♪ >> Starting to feel like I had to live in fear for one of the first times in years.

It's starting to feel like we're going backwards.

And eastern Kentucky drag show canceled because of threats of violence.

Its organizer says Bill passed and Frankfort are partially to blame.

>> It's a very important for kids in for families because it does make a difference.

From seat belts to safety helmets.

All the ways one group has been keeping kids safe for 30 years.

And I hope one day we don't have to fight.

>> in a report, maybe I really didn't have a vision.

>> And see 1000 people with all the right moves.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday.

March 23rd, I'm Renee Shaw.

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

A drag show scheduled and Prestonsburg was canceled after the organizers said the show face threats of violence.

>> The drag show was scheduled for this Saturday was going to be used as a fundraiser for gender affirming clothing and resources.

Our Casey Parker Bell spoke with the show's organizer about the cancellation and how some feel legislation and Frankfort is prompting the threats.

>> Honestly, it's scary.

Makes me feel scared.

And I'm starting to feel like a had to live in fear for one of the first times in many years.

It's starting to feel like we're going You know, raising a lot of the progress that we've made for LGBTQ people.

>> Kyle may organize the come as you are a drag show as a fundraiser.

It's not the first time his organization opened doors counseling center sponsored a drag show.

But it is the first time they've had to cancel over threats of violence.

The event was meant to raise money to provide clothing, makeup and other gender affirming resources we can provide.

>> Resources.

The people who some things, you know, some items to help live a more happy fulfilling authentic life.

So we were raising money to be able to, you know, provide things make a hygiene products, binders or other items that people need to feel more often take with themselves.

>> May says he believes bills being passed and Frankfort are impacting how LGBTQ communities are being treated.

The General Assembly passed Senate Bill one 50 last week.

The bill would ban gender affirming health care for trans youth.

It waits for action by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

What the legislature would have the opportunity to override the veto next week.

Do you feel like some of the rhetoric coming out of Frankfort and some of >> the rhetoric happening all across the country is impacting how a drag show like this might be perceived by some of the public.

>> Yes, I do believe that the activity and Frankfort has contributed to this because we've hosted many advance and have had little to no pushback before.

I think this is making people brave and feel empowered are emboldened to show up and an exhibit, you know, to make threats of violence.

>> May says plans are being made to reschedule.

The come as you are show, even though the event virtual to address safety concerns for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Planned Parenthood of Kentucky released a statement about the show's cancellation tomorrow we'd are Planned Parenthood is Kentucky State director says quote, This increase in extremist behavior is a direct response to the anti LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation being pushed by our elected leaders.

We call on the Kentucky General Assembly to stop vilifying our LGBTQ+ community and advancing harmful legislation.

End quote.

Today.

Governor Andy Beshear commented on the threat that prompted the cancellation of that drag show.

>> Islands and threats or never.

Just to find against the use of violence to try to push your views on to others as wrong as wrong in inning and every calling people are writing to them, saying that you're going to cause them harm because they're different than you.

This is my faith tells me that that's absolutely wrong.

I believe in a loving on.

I believe in a savior who told us that our number one mission was to love are not as ourselves and love our neighbors.

Every single one of them, no ifs ands or buts.

>> Now in other news, all products containing Tyonek teen are now on Kentucky's list of scheduled one controlled substances.

Tying that teen is sometimes known as, quote, gas station.

Heroin.

It has opioid like effects and can cause overdoses and even death.

It's often known saw tie and a TD read and Pegasus Governor Beshear signed the order today making it a scheduled one controlled substance there by outlawing it sale in Kentucky.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wants to get rid of the job held for 38 years by Doctor Anthony Fauci.

Paul is the co-sponsor of a bill to abolish the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The bill calls for 3 separate National Research Institute.

The directors would be limited to 2 five-year terms and they would have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Paul says that Fauci was never subject to congressional approval because the current law doesn't require it.

In a statement, Paul said, quote, We've learned a lot over the past few years, but one lesson in particular is that no one person should be deemed quote, dictator in chief.

No one person should have unilateral authority to make decisions for millions of Americans, unquote.

Senator Paul is referring to decisions made by Doctor Fauci regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Well, less than 2 months to go before the May 16th primary and Republican candidate Kelly Kraft has a new commercial attacking Attorney General Daniel Cameron and just like her last ad, the subject is coal.

>> But Daniel Cameron had a chance to KET a coal-fired plants running that service to 165,000.

Kentuckians.

Instead, he decided to close.

>> The ad refers to the Mitchell Power Plant in West Virginia.

The same plant cited in a previous Kelly craft ad crafts argument is that Cameron didn't act to stop the closing of the plant after the last Cameron spokesperson said it appeared none of the plant's workers lived in Kentucky and the plant didn't contribute any tax revenue to the state of Kentucky.

We told you yesterday about a state audit of Kentucky State University, a historically black college here in Kentucky that found questionable spending poor record keeping and poor communications between 2018 2021, those problems contributed to Ks use continuing financial problems, problems that even before the auditor's report prompted financial oversight and management by the Kentucky Council on post-secondary education this afternoon, I spoke to the council's president doctor Aaron Thompson about KSU has problems and what's next.

We talk about what's next.

Are we looking at, of course, legal, perhaps ramifications, financial ramifications, criminal ramifications?

>> Yeah, I'm not a lawyer.

So I'm not sure I can answer that to that degree.

I think there's a possibility that all 3 of those could be in place and I'll let those that are in the criminal justice system follow-up.

I will tell you that is where policy implications that we have to follow up on.

We may have to change that.

As I say, the man is a plan to address more of those.

There are things that were on with the border care issue and with whomever the permanent president.

>> And and his or her?

The management team, a tissue.

>> This is an on going out and that will take a while.

I mean, you took a while to get here.

I guess.

>> take us a while to fix it.

But we're going to we're going to fix it in the way that I said because it deserves to be fixed.

Issue deserves to be a freestanding HBCU.

That is not only viable as an institution, but thriving as an institution.

And our goal is to do exactly that.

>> People will say, well, I remember the doctor.

Aaron Thompson was interim president of K State University for a time in to clarify for the viewers was at the time in which this audit was conducted to that cover any time during your tenure there.

And how did you leave the university when it comes to financial standing?

>> It does not cover my time covers last for years old when we left, they had a balanced budget.

They had 23 million dollars in the coffers.

I we're up and everybody on time we were building the student We left.

I'm in great shape that the strategic plan for the It was in great shape.

Down.

Don't get me wrong.

Still have a lot of work to be done.

You know, but I was there for But financially, we left him in a position that they could grow.

>> So this is squarely at the feet of the former President Christopher Brown.

It falls under a President Brown's administration.

Absolutely.

The last 3 years was looked at.

They were not in financial trouble.

Before that.

We've with best been identified now by more than one group.

But I'll give credit Greg russ who has worked for me who we send over in case you hired.

He found out a lot of these things while he was there that short amount of once President Brown left, he went over to look at an address that and we brought the team together.

We found many CP and the beginning in a tweet to 50 gave us more money to really bring a a great financial team along with Travis Pal, who's as my legal lead legal person that took over really looking deeply how we can build the system back and do it in a way that is not only valid but do it in a way that one once again, their students and the citizens of Kentucky deserve.

>> Tomorrow we'll have more from Doctor Thompson as he talks about how higher Ed fare during the legislative session.

And what he's glad didn't pass when it comes to Kentucky colleges and universities.

The same company that designed Google's headquarters and the Lego Museum will be designing one of Kentucky's newest distilleries, blue run spirits, released these pictures of what the finished project could look like in Scott County.

The design is called Meander and is a take on the rural spring in Georgetown.

According to a press release, the 50 Million Dollar Project will include a distillery and Rick House blue spirits are blue run spirits plans on breaking ground later this year with the grand opening in 2025.

It could be 2026 when distilleries get a tax break.

House Bill 5 would repeal taxes on bourbon.

That's aging in Rick Houses.

The so-called Bourbon Barrel tax would slowly be phased out over the next 15 years.

The bill has a chance of reaching Governor Beshear's desk when the Kentucky General Assembly reconvenes next week for the final 2 days of the session.

Federal interest rates are going up once again.

The Federal Reserve announced it was raising its key interest rate by a quarter point making it the night rate hike in a year.

We spoke to Michael Clarke, the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky about the Fed's strategy and what it means for consumers.

>> When we talk about the Federal Reserve raising the interest rate, what they're really doing is to raising the interest rate at which banks won't one another.

And this is a key interest rate.

And as it interest for consumers and businesses will tend to follow suit.

So consumer loans and your car loans, a credit that the interest rate on those would tend to go up as the Federal Reserve increases interest rates.

So, you know, if if you're a household where you're thinking about maybe buying a house, it just means that, you know, borrowing that money became more expensive or your point borrowing money for a car.

You know, that is increase the cost of borrowing that car.

And so those consumers will tend to to pull back.

You know, in terms of how much they might be they might postpone the purchase of a car or house or something of that nature simply because the cost of purchasing that has gone up.

We have the situation of a strong demand and firms were unable to meet that demand that, you know, they were 6 in the water supply reducing how much they can supply the cause prices to go up significantly insisted of warning about 2% per year.

They were increasing much faster than that.

I'd like to raise.

Got up to, you know, 7, 8, 9%, year-over-year.

The Federal Reserve is trying to increase interest rates.

Slow that demand for goods and services down to a point where we can bring inflation back in line with what we've seen prior to the pandemic.

I think the big thing is to to to understand you know what?

Yes, you know, there are some costs associated with.

The higher interest rates, higher interest rates to serve a purpose.

And that's to address that cost or the harm inflation can do to help Sultan businesses.

That's really kind of key.

Take away from this.

>> Clark said while it is hard to predict what the Federal Reserve will do, many economists believe there will be fewer if any additional rate hikes this year.

♪ ♪ After several years of ranking as the worst state for child maltreatment in the U.S. Kentucky is making progress.

But much work remains coming up on Monday.

KET is Ammons how to spot child abuse and neglect.

The fact there's that often lead up to the abuse and ways we all can help.

We'll introduce you to a Richmond mother who shares the story of her son Colton, our health producer, Christie Dot and tells us how he was a victim of shaken Baby syndrome.

He was just a few months old.

Now, a warning that what you're about to see may be disturbing.

So viewer discretion is advised.

He wasn't >> out of it.

But he was just he just wanted to sleep.

So I made a doctor's appointment for his pediatrician.

And that morning went to see her.

I pulled back the car seat, cover him.

He was doing this twitching motion with his arm.

We went back up to the pediatrician and we got back in.

She said will be because of this episode.

And she said, I now see that he's soft spot is bulging.

I'm just going to be conservative.

What's in June 2, the children's hospital.

And that's kind of where the downward slide we've got background rather quickly.

They started the whole battery of of medical assessments.

Blood work.

Your analysis just on your standard protocol.

All that's coming back.

Normal and that he's actively still having these episodes, which it's been pretty determined at this point that these are seizures.

♪ The sentence for a CT scan.

In the CT scan a lot of him urging on his brain.

At that point.

the ICU doctor looked at Jeff Nyan said who hurt her child?

And that the end of that day, the social worker made the call just out of precaution that we were no longer allowed to be.

Along with home.

We in the MRI results came in.

They set us down for a meeting.

They said.

This isn't the first time your child had been abused.

And we just.

What we feel.

We do work or did we go wrong?

How did we miss this marks so badly?

They just said it was but new blood on top of old blood.

He also had no hemorrhaging in his eyes.

None of his injuries were.

With physical injuries like you not present to the naked eye because our child was also part of a, you know with a child care provider.

You know who the child care provider in any family that have used a child care provider.

And that that sort of gave the picture of this injury didn't happen by these people.

It happened in the childcare providers care.

>> We were told.

Colton would be mechanically dependent and he would be on a tray of feeding tube.

And that's if you even made it.

After about a week and a half 2 weeks, they were able to move his breathing, too.

In the ICU doctor said if you told me 3 days ago we would be able to move this to buy would have told you you were crazy.

>> We're happy to share that.

Colton did make it and you can learn more about his story and how Kentucky is working to end child abuse and neglect by watching child abuse and neglect.

A K E 2 special report.

That's Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central and place of Kentucky tonight right here on KET.

♪ ♪ Safe kids Worldwide has been dedicated to keeping kids safe since 1988 with over 400 coalitions across the U.S. and February of 1993, the Kentucky Children's Hospital signed a contract to create a safe kids branch in Fayette County for the last 30 years.

It has partnered with different organizations throughout the community to help prevent childhood injuries and spread safety knowledge.

>> Safe kids worldwide is a global organization.

His sole focus is to address the public health children being injured or killed from preventable accidents.

The unique thing about safe kids is that we have programs for every So, you know, if we want to do things with preschoolers, we have preschool programs.

We have things for elementary school kids.

Bill school, high school kids.

So many of our programs are targeted for kids to try to teach them about safety in the bank.

Smart choices.

But then we have other programs that we.

And you talk to adult caregivers of kids and tried to emphasize things to just make their home may be traveling, play all of those things a little bit safer.

We do the strategic plan every year to kind of look at the you know what's happening in our own backyards in what types of injury risk programs do we need to be proactive in addressing and where in the city or the state to those programs need to be happening.

And, you know, we try to make it in a, you know, a fun atmosphere where kids are doing may be a fun game, other learning about, you know, water safety year.

Pedestrian safety.

Your how to wear that helmet.

And if if we continue to focus on smart decisions and safety and no buckling up and crossing the street at the street corners.

Hopefully as they become teenagers, they're going to continue those those habits that they formed, that they are going to, you know, be good role models for the people that are younger than them, that when they become adults and parents that they will continue to, you know, understand that the necessary, you know.

Education and smart choices that you need to take to KET oneself safe.

We have work today and we have a very passionate group of people in our community.

That really feels like, you know, this is worthy organization.

Now the mission it's it's a very important for kids in for families because it does make a difference.

>> Safe kids in Fayette County is getting ready to launch some of their summer programs, including a focus on water safety as well as bike safety.

♪ ♪ Dance blue at the University of Kentucky is celebrating 18 years this weekend.

Students fundraise to participate in the dance.

A Thon to date.

They have raised almost 20 million dollars and they don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

>> We explain as our 24 hour dance marathon and that raises money for the Kentucky Children's Hospital.

He G I ecology clinic.

It's a philanthropic student run organization.

So we work all throughout the year to raise the money in volunteer in the clinic.

And first, we cut some families for the dancers.

It really is that 24 hours on the floor, so dancers and committee members off island.

And so what we'll do is we all stand at 08:00PM on Saturday.

And the Mike Wallace, CNN.

And until then, you're standing in Till 08:00PM on Sunday.

♪ >> Wu funding helped us to create this new clinic over closer to the hospital.

In 2017.

And it's been amazing and we have private rooms for patients and families and we're close to the hospital.

So when a family needs to be admitted, they can just walk right down the hall with our nursing staff instead of from across the street.

So those are things that have genuinely improved care as well for patients and families and made it easier to to access a lot of centers that are the size.

Don't have the benefit of having all of the services that we have.

So we are really special and unique in that way.

Thanks to dance for >> Jarrett Lane year was a patient at Kentucky Children's Hospital who has home run.

I was just bringing joy.

He wanted.

He thought the joys the best medicine is one of his quotes and his mom and his family were so inspired that he went to live this like see joy.

And he wanted to leave that legacy as well.

He was the kind of child.

>> Who always was looking out for others who was very outgoing and who was empathetic beyond his years.

Dance started in 2006.

As a of Jarrett and a dream of my husband.

And I our.

Are fulfilling a wish for Jared.

He had asked us if in his last days if we would do something in his memory to help pediatric oncology clinic dance flu.

It's so very important to our staff to our patients and families.

>> I think this can be a very long way experience for her patients for families and dance play really provides a community and the support for patients and families.

When they are and their darkest sometimes darkest moments that we have a memorial hours.

So we have an hour that.

>> Families that have been treated at the clinic and pass survivors and families that have lost their kids as well, have the opportunity to speak.

And then we see at the end with or veal of how much we've raced off at ♪ we have learned that I think is really like reminiscent of what we do as humans.

We says he oversees.

So it's still the battle is won.

So if you're a Kentucky you're familiar with that part of our fight song and that we seeing so till the battle is one is just the fight that we're fighting for.

These kids and feelings.

And we hope that one day that will get to dance and the celebration that cancers carried.

And but until then really helping them fight that battle.

That's really special.

>> To me, dance blue is.

Perfect.

Way to honor Jarrett and all the children that.

Represents it would be his perfect idea of what.

What could be done.

>> What a special program.

All dance blue funds go directly to patient care staffing.

The clinic and medical research, dance blue is this weekend at Memorial Coliseum.

Well, they were known as the Tuskegee Airman, a group of Black pilots, an airman who fought with distinction during World War.

2, some were from Kentucky, a new marker on are some members of the Tuskegee Airman from Madison County.

And you'll see it tomorrow night on Kentucky.

Addition along with of course, our inside Kentucky Politics segment that will happen right here on Kentucky edition.

At 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central really inform connect.

>> And inspire.

Subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips and KD Dot Org.

You can also find us on the PBS video app on your mobile Smart TV and send us a story idea of public affairs at K E T Dot Org and of course, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thank you so very much for watching tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw and I will see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Have a good evening.

♪ ♪ ♪