♪ To give a great professor.

Yeah.

Kentucky's voting rules and how accessible they are to all populations.

>> We're voting rights expert tells us if Kentucky's election process makes the grade.

Help is on the way to some normal seniors who made some home repair work.

>> The storm chase program forces students to put their money where their mouth is.

>> And these meteorology students take on a twister of an adventure.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Tuesday.

It is June the 11th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Thank you for winding down your Tuesday with us.

Kentucky's federal delegation is reacting to the conviction of President Joe Biden's son today.

Hunter Biden was convicted of 3 felony charges related to his purchase of a handgun.

Prosecutors argued he lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by not disclosing his drug addiction on social media.

U.S. Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky's first congressional district, applauded today's ruling.

He called it a step in the right direction, but added, quote, until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Bidens, corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated over 18 million dollars in foreign payments to the Biden family.

It will be clear.

Department officials continue to cover for the big guy.

Joe Biden end quote, Comer as chair of the House Oversight Committee has been investigating the president for more than a year.

The president has not been charged with any crime.

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie of the first Congressional district in Kentucky had a different take on Hunter Biden's conviction.

The Republican representing Kentucky's 4th congressional district said, quote, Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something.

But purchasing a gun is not it.

There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws.

End quote.

The judge did not set a sentencing date for Hunter Biden.

Today, President Biden has said he will not pardon his son.

>> How easy is it to vote and Kentucky last Friday I sat down with professor Josh UK law professor.

>> And author of the book the Court versus the voters.

He argues the U.S. Supreme Court decisions have undermined voting rights.

I talked to Professor Douglas about election integrity and Kentucky.

>> You are very instrumental in some of the election reforms that have happened a few years ago.

And even subsequent tweaks to our access.

And you just said that Kentucky's done a fairly good job, but you would got give up, ask you to give a grade professor.

Yeah, Kentucky's voting rules and how accessible they are to all populations.

I think we do a pretty good job.

It's not But I do think we found something special here and making sure that both sides can come together.

So in the conclusion of the book.

>> I Call for what I refer to as the grand election compromise.

>> For principles that should be the starting place for all of our conversations about election rules.

And I point to Kentucky as an example where we've seem to achieve the grand election compromise on, for example, the voter ID bill, early voting, the 4 principles are eligible.

Voter should have easy access to the ballot.

The system should be set up to deter fraud, not at the expense of voters, but set up their deter fraud.

Voters should be well educated and losing candidates should graciously accept defeat.

If you don't agree on one of those principles.

I start to question whether we're having a conversation about being in a democracy.

So those should be the starting place for our conversations that Kentucky can do a lot better.

We have 3 days of early voting.

I think something like 7 might not make more sense.

We have the ID law.

I don't think it's necessary, but I also don't think it's doing a ton of harm when we don't do very well is on our voter registration deadline.

You know, 29 days before the election, when roughly two-thirds of the states have same day voter registration with no integrity problems, we also don't do great in terms of absentee balloting it in that you have to provide an excuse to vote absentee or by mail in voting.

I think, you know, again, looking at other states that do this well, so I would give us kind of a, you know, now average grade, maybe a B in terms of the overall structure.

But I think in the way we're having the conversations we're doing very well and trying to achieve that grand election compromise idea.

>> You've got to find some of this around the premise or face is that there is a crisis in our democracy.

How pivotal are these U.S. Supreme Court rulings to this so-called crisis in democracy?

I think they're extremely painful, though, because we have one for for a couple reasons.

I guess.

>> One is that it they undermine the value of the constitutional right to vote, which should be the most important principle.

And this is not a partisan statement, right?

We're talking about every voter.

I want everyone to vote and let the chips fall where they may.

And what this does is it gives incentives for states to pass stricter and stricter voting rules knowing that they're not going to have meaningful judicial oversight.

And again, the so-called blue states are doing it with a draw maps favorable to the Democrats on partisan gerrymandering.

The red states are doing this.

Many of them are doing this as well.

You have laws that impact people of color in particular and with the court gutting the protections of the Federal Voting Rights Act.

Then it's harder for minority individuals to bring successful claims to challenge these laws.

So you have kind of a crisis in terms of the protection.

The second way is that we're undermining confidence in our elections, right?

We need to.

Have people believe in the legitimacy or process ease and we start elevating the concern of voter fraud without any evidence whatsoever that it exists.

You know, it's one of those.

If you save enough times, people start to believe it.

And so the court's rulings that the first to states and say, well, you're concerned about election fraud.

And so we're going to trust you, even though you have no evidence makes people think it exists when it doesn't.

Actually, it's not actually there.

>> Well, certainly I think we will have you back as we calm and approach the general election where a lot of discussions will be had about voters, voting access, voting rules just to remind people.

And so the book is the court, the the voters and it is available where books are sold.

Doctor Joshua got Douglas, good to see you.

And thanks for being here.

>> Thank you, Renee.

>> You can see part one of my interview with Professor Douglas by watching last night's Kentucky edition online on demand at K E T Dot Org.

In November.

Kentuckians will vote on amendment number 2, an amendment that would allow the Legislature to decide whether to spend state dollars on private schools.

We talked about amendment to last night on Kentucky tonight with panelists on both sides.

Critics of the amendment say if it passes, public schools would lose badly needed money.

But supporters say that concern is over exaggerated and that the amendment wouldn't automatically lead to so-called private school vouchers.

>> I think there's something very important to understand here.

Mister Bailey keeps talking about vouchers, understand he's very passionate about that issue.

But let's be very clear this this is not a voucher program.

This amendment does not make any policy.

This amendment does not institute vouchers.

That does not require vouchers.

There will not magically be the day after this passes.

All this does again is it puts the ball in the court of the Legislature to make policy if the Legislature decides to make drive out years, then we'll have a system like that.

If they don't, we won't.

This amendment has nothing to do with vouchers.

All this amendment does is it sets the stage for the legislature to be able to make education policy.

Unfettered of a new restrictions were put on the 18 90's.

If there's to be about your program.

That's a policy question for the Legislature.

This amendment does not address said it does not make that decision.

It may never come to pass that we have actors in Kentucky.

So I understand Mister Bailey passion about it.

But that's that's like that's comparing apples and oranges that we have about your program on the books.

It was it was passed in 2021.

It was this is a tax credit program.

It was tossed out by the Supreme Court unanimously unanimously about for violating our commitment to >> public education.

And it's still there.

The General Assembly has not repeated.

So we know what they're going to.

They've already put it into law.

They wanted.

It's a voucher program.

It's not even if you look at other states don't have the constitutional protections for public education that Kentucky has.

They started with a small targeted program like that one.

And they've expanded them over the last year.

So so the idea that they want that this amendment would overturn 130 year commitment to public education.

And they're not going to create a new policy on them and they're not going to do anything with a dramatic change to the Constitution.

I think it's hard to buy.

This is this is a this is here for a reason.

>> Last nights engaging and informative discussion on the constitutional amendment.

Number 2, that will be on the November ballot.

That will be online on demand at K E T DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

UK played host Monday to Monaco been only be director of the National Institutes of Health.

She's the second woman to head the N I h Burton.

Ali looked at some student based research funded by the institute and talked about the care for health program, which helps with health care research down to the community level more about that.

In tonight's look at medical news.

>> We've got some problems and United States.

I'm very worried for my post and I know you all share this.

Our life expectancy is poor compared to our peer nations.

Here we there are many wealthy nations here with much a better life expectancy that we have and some that aren't even so wealthy.

>> The other big numbers are the these diseases of despair, which are really very challenging and disproportionately affect certain communities and affect communities where we're not doing research, which is why we really want to be in those communities to try to help solve those problems.

>> Having denies the record and the whole at Leadership Committee visiting UK.

First of all, it's an enormous opportunity to have them with us.

I'm basically these are the people who are leading the fines for more than having a chance to talk with them about my re series and how we can make this size moving forward.

A little bit more smooth there and doing all the research to get them being able to have a FaceTime basically with your and ice director.

It means a lot last week and I it's launched care for health.

>> A new initiative that to engage care providers and patients on the front lines of health developing ways to improve interventions for common challenges.

Every community is different.

The research that is meaningful to every community is going to be different.

So we can't go wrong in saying, you know, here's here's what you need to do.

Here's the research you need to do.

We have to go in and say here's a huge list of various opportunities.

I don't know 2030, 40 whatever different clinical research opportunities and that community and that those care providers are going to pick which ones are meaningful to them.

One of the goals that we want to achieve a scientist is being able to communicate our size a little bit more with the people were outside the field of science by doing science.

You can help physicians and of course, the health care community to better understand why we have a disease.

>> You trust did a survey recently.

That was very interesting asking people asking people to say who they trusted more.

>> For with a trusted for their for their health information.

The very highest trust was their primary care providers.

We're launching this new primary care Research network because we want to put the research into the hands of people who are trusted.

>> So that everybody can have the benefit.

>> The University of Kentucky received 145.6 million dollars in grants and contracts from the NIH in the 2023 fiscal year.

With that funding going towards health care research projects.

Kentucky parents have a new resource to help them make more informed decisions when it comes to finding childcare.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services recently launched Rikers requests named in honor of a Franklin County infant who died at a day care in 2022, the cabinet says it worked with the baby's family who wanted to KET other parents from experiencing their pain.

>> I always find it inspiring when somebody takes a tragedy in their own life.

And tries to work to make sure it doesn't happen with somebody else.

And that's really that's really that's really beautiful way to approach things.

>> Charles Smith died daycare when he was 3 months old.

His parents are making sure his short life has a long-term impact Rikers request created in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

We worked and got in touch with these past the community partners and wanted to make sure.

>> That really so that no other parent had to go through what they went through.

Having some some things to look for in childcare.

They can help up here, feel comfortable that that this this facility say and the child say.

>> Eric Freelander secretary for the cabinet since records request educates parents about child care decisions but offering a guide on what to ask and what to look out for.

But considering the daycare facility or an individual for child care.

Records, name even serves as part of the guide.

>> Writer is a mnemonic to kind of help people to understand, that are for all to come act and looking for those resources.

Finding referrals from other parents, right?

And asking them how they feel about things I'm looking at basically making sure that, you know, knowing that evaluating for how they may deal with your child's health and safety, that's the equipment that's also in 2 different That's the why.

And he is know your provider, right and make sure that they know their CPR first day.

Is that about uh the environment, right?

Make sure it's clean.

Make sure that that the plane that is in good repair and the are is really the last star is just reviewing the providers.

History, right?

And making sure you understand this is a big provider and you can do that again.

Some time off our Web site.

>> Freelander says one factor parents often overlook or don't thoroughly investigate is sleeping arrangements and napping routines at daycares.

>> Being observant and things making sure the equipment looks cool and watching where and how cute sleep.

Because that's really, you know that when a child is most vulnerable and we see that even the community pride of back to sleet, making sure that the are improper, sleeping positions.

>> Yes, this is important for parents to know they have the right and should ask to see background checks and certifications for all day care.

Employees.

>> Making sure that that employees have backgrounds, record chats, making sure that they have CPR and emergency certification.

If you ask for criminal background checks on employees and they don't want to give in to it, that's a red light.

You get to ask about their emergency procedures and things like that.

That will that will help you as a parent feel comfortable that they're prepared to take care of Utah.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Echo Gammell.

>> Thank Co Rikers family did not want to talk on camera, but they did send us this statement that says most of us live in a full most of us live a full life and are never able to save one life.

Our little Angel R****, or may save hundreds of lives, end quote.

And for more information on Rikers request, go to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services Web site at Ch F S DOT K Y dot Gov.

There you find it listed under the division of regulated Childcare.

More seniors in Louisville will get a hand on some much-needed home repairs and improvements.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded 1.2 million dollars to Louisville housing, nonprofit.

>> New Directions CEO Lori Flannery says that money will help install home safety features for aging.

Louisville, Younes.

>> So these are people who are not living in a directions housing.

They're not one of the 900 and some families that live a new direction house and these are people all over the city.

A lot of it concentrated Wessel on south of Louisville who are over the age of 60 and who are interested in staying in their own home.

But for one reason or another, they don't really have the funds to be able to continue to maintain that.

And it's really to make sure that people have, you know, as an easy way to bay that they're able to get up off of their furniture.

That they have grab bars that they're able to come in and out of their house.

Again, some of that work is work that we've done.

There are a fair fair, but this is much more targeted for keeping seniors in their own homes.

>> This Saturday, new directions is hosting its repair affair.

The program has been going on for more than 30 years.

Volunteers will spend the day fixing up people's yards and mending daughters windows and roofs.

New directions offers this help to applicants 60 and over who've got a disability and live.

Well, both low, the area's median income.

♪ ♪ >> There's a concern.

Jefferson County Forest has hazardous waste and Kentucky college students do faces much debt as they used to have some good news.

Our Toby Gibbs explains in this.

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Global city officials are looking to clean up hazardous waste in a park that has about 40 to 45 barrels that could have leaked toxic material into the soil.

Louisville public Media reports City Park officials at the $68,000 plan to dig trenches and take soil samples in an area dubbed the goalie of the drums in Jefferson Memorial Forest to see if the area has hazardous waste.

The site is about 700 feet from the valley of the drums were about 17,000 hazardous waste.

Drums were discovered in the late 1970's and eventually removed.

♪ Kentucky has been chosen to be part of a national program focused on reaching state-level mental health goals.

The State Journal reports Kentucky is one of 6 states that will participate in the Policy Academy to drive thriving youth, mental health and well-being.

The Academy will help state whose national resources to advance their goals.

Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman steam focused on mental health will meet with the National Governors Association regularly to work through challenges.

A new report shows that more undergraduate students in Kentucky are graduating with less debt or no debt.

Louisville public media reports the council on post-secondary education examine students studying at a public university or a school in the Kentucky community and Technical College System.

Cpe President Aaron Thompson tells ELLE PM when students graduate without debt, they are better position to improve themselves after they find a job.

He says they can use their new income to buy a house and invest in their family.

The Hop Down Chronicle reports the Bell Hooks book Club.

>> Will have its first meeting on June 17th at the Penny Royal Area Museum discussed communion.

The female search for love.

The book club is a partnership between the museums and historic Hopkinsville Christian County and the Bell Hooks legacy group.

The Hopkinsville native authored more than 30 books.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm Colby.

Get.

♪ >> Going on a tornado.

Chase can be a bucket list.

Adventure for some.

But it's part of the curriculum for some western Kentucky University students.

Our Chris T-dot and talks with WKU Professor and University meteorologist Josh Turkey who recently returned from this year's storm.

Chase.

>> Doctor Josh Dirty.

You created this program.

It's been going for 15 years and just this year alone, you all traveled over 7,000 Miles with a student's 9 different states for 2 weeks.

So this is a pretty cool storm chase program.

Tell us a little bit about the program and how it started.

>> I started in the meteorology when the program began in 2008 and one of the things I a one of the ideas I had for helping to grow the program was too bring this philosophy of teaching students by giving the them the opportunity to to learn by doing if you will.

And a lot of our students want to be professional forecasters and it's easy to sit in a classroom and make forecasts and and and, you know, get away with a bad forecast here and there.

But the storm chase program forces students to put their money where their mouth is, if you will.

And we have to wake up and we think if storms are going to do a certain thing, 500 miles away, we have to commit to traveling to that point to document that forecast outcome, there's no better way to learn then to do it that way.

So that was kind of the the initial idea for the program.

>> Very well said learn by doing and it's kind of a big payoff because you're kind of chasing those big severe storms and hope that you might see a tornado and you all we lucked out this year, right?

Tell us about what you saw.

>> Yeah, the and when it's at the beginning of the trip, it's always a little more a surprising or shocking, you know, because we're fresh on the scene and this was early in the trip and we're navigating through Oklahoma.

And so again, for the students, this is the step that's straight out of movies and social media.

>> So they're living the dream in Oklahoma that were on these big storms.

And we've got within a fairly good location to view this rotating thunderstorm and watch it go through that whole cycle of developing that rotation to a tornado and that moment and it was very exhilarating.

>> And that now what about the 2 tornadoes you saw in Texas?

What were those like?

>> So in Texas, that was a day because a lot of driving on that day.

So the Oklahoma Day was not as much driving to get there.

But for the Texas Day, we woke up and southeast Colorado and drove 600 miles to catch up with this storm developing near Midland, Texas.

That was a little more hectic because it around a more urban area and we try to stay away from those types of environments.

So we went ahead and got south of the city and the storm is actually moving south.

So that position as well to to be the storm.

And it was moving very slow and produced really large tornado, particularly large tornado for about.

25 minutes allowed us to to view that event through its whole life cycle said was also exciting time.

>> Yeah, it is going to be a bonding moment for those students to write.

>> It is he do for better or worse.

We always learn a lot more about each other.

I'm tracking that van for 2 weeks together.

A but we all come back.

You know, different.

The students really get close and big.

You know, we develop lifelong friendships out of this program.

So it's pretty neat to see that as well.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

Sounds awesome.

Well, thank you so much for your time.

Yes, thank you.

>> And thank you, Christine, for that.

Since the annual two-week storm chase began in 2010.

Doctor Josh Turkey says the student teams of collectively driven the distance around the equine are more than 4 times impressive.

♪ We told you yesterday Kentucky is headed to the college Baseball World Series and 8 Team Tournament and Omaha.

It's UK's first trip to the College World Series ever.

Kentucky beat Oregon State Saturday and Sunday in the Super Regional.

We know now Kentucky's first World Series opponent, Kentucky will play North Carolina state Saturday afternoon at 02:00PM Eastern.

01:00PM Central on ESPN and other sports news Ek you is getting a new athletics director.

The school just hired Kyle Moats the current ad at Missouri State University.

He's been there for 15 years and he has past experience in the Athletics department's at UK and the University of Louisville, UK EU President David McFadden says, quote, Kyle's impressive track record, an extensive experience speak for itself, securing someone of his caliber for UK.

You as a significant victory for our athletics program.

Quote, Moats starts at a KU July 1st for the first time in nearly 25 years, koalas are back in the Bluegrass State.

The Louisville Zoo introduced to introduce 2 of the marsupials today.

Darrell can we they came from the San Diego Zoo.

Koala sleep up to 20 hours a day.

So seeing them awake in person could be a challenge.

The Louisville Zoo suggest checking them out early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Don't interrupt their naps.

A Lexington exhibit goes deep into one of the most important aspects of visual art.

>> I think that sometimes we take color for granted suddenly like when spring arrives in the tulips come out, we get such a wonderful feeling about it.

>> The power of color are explorers.

How color shapes our mood and well-being.

And we'll all learn more about that tomorrow on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us for at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky EDITION where we inform connect and inspire.

Hope to see you right back here tomorrow night.

Until then, you can check us out on all the social media channels, Facebook X and Instagram.

Send us a story idea at the address on your screen until I see you again.

Have a great night and a better tomorrow.

Take care.

♪