♪ >> T appliance products are are just as Kentucky as our bourbon.

>> A big general electric investment means more jobs in Kentucky.

>> We want to see people living their lives.

The best lives.

Until then no longer alive.

>> How to help senior citizens fight the problem of being lonely.

If you are just curious about what a piano is come and sit down clock on it and figure out what kind of sounds that makes.

And then Louisville piano lovers are taking it to the streets.

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

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition for Thursday, June 26th, I'm Krista gotten in our Louisville studio filling in tonight for Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining us.

>> More than 100 new laws go into effect tomorrow here in Kentucky, they were all passed during the 2025 General Assembly, Republican leaders in the state Senate explained some of the new laws during a press conference yesterday.

Emily Sisk was there in Frankfort and has more on what you need to know in tonight's legislative update.

More than 100 new state laws take effect this week ranging from protections in schools to housing and spending cuts.

>> Senate bill to prohibit gender reassignment surgery or treatment for inmates.

Senator Mike Wilson said funding had been ongoing without the public's knowledge.

>> Let me be clear.

Kentucky taxpayers should not be required to fund elective transgender surgeries.

Well home all their piece for inmates, procedures that are medically unnecessary, ideologically driven and unsupported by most correctional health experts, this bill and the secretive policy that allowed these procedures to proceed without public or legislative knowledge.

>> Another bill taking effect restricts how teachers contacts students outside the classroom.

Senate Bill.

181 requires all communication between school staff and students to be traceable, not over social media or text.

>> The intent of Senate Bill, 181 is about child protection.

It's about student safety.

It's about communication between in school employees and parents.

If parents want teachers to be able to contact their child in a different way, they could fill out a waiver.

>> Some teachers have complained this law puts up unnecessary barriers and pushes the rule instead of the exception.

Wise said saving children from online predators is worth the inconvenience.

>> Inconveniences about waivers and getting permission form sign.

That's nothing compared to what that family had to deal with.

>> Housing or the lack thereof was another point of discussion on Wednesday.

>> Where some 200,000 housing units short in the state of Kentucky.

>> Bills related to housing are taking effect this week.

Senate Bill.

25 which Mills sponsored says that only property owners can challenge a planning and zoning appeal.

We think this is going to help housing units go up in our urban areas.

And Kentuckians are paying less in taxes.

State treasurer Mark Metcalf crunch the numbers on Kentuckians tax liability.

>> When the Senate and House majorities takeover in 2017.

Each Kentucky taxpayer mode.

$39,000.

Each Kentucky taxpayer today owes only $13,000.

So from 39,000 to $13,000, I call that progress and I call it the right path for Kentucky.

>> After a tornado struck parts of South Central Kentucky last month.

Governor Andy Beshear said the recovery could cost hundreds of millions of dollars this year said he might need to call a special legislative session to allocate more disaster relief.

Money lawmakers were asked about the possibility of a special session.

>> There was quite a substantial amount of storm damage.

It does take time to recover.

And, you know, we've got a few months and we're back in session.

So I think we're just in a wait and see mode.

See the numbers that the governor gives us and says, and I think I need X amount and we probably have a response back to that.

We had 200 million dollars that's accessible to him over the next 6 months >> and if he needs more.

We can do a one-day session wave.

Second readings and I have something to him.

Within days if needed.

>> Senator Milne said for now, the governor should have all the money he needs, but do KET a close eye on any further requests for Kentucky edition.

I'm Emily says.

Thanks, Emily.

Other notable bills that will become law tomorrow include House Bill One which cuts the state's income tax.

>> To 3.5% beginning January 1st, lawmakers project the reduction will leave more than 700 million dollars in the pockets of Kentucky taxpayers during the first year House Bill.

38 makes violating a protective order 3 times in 5 years.

A Class D felony and House bill 208, requires school districts to adopt a policy for cell phone use during instructional time.

House Bill 240, requires a reading proficiency screener for every kindergarten and first grade student.

Those who are falling behind will be held back a year and Senate bill, 73 which makes sexual extortion.

A felony provides legal remedies to victims and prioritizes prevention education for students.

Well, yesterday, lawmakers also debuted the new temporary chambers where they'll meet while the state capital is under construction.

The new building is next to the Capitol Annex with chambers for the House and Senate.

And speaking of the possibility for a special session, reporters, Acid and Senate President Robert Stivers.

If the new building will be ready.

>> It will be ready.

July one, flip the switch and have anything that sonseeahray done it that we need to do.

And you know.

>> Stivers gave a tour of the temporary space.

Unlike the capital, it doesn't have a gallery to see members of the public.

He said that addition would have added millions of dollars to project visitors can instead sitting conference rooms to watch a livestream of legislative coverage.

The Senate president also explain how long they expect to be in the new building.

>> We hope that this will be about a three-year run here.

We hope you've got 115 year-old building sit there, which sits across the street, which comic in nature rated one of the 10 best capitals in the United States is on the historic register until you get into that style of structure, you do not know until you're actually in it, whether you like to do more or less.

>> The capital renovation is expected to cost 300 million dollars.

We just heard lawmakers talking about a possible special session to deal with the fallout from this spring.

Severe weather.

What does Governor Andy Beshear have to say about it?

Well, he says it depends on how much help we get from the federal government.

>> So what we're doing is pulling together a final set of numbers that I want to talk about.

And then we're meeting with legislators.

I think leadership early this next month to talk about it.

We are having to put together 2 sets of numbers because if the federal government were to grant public assistance for April where we don't have a safe act or tornadoes.

If they were to grant that we be talking about tens of millions of dollars that are needed, especially to help counties.

I think Laurel County and Pulaski County are looking at over 20 million dollars of of of damage.

They can absorb that if we're not going to get public assistance, we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars between the state and the city that throws all of our budgets out of whack and is just a a major blow that would require some more significant action.

>> Also today, during his news conference, the governor announced new general electric jobs in Kentucky.

GE will invest 490 million dollars to create 800 new jobs at its global headquarters in Jefferson County has some washer and dryer production moves from China to Kentucky.

This comes 4 years after a similar GE investment in Kentucky to build dishwashers.

>> 4 years ago we stood here together, announced what you just heard, which was the largest appliance park investment in our company history.

It was 40 to 50 million dollars to create good Kentucky jobs in open the most advanced dishwasher manufacturing plant in America.

We delivered on that promise.

And today I'm excited to say we're going to do it again.

We're making this 490 million dollar investment that will replay will reshape the future of laundry imposition.

GE appliances, to become the largest manufacturer in America.

This move creates 800 full-time jobs.

Bring productions back from China.

Inputs RG profile combo ultra friends.

Front loader assembly lines right here in Louisville.

It builds on thousands of watchers and dryers that we already make an appliance park and it reaffirms our belief that the best place to build appliances for American families is right here in America.

Our roots run deep.

Today's announcement coincides with the release of the latest economic report.

A snapshot of how far we've come.

Over the last decade.

We've invested more than 3 and a half billion dollars in U.S. operations.

That's more than any other appliance company in the country.

>> Governor Beshear says with the new investment, GE will have a total of 8 1000 jobs in Kentucky.

Well, every year the child fatality and near fatality, External review panel produces a report on all the state's child fatalities in near fatalities.

Suspected to be the result of abuse or neglect.

This week, the interim Joint Committee on Families and Children reviewed the data from 2024.

Report.

Our McKenzie Spring breaks down the information and lawmakers reaction.

>> This year's child fatality and near Fatality report illustrated that overdose and ingestion cases remains the leading cause of child deaths in the state.

The number of cases has been steadily rising since 2019.

>> More than half of all the cases reviewed by the panel involve an opiate exposure.

Even more alarming.

93%.

of the opiate ingestions indicated the presence of fentanyl.

>> The report also covered incidents involving children and firearms.

>> The panel review 12 cases involving injuries by farms all but one resulted in death and a handgun we found was used in every child suicide case reviewed by the panel.

And with the panel's identified, 75% of these cases were noted to be potentially preventable.

>> Regarding these deaths, the panel recommends that the General Assembly passed safe storage laws and provide gun locks with every firearms sold preventing you.

Suicide is a more complicated issue.

The report does highlight the link between youth suicide and educational issues which have risen steeply in Kentucky.

>> When examining suicide cases, 80% of those children had an educational issue.

Children with mental health issues in medically fragile children also had higher rates of educational issues at 40%.

42%.

>> Following the report, lawmakers discussed the issues that they think should be addressed in the next legislative session.

Louisville, Democrat senator cut her hair and felt that there was a strong link between financial well-being and child safety in our state.

>> If you looked at very bottom line is financial issues.

And so when we talk about the root causes, what is happening to our in our communities?

And to me, it is just very alarming that its financial issues, we still have one of the low 80's minimum wage is we don't have living wages.

So obviously that then goes into housing issues.

And so it's like the shoes domino effect.

>> This year's report also revealed that 75% of child fatality or near fatality cases involved children 4 and under several lawmakers brought up the fact that these children are often not in school and therefore have fewer adults watching over them.

Republican Senator Danny Carroll suggested universal Pre-K could be an answer to this problem.

>> We're spending a lot of time talking about universal Pre-K these days.

That conversation is political.

If we want to do something, let's do it for all of the kids.

Enlist fixed childcare completely.

Last week within our facility.

3 different reports to the CBS.

What else could we prevent?

What else could all the other centers throughout the state prevent if more kids were within their facilities.

>> Overall, the child fatality and near fatality.

External review panel made 11 recommendations to agencies across the state on how to improve child safety.

The panel for Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie spent.

>> The child fatality and near Fatality review panel is made up of 20 members from the field including social services, medicine and law enforcement.

The 2 co-chairs of the Families and Children Joint Committee representative.

Some are have run.

And Senator Danny Carroll also serve on the panel.

♪ >> In parts of town and the surrounding Nelson County area are greatly expanding their water supply.

>> Thanks to a new partnership.

Louisville water has joined the North Nelson Water District and the city of Bardstown to build new water mains alongside the I-65 corridor and highway 2.45?

This will connect the area to Louisville's water supply, giving it access to an additional 15 million gallons of water per day.

Meaning clean water for Nelson County residents and the distilleries that call it home.

>> We're going to be spending about 29 million dollars.

2 run pipelines down.

What we call 65 corridor down at 65 and then a highway to 45.

And then that allow us to supply up to 7 million gallons a day to Nelson County with a big chunk of that being able to go to the city of our stand when they need it.

So its 15 million gallons to the region because the work they were going to a 65 help serve as both candidates service me, Candy, Hardin County, that kind of thing.

It's 7 million gallons to Nelson County with, again, a big portion of being able to go see bars, the first and most important thing is providing good water to year.

>> Now scanning in Boston residents and like I said, the no, we're looking and looking and searching for industrial.

and then we're working on some al that and then it's going to take water, then recruit these industries that's coming in, which provides jobs 4, the local citizens, the Kentucky Public Service Commission approved.

>> 2 contracts, one between the city of our Stan and the North.

Now, some are district and another between the Northwest and water district in the Louisville water company.

This took the 3 of us coming together figuring out what the issues were.

We're solving those issues so that we could come up with something that east mutually beneficial to not only the organizations, but more importantly to the communities that we serve.

We've done in these 3 water studies during that time period.

To try their talents.

>> How much water we're going to need and where that source of water come from.

In each one of those water studies identify know the water company is one of those sources.

>> That we can possibly partner with.

And about 5 years ago as the distillery industry really, we're going to a major expansion mode.

And you all know that Marciano is in Birmingham, real world.

It's a it's it's a time to read it for a reason.

We have 6 distilleries in the city of ours down.

In 2 out in the county.

They consume about 25% of our daily water for now action in sales and with the growth and they've got planned.

They can grow by 100% when they get to 100% of their capacity.

This is going to last for decades and decades and decades for the future.

Mills, County and city of bars.

>> And it really working on some in the industrial parks and things as we speak.

There's always a need for the for the water.

>> Construction for the project is currently underway and expected to be completed in 2026.

Cyber security continues to be a challenge that many people are faced with.

Recently, researchers at the cybersecurity outlet Cybernews discovered 30 exposed data sets amounting to 16 billion log-in credentials have been leaked.

This includes passwords from popular sites such as Google, Facebook and Apple.

We spoke with an expert of cybersecurity from the University of Louisville who shed some light on recent development and gives tips on how to best text your information.

>> Security researchers discovered to publicly available dataset.

They don't know specifically where it came from.

It's obviously not a single hacked because of a size is not a single Singo a computer.

It's probably accumulation compilation of many patients in the this data set.

It is very common to have password leaks is uncommon to see that.

That scale been talking about billions of records.

Usually we're talking about thousands, maybe millions.

>> I don't know of actual.

>> That much is bigger than we anticipated.

Haven't seen a pandemic of has been reported.

So even though a lot of data is available for whatever reason and that is not proportionate to vaccinated, those older credentials.

Maybe people are smart enough to have two-factor authentication and given the amount of passwords leaked, it's like 2 per person.

You would anticipate a complete pandemic of hacks.

Bank accounts cryptocurrency.

But we don't see that.

So it's not obvious what is going on if it was actually deployed by bad guys.

If it's something cybersecurity experts accumulated in their research process and manage to somehow failed to secure it as well.

Well, there are services which would monitor dark wet for you and let you know if your information has started to show up.

But in general, there are some goods, cybersecurity practices you can employ.

One is doing that.

He was a past words.

Also make sure the passports and not something you come up with based a new name or address if you like a generator and investments using proper tools have a factor in Decatur, whatever it is, your hardware device.

Also, it's good to close some sort of biometric security feature ever face recognition or fingerprint.

And what isn't it was starting to see past.

He's become more.

Well, I live.

I don't know that excellent.

You don't have to memorize anything.

The hardware device going takes care of that for you.

It helps to have a private password with your family.

So something they cannot possibly Hack only your family members have to be agreed upon on and in general, don't the U.S. passports of something Israel, Italy valuable.

Just don't forget online.

Find a good password manager and there are quite a few of those.

Do some of these are see what works for you in terms of available offline?

Is it something for your phone on multiple devices?

That's that's the best way to do it.

>> Other tips.

Don't think anything you didn't solicit and don't answer phone calls from numbers.

You don't recognize.

♪ Researchers are addressing the causes of loneliness in the elderly population in Louisville, in partnership with the Humana Foundation.

The group will engage with seniors and 3 of the city's neighborhoods.

More tonight in our next chapter initiative focused on the issues facing Kentucky's aging population and their loved ones.

Loneliness is is a disconnect between what you want your social life to be and what your social life is.

And so you need something to bridge those to bring those closer together.

>> On the flip side, one of the other things that we're concerned about is social isolation.

And so that is when you lack the social companionship of other people.

And so this specifically social isolation can be very risky for seniors.

It puts you at increased risk for stress mortality, heart disease, other chronic diseases and eventually can lead to things like weakened immune systems reduced physical activity and loss of independence.

This project was rooted in former project that we had done.

It was Robert Woods Johnson funded project.

We were looking at.

>> The concept of a universal basic neighborhood and that is what are the minimum qualities are the minimum things that need to be in the neighborhood for the residents to experience health and longevity.

What can we find in neighborhoods now that promote?

Social cohesion that promotes people being coming engaged and addressing loneliness, especially among seniors.

>> So one of the things that we know, for instance, that contributes to loneliness is the ability to get around town to go to the grocery, to go see your friends.

We also need to know what the lived experiences and all of these different places.

So starting in the 2nd half of this year in July, we will be visiting different neighborhoods.

We will be conducting asset mapping there to see what is already in these neighborhoods, these assets that we can tap into our lean into.

So that they can use those as a site for the social inclusion to begin to address loneliness in seniors.

Once we have those surveys and no on their lived experience, we want to go back next year and the year after 2 chai to conduct interventions.

So we understand the lived experience.

How can we help program these locations at the neighborhood level.

How can we advocate for policy that makes it easier for seniors to get out?

How can we reduce the burdens that are perceived between someone leaving their house and making a new friend.

>> The biggest thing is that we want to see people living their lives, their best lives.

>> Until they're no longer alive.

>> Over the summer, they plan to connect with seniors to collect information.

Those who complete the 15 minute survey will receive $15 and be sure to check out K T DOT Org.

Slash next chapter there.

You'll find a collection of local and national programs, articles and other helpful resources addressing a variety of aging related topics.

♪ >> Okay.

If you're walking in downtown Louisville up, come across some pianos.

Well, they are there for you downtown tunes.

That public art project encouraging people.

>> To create music and decorate the sounds of downtown more on these public pianos in this week's Tapestry segment.

>> Downtown Two's is a public piano program.

We have 4 pianos and public spaces and it really is a chance to activate the streets.

So we were offered up.

Yeah.

Now as a as a donation and we didn't know what to do with that.

And so I started looking around.

We found other cities that do this.

We've got 3 more donations.

And so we took the man and then decided to put them out to downtown middle and high schools and what the students work on the design and painting them.

We KET we wanted them to be artistically treated and we wanted there to be.

>> Some ownership and pride of what they looked like.

And we thought art students with that could make a very fun project for art students.

And what you see are for completely different, beautiful renditions of these students, ideas of what they wanted to see represented on piano as >> this is not a piece of art that you look at it and observe from afar.

We did not have to be trained pianist to play.

If you are just curious about what a piano is come and sit down clock on it and figure out what kind of sounds that makes.

If you are good and sit down and create music for other people to really enjoy and just have the beauty of the moment as they walk by.

People send us videos as they're walking by and see somebody playing the piano, which is really fun.

And it's heartening that people are enjoying them.

Now we are learning things we have trying to work with.

The weather in Louisville is difficult.

We had a very rainy spring.

It's been very hot, humid right now.

We're learning how to treat them a little bit differently and what will do going forward when you're walking around downtown, what you see how you feel has everything to do with your experience in downtown.

So with double edition of something else to experience where this really hopeful and heartened already that people are having really good experiences with these.

>> How cool is that?

More pianos have already been donated in downtown Louisville.

A partnership plans to expand the downtown 10's program next year with up to 08:00PM knows.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight for this Kentucky edition.

We'll see you again tomorrow night.

♪