♪ >> We action tonight after a White House order for federal funding freeze and why that freeze means for Kentucky.

♪ Kentucky Farmers Hope a new farm bill will be good for business.

>> Well, different movements of the trial.

There's yacht is like turning around.

And some young Kentucky ends.

Lauren, the ups and downs of piloting a drone.

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

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, January.

28, I'm Renee Shaw.

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

>> The White House has frozen federal grants and loans.

And tonight there's disagreement about and confusion about who's affected the budget office memo says federal agencies must, quote, temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.

Today, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt talked about who's affected and who isn't.

>> This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration.

Individual assistance.

That includes I'm not naming everything that's included.

But just to give you a few examples, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.

So what is this pause mean?

That means no more funding for illegal dei programs.

That means no more funding for the green new scam that has tapped cost American taxpayers.

10's of billions of dollars in means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies.

No more funding for Green New Deal.

Social engineering policies.

>> But The Associated Press is reporting head start funding frozen in Michigan and 20 states unable to access Medicaid reimbursement systems.

Democrats in Kentuckyian across the nation are blasting the move, saying it could hurt millions of people.

State Senator Kasey Chambers, Armstrong, a Democrat from Louisville, says she's worried about the impact on Kentucky's child Care Assistance program and a statement she said, quote, thousands of working families in Kentucky depend on this program to afford care for their children without child care.

These parents cannot go to work, which means they can support their family and can't contribute to the workforce.

I have heard from people who are scared about what this order and what it means for their family.

End quote, appearing on CNBC this morning, Congressman Andy Barr, a Republican from Kentucky, 6 district, didn't talk about a funding freeze specifically but did talk about the president's overall agenda.

>> Tax cuts will be part of this.

Energy will be part of this increasing our national security so we can have peace through strength.

And yes.

Spending reform so that we can get our deficit under control and send that signal to the Treasury market that we're serious about bringing interest rates down because we're going to put our country back on a sound fiscal footing.

>> President Trump also ordered the United States to withdraw from the world Health Organization and his administration has ordered the CDC to stop working with the who immediately this morning, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear talked about that decision and what it could mean in the event of a future pandemic.

>> I'm thinking about being concerned about the US's withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

You know, we've all been through a pandemic.

How we learn about those things going on throughout the world, the data that helps us to be prepared.

A lot of that comes through the who I just want to make sure we're safe and that where already done that we know what's coming so that if we face anything like that ever again, we can make the right decisions.

>> The governor appeared on CNN also condemning President Trump's suggestion to dissolve FEMA as a bad idea.

The sheriff says FEMA helped coordinate help from other states during Kentucky's floods in 2022.

And he says without FEMA, the state would have to pay more in administrative costs after a disaster.

19 state attorneys general, including Russell Coleman of Kentucky, are criticizing the Costco store chain for continuing its dei Policies.

Dei, of course, stands for diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The 19 released a letter saying Costco should, quote, treat every person equally and based on their merits rather than based on divisive and discriminatory dei practices, unquote.

The letter also cited President Donald Trump's executive order encouraging the private sector to End Dei Preferences.

Costco has defended its dei policy saying a diverse group of employees brings originality and creativity to the company.

Well, what is the future of dei programs?

And Kentucky's colleges and universities?

We talked about it among other topics last night on KET Kentucky tonight, some of the Kentucky General Assembly is leadership.

Talked about the merits of dei.

>> I do think when we saw the election of President Trump, there's right now there's a demand of voters that want to look at this issue and really want to rip this thing apart.

Rip it out of the roots of what's causing a lot of the division's that's occurring because of dei.

So I made sure to see Renee and after the administration has done what they're trying to do with the federal government level eliminates INS offices.

We've seen also in the private sector.

Many businesses now are revoking what they had in place around Anti Dei.

So we're gonna also say in terms of what we may be doing with that percent, Mary, I really can't calming yet about the legislation.

I'm not saying it.

I'm interested to see what it's going to look like and where it goes from.

There.

When we talk about the eye, the subtle undertones.

>> On that is that somehow people off of I love and I decided to set to 60 like it is now after America's somehow getting jobs.

Not because of qualifications because of the color of their skin.

That's the undertone of that.

And that's just frankly, not true.

More importantly, when they D igles just beyond race is not.

It is we are what make it a racial issue.

But it's not a racial issue.

You've got veterans that want to talk about.

You've got people Eastern Kentucky want to talk about yet.

Disabled individuals will talk about.

So should we do things to help with those people and give them a helping hand?

What is the I have to do something?

But look what we have to have.

I net 0 game here next.

One really want to say we do not think that we have to put other people down so we can to KET a certain people.

Certain group pop well enough that everybody would they.

>> Well, you can see more of last night's informative and engaging hour-long discussion.

When we talk about dei.

But we also talk about artificial intelligence, the minimum wage in Kentucky, tax policy and funding for education.

You can watch that whole program online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

Kentucky's constitution still has a slavery exception clause.

There's a move in the Kentucky General Assembly to get rid of it.

But that would require the public's approval House Bill.

121, if passed, would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to strike slavery's legal protections today.

Backers of the bill talked about what's in the Constitution and why they want to change it.

>> Our Kentucky Constitution in article one section.

25 so as slavery and involuntary servitude in the state are prohibited except as punishment for a crime whereof.

The party shall be shall have been.

Duly convicted.

Now note, please, that.

Slavery and involuntary servitude.

According to the UN Declaration of Human Rights or Crimes Against Humanity.

And these are at the core of our criminal justice system in Kentucky.

>> I'm also a formerly incarcerated person that is directly impacted.

Now the involuntary servitude slavery calls not states constitution while incarcerated experience working for wages as low as $0.63 a day.

$12.50 center mall.

And sometimes lesser amount than those.

The presence of the slide.

3 calls.

And involuntary servitude in Kentucky's constitution perpetuates a painful legacy of oppression.

While slight, we may be abolished long ago.

Its lingering presence in our Constitution symbolizes a persistent inequality that could not be ignored.

>> The bill sponsor State Representative George Brown, who you see standing there in the middle of the podium says 9 other states have already made this change and Kentucky needs to be an inspiration to the 40th that haven't end quote.

Last fall.

U.S. lawmakers delay the passage of the farm national piece of legislation designed to support farmers, wildlife preservation and nutritional programs with a new administration in office.

The Kentucky Farm Bureau is pushing to support the passage of a new modern farm bill along with funding for several programs to support Kentucky farmers.

>> The expenses on our farms just seem to KET increasing and increasing.

>> Labor costs go up.

You know, the times fuel prices go up.

So there's a lot of challenges that we face on.

The farm bill encompasses more than just farm programs.

You know, I think this farm bill is going probably by the first time that it will try.

It will top 1.5 trillion dollars over 10 year period, period.

That sir, that's a big number.

But 82% of those funds don't go to agriculture.

82 1% of those funds go to the programs like the SNAP program and the WIC program.

So all those are important to us because we do for produce food.

So we want to take care of those things today.

But out of all that program, less than that, the 18% is what comes to all those programs for farmers that are out there for crop insurance and the things that we have to be like to see reference prices update.

>> To meet the current situation that we have, you know, we went through a period of some very good years.

Our expenses increased that the crowd values were a little bit better.

Now we, though, are the crop prices have come down?

The market has come down some of those expenses haven't come down quite as fast as the market has pushed far from the ag side of it.

>> The insurance, the commodity in church, this provided for them, obviously, right is in the farm bill.

That's very important to us.

We've got a lot of stock in for me as a cow calf producer, a background singer.

We know right now about 100 head of cattle.

>> It's gonna cost you about 150,000 to $200,000 just to buy So there's a lot of risk there.

So this Chris Protection that is offered through the farm bill that's very says livestock producers and there's other, you know, interest from other commodities are solely these corn growers, tobacco, everything like that.

So it's extremely important in the last census of agriculture that came out.

>> We lost 6500 farmers and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

And we lost over 500,000 acres of farmland.

That's just not sustainable.

The average size farm in the state of Kentucky is 179 acres.

So we're losing almost one and a half arms every day here in Kentucky.

And that's just not sustainable for our number one priority is the farmland transition initiative that we're working on.

>> And trying to see if we can get some legislation on the federal level to where we can try to protect this farmland and stop the loss of it and keeping in an active farmers hands.

You know, if a farmer owns that land once he gets it paid for, he's more profitable.

And I think is we want to get young people into agriculture.

Think we have to find a way to get them to be more profitable.

Bomb blast.

I have 3 children.

>> In all the sun has taken an interest in the barmy stronger farmer full-time with me on a bill to pass on farming operation of stay in our culture.

Which, you know, I've got friends and neighbors.

>> The farm and and love farming and love our culture just like I do and love the land.

They've worked their whole life to take care of that land and leave it better than the way they found it.

And I want to see it stay in agriculture.

>> I don't want to see houses or development.

Coming up.

So, you know, with this Kentucky farmland, transition initiative that work.

>> Working on through Farm Bureau report.

Our idea is a way to try to get that farm that farmland into an active farmers hands with a billion farmer and active farmer that somebody to see it stay in our culture events, leave the family.

>> Some of Kentucky Farm Bureau's other priorities for 2025.

Includes supporting international trade and increasing role development for Kentucky's farmers.

The dare to care.

Food Bank says that 13% of the people in Jefferson County are food, insecure among kids.

It's 22%.

The plan called Louisville's Food Vision 2030, times to get fresh food to people who need it.

>> We realize there is a really bad disconnect between food and people.

And with Kentucky being a huge agriculture state.

We can't let that happen in war.

>> The mission is to pretty much take the branches of the government and let them know there's a lack there should be no reason.

I'm as much beautiful access.

We have to produce and the beautiful farmers that we have here in the state.

There's no reason that anyone should go without food.

Food just as is pretty much why we're around.

Why the food councils around is to make sure that people aren't being denied.

Fresh food.

People are being denied food, period.

There's so many vacant areas in the city.

We're food can be grown.

So we are digging into the policies of have to released the red tape off of in the political aspect of owning land.

There's so many of a hit space is green spaces around and people just don't and not do anything with it.

So we're trying to eliminate that bureaucratic mess.

That's all it is.

So, you know, people are hungry.

People need to be when you have a green space in a neighborhood where there's no grocery store anywhere for Miles, we've put food there so people can walk up the street and harvest of engine and take home.

The defense.

So that's that's the number one they're really tapping into people always had the vision in their mind that they didn't know how to go forward.

And then we also introduce new people like the younger generation because we need that young bought it out here.

Get the work done.

It's all full circle.

So we had the food vision.

Crew members and the council are trying to connect and greet body involved with fully within this city within this county was starting with this count next.

We're going for the state next.

We're going for the war.

>> Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg declared December 4th 2020 for Food Vision 2030, day.

Fayette County's public school superintendent will stay on the job last night.

The Fayette County Board of Education voted 3 to 2 to renew the contract for Superintendent Dimitris Liggins.

The new agreement runs through the end of the 2028 29 school year.

In a statement board chair Tyler Murphy praise Leganes for leading the district to historic growth while putting students first.

Some of Lincoln's as detractors circulated a petition asking the board not to renew his contract.

There was also a petition supporting Leganes.

♪ Another milestone from a field after the 2021.

Tornado and critics of a proposed Letcher County prison take action.

Our Toby Gibbs has more in tonight's look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> A group opposed to a plan prison in Letcher County is buying 63 acres of land within the area where the prison is supposed to be built.

The Kentucky Blanchard reports the Appalachian Rekindling Project for a R p describes itself as a woman led indigenous building and land restoration Roof.

It says it wants to provide, quote and alternative for the harms of incarceration on one, a prison in mature county has been a longtime goal of Congressman Hal Rogers.

In a statement, he says the AARP is a group led by Kentucky outsiders and liberal extremist.

The bully violent criminals should run free.

Well, a new presidential administration stopped the Brent Spence Corridor project in northern Kentucky after taking office.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order telling federal agencies to pause the release of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a primary source of money for the 3.6 billion Dollar Bridge Project.

Brent Cooper, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce tells Link Nky.

There's no indication the bridge project is on hold.

But he also said, quote, We really don't know, unquote.

Governor Andy Beshear is office notes that President Trump has already promised to build a companion bridge to the Brent Spence Bridge last week, Mayfield celebrated the grand reopening of its post office after it was badly damaged in the December 2021.

Tornado.

The old post office has been around since 1910.

The Duke us and says what remained of the old post office was used as a foundation for the rebuilt version.

Builders retained as many of the original elements as possible for the new post office in the city used a temporary location on Paris Road while the work took place.

Marion County is now on to a fleet of drones WKU Public Radio says the drones will be used on search and rescue missions, recovery operations and damage assessments.

Lincoln National Bank donated $150,000 for the drawings will be operated by Marion County.

Emergency Management.

We'll also be used to be 7 other counties in the Lincoln Trail.

Area Development District.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I totally get.

♪ >> It was a disaster.

Turned into a tourist attraction, Bowling Green gained worldwide attention when a sinkhole swallowed 8 cars at the National Corvette Museum.

Back in 2014 while no other same goals of earned that level of fame.

It's a common problem in a city that just sits 40 miles from Mammoth Cave.

The city has hired a professional geologist to oversee sinkhole repairs and help prevent further destruction.

Our Lauren Rogers joined him on a recent project.

>> It may just about anywhere in town any given minute that certainly the case when your professional geologist in a city well accustomed to seeing Colts sinkholes are about 50% of my time today.

Nick Lawn is overseeing a project and the Briarwood neighborhood of Bowling Green.

We will.

>> Analyze pretty much every bucket of dirt that comes out of here looking to see are we doing in the right place?

Have we dug deep enough that we can start to backfill with rock and replace the unstable, slow material.

That was originally a 12 foot sinkhole is now 40 feet deep.

>> Its crews dig out the unstable soil down to the bedrock.

>> This one here has been rather more difficult to large escalation.

>> Page says this site has been more challenging because utilities have been in the way.

We've had a water line, gas line.

Fiber optics.

And the set goes directly underneath and sinkholes can be a problem for infrastructure and commercial development.

>> It presents design challenges for engineering firms.

It presents Management challenge is for anybody building anything as the city geologist Nick Lawn looks at development plans working to identify any potential issues like sinkholes are cave systems that may pose a risk.

>> Just about any where we've got limestone or dolomite close to the surface, you're going to have concerns with sinkholes.

You're gonna have concerns with a very fragile ground water system that could be easily polluted.

>> The mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky is believed to have more than 10,000 case.

>> It's just such a big camera system in Bowling Green, their cinco, therefore they form when rain water seeps through cracks in the limestone sinkholes are the point at which that water gets down into the ground.

This neighborhood is familiar with the disruption.

A sinkhole sits about 50 feet from another one that opened up back in September is louder than normal.

When you have equipment running, we have dump trucks coming in.

Now people are having to find other ways around.

>> Changing their routes to school mail carrier has to go around and at a couple of quarters of a mile to his route, that kind of thing.

>> The crew is currently flushing water into the sinkhole to see how it drains.

Expect the project to be completed sometime next week.

We're Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

>> Thank you, Laura.

The city geologist says sinkholes can collapse over time or be triggered by whether such as a lot of rain after a dry period or from vibrations due to new construction.

♪ A tiny aircraft are buzzing their way into Frankfort as the Franklin Center for Innovation recently launched the Drone Flight School.

It helps young people who want to take to the skies, get basic flight training and work their way up to becoming a certified drone pilot.

>> Drone pilots are in very high demand and it's growing more as industries adopt drone technologies.

So yes, there is a shortage.

One of the hurdles is finding pass that are certified.

And through the FAA.

One of the rules is if you're doing anything that makes money with a drone, you have to be certified.

The friend was information or fcf.

I it's a nonprofit for education that focuses on community activities.

Senator around creativity, exploration and learning.

We have a group of folks.

>> That me what we're calling drone club.

And they're working.

And a study group to study for their pass last.

So that's when it will get really exciting for me when we have some license positive come out of our program.

The biggest thing with drones is and people realize this.

You can I see your past lessons at 60.

So we're trying to work with high school students.

Really anybody that wants to to help them get certified.

So we're focused on helping them learn the terminology.

And everything they need to pass the tests.

The course today will be 4th through 8th graders.

And we're working with the program from drone legends called STEM fundamentals.

So today we why should be fighting fires, which is for news.

We're there right now.

♪ >> To put out fake fire us fake fires.

So we had like these little fuzzy balls and 3 D ups that snaps onto that.

Hello.

>> put to the ball.

>> The different movements of the drone.

There's yacht is like turning around it.

>> There's role.

>> Which is for an impact for follow up and down.

>> These young people are from every.

Whether that be you graphically it's ugly and 3, it's a bridge.

For a lot of young people.

Its an underdog introduction to technology that wasn't available to them for you.

Think.

Very exciting for me.

>> It's a great learning opportunity, especially if they have a drone and they don't have to fly it >> its >> a way to to stem kind of accidents.

Alum.

They're not even realizing that it's happening.

The more we can help them with the science technology, engineering and mathematics, the more they're able to go into.

The job market prepared.

>> There are jobs out there repair and the technology advancements and a lot of those other things that that are coming with.

The technology has a rose.

>> The drone flight school was made possible by a grant from Morehead State University stem excellent school.

Now an update to a story we brought you earlier.

A federal judge has now blocked President Trump's federal funding.

Freeze.

More on that tomorrow.

And did you know that the words we use to describe our emotions can change how we express them.

>> It's easy to see when we get emotional.

Look over there versus look over there.

All those changes represent emotionality and linguistics.

>> Tomorrow we talked to a University of Louisville scientists helping to develop a more universal language to talk about our feelings.

We'll talk about that tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

Of course, you know, it's at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope you'll connect with us all the ways you see on your screen.

Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop and send us a story idea and public affairs at KET Dot Org.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thanks for watching.

See tomorrow night.

♪