♪ >> Are things getting better in the Kentucky town?

That's low on water.

It's a familiar sight in American schools.

Students with backpacks.

Why you won't see it in one Kentucky County.

>> Well, it's fantastic.

They've been through so much.

And it happened just before Christmas to you and we've been through so much.

>> Santa Claus is braving the July heat in Kentucky to help the first lady and governor bring Christmas cheer to tornado victims.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the Kaye E T and Aument for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the Kaye E Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for joining us this Friday, July, >> as a judge considers the future of Kentucky's trigger law banning abortion.

President Biden took executive action today to protect access to reproductive services throughout the U.S. the President's executive order will expand access to contraception work.

Why are more public education about abortion?

Encourage more legal support for women seeking abortions and urge more privacy for patients seeking health care services.

President Biden also urged abortion rights supporters to organize and vote in November's midterm elections.

>> Some mixed COVID.

No news for Kentucky this Friday.

A new map shows the number of counties with high COVID case numbers has declined.

It's now 37 counties.

You can see those counties are here in red.

It was 43 a week ago.

But the overall case numbers have increased, as we told you Wednesday, the state's positivity rate is close to 16% up to around 13% a week ago.

Doctors including public Health Commissioner Steven Stack of told us the numbers are probably higher since so many people are testing at home.

People in Marion and Crittendon County need to boil their water or use bottled water for cooking and drinking.

The town is faced a water shortage because of a levee failure that forced the draining of Lake George.

The town's main water reservoir heat and low rainfall are making matters worse.

People were asked to cut back on water, use City Administrator Adam Ledford says as people cut back water flow slowed through pipelines and that made it harder to maintain safe chlorine levels because of that, a boil water advisory is necessary yesterday Governor Andy Beshear discussed what the state is doing to help Marion with this water shortage.

>> Bottled water is being brought in in distributed 3 days a week for both drinking and cooking National Guardsman bring in tankers of water from nearby rivers and adding into bold city like that is the backup.

That's that's being The main reservoir was like George.

So the National Guard's been bringing in tankers and we have 3 tanker trucks for tanker trucks.

And I think 2000 gallons or around of peace and they've been dumping it in the backup like, if you will, to try to battle.

It least evaporation.

I think we've done a little bit better, but it's gotten I'm yesterday.

Private haulers who will ultimately be taking over for the National Guard also began trucking in drinking water.

The city's collection.

they have greater capacity.

Then the guards tankers.

And this is.

You know, a step in the right direction.

>> The governor also says Marion is getting 144,000 gallons of water a day from the Crittenton, Livingston Water District.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky talk policy and politics during a stop yesterday in Somerset.

According to the Commonwealth Journal, Paul praised a recent Supreme Court decision limiting the EPA has power to curb emissions from power plants.

He said he hopes the ruling stops other government agencies from overstepping their authority.

He also said he can't imagine President Biden running for reelection.

He says there's a good chance.

Former President Donald Trump role one again.

But he says he's not sure Trump could win.

Paul said, quote, the difficulty Trump has is how many people do you know that don't have an opinion of Donald Trump.

That's sort of the problem that there are people in the middle and you need to persuade them of your ideas, unquote.

Senator Mitch McConnell's office denies a deal is in place for President Biden to nominate a conservative Republican to a federal judgeship in eastern Kentucky.

The Courier Journal reported that as part of the deal to nominate Chad Meredith, Senator McConnell would allow other Biden appointees.

The newspaper now McConnell spokesperson who says that, quote, That's false information.

Governor Andy Beshear has been very critical of Meredith who work for both Governor Matt Bevin and Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

The sheriff says Meredith was involved in Governor Bevin's last-minute pardons of rapists and murderers.

Yesterday.

The governor again call for the president to abandon plans to nominate Meredith.

Senator McConnell is reacting to the assassination in Japan, a former Prime Minister, Shinzo In a tweet, Senator McConnell says, quote, horrified by the assassination of Prime Bay.

A remarkable global leader and stalwart friend of the United States prime for his family and for the people of Japan.

Police say a gunman shot at bay from behind as he delivered a campaign speech.

The U.S. created 372,000 jobs in June.

According today's unemployment report from the Commerce Department, that's more jobs than most analysts expected.

The unemployment rate remained at 3.6%.

The most recent Kentucky numbers are when the jobless rate was 3.8%.

The lowest since records have been kept.

Knox County schools have banned backpacks for middle and high school students.

The school system says it's to stop students from hiding items in backpacks and because of other safety concerns.

That's what school spokesperson Frank Shelton told the Lexington Herald-Leader Shelton says after mass shootings at schools and other public gatherings, a ban on backpacks eliminates one way a student could bring some weapons and to a building.

It's unlikely time of year for a visit from Santa but Christmas parties were held across Kentucky today.

First Lady Britainy Beshear and Governor Andy Beshear hosted Christmas in July.

Events in the communities hit hard by December's deadly tornadoes.

It was an opportunity to give more of the toys and gifts left over from the first lady's Christmas toy Drive.

That began right after the tornadoes hit.

What's your name?

It's OK, I mean, and the nice to meet you.

>> We decide.

We just come by here in Bowling Green and visit with the children that were devastated from the tornadoes U.S. and now we're going to happen this >> We see a whole lot of joy and for kids and their parents that have been through one of the worst days imaginable.

>> A real trauma in the difficulty of rebuilding, even with all the help out there to just back one.

Good day after another cap, 2 Christmases and the course of one year to to have a presence and pizza ice cream.

It's a pretty special day for the kids.

And then you see folks have been through what they have smile and a special one little girl said she left the House for Christmas socially.

>> Understandably, we have again.

Okay.

When?

>> She called for that toy drive.

Still remember the day we announced that and emotions still.

So Raul at that remember when she looked at me and she said they didn't just lose their Christmas toys, they lost all their toys and then just seeing the outpouring of love for the most successful toy drive.

We have ever seen a more toys.

You can do it.

that we can even get out for for one This is the extras that we had in the warehouse that we now get to give all these kids another good day.

>> We and I got a teddy bear and a seal and I got this site slime things.

>> We hope these gifts provide help.

Were you a little extra to way recovery efforts continue to serve as a reminder that Turkey is here for you every step of the way.

I'm just.

>> Thankful to take a little time in the middle of the summer, kind of in our down time to come visit with the families and children.

Give them a bright spot in the summertime.

Maybe kind of get them thinking toward Christmas.

Maybe they'll have a happy Christmas this year.

The miles.

>> There's a lot of people here.

>> I mean, this thing came through right around Christmas time last year they had to celebrate this placed in a hotel room or state park.

Just imagine if they could be back.

>> In their own home by Christmas this year that the about the best gift that anybody's going to pray for it.

♪ >> What a special event earlier this year Quintez Brown was charged with the attempted murder of Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.

His bond was set at $100,000.

A charitable bill organization called the Louisville Community Bail Fund pay the bond, allowing him to be released.

That caused an uproar in Frankfurt and led to propose legislation that would limit how charitable bell organizations operate.

The bill didn't pass, but the Legislature is still considering it.

Our Casey Parker-bell detail do details what the lawmakers are working on.

>> Sometimes we at the bail project are the only lifeline available to someone who is too poor to afford bail.

That is set for them.

>> Leaders from the bail project Louisville testified about their work to legislators yesterday.

The bail project is a charitable bail organization they use donations to post bonds and get people released from jail.

They call Kentucky's cash bail system unfair and say that hurts people's presumption of innocence.

>> Most Kentucky as cannot afford $1000 Bill Orrin Emerge or $1000 emergency expense.

Let along that bill is on average, often set at twice the amount that anyone can afford.

This creates a 2 tiered system where those who can afford to pay bail are released.

And those who cannot remain incarcerated.

This 2 tier system criminalizes poverty.

>> Shamika Parish right of the bail project says that roughly half of Kentucky's incarcerated population are in pretrial detention that the average say for those people is 51 days.

But John plan sponsor of the bill that would have limited how charitable bill organizations operate says communities are being hurt.

>> And I get where you're.

>> Looking towards.

But I'm looking at the victims.

We have totally as a society.

We've paint a picture of people who commit crimes.

Okay, they commit crimes.

They victimize people.

We're forgetting about the victims Blanton's bill to regulate charitable bail organizations.

>> Last year's House Bill, 3.13, would have limited the amount organizations could pay to less than $5,000 would have made it illegal to post bail for people accused of domestic violence.

And it would require reporting the amount spent on bail the number of clients and defenses.

They were charged with each year.

But Blanton indicated he could also support totally banning charitable bail organizations.

>> I tried to give something that would workable for everybody.

And apparently that's not I mean, I could have easily as far as me.

I would have been to swell say, OK, let's make this totally legal.

Without we don't need this in Kentucky.

>> The bail project did not bail out Quintez Brown.

The person accused of trying to shoot Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.

But that situation did lead to legislators asking how the bill project makes decisions and where they set standards.

>> Whenever we do take a referral, we want to look at the context.

So we want to look at Bill now.

We want to look at the current charged with a look at someone's ability appear in court there possibly to appear in court.

So there's multiple factors that we take into consideration before we make that bailout.

So charge is only one piece of that and there's not I can't give you a blanket statement of these are ones that we won't.

These are ones that well, because in the other starter up, is there a policy that says?

>> Regardless of any other factors, anybody with X Charger offense is a disqualifying event for us.

No, because everyone is presumed and innocent pre trial for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker-bell.

♪ >> Time now for end of week inside Kentucky politics segment with partisan pundits giving their perspective on the week's news in Kentucky.

Politics and we're joined tonight by Coleman Elrich who is chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and Tre Watson, founder of Capitol reins PR and former spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Thank you both, gentlemen, for being with us tonight.

Let's talk about the federal judgeship in Kentucky.

And this is rumor speculation, but it's been and the headlines and taking up a lot of new space the last couple of weeks involving pro life conservative Republican Chad Meredith.

There was a rumor that he could be a potential pick by President Biden to What we could be having is a vacancy by the judge who is going to be taken.

Senior judge status that there's been a lot of consternation about this.

Even the Democratic governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, has called this notion.

I'm not in these words of sir, but ridiculous but the later says Trey, Mitch McConnell, but it is false information.

What do you know about this?

>> Well, I I think until a nomination is made by the president it it is fall to face.

I think we have reporting.

That's been saying that that maybe that was the intention, perhaps there was some sort of deal cut.

I think this kind of the rumor between the leader's office and and the president to maybe a listen up a hold on on some some other nominations.

But, you know, and I think in politics until until it's done, it's not really so.

I think we'll just have to wait to but comes but what did it does seem like it was the intention to to nominate Chad and that not to get derailed by the by the Dobbs really.

>> So Coleman, I want to ask you, is this was this an attempt, possibly a deal made between the president and the minority Leader, Mitch McConnell to perhaps have not be involved in or veer with future nominations for judicial post later on by brokering this deal of Chad.

Meredith.

>> What we saw in terms of this deal was that Chad Meredith is so incredibly extreme.

Remember that he is the architect of the trigger law that we now have a and in Kentucky he has extreme.

Views whether or not there should be exceptions for rape and incest or and criminalizing miscarriages that that is just not again, who we are as a country.

It's not the values that we have as a commonwealth.

And so what has happened that Billy, is that in response to what looks to be a deal?

We have everyone from the governor to a Congressman the party myself as chair all calling on this president and activists.

I will say and just rank and file Americans and Kentucky ends calling on the president to this deal but someone that is more in the mainstream with in terms of judicial philosophy and in that seat is a lifetime appointment.

And we cannot afford to have that extreme nature of Chad Meredith in that seat for a lifetime appointment.

>> Final fundraising of the GOP candidates in the race for governor, which is in 2023.

Tre Watson.

I'll begin with you first.

It seems the AG commissioner, commissioner Ryan Quarles is leading the pack when it comes to fundraising.

He raised more than $574,000 that he received in campaign contributions from 703 individual donations.

Talk about this lead right now in campaign fundraising from corals and where Daniel Cameron, the current attorney general, stands after him.

>> I think Commissioner girls, he's the structures whole campaign around his grassroots network now reaches spending 8 years at commissioner.

I think it shows that that showed off this first kind of support.

When you look at it, it's it's I get 94%.

I was the nation's Compass City, 1 one donation from every single county.

That's the word that really kind of place to what he's he's talked about a long ways is the strength of this campaign, which is the but the grassroots network and the statewide reach.

I think Daniel Cameron, the $10,000 is nothing to sneeze at, but we have that President Trump endorsement.

I think it was an expectation that Mike and I'm with some very strong low fundraising and it looks like that came through.

When you look at this report, it's about a long kind of mainstream public and owners from the e town and a Louisville area and then a lot of law for money.

>> Mister Pearl is also like 100 point out that the AG community, something, you know, the first reported around the sweep up the or the take up the low hanging fruit.

>> And I think both those candidates did that.

I just think I think.

Mister Falls has a broader base to continue to generate more money from having a statewide region.

And just the nature of his office.

So I think the cameras got the coast.

>> A larger than expected report next time in order to get some back on back on the team.

Otherwise, if you can blow the door's going off again by commissioner corals.

It's it's going to be trouble first campaign that the governor did did fairly Self 1.1 million raised in the last quarter and he seemed to cap that pattern for the previous reporting periods.

>> Pretty strong for him.

>> What's reflected in his fundraising is a belief among Democrats, Republicans, independents, all across this commonwealth from east to west and in between that this governor has earned another 4 years that he is yes, strong and that and and juxtaposition to Republican opponents that that he is ready to do the job because he's doing the job.

What I think is reflected in the Republican side is that folks aren't sure that these whether Ryan roles, Daniel Cameron, so attics, the not sure they're ready for prime time and frankly, whether it's Ryan corals and and he's continuing to pay someone even though they're not showing up for work.

Daniel who has a revolving door in in the 80's office in some Madam, Anna says one crazy thing after people understand that we need a serious person in the seat of governor right now and in the next 4 years.

And I just don't think Republicans are making that case right now.

>> Well, thank you, Kallman Thank you, Troy Watson, for making your case tonight on inside Kentucky.

Politics on Kentucky addition have a good weekend.

>> You too.

Thanks for a day.

♪ >> Summer time is peak tick season with more people outdoors and around ticks.

The chances of getting tick borne diseases increases.

But a group of researchers at the University of Kentucky tracking those parasites to find out what diseases they could be spreading.

>> Kentucky takes everyone's program, started the to go.

This is funded by Kentucky Department of Public Health.

And we come back sort of alien species, Jen and screening of takes.

But Pat Williams really seems samples from.

Magnetic.

It makes health departments and public.

So you today and last a couple of months we get a ball 250 to 200 and lips containing tickets.

Not only from can to keep from all over the United States.

Our program is smaller than the muck and finding we cannot process all those tapes so they pay it as being the cap picks from Kentucky can process them and I would go out and drag it takes we identified in what this piece is.

Yeah.

And we test with PCR.

What kind of pathogens that carry the goal of this program means to be in the to gain information on what to separate and Kentucky.

What I know that doesn't stick it.

Then disseminate that information so what public health care workers who know what picks up other and what happens is that counting?

So they can have dry eyes and look right of those diseases caused by these.

We processed about 10,006 last 2 and a half years.

So now we have a good idea about what kind of takes up residence in Kentucky and what happened since the county.

So then we talk to people that are most concerned about ticks that carry Lyme disease.

But proximity that takes we have in Kentucky won the small faction of them online.

DC's getting picks called the blacklegged tick.

Most of them in the county you have what they call the Lone Star tick.

Take it after the INS that Cosby was like at a Kia says and the kids.

Yeah, but they have not yet to come as bad as Lyme disease prevention is the best 3, 8, Not to suffer from these to run diseases.

So when one goes out outdoors, they can take some measures that could help preventing those takes getting on to the people like dressing rattled coating on the body.

Love the stocks to the fans and that I was so for the island said insect repellents work with pics to do so, take a walk on in the 80 s they had that not too many leaves because most of these take citing the leaflet times, people should be canned food but not to have fired up going out and enjoying because that takes in Kentucky can cause some the county pathogens that cause fever, the sun on.

But we only 10% of the takes that a president in Kentucky can carry Lyme disease that coating.

So going to be a fly, go enjoy.

>> But if you'd rather stay indoors, we've got some ideas for.

Yeah, whatever your passion, cars, theater, beer or the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh.

There's something for everyone coming up in Kentucky.

Here's can you tease tow begins with around the Commonwealth.

♪ ♪ >> Beyond Van Gogh, the immersive experience opened in Louisville this past week and will be at the convention Center until September 3rd, come see more than 300 paintings of NGO like you never have before in the most immersive artistic experience.

♪ More than 110 artists from 15 different states will be in Berea this weekend for the Berea Craft festival.

Check out their 10 different demonstrations and fill your day with music, dance food and of course, art during the 38th annual festival.

♪ Southern Fried nuptials play the follow-up to Southern Fried Food role is that the Pioneer Playhouse in Danville this month.

>> Join the fries as they plan a wedding full of cold feet and hot exes in another helping a family comedy Southern-style ♪ The 11th annual Camaro Fest is this weekend in bowling rain.

The event has become the nation's largest Camaro gathering and combines competitive an educational motorsports.

But the more traditional car show format.

♪ Returning to Covington, the Paradise Music and Beer Festival is a one of a kind event.

This festival is all about live music and entertainment ranging from local to national talent and drinks from the area's most prominent breweries.

Make sure to come on down to this fun free event this weekend.

♪ Break out the spend X and the Aqua Net Poison is bringing its world tour to the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pike full on July 9th.

The legendary 80's group will be joined by lead accord and special guest Grimsley Rose.

♪ Less than Jake bowling for soup.

And the APA bats are back for the attack tour at the West Pavilion.

That ovation in Newport.

These 3 groups have any and Grammy nominations, countless hits and albums, even a TV show and they're proving that the punk genre is still going strong.

♪ >> Jets over Kentucky, the world's grandest jet event is taking quite July 10th of the 17th in Campbellsville with more than 600 jets flown by some of the greatest pilots in the world.

Get ready for a week.

You won't want to miss it.

♪ The worldwide smash hit.

The Blue Man Group will be at the Carson Center in Paducah on July.

11th come experience signature drumming.

Colors galore and quirky comedy in this joyful experience for all ages.

>> And that's what's going on around the Commonwealth.

I'm Toby gives.

>> A lot of great things to do.

So we hope you make it a great weekend and weeks to come.

Don't forget to join Bill Bryant and a panel of Kentucky reporters from comment on Kentucky tonight as they discuss this week's developments on abortion fundraising for the candidates for governor and COVID cases in Kentucky and so much more.

That's coming up tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KATC.

Join us Monday night on Kentucky tonight.

As we talk about the U.S. Supreme Court.

So you want to make sure you see back conversation as well.

And we'll see you again Monday night right here for Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30,