>> Word this event is devastating.

>> And I do believe that wind up being one of the most significant.

>> Deadly floods hit me up.

And in Kentucky, the state very own.

>> Flooding causes death and damage and eastern Kentucky.

And it's not over yet.

We've got.

>> Places where we have hung where people don't have enough to eat and certainly don't have the right things.

T. >> The White House gets involved in a campaign to make sure there's enough food in your house.

>> Are you in New York at the present I >> and we remember a forgotten star on the silver screen from the Bluegrass State.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Thursday, July 28th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your evening with OSS.

Kentucky copes with another deadly destructive natural disaster as rain causes massive flooding and death in parts of eastern Kentucky.

And there's concern more rain tonight will make things worse.

Governor Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency allowing the use of state resources, including the Kentucky National Guard and 6 counties have declared their own emergencies breath it.

Clay Floyd lecture Owsley and Pike counties, the damage and deaths are not limited to those 6.

The death toll is now 3 with 2 deaths and Perry County, including an 81 year-old woman.

There's another death confirmed and not county.

The governor fears the death toll could go to the double digits.

High waters have covered roads and forced crews to rescue people from their homes.

And the rescuers are often the victims themselves and breath of county waters flooded a volunteer fire station, FEMA and the National Guards and West Virginia and Tennessee are already helping another 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected tonight.

And there are worries that hundreds of homes could be lost.

>> In a this event is devastating.

And I do believe it will end up being one of the most significant.

Deadly floods that we have had in Kentuckyian at least a very long time.

We're going to be a lot of people out there that need our help.

There's going to be a lot of people that are going to be displaced.

And this is yet another disaster that is going to take some time to rebuild.

But I want folks, even though they're folks waiting to be rescued right now.

And to know is will be there for him to die.

We talk about the resources that are bring being brought to bear.

We're going to be there for them once they're safe.

Once they start thinking about what's next as well.

So so we have.

>> Not just in all of state government response, but we've got governmental response from our neighboring stage for my brothers and sisters in the adjacent National Guard stage from other organizations that are even beyond that.

The commonwealth's orders.

And once again, I know I'm being redundant, but this is to get ahead of that resource wise that we have the capability of addressing whatever the situation on the ground warrants right now, but also being a head of that situation for the next.

24.

48 plus hours.

>> I know people are seeing the pictures.

Seeing the videos.

And they are.

Gut wrenching.

They're hard to watch what I can tell you.

Why we KET getting hit here in Kentucky.

I wish I could tell you why the areas where people may not have that much continue to get it and lose everything.

Can't give you the wind.

But I know what we do in response to it.

The answer is everything we can.

These are our people.

Let's make sure we help them out.

>> The governor also announced the creation of an eastern Kentucky relief on similar to the Western Kentucky relief and that help victims of last December's tornadoes.

As we mention, 2 of the 3 confirmed deaths from the flooding disaster were in Perry County.

We spoke to Perry County Emergency Management director Jerry Stacey earlier today.

He said there have been 200 to 300 rescues in the county in the last 12 to 14 hours and that the search and rescue efforts continue.

>> Sits in very dramatic here in our The last.

12 years, 14 or suspend the rule.

Then I'm like anything I've ever seen.

It's still a fluid situation.

We're still dealing with the rescue missions right now.

That's that's our primary focus From vehicles to So trees literally.

it's it's kind of run the gamut.

A lot of different situations that the flooding that you would run into.

We some search and rescue teams coming from from different areas to of all for our volunteer for apartments that.

We know several members of this revolt here for 4 months that have.

Swift water training.

Our guys have been non stop and they are still out there in rescue boat and so, you know, and we get through that then, you know, we'll move on to.

Start looking at a recovery.

And whatever else we've got, the 2.

Move forward.

>> Stacey said the Kentucky National Guard is in Perry County and is assisting with the recovery efforts.

The Kentucky National Guard also performed rescues and graphic county where many became trapped as flood water swiftly moved in.

This is video from Jackson where the Brevard County Courthouse downtown was turned into a temporary shelter for those who were displaced by the flash flooding.

Officials believe hundreds have been forced from their homes due to the flooding.

We talked to one man who said he went to sleep thinking there was nothing to worry about but woke up to water surrounding his home.

>> I thought where are the core now?

The forecast yesterday, but >> I don't think we're even.

Close to having a major flood like this last.

Not so I went to bed and slept pretty sound until about 5 this morning.

My brother and I knocked on the door and I thought someone was trying to break.

And so we've got out and started.

>> The started getting stuff move to higher ground that we could grab easy.

>> I would say it's getting in our floor now, I would say and it's that's coming up about 6 inches an hour or something.

>> I'm hoping that, Chris, before it goes in much higher.

>> Boeing said even though he lost a lot of the flight, he still believes he's lucky because many of his neighbors lost everything.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell tweeted this today, quote, My prayers are with the families in eastern Kentucky facing heavy floods, mudslides and power outages.

This week, my team is in close contact with local officials and I'm ready to provide any help.

I can thank you to the first responders who are helping Kentuckians stay safe.

Congressman Hal Rogers tweeted this, quote in the midst of devastating storms like this, our first responders face daunting search and rescue efforts.

I deeply appreciate the heroic work of our Kentucky Guard and first responders across the state.

Thank you for the ongoing efforts to get Eastern Kentucky INS to safety today.

Earlier this afternoon during an interview with House Speaker David Osborne.

I asked him for his reaction to the Eastern Kentucky floods after he had spoken earlier to the governor's senior adviser, Rocky Adkins about the situation.

>> It's just tragic.

And, you know, it's certainly in an area the state that is as same one natural disaster after another was talking to Rocky Adkins about it earlier.

And the early reports are just devastating and I know there's a lot of people and certainly we will.

I know the governor's declared a state of emergency to make the emergency resources available.

We obviously support that will do anything we can to to expedite aid to the area.

>> You don't have to come back into session to be able to do that correctly.

Do.

If if the >> the state issued state of emergency extends beyond a certain period we may.

the legislation we passed regarding that, also, those local officials to request that state of emergency, which would that pass the U.S. needing to do anything?

>> We will continue to follow the situation in eastern Kentucky will have more on it tomorrow on Kentucky Edition.

Our thoughts are with that region.

Rain over the past week has caused a decline and drought conditions in many parts of Kentucky, but not all.

Let's look at the map from a week ago.

This was the map completed on July 19th.

Now yellow means abnormally dry.

Brown means moderate drought and orange means severe drought.

Now let's look at the map completed 2 days ago, July.

26 some of the brown areas have turned yellow and some of those yellow areas have turned white.

And that's good.

But things have not improved.

And western Kentucky with the drought is still severe.

Notice an area of red in parts of Callaway in Graves, County that indicates extreme drought.

A new development today involving Kentucky's abortion trigger law.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron has filed an appeal of a Jefferson Circuit court judge's decision preventing the trigger law from going into effect while the law moves through the courts, lawmakers passed a trigger law in 2019 so that abortion would automatically become illegal if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade decision?

Well, the court did overturn Roe on June 24th, but the ACLU Planned Parenthood and the Emw Women's Surgical Center Sue to stop the trigger law from going into effect.

Cameron is also appealing the block on the six-week abortion ban.

Also known as the heartbeat law.

Unemployment went down and 119 of Kentucky's 120 counties from June of 2021. to June of this year.

That's according to new numbers released by the state today, the jobless rate stayed the same in Robertson County.

The lowest unemployment rate was in Oldham County at 3.1%.

The highest was in Magoffin County at 12.1%.

The unemployment rate for the state as a whole was 3.7% down from 4.8% a year ago.

The 2018 farm bill allowed for an explosion of hemp production across the country.

Now Congress is considering what changes it should make to help help regulations for the 2023 Farm Bill, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles testified today to a Washington panel about hit production in the state.

And what changes would help farmers.

KET Casey Parker-bell reports on what would help to help industry continue to grow.

>> If we had asked me what the biggest issue facing him today, it would be this a lot of direction from the FDA.

>> As Congress begins work on the 2023 Farm Bill, they're asking questions about how to change regulations for the hemp industry.

Kentucky is a national leader in hemp production and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee in Washington today.

>> That clear direction from the FDA regarding products containing hemp-derived CBD.

Large retailers not to receive the products and many business leaders are reluctant to move forward with the development and manufacturing of these products.

Hemp was first grown in Kentucky in 17.

75.

>> It was outlawed in 1937, when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, Kentucky farmers could again grow hemp after the passage of the 2018 farm bill.

But production is highly regulated.

Eric W*** is the CEO of Fiber Hemp production and research company with a presence in Georgetown, Kentucky.

He says the lack of regulation has hurt farmers and consumers.

Farmers are not the only ones who've been negatively impacted by this regulatory uncertainty.

>> Consumers have also been impacted.

Bad actor sell products without appropriate and mislead consumers.

But false label claims.

Furthermore, some struggling farmers and businesses more recently have pivoted to market in talks getting products as she dealt a THC, which has rightfully prompted the FDA and CDC warnings that they pose significant consumer health and safety risk.

Currently the U.S. Department of Agriculture only allows for 0.3% level of THC in hemp.

>> THC is the mind altering chemical found in the cannabis plant.

Their proposals to increase the THC level allowed in hemp crops.

And commissioner corals says increasing the threshold for THC could allow for better research opportunities >> we at Nas that actually passed the policy half wall, the State Department of Agriculture a couple years ago that would advocate for increased one percent.

He did see, we think.

But after a lot of conversations with law enforcement as well as those on the ground producing the crop and in the labs testing, you that raising its one would allow for us to have a little bit more flexibility.

Prickly on the research.

And tonight it's.

>> The farm bill regulates agriculture and food policy across the country.

The 2018 farm bill that allows him production will expire in 2023. for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker-bell.

>> Thank you, Casey.

On the U.S. Senate floor, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky discuss the recent rise in overdose deaths blaming Democrats for a breakdown in law and order that he says is contributing to the problem.

>> In Twenty-twenty overdose deaths in the Commonwealth increased nearly 50% from the year prior reach an all 1964.

Then last year we broke that record again.

Recording 2,250 overdose deaths.

14.5% are.

That in 2020?

Remember as of this past January 2 years into the pandemic found all alone.

Had killed more Americans age 18 to 45?

Then the coronavirus.

That's not even all overdoses.

That's just so low.

>> Senator McConnell says many of these drugs come through America's southern border and he blamed Democrats saying they have failed to secure the border.

With COVID cases increasing and Jefferson County in the Red Zone.

The Jefferson County Public School system is requiring masks again for anyone inside a school building.

Governor Beshear was asked today about how schools should handle the mass question when students return to class in the next few weeks.

>> We've got to allow our school systems, the flexibility to KET kids in school.

And if you are in a red zone, it is very likely that COVID could spread so quickly through your school that you would not be able to be in person during certain days.

Our goal always has to bay as many days in person as possible and giving school districts the flexibility, the flexibility to require masks when they believe that that's what it will take to KET people in.

He's really important.

And I want to make support the school systems that are doing it.

>> In other news involving the governor, he says he will not be attending the western Kentucky Fancy Farm picnic on August 6th.

He announced last week he would be visiting Israel at that time.

He provided more details today.

He says it's an official visit, not just a personal vacation.

He says he will be there with other governors.

They will meet with Israeli leaders and possibly the leaders of other countries.

He says he will also be meeting with companies that could do business with Kentucky.

He says the date of the trip was not flexible.

We're learning more about who else will be at the speaking at the Fancy Farm picnic this year.

You'll hear from 4 Republican candidates for governor in 2023.

Commissioner Ryan Quarles Auditor, Mike Harmon, Attorney General Daniel Cameron and State Representative Savannah Maddox State Democratic Party Chair Colmon Eldridge will also be speaking and House Speaker David Osborne is the emcee this time.

Senator Rand Paul says he will be there if the U.S. Senate is in recess.

His Democratic opponent Charles Booker will also be speaking.

Senator Mitch McConnell's appearance is described as, quote, pending.

You can see full coverage of the Fancy Farm picnic on KET on Kentucky edition and on comment on Kentucky Friday, August, the 5th live coverage of the speech is all day Saturday afternoon and then we'll recap it for show on Monday.

August 8th at 08:00PM Eastern Time, 7 Central and place of Kentucky tonight.

♪ ♪ One out of every 8 Kentucky ends faces hunger every day.

That's according to Feeding America, the Community Farm Alliance and the Foundation for a healthy Kentucky are working with the White House to make sure Kentucky hands are just fed but Fed well, I talked to leaders of both of those groups yesterday about a new anti hunger Nutrition and health initiative.

>> I think the ultimate at least Congress passed the appropriation bipartisan back in March was to create a road map to eliminate hunger and better nutrition by 2030, years is pretty ambitious I mean, it's really encouraging because the federal government is he's doing something about an issue that everybody has known about for quite quite wow.

And it's only, you know, this administration that is finally, you know, said what's going to do something about it.

>> Hunger in Kentucky is a serious issue for both adults and children.

What we know about how many Kentuckians face hunger on a regular basis?

Yeah.

And I think, you know, the experts and in Kentucky on hunger is feeding Kentucky, It's like one in face food, insecurity.

In Kentucky.

And you know, and I think the thing to be clear about theirs, there's food insecurity, which is largely Khoury base right.

And then there's nutritional security.

We can actually get.

>> A lot of food, but sometimes are star for nutrition.

And I mean, again, this, you know, this White House conference on on Hunger, Nutrition health.

Last one was 50 years ago, right?

So, you know, we have been working on a 50 year old playbook for that.

And then in American agriculture, you know, for 80 years we have been, you know, focused on producing.

Calories as cheap as possible.

And we've gotten very good at that right.

And in some ways this these issues of diabetes, you obesity and other nutrition, they said it's kind of caught up to us.

And I you know, I think this with with this White House conference and then, you know, as a nation working on the next farm bill.

And I think it's a great opportunity to really look at, you know, our food and how it's grown, where it comes from.

And and work together to address these issues.

Right?

>> The White House has put together a task force, very high level task force.

And we're lucky to have one of our own on Martin but it it's a task force.

It's going to look at the problems that we've gotten this kind of country surrounding hunger and nutrition basically health, you know, and and our foundation, the foundation for a healthy Kentucky, of course, is interested in health that that's what we're all about.

nutrition has an enormous amount to do with it.

And we've really got too pretty major problems here.

We've got places where we have hunger, where people don't have enough to eat and certainly don't have the right things to be right.

And then we got in addition to that, people who got plenty, the but whether you're on the head.

>> Yeah, they're not.

Well, Fed will know they're they're eating things that have high caloric content and very little nutrition.

It has ramifications, serious ramifications in particular for for the health of the public.

You know, the United States military can even people the 2, they can't get enough recruits into the military who can pass a physical exam because people are so heavy in this country and it's costing us millions and millions and millions of dollars in health care costs.

They were all having the pack.

>> After a couple of listening sessions in Kentucky, the foundation for a healthy Kentuckyian the Community Farm Alliance will forward their policy recommendations on to the White House.

♪ Final story for tonight.

Louisville, born actress I rained on was the daughter of a Steamboat inspector and a concert pianist and her dream as a young girl in Kentucky was to become an opera singer.

That dream didn't come true.

But luckily for us, she eventually became one of the most sought after movie stars of her era.

She was nominated for an incredible 5 Academy Awards.

And it's easy to understand how she came to earn the nickname, the first lady of Hollywood.

>> Come in Mystery and sign in the.

>> Irene Dunne was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 18.

98.

So she came from fairly humble origins.

But her career was long.

Her career was buried.

She worked in a number of different genres.

>> And she >> got a lot of accolades.

She was nominated for Best actress 5 times.

>> As Greta Garbo ever been, remember her and hiring and in spite of her 5 academy nominations for best actress never received one, but her response to that was.

Greta Garbo never received an Oscar and she's a legend.

>> What was really wonderful about her appearance on on.

What's my line is just how how light and easy going.

She could be really get a of her ability to to charm.

Are you in New York at the present I have >> also ventured into comedy.

>> I would say that she had an extraordinary delivery.

You can see that in her comedies.

Now that I have this, you need >> You know, part of the mall, what I'd really like.

Not a >> It's unfortunate that she's not remembered as much as some of the famous movie stars from this period.

She certainly is not as famous as Cary Grant, for instance, with whom she starred in multiple films.

My name is on it.

>> Years was robbed and shot.

I believe ♪ >> these comedies took a topical issues of the day, including such issues as divorce and remarriage.

The philosopher Stanley Cavell identified the screwball comedy, the comedy of remarriage, specifically as an important moment in the development of a gender parity in In the 1930's 40's and Irene Dunne was absolutely central to those pictures.

♪ >> I'm not to have another >> I said thank you very What I meant.

>> I KET what a dramatic actor.

♪ >> I'm not in love with you.

I thought I was, but I'm not.

>> For Irene and I think the camera is an adored and loved her.

That when it sees her beauty, it shows that wholesome goodness within her.

>> You know, it's a funny thing.

Some people.

Seem when you dream about maybe a bit.

But huge in a year.

You're even prettier than to be a bad thing.

And not every minute of good about.

>> You can see great stories like that on Kentucky life that airs each Saturday at 8 Eastern right here on KET.

We will continue to follow the devastating floods that hit Eastern Kentucky overnight.

We have just learned from the governor that the death toll is now up to 8.

There's concern more rain is on the way tonight.

The latest on the disaster tomorrow night on Kentucky.

Addition in our thoughts are with those suffering there.

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

We hope you'll subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips at KET KET Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

>> And follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

And you're also welcome to follow me on Twitter at Renee K E T. Thank you so very much for spending some of your evening with us.

I hope to see you again tomorrow night at 6.30, eastern right here on KET.

Take really good care.

♪ ♪