♪ >> The loss of lives of 34,000 people is just tragic and it in whatever capacity.

>> Protesters peacefully demonstrate at Eastern Kentucky University calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

>> Graduation c span between for student here >> a Kentucky high school junior gets national praise for her documentary on race in the justice system.

Your donor, this is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Here are some of the special letters from organ recipients to their donors.

>> I never think tainted ballet shoes before.

So we gave it to the artists.

I had no idea what to expect.

>> Plus, see a Kentucky style partnership between bourbon and ballet.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky edition on this first day of May.

Wednesday May 1st, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Wednesday with us.

Protests over the war in Gaza have now popped up in Kentucky as demonstrators gathered yesterday at eastern Kentucky University.

They sank with the surge in college campus.

Protests across the country following intense confrontations between police and pro-Palestinian protesters at New York's Columbia University.

Further inflaming tensions over the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

UK, you students gathered last evening alongside other protesters from Berea to call for a cease-fire.

And what was a smaller and calmer demonstration.

>> This is a cause that's really.

You know, it's been circulating around my friend groups personally and we're all feeling very heavy hearted about it.

You know, like the loss of lives of 34,000 people is just tragic and it in whatever capacity and I think that the whole situation just means more awareness and clarity.

I think there's a lot of it, misinformation, disinformation that's going around surrounding this issue.

And I really do.

I think it is a genocide that happening in Palestine at the moment.

It's something that's happening in this current moment that we have a chance to do something about something that happened in repeated itself in history many, many times over.

So I just felt called to try to do what I can about it.

>> According to organizers, this was the first pro-Palestinian protests to occur on the K use campus since the war began last fall.

While in Louisville last Friday, U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky criticized violent protests at some universities, including Columbia University in New York.

McConnell repeated that criticism yesterday on the U.S. Senate floor.

>> So going to leave universities.

community to climb.

And I had to do with them.

They're not drawing the nation's attention.

Just becomes another generation of students inside to just moment.

Team First Amendment.

We're doing tests >> pro-Palestinian activists protested at the University of Kentucky late this afternoon will have coverage of that tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

Now more news out of Washington.

Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky Sports Congressional District is calling on U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to resign.

Massive join Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor.

Greene of Georgia during a news conference outside the Capitol this morning.

Drain said she'll call a vote next week to oust Speaker Johnson forcing her colleagues to choose sides in a difficult showdown after Democratic leaders announced they would vote across party lines to save the Republican speaker's job.

Greene Ed Massey said they were giving their colleagues the weekend to weigh their options before calling for the vote on her motion to vacate next week.

>> I'm going to challenge my colleagues to think about it this weekend because as Marjorie Taylor Greene said, we're coming back and we're voting on this next week.

Right?

And you get to have the choice.

If you're a Republican, are you going to embrace hooking Jeffrey's, right?

Mike Johnson has.

Are you going to embrace the unit party like Mike Johnson has when you come back next week.

Are you going to fight for Americans to tell us the majority?

And you may say, oh, no, it's this is this is a lovely bipartisanship.

What you've got a team Jeffries.

How do you make of Mike Johnson and helping him KET his majority KET their seat?

But the reality is this isn't policy.

This isn't like some criminal justice reform with the left and the right can agree.

This is about to host that gavel right now.

There are 2 that gavel.

On sharing power.

Procedures about what good is welcome to the floor about how long way with the Bay there's bills and which communities comprised of which members sharing power.

>> Last fall, 8 Republicans joined Democrats to oust a now former Representative Kevin McCarthy as speaker that marked the first-ever removal of a sitting U.S. House speaker, a position that is second in the line of succession to the presidency right now.

It's not clear how many Republicans will vote against Johnson.

Kentucky is one of 6 states challenging a new federal rule regarding title 9, the 1972 sex discrimination law was originally passed to address women's right.

It applies to colleges and K through 12 schools that received federal money last month the Biden administration added new rules to title 9.

The biggest changes clarified that it protects LGBTQ+ students and that treating dress transgender students differently is discrimination.

Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman says the change would mean males identifying as females can access women's sports bathrooms and locker rooms.

In a statement, Coleman said the new rule would, quote, rip away.

50 years of title 9 protections for women and put entire generations of young girls at risk, end quote, schools that fail to comply with the new rule could lose federal funding.

The attorney general's office says public and private schools in Kentucky received more than 1 billion dollars from the U.S. Department of Education last year.

The updated rule is set to take effect in August.

A judge has barred former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin from his home in Anchorage near Louisville.

Louisville, Public Media and the Courier Journal report his estranged wife Glenna claims Bevan has been harassing her and entering the House without permission.

The Bevin's are in the process of divorcing glenna Bevin says even though they have been separated since 2021, the former governor sometimes drops by the home without warning the judge's order requires him to ask permission before he can enter the home.

Western Kentucky man on death Row has died.

The Kentucky Department of Corrections says 51 year-old Kevin Dunlap died Sunday after being transported to a hospital from the Kentucky Penitentiary and evil.

His cause of death has not been released.

Dunlap pleaded guilty to killing 3 children, r***** their mother and setting their home on fire in Trigg County and 20.

0, 8, the death penalty has been banned and Kentucky for the last 15 years and March Attorneys General Russel Coleman filed a motion to have the ban lifted a ruling in that case has not yet been announced.

Kentucky is mourning the death of a state trooper state police say Trooper Jonathan Johnson of Bowling Green died in a motorcycle crash yesterday while off duty.

Johnson had been with the ksp 9 years and it worked at the Madisonville and Bowling Green Post.

He was married with 4 children.

Trooper Johnson was 48.

♪ ♪ Time now to check in with our good friend Rylan Barton, who is a senior editor with in PR states team to talk about some of the week's developments so far.

>> Good to see your island.

You see 2 minute Happy Derby week.

We know that where you are.

It's just all of a buzz with Derby fever.

So we'll save that for a separate conversation.

But good luck if you're betting on the ponies let's talk about the new education chief who did his, I guess first media availability earlier this week.

He talked about school choice in dei policies.

What are some of the main takeaways that you blame from his presser?

>> So this is the education commissioner can take you to have to go through the process of being confined.

But the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans now.

So there's a little bit of this political dynamic of that Democratic governor nominating him and that the Republican Senate confirming him so, yeah, it's a it's a new The Kentucky Department of Education here and he laid out some of his priorities.

You know, he's calling for the same.

Thank you to the legislature for of riding more funding for public education.

But his point or more, you know, more attention for teachers as well as something that, you know, he's also saying that he would be in things, sticking them, some of the policies that Governor Beshear has been front.

I'm in favor of like expanding of a Pre-K across the state.

Pretty good.

Universal Pre-K programs.

And yes, he also said you know, when it comes to LGBTQ students, that he's still we're he wants to make sure that all students feel welcome and that he wouldn't have a problem with teachers working out.

You know, we students or parents and Ken cases much a student wants to say used a different set of a pronoun and that is, you know, that is what lead to commissioner of ultimately being ousted.

But what Republican lawmakers will say is part of that is that he was, you know, really telling teachers that, you know, if you're not interested in doing that, but you need to go find another job.

So he's he's definitely having a little bit more be tempered light on that issue.

But I think that's part of the job here.

He's trying to appeal to, you know, both the Democratic governor who nominated him in the Republicans, the Legislature who ultimately have oversight over.

>> Yeah.

And when he was asked, he said that he will vote against the constitutional that is connected to school choice, but he would still do its job right?

And he would still ask for public dollars to stick with public education.

But, you know, he bow to the will of the Legislature >> yeah.

And that really could be the political story for Kentucky this year is that school Choice Amendment which would open the door for public dollars to and in some ways a nonpublic education.

There's right now there's an explicit ban on that in the state constitution.

So he's saying that he's he's not going to be in favor of that.

But as you said, that if it were implemented to do their own, you make sure that that that was implemented.

Yeah.

>> So moving now to some Just yesterday, a Franklin Circuit court reversed alleged ethics violations against a former Democratic Kentucky secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

This dates back a little bit for us.

But this also clears her of a $10,000 fine.

So remind us what this is about.

And the reversal that happened yesterday.

>> Right.

So this this goes back to writings occasions that the former secretary Grimes said improperly accessed the voter registration system and that that, you know, violated the executive branch ethics as you said, led to this $10,000 fine, but also led to that, you know, really the cause of her political career.

She was this rising star on the Democratic Party.

There's questions whether she would run for governor that in lots of other fired officers.

And it you know, the kind of its top that in their tracks.

So I'm I'm not sure with the fallout of this is at this point, whether this, you know, would revive her political career in this way.

But it was a, you know, the Democrats in Kentucky don't have a very deep bench inmates, especially for statewide office.

And that was a really big blow to Democrats.

I'm not a place for them.

>> Yeah, I this current governor is term limited and there's a lot of speculation about who wants to take his place on the Democratic side.

And so perhaps we could see a resurgence of Allison and Grimes on the political scene.

Final with day-to-day beginning.

May one we are about 20 days away from the primary election here in Kentucky.

And we know that all eyes are on the Derby, but there's a different race.

They were probably more interested in.

And it's those state House races that have some pretty contentious contest, particularly on the Republican side of the ledger.

>> So much of the political ring at this point in the state legislature is within the Republican Party in the control, about 80% of seats in both legislative chambers is not too much of a risk to them losing control of either the House or the Senate this year.

But within the Republican Party, there's a lot of, you know, once you get that think you start some divisions between different factions.

One thing that we've seen a play out of the last couple years is that is the resurgence of the emergence of Your so called Liberty Wing of the Republican Party.

They he took a bunch of seats over the years of last year.

in in 2022, there's a bit more about Horton aid effort for more conservative Republicans, too, to to win seats in the picked up some big ones, especially in northern Kentucky.

defeated some incumbents, Republicans who are also the cheers of a pretty powerful committees in the Legislature which once that starts happening, you know, Republican leaders know certain getting a little worried you know, the continuity of care, of of their message of their plans of what they're working on.

And so now there's a much more conservative, a deep concern and of you know, some of those more establishment Republicans, Chamber of Commerce system, funding some campaigns, too to either defend or even win back seats that were won by some of those liberty in 2022 of want to highlight and in northern Kentucky see at Massena he was that chair of the House Judiciary Committee at one point.

And you been kind of surprising primary of lost a primary election back in 2022, he's trying to make a comeback on the guy.

The representative who won that seat is moving on to the race for the Senate.

But yeah, he's running against another Liberty County, TJ Roberts.

And so he's he's kind of he's got you know, well, Pham on the campaign to try to win that seat back.

So it will be interesting to see once all the dust you know, who who ends up winning some of these races.

But no matter what a lot of this has implications for what takes place months.

Legislature comes back in session next year when they talk about leadership them what bills they decide to take up.

Yeah.

>> It could make those leadership contests really interesting.

Should there be a change some of the seats from the establishment candidates are to more liberty candidates owe a lot to KET our eyes on in the weeks to come.

Thank you, Rylan Barton, always for breaking it down for us.

Have a good one.

Race and the justice system continue to be big topics of discussion in Kentuckyian of course, across the nation.

>> One high school junior chose to add her voice to the conversation with a documentary focusing on what's happening in Lexington and the piece is getting hard.

National recognition.

>> C span student cam started 20 years ago.

Really excited that we're celebrating our 20th anniversary this year.

And the goal is for students to think critically about issues that are affecting our nation.

Maybe it's their community or even their own personal lives.

So we want them to pick a topic that interests them says he's going to spend time with this project to research it get out in the community and interview people so they can learn more about their topic.

Look at different perspectives like C-SPAN does just to to get that variety so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.

So that's what we want students to do.

This reads.

>> Whereas Zoe Washington, a student at East Side Technical Center is the 2024 3rd prize winner and the C span 20th annual student can competition.

>> I want to be an attorney and both of my classes that I take care at the site as a criminal justice.

And I take media arts.

So I kind of went in and integrate the 2 and I decided to tackle the issue of race in the justice system.

And I kind of want to look forward at the next 20 years and talk about the changes that like so we tackled a really tough race in Exeter in the system and see tackled it by We were impressed as a team with the research that she said she presented that very professionally, the quality interviews that she did helped inform us.

We learned about her topics throughout the process and she will that all together to tell a really compelling story.

So that's why she was chosen as their price.

>> And so the more people call >> I just interviewed Judge Pamela Goodwine and Commonwealth Attorney Bear and they're both just such historical figures to me.

They're both the first black woman and their profession.

And they were just so amazing.

Whatever they were, I was interviewing, they were so eager to help and they were happy to find that there's someone like me that could, you know, tackle the issues.

I think everything really just starts with awareness.

And so we can if we're not aware of the problems and can't begin to or try to fix it.

So I just thought it was really important that I highlight specifically our community, Lexington, Kentucky, because a lot about national issues.

But I just thought it was really important to cover what goes on in our hotels.

>> The severely.

So yesterday in Lexington, the mayor declared Zoe Washington, actually Zoe Washington day.

So congrats to her.

The documentary balancing the scales race and the criminal justice system can be saved by going to the C span student Cam Web site.

♪ We donate Life Month has ended.

But UK health care has a special exhibit that will continue to honor organ donors for a few months longer.

Deer don't or showcases letters from recipients of lifesaving organs to the donors who have often lost their lives.

>> Do your donor?

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This is a Bible verse that I say each morning as I get out of a it in my feet, hit the floor.

Before my transplant.

There were days I couldn't get out of bed in function.

The daily routine you give to me with a liver over 20 years ago and I feel so blessed.

Thank you so much for your decision to be an organ donor.

Life is precious.

Pass it on.

In the fall of last year, we asked all of our transplant patients that they would want to write a letter is if they could write to their donor.

>> And so we got this outpouring of letters in support from our patients and decided, but it needed to representative with the respect that these people deserve.

So we created our insulation in the half.

I do hear UK healthcare, the showcases all of the letters that we received in that project.

There were definitely several teams that kind of popped up over and over again.

And most of them were word just very, very grateful.

But a few things that we saw where people really showcasing are sharing what they've been able to do.

So we had people say they were able to walk a child down the aisle or they met a grandchild or continued in a career in some way or took a trip that they'd always wanted to do.

And so they really got to share bits of their lifes in May.

was received a liver transplant.

I continue teaching for 22 more years.

>> I was able to see both of my children graduate from college.

I could take care.

My father other family.

The worst things that I would have been able to do.

You know, I'm very appreciative.

I'm thankful.

I want to let that be known in.

Also.

I'm very I want to show other people to how organ donation of fix them in for them to talk it over with their family.

The other thing that we saw, what were people in some ways feeling guilty for the most part, especially those who partake in this their donors deceased.

And you can feel some of that guilt and and just the awareness that that this was a huge gift so that they could live.

But then on top of that, making sure that that gift in Maine or wasn't taken for granted.

So there are a lot of people here saying >> that they're going to make the most of their life and that they want to pass that on.

If they can, that they are now advocates for organ donations so that others may live and really want >> Show or share that the gift was not taken because it came at such a large cost.

We want to make sure that people are very aware.

Organ donation, how you do that to have those conversations with your families and consider registering as an organ donor.

And then I think the second piece, especially for those who wrote letters is again, to celebrate the people who gave and the families because the families who are so here are the ones who are missing their loved one and feeling the after effects of that.

It's a really to honor to remember them and make sure that their gift is seen and celebrated.

>> Deer down on will be on display through June 28th at UK Chandler Hospital and this programming note Sunday morning at 11:30AM, Eastern Time on KET.

I talk with the UK transplant surgeon and a kidney recipient.

Don't miss that Sunday at 11:30AM.

♪ >> The world's only bourbon.

Our charity bourbon with Hart Commission.

21 artists to create art from bourbon bottles and ballet shoes.

The blended creations were displayed at the Mercedes-Benz of Louisville, the aptly named Bourbon Ballet and bends show is the subject of this week's Arts and Culture segment.

We call Tapestry.

>> I never think paint and all issues before.

So we gave these to the artists.

I had no idea what to expect.

It was going to be coming back.

Does whenever we pick them up and I was just blown away as usual by the creativity and how different they all are.

Kentucky has such a thriving Reg arts culture that so many people outside of Kentucky don't seem to know about.

And even people in Kentucky.

So part of our mission is we're taking that existing popularity of bourbon.

Everyone knows where the leader of the bourbon industry and we're using that to bring awareness.

2 our arts culture and it's working.

And so today we have the winning artist with us.

It's just the start and we have his art piece here.

The title of this piece was the 5th position, which was a play on a bell, a position and then also a fit very about it.

>> So this is the story of bourbon ballerinas and how they're similar about rain.

A story starts at the bar.

Bourbon ends at the bar.

So on the show, you see ballerinas practicing honing their craft.

On the other side, you see the beginning of You've got fermentation that goes through distillation still in the middle all the way to the barrel.

Now, once it's in the barrel.

The only thing that can affect bourbon and ballerinas this time putting in that time putting in the work, putting the effort to become the product that hopefully eventually one day you want to share on the back side of the battle.

You've got the barrel bourbon pouring straight out of it.

Something that they want to share directly with the world.

We're a ballerina on the back pouring out.

Her passion for the world to see.

I grew up dancing for added Jazz have ballet.

So this one that this exhibit being a ballet exhibit was a really important thing for me to be a part of because I mean, if there are 2 things in this world that I care about its and bourbon, so this is kind of a perfect way to do a little bit of art to give back to both of those cars.

>> So we approach little ballet with this idea.

They love it and they jumped on board.

They provided us with the shoes of these are actually she is that were worn by their dancers and they let us just take it from there.

And we were able to end up donating to them almost $4,000 to go towards a scholarship for a young, aspiring dancer to afford ballet school that maybe couldn't otherwise afford it.

Our goal is to get at least $3,000, which would provide the uniforms for 20 students this year.

And we went we went well beyond that.

>> And this is just an unbelievable way for bourbon with hard to be able to pull people.

>> Who maybe wouldn't have been it as comfortable as confident sharing their pieces with the world are their passion with the world.

This is an opportunity for them to finally be seen and to be recognized and that's something really special.

>> And yet, John, thank you.

>> Special indeed, Bourbon Ballet.

And Ben's finished its run, making it the 7th exhibit bourbon with Hart has presented Winona within the last year.

Well, that to do it for us tonight.

We've got some great stories lined up for you tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky.

Addition, we inform connect and inspire.

We hope you'll connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there, Facebook, X and Instagram instance.

It is a story idea.

Public affairs at KET Dot Org.

>> Thanks so much for watching tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take good care and I'll see you right back here again tomorrow night.

♪