♪ >> Right now in the state of Kentucky, a leasing lab slavery says what really matters is what the composition of the Republican Party is.

>> And voters have a say in the party's philosophy.

This primary election will check in on another key Kentucky House race.

It has gotten so popular and I stressed very hard to have people come out in due early voting.

>> Why wait until Election Day?

We hear from people at the polls who like voting early.

Be on the lookout.

>> Were COVID-19 vaccine this fall because well, have a new vaccine.

A new vaccine because of a new COVID variant.

Doctors say don't fool with flirt.

Make the canine cop that section justice.

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

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

May the 16th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Good to be back with you.

>> And thank you for winding down your Thursday with us.

Early voting began today and Kentucky's primary election as voters pick nominees for the U.S. House state House and state Senate and the Kentucky State House.

There are 14 Republicans facing opposition that includes South Central Kentucky's 19 House district covering Edmonson and part of Warren County.

Our Laura Rogers has more on that race as we preview primary 2024.

>> Fundamental requirement.

Democracy's day of choice between candidate.

>> And in Kentucky's 19th district, Republicans have 2 choices.

Incumbent Representative Michael Meredith and political newcomer Kelsey Rock Michael Meredith in a lot of ways, is kind of emerged as the >> Dean really in terms House members representing one county, we've been able for those relationships that I've built in the minority in the majority to get a lot of good things done over the last several years.

>> Taking office in 2011, Meredith counts among his accomplishments.

The Bowling Green veteran Center being built at the Kentucky Transport 6 and a half million dollars for Edmonson County water projects and 10 million dollars for a new vocational center at Edmonson County High School.

>> We know every state is not going to college.

And so we need to prepare those students that are for the workforce.

And those are things that I'm really, really proud of that we've been able to accomplish.

>> One of the main things I want to run for is for my kids for the kids of the Commonwealth.

Kelsey Rock who lives on a farm in Bowling Green outlet in community says he believes Republicans in Frankfort have lost sight of the social issues.

Important to conservatives.

>> The Republicans that have been in the General Assembly for for years now.

>> Are getting a little further away from the original values for the Republican Party.

>> I think if you look at this race from a broader perspective, it kind of fits a lot of races.

Rock in this case is kind of playing the role of the outsider pitched himself as a grassroots candidate.

>> Brock says he's committed to fighting for school choice.

I like to call it parents choice.

I think that parents and students should have the opportunity to get the education that they want.

Welke says he supports a constitutional amendment that will be on the November ballot, letting voters decide if school toy should be further explored in opponent actually voted no against that.

And it's not even making a school choice of thing.

It's just giving the people of Kentucky the opportunity to vote if they want a constitutional amendment that will allow for tax dollars to move forward to fund school choice to let the dollar fall.

The student.

>> To go to private school charter school.

>> Brooks says he believes that policy would make public education stronger as schools would likely raise teacher salaries to compete for the best educators.

>> I do seem to identify way more with constitutional conservatism.

Our rights are given by God and it's up to the government and ourselves to protect those right.

>> He supports term limits.

Personal property rights and to the Second Amendment.

>> No force to vaccinations.

Our ability to run our businesses the way we need to run them with minimal government interference with minimal taxation.

If you really look at the record of most of us who have served in Frankfort for any length of time, we all have pretty conservative records where the liberty and the establishment wings.

I think the part on small and minor issues.

>> That that really.

Are not big dividing issues within the caucus, but they become big personality type issues.

Meredith.

>> Says if reelected, he has much more on his to do list.

I want to continue to see us getting the income tax day on.

You know, I've been a part in the years that I've been there.

>> The years that we've been in the majority, we lower the income tax in Kentucky 3 different times from 6 down to 4.

Now and we've got a path to get to 0 over the next several years.

>> He says he also wants to focus on infrastructure, needs to KET up with the district's growth.

Make sure we have infrastructure, whether the roads, water and sewer in place to take on the massive amount of people that we think are going to be moving there.

>> In the next 20 years, the race has turned negative with both sides, sobbing attacks at the other.

Many of these are completely false.

>> Or they're very misleading.

And what they're trying most of it is coming from out of state money.

>> They went from complete live to extreme exaggerations.

>> And with just days to go before Election Day, they're both making final pushes to get out the vote.

>> I plan to take this role as a true public servant.

I want to go to Frankfort and actually represent the values of Evanston in Warren County.

I think it's important.

We continue to elect people that have experience and have had a proven track record of getting things done in the districts they represent.

And that's what I bring to the table.

And that's why I think it's important that we get as many voters as we can out during this primary.

>> It all comes down to who's narrative motivates voters to show up at the polls.

>> Super majorities Republicans have right now are just so large that there's these primaries, it would be really impactful in terms of what happens in Frankfort and shape.

The policy agenda.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

This House contest is also among the most expensive of the state primary races.

>> The Bowling Green Daily News reports.

Representative Michael Meredith has raised $154,000 in campaign contributions.

Kelsey Rock has collected 13,000 about a 3rd of it is his own money.

There is no Democrat running in this The primary winner will serve as the district state representative during the next legislative session.

Early voting for the 2024 primary kicked off this morning.

The polls are open and some locations through Saturday for Kentuckians who would like to make their voice heard before Election Day on may.

21st Kentucky's leading elections official cast his ballot today.

Republican secretary of state Michael Adams has been an advocate for early voting and today speaking to us, he made the case for voting early and they're urged voters to turnout in primaries.

>> I like to see that there are 2 groups of voters who benefit from Arbor early voting law.

One is the voters who vote early because there's no line.

And you can vote on a Thursday Friday or even the Saturday, which is really helpful to working people to have that flexibility.

The other group of voters who benefit from early voting or those who do not vote early because the launch just best that much shorter on Election Day on Tuesday.

I'm very pleased that the Legislature did not repeal her early voting days.

There was a friend of that.

Fortunately, we were successful in lobbying and getting that killed and we do have early voting no on this primary as well as in November.

We expect a light turnout.

We didn't really have a light turnout in our primaries.

I think our primaries are increasingly important, though, because as the state gets more polarized, geographically as gets more blue in Lexington gets more blue and the rural areas get more red.

Increasingly the primary is the general.

And so if you have it 10 or 15% are not your primary.

Those people are picking our leaders.

We're actually in November.

You have a lot of uncontested elections in November.

>> Secretary Adams was referring to Senate Bill 61, a bill that would have ended the three-day period of no excuse early voting in Kentucky.

It went to the state and local government committee and the Senate.

But it did not go to the House or Senate floors.

Kentucky Edition caught up with some Lexington poll workers and primary voters who made the case for early voting.

>> Last year was a little bit more this year for the first day.

But again.

We're just not even halfway into the afternoon show.

I'm looking forward to a big turnout.

It has gotten so popular and I stressed very hard to have people come out and do early voting.

It helps out a lot for appreciate being able to them.

Girlie.

>> And things.

There and politicians who want to just take it away and just have one day voting in it.

So convenient for some people.

>> If you're interested in voting early check with your county clerk's office about times and locations and we do hope you'll join us on primary night.

That is Tuesday as we bring you all the numbers and analysis of the races from our panel of political experts.

That's next.

Tuesday night beginning at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Kentucky's unemployment rate is up from a year ago.

The state says the jobless rate in April was 4.6%.

That's up a 10th of a percent from March.

It's up 6 tenths of a percent from April of 2023 when the jobless rate was 4% nationally, the unemployment rate last month was 3.9%.

Kentucky's jobless numbers are higher than the U.S. as a whole.

Pro-Palestinian protests have taken place on many college campuses across the country, including at the University of Kentucky because of the accompanying rise of antisemitism on many of these campuses.

The Kentucky Anti Semitism Task Force created by Governor Andy Beshear and December of last year.

Matt, on UK's campus yesterday to discuss how to confront this issue and what the university has done so far.

It's been.

>> A real tough time for Jewish students across the country the legitimate protest grows, there is oftentimes the hate speech or other activities taken that make a juice fear for their and we heard from the president, CEO of Hillel International, which is the nations, a Jewish student agency.

And we also heard from the dean of students, the UK to talk about what's going on here, Kentuckyian I tell you, it was very encouraged by the great work that UK is doing that too.

Not only protect Jewish students, but more importantly, building interfaith dialogue that's needed to really let us ascend from the Anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination.

>> Since October 7th, we've seen a lot of our students here at the University of Kentucky feel somewhat under distress for a lot of the things that they're seeing nationally on other campuses as well as abroad.

I think sometimes were quick to jump to wanting to support students.

But we don't ask them what support looks like or how we should be supported.

And so we have had conversations with both a Jewish students and are mostly students doing listening sessions for them providing alternative program that they needed it and hearing from them what their experience is like both in and out of the classroom.

Some of the things that Justin is already working on is the interfaith dialogue to make sure that we can actually maybe possibly in the fall, bring all communities together to have a conversation about how we can facilitate a better experience on our campus for all identities.

>> People on both sides are going to disagree about policy issues.

Disagree about what's going on the Middle but we can disagree without being disagreeable.

I think the biggest takeaways we need to continue to work more, not just the UK but on college campuses to be bringing interfaith dialogue, bringing education to campus, letting folks on both sides of all issues understand the humanity at the core of all of our students.

>> The task force also announced the formation of a subcommittee to focus on Anti-Semitism in K through 12 schools.

The members of which have yet to be decided.

She has 4 legs and a badge.

Charity is the new K 9 officer for the Kentucky Attorney General's Department of Criminal investigation.

She's been trained to sniff out devices that could contain child sex abuse material, including cell phones, flash drives and micro SD cards.

The attorney general's office put out a video about charity.

Take a look.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Support for law enforcement to stay on the cutting edge technology to protect children from online exploitation.

Highly trained canines like charity are important tool for law enforcement to use in those types of investigations.

>> I'm so excited to work at canine charity.

She's so talented and hardworking.

She is going make a big difference to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

♪ ♪ And that video comes to your from the Kentucky Attorney General's office.

You can follow charities work.

>> On Instagram.

♪ ♪ There's a new variant of COVID-19.

The CDC says it's quickly become the new dominant variant across the U.S.. And while early indications suggest it's not causing an increase in hospitalizations, it's still nothing to flirt with.

More in today's medical COVID-19 virus is continue to circulate and they continue to change.

>> And that's not surprising because that's just what viruses do.

Back in February and March that Jay in one variant was the most common COVID-19 variant circulating in the U.S.. And that has changed now kpd too.

and a related virus.

KP 1.1.

>> Are among the most common viruses circulating together, they make up about a 3rd.

>> Of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. these viruses are part of a group of viruses that have been nicknamed the flirt.

Variance.

What they have in common is a set of mutations in the spike protein and the spike protein is the part of the virus that allows it to attach to our south.

Right now.

They don't appear to be causing more disease.

They're not driving an increase in cases.

Hospitalizations remain low.

It Kentucky has a viral respiratory dashboard touch that includes hospitalizations and emergency department visits for COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.

And if we look at that cases are not increasing.

So the most current vaccine was released last fall.

It was recommended for everyone, 6 months and older earlier this year, the CDC said that people who are 65 and can get an additional dose that current xbb because immunity does wane.

And we know people 65 and older have an increased risk for severe COVID-19.

So I would say to people if fit into that age group, if you've not been vaccinated and you have health risk that put you at risk for severe COVID-19.

Talk to your doctor about vaccination.

Be on the lookout for COVID-19 vaccine this fall because well, have a new vaccine.

We know many people when they develop respiratory symptoms, they don't test themselves for COVID.

They don't go to the doctor for a test but there are some people who are at risk.

We're developing severe infection from COVID-19.

And for those people, it's important to test because if they are positive, there are treatments available that can cut the risk of hospitalization from COVID-19.

If you have a health condition that puts you at risk.

We're just tip for severe disease from test.

And if you test positive, talk to your healthcare provider about what treatments are available to you.

♪ ♪ ♪ And education news now and 2017 Jefferson County Public Schools began recruiting teachers from Puerto Rico to fill vacant positions.

>> But that stopped due to COVID this mock JCPS staff travel back to the Caribbean island to find more educators willing to work in Kentucky's largest district.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> regal often as the day to put it to needed to have teachers that having the expedience that have the passion to help out with kids.

>> I was hired by a JCPS July 2017.

I went to a new interview and out of all the states, Kentucky was not on my radar for coming in, it was a great been teaching 70 years when I moved, I taught kindergarten for 2 years here and then and different school Wheatley Elementary.

The rest of my experience has been the Ruggles meant by taught 3rd grade because we had the Spanish immersion program.

And I was teaching 2 classes in Spanish classes in English and now I came back to kindergarten.

>> We don't hold it just because we need teachers.

We go there because they being a unique skill.

That is the language.

It is.

We have a very diverse the street.

We need people who we understand those type obstacles and challenges that you have sometimes with the language.

>> We have a lot of parents that come to the country and they don't know how to speak English.

The fact that I can speak in Spanish with with them that I can send communications in Spanish with them.

It is.

It is really good.

We need to have diversity and we need to have teachers from different countries.

Different backgrounds so they can help students feel confident.

And so we welcome everybody.

>> That is a place on sees them.

That is going to suport you to be successful.

It might be too successful.

My kids are going to be successful.

They're great teachers in Puerto Rico.

The raid, awesome teachers and they can bring that experience here.

>> And teach our kids.

They will feel good about it.

>> They have the passion U.S. Mike and took a teachers.

Have the passion.

They have the science to change the world.

You know, we're going to teach him because you want to become a teacher.

You want to leave nicely.

You can become a teacher because you have it here.

You have the that board that the should that everything you have it in your heart, you want to have you want to be in a jet?

I mean, I am blessed to have the opportunity to be here.

>> The fact that I have learned so much working with JCPS.

It's something that I wouldn't change.

It was the best decision I made for me and my family.

>> There are currently more than 300 open teaching positions in the school district.

♪ >> Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is now the favorite for Saturday's Preakness.

>> That's because the previous Preakness favorite Muth trained by Bob Baffert is out.

Muth had a fever yesterday just after arriving in Baltimore and has been scratched.

Muth was an 8, 5 things right?

The PGA Championship is wrapping up day one at Valhalla Golf Club right here in Kentucky today, Zander chef filet shot a 62 and set a new PGA championship record.

The day started with a 10 minute delay because of fog.

It's been a wet week so far soaking the turf and there's more rain in the forecast.

But some big names still managed to shine.

That includes Tiger Woods, who is plying for only the 3rd time this year.

Brooks Keopka is the defending champion and Jordan Speith is chasing the final leg of the Grand Slam.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Month.

We sat down with bus Lexington's second youth poet laureate to talk about what the month means to her and how she shares her culture with others through her poetry.

I was born in India.

I was born specifically in the eastern part and Calcutta.

>> And the city and the state them form is really, really values parks.

It's like only art striven writing, driven music, driven city.

So that's just it's always been in my life.

I'm still very close to that to my culture, home country.

It's dictated a lot of who I am.

What I write about because, of course, living in a predominantly White city, a predominantly white school.

It's very easy to feel like the other people.

So that really impacts a lot of my writing and talking about that and bringing more awareness that whole aspect of being in a predominantly white community.

I moved to Lexington about 6, 7, years ago.

So it was immediately just you felt a lot like home to meet a lot of people who are similar to me.

Some of their minded groups in a similar cultures.

Me so definitely felt like a slice away from home.

But I think one of the wonderful things about Lexington is its diversity and it's definitely going a lot more thing.

API month is just a wonderful month to celebrate all these wonderful cultures of, you know, Asian at Asian Americans.

Pacific Islanders.

Of course, I'm biased.

I think every month should be celebrating our cultures.

But yes, it's just an important celebration.

Bringing awareness to different issues that surround my community and the other communities in the Asian and Pacific speaking personally and India.

And I think there's a lot of support for Campbell, a lot of support for our festivals.

That's definitely growing force.

It's a work in progress.

And I understand that we are much smaller community within the Lexington, bigger community of Lexington.

But I think it's definitely growing a lot outside of this month.

I think there's a lot has been a pressure, especially with guiding the to say certain things as and immigrant as an Asian-American, you have to talk about certain issues.

So I think I'm kind of trying to turn that on its head by saying that, yes, of course, I am all these things, but they don't define who I am.

So from reading poetry doesn't have to talk about my struggles.

I can talk about all that amazing things that I've learned that my culture, a lot of things I want to bring to other people, something that is always a pressure there.

But it's a good kind of pressure.

There's lot of up and coming Asian and Pacific Islander of actors who are out there.

And I think they just need their space to be, you know, exploring the art and showed sharing their voices.

But I think it's going a lot more.

And I hope to see a lot more growth in the future.

When people talk about Asian American and Pacific Islander Monday, think about East and Asian that South Asians aren't considered nation.

>> We Jen.

If you look at the map, we are there.

>> And yeah, of course, the diversity is the biggest thing.

I'd say she's one of the most diverse countries.

You go from one place to another.

You see all kinds of people.

So that's another thing to remember when you're talking about this month is that it doesn't just apply to one community.

One type of person put so many types of people and it's important to celebrate all of those API months go beyond the month of May.

I think it's very easy to just support and honor people around you come from different cultures.

I think that comes in many ways educating yourself about cultures, making sure you say that.

I think do the right thing.

It's just basic human decency.

I think at the end of the day and celebrating the cultures around you.

>> Tomorrow night, lax, get happy as having a fashion show art show or indifferent performances by API artists at the Central Library in Lexington at 05:00PM.

Let's get happy is an organization that puts on a month-long events for Asian American Pacific Islander Month.

This is the second year for its month-long events.

Well, that'll do it for us tonight, but we hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky EDITION, where we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there, Facebook x, Instagram to stay in the loop.

>> Send us a story idea to our e-mail and public affairs at KET Dot Org and look for us on the PBS app.

Download that on your SMART device.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take really good care and I'll see you tomorrow night.

♪