[music] >> Rogers is not here tonight.

I don't think, not because he doesn't want to be.

I don't know that he's able.

[MUSIC] >> Hal Rogers opponent questions whether the long serving congressman can continue to serve.

[MUSIC] >> Voter intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated in Jefferson County.

[MUSIC] >> Jefferson and Fayette County clerks lay out what they will and won't accept from federal election observers.

[MUSIC] >> When people think about baseball, they think about Louisville Slugger.

That name is just synonymous.

It is an American icon.

[MUSIC] >> And for baseball lovers, this bat is where it's at.

[MUSIC] >> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for Tuesday, October 27th.

I'm Kelsey Starks and our KET Studios here in Louisville.

Thanks for joining us.

Well, election day is a week from today.

Early voting in Kentucky starts Thursday, and people are already sending in absentee ballots as we move closer to the political finish line.

We're hearing more from the candidates looking to represent Kentucky in Washington, D.C.

two candidates for Congress were with us on last night's Kentucky tonight.

More as we begin our coverage of the 2026 midterm elections.

John Drew Williams is a Democrat running in the first Congressional District.

His Republican opponent, Congressman James Comer, declined our invitation.

Host Laura Rogers asked Williams about his views on how to handle artificial intelligence and data centers.

>> While.

>> Several counties in your district are being asked to think about AI.

We've seen that big data center project in Paducah.

What, if any, guardrails should the federal government put in place on AI?

Are you concerned that too much regulation could slow innovation?

What are.

What are your thoughts on on AI and where we are with that now?

>> I think we rolled out the red carpet for data centers here in Kentucky and across the country.

While completely ignoring the guardrails that would protect communities and people in our lands.

The state and federal government really need to establish some enforceable protections.

So local governments aren't negotiating alone against billionaire, mega wealthy corporations.

I support a moratorium on new construction and on expansion.

Until those laws become enacted.

I have about 11 policies on my website for data centers specifically, and about 32, I think, policies for AI.

And that covers human rights, creator ethics, civil rights, worker rights.

We have a whole spectrum of needs that are going to be implemented in this new economy, and we're going to make sure that people are actually being taken care of.

We have a lot of work to do in those regards.

Mr.

comer has, you know, showed a lot of enthusiasm for the $100 billion data center coming in to to Western Kentucky, but he doesn't seem to have any plans for binding protections or benefit plans for those those structures.

I definitely think he's more concerned with impressing his corporate citizens than, than the people who live around.

>> Him, rigged hearings.

>> We also spoke to Ned Dorf, the Democratic nominee in the fifth Congressional District.

Congressman Hal Rogers declined our invitation to appear.

Pillich had some thoughts on that.

>> Hal Rogers isn't here tonight.

We've had 4 or 5 congressional debates.

I've actually had two independents running.

He hasn't shown up for any of them.

We had a debate scheduled actually in his hometown of Somerset.

He didn't show up.

You know, it was kind of interesting.

Right now, Kentucky has two.

Representatives who've been there a long time, Mitch McConnell and Hal Rogers.

McConnell, in fairness to him, made the wise decision given his health and his age, not to run again.

Rogers actually four years older, Rogers is not here tonight.

I don't think not because he doesn't want to be.

I don't know that he's able.

If you've seen him lately, interviewed, he has trouble putting sentences together.

I think we need an act of congressman, because my district needs so much.

And the idea that we'll have a 90 year old in the minority as a Republican in the minority, I don't think he'll get much too much done for our district.

And our district needs a lot of help.

>> I'm sure you probably hear from voters.

I mean, Congressman Rogers has a lot of influence in Washington because of the time that he's been there.

His visibility, he's on the House Appropriations Committee.

What do you say to those voters that that they want to continue to vote for that experience and that high profile candidate?

>> Well, I think the reality is Hal Rogers and the Republicans are not going to be in the majority.

They're going to be in the minority.

And frankly, his voting record lately is alarming.

There was a recent bill to increase funding for low income schools.

Rogers voted against it.

In fact, he voted for a 26% cut.

Is there a congressional district in the country who has more low income schools than us?

I think he has lost touch.

He has joined the radical wing of the party.

>> Right along with me.

He's so.

>> Hellersdorf was also very critical of President Trump's budget plan, the so-called big beautiful bill.

He says it will cause hospitals to close throughout the fifth district at a time when the district is already one of the poorest in America.

You can see Laura's conversations with both candidates at ket.org/ky tonight.

And be sure to join us for our Kentucky tonight election preview.

That's next Monday at 8:00 eastern seven Central.

Charles Booker, Democratic nominee for the U.S.

Senate, says he's picked up the endorsements of numerous prominent Democrats.

That includes Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, former state Representative Rocky Adkins and former Senate candidate Amy McGrath.

Dale Romans and Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Booker campaign says it also has the support of more than 20 Democratic members of the Kentucky General Assembly.

Booker faces Republican Andy Barr, the current congressman in the sixth Congressional District, a Republican state senator said he has not endorsed the Republican candidate for Congress in the fourth Congressional District, despite an endorsement post that includes his picture.

The post shows pictures of several Republican lawmakers.

State Senator Steve Rawlings of Burlington and Boone County says he was shocked to see his picture.

Rawlings tells the Courier-Journal he supported incumbent Thomas Massie in the primary and has not endorsed anyone in the fall general election.

He says it's disturbing to see his picture in the post.

Rawlings did say he has endorsed the Republican ticket, but says that is not the same as endorsing a candidate.

Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from the Fourth Congressional District, says he will push to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth when Congress reconvenes after the November 3rd election.

A reporter asked Massie on social media if he would reintroduce articles of impeachment.

Massie answered he would.

If Hegseth is still secretary of defense.

Massie introduced articles of impeachment back in September.

Here's what he said.

>> Then.

In his conduct, while Secretary of Defense Peter Brian Hegseth, in violation of his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, especially with regard to the commission of war, has abused the powers of the Department of Defense in that the declare war clause of the United States Constitution.

Article one, section eight, clause 11 vests in Congress.

The exclusive initiatory powers of war.

While the military, administrative and clemency clause of the United States Constitution.

Article two, section two, clause one establishes the president as the commander in chief of the Armed forces and vests in him operational control over wars lawfully authorized by Congress in an effort to statutorily delineate the circumstances under which the president may introduce United States armed forces into hostilities.

Absent congressional authorization, the 93rd Congress of the United States enacted into law House Joint Resolution 542.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973, Public law 93-148.

By overriding the veto of President Richard Nixon.

Peter Brian Hegseth, in his capacity as Secretary of Defense, has executed unlawful orders in contravention of section two C of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

>> Massie will leave Congress in January after losing his Republican primary last May to Ed Galvin.

Federal election observers will be at polling sites in Lexington and in Louisville, but local county clerks have told the Department of Justice what they will and won't tolerate on Election Day, and that even they are not above state law.

Our John Loeffler has more on that.

>> DOJ election monitors aren't new, but Jefferson County Clerk David Yates said the agency wanted access inside the polls.

>> Our position is that routine, federal monitoring inside polling locations is not authorized under Kentucky law.

They let us know their position and their request to being the polling locations and asked for our consent.

We expressed our concern and asked for a written memorandum of law and understanding for what they would base that on.

To date, we have not received anything, any any written correspondence back.

>> Outside groups, including Partizan Grassroots and federal election observers are free to interact with voters 100ft outside a polling location.

The DOJ told clerks it will track civil rights issues.

Fayette County's clerk virtually met with the DOJ yesterday.

In a partial statement, the clerk's office wrote, quote, election monitors and groups of 2 to 3 will visit polling locations in Fayette County to check for Ada compliance.

Provisional ballot distribution and required language assistance.

For example, an election monitor might ask someone in a wheelchair whether the polling location was accessible both inside and outside.

They can observe potential Ada compliance issues from outside the polling location, but they rely on voters to speak with them about any potential issues inside the polling location.

Voters are not required to speak with election monitors to help with accessibility.

Jefferson County is rolling out a brand new way to cast a ballot drive through voting.

Yates says.

The DOJ dinged the clerk's office for not meeting accessibility benchmarks in recent years.

>> And the office had not done as well as we should have to move it up, the office obviously does not own all the polling locations, and so we don't have the ability to be able to change those outright.

And so that was one of the things, as we start looking forward to what we're going to do in future years and how we're going to have to run elections to be accessible and make sure the right.

>> In a letter, Yates outlines what his office will offer the DOJ.

That includes a designated county liaison to contact directly on Election Day and a process to respond to their concerns.

A pre-election briefing at the local clerk's office and a complete list of polling locations, and all other publicly available election materials and assistance accessing other records.

>> I wouldn't be getting this type of calls concerned.

Fear if people weren't worried about the possibility of voter intimidation.

I'll stand the same position.

I always have voter intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated in Jefferson County.

>> Grassroots observers will also be at the polls.

The group, our people.

Our vote is recruiting and training volunteers.

Now.

It's backed by nonpartisan advocacy groups like the Kentucky League of Women Voters, Civic Lex and the Fairness Campaign for Kentucky Edition.

I'm June Loeffler.

>> Local county clerks are expecting civil observers and plain clothes.

The DOJ is not expected to send armed officers acting as law enforcement.

Well, if Governor Andy Beshear runs for president in 2028, when would that campaign start?

Well, Beshear adviser denies a CNN report that it could happen at the end of this year.

WHAS and Louisville quoted Eric Hyers, the governor's 2023 campaign manager and an adviser to his political action committee.

Heyer says CNN was incorrect when it reported that the governor was talking about launching a campaign after a December meeting of the Democratic Governors Association.

Beshear has said a decision would come after he ends his term as chair of the D g, a.

[MUSIC] Well, we talked about Congressman Thomas Massie just a few minutes ago.

He's getting new support in his push to release more of the Epstein files.

And we have the latest on a former sheriff accused of killing a judge.

Our Toby Gibbs has that and more in this look at headlines around Kentucky.

>> Spectrum news one reports 17 Democratic state attorneys general have endorsed Congressman Thomas Massie's push for a second bill involving the government's Jeffrey Epstein files.

Congress passed a bill last year demanding the release of the files.

But Massie and other critics have denounced the Justice Department for its lack of compliance.

The second bill, if passed, would require the DOJ to give state and local prosecutors unredacted records for their own investigations.

[MUSIC] Massie says he has just two votes short of the number needed to force a vote on the new bill.

From the Mountain Eagle, the Kentucky Court of Appeals backs a lecture circuit court ruling denying bond to former Sheriff Mickey Stevens.

[MUSIC] He's accused of killing Judge Kevin Mullins in 2024.

So Stevens remains held without bail.

While the case continues.

[MUSIC] General matter, a nuclear enrichment startup, answered questions during an open house at McCracken County High School.

General matter is working on a nuclear enrichment project at the Department of Energy Paducah site, according to the Paducah Sun.

Last Wednesday's event included a presentation about soil removal.

[MUSIC] This is General Matter's second open house, CEO Lee Robinson says.

People seem very interested in the project's environmental impact.

[MUSIC] In February of 2025, Jefferson County Public Schools paid more than $291,000 for Hazel health to provide virtual behavioral assessments and therapy sessions to more than 19,000 students in schools with a high percentage of low income households.

[MUSIC] Louisville Public Media says the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting found that by June of 2026, just six students had received help.

[MUSIC] Mental health practitioners say schools struggled to find staff members to supervise students during sessions, and parents found the sign up process hard to navigate.

[MUSIC] With headlines around Kentucky, I'm Toby Gibbs.

[MUSIC] >> Well, it's been used by every major league team in baseball, and it has a pop culture history being used by everyone from Jack Nicholson in The Shining to Carrie Underwood knocking out some headlights.

The Louisville Slugger is an icon, and every one of them is still made on the factory on Main Street here in Louisville.

We go inside the Louisville Slugger Museum and factory on the next inside Louisville.

Here's a sneak peek.

[MUSIC] When you visit Main Street in downtown Louisville, you can't miss the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

[MUSIC] That's because of the 120 foot exact scale replica of Babe Ruth's Louisville Slugger bat.

Towering into the sky in front of the museum.

>> Things people love about our attraction is is it's not just for baseball fans.

It's for anyone.

>> Inside is where the bats are made.

More than a million each year.

[MUSIC] >> You're not going to go to every city and find a Louisville Slugger.

This is something that is unique and authentic to the city of Louisville, and it is just a must see destination for people when they come to visit us.

>> The museum opened in 1996, but the factory itself was established a century before that, when 17 year old Bud Hillerich created the very first bat in his father's woodworking shop.

>> Kind of the history with that very first Louisville Slugger was Bud Hillerich made that bat for Pete Browning, whose nickname was the Louisville Slugger, and he listened to what Pete wanted, and he went home and made that made that bat for him.

The next day, Pete batted three for four.

The rest of his history in terms of the Louisville Slugger.

And here we are today.

>> The Louisville Slugger continues to make history.

[MUSIC] Today it is swung by every team in Major League Baseball.

Derek Jeter, Hank Aaron and the great Bambino himself.

For just a few of the legends that have swung a Louisville Slugger bat at the museum, you can hold those real life game bats used by some of the greats, like Roberto Clemente or Johnny Bench, or feel the field of heat, see what a 90 mile per hour fastball really looks like up close?

Maybe you can even take a few swings yourself.

America's pastime has changed a lot in the past century, and so has the Louisville Slugger.

>> So a skilled bat maker back in the day shaped the bat about 20 to 30 minutes.

That's pretty good, right?

But nowadays we use CNC lathes that can cut through a single piece of wood.

The billet, if you will, that cylindrical piece of wood in about 30 some odd seconds.

So it's really a big difference.

From there we have a number of different hands touching that product.

At the end of the day, I always consider a Louisville Slugger bat a handmade artisan product because you see in our factory tour, all the hands that come together, all the people who come together to make this icon.

>> But some things still remain the same.

Louisville Slugger still owned and operated by the same family, still making the most recognizable bat in history in downtown Louisville.

>> The people in this building are hilarious, which is really unique.

To see where a fifth generation, family owned business, which is very unique to be working with a family owned company with such a legacy in regards to Americana and baseball, is just is really, really cool.

[MUSIC] When people think about baseball, they think about Louisville Slugger.

That name is just synonymous.

It is an American icon as representative of as a Coca-Cola, for example, Louisville Slugger is a name that transcends baseball.

>> Take a deep dive into Louisville's baseball history on the next.

Inside Louisville bats Sunday at noon, 11:00 central.

Here on KET.

[MUSIC] Well, we know Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave system, but it was once thought of as a series of separate, unconnected caves.

We have more on the history of one of Kentucky's greatest treasures from our Kentucky origin series.

>> So how did people explore the same cave for decades without realizing it was all connected?

The answer lies in how caves were understood back then.

[MUSIC] In the 1800s, a cave was defined by its entrance.

If a hole opened on your land, you owned the cave and you charged admission at that opening from the surface, everything pointed to separate caves, different hills, different sinkholes, different tour guides, early maps only showed small areas near each entrance.

They were lucrative business opportunities as owners could run cave tours and make more money than farming.

Rocky land.

[MUSIC] Landowners rushed to find new caves and turn them into tourist stops.

Many of these sites were also mined for their nitrate rich cave soil, which produced potassium nitrate, a key ingredient for making gunpowder.

This proved especially important during the war of 1812, when the British naval blockades cut off foreign gunpowder supplies.

[MUSIC] Thanks to Kentucky caves, however, the U.S.

still had plenty of potassium nitrate.

[MUSIC] According to one wartime report, Mammoth Cave alone produced roughly 500 pounds per day at peak operation.

Exploring the caves was slow and dangerous.

[MUSIC] Owners used enslaved men to do most of the mining, as it was physically brutal and undesirable work.

Guided by dim torchlight and cold dark caverns, enslaved miners shoved heavy loads of cave dirt and operated pumps for long hours.

What no one realized was that many of these entrances actually led to the same underground maze.

[MUSIC] If a tunnel became too narrow, dropping straight down or filled with water, explorers assumed that was the end.

[MUSIC] Without modern gear or diving equipment, they had no ability to explore further, and dead ends were accepted as final.

But then someone came along who didn't stop where so many others did.

[MUSIC] His name was Stephen Bishop.

Bishop was an enslaved guide taken to Mammoth Cave in 1838, when he was just 17 years old.

[MUSIC] He led tours by lamplight, but on his own time he ventured far beyond them.

He explored rivers, tunnels and chambers.

No one had mapped.

Bishop discovered and named numerous features of the cave.

We still know today.

Like the River Styx, Fat man's misery, the Great Relief Hall, among others.

[MUSIC] Many authors wrote about their tours with Bishop as their guide.

[MUSIC] Widely recognizing him as an expert.

In 1839, a Louisville doctor named John Croghan bought the cave.

He believed the air inside could cure tuberculosis.

[MUSIC] He even turned part of the cave into a hospital, but ultimately, his theory proved incorrect, and the disease took his life.

When Croghan originally purchased the cave, the sale also included Bishop.

[MUSIC] He was sent away to work on Croghan's Plantation.

[MUSIC] During his time there, he did something remarkable.

[MUSIC] He drew the cave system entirely from memory.

His map showed nearly ten miles of passages, many of them discovered by Bishop himself.

And unlike most work done by enslaved people at the time, he was credited by name.

The map was published in 1844 and stayed in use for more than 40 years.

Most people didn't realize it then, but Bishop had already sketched the future.

As explorers dug deeper, they noticed something strange, different caves had the same rock layers.

Passages lined up at the same height, underground and in some sealed tunnels.

They felt air moving, which usually means there's another opening somewhere nearby.

[MUSIC] Over time, explorers grew more suspicious.

[MUSIC] The caves felt connected, even if no one could prove it yet.

The question became almost impossible to ignore.

If these caves aren't connected, why do they feel like they are?

Scientists and explorers are still finding new passages, slowly revealing how vast the system really is.

[MUSIC] The park exists so that exploration can continue.

[MUSIC] Carefully balancing discovery, science, and stewardship.

[MUSIC] The ever growing story of Mammoth Cave isn't one about us missing something obvious.

It's a story about how complex the earth is, and how much more we still have to learn.

Mammoth cave was always massive.

We just didn't understand it yet.

[MUSIC] And even today, it still hasn't told us everything.

>> Very interesting.

I bet you learned something new.

See more of this Kentucky origin story and others like it when you visit our KET page on YouTube.

Well, we hope you'll join us again here tomorrow night at 630 eastern.

530 central for Kentucky edition, where we inform, connect and inspire.

You can subscribe to our Kentucky edition email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at ket.org.

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And you can always follow us on KET on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Have a great evening.