She also stands out as just one of the few black state lawmakers and one of the first openly LGBTQ lawmakers when Democrats railed against a proposed Anti dei bill last year, she can speak from experience.

>> And we must.

>> To learn from one another.

We must take the time to learn and understand people's come from.

If we don't learn and understand people's come from, there is no waiting there.

We are going to be able to leave.

And make our commonwealth a better place.

>> Karen says all Kentuckians want the same things that part of her job is to ensure legislation does right by all people.

>> People want to be able to know that they're safe in their communities.

They want to have access to food.

They want to have access to transportation.

They want to have access to education for them and their children.

And to me, that's what this moment is about is ensuring that whatever it is that we do that we do it.

What the mind of justice fairness and equality for all Kentuckians, not for just one group of Kentuckians.

>> Karen joined 6 other Democrats in the Senate.

There are 31 Republican senators.

Karen has filed one bill so far this session that would require more insurance policies to cover annual mental health exams for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Jim LaFleur.

>> Thank you, Jim.

So much hair and replaces Denise Harper Angel as district.

35 states Sen she resigned after 20 years of service.

Kentucky's unemployment rate is up from a year ago.

The state says the jobless rate was 5.2% in December.

That's up 9 tenths of a point from December of 2023.

More than 2 million people in Kentucky have jobs the most ever.

The University of Kentucky Center for Business and Economic Research says more people were also looking for work.

So the unemployment rate went up.

♪ ♪ The University of Kentucky is part of the so-called Libby study named for a late stage dementia patient who's inspired researchers to look at alternative ways to help dementia patients with agitation, anxiety and depression.

Those include ways to use cannabis.

The study looks at THC and CBD compounds found in cannabis and how they can help with dementia.

More on this in tonight's look at medical news >> and like all medicines, we have to go through clinical trials to prove whether or not the medicine actually helps him to make sure that it doesn't have side effects and medical marijuana is really no different.

And so we all know that recently, Kentucky has approved medical Marijuana, Inc, improved for many different conditions.

Bot dementia, comfort care in the later stages of disease is not one of those indications.

And we really do feel that that an oversight that needs to be corrected.

But the Levy study that we're doing is addressing this point directly.

This really is a pivotal study funded by the National Institutes of Health nationwide Multicenter enrolling patients providing medical marijuana to really examine those benefits.

We have very few medicines that actually can allow someone to maintain their quality of life.

And yet experience.

Come for rather than education and medical marijuana may actually be one of those miracle drugs for just this purpose.

We hope to see reductions in depression reductions in anxiety, increased appetite.

I better sleep.

The brain actually has receptors that directly interact and are stimulated by THC tetrahydrocannabinol.

That's in marijuana and that these are tightly tied to anxiety.

Search KET size circuits that can give us a sense of peace when anxiety rises.

And so there's biological evidence that this should work and there have been several early studies in dementia that have actually shown positive benefits in patients with elevated anxiety or education that medical marijuana is extremely safe and extremely effective without knocking somebody out.

We're finding is exactly what was found in the earlier smaller studies.

Excellent safety profile.

Let's not knocking people out.

They're awake.

They're smiling with their families rather than being agitated and combative.

Did when they need to bathe or or or get dressed.

in need assistance for those activities.

They're smiling and laughing where before the study they were miserable crying, fearful and agitated.

So anecdotally we're seeing tremendous benefit.

But the study needs to complete.

Although the study is underway.

Doctor Jessica says they're struggling nationally and in Lexington to find patients for it.

>> Find out more about the study at Libby study Dot org.

Speaking of medical marijuana, the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance kicked off on January first with the mission of helping license holders get their businesses up and running.

A familiar face is leading the alliance.

Former state representative and House Minority Whip Rachel Roberts who retired from the Kentucky General Assembly at the end of last year.

Roberts now serves as the executive director of the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance.

Her job is to oversee support for licenses, sees the cultivators and processors all the way to the dispensaries.

Robert says right now that includes helping cultivators find locations for green houses and connecting businesses with banking partners.

She says the goal of the alliance is to get products to patients in Kentucky as safely and as quickly as possible.

>> I don't expect everybody to be at full capacity any time within the next couple of months.

I think that will be several months down the road.

But I do think that we'll start to see some product coming into.

Spencer is in Kentucky the summer.

>> Roberts also says her group's long-term goal is to expand what diagnoses are permissible to receive medical cannabis.

The current legislation does not permit terminal illness or ALS patients to receive the drug.

We'll hear much more about the Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance tomorrow night on Kentucky EDITION right here on KET.

♪ ♪ What started out as a passion project for Chef Leah Richmond has turned into a fully realized a sit-down restaurant in West Louisville, thanks to a program from one West, a nonprofit working to support commercial growth in the West End neighborhood.

Learn more about how the accelerate program is bringing good business and good food to the West.

And in Louisville.

>> is the name and the exactly is that that is exactly what we sell here is brunch and so food before I moved into ships pays out was actually driving school buses and but I always had the passion of cooking.

>> So when this it work, I was like.

>> Do this anymore.

And I just like step out on faith and I was there for 3 years and I had the opportunity to come to that.

The celebrated program.

This was just like a next step.

I seen that I am roommate space and it was just like, OK, now it's time for me to and that's that's where I'm at now.

We partner with chef space here in Louisville, which is just around the corner.

>> And we work with them to have their graduates have an opportunity to come into their first retail experience.

And we currently have 2 sets pace graduates in our different facilities.

And what we've done is we've created we've taken to a lot of historic buildings, actually and turned them into accelerate the spaces where small businesses can come and have a residency of 2 years and we help them if need be with Iran.

>> Subsidizing that and then the help and then began wrap-around services for professional increase in their businesses.

Most notably accounting marketing and things of that H r most people know that the West and saw extraordinary amount of business bright from the area.

In fact, in 2017, when Wes had the Nielsen group to a steady and are in that study, they found that there is basically over 60 million dollars and leakage from the west end.

>> And that's a huge amount of money leaving the area.

So part of one West job is to recruit businesses here, but also elevate those that exist.

Current.

>> We're like very family oriented.

And we're close with our customers.

You know what I'm saying?

So some people even just come and just sit down and just how to live, even if they're not, you know, just because we won't.

We want to build a community that is a safe space for everyone.

And as long as as well as getting good food.

The next step for these businesses that grow out of.

>> The accelerator is to help them get their permanent location at some point.

And we're hoping to prepare spaces with them or for them so that they can ultimately own sites around the West and parade long term.

So there's a sustainability component to all of this.

>> Well, hope and we kid recreate, you know.

>> The narrative.

>> And brain.

A better outlook in the community.

You know, I want to I want to be able to see.

>> Bardstown Road one day up and down the streets and people just walking freely and feel safe in.

That's really the go.

>> It's significant because most communities they can people can enjoy a place to eat a sit-down restaurant.

And if they don't feel like cooking that they've been working on day, just to be able to grab a meal or sit down with their families and enjoy a good local environment and local culture and good food.

And that's something that we know is imperative to the West.

And it is the history of the West end.

Many of us at some of your greatest restaurants have come out of the west end.

And so we want to elevate that and communicate that to folks and remind people that the West and is the best and the Louisville and then is a great place to come and enjoy the culture.

>> Bronze in Seoul had its soft opening in December.

A plan for a full opening celebration in the spring when it's warm enough to enjoy the patio outside.

♪ >> Starting Saturday, it will be basketball weekend.

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton issued the proclamation Tuesday.

It's billed as a weeklong celebration of Lexington's Rich history of high school and college basketball.

>> This year, Lexington celebrates its 200 and 50th birthday and the mayor says what's more Lexington than basketball?

The week concludes Saturday, February, the first as Kentucky plays Arkansas Rupp Arena.

Monday is international Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The 80th anniversary honoring the millions of lives lost and those who survived the Holocaust.

This weekend, the Louisville Orchestra presents do cause of on Atlantis and opera composed in a concentration camp during World War.

2, our Kelsey Starks explains.

It's Louisville connection.

>> They're Kaiser.

Vaughn.

Atlantis is a piece of art that survived the Holocaust.

It's a very dark parity.

I'm on Hitler or any kind of person power, a dictator type.

And there's a Kaiser and there is there's actually character of deaths.

in the story.

There's so much killing.

There's been war for years and years and years and death decides to go on strike.

He decides he's not going to use tired.

It's not going to kill anybody anymore.

And this creates a real issue for the Kaiser because he doesn't have that power without deaths.

Who is he >> Opera singer Emily all bring plays a cough and the performance part of a love story in the setting of a concentration camp.

>> For peace is a real testament to the power of art.

And the to the power of speaking out against atrocities.

Speaking up for what is right.

>> The opera was written and composed by Victor O'nan and Austrian composer conductor and pianist who wrote the opera while he was being held in that they are in Stott concentration camp during World War.

2, one of the original performers was a 14 year-old violin prodigy.

>> There is a really distinct Louisville connection to this opera because picture Oman wrote printer Asian stock, which was a kind of concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.

And in that camp was a 14 year-old violin prodigy from Czechoslovakia named Paul Kling.

So Paul met Victor as Victor was writing this opera.

And Paul was kind of part of the earliest rehearsals of the opera before the not to guards enterese and start to shut it down.

So Paul Kling Victor Oman and the librettist of the Oppor were all sent to Auschwitz together where unfortunately Victor and librettist died.

The park leading managed to escape when he escaped.

He eventually found his way to Louisville where he was the concertmaster of the Louisville orchestra in the 1950's his escape from Auschwitz when he was kind of finally transferred.

There is apparently they were walking out in the snow that sensibly to their deaths and he managed to kind of break away from the group and fall into the snow to disguise himself as a dead body.

And so he waited for some time while everyone passed in the snow line perfectly still and that he managed to make his way out into the Bowden to Czechoslovakia and back to his hometown and eventually made his way to the United States.

>> In addition to being concertmaster of the Louisville orchestra, Paul KET was also out Island professor and conducted the Louisville Orchestra.

And in fact, many of his students are still performing today.

>> Including Charles Bristol, a violinist with the Louisville Orchestra for the past 49 years.

>> It was wonderful traffic teacher of the true Finns.

The shuttle.

I'm so happy that I got to work with them with 4 have momentum.

I probably would not have been a while.

It was this profession.

>> It's a connection to Louisville and a connection to history.

And it's told in this case with staging that includes images projected from a graphic novel of the story that's called Death strikes.

>> The opera's been done before it was premiered in the 1970's.

But it to my knowledge, has never been done here.

So having this very special connection to Louisville through this opera is something that's really special and really touching here to our community because Paul Kling left such a musical legacy while he was here, you know, not just as the violinist of the orchestra concertmaster of the orchestra, but as a teacher as a mentor to so many young lives of students and so And so he left his mark here in Louisville.

And this officer >> And for Kentucky EDITION, I'm healthy starts >> Thank you.

Cal say the Louisville Orchestra's music director Teddy Abrams conducts DeKeyser Van Atlantis the Saturday at the Kentucky Center is Whitney Hall.

Tickets are still available.

It's a hot occupation and the regional competition is giving young women a chance to show off their skills.

>> Every company, every industry need females in the industry and we're helping them out.

We're getting them know that we're offering them a skill set.

>> How these high schoolers are improving their welding skills outside of the classroom.

That story and more tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

And of course, it's Friday and we'll go inside Kentucky politics as well.

So we hope to see you right back here again at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope that you'll subscribe to our e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips of KET you T Dot Org.

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Stanley.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Thanks for watching and we'll see you again real soon.

Take care.

♪