♪ >> President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump Square off in their first presidential debate.

This election cycle.

How can talk to unions are reacting?

>> We have this idea that the cavalry is going to come in and say this.

We are at the Capitol.

>> A special emergency response class for a rule.

Communities is held in Somerset.

They're learning how to do all those things.

>> We'll have time during the classroom to teach them.

>> A special summer camp helps visually impaired students become more independent.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Friday.

We made it to the weekend.

It's June 28th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for starting off your weekend with us.

We begin with politics tonight and sad news from U.S.. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky who announced this morning that his wife Rhonda, has died.

Massey paying tribute to her on social media said, quote, yesterday my high school sweetheart, the love of my life for over 35 years, the loving mother of our 4 children.

The smartest kindness, woman I ever KET.

My beautiful and wise queen forever.

Rhonda went to heaven, end quote.

Massey went on to thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time.

He did not give a cause of death.

Massey's political colleagues also are sending condolences, including the Republican Party of Kentucky, secretary of state Michael Adams and U.S. Representative James Comer and Andy Barr of Kentucky Bar lost his own wife, Eleanor, 4 years ago this month, Barr posted on social media.

This quote, Rondo's warmth, kindness and dedication to our family and community touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her end quote.

Continuing with our political news tonight, Kentuckians are weighing in on last night's presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump during the 90 minute debate in Atlanta.

This 2 sparred over the economy, the border and abortion.

Afterwards, Republicans declared Trump the winner of the debate.

Democrats anxious over Biden shaky performance, concerned.

He's halting delivery and rambling answers.

Reinforce the perception he's too old to do the job.

Kentucky Democrats are admitting President Biden had a poor showing at the debate, but they say he's still a better choice for the country.

U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey, who represents Kentucky's 3rd district Senate post during the debate that said, quote, the president is full of hope for a better future.

And the convicted felon twice impeached ex-president is filled with fear extremism and hate.

That won't change by 10, 30 and quote and im a graph.

Former candidate for U.S. Senate and founder of the Democratic Majority Action PAC said in a statement, quote, Yes, President Biden had an off night.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it but worse.

I watch Donald Trump lie his pants off and avoid any shred of accountability for his anti Democratic behavior and of quote, Republican state Senator Whitney Westerfield of Fruit Hill and Western Kentucky criticizing both candidates posting this quote, the Democrats should be ashamed for letting this poor old feeble man.

Ron, on challenge the GOP should be a shame.

They didn't kick their guy out of the running years ago.

Both men should be ashamed their ego, stop them from bowing out on their own heaven.

Help us, unquote.

President Biden and former President Trump have not been formally nominated by their parties just yet.

Now to the U.S. Supreme Court and a decision on an Oregon case that could have implications right here in Kentucky.

The case involves an Oregon law banning homeless people from sleeping outdoors.

At issue if punishing homeless campers with fines or jail time constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment and a 6, 3, decision.

The high court said it did not clearing the way for the enforcement of similar laws like the Safer Kentucky Act.

The Republican led legislature passed the criminal law reform bill this past session, which makes unlawful camping in public spaces, a criminal offense.

The provision received considerable pushback from advocates for the Unhoused who say it criminalizes homelessness.

The law is scheduled to go into effect and Kentucky on July.

The 15th.

I wanna that.

It's the end of the week Friday and we go inside Kentucky politics.

We have 2 of our phase with us because we've got a lot to break down in just a few minutes.

Bob Babbage is joining me in the studio and Trey Grayson, who is where for Trey Grayson We're glad to have you joining let's start with some unfortunate, tragic news that we got.

>> This morning about Congressman Thomas Massie.

I'll yield to you first read Grayson, not his wife was found dead this morning there's been a lot of condolences pouring in, of course, from other legislative leaders and others and policy roles.

And so just fill us in on what we know about this situation.

>> Search Rondo.

Rondo mass e-commerce Messi's wife and going back.

Actually, they were high school sweethearts and Louis County went to MIT together, came back home to Louis County to to raise a family.

They also have a got.

She was found dead this morning.

Just real tragedy.

And I for many of us of oaks a couple of years ago when a similar tragedy with the 6th District Congressman Andy Barr.

I'm also finding his tragically you know it.

It's just it's horrible when this happens and it's really unfortunate that we've had this happened twice in the last 2 years, Kentuckyian, you know, this is one of the things that cuts across our political ideological lines.

It's just it's just sad.

It's tough all around him.

We really feel for the congressman and his family.

Bob, remember the day that but young county judge of Lewis County came to Frankfort with his wife and children.

>> Rhonda and or what the locals are capital to sign up to run for Congress was given very little one decisively.

What a story from a rural county.

A couple goes to MIT.

From there, invents things and it was so positive, so optimistic and so much fun to talk to always.

And many people work with him is all the rules Committee important role for sure.

After 6 terms, was just a shock or a gut punch.

Yeah.

And of course, our condolences go to the congressman and the family.

>> Let's take a pivot to talk about last This is the President Trump.

>> And former President Trump and the Joe Biden debate, a CNN hosted and moderated.

And there's a lot of spend it was even happening before the show ended last night.

And the one word to use.

I think Trey Grayson, a lot is panic when it comes to Democrats who are in a tailspin about the performance of President Joe Biden last night where we go from here.

>> Well, the one thing that people need to be reminded of his presidential races are different than any other race.

And so while both candidates are the presumptive nominees, their parties, neither is actually officially the nominee, not officially on the ballot.

The parties will do that either at their convention for the Democrats are talking about having a virtual convention because of a filing deadline challenge and Ohio.

So it's not too late, which is a conversation I don't think we ever would have thought we would be having.

But this is an unprecedented race with the rematch.

2 former presidents at debate in June.

And you know, Vice President Biden, fellow was was.

Was Bama's.

There's just no sugarcoating.

It when he he clearly probably had a cold city in a raspy voice, but he lost his train of thought on several occasions.

And I was watching the post debate coverage on CNN where our friend Scott was on the panel and that action would let him talk because somebody that Democrats are weighing really concerned about the party.

But John King began.

But just talking about how many tax you've gotten from high ranking Democrats throughout the debate are really worried about the party's chances in the fall.

If Biden were remain on the ballot.

But it was I think if you if you had low expectations from if if you're a Democrat for Biden to clear he didn't come close to doing that.

And so panic as a war.

That's not an exaggeration right now.

We'll see what it's like in 48 hours.

72 hours.

That's not good right?

>> Audie Cornish.

She was on the stage our friend Scott Jennings from CNN last night.

Put it this way that one candidate had to prove that he wasn't infirmed and the other candidate needed to prove that he was stable.

Bob Babbage do.

What is your assessment of how each perform last night and particularly the President, Joe Biden?

>> There was a fair for him for sure.

Probably the worst presidential debate that anybody can remember.

Going back to when we see them all.

We've seen highlights of the mall.

We've watched them alive.

This was not a good showing some 35 years by the former president who need to prove one thing.

It was better when I was there.

So if you put me there again, a jump over a Joe Biden.

It's got to get better again.

That was his mission.

And despite some of the elegant misstatements.

The comes to Biden just had to show that he could handle the situation and he did not.

So you might be able to.

Alter the Trump approach somehow, but you can't alter the other given now what people have seen and how they made their mind up for change a lot, especially the undecided voters are very interesting to look at their not miss.

Typecast as we make them out to be.

So they do move around.

The last night was was tough and the texting I was receiving was, oh, my God.

This is truly awful.

Devolving into discussion of golf.

I mean, really some of the suggested we could have of.

The moderator who might have did some of those things.

That would be the way you do it here on this set where we're sitting correcting realigning things refraining.

Think so.

You actually get to an answer.

It was it is hard to achieve out last night.

Yeah.

>> Well, kudos to Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for being down the middle.

I think they did a fairly good job of that agreement and taking them both on equally.

I'm we know that there's Joe Biden still wants to do this in September.

we'll see how that The next second round.

So let's talk about one SCOTUS ruling Supreme Court.

United States have been several that have come down this week, but we want to hone in on the one today that allows cities now to enforce bans on homeless, staying so the tray real quick, this as a lot of locations for Kentucky because of the Safer Kentucky Act that was just passed by the Legislature.

>> Yes, to Kentucky Act.

House Bill 5 continue, though.

A law similar to the one that was considered by the Supreme Court and what these laws are trying to get out or not the kind of a us folks that, you know, what kind of used to the last couple of decades.

But one of the rise is the last years of these big encampments with large numbers of homeless folks who treated the where they're staying as a as of that, they were their homes and resist attempts to to move them to other places, shelters or whatever, whatever.

Of course, one of the challenges we I think we talked about this a couple months ago is where they actually go with the Supreme Court case as the city's have the ability to in to enforce these kind of laws that went past a lot of the breakup, these usually some type of criteria.

There's a public safety a health issue.

But it wasn't clear before the case and now it is.

>> Have anything you want to add that Bob?

>> Police will have to use some judgment about dealing with the situations.

We have a rising number of homeless.

Just take Lexington, for example, recently called the second-best run government and city in America.

That's a sensitive police department that must encounter this.

We are growing over a growing number of children over several 100 children now homeless and the city tough situation for the long haul.

thought of the Kentucky law being changed somehow the court releases going.

It's here to stay starts.

The 15th and people are getting ready and trying to figure out right now.

That's right.

>> Thank you, Bob Babbage.

Thank you, Trey Grayson, always good to have you both.

Have a good weekend.

The push to have medical marijuana available in Kentucky by 2025. is growing.

The state legislature passed a measure in 2023.

Legalizing medical cannabis on Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear announced starting Monday businesses that want to sell grow.

Medical marijuana for Kentucky can start applying for permits.

The goal is to have some medical cannabis available when the products become legal on January.

1st, businesses can apply for licenses through the end of August.

The state will use a lottery system to award 48 dispensary licenses.

Governor Beshear also announced that doctors an advanced nurse practitioners can begin submitting applications allowing them to certify eligible patients to buy the drug patients can apply for medical cannabis cards starting January.

The first.

♪ First responders from Kentuckyian beyond gathered at the Center for Rural Development in Summer said yesterday the center teamed with the Rule Domestic Preparedness Consortium for a special class designed to help rule and underserved communities ready for a wide range of crises.

>> I've got 65,000 souls here.

That I have to consider as far as what happens.

If we have.

Tornadoes.

We have severe weather.

We have snow storms, ice storms.

We have a train derailment.

Tanker overturned.

How to walk ornate the efforts of these response agencies to mitigate that situation efficiently safely and quickly, one of the things that we have to do in a planning was proper training of our responders.

And so our TPC provides a lot of that training that's needed in rural areas like we live in here.

>> The consortium is under FEMA.

Homeland Security.

And the goal is to increase our preparedness in our rule community.

Today.

We're talking about how do we assist people with functional needs?

>> During a disaster and also are under resourced and underserved communities.

So during a disaster is not the time to figure that out.

It snail.

>> We don't always have the biggest and the best because we may be limited our funding.

We may be limited on personnel.

And so these courses are tailored to meet.

I'm the type of society that we live in.

You know, we're not a Phoenix.

We're not at a Los Angeles where Plaskett County, where Somerset, where you bank, where Ferguson, where, where we're small communities with small resources, the way that I teach the course is what are you doing in your community?

>> 4 h one of the situation.

So if we dive deeper in one area because that community made that we dive deeper, who are the people in your community who may take a little extra time to help?

How are we connecting with those people?

>> And a diverse group of community partners to make sure that people who are in need who have functional mates or how our underserved in our communities that we're prepared to serve them quickly and efficiently in response to gather.

It just depends on the needs of that.

>> Class.

We have this idea that the cavalry is going to come in and say this.

We are at the cavalry.

We have to take care of ourselves first and and the very first thing we have to do is understand what our vulnerabilities are.

>> The center for rural development opened in 1996.

The nonprofit serves 45 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky by supporting community and economic development.

Opportunities.

♪ >> Kentucky's courts systems launching a series of one-day sessions to increase awareness and spark conversations about behavioral health services.

For those who were justice involved.

>> The goal of the recovery oriented system of care summit to connect individuals with the resources they and their families need.

>> So our crowd that is gathered here today at Northern Kentucky University is here to discuss the recovery or in its system of care throughout the state of Kentucky held is that we as a judicial system can collaborate with all of our community partners throughout the state to increase accessibility to services for justice to involved individuals and their families.

>> We a presentation on acquired brain injury and the sick well of brain injury in how many citizens, the interface with the justice system are actually have had brain injuries.

And so that's rare e important for our judges, for law enforcement, for our drug court, specially court folks to understand because those people who have had acquired brain injury, they communicate differently.

Then those that have not and they need may be some special assistance with communication and maybe we can in very small ways alter how we communicate with citizens.

For instance, for me, one of the things that was most interesting being on the Supreme Court here are the final arbiter of affirming or reversing any capital sentence, the death penalty.

In other words, in Kentucky and so was really interesting for me to see this statistic that 100% of death row inmates have some form of brain injury.

It's important that these conversations continue to happen that way.

Continue to discuss ideas, possibilities, new innovative ways.

Real latest research, educating ourselves has been with the administrative office of the courts for over 15 years.

And I have seen the landscape, you know, that the justice system evolved dramatically.

And so it's important for all of us to be willing to adapt into always be having conversations and particularly so we can never lose sight of what the folks in the commonwealth are facing.

So we can make sure that everyone has a better experience when they walk into our courtrooms.

>> There are 7 summits that will be occurring throughout the from today, June.

26 through September, the 10, we will have one session and each appellate district.

So one session 7 different locations throughout the state.

So the Ross summits is a wonderful way for all of our community partners and the judicial staff to come together.

>> And have.

Organic conversations to say how we can meet the needs of our communities together.

And we're grateful for the opportunity that each of the regions have provided us to come in and host the summits.

And we're just looking forward for the upcoming dates.

>> This session was the first of 7 scheduled to take place across the state through September.

♪ You can visit and is back again this summer.

It offers fun activities to visually impaired students so they can better navigate independently inside and outside of the classroom.

We show you how in today's education Matters segment.

This campus for are visually impaired.

Students and the visually impaired students come to our camp in the summer to go through expanding curriculum.

>> If you cannot see.

When someone is teaching you something, we have to help.

You learn how to see whatever is going on.

The middle school side.

We're going to a lesson on making pizza bagels.

So we have a talking We and air fire that has some modifications on a persons who are visually impaired anything that we've done.

We've modified in some which way we either enlarge those for them or we provide a magnifier for them.

Some of the suits are using Domingue the fires.

One student he uses Braille so we can we can do any of those things to help them.

And then on the elementary side, they're doing pretty much the same thing they're doing.

The Home Depot kids.

We've brought in small hammers.

We brought in the Phillips head screw drivers for them.

Some of the students have never held a tool.

Some of these kids know really had to do it.

And we have students who help each other.

Hey, you can't figure this out.

They help you.

So they're in there and they're helping each other.

We kind of stand back and let him do it.

They can camp helps people that can't see very well.

The bill home people, >> we'll pull the painted like.

Thank you, too.

Barnes like him, but plant saying pain tools, a treasure chest.

>> Everybody's visually impaired.

But there are different stages.

We have some students who have no vision whatsoever.

So they're reading Braille.

There is some students here just a little bit visually impaired.

Maybe don't have vision on one side.

>> As we make sure that's on their left side so they can see it.

We have some students who just have very limited vision and they have to everything very close.

We have some students who also do have some hearing.

We have to teach you how to do all the things that you would typically visually see a home because people that are behind it learning it's.

>> Help the cause was in June 2, 2, that helps me with my actually teaches.

>> And so I I know who I am.

>> It feels really like special because and lot of people don't have that stuff.

>> They're learning how to do all those things.

We don't have time during classroom to teach them.

They're going to go back to class and they're going to be a little bit more mature because they've also help their friends.

They've made friends.

They had that social part of life.

You know, you don't get to do that.

You might be the student in class.

That's the only visually impaired student, whereas here everybody is usually impaired and it doesn't matter.

>> So you saw those purple shirts that said Shirley's way that the students and the teachers were wearing.

Well, that's a local nonprofit in Louisville that donated all of the games and toys for the students to use during the camp.

Good story.

Get an early start to the 4th of July holiday and celebrate Kentucky State Park's one 100th birthday.

Just a few of the ways to spend your weekend.

>> Here's Joe begins with a look at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

♪ >> Salon down to Houston Bill this weekend for the Houston Bill Heritage Days festival with several food trucks of prom jumping contest paid.

They'll throw the big wheel race and so much more.

This event is perfect for the whole family.

Where can you find inflatables?

A car show live music and a cornhole tournament at the McHenry Summer Fest.

This Saturday with all of that.

Plus, fireworks to end the day.

This event is sure to be some summer fun.

Looking for a blast this weekend that look no further than the bullet blast city fare in shepherdsville with free rides.

Live music, delicious food trucks and fireworks.

Be sure to blast your socks off.

Go up up and away to Greenville this Saturday for the up up and away birthday celebration.

Join the big twigs and help celebrate Kentucky State Park's one 100th birthday in this family friendly event filled with guided nature hikes, 3 books and toys and a mesmerizing hot air balloon event.

The Wayne County Fair in Horror Show starts tonight in Monticello with different horse shows beauty pageants.

A demo Darby has stopped a tractor called motorcycle and ATV competitions.

Carnival rides fireworks and so much more.

This event has something for everyone.

Calling all and take advantage lovers.

The West Kentucky antique and vintage Park.

It is happening this Saturday in Madisonville with collectibles finance takes bandage goods, country store items and price points for all budgets.

This is one of that.

You don't want to miss.

And that's what's happening around the commonwealth.

I'm told to get yours.

>> I be Gibbs its show time here in the Bluegrass State.

>> We're trying to bring LAX to Lex.

>> Find out how a new central Kentucky production studio wants to make Kentucky the next intriguing finding out about that on Monday on Kentucky Edition, which we hope you'll join us for, of course, at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition, e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

Look for us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

And we welcome you to send us a story idea to the email address.

Public affairs at KET Dot Org and of course, follow KET on Facebook X formally known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

It's been great being with you this week.

We have a good week already stacked up for you next week right here on Kentucky.

Addition some make sure you come back on Monday night.

Have a great weekend until I see you again.

Take really good care.

Tonight.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪